Leaner, meaner baked schnitzel

Ever since the Eat on $30 Challenge I've been reserved about the meals I've prepared, or not prepared for that matter. We've been eating a fair amount of what I call cheater meals, stir fries made with frozen vegetables or ham sandwiches, for dinner. Not that these dishes don't have a place in our busy lives, they do. If I were living alone I probably would just eat string cheese on nights like this, but I'm the big sister and have to take care of my little sister (even though I live in her house, with her husband and her dog while I go back to school to restart my life). Life's funny that way.

None-the-less, I just finished a big paper and had lots of free time yesterday. Berkley and I both could have used a run in the hills, but the wind was hateful and we would have returned home grouchy with earaches. We hung out in the kitchen instead.

This is one of my favorite methods of preparing pork or chicken -- pound it super thin and then cover it in bread and cheese. Yum, right! Most often people fry schnitzel, which makes it heavy and fatty, and I'm all about cooking food that is as healthy as possible. Go to a restaurant and eat fried schnitzel -- that way it won't stink up your house, your clothes, your dog.

This dish is easy. It's just messy. I wish I could have taken a picture of my fingers when I was finished, but I didn't trust Berkley with my camera. Be prepared to make a bit of a mess, but trust me, it's worth it. This pork or chicken (I know there are folks who just don't like pork) is divine. With a squeeze of lemon it is so bright and cheery. I served it with the Pioneer Woman's crushed potatoes, which you can find here. By the way, my Utah lovelies, she'll be in your neck of the woods next week! She's signing her new cookbook at the King's English Bookstore on Wednesday. You should go for me and tell her how much I love her and how when I grow up I want to be just like her -- kitchen and cowboy and all :)

Baked Schnitzel

3 boneless pork chops

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

¼ cup parmesan cheese

¼ cup flour

2 eggs

1 tbs grainy mustard

1 tbs chopped Italian parsley, more for garnish

½ tsp salt/pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On one plate combine flour and salt and pepper. On another plate combine panko, parmesan and parsley and in a bowl scramble the eggs with the mustard.

Place pork chops in a sealed zip lock bag and pound the hell out of them. Don’t worry if they look a bit mangled – the more tender, the more better :). In assembly line fashion, dredge your chops in the flour first. Shake off any excess. Move on to the eggs and then the breadcrumbs. Place on a cookie sheet (I sprayed mine with Pam to ensure stick-free removal).

Depending on how thin your chops are, bake for about 15-25 minutes. No one likes to eat raw pork. Serve with lemon slices.

An ode

I just returned from a quick trip to visit friends in Utah over the weekend. Not only was I craving fake chicken, but I was long overdue for a slow meander through the King's English bookstore and the cleansing breaths of Scott's yoga class, but mostly, I missed the company of people I love so dearly. I needed another day or two or month to see everyone and spend ample time, which is why I am so glad it's a quick drive. If only I could teleport.

This was actually meant to be my second post, but alas, here we are today. Over a year late. That's how I roll -- late, postponed, delayed and always with the best of intentions.

I must mention that I have a mild obsession with television. In fact, my obsession is so severe that I didn't have television in my house for over five years. There is a TV in the house now, but it only has three channels, none of which are the Food Network so I am able to curb my addiction and safely walk into the living room without the concern that my arse will permanently mold into the couch. Visits to my mom and dad's house are still dangerous though because left to my own volition, I could watch HOURS of slicing, dicing and Giada. I have no self control. None.

During those years without tv I discovered that networks were taking pity on fools like myself and airing their programs online and for free. This enabled me to catch my favorite shows in a 'controlled environment.'

Enter Gordon Ramsay.

I'm sure many of you are muttering to yourselves, but Hailey, Gordon's not on the Food Network. Yeah, I know. He should be. He's too much for those safe housewives though. He would make all those Paula Deen lovers gasp in disapproval. He would add much needed sexiness and scandal in contrast to the Sesame Street cake contests. Hell's Kitchen introduced me to his incessant hand-clapping, garbage can-kicking and wanker-screaming tirades. I then discovered Kitchen Nightmares, the F Word and miriade other shows he has on the BBC. Then I fell in love. Hell's Kitchen . . . Hail's Kitchen.

