Dining Well

Fruit Slaw

2011-12-23T10:17:00.000-05:00

I was looking for a light side for burgers and sandwiches and found a recipe for Stone Fruit Slaw on Epicurious. This time of year it's not easy to find peaches and apricots, so I used black plums,
apples, and pears. The result was a refreshing dish that I'll make again - and look forward to trying when stone fruits are back in season.

The only unusual technique in this recipe is how you cut the fruit; the recipe asks for matchsticks. I held the fruit right side up and sliced off the four sides. Then I put each piece cut side down and made a horizontal cut through the middle. Holding the two pieces together, cut 1/4 inch slices vertically.

Fruit Slaw

1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pound assorted firm fruit (about 5; such as plums, nectarines, peaches, apricots, pears, or apples), julienned
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add fruit; toss gently to coat. Season lightly to taste with salt and pepper.

Jeff's Special Sandwich

2011-12-22T08:32:00.002-05:00

This yummy sandwich requires a trip to Publix or somewhere else that sells Boar's Head. It has all the comfort of a grilled cheese, with spiciness and flavor from the turkey and cheese. It's one of Jeff's favorites.

Jeff's Sandwich

butter
Boar's Head Jerk Turkey
Boar's Head Three-Pepper Colby Jack Cheese
sliced Marble Rye
spicy brown mustard
Boar's Head submarine dressing

Butter 2 slices of marble rye. On the other side of one buttered slice, spread mustard. Heat a frying pan to medium low. Layer three slices of turkey and two slices of cheese between the rye bread. Grill on both sides until cheese melts. Removing one slice of bread, sprinkle submarine dressing on the turkey and replace bread.

Serve.

Roasted Red and Sweet Potatoes

2011-12-21T09:11:00.000-05:00

Roasted potatoes in olive oil is nothing new, but I've been enjoying this technique passed on by a friend recently. The key is to not layer or crowd the potatoes: you want them to roast, not steam. I love the combination of the caramelized sweet potatoes and the savory red potatoes.

Roasted Reds and Sweets

2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
2-4 medium/large red potatoes, scrubbed
3-4 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 t. thyme

Cube potatoes into one-inch squares. Spread out on a rimmed cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and thyme over the potatoes.

Roast at 425 for 50-60 minutes, tasting to check tenderness.

Peppermint Cheesecake

2011-12-20T20:49:00.003-05:00

Here's a cheesecake I came up with to take to our faculty Christmas party. The peppermint is quite subtle: I wanted to use Peppermint Oreos, but couldn't find them, so I substituted red Oreos with peppermint extract. It's delicious, creamy, and very festive for this time of year!

White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

1 package peppermint Oreos (can substitute regular or red with 1/2 t. peppermint extract added)
3 T. butter, melted
1/4 c. sugar

Process the Oreos into crumbs in a food processor or with a rolling pin and a plastic bag. Mix the crumbs withe melted butter and sugar, as well as the peppermint extract if using. Press into a 9-inch springform pan, on the bottom and up the sides. Set aside.

1 package Candy Cane Hershey's kisses, unwrapped
1/4 c. white chocolate chips
1/2 cup half and half
3 packages cream cheese
3 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2-1 teaspoon peppermint extract, depending on how peppermint-y you want it
red food coloring (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.

You'll want 2 cups of white chocolate, so measure the Hershey's kisses and add some white chocolate chips to make up the difference. Put in a microwave safe bowl with half and half and melt at 50% power. Stir after each minute - it will take about three minutes. Stir until smooth and set aside.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition. Mix in melted white chocolate , vanilla, peppermint extract, and a few drops of red food coloring if desired.

Pour mixture into prepared crust. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan.

Thankgiving 2011

2011-11-22T13:22:00.005-05:00

It's time for the Super Bowl of cooking! We'll have a smaller group than usual this year - ten people - and the guests are bringing several components of the meal. Here's my plan; you can click on the links for recipes.

Appetizers

Chex Mix - Grandma
Fruit Dip - Grandma/Great Grandma
Baked Brie

Main Course

Turkey (Cook's Illustrated brining technique)
White Bread Stuffing
Make-Ahead Gravy
Cranberry Sauce (from the back of the Ocean Spray bag, with orange zest added)
Mashed Potatoes
Crescent Rolls - Grandma
Sweet Potatoes - Grandma
Creamy Leek Gratin - a new one this year
Sweet Corn Pudding
Macaroni and Cheese
Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Prosciutto
Waldorf Salad - Great Grandma
Jello Salad - Grandma

Desserts
Apple Pie - Mom's recipe
S'more Pie
Pumpkin Pie/Cheesecake - Aunt
Another possible dessert from Grandma

Halloween Treats

2011-10-30T18:49:00.005-04:00

Need a last-minute treat for Halloween? Here are some easy and yummy ideas.

Chocolate Spiders
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup peanut butter candy melts, peanut butter chips, or peanut butter
2 cups chow mein noodles
1/2 cup rice krispies
large red sprinkles (optional)

Melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter candy melts in the microwave at 50% power for 2-3 minutes, stirring after each minute. Add rice krispies. Stir in chow mein noodles until mixture starts to hold together, adding more if necessary. Drop by spoonful onto waxed paper. Add eight long chocolate-covered chow mein noodles for legs. Add large red sprinkles for eyes if desired. To speed drying, put in refrigerator.

Monster Toes

1 package hot dogs
1 package flour tortillas
mustard, ketchup, and relish
toothpicks

Cut hot dogs into 3 pieces. About 1/2 inch from the end, cut a small square for a toe.

Cut tortillas into 1/2 inch strips about 5-6 inches long. Wind them around the hot dog, leaving the "toe" uncovered. Secure with a toothpick.

Bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes. Using a small brush or spoon, paint the toe with mustard, ketchup, or relish. Serve.

Dem Bones (photo courtesy Jack Carnes)

Mini marshmallows
Pretzel sticks
White candy melts

Melt candy melts according to package instructions. Dip pretzel sticks in the melted candy - it's okay if the end you are holding is not covered. Dry on waxed paper. Stick mini marshmallows on ends of pretzel sticks to make bones. These are way better than they have any right to be.

Ghoooul Aid

1 package orange Kool-Aid
1 package purple Kool-Aid
2 cups sugar
4 cups 7-Up

In a gallon container, mix orange and purple Kool-Aid, sugar, and 3 quarts of water and ice until sugar dissolves. Stir in 7-Up and serve. The picture makes it look brown, but it's really more of an unappetizing black color!

Rainbow Ruffle Cake

2011-10-08T22:00:00.006-04:00

My niece asked me to make her birthday cake, and she was interested in either a Wicked cake or a tropical fish cake. I sent her a few pictures of cakes I found online, along with this rainbow cake that I've always wanted to make. She chose the rainbow cake. It was so much fun to make, and it's a real "Wow!" cake - a showstopper. It's fairly time consuming but not difficult.

First, take two white cake mixes (quelle horreur!). Prepare them according to the package instructions, and divide the batter among six bowls. I weighed the batter to make sure they were even. Follow the Roy G. Biv rules of rainbows and tint the batter the following colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. For most vivid colors, use gel food colors. You can get some neon colors at the grocery store made by Betty Crocker that would work nicely for this cake. I used my Wilton colors.

Next, prepare two nine-inch cake pans by spraying with Pam, lining with a circle of parchment, and spraying the parchment with Pam. Bake two colors at a time, for 15 minutes. You can bake more at once if you have two ovens or more than two nine-inch pans.

Let the cakes cool and remove parchment.

Now, make the buttercream frosting in this post, but triple it. Layer and frost the cake in the Roy G. Biv pattern. Use a crumb coat to the outside of the cake. If your frosting is too thick for a thin crumb coat, add a small amount of milk to about 1/3 of the remaining frosting. Put the cake in the refrigerator until it crusts over - about 30-60 minutes.

Finally, put the remaining frosting in six bowls. Color the frosting with the six colors you used before. Put frosting into six decorating bags. Using the 103 or 104 petal tip, pipe frosting in a ruffle form. The thin end of the tip should be up. Squeeze a short line of frosting, then go back and forth to create a ruffled effect - think zig-zag. This is actually very easy and forgiving.

Here's a (slightly messy) picture of the cake once you cut into it.

And here's a slice. We had to cut them very thinly because the cake was really tall, with six layers!

Notes:

1. If you don't want to use the cake decorating tools, you can just frost the outside with white frosting. Here's a rainbow cake done that way. Think of the surprise once you cut into a pure white cake and find a rainbow!

2. I never use cake mixes, but for this cake I wanted the colors to be undiluted, and I was afraid a homemade cake wouldn't be white enough.

3. I actually used a swiss meringue buttercream for the outside. It was fun to make and less sweet than the powdered sugar buttercream I usually use. I'd like work with it a bit more, but for now I'll stick with my usual recipe.

4. The cake shifted a bit in transit, as you can see below.

Happy birthday, Kelsey!

Olive Garden for Mom

2011-10-08T21:37:00.006-04:00

I usually cook dinner for my mom on her birthday, but this year she said she didn't want to put me out, so we could go to Olive Garden for soup, salad, and breadsticks. Instead, I decided to make her Olive Garden favorites at home, as well as her favorite Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cake. I was happy with how well everything turned out!

Olive Garden Salad

Olive Garden Breadsticks

Pasta e Fagioli

Zuppa Toscana

Olive Garden Salad

2011-10-08T21:14:00.002-04:00

Recreating Olive Garden's salad was the most difficult knock-off. Most recipes online include raw egg (which I'm sure OG does not use) or pectin, which sounds kind of gross for salad dressing. The recipe I went with was outstanding, but not that close to Olive Garden's dressing. However, I put the bowl and all ingredients except for lettuce and the croutons in the freezer before adding the dressing and serving, and the chilled salad captured a lot of the OG experience.

Olive Garden Salad

Dressing Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons romano cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a blender until well mixed.
If this is a little to tart for your own personal tastes please add a little extra sugar - mine did need sugar.

Salad Ingredients

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 Romaine heart, chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 sliced cucumber
1 cup whole pepperoncini peppers
1/2 cup kalamata olives
3 roma tomatoes, thickly sliced
1 cup croutons
Romano cheese

Toss lettuces, onion, cucumbers, peppers, olives, and tomatoes in a chilled glass bowl with dressing. Top with croutons and cheese.

Zuppa Toscana

2011-10-08T20:29:00.002-04:00

Here's another very close Olive Garden knock-off. This soup is my mom's favorite. Though it has cream, it doesn't have any flour to thicken it, so it's still very brothy. I like to add about 1/4 t. of crushed red pepper for a little heat.

Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients

1 lb Italian sausage (mild or hot)
2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large onions, chopped
1/4 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional, but really good)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups kale or 2 cups swiss chard, chopped
2 (8 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 quart water
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Remove uncooked sausage from casings and break into small pieces.
2. Brown sausage in your soup pot. Remove with a slotted spoon.
3. Add onions and garlic to remaining fat and cook for five minutes.
4. Place chicken broth, water, onions, and potatoes in pot.
5. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.
6. Add sausage and bacon.
7. Salt and pepper to taste.
8. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
9. Turn to low heat.
10. Add kale and cream.
11. Heat through and serve.

Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli

2011-10-02T09:51:00.004-04:00

Pasta e Fagioli is Jeff's favorite soup at Olive Garden. This recipe is extremely close to their version, and it's very healthy! What's more, both boys loved it. Ben says it's his second favorite soup after homemade chicken noodle.

It is a very thick - more like an Italian chili. You can add more V8 juice to make it brothier, especially when reheating leftovers. Serve with OG breadsticks.

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 12-ounce can V-8 juice (add more if soup is too thick)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 pound (1/2 pkg.) ditali pasta

1. Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat.

2. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.

3. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.

4. About 50 minutes into the simmering, cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes or just until pasta is al dente, or slightly tough. Drain.

5. Add the pasta to the large pot of soup. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 8.

Olive Garden Breadsticks

2011-10-02T09:29:00.005-04:00

Olive Garden's breadsticks are soft, buttery, and slightly garlicky. You can find a lot of copycat recipes online, but this one is pretty good. I've made some changes after making them twice. In this picture the breadsticks are golden-brown, which is good but not like OG's version. The next time I made them I baked them for eight minutes instead of ten, and they were closer.

Jack and Ben love Olive Garden's breadsticks, but they pronounced this version "way better."

Olive Garden Breadsticks

Ingredients

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (about half a packet)
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
16 ounces bread flour (3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

On top:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions
Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water in a small bowl or measuring cup and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes or until it becomes foamy on top.

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer to mix the softened butter into the flour. If you don't have a stand mixer, use a mixing spoon or hand mixer to combine the butter with the flour. When the yeast mixture is foamy, pour it into the flour mixture and use a dough hook on your mixture to combine the ingredients and knead the
dough for approximately 10 minutes. If you don't have a stand mixer, combine the ingredients and then knead the dough by hand on a countertop for 10 minutes.

Place the dough in a covered container and let it sit for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it doubles in size. When the dough has doubled, measure out 2-ounce portions and roll the dough between your hands to form sticks that are 7 inches long. Place the dough on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, cover and set aside for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size once
again. You can fit them all on one sheet, but they will grow into each other. You can also put them on two sheets and rotate the pans halfway through the baking time.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bake the breadsticks for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. When the breadsticks come out of the oven, immediately brush each one with melted butter and sprinkle with a little garlic salt.

Makes 12-13 breadsticks

Salsa Cheese Dip

2011-10-02T09:11:00.002-04:00

I don't have a picture of this dip, because it is honestly not very pretty. It's kind of pink and chunky. I originally had it in a blue casserole, but I switched it to a red crock to make it more appetizing.

Although it's not a looker, this appetizer is worth your attention! It's easy and addictive and a good change from the usual Mexican appetizers I serve. The red crock I put it in has a plug-in base which kept it piping hot.

Salsa Cheese Dip

1 cup salsa (I used hot salsa from the produce section)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream

Mix all ingredients together with a mixer until smooth. Bake, covered, for 35 minutes at 350. Uncover, stir or whisk, and bake for 45 minutes more. After you take it out of the oven, stir or whisk again and serve with tortilla chips.

Pioneer Woman Potluck

2011-09-05T20:07:00.003-04:00

My book club just read Pioneer Woman's memoir, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and we decided to have a potluck and each bring one of her recipes. Everything was delicious! Here's what we had.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

The.Bread.

Macaroni and Cheese

Greek Salad

Grilled Chicken, Feta, Fresh Corn, and Blueberry Salad

Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade Ricotta and a Birthday Dinner

2011-09-05T19:00:00.004-04:00

Catherine came over for her birthday dinner on Friday night, and I decided to go with a late-summer-bounty theme. Here was our menu:

Crostini with Homemade Ricotta, Caramelized Onions, Basil Oil, and Sea Salt

Grilled Red, Yellow, and Orange Peppers with Grilled Tomatoes and Onions

Sweet Corn Pudding

Crash Hot Potatoes

Baltimore Crab Cakes with Basil Aioli

Summer Fruit Crostata with Vanilla Ice Cream

I was happy with everything, though the crostata cooked unevenly - burnt on the edges (I knocked them off) and a little underdone in the middle. I loved the combination of plums, peaches, and blueberries at their peak, though!

I've been wanting to try to make ricotta for a while, so I incorporated it into the appetizer. I put out a platter of toasted crostini (slice a very thin baguette into 1/2 inch rounds; bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes) and bowls of ricotta, basil oil (1/2 cup of oil; 1 cup of basil leaves, packed; and a pinch of salt whirred in a processor), caramelized onions, and sea salt. Guests could make whatever combination suited them.

Making ricotta was incredibly easy, and it tastes so much better than store-bought. It's creamy rather than gritty.

