Mmmm - a very French dinner... almost

Made some roasted ratatouille tonight with some chicken breast seasoned with some herbes de provence and served it alongside couscous. But not the French style couscous, the Israeli style. It was still quite tasty, though not (quite) 100% French. I do like the extra flavor you can get from the larger grains and the ability to toast them up in some butter before cooking them in stock. (Chicken tonight since it was served with chicken, but I've made it with beef stock when serving it with a beef entree.)

Plans for tomorrow night - not sure. It's Friday so that means it's most likely leftovers since Bryan works so late. Oh well. My new quest - perfecting a recipe for a 'golden butter' cupcake that I can divide up so that I can make a normal amount at once rather than 2 dozen cupcakes at a time. (I can't eat that many at once so it's silly to make a whole cake-sized batch when I'm not bringing them to a party.) That combo with the awesome coconut-blue agave ganache was so awesome I want to make it again and again and again. (While working out in between.)

Superbowl Sunday

Let's not talk about the game, the mean things I said and the many things I wanted to throw at the TV tonight.

Focus on food :)
Made a quick frozen pizza at my husband's request - not bad. They made a pretty decent thin crust margarita pizza. Had some Coke and Cherry Coke and LOVED the new Coke commercial (well, Coke Zero) during the 2nd half. If you didn't see it, shame on you! It was a slick twist on the "Mean Joe Greene" commercial from Superbowl in '79 with current Steeler Troy Polamalu in his place. After the game as a "pre-freelancing work snack" I had some leftover chicken and rice.

Took the idea from my friend Sharon. Put some rice and salt in the bottom of the pan, mixed it up a bit, sliced some carrots on top, stuck some chicken breast on top, water, some chicken seasoning blend and baked for about an hour. YUM!

I am actually saving the last golden butter cupcake with the coconut-blue agave ganache for tomorrow night... or maybe even a mid-day snack if the urge strikes. For now, maybe a handful of honey nut cheerios (dry) and bed.

Here's to a better Pro-Bowl next Sunday and a better year for the Patriots next year despite losing two biggies from the coaching staff. (GO PATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Roast! Finally!

So - finally made the roast last night (well yesterday afternoon so it would be ready when Bryan left for work). I cut up about 4 Maine potatoes and 4 carrots to act as an edible rack for the roast (the store had a coupon for free 5 lb bag of Maine potatoes, 2 lb bag of onions and 1 lb bag of carrots when you bought a roast weighing 3 lbs or more). Then I sprinkled the veggies with "Sarah's Special Seasoning Blend" which I made as an all-purpose blend of spices for my sister who's allergic to onions. Also rubbed that all over the round tip roast, placed the rubbed roast on top of the carrots and potatoes, gave it a little extra sprinkle on the top of the roast and then stuck it in a 350 oven till it was about 148 or so internal temp. Took it out, let it rest and sent my husband to work with one potato worth of potato chunks, two carrots and a good half pound of sliced roast. The container came back empty so I think it was a success! I also had a little bit of the roast and veggies after I came back from a party I went to and before I went to watch Bryan play hockey at 10:40 at night.

On a parallel note of sorts, my 'admission' to the party was a dessert. So I made some golden butter cupcakes (that batter was so thick and creamy it looked like heaven) and then topped them with what I'm calling a coconut-blue agave ganache. I used coconut milk (I had refrigerated a partial can and drained off the excess watery stuff that separated from the creamier parts) and 72% dark chocolate. Then I mixed in some Blue Agave sweetener, some 1% milk and some almond extract. I like the little extra sweetness and richness the real milk added and the almond just puts ganache over the top.

The cupcakes literally came out of the oven about 1 minute before I needed to leave (was catching a ride with neighbors to the party) and I just took the bowl of ganache with me along with the container of cupcakes. Dipped them during the party and put them out to rave reviews from the guys that pounced on them as soon as they were on the table. When we got back from the party, one of my neighbors hadn't had a cupcake so I had her come in and dunked two more cupcakes (one for her and one for her daughter) and she loved the ganache she sampled off the top of her cupcake before she walked out of the house! I finished dunking the last 7 on the counter and brought three to hockey. One for the rink guy who's been known to save me a Coke and some chips (the rink only sells pepsi products and I'm a Coke girl) and one for a friend who was supposed to be there. I'm not used to there being many people watching mens' league games so I was surprised to walk into a full room of guys all ogling the cupcakes. Then my friend didn't show up.... so after a couple attempts at being bribed to trade cupcakes for liquor or beer I set the cupcakes on another table and said they were up for grabs. They went over well to say the least. One guy said they looked so perfect he never would have thought they were real and everyone who tried them were amazed I made them. So it's all happy in the end. :)