Meatless Stuffed Poblanos

It's easy to fall into a habit of eating heavy food in the winter, because let's face it, doughy food tastes wonderful when it's blustery and freezing cold outside. A nice piece of pie, some cinnamon buns, maybe some pasta...But I think that's just the right time to remind yourself how good fresh produce can be.

I found this recipe on Pinterest, where I find most of my recipes and decided to give it a try. I didn't feel like grilling (because snow) so I took one of the readers' advice and baked mine in the oven for 30 mins at 350F.

I also decided to keep the rice out of the equation, too. From what I read, the filling was more than enough (with the rice) for most who tried it. I was really happy with the way my filling turned out with the beans, tomato, cilantro, onion and cheese (I used cheddar). If you want to use rice, I think you could use the rice or even quinoa (if you're a fan).

What I failed to remember was that I should grill and peel my poblanos first. So here was my stovetop attempt to blacken and peel them. It really didn't go too badly but could gone better. I'm open to suggestions here, guys.

I cooked some spicy vegan sausage from Field Roast and served with some leftover lettuce and avocado slices. Overall, I was satisfied with the result. Could it have looked prettier? Yes. Could I have done a better job peeling the peppers? Absolutely. Was it fun? Of course.

Pad Thai

Snow days are the best days to hang out at home and cook food. If you know snow is coming, take the opportunity to stop at the grocery store or market and get some ingredients to try a new recipe!

Don't mind all the people going nuts trying to stock up on five gallons of milk (I've seen this) and a 48 pack of toilet paper. Try to avoid them if you can. If you can't avoid them, at least have a good laugh.

Yesterday, I ventured to the office around 7 a.m. but decided (thanks to news updates from friends) I wasn't sticking around any longer than 11 a.m. Weather reports sounded sketchy and driving conditions were getting worse as the morning progressed. Only by the time I got home did I realize...I probably should have went to the store and prepared for this.

If you know me, you know I was certainly not staring into an empty fridge (we DO have 5 jars of olives). There was plenty of meat and fruits and vegetables, but I was having a hard time trying to figure out what to do with it all. This was the perfect time to cook something amazing and I was staring at carrots, celery and about a dozen hot sauces.

I spent about a half hour wrangling the pets and watching Travel Channel before it dawned on me. Pad Thai. Some friends had recently stocked me with a block of tamarind paste and I figured I had most of the other ingredients or could at least do some sort of make-shift version.

I found this recipe on Pinterest. Although I've used a few different recipes, I really liked this one. Not all use tamarind (which I like to use), but I suggest using a recipe that calls for it.

I made a few modifications: I did not use cabbage but I cooked bok choy instead. I did not have cilantro or chicken stock (due to lack of planning). I only used one piece of chicken; two seemed like a lot.

For the sauce

For the pan and garnish

Seasoned chicken - soy sauce and cornstarch

Finished and garnished!

The recipe worked out great! I used the bok choy for a garnish and topped with sprouts, julienned carrot, chopped peanuts and a lime wedge. The leftovers are good, too. I'm eating some as I write!

My Modern Cookbook

There are very few things I would say I have a collection of, other than maybe cosmetics (I'm a lipstick/lipgloss junkie) and bras (am I right, ladies?), but I have to say I have a small collection of cookbooks. I started collecting these a few years ago, and they are the main type of book that fills my bookshelves at home.

Between having a Kindle and an iPhone, I find I'd much rather keep digital copies of books to read. You know, like Dracula (not a small book). When it comes to reference books, I'd much rather have physical copies, which is why a heavy 90% of all my books are cookbooks. I can sit and browse through the recipes as I watch TV. I like to look at the photos and think about all the ingredients and how they work together in that particular recipe as well as how they might work together in something else. I just don't find I get the same experience on the Kindle.

However, I've found that the number of new cookbooks being added to my shelf has recently dwindled. Why? In one word, Pinterest. Pinterest has become my modern cookbook, connecting me with a recipe for pretty much anything I want. I can organize my recipes on various Boards, like tabs or chapters of a cookbook, keeping all similar recipes together. It's really fantastic. I now Pinterest search recipes before I Google search them.

All my favorite cooking magazines and websites are on Pinterest, with CHOW.com being one of my favorite references. The great thing about CHOW's pins is that you can see the list of ingredients by viewing the pin. You don't have to click a second time to open the website. This is perfect because a few months ago, I started organizing my pins in a similar fashion, listing the ingredients in the Pin's name. So when I found out CHOW has been doing the same, it was a perfect match.

P.S. If you haven't started organizing your recipe pins this way, I suggest starting. It makes for an easy quick reference when you look at your Pins. You can quickly determine what ingredients you already have in your kitchen and which ones you need to complete the recipe.

If you're not on Pinterest, it's about time you join. You can learn to do anything from making your own ricotta to 3D printing a cookie cutter and more.

If you're not actually cooking your Pinned recipes, it's about time you start. It's my new favorite source of cooking inspiration, and I highly suggest you start using it! I mean, don't' just pin, start cooking them, too.

Follow me on Pinterest.

Everyone Loves an Easy Clean Up

...Especially me! I love to cook and bake, but the clean up is like my nemesis. Having a heavy clean up puts a serious damper on the fun! So how to I defend myself?

First of all, before I start anything, I make sure my kitchen is cleaned up. Yes, I clean up before making a mess because there's nothing like having an even bigger mess to put a damper on your cooking fun. So, minimize the mess, and you won't feel so overwhelmed with dishes later.

Once you have started with your cooking or baking, try to clean as you go. Wash utensils that are easy to clean, and start soaking the dishes that will require more time. If you're using items that can be washed in a dishwasher, put them in the dishwasher as you go. That will get them out of your way right away. By giving yourself a head-start, you won't feel like you have so much to clean up when you're done!

Be smart, and help yourself reduce messes with the dishes you are cooking or baking in. Make sure you are preparing your dishes according to the recipe to avoid stuck sides, which will involve soaking and scraping to clean. Even if your recipe is cooked perfectly, you can be left with some nasty dish clean up. If you are baking, use parchment paper or silicone baking mats. If you are using a slow cooker, I highly recommend Reynolds slow cooker liners. If you are baking something like lasagna, try lining your pan with non-stick Reynolds foil or pan lining paper. Because I don't like to create a lot more product waste than necessary, I'd recommend only lining your pans for those big-mess recipes.

By wiping your countertops & stove top and cleaning dishes as you go, you get quite a head-start to the inevitable clean up. You'll find cooking or baking is less of a hassle and more enjoyable when you don't have to worry about cleaning everything at the very end!