Homemade Ricotta

1/2 gallon whole milk

1 cup cream

1 t. salt

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Cook milk, cream, and salt on medium low to just under a boil. Add lemon juice and turn heat to low. Stir mixture until curds form - about 2 minutes.

Pour ricotta into a pasta strainer lined with a clean cloth napkin or cheesecake. If you want to save the whey, put a bowl under the strainer. Drain the ricotta for a few minutes, then transfer to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Ridiculousness

2011-09-05T18:12:00.005-04:00

Here's a great Pioneer Woman recipe - unbelievably good jalapeno poppers. They are a much-loved appetizer for a crowd, and you can make them ahead of time. If you have any left over, chop them up and add them to scrambled eggs for your breakfast. I love that and I don't even like eggs.

Keep these tips in mind when making the poppers:

1. Seed the jalapenos while wearing plastic gloves or plastic bags on your hands.

2. If you are serving guests who can't handle spicy food, carefully remove all the seeds and membranes. The end result will not be very hot.

3. If you have guests who like to travel up the Scoville heat scale, leave a few seeds and/or membranes. Leaving all the seeds will be too much.

4. You can make them ahead of time and refrigerate overnight, uncooked. You can also cook them and freeze them until later - just reheat in a warm oven.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalape
ño
Poppers

18 fresh jalapeños
One 8-ounce package cream cheese
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
1 green onion, sliced
18 slices thin bacon, cut into halves
Bottled barbecue sauce
Toothpicks
Rubber gloves (or plastic bags) for working with jalapeños

Preheat the oven to 275ºF.
Begin by cutting jalapeños in half lengthwise. Try to keep the stems intact.
With a spoon, scrape out the seeds and light-colored membranes. Remember: The heat comes from the seeds and membranes, so if you can handle the sizzle, leave some of them intact.

Now, in a bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and chopped green onion. Mix the ingredients together gently.

Next, stuff each hollowed jalapeño half with the cheese mixture.

Wrap bacon slices around each half, covering as much of the surface as you can. Be careful not to stretch the bacon too tightly around the jalapeño, as the bacon will contract as it cooks.

Brush the surface of the bacon with your favorite barbecue sauce.

Secure the jalapeños with toothpicks and pop them in the oven for 1 hour, or until the bacon is sizzling.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Italian Buffet for 40

2011-09-01T21:57:00.004-04:00

I had the opportunity to cook for the wonderful teachers of First Baptist Church Preschool again recently. I decided to do an Italian buffet. Here are the recipes. Most are links to recipes on my blog, but some are links to other websites.

Caesar Salad

Focaccia Bread
I didn't make the onion/olive topping; instead, I drizzled the bread with olive oil and topped with rosemary, salt, pepper, and parmesan.

Lasagna
I made my spaghetti sauce to make a very traditional lasagna. I put sauce in the bottom of the 9x13 pan, layered four cooked lasagna noodles, then a mixture of ricotta, cottage cheese, parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper. I topped this with more sauce and mozzarella cheese. I repeated the noodles/ricotta/sauce mozzarella layer. Finally, I ended with noodles, sauce, mozzarella, and more parmesan. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350.

Gnocchi with Ricotta and Spinach

Spaghettini with Pesto

Chicken Caprese
I didn't serve this over pasta. If you cook it closer to 30-40 minutes in the oven, the sauce will thicken up. I sliced the chicken breasts in half length-wise. Today's thick chicken breasts take forever to cook through, so I like to cut them thinner and cook them faster. Because I was catering, I brined the chicken breasts for about 1/2 an hour in salty water. This gives you a margin of cooking error - it's much harder to dry them out.

Mud Pie
This recipe was requested by the wonderful preschool director - it fit the retreat's theme of a coffee shop. I made it in springform pans, but you can easily make it in a 9x13 pan.

1 package Oreos, ground into crumbs in a food processor
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 jar hot fudge
1 half-gallon coffee ice cream
1 8 oz. container Cool Whip, thawed
chocolate bar shavings for garnish (optional)

Mix together ground Oreos and melted butter and press into bottom of pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool.

Slightly soften ice cream and spread in pan. Refreeze.

Slightly warm hot fudge and spread over ice cream. Freeze.

Spread Cool Whip on top and shave a chocolate bar over the Cool Whip, if using.

Freeze until ready to serve.

The. Bread.

2011-09-01T21:40:00.006-04:00

This is another Pioneer Woman technique. She says that anytime she goes to a family get-together, everyone asks, "Are you going to bring The Bread?". It's just bread and butter, but the technique of baking then broiling browns the butter and makes the bread unbelievably flavorful and irresistible. People usually think there is something else in the bread, like garlic, but it's just bread and butter.

The. Bread.

One loaf of French bread, split
2 sticks of salted butter, softened (you won't need to use all of it unless your bread is huge)

Spread about 3/4 of a stick of butter on each piece of bread. Place side by side on a baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes on 350. Turn the oven off and the broiler on. Watch the bread as it browns and slightly blackens. Don't be afraid of the blackening; just a little bit won't make it taste burned. Steel your nerves and remove from oven when golden, brown, and spotty black.

Roasted Vegetable Orzo Salad

2011-06-27T07:01:00.004-04:00

This Barefoot Contessa recipe is one of my favorite things in the whole world, so I can't believe I haven't posted it already. I've changed it up a bit with the vegetables and proportions, but the main idea is the same. It's great with grilled Italian sausage for a summer meal or by itself for lunch. Sometimes I add grilled or roasted chicken to the salad itself. It's a great combination of tart lemon, salty feta, and fresh vegetables. I think it's especially clever that she adds pine nuts - they are almost identical to the cooked orzo, so they are a delicious surprise.

A note about pine nuts: try to avoid buying them from China. Chinese pine nuts can cause "pine nut mouth" in some people: an unpleasant, metallic taste in the mouth that is harmless but can last for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, pine nuts are really expensive right now, but you don't need to use a lot in this recipe.

You can change the amounts or types of vegetables in this recipe - it's very flexible.

Ingredients
2-4 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2-4 yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1-2 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1-2 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 red or white onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
16 oz. orzo

For the dressing:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:
4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4-1/2 cup pine nuts
1 cup feta (use more or less to taste
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne or ripped

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the zucchini, squash, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 30-40 minutes, until tender and lightly browned, turning once with a spatula.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water according to package directions, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pine nuts, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Korean BBQ Beef (Bulgogi)

2011-06-23T18:24:00.005-04:00

I first had bulgogi in Chicago's Koreatown with my college roommate. The tender, flavorful beef, grilled tableside and accompanied by panchan (side dishes) and rice and lettuce for wrapping, was delicious and memorable. I've made it a few times recently on the grill, and I love it, in spite of the messy production it is to eat it.

If you have a Korean grocery store near you (like Super HMart), you can buy bulgogi beef. Otherwise, use sirloin or flank steak (my choice). Slice the steak thinly - no more than 1/4 inch thick. Cut it against the grain and marinate it overnight or all day if possible. It will cook in a few minutes on the grill.

Serve the meat with steamed white rice, red or green leaf lettuce, and hot sauce (chili-garlic sauce like Sriracha).

Bulgogi

1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Place the beef in a shallow dish. Combine soy sauce, sugar, green onion, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Pour over beef. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
3. Quickly grill beef on hot grill until slightly charred and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Jersey Mike's #13 Sub

2011-04-24T19:18:00.001-04:00

The Jersey Mike's sandwich shop in our town closed years ago, but Jeff and I remember it fondly, mostly for their #13 sub. It's an Italian sub with five kinds of meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomato with lots of oil and vinegar. Sometimes we make it at home with Boar's Head meat from Publix. It's a great thing to have with friends when you don't have time to cook. The following is not really a recipe so much as it is a list of ingredients - set out the meat and cheese and let your guests make their own.

#13 Sub

deli ham, thinly sliced

deli pepperoni, thinly sliced

deli capicola, thinly sliced

deli prosciutto, thinly sliced

deli hard salami, thinly sliced

deli provolone, thinly sliced

shredded lettuce

sliced tomato

diced onions

mustard

olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano (or Boar's Head Deli Dressing)

crusty sandwich roll

Teacher Appreciation Menu

2011-03-26T11:50:00.005-04:00

Here are the recipes I made for the teacher appreciation lunch at Ben's school. Enjoy!

Pico de Gallo

Sweet Corn Cake

Cheesy Refried Beans

(scroll down through this post to find the recipe)

Red Beef Enchiladas

Green Enchiladas with Chicken and Sour Cream

Toffee Crunch Caramel Cheesecake

Green Enchiladas with Chicken and Sour Cream

2011-03-26T11:12:00.004-04:00

I've become a big fan of green enchilada sauce. You can certainly buy your own, but I've come up with a pretty easy and delicious homemade version. I guess it's more of a salsa verde enchilada sauce, because it gets its green color and flavor from diced green chiles rather than tomatillos.

This recipe has a lot of steps, but the enchiladas are so good! Jeff even likes them better than traditional red sauce/beef ones.

Filling

2 cups sour cream
1 cup sliced/chopped green onions
½ teaspoons ground cumin
¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack

1 rotisserie chicken, or 3 cups of shredded roasted chicken

Tortillas

12 corn tortillas

Vegetable oil

Enchilada Sauce

3/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 7-oz. can chopped green chiles
1/2 cup chopped green onions (for garnish)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Mix all filling ingredients together in a large bowl.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas (one at a time) for 5 seconds on each side to soften and make them pliable. Add more oil to pan as needed. Drain between layers of paper towel and keep warm.

3.Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until mixture begins to boil. Slowly add the broth, stirring with a whisk until thickened. Mix in the chiles, and heat thoroughly but do not boil, stirring occasionally.

4. Dip each tortilla in the warm enchilada sauce. Lay tortilla on a plate, then spoon a good two or three tablespoons of the sour cream/chicken mixture in the middle. Roll tortilla, then place face down in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and sour cream mixture.

5. Cover the dish with the remaining cheese, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 375 degrees until bubbly. Serve immediately. Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions.

Toffee Crunch Caramel Cheesecake

2011-03-25T14:11:00.006-04:00

This is the cheesecake I made for the teacher appreciation luncheon at Ben's school. I had a hard time choosing a dessert, but I thought that cheesecake and chocolate would be a safe bet. Several people said this was an all-time favorite, so I highly recommend it for when you want a dessert to impress.

The original recipe from Epicurious had a gingersnap crust, but I replaced it with a chocolate graham cracker crust. The caramel sauce from the original recipe looked awfully fussy, so I used a fantastic one from Kittencal, a prolific poster on Food.com - I only changed it by adding a pinch of salt. The caramel sauce would be excellent on ice cream or apple crisp. It does get a little grainy when chilled, so let the cheesecake come to room temperature or heat the sauce if you are using it separately.

The cheesecake itself is not very sweet - I wouldn't serve it alone - but it's a good foil for the very sweet topping. The instructions call for a water bath, but I didn't use one. I just put a pan of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven.

Toffee Crunch Caramel Cheesecake

Crust

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups ground chocolate graham crackers or chocolate wafer cookies (about 7 1/4 ounces)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray. Combine ground chocolate graham crackers in a bowl with melted butter and brown sugar. Combine until crumbs are moistened. Press into the bottom of springform pan and bake for 12-14 minutes, until crust is slightly darkened. Cool.

Cheesecake

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in butter, then eggs, 1 at a time, until just blended. Beat in vanilla.

Wrap outside of pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Pour batter over crust in pan. Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake cake uncovered until filling is puffed around edges and moves slightly in center when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove pan from water; remove foil. Place hot cheesecake uncovered in refrigerator overnight.

Topping

4 1.4 oz. Heath bars chopped

For caramel:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan melt butter.
2. Add the brown sugar; whisk until combined and thickened (about 2 minutes).
3. Whisk in the whipping cream, until thoroughly blended (2 more minutes).
4. Mix in vanilla (if using) until combined.
5. NOTE: this sauce will thicken up more when refrigerated.

Let caramel come to room temperature. Spoon caramel over top of cake just to edges (do not allow to drip down sides). Garnish top edges with chopped Heath bars. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides.

Sweet Corn Cake

2011-03-25T13:59:00.003-04:00

This is not the same as Sweet Corn Pudding; it's a great accompaniment to a Mexican meal. ChiChi's used to serve it, and you can still buy a mix, but this is much better. It doesn't make a huge amount - you serve it almost like a garnish on the plate. But if you think you'll like it, you can double it easily.

Sweet Corn Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup masa harina (corn flour)
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (can use milk)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl beat butter until it is creamy. Add the Mexican corn flour and water and beat until well mixed.
2. Using a food processor, process thawed corn, but leave chunky. Stir into the butter mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, mix cornmeal, sugar, cream, salt, and baking powder. Add to corn flour mixture and stir to combine. Pour batter into an ungreased 8x8 inch baking pan. Smooth batter and cover with aluminum foil. Place pan into a 9x13 inch baking dish that is filled a third of the way with water. (You can skip the water bath if you like.)
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven F (175 degrees C) oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Use an ice cream scoop for easy removal from pan.

Cincinnati Chili

2011-03-19T22:06:00.002-04:00

Cincinnati chili is unique for its lack of beans, fine ground beef, and use of spices like cinnamon and cloves. It's served over spaghetti and topped with raw onions, beans, shredded cheese, and oyster crackers. It will never replace our favorite "regular" chili, but it is a nice change. You can make it in the crock pot for convenience.

Cincinnati Chili

2 pounds ground beef
2 (10.5 ounce) cans beef broth
1/4 cup chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 bay leaf
1/2 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate OR 1 1/2 T. cocoa powder
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

shredded Cheddar cheese
chopped raw onions
oyster crackers

Directions:

1. Add beef and beef broth to a dutch oven. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is cooked through.
2. Add chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves, bay leaf, chocolate, beef broth, tomato sauce, cider vinegar, and red pepper. Stir to mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove the bay leaf. Reheat gently over medium heat. Serve over hot, drained spaghetti. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, onions, and crackers.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

2011-03-18T21:49:00.002-04:00

I found a new, great recipe for St. Patrick's Day - but I'll be making them throughout the year. These cookies are fantastic - rich and brownie-like, with a melted Andes mint in the middle. I brought some in to Ben's school, and the teachers seemed to really like them.

I also tried some with Rolos which were delicious. I think a mini Reese's peanut butter cup would also be good.

I adapted the recipe from allrecipes.com.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

36 chocolate mint wafer candies (Andes)

Directions:

1.	In a large pan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool off slightly.
2.	At high speed, beat in eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating until blended. Chill dough about 4 hours or overnight.
3.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4.	Roll dough into one-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. While cookies are baking, unwrap mints. When cookies are brought out of the oven, put one mint on top of each cookie. Let the mint sit for up to 5 minutes until melted, then spread the mint on top of the cookie. Eat and enjoy!

Pioneer Woman's Asian Noodle Salad

2011-02-06T20:37:00.006-05:00

Pioneer Woman is famous for down-home recipes that use meat, butter, and cheese plentifully. But this recipe is from her "Cowgirl Food" section, meaning that her husband Marlboro Man and the other ranch hands wouldn't touch it. I love it! Chock full of vegetables, the flavorful, Asian-inspired salad is delicious. And it has cashews!

You can mix and match the vegetables - leave out what you don't like and add more of what you do. The original recipe called for bean sprouts, but I left those out due to food safety issues and general dislike. Other than that, I made it as is. I cooked the pasta and chopped the vegetables the day before, but I kept the dressing separate from the salad until I was ready to serve it.

