Too Old for Ramen

Best Basic Black Beans and the subsequent Black Bean and Brown Rice Burrito See it in action HERE!

Nibble Plate with Elphaba Dip; Hors D’Oerves for Dinner!

It is so cold and gross out that I decided to crank up the heater and have a summery dinner treat in the middle of January.  I made an herby spinach dip with delicious blanched vegetables and cubes of teriyaki chicken for my supper and pretended I was at the beach with a good book.  That book was, of course, Out of Oz by Gregory McGuire.  I named the spinach dip after his muse, Elphaba- AKA the Wicked Witch of the West (who honestly wasn’t so much “wicked” as she was misunderstood, the poor thing). 

I have to tell you that once you blanch vegetables for crudites, or “nibble plate”, you will never go back to serving raw ones again.  Slightly cooking, or blanching the vegetables keeps them crispy but allows the flavor to intensify and a really wonderful experience when you pop a little bit of summer in your mouth on a cold, gloomy winter day.  Don’t forget a little salt, you will be amazed how much the flavor is enhanced further.  

The Elphaba Dip is verdant and enchanting, just like the literary heroine it is named for.  You will find that you will want to put it in everything from turkey sandwiches or to top your morning cup of cottage cheese.  

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did creating it for you.  I am using the leftovers in spring rolls for dinner tonight!  

Easy Breakfasts for a Tired Soul

Mornings can be brutal.  I like to preface my day with something packed with protein and flavor. I need to be energized and satiated so that my day starts off in the right direction. Especially after a sleepless night of wild New Years Eve revelry, or to be less glamorous but realistic, earaches and toddler kicks to my kidneys (don’t ask).  The first thing I reach for when I want a quick breakfast is plenty of protein.   Usually boiled eggs,since I don’t want to deal with a scrubbing a greasy/messy frying pan afterward.   The second criteria to get my day going is something crunchy,  I love how easy it is to grab a few slices of rye flatbread (easy to make).  It is perfect for breakfast and is an excellent stand-in for toast.  My third requirement for breakfast is just a wee touch of sweetness.  Not a whole lot, some raw fruit and honey should suffice.    You can have a filling breakfast on your table,steaming in ten minutes if you play your cards right.

Let’s get another look at Chocolate Almond Toffee Crunch, For real. 

Chocolate Almond Toffee Crunch

What a more perfect time to talk about making wonderful and easy treats to eat or share than Christmas.  My favorite holiday edible to receive is now my favorite to make and share once I learned how incredibly fun and simple it is to whip up: Chocolate, Almond, Toffee Crunch.  Anytime I eat this stuff I think about almond roca, which in return reminds me of the Winona Ryder film “Welcome Home Roxy Carmichael”.  But I digress. 

This recipe is so versatile. Change out the almonds for peanuts, cashews, pecans, hazelnuts, or even sun flower seeds for variety.  You can even switch up the chocolate with dark chocolate, bittersweet, white, or extra-dark.  OR screw the nuts, go crazy and make a dark chocolate-peppermint toffee!  Get creative and let me know what fine toffee concoction you come up with and I may just try it out myself and post it on Too Old for Ramen.  

I think everyone could use a bowl of warm and comforting soup!  CheBroTato is the perfect pick-me-up, and has been proven to be a salve for a bruised soul.  It is pretty easy to make, and has lots of cheese and vegetables to keep you satisfied.  My followers are great, if any of you lived close by I would love to share a bowl of this comfort stew with any of you.  Those of you who have celebrated your holiday and those about to embark on a celebration, I wish you well.  I hope that everyone is safe and happy.  Merry,Joyous, Happy Annual Gift Day! -Enjoy! 

Chick-Chick- BOOM! Sweet and Spicy Chicken Thighs

I like versatility in the kitchen, I like flavor, and I like exciting dishes that taste like they were hard to make (but really just super simple to prepare).   This recipe is all of those, and I whipped it up off-the-cuff with fantastic results.  I do believe that this will be one of our staples because of how delicious and economical it is.  Some people don’t live in southeastern Louisiana, so I have adjusted the ingredients to be as gentle or as fiery as desired. 

The best part about this recipe it that it makes A LOT.  So you can portion the thighs out for lunches during the week or pull the meat off the bone and mix with some chopped celery, white onion, slivered almonds, and some mayo for AMAZING chicken salad.  

I do hope someone tries this and lets me know what they though.  If you like this recipe, or any of my others, please feel free to share them with your friends or even follow us. 

Some other fun things you could do with this marinade:

 Chicken wings- Marinate them just like the thighs.  Put them in the oven at 375 F for 30 minutes, Flip and bake another 30 minutes.

Pork - Pour a cup or two over a pork roast or some ribs in the Crockpot and slow cook on low for 8 hours for Korean-style barbeque. 

Meatballs- Dump some cooked meatballs in a saucepan and simmer in the marinade for 20 minutes.  Remove from the heat and serve as an appetizer with toothpicks and the marinade to dip it in.  

BONUS POST THIS WEEK! Split Pea with Onion Soup!

I had to share this with you guys! I am instantly warmed by the thought of this excellent and healthy soup.  The flavors are bright and it makes for a hearty Autumn meal.  I adapted this from 101 cookbooks, which has probably the best soup recipes, meatless or not, I have ever made.  

It is pretty hard to find a split pea soup recipe that isn’t tired, overcooked, or choked full of ham.  Not that I have a problem with ham, but it is so overdone in typical split pea soup.  It reminds me of the seventies: gaudy, green, and over processed.  I needed and update to make split pea soup desirable again.  So I interneted a little bit and found this lovely gem, altered it to suit my tastes, and the rest was beautiful, soupy history.  

I like the simplicity of this dish.  The peas and onions are enhanced by the tangy lemon zest and smoky paprika.  It also provides for a method of getting a nutritious meal into my 13 month old, who is starting to become somewhat of a demanding food critic.  Have a hot bowl of Split Pea and Onion soup with a peppery arugula salad and some garlic bread for a comforting, easy lunch or light supper during the week.  Now if only I could get my husband to like peas!

Chilikristis

I get up very early in the morning and have to take care of my family getting ready for the day  by cooking them a good breakfast, making a fresh lunch for my husband to take to work,  dressing the little one, chasing the pieces of breakfast he flings around (so the cats don’t eat them and then hork them up later) and cleaning up before I can feed myself.  I usually have time for a yogurt or something light first thing, but I get hungry by 10 am for something more substantial.  So sometimes, if the planets align right and the baby bee takes his nap on time, I can enjoy a mid-week brunch to myself.  I have been in a festive mood lately and I wanted to make something that I could some Mexican crema on so I created a hybrid of chilaquiles and egg in the basket that I call “chilakristis” after myself.  First of all let me say, Mexican Crema is sublime, if you are able to pick some up it really makes this stupidly easy and slightly exotic dish absolutely perfect.  In the absence of crema you may use crème fraîche , or sour cream, if you really must. 

I usually scale this recipe down a bit for one serving.  Of course you COULD make this on a weekend and share it with your family, but it’s best to test it out on yourself first during the week with a guanabana nectar.  Enjoy and olè! 

Chilaquiles inspired Too Old for Ramen EXCLUSIVE dish: Chilakristis!  

I love to have this for weekday brunch so much that I named it after myself!  Recipe to follow this post on toooldforramen.tumblr.com.  Or, just click the link!.