Brown Bag Bonanza

I do love a good turkey sandwich.  Truth be told, I love a mediocre turkey sandwich, too, but for your sake, I'll try to focus on the good ones as much as possible.

This lunchbox staple often gets a bad rap because it can get a bit monotonous day in and day out.  Sort-of-stale wheat bread.  Schmear of mayo.  Three translucent slices of turkey.  Sounds sub-par even to this sandwich-obsessed gal.

So, let's mix it up, folks!  Check out these tips for adding some flair to the noon hour:

1. Do you have kiddos?  Keep 'em busy while you're making lunches for the next day.  Enlist their help to decorate a plain paper bag for mom's or dad's midday meal.  No one will try to steal your egg salad from the lunchroom fridge when it's in a bag covered with unicorn stickers and sequins.  
2. Make a simple swap to revitalize your sandwich.  Sick of Kraft Singles?  Tickle your tastebuds with pepperjack cheese.  Deli meat just not cutting it any more?  Slice up leftover roast beef from dinner.  Is your lettuce looking lackluster?  Try replacing it with cucumber slices for a satisfying crunch.
3. Bread is not just a vehicle.  Step away from the Wonder Bread and see what else your local bakery has to offer.  Dinner rolls, bagels, tortillas, baguette, kimmelweck...the possibilities are endless.  And have you tried a pretzel roll?  Well.  Get yourself to the store ASAP and buy one*.  Life changing.  
4. Get crazy with condiments.  Mayo and mustard are good and all, but you have a fridge full of possibilities.  Make a Tex-Mex wrap with some salsa, cheese, and leftover chicken.  
5. When all else fails, try an old favorite.  You know that half-full vat of marshmallow fluff leftover from your holiday fudge?  Well, flashback to your childhood and make a Fluffernutter Sandwich with peanut butter.  I won't tell.      

Tomorrow I'll share with you one of my current lunchtime favorites.  Until then!

*If you're in Milwaukee, Miller Bakery is a local business that makes fantastic pretzel rolls.    

Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa

When Kelly and Cristoph came over for dinner, we made this delicious concoction to go with our Sesame Asparagus.

Cooking fish is intimidating for a lot of folks.  I know it is for me!  So, a good way to conquer the fear is to cook with friends.  If you mess up, you're all in it together, so no one has to take the blame.  And if that unlikely event does come to pass, you know my rule...pile in the car and head over to McDonald's.  Every likes McNuggets.

But, in hopes of avoiding disaster, here are a few general guidelines for cooking fish:

1. Typically, cook fish for 8-10 minutes per 1" of thickness.    
2. Raw fish is translucent; cooked fish is opaque.
3. When your fish is cooked through, it will flake easily with a fork.

Check out this article at finecooking.com for even more information on how to tell when fish is done. 

Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa

Adapted from "An Occasion to Gather"

Serves: 4

Mahi Mahi

4 mahi mahi fillets (6 ounces each)

2 limes

3 tablespoons white wine

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

Mango Salsa

1 mango, peeled and diced

1 avocado, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1/8 teaspoon hot chili sauce

In a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, combine mahi mahi, zest from one lime, juice from both limes, wine, and ginger.  Shake to coat.  Marinate fish for 30 minutes to one hour, turning occasionally.  While fish is marinating, make the salsa.  

Combine all of the salsa ingredients in a medium bowl.  (You can store salsa in the refrigerator for several hours until you're ready to serve, but add the avocado close to serving time so it doesn't turn brown.)  

Adjust oven rack to the top position and preheat broiler to high.  Place mahi mahi on a baking sheet.  Broil about 8-10 minutes per inch of thickness, until fish is opaque throughout.  Serve mahi mahi with mango salsa. 

Roasted Radicchio with Goat Cheese and Walnuts

You came back to find out what I did with radicchio?  I'm so pleased!  Hope this recipe is worth your extra time.

Roasted Radicchio with Goat Cheese and Walnuts

Serves: 4

1 large head of radicchio

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, plus more for drizzling

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup roasted walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Halve radicchio. Cut each half into quarters, so you have a total of eight pieces, and cut out the cores.

Place radicchio on a large baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast for 10 minutes, until radicchio is crisp tender and caramelized.  

Place radicchio on serving dish.  Drizzle with extra balsamic vinegar.  Sprinkle with goat cheese and walnuts.  Serve warm.

One Man's Trash by Lady of the House

City living isn't synonymous with oodles of storage, or space for that matter. Add to this fact a personal disdain for clutter and a husband raised by total pack rats, and you've got yourself a recipe for minimalism bordering on the brink of austere. We revel in trips to the Good Will, perform regular closet clean-outs, and pride ourselves on our ability to purge.

Next week we are moving for the third time in three years, so with all the packing and taking stock of things, I have donating on the brain. As we head into Spring, you may be gearing up for your own big purge. Here are a few places, ready and waiting to take your donations. You'll be ridding yourself of unwanted items, but you may wind up feeling charitable, environmentally friendly and perhaps changed.

About to hit that white sale? The Wisconsin Humane Society is in need of your old bath towels. (And that's exactly what you'll tell your husband when he asks why you spent $400 at Pottery Barn. "The homeless puppies were in need, honey!")