Asian Noodle Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1 16 oz. package linguine, cooked, rinsed, and cooled (can add a little oil to keep them from sticking)
½ head sliced napa cabbage, or more to taste
½ head sliced purple cabbage, or more to taste
½ bags baby spinach, or more to taste
1 whole red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 whole yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 whole orange bell pepper, sliced thin
chopped cilantro, up to 1 bunch, to taste
3 whole scallions, sliced
3 whole cucumbers peeled and sliced
1 can (about 10 oz.) whole cashews, lightly toasted in skillet (watch so they don't burn!)
_____
FOR THE DRESSING:

1 whole lime, juiced
8 tablespoons olive oil
8 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
⅓ cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 whole jalapenos, chopped (remove seeds and ribs unless you want dressing to be spicy)
chopped cilantro to top salad (optional)

Mix salad ingredients in a large bowl or platter. Whisk dressing ingredients in a separate bowl, then toss with salad. Top with cilantro if desired.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cake

2011-02-03T21:46:00.003-05:00

I made this cake for Ben's former preschool teacher's birthday. It's a lot like the chocolate peanut butter cake I've made before, but I used a different chocolate cake recipe from Dorie Greenspan. It was very easy to work with and came out of the pans beautifully.

This cake is very rich - you'll get a lot of servings out of it!

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cake

For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

For frosting:
4-5 cups confectioner's sugar
2 c. smooth peanut butter
2 t. vanilla
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) butter, room temperature
1/2 t. salt
2/3 c. milk or cream

Beat together peanut butter, butter, and salt until smooth. Add confectioner's sugar and mix well. Add vanilla and milk. Add more milk if it's too thick and more sugar if it's too soft.

For decorating:miniature Reese’s cups, halved and/or chopped

Directions:
For the cake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 9×2” round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Place the pans on a baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk; add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (beginning and ending with the dry ingredients). Mix each addition only until it is blended into the batter. Scrape down the bowl and add the melted chocolate, folding it in with a spatula. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.

Bake for 26-30 minutes or until the cakes feel springy to the touch and start to pull away from the sides of the pans. Don't overbake. Transfer to wire racks to cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cardboard circle covered in foil. Spread peanut butter frosting on top of the cake layer. Sprinkle with chopped Reese’s cups. Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Frost the top and outside of the cake with remaining peanut butter frosting. Decorate with halved and chopped Reese’s cups as desired.

Juicy Lucy Burger

2011-01-12T15:52:00.006-05:00

Disclaimer: this recipe has nothing to do with our dog, Lucy!

Juicy Lucy burgers are native to Minneapolis - they're burgers with a molten core of cheesy goodness. Be careful, because the first bite is messy and potentially super-hot! They are fairly easy to make, as long as you tightly seal the burgers around the cheese. You can see a bit of cheese escaping from the burger above, but that's not a big deal. I like to serve burgers on slider buns - it always seems like there is too much bread in the standard buns. A great accompaniment are these five-star oven fries.

To make the burgers, form eight very thin burgers; put the cheese, folded into fourths, on top of one burger; then top with the other burger. Pinch the edges and form into patties. They should look like this when you start cooking:

Juicy Lucy Burgers

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I used 1 1/4)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 slices American cheese
4 hamburger buns, split
DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, and pepper in a large bowl; mix well. Form 8, thin patties from the beef. Each patty should be slightly larger than a slice of cheese.
2. Cut each slice of American cheese into 4 equal pieces; stack the pieces. Sandwich one stack of cheese between 2 ground beef patties. Tightly pinch edges together tightly seal the cheese within the meat. Repeat with the remaining cheese and patties.
3. Preheat a cast-iron or other heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Cook burgers until well browned, about 4 minutes. It is common for burgers to puff up due to steam from the melting cheese. Turn burgers and prick the top of each to allow steam to escape; cook until browned on the outside and no longer pink on the inside; about 4 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

2011-01-11T08:00:00.004-05:00

I don't use my crock pot a lot, but I wanted something that would be ready when we came home from church on Sunday. I made several changes based on what I had in the house, and it turned out great! If you don't have a crock pot, you could certainly make this on the stove - just bring it to a boil and simmer for at least 3o minutes.

When we walked in the house, Ben said, "What smells so delicious?". That's a great way to start lunch!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound shredded, cooked chicken (or you can cook a couple of chicken breasts in the soup and shred)
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
1 can or jar taco sauce, salsa, or enchilada sauce (up to 16 oz.)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers or one can drained Rotel tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 qt. chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn

2 T. lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
tortilla chips

Toppings: cheese, avocado, sour cream, extra tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place chicken, tomatoes, sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in corn and cilantro and lime juice. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2. 15 minutes before serving, crunch a few handfuls of tortilla chips into the soup and let them break down. Stir.

3. Serve with toppings.

Cracker Candy

2011-01-01T13:41:00.003-05:00

Here's a super-simple candy you can adapt lots of different ways. Instead of Club crackers, use saltines or graham crackers. Top with nuts or M&M's if you like. See what's in the pantry and have fun!

It's called Cracker Candy because of the base, but people often rename it Crack Candy because of its addictive properties.

Cracker Candy

1 1/2 sleeves Club crackers

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 stick butter

2 cups chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup crushed pretzels

Put crackers in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil, then pour over crackers. Spread to coat. Bake for 5 minutes at 350.

Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and drop peanut butter in spoonfuls scattered around the top. Spread evenly and sprinkle pretzels over the top. Chill for 30-60 minutes, then break into pieces.

Italian Cream Cake

2010-12-19T11:13:00.002-05:00

Here's Jeff's birthday cake! It has been a favorite of ours for years and years, but I haven't made it in a while. It's great for Christmas because it's all white. You could garnish it with sugared cranberries to make it look more festive.

It's a three-layer coconut cake with cream cheese/coconut/pecan frosting - not sure where the Italian part comes in, but it's absolutely delicious! I've adapted the technique of the original recipe quite a bit to make it lighter and fluffier. Note that the layers will be fairly thin.

Italian Cream Cake

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

2 cups white sugar

5 eggs, yolks and whites separated

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flaked coconut

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons cream or milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans; put a parchment round in the bottom; and grease again. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the buttermilk; set aside.
2.	In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter, shortening and white sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the yolks and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix flour with salt and alternate adding it to batter with buttermilk mixture. Add coconut and stir until just combined. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and stir gently into batter. Pour batter into the prepared pans.
3.	Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
4.	To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla and confectioners' sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Mix in a small amount of cream to attain the desired consistency. Stir in chopped nuts and remaining flaked coconut. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cooled cake.

Dinner for Forty

2010-12-18T00:01:00.000-05:00

The other night I got to do something I've never done before - cater a party! I made dinner/dessert for the 40 wonderful women who teach at Ben's preschool. I was worried about everything coming out at the same time, but it all worked out fine. I really enjoyed dreaming up my dinner plan and seeing it all come together. Here is the menu I served with links to all the recipes.

Christmas Dinner

Glazed Pork Tenderloin (the rub and glaze from the Island Pork Tenderloin recipe)

Rolls and Butter

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cake (served in individual clear plastic cups)

Crunchy Romaine Toss

2010-12-17T23:17:00.004-05:00

I wanted a delicious salad that wasn't too sweet, and I didn't want to make Greek or Caesar salad. I found this one on allrecipes.com and changed it quite a bit.

It's definitely crowd-pleasing and kid-pleasing, not to mention husband-pleasing: Jeff said he'd be happy if we had it every week! Part of the draw is the crunch, so add the topping shortly before serving.

Crunchy Romaine Toss

1 small head Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into bite-size pieces

1 cup broccoli florets, cut into fairly small pieces

4 green onions, sliced

1 package ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded

1/4 cup sliced almonds or chopped pecans

1-2 T. butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

2 t. soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Crush ramen noodles. Melt butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add almonds and noodles and stir around, toasting until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Put oil, vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce in a blender or jar with a tight-fitting lid and process or shake until combined. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. If you aren't using the dressing right away, you'll need to shake it again.

Half an hour or so before serving, toss the broccoli with some dressing. When ready to serve, put lettuce into a bowl and add broccoli and green onion if using and half of noodle/almond mixture. Drizzle some dressing and toss. Top with remaining noodle mixture and serve.

Note: you'll probably have leftover dressing.

Mexican Chocolate Cookies

2010-12-17T23:08:00.004-05:00

I've had a few requests for this recipe and want to get it on the blog. These cookies are wonderful because they are chewy inside/crunchy outside with layers of flavor, from chocolate to honey to cinnamon to toasted pecans. And the secret ingredient is chipotle powder - just enough to add a little heat. They are great for Christmas - all warm and sparkly. You can store the dough in the refrigerator for several days and bake as needed.

Mexican Chocolate Cookies (from www.cookiemadness.net)

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp chipotle powder
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
3 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 12-oz. pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups pecans, roughly chopped and toasted

Cinnamon sugar for coating:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl.

In a separate large bowl, cream butter with sugars, honey and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time. Slowly incorporate dry mixture into batter. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips.

Chill batter in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes and up to overnight.. Roll into tablespoon-sized balls (1 ½ inches, +/-) and coat with cinnamon sugar coating, then place on cookie sheets that are greased or lined with parchment. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until outer surface begins to crack. Place unused raw batter back in refrigerator between batches. Cool cookies on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container. Yields approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Thanksgiving's Greatest Hits - S'more Pie

2010-11-27T23:27:00.004-05:00

I really wish I took a picture of my pie rather than using the one from Epicurious, because it definitely looked prettier. This pie was a hit, especially with the three men at my house. I personally don't love s'mores, but they do and went nuts. It's not a hard pie to make despite the three steps. It will definitely be part of our Thanksgiving menu next year, but I'm sure I'll be asked to make it before that!

S'more Pie (from Gourmet)

For crust
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus additional for greasing
1 1/2 cups cookie crumbs (10 graham crackers, about 6 oz)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

For chocolate cream filling
7 ounces chocolate chips, plus an extra 1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 large egg, at room temperature for 30 minutes

For marshmallow topping
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4-ounce package)
1/2 cup cold water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Vegetable oil for greasing

Make graham cracker crust:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter pie plate.
Stir together all ingredients in a bowl and press evenly on bottom and up side of pie plate. Bake until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes, then cool on a rack to room temperature, about 45 minutes.

Make chocolate cream filling:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put 7 oz. chocolate in a large bowl. Bring cream just to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan, then pour hot cream over chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then gently whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Gently whisk in egg and a pinch of salt until combined and pour into graham cracker crumb crust (crust will be about half full).

Cover edge of pie with a pie shield or foil and bake until filling is softly set and trembles slightly in center when gently shaken, about 25 minutes. Remove pie from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Cool pie to room temperature on a rack (filling will firm as it cools), about 1 hour.

Make marshmallow topping:
Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water in a large deep heatproof bowl and let stand until softened, about 1 minute.

Stir together sugar, corn syrup, a pinch of salt, and remaining 1/4 cup water in cleaned 1- to 1 1/4-quart heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil until thermometer registers 260°F, about 6 minutes.

Begin beating water and gelatin mixture with an electric mixer at medium speed, then carefully pour in hot syrup in a slow stream, beating (avoid beaters and side of bowl). When all of syrup is added, increase speed to high and continue beating until mixture is tripled in volume and very thick, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla and beat until combined, then immediately spoon topping onto center of pie filling; it will slowly spread to cover top of pie. Chill, uncovered, 1 hour, then cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap (oiled side down) and chill 3 hours more.

Brown topping:
Preheat broiler.

Transfer pie to a baking sheet. Cover edge of pie with pie shield or foil and broil 3 to 4 inches from heat, rotating pie as necessary, until marshmallow topping is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Cool pie on a rack 10 minutes. Slice pie with a large heavy knife dipped in hot water and then dried with a towel before cutting each slice.

Two Bobby Flay Thanksgiving Recipes

2010-11-27T22:55:00.003-05:00

Jeff and I watched the Thanksgiving Throwdown that Bobby Flay did with the Pioneer Woman. She won, but Jeff was intrigued by two of Bobby's recipes. I made them for our meal, and they were both very good. I'm not sure I'd make them every year, but they were unique and delicious.

Bobby's Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Apple Sauce and Creme Anglaise is excellent - I consider it restaurant quality because of all the flavors, textures, and temperatures. The downside is the recipe is really made of four different recipes plus whipped cream, and each recipe is a different classic dessert preparation: cooked caramel, Creme Anglaise, and custard. That doesn't even factor in the problem I had with the caramel - I took my eyes off it; it burnt to a nasty black tar-like appearance; and my inadequate disposal methods ended up with Jeff and me scraping burnt caramel off the cupboards at midnight. It is amazing, though, and I could make the caramel apple sauce as a cheesecake or spice cake topping. If you want the recipe, click here.

The next recipe is Cranberry Blackberry Sauce. When we saw it on the show, Bobby mentioned jalapenos, so I diced one and added it with the onion since it's not mentioned in the recipe. I liked it, but lots of people really liked it. I did love the blackberries. Here's that link.

Thanksgiving's Greatest Hits - Macaroni and Cheese

2010-11-27T22:40:00.002-05:00

Macaroni and Cheese is a common Southern "vegetable" served at Thanksgiving. I made it for the first time this year, and even though we have plenty of starchy sides, we really loved it. It also makes a great non-Thanksving-y leftover.

This is Martha Stewart's recipe I've posted before, but here it is with some changes. It is so, so good.

Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 12
1 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp cheddar
1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Romano
1 pound elbow macaroni

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish or 9x13 pan; set aside. Place panko breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. In the microwave, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with breadcrumbs, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 cup Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.

4. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer's directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/4 cup Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.

Thanksgiving's Greatest Hits - White Bread Stuffing

2010-11-27T22:13:00.004-05:00

Well, it doesn't photograph well, but people are passionate about stuffing! It's already one of Jack's favorites. I've made Thanksgiving dinner most years for the last 16 years, and about 10 years ago, I thought I would try something different from the typical Northern white bread stuffing I grew up with. I tried cornbread, sourdough, sausage, craisins, etc - it was fine.

And then three years ago I asked my mom to make the stuffing. When I tasted her stuffing, it was like a Proustian madeleine - I was transported back to childhood Thanksgiving meals in New Hampshire. No more experimenting - we're sticking with our stuffing. Fortunately, Jeff grew up with the same kind, and he was only putting up with my experimentation.

Here's how I do it. I think this method answers some of the common anxieties about stuffing: food safety and abundance. I make two batches; make one in the bird and one in the oven; mix them together and reheat. We have plenty of stuffing cooked to the correct temperature.

White Bread Stuffing

2 loaves of cheap white bread, torn into 1/2 inch pieces by small children

8 ribs of celery, diced

2 onions, diced

3 sticks butter

salt and pepper

2 cups chicken broth

2 T. sage or poultry seasoning (plus more to taste)

1. Prepare white bread ahead of time so it has time to get a little stale. You can also lightly toast the bread, or you can just skip this step.

2. In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion and celery until soft. Season with sage, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir in bread cubes until evenly coated. Moisten with chicken broth; mix well. Add more sage if pale and more broth if dry.

3. Heat half the stuffing in the microwave until warm, then stuff the turkey. Roast turkey.

4. Ahead of time or after the turkey comes out of the oven, bake the rest of the stuffing in a 90-inch pan for 30-40 minutes at 350. Hint: you can bake this stuffing on the grill. Turn the grill on to low, put the stuffing in the pan within a disposable aluminum pan, and bake. Keep an eye on it, though - it can cook very quickly!

5. When the turkey is cooked, remove the stuffing and mix with the baked stuffing. Put it back in the oven until heated through - about 5-10 minutes.

