Weeks 12 - Oy.

No apology. This is going to take long enough.

Week 12: New England @ Denver

Baked Denver Omelet with Maple-Roasted Bacon

I forget why I had to make breakfast rather than dinner. Maybe we were going to a party? It's been so long I don't remember. Anyway, Colleen B. suggested I make a Denver omelet with maple bacon - a brilliant idea, especially considering I didn't have any others. I found a baked Denver omelet recipe on All Recipes that was incredibly simple (not that omelets are exactly tricky, but whatever) and a maple bacon on from the Food Network. By the way, I generally boycott the Barefoot Contessa because she seems like a snot, but unfortunately she has really good recipes. 

Week 13: Indianapolis @ Pittsburgh

Sauerkraut Pierogi with Corn and a Dragonfly IPA (God Bless Beer)

Meh. Just meh. I would like to point out that I made the pierogi dough from scratch (again, an All Recipes recipe)  which makes me very, very dumb. And it makes Rob very, very brave because he ate them. 

My hats off to Amy K. who makes pierogi all the time. From now on, I'm just going to eat them. 

Week 14: New England @ Houston

NY Strip with Cuban Mojo and Papas Asadas (Yeah - I know. Not very New Englandy, is it?)

When I looked at the schedule and saw the Sunday night game was New York at Miami, I was so excited that I didn't even ask FB friends for suggestions. I mean, really. Miami? Finally a new team. New choices. NO BBQ!!!

So I looked up Cuban foods and decided to try a mojo sauce. There are a ton of good recipes, but I chose this one from Taste of Cuba so I could use the lime juice I already had on hand. For I side, I tried this ridiculously easy and incredibly tasty recipe for papas asadas from My Big Fat Cuban Family. So good. So ridiculously good. I don't even care that I got the teams wrong.

Week 15 (Finally!): Arizona @ Philadelphia

Cactus Chili with a Soft Pretzel and Tastykakes

So one thing that has driven me nuts about Arizona having all sorts of Sunday night games is that I can't find a lot about their cuisine online.* However, one ingredient that shows up all the time is cactus, but I'm always like, "um...no." Luckily, Margy P. not only recommended cactus chili, she shared her award-winning recipe with me. I wish I could put it all in this blog. It's like a recipe you might find in a church cookbook. How much round steak? Just one. How much beef broth? Two cups or so. How much cumin? Doesn't even give you a hint. Whatever. It was really, really good. 

One more thing - Margy's recipe says you can get nopalitos at Jewel, but I didn't find them.** However, I did find them at Strack & Van Till's on Elston. They had Tastykakes, too, so a total winner in my book. 

Whew! Now on to dinner for tonight :)

*Do not suggest fry bread. I tried it. It was disgusting.

**I'm guessing the Rogers Park Jewel serves a more diverse crowd than the West Loop Jewel. 

Week 11 - Cincinnati @ Arizona

I  hate when the Cardinals have a Sunday night game. Try googling ""foods Arizona is famous for." After prickly pear cactus and Navajo-Churro sheep, you get a bunch of other people asking the same question. Google "Arizona cuisine" and the answer is Arizona-style Tex-Mex.

Not that Cincinnati is much better.* All you get then is a list of different chili place. Don't get me wrong. I like Cincinnati chili. I just don't want to make it again.

Mostly, I'm just mad because I missed Erica's chili party. My plan was to go up to her party, collect the leftovers, and use them in my dish.** But my car froze in the wet snow and didn't thaw in time to make it up for the game. So not only did I miss the party, but I had to throw everything together a pot of Skyline chili.

Whatever. The end result is Skyline Chili burritos. With margaritas. Lots of margaritas.

I used the Authentic Cincinnati Chili recipe for the slow cooker from All Recipes. It was good, but I was kind of grossed out that it didn't brown the meat before adding the liquid. That just strikes as a little too British for me, so I browned it first. I also didn't put it in the fridge over night (obvi) so I didn't skim of the fat.

If I were to do this again,*** I would melt the cheese and maybe make an enchilada sauce. Enchilada sauce makes everything better.

So do margaritas.

*I know I'm going to catch hell from at least one person for saying this.
**Totally not cheating.
***God, I hope not.

Week 10 - Arizona v. Seattle = Southwestern Salmon Tacos with Chipotle Sour Cream

YUM.

Of course, this helped:

It's from Washington. It totally counts. 

As did this:

Grilling makes everything better.

The recipe comes from The Splendid Table. It was very simple, but I still messed it up. Nothing major, but somehow I grabbed a can of chipotle salsa instead of chipotle peppers in adobe sauce. I don't know if it made any difference because that sour cream was delicious.

