this week's menu

Chicken Vindaloo

2010-06-05T10:45:00.004-04:00

This is actually my menu from two weeks ago which I never got around to posting and it is a lot more exciting than the menu from last week. It is a nice mix of fresh summery meals and some heartier fare. This menu make lots of leftovers too (if you are only cooking for two). Enjoy!

THE MENU:

Tex-Mex Chicken with Chiles and Cheese

Grilled Shrimp & Lemon Kebabs

Pioneer Woman's Enchiladas

Corn & Zucchini Pizza with Lime and Cilantro

Crockpot Chicken Vindaloo

I spotted this on foodgawker and followed the link over to Chaos in the Kitchen and can I just say, oh my.... It was delicious and tasted just like what we get from our favorite Indian restaurant in town. And the prep was easy as can be. I did vary things a bit, added a few more veggies and served with a brown basmatti rice. She has a recipe for garlic naan over there too which I was too lazy to make this time but definitely have on the list now. It sounds pretty easy and I have no excuse for not trying it.

Crockpot Chicken Vindaloo

makes 4 servings

1 onion, diced

1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed to 1-2" lengths
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
2 small yellow potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 1/2" pieces
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
2 cups tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp ground mustard
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
fresh cilantro or parsley

Layer onion, green beans, peas, potatoes, chicken, garlic, and ginger in crock pot.

In a separate bowl, combine tomato sauce and all spices. Stir to mix well. Taste tomato sauce and salt as desired. Pour sauce mixture into crock pot.

Cover crock pot and cook on low 5 hours.

Before serving roughly chop a bunch of fresh cilantro or parsley and toss gently into crock pot.
Garnish with more cilantro or parsley and serve with basmati rice and garlic naan if desired.

Potluck Leftovers

2010-05-23T09:22:00.003-04:00

The week began with a BBQ potluck at our house so I used some of the leftovers for a few of the meals on the menu. We had at least three bags of tortilla chips so we indulged and made nachos. There was also a bean salad left over so I mixed it with some brown rice to make a meal out of it.

THE MENU:

Nachos

Spaghetti with Three Tomato Sauce

Rice and Beans

Pork Chops with Rhubarb-Cherry Sauce

~~~

This recipe caught my eye in the middle of winter and I mentally filed it away for spring when I could get rhubarb. The sauce was sweet and tart and savory and made for a perfect complement to the pork. It think it would also be delicious on grilled chicken.

Pork Chops with Rhubarb-Cherry Sauce

from Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast

makes 4 servings

1/2 cup dried cherries

1 T balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup hot water

1 t plus 2 T olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

8-10 oz rhubarb, ends trimmed, cut crosswise into 1/2" pieces (2 cups)

3 T sugar

Pinch of ground nutmeg

kosher salt and black pepper

4 6-8 oz pork loin chops (1/2" thick)

Combine the cherries with the vinegar and hot water and set aside for 10 minutes to soften.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat 1 t oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the cherry mixture, rhubarb, and sugar; bring tot a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the rhubarb has softened, 5-8 minutes. Stir in the nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Season both sides of the pork with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 t oil over medium-high heat. Cook the pork (in two batches if necessary to avoid crowding) until browned and cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side. Serve topped with the warm sauce.

Take Two

2010-05-16T10:25:00.003-04:00

I don't know exactly where to start so I am just going to jump in. Obviously I have been on a little break. The start of this year seemed to bring a lot of changes to my life and I just found this blog to be on the bottom of the list of priorities. But I have started to miss it and I have been thinking about how I could get back to it but in a less time intensive way. Beside the time issue I was feeling like, although I was still doing my menu planning and cooking a lot, I hadn't been making very many things that I hadn't already posted about here and I just don't think it is worth my time or yours for me to re-post recipes. So, in keeping with the spirit of the menu planning blog I think I have come up with a plan. I am going to be posting my weekly menu but only sharing recipes for anything new. I will try to do at least one new thing a week.

THE MENU:

Grilled Chicken with Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Green Chili Breakfast Burritos

Grilled Burgers with Oven Fries

Pan-Broiled Porterhouse Salads

~~~

This salad evolved as I was making it. I had a porterhouse steak in the fridge because a friend of mine picked them up buy one get one free and didn't want both for himself. I have cooked steak a couple of times recently with mixed results. For this one I remembered a steak cookbook we have that Jer got as a gift from his sisters (since he is such a carnivore). It has a ton of great info on all the different cuts you can get and how best to cook each one. It said that for porterhouse most people think the best method is under the broiler but that most home ovens don't get hot enough to cook it properly. Instead he recommends cooking the steak in a very hot cast iron skillet. Here are the instructions I followed and it turned out really great.

