Recipes – Page 61 – My Life Runs on Food

Pasta with Creamy Pesto Sauce, Peas, Zucchini and Chicken

February 20, 2010January 3, 2022Sanura

Promptly exiting the office at 5 p.m., I had to make a choice between two important tasks causing scheduling conflicts: going grocery shopping or working out. The local gym, free to the neighborhood, is open for two hours on three weekdays. Although, I’ve recently discovered running in cold weather is a refreshing activity, the gym is still needed on snowy days when the streets are icy. That free gym saves the budget from a yearly membership expense, because it is not needed in the summer. The recent snowstorm had enough power to close the gym, in which a few days of running were missed. It also delayed grocery shopping, and the fridge is looking bare. The eggs and the flour are gone, the pale bottoms of the drawers in the fridge are visible, and eating out is beginning to take a toll on the budget. Read more →

Pancakes Whipped from Thin Air

February 15, 2010January 3, 2022Sanura

In the Southern states, the announcement of a snowstorm sends crowds to grocery stores stocking their fridge with milk and eggs. The following week, the snow is melting, the roads are increasingly accessible and the sidewalks are being de-iced. From a non-cook’s perspective of looking at a fridge full of milk and eggs, these pancakes will look as if they were whipped from thin air. This whipped eggy batter produces ethereal, airy pancakes that will melt in your mouth. Serve these with caramelized apples and toasted walnuts. Enjoy! Read more →

Two Forgotten Green Apples Turned into Muffins

February 12, 2010January 3, 2022Sanura

Two forgotten green apples sat in a fruit bowl as days passed away. Their tart, crisp attitude gave way to soften centers. Their bright skin became oily and dull. They were breaking down from neglect. Finally, they were rediscovered, but it was thought to be too late. No longer good eaten raw, the irresponsible owner placed a foot on the trashcan’s pedal to open the lid. Suddenly, a wild card thought crossed the mind. The melting of butter, measuring ingredients, and breaking eggs into a single bowl commences. The apple’s old skin was peeled away revealing a slightly soften texture and a bruised flesh. Their core was carved away, and the apples were diced to tiny pieces. The pieces were bathed in a cinnamon batter. Scooped into paper muffin cups. Sprinkled with brown sugar and nuts. They were placed into the oven. Two forgotten green apples were reborn as Apple Muffins.

Buttermilk Pound Cake: Such Sweet Indulgences of Childhood Reminiscences are Well Deserved

February 10, 2010January 27, 2022Sanura

As a child, the starting sound of a cake mixer being roared into action would lure me into the kitchen. My father gave me a spatula, and I would scrap the sides and the bottom of the bowl, after each ingredient was added. Behind his back, I would lick the spatula and the spoon rest. The best taste was the creaming of the sugar and butter. The taste test would temporarily cease when the eggs were added. When the flour was added, the taste test would restart. After pouring the batter into the pan and placing it in the oven, my father would allow me to lick the bowl and the mixer’s beaters.

Fighting Stress with Spice: Curry Chicken Stew in a Slow Cooker

February 2, 2010January 27, 2022Sanura

If breakfast is the starter meal of a day, then Sunday is the starter meal of the work week. Reviewing the schedule for the upcoming week, it revealed little time for cooking a meal. Sunday dinner needed a recipe for the crock pot. The meal needed to be hearty and large to last a few extra days. The additional stress endured this week will be counteracted with a spicy Curry Chicken stew. Meals with little nutritional value will only feed the stress.

Sunday starts with our audacity to accept a invitation to a wonderful performance. After returning home from seeing Emperor Jones at the SoHo Playhouse, it was a relief to know dinner would be quickly served. As we waited for the rice to cook — 45 minutes for brown rice — we worked on our projects. When the rice was ready and the garnishes were prepped, we ate a spicy stew and enjoyed the evening. During the week, I will remember this relaxing moment in the midst of chaos.