Thanksgiving's Greatest Hits - Sweet Potato Casserole

2010-11-27T22:01:00.001-05:00

I've made many sweet potato casserole recipes, but this year's recipe was especially good. It comes from one of my favorite bloggers, Pioneer Woman; she calls them Soul Sweet Taters. I think it was the milk that made the sweet potatoes so light in texture. These are very sweet; you could reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup with no problem. I made a couple of small changes to the recipe.

Sweet Potato Casserole

4 whole Sweet Potatoes

1 cup Sugar (can use less)
1 cup Milk
2 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Pecans, chopped
½ cups Flour
6 T. Butter

Preparation Instructions
Wash 4 sweet potatoes and bake them in a 375-degree oven until fork tender, about 45-50 minutes. When they are finished cooking slice them open and scrape out the flesh into a large bowl.

Add 1 cup of (regular granulated) sugar, 1 cup of milk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of salt. With a potato masher or a large fork, mash them up just enough—you don’t want to be perfectly smooth.

Now, in a separate bowl, add 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup pecans, chopped, ½ cup flour, and 6 T. of butter. With a pastry cutter or fork, mash together until thoroughly combined.

Spread the sweet potato mixture into a regular baking dish and sprinkle the crumb mixture all over the top.

Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. You can bake this before the turkey goes in the oven and reheat before serving - even in the microwave.

Thanksgiving's Greatest Hits - Mashed Potatoes

2010-11-27T21:41:00.005-05:00

Before I get to the mashed potatoes, I wanted to point out the gourds in the picture. I bought them at the very beginning of October and they are still in good shape. I read on a decorating blog that if you wash gourds/pumpkins in a 9:1 water:bleach solution (I used a Clorox spray cleaner); coat them in a thin layer of Vaseline; and buff them until they shine, they will last and last. And they did!

Another great timesaver on Thanksgiving is making your mashed potatoes the day before and reheating them in your slow cooker. You'll save room on your stove, too!

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes (serves 20)

10 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

milk, half and half, or heavy cream

butter

salt and pepper

Put potatoes in a large stock pot and cover with a water - you may need to use two pots. Add about a tablespoon of salt (or divide it between two pots). Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender. Save a cup or two of potato cooking water in case your potatoes are dry or your gravy needs it. Drain potatoes and keep warm.

I like to use a potato ricer, but you can also use a hand masher. I read once that it's best to add your milk/cream before you add your butter - it has something to do with the starch. Heat cream until warm and add, a cup at a time. Once the potatoes are starting to appear creamy, add butter, a half stick at a time. Add salt and pepper and more cream or butter as necessary. I don't hold back when it comes to Thanksgiving potatoes: it's heavy cream, butter, and lots of it.

Put potatoes in slow cooker crock and chill overnight. Reheat on low, and turn it to warm when the potatoes are hot. If they seem a bit dry, add a little warm milk or potato cooking water - but don't add too much!

Thanksgiving's Greatest Hits - Gravy

2010-11-27T20:22:00.004-05:00

Gravy is an essential yet challenging part of the Thanksgiving meal. You need it to be hot, plentiful, and ready when the rest of the food is. Here's a gravy base I came up with after looking at a couple of ideas online; I made it on Wednesday, but you could make it even earlier. Just reheat it gently when the turkey is close to being done. The gravy turned out amazing, and it couldn't have been easier on Thanksgiving Day.

Make Ahead Gravy

3 lbs. turkey wings or chicken wings

turkey neck (if included with your turkey)

2 onions, peeled and quartered

6 T. butter

6 T. flour

salt and pepper (I didn't use salt because my turkey is brined and the drippings are salty; I added more salt shortly before serving)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange a single layer of turkey/chicken wings/neck in a large roasting pan. Scatter the onions over the top of the wings. Roast in the preheated oven for 1-1/4 hours or until wings are browned. Chicken wings will finish earlier than turkey.

2. Place browned wings and onions in a 5 quart stockpot. Add water to roasting pan and stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour the the water from the pan into the stockpot. Stir in 8 (6 cups if you didn't roast the neck) cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, lightly covered for 1-1/2 hours. Discard wings, neck, and onions.

3.In a medium saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour.

4. Cook over medium-high heat until flour is incorporated and white bubbles begin to form on the top of the roux. Cook the roux for 2-3 minute after the white bubbles have formed, whisking constantly.

5. Gradually add the broth, whisking constantly until the gravy is thickened and comes to a boil.

6. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

7. At this point, you can cool, cover and refrigerate the gravy base for as long as 4 days. Reheat in a medium-sized pan. When turkey is done, add gravy base to pan drippings and bring it to serving temperature. You may need to add broth or potato cooking water to thin the gravy. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Thanksgiving Menu 2010

2010-11-24T09:23:00.009-05:00

Jack and Ben, ripping up white bread for stuffing.

This is not going to be a pretty post. I'm basically going to copy and paste my Thanksgiving Menu into the post. There will be some links, but they'll be long and messy. But I'll be able to keep track of what I'm doing, and if you are looking for a last minute recipe, you might find something here.

As usual, it's a crazy amount of food for 12 people, but I'm going to ask the guests to bring Tupperware so I can send them home with leftovers. Except the smoked turkey - Jeff doesn't want any of that to leave the house!

Thanksgiving 2010

Appetizers

Chex Mix - Chris
Spinach Dip - Terri
Fluffy Apple Dip http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Fluffy-Apple-Dip

French Onion Mushrooms http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/11/french-onion-soup-stuffed-mushrooms/

Meal

Roast Turkey http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/thanksgiving/favoritetopratedthanksgivingrecipes/recipes/food/views/Cider-Brined-and-Glazed-Turkey-233148

Smoked Turkey http://www.primalgrill.org/recipe_details.asp?RecipeID=214&EpisodeID=25

Stuffing

Rolls - Chris

Gravy

Mashed Potatoes

Squash, Wild Rice, Red Onion salad http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/roasted-pumpkin-salad-recipe.html

Spinach Casserole - Chris

Sweet Potatoes with Pecan Topping http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/11/if_you_think_you_dont_like_sweet_potatoesthink_again/

Cranberry Apple Salad http://diningwell.blogspot.com/2008/11/thanksgiving-cranberry-apple-salad.html

Cranberry/Blackberry Sauce by Bobby Flay http://dianecancook.blogspot.com/2010/11/im-thankful-forcranberry-sauce.html

Waldorf Salad - Grandma

Jello Salad - Grandma

Green Bean Casserole http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/green-bean-casserole?comments_page=1&showComments=true&#conversation-container

Mac and Cheese http://diningwell.blogspot.com/2009/04/martha-stewarts-macaroni-and-cheese.html

Brussels Sprouts http://threemanycooks.com/recipes/nibbles-and-drinks/bacon-sprouts/

Dessert

Pumpkin Bread Pudding http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/pumpkin-bread-pudding-with-spicy-caramel-apple-sauce-and-vanilla-bean-creme-anglaise-recipe/index.html

Apple Pie - Mom

S’more Pie PW http://thenoshery.com/2010/05/03/smore-pie-would-you-like-some-more-pie/

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (link)

2010-11-19T17:06:00.002-05:00

Here's the link if you are looking for a great fall dessert:

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

No-Knead Bread

2010-11-15T18:07:00.000-05:00

This is a dangerous recipe. It's a quick and easy way to have delicious, homemade, crusty bread every night of the week. Once you start having homemade bread with dinner, it's hard to go back to rice or potatoes! An added bonus is you'll always have dough on hand to make a quick homemade pizza. The recipe makes enough for four or more boules (round loaves) of bread, and the dough keeps in the refrigerator for two weeks.

The recipe comes from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

No-Knead Bread

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, more for dusting dough
Cornmeal

1. In a large bowl or plastic container, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees). Stir in flour, mixing until there are no dry patches. Dough will be quite loose. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. Let dough rise at room temperature 2 hours (or up to 5 hours).

2. Bake at this point or refrigerate, covered, for as long as two weeks. When ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on dough and cut off a grapefruit-size piece with serrated knife. Turn dough in hands to lightly stretch surface, creating a rounded top and a lumpy bottom. Put dough on pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal; let rest 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it.

3. Place broiler pan on bottom of oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and turn oven to 450 degrees; heat stone at that temperature for 20 minutes.

4. Dust dough with flour. Slide onto stone. Pour one cup hot water into broiler pan and shut oven quickly to trap steam. Bake until well browned, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.

Yield: 4 loaves.

Variation: If not using stone, stretch rounded dough into oval and place in a greased, nonstick loaf pan. Let rest 40 minutes if fresh, an extra hour if refrigerated. Heat oven to 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Place pan on middle rack.

Chesapeake Chowder

2010-11-14T21:41:00.004-05:00

Wow, is this chowder good! We liked it so much, I made it twice in one week. It's great with crusty bread or as a starter with crab cakes. It reheats well, too, but it wouldn't be good to freeze.

Chesapeake Chowder

1/2 pound unpeeled, medium-size fresh shrimp
1/2 pound fresh crabmeat
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1 (8-oz.) bottle clam juice
5 red potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

1. Peel shrimp; devein, if desired. Drain and flake crabmeat, removing any bits of shell. Set seafood aside.

2. Sauté onion, garlic, and celery in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in broth and next 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

3. Stir in shrimp, crabmeat, and heavy cream; cook over low heat 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Garnish, if desired.

Ben's Birthday Cake

2010-10-13T22:57:00.002-04:00

I never posted a picture of Ben's dragon cake, and I've had a request - so here it is!

Soft Serve Banana "Ice Cream"

2010-10-13T21:53:00.002-04:00

Growing up in New Hampshire, we had a soft-serve ice cream shop named King Kone. King Kone had never more than six flavors: usually chocolate, vanilla, twist, banana, black raspberry, and bananaberry. Their soft serve was excellent and the cones were huge, and if you ever visit Merrimack, NH in the summer, be sure to check it out.

This recipe doesn't really have anything to do with commercial soft serve, but it sure is good. And healthy!

Take three bananas (overripe or ripe) and cut them into pieces, then freeze. To make the ice cream, take the bananas out of the freezer and let them soften for a minute or two.

Put the banana pieces in a food processor and blend until the ice cream is light and airy. It will take about 2-3 minutes; scrape down the bananas as needed.

The boys love this - the first time I made it, I told them they were having ice cream for breakfast. It's amazing how creamy, rich, and smooth the bananas become, truly mimicking the texture and flavor of soft serve.

Cheddar Broccoli Soup

2010-10-13T18:26:00.000-04:00

I needed to use up some broccoli and chicken, so I came up with this soup. It was delicious - a meal in a bowl! I did make some scallion pancakes for the carb lovers in the family.

Cheddar Broccoli Soup

1 small onion, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

4 T. butter

1/2 cup flour

5 cups chicken broth

1/4 t. black pepper

1/4 t. red pepper

1 t. salt (can use less)

4 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup cream

2-3 cups cooked chicken breast

2 cups cheddar cheese, divided

Cook celery and onions in butter until starting to soften (about five minutes). Stir flour into butter and cook for a minute or two. Slowly add chicken broth and whisk into flour mixture. Cook over medium low heat until starting to thicken.

Add salt, black pepper, red pepper, and broccoli. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until broccoli is tender. Stir in cream, chicken and 1 1/2 cups of cheese.

Serve with remaining cheese on top.

Caramel Corn

2010-10-09T20:16:00.003-04:00

I have known my favorite brother-in-law Shane for 13 years now, and allegedly he's been making caramel corn for his entire life. But he's never made it for us before tonight! And it is soooo good; nobody could stay out of it! You could leave out the pecans and use an extra bag of microwave popcorn.

This is a great party snack for fall and winter, and it would make an excellent Christmas gift in a cellophane bag, tied with a festive ribbon. I hope you like it as much as we did!

Caramel Corn

2 bags of microwave popcorn, popped
1 1/2 cups pecans (can sub another bag of microwave popcorn)
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1/2 cup Karo syrup
1 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. baking soda

Mix popcorn with pecans in a large heat-proof bowl. Remove the unpopped kernels.

Cook brown sugar, butter, salt, and Karo syrup over medium heat until it boils, stirring frequently. Let caramel boil for four minutes without stirring. Remove from heat.

Add vanilla and baking soda to the brown sugar mixture and stir. The baking soda will make the caramel bubble up. Pour over popcorn and nuts and toss to coat.

Put caramel corn in a large roasting pan or jelly roll pan. Bake at 250 for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and turn out onto waxed paper in a single layer; cool.

Yellow Rice

2010-10-05T17:59:00.000-04:00

In our Story of the World curriculum, Jack and I have been been studying medieval Spain. I decided to make a Spanish meal for dinner. The chicken in almond and garlic sauce was delicious, but I expect I'll be making the yellow rice quite often - it was so good. I found both recipes in Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World.

Yellow Rice

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

large pinch saffron threads (1 teaspoon) or 1/2 t. turmeric

1 medium onion, chopped

4 T. butter or olive oil

1 1/2 c. Arborio rice

salt and pepper to taste

Warm the stock gently in a saucepan with the saffron or turmeric. Put half the butter in a deep skillet with a lid over medium heat. A minute later, add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened - about five minutes. Add rice and continue to cook, stirring, until the rice is glossy and begins to brown, about five minutes more.

Add the stock all at once, along with salt and pepper. Cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently and cook until rice is done, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the remaining butter; taste and adjust the seasoning.

Pico de Gallo and Guacamole

2010-10-04T18:36:00.000-04:00

I love salsa, but lately I've been making pico de gallo more often. I like how chunky and flavorful it is, and it's a great topping for breakfast burritos or tacos. I first made it when I was introduced to Rick Bayless's Mexican cookbooks, but I wasn't a huge fan until I read Pioneer Woman's take on pico: each ingredient plays an equally important role. In other words, pico de gallo should not be 3/4 tomato with a little onion, jalapeno, and cilantro; equal amounts are what gives pico its flavor.

When you make it, save a 1/2 cup or so for the guacamole; that recipe will come next.

Pico de Gallo

4-5 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 small onion, diced

3 jalapenos, seeded and minced (leave the seeds in if you want much spicier pico)

1 bunch cilantro, stems removed and leaves chopped

2 T. lime juice

salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients. Taste and correct with more lime juice and salt if needed.

Guacamole

3 ripe avocados, mashed (you can buy unripe avocados a few days ahead and put them in a bag with an apple to ripen them)

1/2 cup pico de gallo

lime juice

salt

Combine avocado with pico de gallo. Add more lime juice and salt if needed.

Mini Twice-Baked Potatoes

2010-10-03T18:00:00.000-04:00

Twice-baked potatoes are so retro but so good! For my mom's birthday, I decided to make them in mini red potatoes for the cute factor. These would make great appetizers or a side dish for company, since you can make them ahead of time and reheat.

Mini Twice-Baked Potatoes

18 mini red potatoes
1/4 cup milk
1 stick of butter, softened
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese (more to taste)
1/2 cup sour cream (more to taste)
paprika, salt, and pepper

Note: If you bake another russet potato along with the red potatoes, you'll be able to make more overstuffed twice-baked potatoes.

Bake potatoes at 350 for 45-60 minutes. Remove from oven when tender. When cool enough to handle, cut a thin lid from the top of each potato. Using a small teaspoon, scoop out the inside of the potato, leaving a half-inch border from the edge. Remove all the potato insides to a medium size mixing bowl. To the bowl, add the milk, butter, sour cream, cheese, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix to combine. Taste and add more sour cream or cheese if needed.

Spoon filling back into potatoes. If you want to make them fancy, you can do what I did in the photo above and put the potato mixture in a cake decorating bag. Use a star tip to fill the potatoes. Sprinkle tops with paprika and return to the oven. Bake until golden.

