In my attempts to make this look yummy, I went overboard with the asparagus. I can see that now. But know those cheesy and ever-so-creamy scallion grits under there were to die for.

I haven’t quite gotten my multi-tasking swagger back, so Joe had to stir the grits while I blanched the asparagus.  Let me tell you the secret to some delicious and ever-so-creamy grits.  If you have never had good grits, or you swear you hate them, pay attention.

Cook the grits on the stove with some milk.  I used 2% because we’re out of half and half.  But they were still creamy as ever.  I used to work at little restaurant semi-chain in college that served a great brunch.  I always envied the Sunday brunchers because I never got a Sunday off, and the eggs benedict and jalapeno cheese grits were amazing.  One Sunday, after complaining that I would never be able to really order some of those grits, one of the head cooks told me something I will never forget.  He was a seriously cool dude who had run on some hard times in his life.  But he wouldn’t hurt a fly, and he was super nice to me.  And boy did he have some great stories.  One involved a video tape he found on the side of the road…but that is another story for another time.

This is about grits.  So he tells me, “Look, you could totally make those at home.  It’s not the jalapeno cheese that makes those grits so good, it’s the half and half we use instead of water.”  I don’t know whatever happened to that dude…but he was one of the most genuinely nice guys I had ever met at the tender age of 19.  Heck, I sure do hope he’s doing well somewhere.

So this is what you’ll need:

• 1/2 cup of 5 minute grits
• 2 cups 2% (or whole) milk
• 3-4  chopped green onions/scallions
• 1/4 cup shredded mexican or cheddar/jack cheese blend
• salt and pepper
• one bunch of asparagus
• a lemon

This is what you do:

1. Start out with 1.5 cups of milk.  Boil your milk in a small pot.  Don’t let it burn on the bottom–be pretty careful with this.
2. Throw in your grits and stir continuously.  Don’t walk away or they will burn. (This is a good job for a boy.)
3. Reduce heat as soon as the grits start to thicken up…maybe 1 minute.
4. Throw in your scallions and salt.  Add a little pepper at this point, too, if you like it.  Not too much, though, because you want this to stay more of a delicately creamy flavor.
5. While your boy is stirring, boil some water on another eye in a medium pot.  Add some salt to the water.
6. Get your washed asparagus and break them in half.  Now, they don’t have to be super perfectly broken in half.  Each piece of asparagus will be different.  This breaking them is easier than trying to find where the asparagus gets tough.  The breaking point on each piece will do that for you.  So grasp one end with one hand, and the other end with your other hand.  Bend very quickly, and each piece will break at the perfect point.  Does that make sense?
7. Your grits may need that extra 1/2 cup of milk right about this time, so go ahead and do that.
8. Throw the asparagus in the boiling water for maybe 60 seconds.  You want them to get super duper bright green and then take them out immediately.  IMMEDIATELY.
9. Dust with salt, and squeeze some lemon on them.  Toss.
10. Add the cheese to your grits until it’s all melted in.  They should be done at this point.  They will be super thick.
11. Plate up the grits and top with your asparagus.  Zest some of that lemon you used on top.

Voila!  Now tell me if you still hate grits.  =)

Many of these measurements of vegetables are approximate. As with all soups, just throw whatcha got in there.

• one large onion, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp EVOO
• 2 “Non Chicken” bouillon cubes
• 4-6 cups water
• 1.5 tbsp mild white miso
• 1.5 tbsp tomato paste
• half can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can navy beans
• 3/4 cup wild rice/brown rice blend (or whatever left over cooked rice you have around)
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup frozen white corn
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach

1. Saute onion in EVOO until  translucent
2. Add a little of the water to dissolve the bouillon cubes
3. Add the miso and the tomato paste and stir to dissolve those, too
4. Pour in the rest of the water and the rest of the ingredients except the spinach.
5. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
6. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes.
7. Add spinach right before serving to let it wilt just so.

I didn’t have any croutons, but they would have been super good with this.

Smoky Chipotle Chili

2 or 3 tbsp EVOO
3/4 cup onion, chopped (or more if you like onions)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 chipotle pepper, diced
half bag of Morning Star Farms meat crumbles
1 can pinto beans
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
1 can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup water
dash oregano
2 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

for optional garnish:
shredded cheddar
sour cream
fresh chopped cilantro

• Cook onions with EVOO on medium heat until they are translucent.
• Add garlic, chipotle, and meat crumbles and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes.  Turn the heat down if the onions start to brown too fast.
• After all that delicious smoky spice seeps in to everything, add each of the rest of the ingredients, stirring each until incorporated.
• Before you add the salt at the end, let the chili cook on medium for about 5 minutes so that you can get an accurate read on how much you want.  You may like this a little on the sweeter, smokier side or you may want more salt to balance everything out.
• Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
• Serve with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and chopped fresh cilantro

If you are really not into spicy foods, chop your pepper into 4 different piles.  Wait until you have added the other ingredients before you experiment with how much spice you can take, separately adding each pile and then tasting after each addition.  If you add too much spice, you can’t take it out.  Remember that the sugar balances the spicy pH levels, and it will lose a little kick after it sits in your frig overnight.