He is much milder on his BBC programs. I think his Fox producers encourage him to beef up the bitchy persona he has adopted here in the states. Youtube has tons of videos from the F Word where he cooks in his own kitchen. There is one specific video where he prepares scrambled eggs. He plates this gorgeous breakfast of eggs, tomatoes and toast and then mentions it's for his wife who is sleeping upstairs. I am not so naive to think the scenario was indeed as he mentioned, but the delivery was spot on. Oh to be served breakfast in bed by Gordan Ramsay.

I am not entirely sure what my obsession is with the man. Perhaps it's how wild his hair is or how crisp his chef coat always looks or how passionate he is about food and how that translates beautifully to the destitute restaurant owner or the arrogant chef. He is definitely high on my list of celebrities I would, well, you know. My dad reads this blog -- Hi dad! Mostly, if I ever had the chance to meet him, I would ask him to teach me to make scrambled eggs. He says this is a gauge of one's skill in the kitchen. Then I might seduce him.

Here are a few hysterical videos one, two, three of a young Chef Ramsay. They made me laugh on this Monday morning.

By the way . . .

I was accepted into the MA program :-) Hooray for more school and more student loans!

Eat on $30 - afterthoughts

The past few days have kept me away from my computer, but I've had lots of time for much needed reflection. I had about six hours in a float tube on Saturday, which when I wasn't catching enormous fish and pissing off my hosts -- Hi Brent! -- I had lots of quiet time to get into my own head. The water was a tepid 37 degrees so a fair amount of time was spent fantasizing that my toes and arse were on a beach in Tahiti, but my mind also drifted to the week's Eat on $30 challenge.

I felt guilty that my last day on the challenge was on another’s dime, but guess what I woke up smelling?! COFFEE! Yeah, baby. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the coffee that I had been dreaming about and pining for the past week. It was what we call in Idaho: cowboy coffee; I kind of had to chew it. Spiked with some eggnog, it did the trick. I was more than a little concerned it would do the trick on my G.I. track too when I was stuck in my float tube in the middle of the lake, but I think my system was more concerned with the fact that the bottom half of my body was frozen to be concerned with the diuretic.

None-the-less, the week’s festivities replayed through my head, and I realized that I would make a concerted effort to adopt the frugal approach to meal planning/grocery shopping that this challenge necessitated. Granted my financial situation has changed drastically and that should be dictating my spending, but let’s be honest, how many of us really live within our means? I am going to try, damnit, and spending less on groceries is a great place for me to start.

I also plan to cook out of my pantry and my freezer. We have so much great food waiting patiently on shelves to be consumed – I just need to get creative. The other realization I had was how expensive it is to eat out. I’ve always known this, but to see how much I saved with one week of not eating out was huge. I was thinking back on my days of working in downtown SLC, and I ate out every single day for lunch. That was nearly $10 a pop – five days a week! Of course I have a new appreciation of $50, but still, are you kidding me? Packing a lunch, eating leftovers, staving off that $10 noodle soup helps one’s budget enormously!

It’s also been fun checking in on my challenge cohorts. You should check them out here as they had some fantastic observations, stories and recipes. The other great thing about the challenge was it got me writing. I am sure my fervor will wane a little, but I hope you keep reading. I have some “pantry posts” coming up that I think you’ll like.

Below is an easy stew recipe that was made with ingredients I had in the fridge and pantry. The fall weather continues here in Eastern Idaho so the crock pot won't be getting a break anytime soon.

My cooking companion, Berkley.

Beef Stew

2 pounds beef, cut into chunks

2 large potatoes, cubed

2 carrots, sliced

1 large onion, diced

1 leek, white part only, sliced

1 14 oz can beef broth

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 cup frozen peas

1 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 bay leaf

6-7 fresh thyme sprigs

In a large bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour. Add beef and mix well. Add all ingredients, less the peas, to a crock pot. Stir well to combine. Cook over low heat for 6 - 8 hours. About five minutes before service add the peas. Serve with crusty bread.

