lizzycooks Blog Thoughts & Statistics--2022 Update

I started this blog/recipe website 12 years ago and set it up primarily as a place to hold my favorite and most often made recipes. There are also recipes here from people that hold a special place in my heart. 

The blog is a creative outlet for me and there are now 207 posts. I haven't felt like cooking much during the pandemic but am starting to more and more, and have also been posting more recipes lately. I decided to remove ads from the blog over a year ago because they were more trouble than worth. You can subscribe to the blog if you'd like to receive an email each time there's a new post.

I took a look at some of the statistics generated by blogger for lizzycooks and learned the following about my viewers. The United States makes up 58% of total viewers, Russia is in second at 5%, followed by France, Romania, Canada, United Kingdom, Poland, and Ukraine. About 19% of viewers are from the "other" category...not sure what that's about. Don't worry, I can't see specifically who is looking at my blog! Just browsers and traffic sources and things like that.

Enjoy your food and keep on cooking!

Black Bean, Corn, & Avocado Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette

I've been trying to satisfy a craving for a salad with avocado, corn, and cilantro, and came up with this today. This salad tastes really fresh, has crunch from the corn, smoothness from the avocado, sweetness from the onion, the beans are really good for you, and everything is surrounded by an earthy flavored garlic vinaigrette. This salad is easy to make and could be lunch, dinner, or a zesty side dish to go with grilled fish or chicken. 

Salad:

1 can sweet corn, drained

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 medium avocados, cubed

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped fine
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Garlic Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/8+ cup red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt 

Pepper to taste

With a wooden spoon in a large bowl, gently mix together all of the salad ingredients. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Stir vinaigrette into the salad. Cover and put in the fridge for an hour or two before serving so the flavors can marry. Makes 4-5 cups. Eat it fast--first day best!

Red Wine & Rosemary Pot Roast

My Midwest roots tell me this is how your house is supposed to smell on a Sunday afternoon. The gravy makes the dish. Leftovers are yummy if you have any, but this dish is best as soon as it's out of the oven.

2 tablespoons olive oil

10 cloves garlic, minced

3 lb boneless chuck roast

1/2 cup water

2 cups dry red wine

1/2 teaspoon course grind black tellicherry pepper

1.5 teaspoons Kosher salt

3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

3 carrots, cut into 1-2" slices
3 small Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 6 pieces
1 medium yellow onion, chopped rough

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and then add the oil. Add the garlic and cook briefly, then push to the sides. Add the beef and brown on both sides. This will take 6-7 minutes per side. Pour the water and wine over the meat then sprinkle the pepper, salt, and rosemary over the top. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer. Now you can either cover and simmer for 90 minutes on the stovetop, OR cover and bake in a preheated 325 oven for 90 minutes before you add the vegetables.

After the first 90 minutes, add the carrots, potatoes, and onion to the Dutch oven. Cover again and simmer an additional 90 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Remove the meat and vegetables to a serving platter with a slotted spoon. Pour remaining juices into a large, glass measuring cup and skim the excess fat. Add water if you don't have 2 cups of juice. Add the 2 cups back to the Dutch oven. Whisk the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of cold water in a small bowl and add it to the juices. Bring to a boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly to thicken.

Drizzle the gravy over the meat and veggies. Serve the rest of the gravy on the side in a proper gravy boat. hahaha