Lovin' From the Oven

Baked Parmesan Zucchini

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Talk about a whirlwind of a week. How do girls plan weddings when they’re working/doing anything else in life but wedding planning? Also, how are weddings so dang expensive? That industry is a goldmine to be working in.

You know what else is impossible? Guests lists. After going through 16 years of school (19 years for my fiance), how do you keep the number down when both of your families make your head count already near 200? I’ve emailed at least 50 venues asking for a quote, and 80% of them are out of our budget with that many people. This. Is. Impossible.

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Let’s take a break from my overflowing mailbox and blog, shall we? Baking vegetables makes them a lot easier to eat. I’m not saying I hate vegetables, I’m saying I prefer my veggies seasoned and steaming. Since I don’t have a grill at my apartment, I opted to cook zucchini in the stove.

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The result? A perfect summer side. The paprika brings out the green in the zucchinis and create a festive plate.

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I served it alongside some skinny chicken pesto bake and even cooked them in the oven at the same time.

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Baked Parmesan Zucchini

Ingredients

  • 2 zucchinis, sliced in half lengthwise
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • paprika and red cayenne pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Lay out speared zucchinis on a baking sheet, cut side facing up. Evenly spread the garlic on all four pieces.
  3. Add the parmesan cheese on top of each spear.
  4. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and red cayenne pepper, to taste. I add a lot of red cayenne pepper because I like the extra kick.
  5. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
https://lovintheoven.com/baked-parmesan-zucchini/

 

Crockpot Beef and Broccoli

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If you’ve been following me on my Instagram, then you probably know that I’ve been MIA on vacation for the past week. My DB and I went on a trip down to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. I can’t tell you how nice it is to travel and not worry about flying standby. We didn’t want to get stuck in the heavy summer traveling, so we bought full fare tickets instead.

We even got updated for no reason. Twice. It was glorious.

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I had no idea that Punta Cana was so close to Miami. It’s only a two hour flight! It was our first time traveling to the Dominican Republic and although we had a very relaxing time, two-three nights would have been enough time there. Punta Cana is more of a “resort” style vacation, where you stay at the hotel 24:7 and everything that you need is within walking distance so you don’t have to go anywhere off the grounds.

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We stayed at The Reserve at Paradisus in Punta Cana. I have to commend the staff for being so friendly and taking great care of us, but we were bored after three nights. My DB and I like venturing out into cities and exploring ma and pa shops or hidden gems.

The food was unimpressive as well. I feel like they don’t really care for dessert over there. There was plenty of food to eat at every hour in the day, but it wasn’t good food. Maybe we’re just spoiled living in the states, where ethnic foods are not only delicious, but easily accessible.

The first meal that I came back and ate in California was Bun Bo Hue, a Vietnamese noodle soup dish that I found myself craving for the last two days of vacation.

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Don’t get me wrong– Punta Cana was beautiful. The sand was soft, the water was warm, and there were no sharp rocks walking into ocean, but I can only lounge for so long. We also got lucky with the weather and had clear skies for 95% of our trip, despite it being hurricane season.

I’m glad we had the chance to go there, but I don’t have the need to revisit anytime soon. To each their own, I guess. 11 days in Hawaii wasn’t enough for us, but 5 days in Punta Cana was plenty.

This recipe for beef and broccoli comes from BS Recipes. It was good, but a bit salty for my taste. Next time, I’d try using low sodium soy sauce and low sodium beef consomme. Also, this didn’t quite taste like normal beef and broccoli from Panda Express or your local fast food Chinese take out restaurant. It’s definitely a different flavor. Because I was expecting that taste, I was disappointed.

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Crockpot Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 cup beef consomme
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons sauce from the crock pot after being cooked
  • Fresh broccoli florets (as many as desired)
  • Hot cooked rice

Directions

  1. Place beef in a crock pot.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the beef consomme, soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, and garlic. Pour over beef.
  3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  4. In a cup, stir cornstarch and sauce form the crock pot until smooth. Add back to the crock pot. Stir well to combine.
  5. Add broccoli and stir to combine.
  6. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high (the sauce has to boil for it to thicken).
  7. Serve over hot cooked rice.
https://lovintheoven.com/crockpot-beef-and-broccoli/

Ground Turkey and Bean Burritos

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This past week has been CRA-ZY at work. I say that because there are people at the airport 24:7, flights are leaving 12 hours later than scheduled, and crew members are taking naps everywhere they can to make up for their extended duty days.