Days 4 & 5 - Eat on $30

Well, day four was a-okay. Day five was a little rough. I managed to make the cozy, comfort dish below on Wednesday, which if you have kids, you have to try it. It is one of those meals that reminded me of being a kid. It has lots of healthy elements, too, so moms (or girl friends/wives who have to find creative ways of sneaking in vegetables) this is a great one to add to your rotation.

While Boise State was victorious, it was by the hair on their chinny, chin, chins. Despite the crappy game, we managed to have a great time. I don't get out much so when I do, I seem to always come home with a couple of hilarious stories. For those of you who don't know me, if there is a weirdo in the facility, I am sure to attract him/her. Guaranteed. I am not sure if it's because of my innocent looks, HA!, or if it's because I'm nice. To everyone. Often times to a fault.

So Heather and I took advantage of two seats at the bar and commenced to drink our $1.75 beers, on special!, and apparently I had taken homeboy's seat. A brief description of homeboy: he had wiry red hair that just reached his shoulders in a mullet-esque way with a matching beard that had to be at least three inches long, and half of his teeth on one side of his mouth were severely damaged. I would guess he was in his early thirties. The important point to remember about homeboy, he was DRUNK. D.R.U.N.K. Drunk.

Well, he returned to the bar and grumbled a bit behind us that I had taken his seat. He then saw the opportunity at hand -- two pretty girls to hit on -- homeboy did not let off for the duration of the game. At first, Heather blatantly ignored him leaving me to answer his questions. I half-heartedly answered trying to appear overly-interested in the football game. Fortunately, the US soccer team was playing Costa Rica in heated match so I was able to split my attention between the two screens. As soon as my attention deviated though, he was right there with another mundane question. I quickly got annoyed and decided that I too would be mute.

I'm not sure this will come across to you, internet, but he kept making this sound, "pssshhhhh" over and over and over, as if he had turrets. It was always right after he asked me a question, which I ignored. He'd make the sound, grumble under his breath about the "world going to shit, not fair, try harder" and shake his head. At this point, Heather started to perk up. This dude was CRAZY!

His running personal commentary caught the attention of everyone around us including the bar tender who had already cut him off. Heather enjoyed inciting his random opinions on life and pirates, as did the slew of boys playing pool behind us. The highlight of the evening was when he told us that "smoking and eating bacon will make you go back in time." Really? Cool! Perhaps even more profound was his distrust of technology. "I will twitter you with my mind!" Everyone enjoyed the comedy that surrounded homeboy, unfortunately the majority of it involved me because that's what happens when I go out. I attract the the crazies. Psshhhhh.

As for our beer consumption, we bought two $1.75 beers, and we did have one charity beer each. I was proud of us for not drinking more considering the circumstances.

Day five of Eat on $30 was by far the hardest. I had my staple string cheese for breakfast along with a cup of green tea. I am DYING for COFFEE. I can't really even talk about it. I get a lump in the back of my throat and want to cry a little. Loud sigh. I came home from class absolutely ravenous and ate the most disgusting combination of leftovers for lunch: mexican pasta and a big pile of sauerkraut and potatoes. Just typing that makes me gag a little. I was so hungry and so determined not to skew from this regime that I wolfed it down. I will say, and this is probably way too much information, that the burps I experienced later came straight from the bowels of Hell. Not a combination I recommend.

I had planned on visiting friends this weekend in Utah, but knowing that I have another mid-term looming on Monday and that this challenge doesn't end until tomorrow, I figured it's best to stay close to home. I know there would be no way I could stay on budget if I visited my food-savvy friends who would want to take me out for sushi or thai or tapas or wine or martinis or any combination of the aforementioned wonderful aspects of my previous life that I miss so dearly. Next weekend, friends. I will have a map charted of where we'll be eating!

Tonight I'll be joining my dad and his cronies at a cabin near Henry's Lake. I figure it will be good for the budget and the soul. I've been promised big fish. If not, I'll sit in the boat and study Piaget and Vigostky. I hope everyone has a great weekend. May you NEVER have to eat the following dish accompanied with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. xoH

Mexican Pasta

1 package pasta, any shape you like

1 pound ground beef (you could use turkey too)

1 onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can rotel tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes with herbs

1 tbs canola or olive oil

1 package shredded cheese

s/p

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to instructions. Heat oil over medium heat and sauté diced onion, pepper and garlic. Cook until translucent. Add beef and season with salt and pepper. Add both cans of tomatoes with juice. Combine the cooked pasta and beef/vegetable mixture in a baking dish. Cover with cheese. Bake about twenty minutes or until bubbly.

