Clean-Out-the-Fridge Couscous

Typically, when I go to the Memphis Farmer's Market I end up buying way more than we can eat because all the produce looks so pretty. So, I invented this recipe last week in an effort to use up the week-old tomatoes, squash, and eggplant sitting on my counter. It was so good, that we made it again this week. I purchased a big carton of couscous several months ago. Kind of expensive on the front end, but it sure is a good thing to have around for throwing together a meal. Price said last night, "I can't believe it has taken us this long to start making this." Easy, healthy, awesome.

Clean-Out-the-Fridge Couscous
- 3-4 tomatoes
-3 small yellow squash
- 3 small zuchini
- 1 eggplant
- 1 onion
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
-2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. pepper
- Cavender's seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups couscous (I used plain, but I also like the pine-nut flavored)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- Red wine vinegar
- fresh herbs/ feta

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Chop vegetables. (I chopped them to be on the thick side, Price chopped them so they were thin and delicate. I think I would find a happy medium.) Place vegetables in a large zip-top bag or a mixing bowl. Toss with olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and Cavender's. Spread on a cookie sheet or jellyroll pan. Roast for 30-35 minutes, turning once. When I roast my veggies, I like for them to develop that nicely caramelized look which often means I keep them in there a bit longer. Remove veggies and prepare couscous according to package directions (equal parts couscous and water... season to taste). Stir veggies into couscous. Add Red-wine vinegar to taste. I also added a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, a little extra Cavender's, and some more salt and pepper. Top with freshly chopped herbs and feta or parm.

Enjoy it (we will be for the next three nights because it makes a TON)!

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Warning: The recipe I am about to post is addictively delicious and simple to make. Sissy (if you still read my blog), I think you might even be able to master this one. Proceed with caution.

Last week, someone at school made this delicious dish for another teacher’s birthday and put it in the workroom fridge. Don’t know if anyone else munched on it throughout the week, but I sure did. I have been craving this dessert everyday since, so I whipped some up the other night as a treat. It was sooo easy and sooo tasty. Price even willingly ate it for breakfast yesterday. 24 hours later, and not a trace remains. Should I make another batch over the weekend?

Chocolate Éclair Dessert

(Again, not my photo... dog ate my USB cord... courtesy of: http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com)

Ingredients
- 2 sleeves graham crackers
- 2 (3 oz) packages of instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3 cups milk
- 1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip (thawed)
- 1 tub of chocolate frosting

Directions

Line the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan with one layer of graham crackers. In a large bowl, combine pudding mix and milk. Stir well. Stir in whipped topping to pudding mixture. Spread half of mixture over graham cracker layer. Top with another layer of graham crackers and the remaining pudding. Top all with a final layer of graham crackers. Place chocolate frosting in a bowl and microwave for 20 seconds to soften. Pour/spread over dessert. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours.

PS. I have posted the original, more fattening, better-tasting recipe. However, I made it “low fat” by using half the icing, fat-free CoolWhip, sugar-free pudding, skim milk, and low fat graham crackers.

Where I plan to eat in heaven

(photos in this post are from the restaurant website)

The time has come for me to write about my very favorite Memphis restaurant. I have dined at Restaurant Iris three times, and all three have been blog-worthy experiences. I don't know why I haven't written about Iris yet. Maybe it just seemed too lofty a task, since there are really no words to describe how much I enjoy this restaurant. Just the thought of the hand dived sea scallops can get me salivating the way Hank does every morning while I eat my cereal in front of him. I may or may not have shed tears over a dropped to-go box of leftover morsels of deliciousness, and my husband may or may not have a video of this. Without further ado... I will try to do Iris the justice it deserves in the blogosphere.