The one thing I might change is seasoning the salmon. The recipe called for just salt and pepper, which makes sense. You don't want to cover up the flavor. I just wonder if some cumin or chili powder would up the southwesterniness of the meal.

Catching Up - Weeks 7-9

I've got no excuse, so let's just get through this.

Week 7: Eagles @ Panthers = North Carolina BBQ Cheesesteak

I was hesitant to make this meal because I'm pretty sure I make cheesesteak every single time Philadelphia plays on Sunday night. I also use the same recipe from Bobby Flay every single time - not because it's particularly good, just because it's the first one that shows up when you google it. But as my friend Tony pointed out, "Who gives a fuck? That sounds delicious."*

Tony was very, very right. This meal was AWESOME! 

Carolina barbecue may be my favorite because it's very vinegar,  at least the Eastern-style ones are. That might be the most interesting part of this recipe. Apparently, Carolinians (?) are  divided between Eastern-style and Lexington-styled barbecue. I think the Lexington kind has tomatoes? 

Anyway, if I remember correctly, I used this slow cooker recipe from Taste of Home, in part because the one of the reviewers who loved it says she's from NC "where swine is divine." Who can argue with that?

One last thing - Rob wanted to take part, so he made a crab cake appetizer with some vinegary cucumbers. He says North Carolina has crabs (Anyone else find that funny or am I the only one who has the sense of humor of a 12-year old boy?)so it totally counts. I totally disagree. However, the crab cakes were even better than the sammies.

Week 8: Green Bay @ Denver = Bison Burgers w/ Cabernet Onions and Wisconsin Cheese

I'm still angry about this one. Packers lose on my birthday? How rude! The meal, however, was FREAKIN' AWESOME!!!** 

The recipe came from Epicurious, so really, that shouldn't be a surprise. I guess the surprise is how easy it was. I used to use Epicurious recipes all the time, but they tend to require either 20+ steps or pain-in-the-ass ingredients. Thanks, but I have football to watch.

Here are the mistakes changes I made:

• Despite looking for and finding Wisconsin cheddar, I came hope with smoked mozzarella. I have no idea why.  
• The onions got maybe a third of the cook time the recipe calls for. You know how people say, "If you can read, you can cook"? This is not true for me.
• I totally forgot to think about sides. Luckily, I had some carrots, and since I love this recipe on from The Spice House, I figured I would make it. Here's how it turned out...

Oh, well.

Week 9: Eagles @ Cowboys = Tex-Mex Stromboli

Seriously? The Eagles again??? Thank God Lori Farkas Gillespie suggested stromboli. 

So smart, right? But here's the thing - I had just come back from Detroit. I had no groceries, and I was really tired. The result? I used this lazy recipe from Pillsbury but swapped fajita fixings for the Italian stuff. Whatever - it wasn't like I was going to make my own dough anyway. That's just insane. 

Also,  I didn't have time to marinate the steak (flank, I think) so I basted it with butter while grilling. This is also insane, but in a good way. 

I almost forgot - in Detroit I bought Jar Head Salsa, so I didn't even really make fajitas. Still, I'm calling this one very good, mostly because it was so easy. Definitely a recipe I would make again - only I would put a bit more effort into it. 

*I may have added the "fuck."

**Surprisingly, that's only one step above AWESOME!

Weeks 5 & 6 - My Bad

I'm blaming everything on Rob.

He made dinner (actually, breakfast) for Week 5, so doesn't that mean he should write it up? And I certainly can't post Week 6 if he hasn't done Week 5, right?

Yeah, that's total B.S. I didn't expect Rob to do anything more than cook. In fact, I'm impressed he took it on  - although I don't know why he waited to make breakfast for my mom and me instead of just make dinner for himself. That was probably the smarter choice. We had just come back from New Orleans, and there was no way we were going to be able to eat dinner that night. Then again, breakfast wasn't easy either.

Anyway, Rob made Joe's Special with New York strip (For breakfast!). Every time San Fran comes up, I want to make Joe's Special, so I'm glad he made it. But NY strip on a Monday morning is a bit much. Oh...and he bought bagels. And fruit.  I'm guessing to lighten it up?

Rob never uses recipes, but here's an Epicurous one so you have an idea about what it is. Luckily, Rob dropped the ground beef, but the steak was overdone. Mom thought that was better, considering it was 7:30 in the morning. And really, it was pretty yummy. I may do it again some time. Minus the steak.

Week 6 was an easy recipe to come up with - mainly because I think I did it before. Indiana v. New England was New England clam and corn chowder.  I can't find the recipe now, but this one from All Recipes is pretty close. I think the one I used had more bacon - duh - and 3 cans of clams, but otherwise, this is it.