Day three - Eat on $30

Between my junior and senior year of college, I was fortunate to spend a summer in Spain. Two professors from my college organized the trip and chaperoned our hodgepodge group of students from Madrid through Northern Spain. We all stayed with host families as part of our cultural experience. When we arrived at the university in Santander there were lots of short, gray haired ladies in cardigan sweaters waiting patiently on the curb.

One by one, my fellow students’ names were called out, “are you so and so?” They would exchange pleasantries and the little Spanish mamas would help them with their bags and off they went. I kept looking around longing for my very own Spanish mama, but no one ever called my name. There was, however, this tall woman standing in the background with fire-engine red hair, tattooed eye makeup and enormous breasts. I paid her no attention and figured my senora was just delayed. She would be there. Dismayed that I was the last student to be picked up, I finally heard, “are you Hailey?” Hailey is difficult for Spanish speakers to pronounce – the H is tricky so usually my name comes out sounding guttural and totally unsexy.

“Yes, I’m Hailey.” Oh. My. God. The siren was my host mom.

To be brief, my host mom was wonderful, and I was so lucky have her. She raised two boys so to have a girl in her home was an experience she reveled in. I was the daughter she never had. We bonded on many levels; she borrowed my clothes, showed me her recent cosmetic surgery (she was newly divorced and hot to trot), we frequented the beaches together – she was always nude, and she also taught me to cook the following dish, tortilla Espanola.

The entire time I spent in her home, she never uttered a word of English to me. As I was boarding the bus to return home, she told my professors she was going to keep me as her own. She even threatened to call my parents and tell them I wasn’t coming back. Then she said something to one of my professors that still baffles me today, “Hailey is a very clever girl, and I’m going to miss her.” Huh, wha?! Clever? Apparently she spent several years studying at Oxford. In England. Where they speak English. There were many occasions when I could have used her English assistance so she must have gotten a kick out of what a moron I was. Some day I’ll make it back to Santander and be brave enough to take it all off on the beach with you, Sandra.

I have successfully made this recipe many times. Of course, when I want to post about it and when I’m on a budget, it fails. It's not just a little burned or the edge fell off. This is a failure of epic proportions. It doesn't even resemble tortilla Espanola. Normally I would just redo it, but this week I don’t have that luxury. I need eggs and potatoes for another dish. My pride hurt and my wrist burned, I’m still posting this meal malfunction. The challenge continues!

A few additional thoughts as the week progresses: I had to go to the grocery store this morning for a non-food item, and it was really hard to stay on task. I found myself staring at the floor just to avoid eye contact with Captain Crunch. But it was on sale!

Tonight’s festivities pose a challenge: beer. Boise State plays Tulsa at 6:00 and since our bunny ears unfortunately don’t pick up ESPN, we have to go to a bar, which usually means beer consumption. I’ll let you know how it goes. I may have to make some friends and drink some charity beer.

Because this was such a failure, I am not posting the recipe. I will redo and conquer at a later date. I blame lack of coffee for its demise :)

Oh yeah, yesterday I ate an apple and string cheese for breakfast, leftover pork and sauerkraut for lunch, and this mess above with some cherry tomatoes for dinner. I was fueled/distracted by several cups of green tea throughout the day.

I’m off to take my first midterm exam. Wish me luck!

Day two - Eat on $30

Eat on $30 day 3 begins! All told, the hard part is over. With the shopping and planning behind me all I have to do now is cook, and that's the fun part. I will be honest in saying, I really miss my cup of coffee. I think more than the caffeine, it's the routine I miss. My coffee intake could use some curbing so perhaps this is beneficial.

