Quick hit: Sloppy Joes!

 I noticed that the most popular posts on this blog have been about old fashioned, no-frills, quick-to-the-table food. While I love to cook fancier stuff, I still love the comfort of the simple, hearty meals we all grew up on. I will be posting more "evolved" recipes, certainly, but humor me one more time as I take you back a few decades.

You like Sloppy Joes, right? Let me rephrase...who doesn't love a killer Sloppy Joe? The kind made with fresh, balanced ingredients and that makes you wonder why you don't make this hearty, delicious, wholesome meal-on-a-bun more often? I love this recipe. It's so F-A-S-T you will, again, bow to me! Trust me, once you make this, it will be part of your regular weeknight, meal-in-a-pinch rotation.

And please let me know what you think, if you do make it? I just love to share the love! Oh and this comes to you courtesy of Cooks Illustrated. I am indeed their biggest fan. If I weren't so full of myself I'd rename this blog after them....Allons-y, alors...

Quick hit: Sesame-Soy-Glazed Baby Bok Choy

Here's a superfast side dish that is tasty and infinitely more interesting than the usual cluster fuck of boring vegetable sides like asparagus, green beans, broccoli, carrots...Zzzzzzzzzzzzz...

You can serve this with fish, chicken, steak, it all works. Next time you're in the supermarket buy yourself 2 or 3 Baby Bok Choys (BBC). They are sliced in half during cooking so three is more than enough for two folks especially if, like me, you forswear the starchy sides.

For a company of four, buy 4 BBCs which will be plenty; two halves on each plate will look very elegant.

Time to take the diamond rings off, tie back your hair, and let's go, Divas.

Quick hit: Southwestern-Style Salmon Cakes

I have a crazy love affair with salmon. It's irrational, deep, and intensely loyal. I defend salmon to all naysayers and I'm determined to convert even the most fervent haters.

Like me, some people are pathologically addicted to it. Others hate what my friend Alysa calls the "pink, stinky fish" with passion. Still others like my dear friend Mary Beth will only tolerate it because it's good for them.

(Let me use my infamous parentheses to add this PSA: I don't care how good Omega 3-fatty acids are for you; fat is fat and any fat in excess is NO GOOD so I fear my love of salmon has definitely crossed the boundaries of good health but...whatever...swim in it at your own risk.)

Anyway, regardless of where you fall on the salmon love/hate sliding scale, please know that I never intended for this (GASP!) "leftovers" dish to be part of The Diva blog but as it was coming together I knew I was onto something special.

So you losers better appreciate the fact that I took time out to photograph only the highlights and share them with you.

And Mary Beth, I will someday make this for you and hopefully you will bow to me!

Soy-Ginger-Lime Shrimp with Tomato Scallion Couscous

Well, let me tell you...today was a craaaazy day. They are all crazy days but man, sometimes I over-extend myself and it's 5 pm and dinner is not even started yet. Which reminds me, I've been meaning to talk to you guys about cooking in a pinch.

Here's where keeping a well-stocked pantry and an equally properly stocked fridge is a great idea and a good investment. I mean really, do you want to run out at 5 to the grocery store? Or hold up dinner while Your Dude swings by the supermarket? Or do you throw in the towel and go for take-out? What's that you said? Throw in the towel?!? Wrong answer...SAY NO TO TAKE-OUT! Look what you can do with minimum ingredients. See this? You can do it too.



Actually, you don't have to say no to take-out every night. Some take-out nights are necessary for mama's mental health and the family's fun factor, but if you're eating out 3-4 nights per week, you know you can do better! In return for your promise to be a good little guy or girl, I promise to post on here a good list for fridge and pantry essentials. These are fresh and dried/packaged items things that you should never be without.

Also, when you're food shopping, plan a bit ahead... Get fish for tonight, chicken for tomorrow night, and steak for the night after. It's such a no-brainer and you'll rarely be caught with your pants down...well, unless you want them down...which reminds me of this time when the UPS man was due and The Dude thought it was funny to...never mind...

Anyway, on with tonight's dinner...The shrimp is a Bobby Flay recipe and let me just hop on my soap box for a moment to tell you how annoyed I often find myself at organizations (Food Network!) and chefs (and repeat offender Signor Flay!) who do not employ good editors and proofreaders to go through the recipes they slap on the web. If you are a novice, then you will find yourself a bit perplexed at this recipe. Fear not, my Iron Chef wanna-bes, I have fixed the myriad typos and it's ready to go...

Tamale Pie...cuz when the weather insists on staying cold, you're gonna need to warm up

After a brief hiatus where almost everything that could go wrong or come due for the The Diva went wrong and came due, Her Royal Diva-ness is back, tempting you with some down-home and downright unroyal and unpretentious cooking.

Tamale pie...It's not really a Mexican dish. It's another one of those Amexicanized indulgences but let me tell you, anyone who is turning his or her dainty nose up at tamale pie right now has NOT had this particular meaty, bean-y and sweetly bread-y piece of heaven. So kindly put aside your snotty tendencies, open your mind, and bring your appetite; this one is gonna knock your socks off. Oh, and did I mention this recipe from Cooks Illustrated's Best 30-minute recipe is ready in, like, 30 minutes or less, depending on your knife skills? (Just kidding, there's only one onion to dice, calm down...)