Baked Tomatoes with Feta

2010-10-02T21:35:00.004-04:00

I should have posted this recipe in the summer, but in case you can still find any good tomatoes, here's a great lunch or side dish. You can serve it with crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Baked Tomatoes with Feta

2 flavorful tomatoes, sliced

1/4 - 1/2 cup feta, crumbled

Olive oil, salt, and pepper

fresh basil leaves, julienned

Place tomatoes in one layer in a baking dish. Scatter feta on top and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until tomatoes are blistery and juices are released. Top with basil and serve.

Kielbasa and Cabbage

2010-09-26T21:40:00.002-04:00

Kielbasa is not something I ever buy, but we had some leftover from the cassoulet. I made kielbasa and cabbage, and we were surprised how much we liked it! It must be the bacon. Jeff asked if it had maple syrup in it; I'm guessing his brain made a connection because of the bacon and the sugar.

Now that the weather is getting cooler (finally!), it would make a great fall dish.

Kielbasa and Cabbage (adapted from allrecipes.com)

6 slices bacon
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar (could use one tablespoon)
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
3 teaspoons caraway seed (I left this out)
1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedges
1 pound Polish kielbasa

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut the kielbasa into several pieces and slice lengthwise. In a large skillet, fry kielbasa in a little olive oil until browned. You could also grill it. Remove kielbasa and set aside.

2. Clean large skillet and fry bacon over medium high heat until browned, turning once. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1-2 T. drippings, and place on paper towels.

3. Stir water, sugar, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and seasoned salt into drippings. Add cabbage, and gently stir. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Add kielbasa to the pan. Cook, covered, for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Crumble bacon over top, and serve hot.

Fenway Park Cake

2010-09-22T20:08:00.003-04:00

Here is Jack's 8th birthday cake! It's by far the biggest cake I've ever made, with 7 1/2 recipes of cake (four and 1/2 yellow cake; three chocolate). I used a 5-lb. box of fondant (though not all of it made it on the cake), and in the past couple of weeks I've gone through (gulp) 14 pounds of confectioner's sugar. Not all of it was for this cake, but still.

I learned a few things in the process of making this cake, some of which should have been obvious.

1. I should have made the fondant pieces days ahead of time rather than the night before to give them time to dry. The humidity of the day made the wall/green monster droop.

2. I should not freeze my yellow cake - I forgot this lesson from Jack's 4th birthday. The chocolate cake was in perfect condition, but whether it's the beaten egg whites or the pudding in the yellow cake, it deflates in the freezer.

3. Hershey's Black Magic Cake is fabulous! It's almost the same as the Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake that I make with my changes, but it does use buttermilk instead of milk. Delicious, and comes out of the pan like a dream.

4. Homemade cake release rocks! Mix equal parts of vegetable oil, Crisco, and flour and keep in the pantry. I like to spray the cake pan first with Pam, then cover thoroughly with the cake release.

5. Here is my latest favorite buttercream. It's remarkably good, and it comes from the Magnolia Bakery:

Vanilla Buttercream

Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup milk (whole is best; cream is fine but will thicken the frosting)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Pan-fried Gnocchi with Golden Tomato Sauce

2010-08-29T22:30:00.005-04:00

I found some beautiful yellow tomatoes at the farmers' market on Saturday. They taste a little more delicate than regular red ones, but you can use them interchangeably. I took the idea for this meal from one of my favorite vegetarian websites, 101cookbooks. It's a simple sauce - you don't need to peel the tomatoes. This recipe depends on fresh tomatoes, so I'd recommend making it soon before they go out of season.

We all loved this: fresh, bright sauce, crispy, crunchy gnocchi, and fragrant basil made for a great late summer supper!

Pan-fried Gnocchi with Golden Tomato Sauce

1 16 oz. package gnocchi, cooked according to package instructions

5 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 lbs. yellow (or any good red) tomatoes - cored, seeded, and diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. crushed red pepper

Fresh basil, cut into ribbons

Parmesan cheese

Pan fry gnocchi in two batches, using 1 T. of olive oil for each batch. Stir occasionally until gnocchi is golden brown. Set aside.

Put remaining three tablespoons of oil in a pan with garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper. Heat over medium heat, stirring as needed, until garlic starts to turn golden - about 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes to the pan and simmer a few minutes, until tomatoes start to break down.

To serve, ladle some sauce onto plate. Top with gnocchi, grated parmesan, and basil.

Serves 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

Pineapple Carrot Cupcakes

2010-08-24T22:45:00.005-04:00

These are simple carrot cake cupcakes with pineapple and cream cheese frosting. They are topped with pineapple "flowers" - thin slices of fresh pineapple dried in the oven. It takes a while to dry the flowers, and they need to be sliced very thinly. But they look lovely, and the dried pineapple is delicious!

Pineapple Carrot Cupcakes

Pineapple Carrot Cake

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs, beaten lightly

1 1/2 c. self-rising flour

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

2 cups firmly packed grated carrot

3/4 cup drained crushed pineapple

Pineapple Flowers

2 T. sugar

2 T. water

12 wafer thin slices of fresh pineapple

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

4 T. butter, softened

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 t. finely grated lemon peel

3 c. powdered sugar

1. Make pineapple flowers. Heat water and sugar in a microwavable cup for 1 minute, until sugar dissolves. Brush syrup onto both sides of the pineapple.

Put a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet, and place pineapple slices in a single layer on the rack. Bake at 250 for two hours, flipping pineapple after one hour. If your slices are very thin, they will dry more quickly.

As soon as the edges are brown and they look like a flower, remove them from the drying rack. Carefully shape them into flowers and dry over an inverted egg carton.

2. Turn oven temperature to 350. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper baking cups.

3. Combine oil, eggs, flour, sugar, and cinnamon in medium bowl; stir until combined. Stir in carrot and pineapple.

4. Divide mixture among baking cups.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Turn out onto racks to cool.

5. Make lemon cream cheese frosting. Spread on top of cakes and decorate with pineapple flowers.

Salad with Fennel, Apple, Mandarin Oranges, and Pomegranate

2010-08-24T21:58:00.004-04:00

This salad was a great counterpoint to the rich cassoulet. It's sweet and refreshing and would be an excellent choice for Thanksgiving or even Christmas. Pomegranates are out of season, so I substituted Craisins. They were good, but the juicy crunch of pomegranate seeds would be even better. You can use whatever kind of lettuce you like; I used a mix of Romaine and escarole. Just stay away from tender baby lettuces - you want the crunch of something heartier.

Salad with Fennel, Apple, Mandarin Orange, and Pomegranate

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 shallot, minced (can sub grated onion)
1/2 teaspoon (packed) grated lemon peel
1 large fresh fennel bulb, trimmed, halved, very thinly sliced
1 8-ounce Fuji apple, halved, cored, cut into matchstick-size strips

6 cups trimmed arugula, Romaine, or escarole leaves
2 mandarin oranges or tangerines, peeled, each cut crosswise into 3 slices
Pomegranate seeds

Whisk first 4 ingredients in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Combine fennel and apple in medium bowl; mix in 3 tablespoons dressing.

Place arugula in large bowl. Add fennel-apple mixture. Toss, adding more dressing to taste. Divide salad among 6 plates. Garnish each with 1 mandarin orange slice and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

French-Style Crudités with Blue Cheese Dip

2010-08-20T10:42:00.004-04:00

According to this site, vegetables and dip in France are a bit different. The vegetables are often untrimmed - the carrots and celery have leaves attached, etc. Also, the vegetables are tossed with a vinaigrette before you dip them into a sauce. The vinaigrette makes a huge difference in taste - it adds another layer of flavor other than just the dip. Of course, it's a bit messier to eat, though the French wouldn't eat with their fingers anyway! If you don't want to make the vinaigrette from scratch, try tossing vegetables in your favorite dressing before serving with dip. And think outside the usual veggies: in addition to grape tomatoes, carrots, red bell pepper, and celery, I also used lightly steamed green beans, radishes, and sliced zucchini.

Crudités with Blue Cheese Dip

Assorted vegetables, cleaned and sliced (lightly steam cruciferous vegetables like green beans, broccoli, and cauliflower)

Vinaigrette

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon honey

Dash of grated shallot (maybe ¼ small shallot, if that) - I used a bit of grated onion

Salt and pepper

Blue Cheese Dip

3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup crème fraîche (I used sour cream)

1 clove garlic, grated

Salt and pepper

1. Put all the vinaigrette ingredients into a mini food processor, and whirl until emulsified. (I shook the ingredients in a jar.)
2. Trim the vegetables as desired, and toss with just enough vinaigrette to coat.
3. Stir all the ingredients for the Roquefort sauce together, and decant into a decorative bowl.
4. Arrange the vegetables in a mason or jam jar or bowl, and serve alongside the Roquefort sauce.

Catherine's Birthday Dinner

2010-08-19T22:15:00.004-04:00

It was Catherine's birthday tonight, and I decided to try something I've wanted to make for a while: cassoulet. I know that making French food for Catherine is a bit like taking coals to Newcastle, but I've never had cassoulet and wanted her opinion. I didn't make the traditional, three-day, pork rind-lamb bones-and goose fat version: this is yet another Pam Anderson simplified and slightly Americanized version. Cassoulet has many different versions, but it's basically a slow-cooked stew of meat and beans. Catherine liked the bread crumb topping, which is apparently not traditional.

Since cassoulet is so heavy, I started with crudites in vinaigrette and a blue cheese dip and finished with a bright green salad. I'll post those recipes, along with the carrot/pineapple cupcakes we served for dessert, in another post.

Note: Cassoulet is a great choice for a fall/winter buffet, especially one where guests aren't eating at table. Everything is bite-sized, so there's not need for a knife. It can be made a day or two ahead of time and finished before serving - in fact, the flavors will be better if they have time to meld.

Cassoulet (adapted from Pam Anderson)

3 pounds boneless lamb or pork shoulder roast, cut into 11/2-inch cubes (I used pork)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound mild Italian sausages
1 cup water for sausages
1/2 pound kielbasa, cut into 6 pieces
1 1/2 pounds boneless duck breast halves (I used three duck legs)
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup full-bodied dry red wine
reserved duck fat
2 large onions, cut into medium dice
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, minced (I used bacon)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 (16 ounce) cans white beans, drained
3 cups fresh bread crumbs (process sliced bread in a food processor or blender)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.

Place pork cubes in a bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, turning to coat.

Place Italian sausages, 1 cup water, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy roasting pan set over two burners. Cover with heavy-duty foil and turn heat to medium-high. Cook until sausages lose their raw color, about 5 minutes. Remove foil (reserve it) and continue to cook until water evaporates. Add smoked sausages and cook, turning frequently, until all sausages are browned, 5 to 8 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate. When cool enough to handle, cut Italian sausages into bite-size chunks. Halve smoked sausages lengthwise. Set aside.

Generously sprinkle duck breasts/legs with salt and pepper. Reduce heat under roasting pan and add duck breasts, skin side down. Cook until fat has rendered and skin is mahogany brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Turn duck breasts over and continue to cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes longer.
Remove duck from pan. Drain fat from pan and reserve. Slice each breast crosswise into 4 pieces. (I just shredded the meat.)

Return roasting pan to medium-high heat. Add pork cubes and cook, turning once, until a brown crust forms on two sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer lamb to a large ovenproof pot; set roasting pan aside. Add broth mixture and wine to lamb and cover with reserved foil, pressing down so that it almost touches meat, then sealing foil around top of pot, leaving a small opening for steam to escape. Bring to a simmer and simmer for a few minutes to burn off alcohol. Seal foil completely, then cover pot with lid. Bake, without checking pot, for 1 hour and 15 minutes; meat will be very tender.

Meanwhile, reheat roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add enough reserved duck fat or olive oil to pan to equal 2 tablespoons. Add onions and garlic and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add bacon and thyme and saute to blend flavors, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and beans and simmer to blend flavors, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Transfer cooked lamb and broth to roasting pan. Add duck, sausages, and enough water to make a soupy, moist casserole. You can let the cassoulet mixture stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

An hour before serving, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring cassoulet to a simmer.

Mix bread crumbs, melted butter, and parsley and sprinkle over cassoulet. Bake until crumbs are golden and stew is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, and serve.

Bubbles!

2010-08-19T21:51:00.004-04:00

Here's the recipe for big, gorgeous bubbles that don't pop easily. I quadrupled it to have enough for the galvanized tub.

Bubbles

1 gallon distilled water

2/3 c. Dawn dish soap

2 T. glycerin (I found some at CVS)

Mix together. You can make bubbles by bending pipe cleaners into fun shapes, or try cookie cutters. For big bubbles, slip two straws onto a long piece of strong and tie the ends together. Use the straws as handles. I've also seen metal hangers bent into a circle, but that sounds a little dangerous.

Barefoot Contessa's Pan-Fried Onion Dip

2010-08-16T09:16:00.000-04:00

We didn't serve a meal at Ben's birthday party, but we had snacks. I made marinated cheese, strawberry fruit dip with strawberries and grapes, a mix of cheddar, pretzel, saltine, and multi-colored goldfish (to fit the water theme), and this dip from the Barefoot Contessa. It's an amped-up version of the old onion soup mix/sour cream version: richer and infinitely more flavorful.

Once again, though - it's rich! But that just means you'll eat less of it (truly). Isn't that what we say is the correct approach to eating - a little bit of something you love rather than a whole lot of something okay? It would certainly be fine to sub lower-fat dairy products and to offer vegetables along with chips. We're thinking the leftovers would taste good as a sandwich spread.

Be sure to caramelize the onions- they should be golden and brown - not pale, and not black. If you double the recipe (recommended unless you have a small group), cook the onions in two batches.

Pan-Fried Onion Dip (adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

Ingredients
2 large yellow onions
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (can reduce by 1-2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup good mayonnaise

Directions
Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds. (You will have about 3 cups of onions.) Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Drain and allow the onions to cool. Chop onions roughly (I used kitchen shears).

Place the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or bowl and hand mixer and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

Triple Play Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-07-29T09:27:00.001-04:00

I'll have to post a picture later, because each time I made a batch of these, I forgot to take one (they didn't last very long, either). I left the dough in the refrigerator and made one sheet at a time - better than making them all at once and having them go stale! You'll get about five dozen from this recipe.

If you like peanut butter cookies, these are fantastic - they have peanut butter, chopped peanuts, and peanut butter chips. A triple play of peanut butter! If you need some chocolate with your peanut butter, add a some mini chocolate chips or replace some of the peanut butter chips with chocolate ones. Personally, I prefer them with just peanut butter - if I want chocolate, I'll make these.

Triple Play Peanut Butter Cookies from King Arthur Flour

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup peanut butter
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups chopped dry-roasted salted peanuts
1 1/3 cups peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray with Pam.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugars and peanut butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each. Add the flour mixture, nuts and chips - stir until combined.

Bake right away or chill for later.

Scoop the mixture using a tablespoon cookie scoop on to prepared baking sheets and slightly flatten them. Bake until the centers are set and the edges are golden, about 12-13 minutes. Remove and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Greek Chicken

2010-07-12T07:35:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we had Greek Mythology week at our house. One night we had a Greek dinner, with Greek salad, Greek chicken, ambrosia (food of the gods), pomegranate juice (in reference to Persephone), and honey cake for dessert. The Greek salad was our usual favorite, but the chicken was new: garlicky, lemony, and outstanding. I made it a few weeks later for my in-laws and my father-in-law said, "I can't stop eating this chicken!". That's high praise for the lowly chicken, I think.

You can marinate the chicken for up to a day or as little as an hour. Try to loosen the skin of the breasts and legs to let the marinade really soak in.

I started the chicken on the grill, then when the weather turned stormy I finished it in the oven, basting it with additional marinade. You can roast it, grill it, etc., but I liked having both the charcoal start and still getting the juices from the chicken as it finished in the oven. I spatchcocked this chicken, but you can cook it whole if you like or cut it up into pieces.