I realized that I didn't eat very much yesterday. It wasn't the challenge that caused me to go hungry, I was just busy. I had a cup of green tea and an apple for breakfast. The apples rang up at $1.29/lb and the tea was $2.99 for a box of 16 tea bags. I am going to agree with my challenge cohorts that calculating every penny is a bit of a drag. Jimmy Buffet's song, "I hate math" comes to mind each time I have to pull out my calculator to figure out the portions. It's a good thing I will not be teaching math. I think you all can get the gist of what we spent and how much we are saving.

None-the-less, the leftover pasta was warm and cozy for lunch because our house seems to turn into an icebox in the afternoon. I threw pork chops (by one get one free, at $3.39) seasoned with salt and pepper into the crock pot with two cans of sauerkraut at $1.09 each, and half of a sliced apple. This cooked for over five hours on low heat. I have the recipe for pork and sauerkraut in more detail here . I smashed up four large potatoes with 1/2 cup of milk ($1.50 for half gallon), couple pads of butter (this was one of our freebie items), and salt and pepper.

This is an inexpensive and satisfying dish that makes for great leftovers. There was plenty leftover for both of our lunches today, and it always tastes better the next day.

I apologize for the afterthought photo.

Starvation doesn't lead to good photography.

Day one - Eat on $30

Yesterday was the first day of the Eat on $30 challenge, and I spent the weekend at my parent's house so my ability to track the budget was, we'll just say, a bit skewed. I woke up to the smell of sausage strata and coffee wafting through the house (I will post this recipe soon, as it is one of the yummiest brunch dishes around). While I did feel slightly guilty that I was receiving a delicious, free meal, let's be honest, not that guilty.

We discussed this challenge through our entire brunch. My mom and Heather offered meal suggestions that were both cost effective and delicious. Occasionally my dad would chime in with, "elk stew." Man loves his wild game. Our conversation was one that isn't entirely foreign to the Hodges household -- food is a very common theme. In fact, my mom has turned into a canning maniac this summer. Her pantry is stocked full of fruits and vegetables that she has lovingly canned for darker days this winter. They are fortunate to not only have the farm to supply them with endless vegetables, but they also have a garden in their backyard. With a little foresight and effort, your summer bounty can reward you in February when grocery store produce is more than lackluster. Canning your own fruit, vegetables, salsas and sauces is also cost effective. Mom, Goddess of Canning, if you are reading this, would you please share your thoughts on the topic?

On to adventures in budget shopping. Heather and I didn't make it out to the store last night until about seven o'clock. We had a general menu/grocery list in mind, we also had COUPONS in hand. Without Heather's keen eye for coupon-clipping in the weekend's paper, we would have lost out on $13.24 in savings. We shopped at Alberstons, which isn't my favorite store, but based on the week's ads, they proved to be our best ally.

Our first issue was that we were both starving. We drove by a Little Caesars on our way to the store and both had the same thought: $5.00 cheese pizza! We snapped out of our low blood sugar induced mania and proceeded to kick our budget's ass. We had a coupon for buy one get one free chicken breasts and were dismayed when we learned they were bone in. That's what butchers are for -- removing bones. Pork chops were also on sale, buy one get one free. Heather immediately thought, pork and sauerkraut. We bought two packages of pork chops, three each, for $3.39, respectively. We also bought a package of beef for stew for $3.24. Thank you meat isle.

On to produce. We do live in Idaho so one would suspect that one could get a good deal on taters. One guessed correct! We bought a FIVE POUND bag of potatoes for $.79! I was so pleased I carried the bag around like an infant for the duration of our shopping spree.

My second moment of anxiety was my gravitation towards fresh herbs, more expensive vegetables like leeks and shallots, and organic produce. Sacrifices had to be made, and this was an area that made a big impact. We bought staples that I couldn't cook without, garlic and onions, salad fixings, a few apples, and a handful of other veggies you'll see through the week. I tend to spend a majority of my budget in the produce isle, but I used restraint and bought canned tomatoes with herbs.

Some other random items included fresh and dried pasta, string cheese (my breakfast staple), cheese, milk, eggs, green tea (coffee proved quite problematic and expensive so this will be a serious test).