Opening in 2008, Restaurant Iris is fairly new on the Memphis scene. Chef Kelly English (be still my beating heart) serves up French-Creole cuisine in the quaint rooms of a renovated Victorian home in the heart of Midtown. In my opinion, the atmosphere and decor of Iris are just as fresh and beautifully executed as the food. This is a fancy establishment, but it isn't fussy. You do not have to whisper. The rooms are warm and inviting, and the artwork that hangs on the walls (particularly the display hanging right now) is incredible. I want all of the pieces pictured below plus some. (photo courtesy of the Iris website)

On to the food... Oh where to begin! I suppose I will start with the wine list. The list is large, the selections are unique, and there are affordable bottles available. Naturally, we air of the side of affordable. Both occasions we have "imbibed", the wine has been so good that I have written the name of the bottle down so I could purchase it in the future. Next, the amuse bouche. I love restaurants that have an amuse. You know they mean business when they offer this "small bite to tickle the tastebuds" (Food Lover's Companion). The amuses at Iris are delightful. And, I absolutely LOVE the square beveled glass plates they are served on. The bread has varied from delicious rolls to a light and crusty baguette. Always fresh out of the oven and always quickly inhaled... and they refill your bread plate with more hot bread. Appetizers. "The Lobster Knuckle Sandwich" is our personal favorite. It is divine.

We also thoroughly enjoyed "the Oysters Three Ways" (I had my doubts about the oyster bread pudding... amazing...) as well as the sweet corn griddle cakes with crab ravigote. On our next visit, we will definitely try the much talked about brussels sprouts salad. The main course. I really can only write about the one entree I have ordered at Iris... The dish of hand dived scallops accompanied by local peas, Allen Benton’s bacon, tomato, tarragon, and lemon is so perfect that I will never order anything else as long as it is on the menu. The melt-in-your-mouth scallops and the accompanying ingredients are a combination of light, creamy, and savory. The little bits of bacon lend a smoky flavor that is reminiscent of a campfire or Christmas or whatever intensely bacony flavor you can imagine. It is fatty and thick and to be savored with eyes closed. Price has devoured the surf and turf (strip steak stuffed with stuffed oysters and blue cheese) which was featured on the Food Network show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" in March. It received rave reviews. He has also enjoyed the rack of lamb with veal sweetbreads, as well as the hangar steak served on a roasted poblano pepper. Much to Price's dismay, I have taken bites of all three of these dishes and give them my stamp of excellence as well. Dessert. Typically my favorite course at a restaurant, but Iris is so incredible that I am way too full to even go there. But we usually go there anyway. The brandy alexander is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Wow. The bread pudding is also incredible, and I am a tough critic when it comes to bread pudding.

(pictures of some of the dishes from http://acharmingday.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html)

To wrap up the longest post ever that is probably the most boring ever to anyone reading this who doesn't share my passion for Iris... let me say a word about the service. Jeff Frisby has waited on us twice and provides incredible service and suggestions. We were equally impressed by the waitress who attended to us the past time we went with my family. Chef English takes a break from the kitchen and makes sure to talk to each table. Who doesn't love personal attention?!?! I love that he is young, Southern, innovative, and that I see him chatting it up with the farmers and purchasing local fare at the Memphis Farmer's Market EVERY Saturday morning.

We eat on a tight budget, but Iris is certainly a treat that we will continue to enjoy at least annually.

Hot dogs and Easy Mac are on the menu at Restaurant Edwards this week…

Dessert Series Part III: Crunchy Cobbler

Another dessert that I probably make too often is this incredibly easy cobbler recipe that I found in Southern Living, July of 2008. I love this recipe because it is so easy that after preparing it once I had committed it to memory... and that really makes me feel domestically legit. You can use any kind of fruit. I have tried it with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and most recently fresh peaches from Jones Orchard. The topping is sugary and crisp. Make this today. You won't regret it.

Crunchy Cobbler

Ingredients

- 4 cups fruit (you can use frozen or fresh)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 4-6 Tbsp. melted butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl toss fruit with lemon juice, and a sprinkle of sugar if desired. Pour fruit mixture into a greased, square, glass baking dish. In a mixing bowl combine flour and sugar and egg until the ingredients form a cornmeal like mixture (when it looks like sand, it is ready). Spread mixture on top of fruit, patting down if necessary. Drizzle melted butter over cobbler. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serving it with Ice Cream is not optional, it's a MUST.

Dessert Series Part II: Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

Remember that time I decided I would start a series of posts on my blog highlighting my favorite dessert recipes? Though I am notorious for starting things and not finishing them (just ask Price about his scrapbook), I am going to follow up my Part I with a Part II.