Greek Chicken (adapted from allrecipes.com)

1 4 lb. chicken, whole, cut up, or spatchcocked

1/2 c. olive oil

2 lemons, juiced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 T fresh oregano or 1 t. dried oregano

1 T fresh rosemary or 1 t. dried rosemary

1 T fresh thyme or 1 t. dried thyme

2 t. kosher salt and pepper to taste

Put marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour into a gallon ziploc bag, add chicken, seal, and smoosh it around to combine. Marinate for at least one hour, flipping the bag from time to time. Roast or grill as desired.

Blue Cheese Coleslaw

2010-06-12T17:30:00.000-04:00

Barefoot Contessa has a blue cheese coleslaw recipe that I tried once, but it was much too rich. I found this version on the Cooking Light board, and it's great! If you like blue cheese or love blue cheese, you'll like it - it's not overpowering. It's another great cookout recipe - serve it with burgers or barbecue.

Blue Cheese Coleslaw

INGREDIENTS:
1 (16 ounce) package shredded coleslaw mix
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved (I used grape tomatoes, but I recommend grapes)
1/2 cup shredded carrot (or just use coleslaw mix that has carrots)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup prepared Dijon-style mustard
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, cheese, sugar and vinegar. Add the coleslaw mix, grapes and carrots and stir until evenly coated. Chill until serving.

Greek Salad

2010-06-05T16:31:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty sure I got this recipe from Rachael Ray around the time she first entered the national consciousness. It's one of my favorites - mediterranean flavors, strong cheese, fresh veg = bliss. I have changed it a little, but the key here is the dressing - it's quite easy but intensely flavored. Make everyone around you eat it, too, because the garlic (though partially cooked) is strong!

Use the amounts called for in the recipe as suggestions - I'm sure I add more cheese and tomatoes, and I keep the Kalamata olives to my side of the bowl!

Greek Salad

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

juice of one large lemon (at least two tablespoons)

salt and pepper

2 hearts Romaine lettuce, chopped

2 plum tomatoes, diced

1/2 medium red onion, sliced very thin

1/2 seedless cucumber, sliced thin

1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers, chopped

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives

1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled or diced

2 T. fresh oregano (optional)

Put the minced garlic in a microwave safe bowl and cover with oil. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk in lemon juice, salt, and pepper until emulsified. Dip in a cucumber slice or piece of lettuce and check the taste - does it need more salt or lemon juice?

Combine the lettuce, vegetables, cheese, and oregano. Toss with dressing.

Popcorn Cupcakes

2010-05-31T17:18:00.001-04:00

I took this picture with my iPhone, so it's not super clear, but these are the cupcakes I made for Jack's and Ben's last day of school parties. They are a white cupcake with buttercream frosting. To make the "popcorn," you cut X's into mini marshmallows with kitchen shears. Then you use Wilton color mist spray in yellow to make them look buttery. To create a popcorn box look, I used Wilton standard sized nut and party cups with red stripes colored on the sides.
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Since Ben's room had a circus theme this year and Jack had a carnival-themed party, popcorn cupcakes worked for both boys. I'll be honest - it took a looooong time to color the red stripes and cut up the marshmallows to make 50 or so cupcakes. But I was very happy with the result!
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Here's a tip if you take cupcakes into work or the classroom - buy a plastic sweater box from Target to carry them in. They have lids, and 20-24 cupcakes fit perfectly. They're deep enough to accommodate any decorations as well.

Cookout Food

2010-05-28T19:11:00.000-04:00

I love this time of year! Cookouts are one of my favorite entertaining options. I like to have lots of sides using the abundant fresh produce available right now. And whether you eat inside or dine al fresco, the food tastes better cooked on a grill.

Here are some of my favorite things to bring to a barbecue. I'll be adding links throughout the summer.

Have a great Memorial Day!

Antipasto Pasta Salad

Righteous Herb Cheese Spread

Football Field Cake

2010-05-28T18:31:00.000-04:00

I made this giant cookie cake for the sweet son of a dear friend. He wanted a sugar cookie cake, so I used this recipe. I lined the rimmed cookie sheet with quick-release foil and pressed the dough in it evenly. I baked it at 350 for 22 minutes - until golden brown. I let it cool in the pan until I could move it to a cutting board.

You can substitute any sugar cookie dough you like - just be sure you have enough for 7 dozen cookies (that's what the recipe I used yields, and it filled the cookie sheet perfectly). I used this buttercream recipe and made a double batch. I colored one batch with leaf green color and frosted the whole cookie (I star tipped the sides in white, but you could just use the green for the whole thing). I also pressed sparkling sugar into the frosting to give it that shiny turf look.

Then I used a skewer to make 11 lines in the frosting and filled them in with white lines, writing the yard lines on using a very small writing tip.

I piped the football freehand in black, and filled it with brown frosting, using the smallest star tip to mimic football dimples (that's what they're called, right?). The birthday boy's initials became the football laces. "Laces OUT!" (what movie?). Tip: Use cocoa powder to make brown frosting - it tastes better and makes a nice dark brown.

I should have made fondant goalposts, but I cheated with pipe cleaners in Vanderbilt's colors. This cake would be great for college football season or the Super Bowl - you could make the end zones bigger and write the team names in them. If you wanted a cake, you could just use a 9X13 pan for the cake. I'd probably stack two cakes with frosting in the middle.

Beach Umbrella Cupcakes

2010-05-14T08:33:00.000-04:00

I have so many good recipes to share, but I have been busy grading papers! I'm hoping to get some updates done this weekend.

Ben's preschool had their "water day" yesterday - they wore swimsuits and played with squirt guns. At least, that was Ben's description - I'm sure there was more involved! The parents provided hotdogs, etc. for lunch, and I brought these beach umbrella cupcakes. They are a great choice if you need something for an end-of-the-school-year/welcome-to-summer party. And they're easy, too!

Items Needed

1. Cupcakes and white frosting (I used a great new chocolate recipe that I'll share soon, and no-shortening buttercream)

2. Graham cracker crumbs (process graham crackers in a food processor, or whack them with a rolling pin in a plastic bag until they look like sand)

3. Cocktail drink umbrellas (I got mine at Party City - they were a little big, but I think the kids liked them because they were shiny. I snipped the sharp tip off the bottom.)

4. Fruit gummi tape (I bought this at Fuzziwig's, a candy store. I cut it up to look like beach towels. You could also use Fruit-by-the-Foot, but the stripes on the gummi tape are very cute.)

Frost cupcakes. Put graham cracker crumbs in a bowl, and dip frosted top of cupcake into crumbs. Roll edges to cover.

Attach "beach blanket" with a dot of extra frosting. Stick beach umbrella into cupcake.

I saw Martha Stewart use drink umbrellas for beach umbrellas, and she put these cupcakes on a tray interspersed with blue-frosted cupcakes with a paper shark fin sticking out. I adapted this a bit - I piped blue frosting in a wave pattern and then put a gummi shark on top (also from Fuzziwig's). Ben was more excited about the sharks then the umbrellas!

Parmesan Chicken Spaghetti

2010-04-29T11:03:00.000-04:00

Here's a good recipe for when you need to bring a meal to someone - comfort food that almost everyone would like. And if you can't eat it right away, it can be frozen.

In the picture above, I used whole wheat pasta, but you can obviously use regular. A week later I made it for a neighbor and reduced the amount of chicken and added a thawed, drained 10-oz. package of frozen spinach, making it a whole meal. Just remember to drain the spinach thoroughly!

Parmesan Chicken Spaghetti

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup chicken broth
(note: you can sub one can cream of chicken soup for the previous three ingredients)
1/2 cup half-and-half or light cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup dry white wine, apple juice or white grape juice, or chicken broth
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard or 1 teaspoon French's mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups cooked chicken breasts, cubed (see here for an easy way to roast chicken)
8 ounces cooked spaghetti
2 teaspoons paprika
extra parmesan cheese
chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter in a saucepan and add flour, stirring constantly. (Or sub cream soup.)

When mixture thickens, add chicken broth, half and half, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, wine, garlic, lemon juice, dry mustard and salt and pepper.

Stir over medium heat until mixture again starts to thicken.

Add chicken and spaghetti noodles and stir well.

Place in a baking dish and sprinkle with paprika and extra Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350°.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Pollo al Mattone (Chicken under a Brick)

2010-04-28T08:01:00.000-04:00

Pollo al Mattone has a lot of potential - the bricks on top of the chicken flatten it, which makes it cook faster, and force it to come in contact with the very hot pan, which makes it crispy. I tried chicken breasts under a brick a few weeks ago and they were a disaster. I don't think they were totally thawed, so parts of them were undercooked while others were burnt. But I didn't want to give up, so I tried Mark Bittman's recipe which starts on the stove and finishes in the oven. A cast iron frying pan is great for this meal. The chicken turned out juicy and crisp - incredibly flavorful. It cooks very quickly, too. However, if you are not excited about getting your hands all up in the chicken's business, and if it bothers you to cut through bone with kitchen shears, this is not the dish for you. Otherwise, I highly recommend it!

You'll need to start with a whole 3-4 lb. chicken that you butterfly (cut the backbone out). I've given instructions in the first step here. If you want to get really fancy, you can do what I did this time and spatchcock your chicken. Yeah, that's right. You'll cut out the backbone and the breastbone, and your chicken will lie very flat and be easy to carve.

Prep the chicken ahead of time so you can marinate it (the recipe below will go into detail). Take some bricks, or a heavy tile, or another cast iron pan to weigh down the chicken. Wrap your bricks in aluminum foil. Once the chicken is in the pan and the bricks are on top, it will look like this:

Ingredients

1 whole 3- to 4-pound chicken, trimmed of excess fat, rinsed, dried and split, backbone removed
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon peeled and coarsely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, optional
1 lemon, cut into quarters

1. Place the chicken on a cutting board, skin side down, and using your hands, press down hard to make it as flat as possible. Mix together the rosemary leaves, salt, pepper, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and rub this all over the chicken. Tuck some of the mixture under the skin as well. If time permits, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for up to a day (even 20 minutes of marinating boosts the flavor).

2. When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Preheat an ovenproof 12-inch skillet (preferably cast iron; nonstick usually is safe to 450) over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Press rosemary sprigs, if using, into the skin side of the chicken. Put remaining olive oil in the pan and wait about 30 seconds for it to heat up.

3. Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, along with any remaining pieces of rosemary and garlic; weight it with another skillet or with one or two bricks or rocks, wrapped in aluminum foil. The idea is to flatten the chicken by applying weight evenly over its surface.

4. Cook over medium-high to high heat for 5 minutes, then transfer to the oven. Roast for 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and remove the weights; turn the chicken over (it will now be skin side up) and roast 10 minutes more, or until done (large chickens may take an additional 10 minutes or so; cook the breast to 160 or the legs to 165). Serve hot or at room temperature, with lemon wedges.

Granola

2010-04-04T11:10:00.000-04:00

This is really good granola! It's based on Alton Brown's recipe. I doubled it and was able to fill four of the plastic dishes above, with a little left over. Add some homemade vanilla yogurt, and you have a great gift for a teacher, new mom, or sick friend.

Granola

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup pecans (Alton uses cashews)
3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour (on separate racks if necessary), stirring every 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

More Easter Cupcakes

2010-04-02T22:06:00.000-04:00

I made two kinds of cupcakes for Ben's Easter party at school, since parents and siblings were invited. I got the idea for the candy carrots here. I've seen lots of Easter cupcakes with coconut nests. But I thought most children wouldn't like coconut, so I made haystacks into nests - I formed them in a mini-muffin pan and put the jelly beans inside before they hardened. The nests need to be refrigerated if you make them ahead of time.

I used Martha Stewart's Devil's Food Cupcakes recipe with buttercream. For the carrot cupcakes, I made this one, which was new to me. Both recipes were great!

Cupcake tips: fill cupcake liners to just about 1/4 inch below the rim before baking to develop a nice cupcake top. Use a decorating bag and tip to frost; your frosting will look better and you won't tear up delicate cupcakes.

Caesar Salad

2010-03-28T19:01:00.000-04:00

Here is my simplified version of (cookbook author, not actress) Pam Anderson's delicious Caesar salad. It's very lemony and garlicky, though you can add less garlic if you don't like it too strong. Add rotisserie chicken or make-ahead chicken for a meal.

Caesar Salad

1 head Romaine lettuce or two Romaine hearts, washed and ripped into bite-sized pieces

olive oil, salt, and pepper

1/3 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

2-5 cloves of garlic, minced

baguette, sourdough bread, hoagie roll, etc. cut into bite-sized pieces

2 T. olive oil

1/4 t. cayenne

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese, grated

Whisk mayo, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and 2-4 cloves of garlic in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat 2 T. olive oil in a pan and add cayenne, remaining one clove of garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir for about 30 seconds; don't let garlic brown. Add bread pieces to pan and toast until crunchy, turning occasionally - about 6 minutes.

Put lettuce into salad bowl and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to lightly coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Taste a leaf to see if the seasoning and olive oil is right. Pour mayo/lemon mixture over salad and toss to coat evenly.

Serve with croutons, Parmesan, and chicken, if desired.

Spring Cupcakes

2010-03-26T17:55:00.000-04:00

I made these cupcakes for Jack's school Easter party this week. I was inspired by this picture from Martha Stewart:

However, it's hard to find flat lollipops, and I picked up some Dum-Dums-shaped Airhead ones. I also found bright, funky nonpareils from Betty Crocker (Selects Sugar Decors) at Publix. I made three frosting colors: pink, green, and blue. Pairing the pink and orange nonpareils with the pink frosting; the green and yellow with the yellow frosting; and the blue and purple with the blue frosting made them really pop with color.

The kids went a little nuts when I brought them into the classroom. It may have been the vibrant colors, or maybe it was the prospect of (as one boy said), "It's like, cake - but with candy ON TOP!".

I used Martha Stewart's chocolate cupcake recipe and doubled it. I'm so happy with this recipe - the cupcakes are more like pound cake and are sturdy for transporting and decorating. And they taste good, too. The frosting is basic buttercream.

Spring Cupcakes (note: I doubled this recipe to make 24)

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

12 lollipops

Green Fruit-by-the-Foot, cut into small leaf shapes

Buttercream Frosting, dyed green, blue, and pink (recipe below)

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
2.Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.
3.Pour batter into cups, filling each just under the rim of the paper liner. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
4.Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then spread with frosting using a table knife or small offset spatula. To decorate with sprinkles, put sprinkles in a small bowl and invert frosted cupcakes into the bowl, covering the sides and then the middle.

5. Unwrap lollipops and push into the center. Attach green leaves with frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream

Directions

In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

Homemade Vanilla Yogurt

2010-03-21T22:02:00.001-04:00

Update: I still make this yogurt a lot, but now I use about 1/3 cup blue agave and a couple of tablespoons of sugar. I also often drain it in coffee filters to make it thicker - more like Greek yogurt. I keep some plain for use in recipes. I've made it with a full gallon of milk, and that works, too - I just have to let it culture longer once I add the Greek yogurt.

We eat a lot of yogurt at our house - we use it in smoothies and top baked oatmeal with it, in addition to eating it for breakfast and snacks. The boys especially love yogurt. Sometimes I think it's Ben's primary source of protein!

I thought I wanted a yogurt maker, but then I learned yogurt is super easy to make in a slow cooker. I made some last night, and this afternoon the boys ate big bowls of and loved it. Lots of people make plain yogurt, but I though vanilla would be a good base: we can add berries, grated pear or apple, or jam to flavor it.

I'm very excited about the possibilities (frozen yogurt in the summer!), and I'm also happy with the short ingredient list: milk, plain yogurt, sugar, and vanilla. And clearly it's much cheaper and creates less waste than those delicious little 6-ounce cups of Yoplait.