We caught ourselves a few times aimlessly walking around wondering what else we could do, but then a discounted item would catch our eye and spark an idea. All told, we spent $42.57; we saved $2.72 on bonus buy items, $14.16 with our preferred card, and $13.24 with store coupons. We walked out with grocery bags in hand, heads held high and huge, mischievous grins on our faces. It was almost as if we had done something naughty by saving that much money. Then we realized we'll never be able to go back to our old ways of shopping. We've been saved. We're born again coupon-clippers! Oh lord.

I tried to take a picture of our dinner last night, but my camera battery died. It included a package of fresh linguine at $2.29, one can diced tomatoes with italian herbs at $1.50, 1/2 cup of cream at approximately $.75, one garlic clove at $.5?, handful parmesan cheese $1.69 for the entire bag so we'll say $.40. $5.44 for the meal, $2.72/person. We even had leftovers for lunch today. Not bad.

Right now pork and sauerkraut is stewing away in the crock pot. I'll post today's meals and my lack of coffee tomorrow. So far so good. Talk to you tomorrow.

Eat on $30

For those of you who know me, know that I just committed myself to a major life change -- quit my job to return to school. Currently, I am still looking for a job in this town some have lovingly nicknamed Poca-hell-hole, and my only source of income is student loans. Ouch. I know there are lots of folks who are living in similar circumstances, but there are also lots who are living in far worse conditions.

Enter: Eat on $30 challenge! Tami from Running with Tweezers is hosting a week long hunger awareness campaign that challenges people to eat on $30/person for an entire week. I was immediately inspired and motivated to join the great bloggers who are participating in this important conversation.

I got all wrapped up in the excitement and meal planning, and then I had an epiphany:

Tami was speaking to directly to me . . . to my broke ass who can no longer afford to go to the grocery store and frivolously drop $60 on A MEAL. She reminded me that I am part of this community who should be spending $30 a week on groceries every week, not just for a challenge. I am still digesting that conclusion.

This Eat on $30 challenge is meant bring awareness about hunger and poverty and the disparity that exists in our nation. As bloggers, we've been challenged to only spend $30/person, use nothing existing in our fridges and pantries and share with you our experiences -- so long pumpkin lattes. Sniffle, sniffle.

Check out the other fabulous conversations that are taking place:

• Betty Joan with Trouble with Toast
• Carrie Neal with carrienealland
• Paula with bell'alimento
• The Broke Socialite
• Jimmy with Eat It Atlanta
• Robert and his blog
• Jen with Use Real Butter
• Mike and his blog
• Zach with Mise en Face
• Kristina with TNLocavore.com
• Susan with Doughmesstic
• Another Susan with Frugal Hostess
• Diana with A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa

I'm off to class, but I can't wait to report our shopping trip last night. Here's a preview: we saved $30.12 on our groceries! It was exhilarating. Who new coupon-clipping was so awesome?!

Chili time of year

I suppose I should quit bitching about the weather. I really do love winter and all things related to snow. I am anxious to slip my hands into the pocket of my ski pants in hopes of finding some cash; I am excited to explore Pebble Creek, the local ski resort (and return to my Utah favorites, too); and I am jonesing to start cooking hearty, stick-to-your ribs dishes – like chili!

Chili is one of those fabulous, manipulateable (yes, I just made that up) dishes that you can throw in whatever you have on hand: beans, spices and vegetables. I grew up with my mom’s decadent chili that included chocolate, so naturally, mine does too. It adds a richness that is subtle and fantastic. The Red Iguana in SLC is the master of this genre. Their moles are rich with chocolate, peanut butter, chiles, spices and herbs. I could shed a tear thinking about what I would give for one of their enchiladas right now. Loud sigh.

Anyway, I would encourage you not to shy away from the chocolate in this recipe. You will hardly notice it’s there, but without it, this chili is just chili. With chocolate, this chili is competition-worthy-chili. Blue ribbon, kick ass, lick your bowl clean chili. Just saying.