I decided to make ice cream with my lovely Cuisinart electric ice cream maker last week because (a) my brother got his wisdom teeth out, and (b) it is so dudgum hot in our apartment/Memphis/America. Perusing the internet for a recipe that my brother would love, I found this gem from Cooking Light. It is a breeze to throw together and so delicious that I have made it TWICE this week... don't judge... I had ingredients left over and gave most of it away. It tastes like the real deal.

Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

(This is not my picture, my camera is still out-of-commission)

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1/2 cup bottled Key lime juice (such as Nellie and Joe's)
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• Dash of salt
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 6 graham crackers (1 1/2 cookie sheets), coarsely crushed, divided
• Key lime wedges (optional)

Preparation

Combine first 5 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Pour mixture into freezer can of an ice-cream freezer, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Stir 1/3 cup graham crackers into ice cream. Spoon ice cream into a freezer-safe container, and cover and freeze for 1 hour or until firm. Sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon graham crackers. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

Roasted Vegetable Ravioli

I am always on the hunt for quick-cheap-healthy recipes. This combo of quick-cheap-healthy is quite difficult. When I am able to create a meal that is quick-cheap-healthy, I feel like I have really accomplished something. Like I am super-wife. Last night I threw together a ravioli dish before going to see Inception (great movie). We are in the end-of-the-month mode when we try our hardest not to eat out and to make do with what we have. This creation was one of our favorite get-rid-of-the-rotting-vegetables-in-the-fridge we have come up with. We will definitely be eating it again this week.

Roasted Vegetable Ravioli
- 2 small squash
- 2 small zucchini
- 1 onion
- handful of okra
- drizzle of olive oil
- drizzle of balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- frozen beef ravioli (I used Kroger generic- cheese would be good too)
- bottled marinara sauce
Preheat oven to 425. Slice vegetables into pieces of the same size. Place in a bowl or a large ziploc bag. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Toss with red pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Spread veggies in a single layer on a jelly roll pan. Roast veggies in oven for about 30 minutes, flipping with a spatula halfway through. Take out of oven and set aside. Prepare ravioli according to package instructions. Place back in pot and add marinara (probably around a 1/2 cup per serving ?) and veggies. Serve and enjoy.

Have any other quick-cheap-healthy recipes? Post up!!!

The Cool Kid

A few weeks ago we discovered a dog park in our neighborhood. For those Memphians who might be interested, the dog park on Avery (just a seven minute walk from our place) is a great way to give your dog some time to exercise and socialize. The park is apparently an experiment by the city to see if it is the kind of thing they should build more of. It is located in an area with lots of city government buildings so that officials can monitor its use. (video about dog park) Since we are in an apartment without a fence, we wanted to find a place where we could take Hank and let him run without a leash. There is nothing fancy about the Memphis dog park: two fenced in areas (one for small dogs, one for big dogs), several benches, grass, and biodegradable bags for picking up after your pup. Our trips to the dog park have become a favorite part of our routine.
A night at the dog park:

Walk from apartment to park after dinner

Consider letting Hank play with the small dogs, but then opt for the big ones because they are more fun.

Hank walks/sniffs the perimeter of the park and is totally antisocial for about 15 minutes.
Price and I use our most encouraging "doggie voices" beseeching him to "go play, Hankie, go play." Why do we even worry?
Hank approaches other dog (from the back) or visa versa. They sniff. This continues.
(Hank prefers the big dogs)

Hank begins to tease the other dogs, darting in front of them, saying "chase me, chase me, please please chase me."
Eventually, Hank starts a massive game of chase with dogs ranging from Jack Russell to Goldendoodles. He is the fastest.
The other dogs tire. They quit. Hank runs in circles.

Hank finds his BFF (of the day) and they wrestle for awhile. It's usually a bigger dog, but our Hank is scrappy and can fend for himself.
(Hank and his buddy Daisy were fascinated by this Shih Tzu)

Chase again. Starts to slow down. Last night he slowed down to a trot and got blindsided by his friend, Bug. Everyone was laughing.

Back to sniffing the perimeter.

Plops down in the grass. His signal that he's over it.
(Saying goodbye)

We really love the dog park (if you haven't gathered). We especially enjoy talking to the other owners. Everyone loves their dogs, and everyone thinks that Hank is pretty great. We do too. We love the fact that he is one of the popular dogs. He is playful and sweet and brings so much joy into our household. In just two weeks, we have become those people I always made fun of who think of their pets as their children. Ooops.