You see, I’m SFO based and the Asiana flight that crash landed on Saturday affected everyone flying for the next couple of days into and out of San Francisco.

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I worked Saturday, going from SFO-IAD and was about an hour or two into the flight when a passenger asked me if I knew anything about the crash. Confused, I asked him what he was talking about. He showed me the news reporting on CNN and my heart sank. At first, I didn’t know if it was my airline and I immediately jumped to the worst conclusion that came to mind.

Was it us? Who was working? How many people were injured? How many people survived? What happened to the airplane? Was it an airplane malfunction? Do they have the situation under control? Is the fire still spreading?

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Nothing really prepares you for what you see on TV when it hits so close to home. I had just left that airport two hours ago. What would have happened if I didn’t take off at that time? We called the pilots to let them know that something happened at SFO and they had no idea, either.

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Our passengers updated us with more information as it was being released on TV. They didn’t know the deaths.. it was an Asiana flight.. the fuselage burst into flames.. the tail fell off… they stopped all traffic into and out of SFO.. It was like trying to put a 500 piece puzzle together with only 10 pieces.

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When we heard that only two people passed away from the accident and seeing all the footage of the aircraft, I couldn’t believe my ears. The crew aboard flight 241 did an amazing job getting everyone off the aircraft with minimal casualties. Not only that, but they didn’t even have time to prepare for a landing like that.

Sometimes in situations like that, they’ll have time onboard to prep for an emergency landing. In this, everything happened when they least expected it. Obviously, take off and landing are the most dangerous times in flying, but you never think that it’s going to happen to you.

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My heart goes out to everyone involved in that crash.

I was delayed in Dulles for 12 hours on my trip, but that’s nothing when you compare it to the grand scheme of things. For passengers complaining about delays this past weekend, just be grateful that you have your life.

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When we flew back Sunday night, I could see the aftermath of the aircraft on descent just out the window. I stared in disbelief.

I mean, we watch multiple videos in training of crashes, but it’s just ten times more surreal when you see it a couple hundred yards away.

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Remember that flight attendants are more than servers. They’re not there to satisfy every single one of your flying needs. We’re primarily there for your safety. Be nice to your crew. They could be the ones saving your life!

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As always, this burrito from The Pioneer Woman is as delicious as the rest of her recipes. They’re easily customizable for picky eaters and fast to whip up. Everyone should have a burrito night once a week! The second to last picture is a photo of my DB’s burrito and the last picture is my burrito. Can you tell the difference?

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Ground Turkey and Bean Burritos

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Ground Turkey
  • 1/2 whole Medium Onion, chopped
  • 1 can (7 Ounce) Enchilada Sauce
  • Salt And Pepper, to taste
  • Cumin, Oregano, Chili Powder, Garlic To Taste
  • 1 can (28 Ounce) Refried Beans
  • 3/4 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
  • 12 whole Burrito-sized Flour Tortillas
  • Extra Grated Cheese, For Sprinkling
  • Extra Sauce, For Drizzling
  • Cilantro Leaves, Optional
  • Optional Filling Ingredients: Mexican Rice, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Green Chilies, Pico De Gallo

Directions

  1. Brown ground turkey with onion and season to taste. Pour in sauce and simmer over low heat.
  2. Heat refried beans in a saucepan. Add cheese and stir in till melted. Keep warm.
  3. Heat tortillas in microwave for one minute. Spread a small amount of beans on each tortilla. Add meat. Fold over ends, then roll up. Place two burritos on a microwave-safe plate. Drizzle red sauce over the top and sprinkle with more grated cheddar. Microwave for one minute, or until cheese is melted and burritos are very hot. Serve immediately.
https://lovintheoven.com/ground-turkey-and-bean-burritos/

 

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