I paired steamed broccoli with my pork medallions. This version of pork medallions is so simple after a long week of rich treats.

I was thinking about posting about my Uncle John’s famous sweet potato pie. Then I started thinking about the intense amount of holiday treats I’ve been eating all week. So an idea for a simple and lean dinner forms as I sit here, grateful I don’t have to work until next Monday and wishing a marathon of The Closer or CSI was on TV. You can whip up some mashed potatoes or steam some vegetables for a side dish. The faux gravy I make for this goes with any side because it is tasty and not too thick. Rice would be good, too.

Although pork loin can seem expensive, you can use it for several meals. I used half of this pork loin for a previous meal (Crockpot Pork Loin), and I froze the rest until now. I paid $8.49 for this amount of meat, and it fed us for 3 meals. Not too bad, I have to say.

Pork Medallions

pork loin
EVOO
white wine
heavy cream
1 cube chicken bouillon coarse ground salt
freshly ground pepper
Mrs. Dash Steak Seasoning

I love this Mrs. Dash seasoning on everything. It is a Griller's Blend, and it is delicious on steak, but it is also delicious on salmon, chicken, and in this case, pork.

• Cut the pork loin into 1/2 inch thick “medallions”
• Season with salt and Mrs. Dash. The coarse salt is really excellent and will caramelize the outside of the meat.
• Heat pan to medium heat and add 1-2 tbsp of EVOO
• Put the pork in the hot oil and do not move it for at least 60 seconds. You don’t want it to burn, but you do want the meat to perfectly brown on the bottom before you turn it.
  

  Wait until the meat gets to a nice brown before you flip it. That seasoning looks so good.

• Once both sides are a wonderfully brown color, take them out and put them in an oven-safe dish.
• Continue cooking at 350 for about 10 minutes or until they are cooked through.
• While your pork is in the over, keep your heat on the empty pan on the stove, and pour 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of white wine into the pan to get all those cooked-on delicious bits off the bottom.
• Throw in a bouillon cube and cook until it dissolves.

• 

  Pour white wine into the pan to deglaze the delicious bits. The wine makes a most fabulous noise when it hits the hot pan.

• Add 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream. If you don’t have that around, half and half would work.
  

  After you add the cream, the sauce will have this creamy brown hue.

• Continue to reduce until it is half its original volume.
• I call this “faux gravy” because it is not really as thick as gravy usually is.
• Pull your pork out of the oven and pour the faux gravy over it and whatever side you chose.
  

  I highly suggest you try the Mrs. Dash Steak Seasoning. Look at those beautifully browned medallions with the faux gravy.

I know I’m married to him, but this is the best compliment a cook can get:

I caught Joe licking the plate!

Crock pots are so great any time of year. You get a home cooked meal...that you didn't have to cook! I never have enough ingredients to fill my crock pot this full.

I don’t really know how to cook a tofu crockpot meal, and my last soybean excursion boiled over…and all over my kitchen. Usually, I am a pro at these things, but the termite man called to tell me that he was going to be late…and he is a talker. Right when I hung up, my ground soy bean and water mixture boiled over, and boilin’ hot okara went everywhere. This would not have happened if I had used my huge pot, but I was trying to perfect this process, use less dishes, and add some fresh basil. It did not work out. On the same soybean note, I have posted pictures to my Fresh Tofu Adventure, so go check them out if you are curious.

Whatever the reason, I was craving some slowly cooked pork loin in my crock pot. If you work or go to school all day, this is the best thing to come home to. It smells up the whole house with a wonderfully warm aroma of herbs and spices. This pork loin was not even a pound, and it fed us for 3 different meals:

1. Low and Slow Crock Pot Pork Loin
2. Pork Medallions
3. BBQ pulled pork sandwiches

Low and Slow Pork Loin

baby carrots
half an onion, chopped
2 small garlic cloves
3/4 to a cup of any unsweet white wine
pork loin, cut in half so as to neatly fit in crock pot
1/2 cup water
Mrs. Dashcoarse salt
pepper

• put your carrots and onions in the bottom of the crock pot
• place the 2 garlic cloves so that they will sit just under the pork loin
• rub the pork with the coarse salt, Mrs. Dash, and pepper; be careful with the coarse salt as a little goes a long way
• put the pork down on top of the carrots, onions, and garlic
• pour in the white wine and water; it does not need to submerge the pork
• turn on the lowest cooking settings
• mine has 3 settings: keep warm, low, and high–”keep warm” will not cook the meat enough
• I put this on at about 7 a.m. and didn’t get home until 5 p.m.
• It was perfect!

Then last week, I happened upon a blog about homemade tofu. I was intrigued, but after looking all over the net for some concrete measurements, I was coming up empty-handed. Most of them mentioned a tofu press and a soymilk maker, but those go for $100 or more. The other instructions on how to make soymilk (the base for the tofu) were lengthy and confusing. Several recipes had other links pointing to other sites and back and forth and it was all incredibly daunting. Two sites even suggested that without a soymilk maker, I would have to pour scalding hot soy beans into a huge blender being careful not to let the steam build up…or it would EXPLODE! No ma’am. I don’t have a huge blender anyhow, so I bought a little hand/immersion blender at Wal-mart for $20. Don’t judge me for shopping at the Wally World. We are on a budget.