If you decide to make the yogurt, keep scrolling past the recipe for some notes and tips.

Vanilla Yogurt

1 half-gallon whole milk (pasteurized, not ultrapasteurized)

1 container (4 oz. - 6 oz.) plain Greek yogurt (label should show live and active cultures)

3/4 c. sugar (I may use less next time)

2 T. vanilla

Pour milk into slow cooker and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours. Turn off slow cooker and let sit for three hours.

Remove one cup of warm milk from the slow cooker and whisk it with the plain yogurt.

Add yogurt/milk mixture back to the milk. Recover the slow cooker and wrap the whole thing in a warm blanket or put it in your oven with the pilot light on. Leave it overnight or for 8-10 hours.

In the morning, remove one cup of yogurt. It should be very thick, like Greek yogurt or sour cream. Freeze this yogurt; it will be the starter for your next batch and will take the place of the Greek yogurt you used the first time.

Add sugar and vanilla to the yogurt, and chill.

Notes:

It would be best to start the process around 5:00 p.m. That way you won't have to stay up late to wait for the milk to cool.

You can use artificial sweetener if you prefer, or leave the yogurt plain and add honey or jam to taste.

Be sure milk is not ultra-pasteurized and that yogurt has live and active cultures.

From what I've read, it's best to start with whole milk and then try lower-fat versions if you like. Whole milk sets up best. 2% or lower may require a packet of unflavored gelatin to set up; I'll update this post when I try it.

Greek Feta Dip

2010-03-19T20:08:00.000-04:00

Here's a quick dip I came up with that's very versatile. It's great on vegetables (especially cucumbers!), pita chips, or even grilled chicken. Add a little buttermilk or even regular milk and it's creamy feta salad dressing. You can also add roasted red pepper when you puree it for a different but very good flavor.

Greek Feta Dip

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (Greek would work best)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 t. salt, or to taste (your feta may be very salty or not)

1/4 t. pepper

1/2 t. oregano

1/2 t. dried basil

1 garlic clove, minced

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Puree to combine. Tastes even better the next day!

Serve with vegetables, warm pita, or pita chips.

Mint Oreo Truffles

2010-03-17T10:45:00.000-04:00

Here's another quick St. Patrick's Day dessert - if you have time to run to the store, you can make them today!

Oreo Truffles have become very popular since Kraft published the recipe a few years ago. I have not made them until now, but they have a lot of potential! I made these with the Cool Mint flavor Oreos that are out right now, and I'm thinking the peppermint oreos with crushed candy canes on top would be great at Christmas. Or . . . what about the white chocolate ones decorated as snowman heads? I could even use a mini Oreo for his top hat!

The original recipe calls for you to reserve some crushed Oreos to roll the dipped truffles in, but I skipped that step and just added some green sprinkles.

Mint Oreo Truffles

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 package (1.1 lbs.) Cool Mint Oreos

1 package (16 oz.) white chocolate or chocolate almond bark or white CandiQuik, etc.

Green sprinkles (optional)

Remove seven Oreos. Save them for the kids or for a late-night snack. Finely crush the rest of the Oreos in the food processor or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. Mix them into the cream cheese - I used my stand mixer, but you can use a hand mixer or even a spoon if the cream cheese is soft enough.

Roll the truffles into one-inch balls and place on a waxed paper-covered cookie sheet. Freeze for one hour (or overnight). The colder they are, the easier they are to dip.

Melt chocolate in the microwave according to package instructions. Dip truffles using a fork or a toothpick, and tap the excess of on the side of the bowl. Place the truffle on the waxed paper-covered sheet. Tip: if the chocolate puddles at the bottom of the truffle, score around it with a toothpick - you'll be able to remove the excess easily.

Quickly add sprinkles, if using. The truffles will set up very quickly and should be stored in the refrigerator.

Makes about 30 truffles.

Carnitas

2010-03-11T22:28:00.000-05:00

Here's another great recipe from Pam Anderson! (The cookbook author, not the, um, actress. Scroll to the bottom of the post to find a link to her cookbook.) It's her overnight shredded pork which you can make into barbecue by adding sauce or carnitas (shredded pork tacos), which we did tonight. It's supereasy because you cook the pork overnight on low heat and shred it at your convenience. It's also cheap because pork shoulder is very reasonable and goes on sale regularly.

What makes these carnitas truly memorable are the extras you serve them with. Guacamole and orange cumin slaw, along with the usual cheese, salsa, and sour cream, are excellent counterpoints to the shredded pork. I liked Cotija cheese, but cheddar/monterey jack is good, too. Choose flour or corn tortillas according to your preference.

Carnitas

bone-in 8 - 9 lb. pork shoulder or picnic shoulder (trimmed of thick fat layer)

3 T. paprika

3 T. brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 T. black pepper

1 1/2 T. garlic powder

1/2 c. dijon or spicy brown mustard

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degree F.

Mix brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic powder in small bowl. Pat roast dry and place in a roasting pan. Lightly sprinkle top and sides of roast with salt, brush with half the mustard and sprinkle with half the spice rub. Carefully turn roast over. Sprinkle with a little salt, brush with remaining mustard and sprinkle with remaining spice rub.

Roast until meat thermometer registers 170 degree F, 9 to 11 hours, depending on size (9 hours is usually just right.). Transfer pork to platter and cool enough to handle, about 1 hour. Cut roast chunks and shred meat into a large bowl. Add enough pan drippings to moisten pork and stir to combine.

Note: You can put the pork in the refrigerator until later. Shred the pork and put roasting pan over two burners. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, and stir to loosen cooked-on bits. Return pork to pan to reheat.

To serve: Set out 20 small flour tortillas or 24 corn tortillas, Orange-Cumin Slaw, guacamole, cheese, and sour cream. Warm the tortillas wrapped in a kitchen towel in the microwave or oven on low heat.

Orange Cumin Slaw

1/4 c. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1/4 c. rice wine vinegar

1/4 c. olive oil

1 t. cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1 16 oz. bag cole slaw mix (cabbage and carrots)

Mix together orange juice, vinegar, and cumin. Add olive oil slowly, whisking to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over cole slaw mix and toss.

Guacamole

4 avocados (tip: buy them green and store in a bag in the pantry with an apple for 4 days or so - they will be perfectly ripe)

1/4 c. lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Mash avocados. Add lime juice and plenty of salt and pepper.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake

2010-03-11T22:05:00.000-05:00

Stop eating those Girl Scout Thin Mints! Here's a great use for them and an excellent dessert for St. Patrick's Day. It's delicous and incredibly easy. I made it tonight for Jeff's family, and his mother suggested making it at Christmas with peppermint Oreo crust and peppermint ice cream.

If you don't have Thin Mints, you can use Keebler Grasshopper cookies. And I should have used green mint chocolate chip ice cream to be festive, but Breyers was on sale this week.

Note: if you don't have a springform pan, you can use a pie pan. In that case you would need fewer cookies and less ice cream.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake

1 1/2 boxes Thin Mints

4 T. melted butter

2 1.75 qt containers of mint chocolate ice cream

6 oz. heavy cream

3/4 c. chocolate chips

Crush Thin Mints in a food processor or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. Pour them into a bowl, and mix in the melted butter. Press the crumbs into the sides and bottom of a 9- or 1o-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Take out ice cream to soften.

When crust is cooled, add softened ice cream and spread to smooth the top. Return to freezer.

Take cake out about 30 minutes before serving. Remove sides from springform pan (and bottom if you wish). Combine heavy cream and chocolate chips over low heat and stir until smooth and glossy. You can pour it over the entire ice cream cake or drizzle it over each slice.

Pork Chops in Mushroom Gravy

2010-03-02T20:23:00.000-05:00

This one goes out to intrepid commenter Alison! Note that there are only five ingredients besides salt and pepper.

I wanted to make our favorite grilled pork chops tonight, but we are living through the third blizzard of the season down here in Georgia, so grilling was out. This recipe is adapted from The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook. I added mushrooms and just a bit more butter and adjusted the cooking time.

Served with roasted mixed vegetables and parmesan polenta, this was a meal everyone loved!

Pork Chops in Mushroom Gravy

4 4-ounce boned loin pork chops, about one inch thick (mine were closer to 1 1/2 inches thick)
4 oz. sliced mushrooms (break up the bigger ones)
2 T. flour
1/2 t. salt (can use a bit less)
1/4 to 1/2 t. pepper
1 1/2 cups 2% milk, divided (I mixed a splash of heavy cream with skim milk)
1 T. butter

1. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a large zip-top bag. Add pork; seal bag, and shake to coat pork with flour mixture. Removed pork from bag, reserving reminaing flour mixture. Place flour mixture in a small bowl. Gradually add 3/4 c. milk, stirring with a whisk until blended.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet (I used cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add sliced mushrooms and pork; cook chops 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Add milk mixture; cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Uncover pork and turn to the other side. Stir in 3/4 cup milk and cook uncovered 10-15 minutes or until gravy is thickened. Check to be sure chops are cooked through - I let them get to 160 degrees to be sure. Thinner ones will obviously cook faster and will tend to dry out if you're not careful. Spoon gravy over pork to serve. Yield: 4 servings

Calories: 264 Fat: 12 g. Protein: 28.4 g

Morning Glory Muffins

2010-02-25T21:05:00.000-05:00

I hadn't made these muffins for years! I wanted to make some as a thank-you for a sweet friend,and I decided to double the recipe. Good thing, because the boys love them!

They are super-healthy, especially with the changes I made. They make a great breakfast with a yogurt. And if you want to take something healthy to an office potluck, take these with some honey nut cream cheese.

They do call for a lot of ingredients, so I doubled the recipe (48 muffins!). I'll freeze what we don't eat over the next day or two.

Muffin tips: Use cupcake liners, and spray them and the pan with non-stick spray for easy removal. Start muffins at 500 degrees for the first three minutes, then turn them down to 350 for the rest of the baking time. This will give muffins a nice rise (everyone loves muffin tops!). These muffins are dense because of the whole wheat flour and the vegetable and fruit add-ins, so they will never look like bakery muffins.

Morning Glory Muffins

2 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour (I substituted 1/4 c. flax seed for 1/4 c. flour)
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded carrot
1 cup shredded apple
3/4 cup raisins, golden raisins, or Craisins
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites or 1/4 cup Egg Beaters
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 500°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl. Stir in carrot and next 5 ingredients (carrot through pineapple); make a well in center of mixture. Combine oil and next 4 ingredients (oil through egg whites); stir with a whisk. Add oil mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Spoon the batter into 24 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 500° for 3 minutes. Turn down the heat to 350 and bake for 15 more minutes, until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 2 dozen (serving size: 1 muffin)

Calories: 150 Fat: 5 g. Fiber: 3 g

Valentine Ice Cream Sandwiches

2010-02-25T19:51:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of these! I brought heart-shaped ice cream sandwiches to Ben's preschool Valentine's Party. This picture shows the ice cream sandwich, deconstructed. I made strawberry and vanilla ones, but the strawberry ones were particularly good.

The idea and recipe is from Martha Stewart. You can find a better picture here.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

I made these for Valentine's Day, so they were heart-shaped, but you could use any shaped cookie cutter - dinosaurs, flowers, etc. - for any occasion.

Makes 24.

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon milk
2 cartons strawberry ice cream, slightly softened (I had some left over)

Directions:

1.In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, vanilla, and sugar. Add eggs and milk, and mix until combined. Add reserved flour mixture, and mix on low speed until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula at least once. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

2.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out on a floured surface; use an offset spatula to unstick the dough every few turns of the rolling pin. Roll dough to an 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough using cookie cutters from 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter, making sure there is a top and bottom cookie for each sandwich. Use a fork to prick holes all over the surface of the cookies. Bake until firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

3.Using half the cookies, spoon softened strawberry ice cream about 1/2 inch thick on each underside. Place matching cookie on top of ice cream, top-side facing out. Transfer immediately to freezer to harden; repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve directly from the freezer. Sandwiches can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 to 4 days.

Chicago-Style Stuffed Pizza

2010-02-14T19:05:00.000-05:00

Oh, my. I wanted to make a Valentine's dinner for the family (Jeff and I went out last night). I've had this cute little heart-shaped springform pan for years, so I decided to try to make stuffed pizza in it. If you've never had Chicago-style pizza (like Gino's East or Nancy's), you are missing something great. It's a deep dish pizza with a biscuit-like, yeasty crust layered with cheese, toppings, and sauce, in that order. The cheese is sliced, not shredded, and it's about as thick as the crust. The sauce is thick and rich, too.

I decided to aim for a Gino's East type of pizza, since I figured there would be some copycat recipes online. I ended up combining a few purportedly authentic recipes, though I did leave out the yellow food coloring that gives Gino's pizza its distinctive color. The secret ingredient is cream of tartar, the additive that gives snickerdoodles cookies their unusual texture.

The verdict? Success on the first attempt (she said humbly). Jeff went crazy for it, and the boys, who haven't had Chicago pizza before, loved it. The crust was not as greasy as the restaurant version because I just sprayed the pan instead of coating it with oil or butter. If you want the full effect, have at it.

I had leftover dough because my springform pan was smaller than a 10-inch round, so I just discarded it (it wasn't enough to make another pizza).

Chicago-Style Stuffed Pizza

1 cup water
1 package active dry yeast
1/3 cup corn oil mixed with a 1/2 T. olive oil (just pour a little olive oil in the bottom of your 1/3 measuring cup, then top off with corn oil) I used vegetable oil, but use corn if you can
1 T sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 - 3 cups bread flour

Toppings: vegetables, pepperoni, cooked and crumbled sausage

Cheese: 8-10 ounces of mozzarella, preferably sliced

Sauce:

14 oz. crushed tomatoes (usually come in 28 oz. cans - use half, or double recipe and freeze extra sauce for next time)

1/2 t. olive oil

1/2 t. dried basil

1/2 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. salt

Parmesan/Romano cheese, grated

In a bowl, put water (lukewarm), then yeast, oil, cream of tartar, salt, and sugar. Mix by hand until yeast dissolves. Then, pour in bread flour a little at a time. Mix with by hand or with a dough hook on a stand mixer. Knead it until it gets firm. Add more flour if needed. Knead for 5-10 minutes. Then, roll it into a ball, and put it in a bowl with oil brushed in the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. You can let it rise all day if you want, or put it in the refrigerator overnight for a slower rise.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Mist or brush a 10-inch springform pan or a round cake pan with olive oil or butter. Put dough into pan and press it up the sides of the pan. You'll have to press it up a few times because it will want to slide back down.

Mix sauce ingredients together.

Lay slices of cheese on crust. Layer toppings over cheese. Spread sauce over toppings, not quite reaching the edge of the crust. Sprinkle parmesan or romano cheese on sauce, if desired.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Finish at 425 for 5 minutes to thicken sauce and brown crust. Let pizza rest for a few minutes before removing springform pan sides and cutting.

Indian-Spiced Roast Salmon with Mango Chutney

2010-02-13T11:27:00.000-05:00

We used to eat salmon once or twice a week. We haven't eaten it as often lately, probably because we were a little sick of it! But I bought a salmon a couple of weeks ago that had been pre-cut into fillets and then frozen, and it's so good!

If you don't normally buy it, look for wild-caught, not farm raised salmon. Wild caught tastes better, has more protein and less fat, and is better for the environment. It is always frozen or previously frozen, but flash freezing methods are very good. Also, look for fillets that are at least an inch thick and consistent - not a lot of very skinny tail ends. Even though salmon is relatively high in fat, thin pieces will dry out very quickly.