Blue ribbon, kick ass, lick your bowl clean chili

1 pound ground meat -- I used ground turkey

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced -- I had a green pepper as well so I used both

2 jalapenos, more if you like it spicier

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

4 15 oz cans of beans, I used black, garbanzo, kidney and pinto, drained and rinsed

1 28 oz can of diced or crushed tomatoes, juices too

1 15 oz can of corn

1 15 oz can chicken broth (or veggie if that's how you roll)

2 tbs olive or canola oil

5 tbs chili powder

1 tbs cumin

1 tbs oregano

2 heaping tbs chocolate chips, I used semisweet

salt to taste

garnishes: cheese, sour cream, green onions, red onions, tortilla chips

In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, peppers, garlic and jalapenos. Saute until translucent. Add meat if you are using it. Cook through. Add spices and stir thoroughly. Pour in tomatoes, beans, corn and broth. Finally, stir in chocolate. The longer this chili cooks the tastier it will be. I let it cook for over three hours, stirring occasionally, and it was divine. You could also let this simmer away in a crock pot.

A truffled protest

I think the weather is playing a cruel trick on me. By moving out of the mountains I mistakenly thought I would enjoy a lingering Indian summer, a crisp fall and a gradual slip into winter. Wrong. Wrong. Wrongo. When I heard it was snowing in Park City a few days ago, I thought, ha ha suckers! Then, as if to say, not so fast Hailey, Mother Nature dropped the temperature thirty degrees and it snowed here . . . in the valley . . . in October.

So what did Heather and I do to protest this El Nino weather pattern? We bought a bottle of champagne, turned the hot tub up to 106 and made tomato soup with TRUFFLED grilled cheese sandwiches. How do you like them apples, Mother Nature?

A note about my obsession with all things truffle: I get all quivery just thinking about what I should type. I am contemplating running upstairs right now just to open the bottle to SMELL it. If there ever was a food that could induce naughty, sexy things, it most certainly is a truffle in any of its fine forms. Since I am an unemployed student, truffle oil is the next best thing. You should get yourself a bottle. Then write me an email and try to explain how enigmatically good it is.

Roasted tomato soup with truffled cheese sandwiches

soup:

4-5 tomatoes, quartered

1 onion, roughly chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, more if you want it soupier

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp salt/pepper

olive oil

fresh basil

parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tomatoes, onions and garlic on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 45 minutes.

Let cookie sheet cool enough to handle and careful scoop veggies into a blender. Whizz up until smooth. Add the broth. Pour soup into a sauce pan and simmer over medium heat. Add herbs and any additional salt and pepper.

Garnish with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.

*You can add red pepper to the roasted veggies to add more flavor. Red pepper flakes are a nice addition, too*

cheese sandwiches:

crusty bread

your favorite cheese - we found brie on sale!

caramelized onions

apples, sliced

truffle oil

Heat a pan over medium heat. Butter the outside of bread slices. Layer cheese, apples, onions (I added some leftover basil, too) and drizzle with truffle oil. Press onto the pan with a spatula. Flip. Carefully remove and ENJOY.

Bounty

As I write this post I am remiss that I don’t have a single picture of my parent’s ‘farm.’ I say farm loosely – most people hear farm and think acres of crops with cows and chickens. Our ‘farm’ has the potential to be as described some day, but today it’s a small plot of cultivated land with a farmer’s market-bounty of vegetables and a small shed equipped with a coffee pot and a flushing toilet. My dad’s foresight was genius.

You can’t have a food blog without having photos of food. Anyone ever tried to photograph food? It’s finicky. It never stays where you put it. It never looks as good on the plate as it did in your head. And the worst part, it never stays warm. I always eat cold food. That’s why I LOVE to take photos of stationary objects like vegetables. You can rearrange them as many times as you want and you won’t destroy their integrity. Plus, they are just so damn pretty. These all came from the farm.

This blog was delayed for a long time because I didn’t have a camera. Thanks to a lovely little couple from Park City who bought my geriatric Hyundai, I was able to finally buy my camera. Photography and I have developed a love-hate relationship. I need to deliver interesting, appetizing photos otherwise you would be left with just words. Who buys a cookbook without photos, right? But it is reeeaaallllly hard. I don’t have all the fancy lighting equipment and computer software, nor do I food stylist. I. Am. A. Green. Photographer. And. I. Have. Photo. Envy.