Some recipes called for a whole pound of soybeans. After soaking my pound of soybeans (about $2 at the Whole Foods), I quickly realized that was going to yield WAY too much tofu to eat in 3 days. So without further adieu, I give you my researched method. Because if you’ve spent any time reading through the instructions out there, you’re VERY tired of the wordy crap.

Items you will need:

• cheese cloth (I found this at Whole Foods. I cut the 3 yards in half.)
• a large pot
• several medium to large bowls (I haven’t gotten this part down to save on the dishes…yet.)
• blender of some sort
• a colander/sieve/or something that strains
• optional: homemade tofu press (I got this idea from Jen over at Modern Beet. I really like her outlook on food related things.)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of soaked (overnight) soybeans
• 1.5 cups of water
• 4 cups of water in a large pot
• 2 or 3 tbsp of vinegar (other coagulants I read about include gypsum, lemon juice, or epsom salt)

Here’s the process:

1. Soak the soy beans overnight.
2. Skim out the 2 cups you need and blend with 1.5 cups water until it’s like a bean smoothie.
   

   Cover the soy beans with enough water.

3. Boil 4 cups of water in a large pot.
4. Pour the bean smoothie in the pot with the boiling water and return to a boil.
   

   Your "bean smoothie" should be about this consistency.

5. Let simmer 10 minutes. You can busy yourself with skimming off the foam from the top.
   

   Skim the foam off the top. I don't think this is necessary, but I did it anyway.

6. Fold one piece of the cheese cloth in half and line your wire strainer/colander/whatever.
7. Place straining device in a stainless steel mixing bowl. The soy milk you strain out is the part you need.
   

   Straining out the okara is not as hard as it sounds. The soy milk that you strain is what you want, so put a bowl underneath the straining device.

8. Pour the hot mixture in the wire strainer. You might need to wear some kitchen gloves to lightly squeeze the rest of the milk from the soy bean pulp so you don’t burn your hands. This part is not as hard as it sounds. <This okara can be toasted and thrown in bread recipes and whatnot. Expect a zucchini apple okara bread recipe some time this week!>
9. Put the okara to the side, and place the stainless steel bowl of soy milk back on the eye (that is no longer on, but still holding heat). <Update: I didn’t do this the second time around because the soy milk was still pretty darn hot>
10. Add the 2 tbsp. of vinegar or lemon juice. It should coagulate into “curds and whey” pretty quick-like. I ended up using 3 tbsp of vinegar because I mis-measured and it was still fine.
    

    The curdling will look something like this, depending on what coagulant you use.

11. Stir the mixture once. Leave it alone for 10-15 minutes.
12. Pour mixture into homemade tofu press OR wire strainer lined with other half of cheese cloth.
    

    Fold your cheese cloth into whatever you are going to press the water out of the tofu.

13. This can go either way–the point here is to press the water or “whey” out of the tofu. If you use the homemade tofu press, put it in a pan to collect the liquid as it drains out. If you use the wire strainer method, put a circular plate that fits inside it. Put your weights on top of that. Next time, I think I will try this as I won’t have to mess up another dish. I can just pour the curds and whey into the cheesecloth in the strainer, then put the empty bowl back underneath.
    

    Press the water out of the tofu. I used canned tomatoes.

A word about whey: In all the research that I did, I read that this leftover drained tofu “water” is really good for plants, and some folks even wash their hair in it. Not sure how I feel about that, but if it was summer time, I would definitely try this on my plants. I suppose the vinegar/lemon/epsom salt part of it binds to the tofu solid part, so I guess it wouldn’t hurt anything. If anyone has any enlightenment on this subject, please let me know. Very new at this stuff.

A word on measurements: Something I had trouble understanding was the measurement of soybeans. Folks listed them in grams and ounces. The dried ones you start out with are going to almost double in size, so my advice is to buy the whole pound. Save half for later, and soak the other half overnight. Going from there is much easier. Whatever you have left over after the 2 cups, you can stick in the fridge to continue soaking for your next meal. Mind you, this will be enough for dinner for 2 tonight which is all I wanted. The fresher the tofu, the better it is. It really is more delightful than the store bought. I would much rather cook this soy mixture than meat, let me tell you!

A word on coagulants: I used 3 tbsp. of vinegar, so my tofu had a very slight vinegary essence. In hindsight, I could have used less. Other coagulants are lemon juice or epsom salt/water mixture. Epsom salt is what tofu makers call magnesium sulfate. I found it in the pharmacy section of Wal-mart. I think I remember my granny using this for something…?

I will be trying the lemon juice and the epsom salt this week as well. The process went pretty quickly, so vinegar was all I could get my hands on at that moment. I could not find gypsum anywhere.

For Dinner Tonight: Since it had a slight vinegar essence, I poured some balsamic vinegar, salt, and olive oil on it with fresh basil strips. It was REALLY good. I will be serving this with pasta and a white wine basil cream sauce. Look for the recipe soon!