Day of, the soup was kinda "meh." It could have used some hot sauce or red pepper. But the next three days when I was eating it for lunch, it became good, maybe even very good. I may try it again, only with fresh cans and the right potatoes. The recipe I used called for white skin potatoes, and I was totally hoping there would be a sign at the grocery store. There was not. So I got a russet. Of course, when I got home, I googled "right potato for soup." Russet isn't the right choice. Eh - it was fine.

Week 4: Dallas @ New Orleans

I made Cajun Steak Fajitas.

Meh.

Don't get me wrong. They were good, possibly even very good. Just kinda boring. Pretty much anyone who made a suggestion had a better idea than this, but I was home alone and I'm not going to make blackened gator tacos or boudin balls for myself.*

I used a recipe from Emeril, that I found here. I skipped all the relishes and salsas. Maybe that would have been better, but again - I'm not doing that much work just for myself. And I totally forgot about mincing the garlic, so I doubled down on garlic powder. I will say this - I could have drank the marinade. It was soooo v.g.

Again, not bad. Happy to us the grill. Delicious marinade. If this was a weeknight meal, it would be v.g. For a Sunday night meal, just g. 

*I'm probably never going to make boudin balls. I have my limits, you know.

Week 3: Denver at Detroit

After driving home from Ohio, I almost didn't make anything this week. I was tired. I didn't want go to the store. And we were going to the Groos'  Football & Turkeys party, so I didn't think I had time.

But then I figured, "Fuck it. I gotta bring something to share anyway, right?" So I made Mini Colorado Green Chili Coney Dogs during the early game.

This was no easy feat. First, green chili isn't difficult to make, but you know it's better if it sits for  bit. Plus, most of the recipes I know put a whole pork shoulder in the slow cooker for, like, a day.  And I was tired after partying at Ruth's wedding (Yay, Ruth!) and the 5-hour drive that morning.

What I'm saying is I took some short cuts. Necessary short cuts, but still. For example, I kind of used this recipe from Food. com. But there's no way I was going to be able get 2 pounds of pork roast done before 3 o'clock, so I got pork chops instead. Brilliant, right? Except I forgot the tomatillos. So I ran back to the store, and with time ticking away, I just got some tomatillo salsa and called it a day.

The dogs were just Li'l Smokies, and I was too lazy to even grate the cheese or cut up extra onions. I couldn't even find mini hot dog buns, so really very little of this was right.

But it was still very tasty!

While it was a pain in the ass to assemble, overall I have to say this was v.g., too. Thanks to Ray and Sue for the idea. 

Week 2: Seattle @ Green Bay

Thank God the Pack won. I don't think I could have survived a loss.

Now, I was asleep throughout the 3rd and most of the 4th, but that's not my fault. Friday night was an alumni meeting in Milwaukee, Saturday was in Kenosha for HubKap's 10th anniversary, and Saturday night was in Milwaukee again for my 25th reunion. I was tired.*

This week I used Ray's suggestion of salmon poached in shitty tasting beer, only I upgraded the beer.

Honestly, I've only ever poached chicken, and that was for Bogey, so I was a little nervous. But a quick Google search revealed at least a couple of recipe. I chose this one from Food.com. It shows up on like 6 more sites, so I figure it had to good.

It was. Even better, it was super easy. Only 25 minutes of actual cooking time, most of it just waiting for it to finish. And that gave me plenty of time to steam the broccoli and make the cheese sauce. 

Btw - when I say "cheese sauce," I really just mean melted Merkt's Beer Cheese. Which is awesome. 

Overall, I gotta give this one a v.g. It's easy, tasty, and healthy - if you ignore the cheese.

*Who am I kidding? I'm never awake for the 3rd or 4th quarter.

Week 1 - Giants @ Cowboys

I think this year is going to be difficult. First, I'm working full time (Yay, me!) so I don't have nearly as much time to look for recipes and go shopping. I also don't want to sit at a computer once I've finished a full workday (Yay, me!), so I'm already a week behind.

But hey, a girl's gotta eat, so...

Lots of people made good suggestions, but this week's winner is Dave Groo who suggested New York-styled BBQ brisket pizza.* Here's how it went.

First, there's no way I was going to spend an entire Sunday smoking an entire brisket. I don't have a set up, and honestly, it seems like a pain in the ass. So I used this recipe from All Recipes.com. Super easy. Love it.

But then I felt guilty. Essentially, all I did was put some meat in the slow cooker.** That kind of seems like cheating, so I made Neely's BBQ Sauce. Still easy, but at least I felt like I was cooking when all I was actually doing was waiting. Well, waiting and assembling, which basically means...