It can be a horrible head ache wrangling all the cords, cards, discs and electronic debris that we seem to accumulate. Far worse than the 3 computer monitors taking up space in your garage is the fact that most people just toss them in the trash. Electronic waste is no joke. Give thought to what you're throwing away, or better yet, recycle it. This local company offers electronic recycling. Or put an ad on Craigslist. Maybe your old laptop is the perfect thing for a student in need.

Did you know the Boys and Girls Clubs of America want your old sports equipment? They do! Get your children involved in the clean out, and make the donation together.

Free up some room in your closet and make a girl's day with the donation of your party dresses. The Cinderella Project sends underprivileged girls to prom with your help. So seriously. Are you going to wear it again?

A good catch-all is the Good Will or Salvation Army, and if you keep a designated donation box near by, it's easy to fill up and drop it off each month. You'll be an expert in no time.

xoxo

Lady of the House

Radicchio

I can tell how familiar I am with an ingredient by how long it takes me to spell it.  Raddicio radichio raddichio radicchio took at least 4 tries.  Shameful, I know.

I've used radicchio before in salads, slaw, whatevs, but this is my first time cooking it, so it's ingredient #3 for my New Year, New Ingredient resolution.  I know, I'm playing fast and loose with the rules of resolutions, but that's how I roll, people.

Radicchio is a type of chicory that's most often used as a salad green.  Ironic that it's used as a "green" because it's a gorgeous shade of purpley-red.  The leaves have a firm bite to them that reminds me of cabbage.  As for flavor, radicchio is bitter, but cooking mellows the taste.  

When I scored a head of radicchio at the grocery store, I decided I wanted to roast it.  I picked this cooking method because it's hands-off, and I was feeling lazy.  In the summertime, though, I'm going to try grilling it.  And if I forget to grill it, you fabulous readers are in charge of reminding me.

Ok, that's a lot of preamble for a simple radicchio recipe.  But you know what?  I'm going to make you wait longer.  Come back on Thursday to find out what I did with my new ingredient!

Sesame Asparagus

The Lady of the House wrote a fabulous post about supporting local business.  Well, it's also fun to support the local scene by using a cookbook from your area.

Two of my gal pals gave me "An Occasion to Gather" by the Junior League of Milwaukee, and I am a huge fan. In addition to a plethora of drool-inducing recipes, it's filled with commentary on the Milwaukee social scene.  This "local flavor" gives you a sneak peak into some of Milwaukee's traditions.

One example is Bunco.  This dice game is uber popular in 'sconsin.  It's an excuse to get together for laughter and libations, it's perfect to play during the arctic winters.  "An Occasion to Gather" offers a quip about the game, explains how to host a Bunco party, and provides a menu for the occasion to gather.  (Hmmm...starting to understand the title...)

Although it wasn't for a Bunco party, Kelly and Christoph came over recently to cook dinner.  We whipped up this fab side dish from "An Occasion to Gather."  If you think this looks good, come back later this week to hear about our main course!

Are you interested in some delish recipes served up with a taste of Milwaukee?  Contact the Junior League of Milwaukee to order your copy of "An Occasion to Gather."  (www.jlmilw.org or 414-289-9242)  Oh, and it's also an opportunity to support the good work that the Junior League accomplishes.  Bonus!  

Yes, I forgot to add the sesame seeds before taking the photo. Sorry.

Sesame Asparagus
From "An Occasion to Gather"
Serves: 4

1 pound asparagus spears
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Snap the woody ends off the asparagus.  Bring about 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan and fill a separate medium-sized bowl with ice water.  Cook asparagus in the boiling water for 1 minute.  Immediately plunge the asparagus into the ice water to stop cooking and set the green color.  After a couple minutes in the ice bath, drain asparagus and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium-high.  Saute the bell pepper for 2-3 minutes.  Add asparagus, and saute another 2 minutes, until asparagus is heated through and bell pepper is crisp-tender.  Add soy sauce and sesame oil.  Stir until combined.  Place asparagus on a serving platter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Quinoa with Sweet Potatoes and Queso Fresco

I had some random leftovers in my fridge that I needed to use up.  So, I used my noodle to come up with the following recipe.  Here's how I got from "stuff in the fridge" to "dinner".

These are the ingredients I started with:

• Quinoa
• Red onion
• Queso fresco 
• Sweet potatoes

Because of the queso fresco I wanted to use Mexican flavors.  So, I thought of cumin, chili powder, and cilantro.  In another quinoa recipe I've made, you soften the onion, add spices, then cook the quinoa in broth to add flavor.  I thought I'd use this technique, stirring in the sweet potato and queso fresco at the end.

Must admit, it was pretty delish.

Quinoa with Sweet Potato and Queso Fresco
Serves: 4-6

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper
1 red onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
1/3 cup queso fresco, crumbled
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Spread the sweet potato on a large baking sheet.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.  Roast for 15-20 minutes until sweet potato is golden and tender, stirring halfway through.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in chili powder and cumin, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add quinoa and allow it to toast for a minute or two.  Stir in chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.  Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until quinoa is tender.

Stir in sweet potato, queso fresco, and cilantro.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

*If you're looking to make this dish even heartier, try adding a can of black beans when you stir in the sweet potatoes.