I suppose the point of my diatribe is to bear with me. I just want to share what I’m up to and then eventually EAT it. If I capture a cool shot here and there, fantastic! Friends, I really hope you join me on this adventure. I’m confident we’ll all learn something along the way.

Moving on! Here’s a recipe that has been locked in the family vault. It’s my Aunt Ana’s recipe who doubts her culinary prowess, but this dish certainly proves otherwise. Not only is it delicious, but also it is incredibly easy to prepare and to cleanup. I hope you try it.

Salmon with vegetables

1 salmon fillet, skin on or off

1 cup green beans

1 large carrot, sliced

2 leeks (white and light green parts only), sliced

3 green onions, sliced

4-6 red potatoes, cubed

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tsp dill or 1 tbs fresh

½ tbs basil or ½ tsp dry

½ tsp s/p

Preheat oven 450 degrees. Mix soy sauce, olive oil, herbs and salt and pepper in a bowl. On a cookie sheet, unwrap a large sheet of foil. Boil the potatoes, carrots and green beans in a pot of water just until tender. Place salmon in middle of foil and evenly distribute vegetables around and on top of salmon. Bend up the edges of the foil and pour the soy sauce mixture. Fold the edges of the foil tightly around the salmon, as it will steam in the oven. Cook for 20 – 30 minutes or until the salmon is done. Great served with wild rice or couscous.

Resurrection

I apologize in advance for those of you who may be offended by the forthcoming religious reference, but it is too perfect! Hail’s Kitchen was dead, Hail’s Kitchen has risen, and Hail’s Kitchen most certainly has come again. After nearly a year hiatus, I’m back! The site took a break, in large part, because I moved to Coalville, UT. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Coalville, my neighbors had a flock of sheep in their backyard, kids ride horses in the middle of the streets and it’s very possible to pick up your milk, eggs and shot gun shells at the town’s grocery store. I would have had to sell my car to afford an internet connection.

Needless to say, I’ve made a significant life change and decided to return to school. When I grow up, I’ll be a high school English teacher. That is, if I get accepted to the programs. For those religious people who I offended earlier, please pray for me to get into graduate school. Thank you! Now that I am a student, I need internet, and that leaves me no excuse but to resurrect Hail’s Kitchen. Since I’m currently unemployed, only have two classes and have a sister who really appreciates and enjoys my cooking, I’ll have lots of fun recipes coming your way!

My move back to Idaho brought me closer to my family, which is fabulous, but it has also brought me back to a passion that I’ve had to put on hold due to lack of space and damn cold temperatures - GARDENING! My parents have a plot of land in Twin Falls that I plan to hobart from their control this spring. I am already scheming plans for the next season. My sister had a small, square foot garden in her backyard this summer. She doubts her green thumb skills, but as you can see, she’s got it!

Now that we’ve lost our grip on summer, the next few posts will be an ode to bare shoulders, warm breezes and picking tomatoes off the vine. Feels good to be back.

Here's a super easy recipe for your waning summer veggies.

Roasted summer vegetables with baked polenta

*Please note, I am terrible at measuring. In fact, I don't. I will for your sake, dear readers, make an effort to squelch my laziness.

1 package pre-made polenta

1 cup bread crumbs

4-5 tomatoes, quartered

1 onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, sliced

6 mushroom caps, quartered,

2 zucchini or summer squash or both, sliced

*add any veggies you have on hand or enjoy*

handful basil leaves, sliced

parmesan cheese

olive oil

s/p

I served the veggies with sauteed chicken breasts that I sliced and marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, italian seasoning blend and s/p.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Placed sliced veggies on a cookie sheet and drizzle with 1- 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast veggies about 20 minutes or until they are tender and beginning to turn brown. Stir occasionally. Watch out for steam when you open the oven door!

Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Slice the polenta into half inch disks. Be sure to use a very sharp knife or the polenta will crumble. Dredge the slices in the bread crumbs and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with pam. Bake the slices for twenty minutes or until they are crispy. Flip half way through. Or, if you're impatient like me, you can broil them, BUT be very careful. They'll burn and laugh at you as soon as you turn your back.

Serve the polenta with the roasted veggies on top (chicken if you wish). Garnish with basil and parmesan cheese.