This is one of our favorite recipes, originally from Cooking Light. Unfortunately, it does require a lot of different spices! Though the recipe calls for plain yogurt as a topping, I always serve it with mango chutney, usually homemade. However, I found some great, cheap mango chutney at Your DeKalb Farmer's Market, so I used that this time. The recipe for the salad in the picture is located here.

Indian-Spiced Salmon

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 1/4-inches thick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil

Heat oven to 400°.

Combine first 8 ingredients in a shallow dish. Sprinkle fillets with salt; dredge fillets in spice mixture. Heat oil in a large skillet (oven-proof) over medium-high heat. Add fillets, skin sides up; cook 5 minutes or until bottoms are golden. Turn fillets over. Wrap handle of skillet with foil; bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove skin from fillets; discard skin. Serve with mango chutney.

Yield: 4 servings

CALORIES 301 (46% from fat); FAT 15.4g (sat 2.7g,mono 7.7g,poly 3.2g); IRON 1.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 111mg; CALCIUM 54mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2.6g; SODIUM 390mg; PROTEIN 35.9g; FIBER 0.3g

Mango Chutney

2 mangoes, peeled and diced

1/4 cup onion, diced fine

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 t. crushed red pepper or to taste

1 T brown sugar

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over low heat until saucy.

Black Beans and Brown Rice

2010-02-11T15:03:00.000-05:00

Here's Martha Stewart's twist on red beans and rice. This meal is delicious - but you really need to put out a choice of toppings. Be sure to check the beans as they cook, because mine were done early.

Jack really liked this; Ben pretty much ate brown rice with shredded cheese and tomato.

FOR THE BEANS
8 cups water, plus more if needed
1 bag (1 pound) dried black beans, picked over, rinsed, and drained
1 jalapeno chile, halved and seeded
2 medium onions, quartered
5 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

FOR THE RICE
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups long-grain brown rice
3 1/2 cups water

Make the beans: Bring water, beans, jalapeno, onions, garlic, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to a simmer in a medium pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (Add more water, 1/4 cup at a time, if needed.) Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, make the rice: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the rice. Cook until rice is slightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Add water, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, and gently simmer, covered, until rice absorbs water, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork, and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with beans.

SERVING IDEA Serve beans and rice with jarred jalapenos, fresh cilantro, diced onion, chopped tomato, cubed avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, and hot sauce.

Antipasto Pasta Salad

2010-02-03T19:08:00.002-05:00

The before pasta, pasta salad. Why put pasta off into the future when you can have it now? I've posted this recipe before on the blog, but it was combined with another recipe, so I'm posting it here to make it more convenient. One of these days I need to take a picture of it! It's really one of my very favorite things in the whole world.

Antipasto Pasta Salad

2 16 oz. packages of cheese tortellini cooked, drained, and cooled
16 oz. diced mozzarella (fresh or not)
4 oz. prosciutto (can also substitute pepperoni - a stick, chopped up, is best, but sliced is ok)
pepperoncini peppers, stems cut off
kalamata olives
red onion, diced
sun-dried tomatoes or halved grape tomatoes
sliced roasted red peppers
artichoke hearts

Mix the above together.

Add dressing. Mix gently and chill.

Dressing:

1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried orégano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Whisk dressing until emulsified. The dressing will be opaque, and there will not be a separation of the oil and vinegar. Pour over all other ingredients mixed in large bowl. This keeps for several days.

Lasagna Soup

2010-01-30T13:01:00.001-05:00

I found this recipe in Family Fun magazine, in an article featuring soups from 300 Sensational Soups. It sounds like a great cookbook: one of the other recipes was tomato soup with wee grilled cheese croutons floating about.

This soup is great! Unfortunately, I took a picture of the leftovers, so the pasta had absorbed a lot of the broth and made it more stew-like. The pasta is cooked in the broth, which makes it incredibly flavorful. The soup tastes just like lasagna with a lighter profile and a lot less prep time. Best of all, both boys loved it!

Lasagna Soup

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage (bulk or with casings removed) I used 20 oz turkey Italian sausage
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
8 ounces fusilli pasta (or rotini or penne)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
8 ounces ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella

Instructions

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and sauté, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pot. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and sauté until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package. Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil. If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the Parmesan, the 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pinch of pepper. To serve, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture in each bowl, sprinkle with some of the mozzarella, and ladle the soup on top. Makes about 13 cups. We didn't get 13 cups out of the recipe because so much broth soaked into the pasta/evaporated, but it does make a large amount.

Nutritional Information:
Per serving (1 cup):
Calories 264
Total Fat 11 g (17% DV)
Saturated Fat 5g (26% DV)
Cholesterol 38 mg (13% DV)
Sodium 1162 mg (48% DV)
Total Carbohydrate 22 g (7% DV)
Fiber 1g (6% DV)
Sugars 5g
Protein 19 g (39% DV)
Vitamin C 14 mg (23% DV)
Calcium 259 mg (26% DV)

How to Store Ground Beef

2010-01-30T11:04:00.000-05:00

I bought some excellent ground beef that the butcher ground from lean sirloin steaks. Here's how I like to store it in the freezer for convenience.

1. Take about 3 lbs. of meat and put it in a freezer ziploc bag. Flatten the meat so it is evenly distributed throughout the bag.

2. Take a chopstick or long spoon and press a 3X3 grid in the meat (outside the bag). Try to go all the way through to the other side.

3. Label and freeze.

The reason this is convenient is you can easily remove just the right amount of meat you need from the freezer. Each square is a little over 5 ounces of beef, which is a good amount for hamburgers. If you need a pound, take out three squares. Also, since there is very little extra air in the bag, you are less likely to get freezer burn.

This technique works for ground chicken, turkey, and pork as well.

Migas

2010-01-18T14:23:00.001-05:00

Migas, according to the Pioneer Woman, are a very popular breakfast item in the Southwest of the U.S. I'd never had them until I saw them on her site, but we've had them for dinner a number of times. I am not a fan of the egg unless it is mixed with lots of other good stuff, but these fit the bill. PW's migas are meatless, but I add some crumbled bacon on top - partly because I don't like eggs without meat, and partly because, well, BACON!

(Side note: 2 strips of bacon only has 6 grams of fat and 80 calories - and I only used one per serving: not bad!)

The authentic way to make migas is to deep fry corn tortillas and chop them before adding them to the dish. But I always have broken hard-shell taco shells in the pantry, so that's what I use. You could use tortilla chips in a pinch. Whichever way you go, the tortialls meld with the eggs and give body and flavor - they don't stay crunchy.

Migas (adapted from Pioneer Woman)

4 hard shell taco shells, crushed.
1 whole Jalapeno, Seeds And Membranes Removed, Finely Diced
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 whole Green Pepper, Roughly Chopped
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Roughly Chopped
1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
10 whole Large Eggs
8 oz. (2 cups) Cotija Cheese, Grated (you can sub any cheese you like with Tex/Mex)
⅓ cups Cilantro, Chopped
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
¼ cups milk
6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Preparation Instructions

In a bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Salt and pepper eggs, then set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the olive oil with the butter. Add onions and bell peppers and cook until starting to turn brown/black, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add in diced jalapenos and stir to combine. Add tomatoes to the skillet and stir around, then add tortilla pieces, stirring gently to combine.

Reduce heat to low.

When the heat has decreased, pour egg mixture into skillet. Stir gently to cook with the peppers, folding mixture very gently as it cooks. Add in grated cheese and chopped cilantro, and stir to combine.

Serve with bacon sprinkled on top.

Makes 6-8 servings. Reheats beautifully!

Shredded Roast Chicken

2010-01-17T20:37:00.001-05:00

Update: you can also cook this chicken at 425 for a shorter time period - just don't let it dry out. Lately I've been seasoning it with Paula Deen's house seasoning, which is four parts salt, 1 part black pepper, and 1 part garlic powder.

The chicken in the picture doesn't look incredibly appetizing, but believe me when I tell you it is delicious. Every couple of weeks I buy some split chicken breasts (bone-in, with skin) and roast them for salads, tacos, soup, sandwiches, casseroles - there are so many uses. I used to poach chicken breast (and I do sometimes still for chicken salad), but I find this method to be the most flavorful. It's also easy, healthy, and frugal: you can often find split chicken breasts on sale for about $.99 - $1.50 per pound. In this picture I have five pounds, which yields about 8-9 cups of shredded chicken.

This technique is the one Ina Garten uses. You'll notice the skin is not appetizing - it will be discarded, of course, but you don't want to brown it too much so the chicken dries out.

Shredded Roast Chicken

5 pounds split chicken breasts
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Spray or rub chicken with a little bit of olive oil. Generously sprinkle salt and pepper on the chicken. Place chicken on a cookie sheet or roasting pan, not touching. Roast for 40-50 minutes (depending on size), until breasts are cooked through. When cool, discard skin and shred chicken. Freeze in 1 or 2 cup portions for future use. You can also save the browned bits on the pan and the bones to make great stock.

Szechuan Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas

2010-01-14T22:20:00.000-05:00

This recipe is from Chopsticks, Cleaver, and Wok, a great Chinese cookbok I almost forgot I had. I bought it when I was 20 at Pier One - back when Pier One sold clothes!

The one downside to this incredibly flavorful and healthy recipe is you need to have a number of Asian ingredients. I like to cook Asian food, so I had all the ingredients - they are all things you can find in an ordinary grocery store. But they last forever in the refrigerator, so don't be afraid to buy them if you don't already have them.

Szechuan Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about one pound)

12 oz. frozen sugar snap peas (can also use 25 fresh snow peas or a stalk of fresh broccoli, chopped)

2 T. peanut or vegetable oil

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c. chicken stock

2 t. cornstarch, mixed well with 1 T. cold water

2 green onions, sliced

Seasoning:

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. sugar

1/2 t. soy sauce

1 t. oyster sauce

2 t. white wine (or mirin, or dry sherry, or dry vermouth)

2 t. cornstarch

Sauce

1 t. chili paste with garlic, like Sriracha (more if you like heat)
1 1/2 t. hoisin sauce
1 t. sugar
2 1/2 t. rice vinegar
1 t. soy sauce
1 t. oyster sauce
2 t. sesame oil

1. Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces. Place in bowl. Add seasoning ingredients to chicken and mix well.

2. Prepare sugar snap peas according to package directions and drain.

3. Combine sauce ingredients and mix well.

4. Heat wok and add 1/2 T oil. Add sugar snap peas and stir fry for 1 minute over high heat, adding salt and sugar. Remove from wok and set aside.

5. Heat wok and add 1 1/2 T. oil. Add garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken and stir fry for 2 minutes.

6. Add chicken stock and bring quickly to a boil. Cover and cook for 2 minutes over high heat.

7. Add sauce mixture and stir well.

8. Add sugar snap peas and green onions. Mix well.

9. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Cook for 30 seconds. Serve over rice.

Great Oven Fries

2010-01-13T21:46:00.001-05:00

These are truly great oven fries! They are a combination of a few different recipes I've tried. The trick is to soak them in hot water to wash off some of the starch, which makes the fries get a crispy outside.

4 small/medium russet potatoes

2 T. olive oil

Kosher salt (preferred, but table salt is okay)

Peel potatoes. Cut into fries - try to keep them roughly the same size.

Preheat oven to 425. While the oven is preheating, soak the potatoes in the hottest tap water possible. Stir them around a bit.

When the oven reaches 425, drain the potatoes and blot them dry with a paper towel. Toss them with olive oil.

Put the fries on a baking pan in one layer. Sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 20 minutes and turn with spatula. Bake 10-20 more minutes, until golden brown.

Easy Christmas Treat

2009-12-19T09:31:00.001-05:00

You can cover anything in white chocolate and it seems Christmas-y: pretzels, peppermint, cereal, dried fruit. Here's something easy and delicious to package up for the neighbors or add to a Christmas tray. It's very simple to do, but takes a little bit of time because they are so small (about the size of a quarter each). They taste like white chocolate Reese's peanut butter cups.

White Chocolate Covered Ritz Bits

1 box peanut butter Ritz Bits
1 package Almond bark or CandiQuik (you can use white chocolate, but you may need to add a little oil)
Sprinkles

Melt white chocolate in microwave according to package instructions. Using two forks, dip the Ritz Bits into the white chocolate one at a time. After one is covered, lift up with the fork and gently tap off the excess over the bowl.

Carefully put the candy on waxed paper and add sprinkles before it hardens.

Danish Sugar Cookies

2009-12-19T02:23:00.000-05:00

Okay, these pictures are mostly of the boys, but those are Christmas cookies they're decorating! We got together with some friends and made and decorated cookies last week. I've been using this recipe for a long time, but I haven't posted it, so here it is.

The cookies are soft with slightly crisp edges, which is the way I like them. If you like a crunchier cookie, roll out the dough thinner and bake them a bit longer. This recipe works well with cookie cutters, but they do spread a little bit. They taste great, though! The addition of sour cream and nutmeg makes them just a little different. They come from a Scandanavian cookbook that someone gave our family (our grandmother was Norwegian). The original recipe uses all shortening, but the Danes probably used lard.

Oh, and my friend's husband declared these sugar cookies "freakin' awesome!" which makes me happy. :-)

Danish Sugar Cookies

2 c. sugar

1/2 c. shortening

1/2 c. butter

2 egg yolks

1 egg

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

5 cups of flour, plus more to roll out

Cream butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat eggs together lightly and add to butter mixture; mix together. Add sour cream and mix. Sift dry ingredients and add gradually. Roll on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters adn bake at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes, or until golden and lightly browned on edges.

Butterfinger Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-12-18T22:07:00.000-05:00

Today is Jeff's birthday, and he wanted a cake with cream cheese frosting. Spice? Italian Cream?Carrot? Red Velvet? No. I started looking for something different and found this little delight. It's excellent, and quite easy to make. The layers come out of the pan beautifully (but make sure to grease and flour thoroughly), and the frosting is easy to work with. It is very sweet, so I added more peanut butter to the frosting and next time I would add more salt for a counterpoint. The recipe below comes from The Candy Bar Cookbook, but I am including it here with my changes.

Butterfinger Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

For the cake:
6 (2.1 ounce) butterfinger candy bars
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup buttermilk

For the frosting:
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter

To prepare the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F Grease and flour two 9" cake pans. In the food processor, coarsely chop the candy bars; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix in the mashed bananas and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk alternately to the egg mixture (in two to three additions each) and incorporate thoroughly. Fold in two-thirds of the chopped Butterfingers and divide the batter between the cake pans.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes on wire racks for 10 minutes. Invert onto a rack and cool completely before frosting.

To prepare the frosting: In a large mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the powdered sugar and peanut butter and mix until smooth.

To frost the cake, place one layer on a serving plate. Spread 1/4 of the frosting over the top. Place the second layer on top. Spread the remaining frosting over top and sides of the cake. Garnish with remaining crushed Butterfingers.

Makes 12 servings.

Christmas Cookies 2009

2009-12-17T17:12:00.000-05:00

Peppermint Meltaways
Yummy No-Bake Bars
To-Die-For Cranberry Coconut Bars
Mocha Truffles
Meyer Lemon Cookies

More recipes coming soon!!!

1.	Combine ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, and pepper in a large bowl; mix well. Form 8, thin patties from the beef. Each patty should be slightly larger than a slice of cheese.
2.	Cut each slice of American cheese into 4 equal pieces; stack the pieces. Sandwich one stack of cheese between 2 ground beef patties. Tightly pinch edges together tightly seal the cheese within the meat. Repeat with the remaining cheese and patties.
3.	Preheat a cast-iron or other heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Cook burgers until well browned, about 4 minutes. It is common for burgers to puff up due to steam from the melting cheese. Turn burgers and prick the top of each to allow steam to escape; cook until browned on the outside and no longer pink on the inside; about 4 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.