1. Open tube of pizza crust.
2. "Roll out" dough.
3. Cook crust halfway.
4. Layer BBQ sauce & cheese. (Did I mention I used smoked gouda? I'm a freakin' genius!)
5. Add brisket.
6. Finish cooking.

End result? Floppy, bbq-y goodness.

*Full disclosure. Brisket is almost always going to win.

**Totally full disclosure. I didn't make the crust either. Please. Like that was going to happen.

Super Bowl Sunday! NE v SEA = What a game!

Considering how bitter I was about the Packers, how disinterested I was in the game, and how little I enjoy Katie Perry (sorry - I just don't get her. Am I too old?) the Super Bowl was fantastic!

The meal, however, was just meh. But before I get to the meal, I want to bitch.

Sunday was a seriously shitty day. First, I thought I was going to get to my favorite spin class, but at 8 am I suddenly remembered I had a tutoring appointment. In Bucktown. In a blizzard. Luckily, by 8:15 I had a message that they wanted to postpone until 10. (Not cancel. Postpone. In a blizzard.) Okay - fine. I get to my car, dig it out, and make to Bucktown with time to spare.

After tutoring, I head back to my car. It's stuck. (I mentioned the blizzard, right?) I try rocking it, I get out my shovel and dig. Nothing. I'm screwed, so I call Rob.

He doesn't answer.

Long story story - he never answers. I go to the Metra station and wait for the (delayed) train, and head home.

Wait - not home. To the store. Because I've decided to make a pot roast.

I made a New England Pot Roast with Washington Apples and Onions, mainly stealing from a recipe on Can You Stay for Dinner. Why this recipe?  I had almost everything on hand. I also looked up pot roasts with apples and was surprised to find a couple of recipes. Taste of Home came up first, so I used it as a reference.

Very pretty, right?

This is the thing - I don't really like pot roast. Everything kind just ends up tasting the same. And with this one, there was just too much liquid. My guess is I used too many apples, but a real cook would know better.

See? So much liquid Rob put it in the oven at about 500° for maybe 20 minutes. And you know what? I'm still eating it today, and there is still too much liquid.

One more thing. I really wanted to taste apple, but I didn't. That's totally my bad because I meant to use supplement some of the beef broth with apple cider vinegar. Wouldn't that have been good?

Still - it wasn't horrible, as far as pot roasts go. The end product was colorful and tasty. But the game was more interesting.

That's the last post for this season. Thanks to everyone read this blog or sent suggestions. Enjoy hockey season!

Week 16 = Primanti Brothers & Montgomery Inn

It's been a really, really long time since I posted the results, but I have good reason. First, it's hard to keep up with all the stuff you have to do over the holidays. If somethings going to give, it going to be this. Granted, that's no excuse for this past week. But in my defense, I was super hungerover there was no Sunday Night Game last week, so I skipped cooking. Considering I am a horrible cook, that's actually very impressive.

Not impressed? Does my Primanti Bros. / Montgomery Ribs Sandwich change your mind?

Yeah. I didn't think so.

Not that it wasn't pretty good. The bbq sauce recipe was especially drinkable.  Like, pour-it-in-a-glass-and-who-needs-wine drinkable. If that is how Montgomery Inn ribs actually taste, I'm in. (By the way - a huge thanks to Elizabeth Rollins who suggested it.) My mistake was the size of the bread. I love carbs in any form, but getting the bread to meat ratio wrong in a sammie is deadly.

I've been wanting to make a Primanti Bros. sandwich all season, but I've hesitated because it seems a little lazy. Thankfully, Chuck Miller suggested it and Rob gave me a Fry Daddy for Christmas.

It's like kismet! In case you've never had one, a Primanti Bros. sandwich is meat, cole slaw, and fries smashed together on two slices of thick Italian bread (Perhaps that's what made me go overboard). So, yeah...it's just  sandwich, but people seem very dedicated to it. I imagine the right slaw and the right fries make a big difference. I think the cole slaw in the recipe from Brown Eyed Baker fell a little flat - even after letting it sit for a good 3-4 hours while I watched the early games.

The fries? Um...that's another confession. I bought them frozen. But again, I had a good reason. The instruction manual for the Fry Daddy makes it sound like deep frying food is on par with performing nuclear fission. Honestly. I even made Rob cook the fries.

He hated them. Whatever. Next time I'll make him start from scratch and see how he likes that.

All in all - a decent meal despite the mistakes. Worth a try, but definitely needs some tweaks.

Except for the ribs. Don't change anything about the ribs.