1 porterhouse steak (about 1 1/4" thick)

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

2 T fresh thyme

2 T vegetable oil, plus more for the pan

Pat the steak dry and coat one side with half the pepper and half the thyme, pressing the seasonings onto the meat. Coat with 1 T of the oil. Turn over and repeat. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Very lightly coat the surface of a cast iron skillet (ridged of flat) with vegetable oil (wipe up any excess with a paper towel). Heat the pan over medium-high heat until the oil begins to smoke. Place the steak in the skillet and cook until seared and nicely browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook for 5 minutes more for medium-rare of 6 minutes for medium.

Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Slice against the grain of the meat.

I served the meat atop a salad of baby spinach, hard boiled eggs, artichoke hearts, sliced red onions (which I cooked in the same pan I had done the steak in with a little balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper), and a creamy Boursin cheese with garlic and herbs. It turned out to be an immensely satisfying combination of flavors and textures.

The New Bathroom!

2010-02-16T20:21:00.002-05:00

Okay, for those of you anxiously awaiting pics of the new and *vastly* improved bathroom (Mom and Twila) here are a few to tide you over. The color is pretty off here, it is actually a true teal (much more green than it looks here) and you may be able to pic out the few things left to do. We wouldn't be human if we finished it completely would we? What does Charlie say? Finish your house and die?

Well anyway, it is such a joy to have it (almost) done and hopefully it won't be too long before I can put the rest of the tools away.

What do you think?

One Year in the Saddle!

2010-02-07T09:32:00.006-05:00

This week my blog is turning one! It's hard to believe it has been a year. One year ago I have to say I was a little freaked out. Jer and I had both just gotten our hours cut at work by 30% and I honestly wasn't sure how we were going to get by. We hunkered down though and Jer was able to pick up more hours a second job that he had held on to. I put myself into full study mode to plow through the remainder of my registration exams and I started doing this.

Although I still feel like a baby blogger, I have learned so much about the medium and I am excited to see how this will evolve over the next year. So far, if I can just get back to posting regularly, things are looking pretty bright.

Last time I posted we were just beginning to reconstruct our bathroom. Well, it's taken a little longer than expected but I'm happy to say that were are almost back to having a fully functioning and beautiful bathroom. You will understand my absence when you see what we have been through...

You will have to wait until next week to see the results. You won't want to miss it!

~~~

This recipe comes from Rachel Ray. I have mixed feelings about her and her food. I find that her recipes always need to be taken with a grain of salt, so to speak, because the amounts can sometimes be a little off. This is one I saw her making on her show quite a while ago and I put it on my ever growing "to make" list. It ended up being simple and flavorful, and it looks so pretty with all of the bright colors.

Honey Nut Chicken with BBQ Succotash

from Rachel Ray

makes four servings

For the Chicken:

2/3 cup honey roasted peanuts

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs (I used Panko)

1 T grill seasoning blend

2 eggs

splash of whole milk

2 t hot sauce

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2-3 T vegetable oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pulse nuts, bread crumbs and grill seasoning in a food processor to combine. Pour onto a plate.

Beat eggs with milk and hot sauce in a shallow dish. Pour flour onto another plate.

Heat vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Dust both sides of the chicken with flour then dip into the egg mixture and coat with the nutty breading. Place in the pan and brown 2 minutes on each side until evenly light golden in color. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until juices run clear and breasts are cooked through, 12-15 minutes.

For the Succotash:

1 T extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 14 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1o oz. frozen corn

kosher salt and black pepper

1/4 cup BBQ sauce

chives, parsley, scallions or cilantro for garnish (optional)

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers and cook 5 minutes. Add beans and corn and season with salt and pepper to taste. When corn is heated through and BBQ sauce. Stir to combine and garnish if desired.

~~~

This chowder has a long list of ingredients but they all play very nicely together. It is sort of a Northeast meets Southwest flavor combination.

Chicken and Corn Chowder with Chiles and Cheese

from Tasty Kitchen

makes 8 servings

3 slices bacon, chopped

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4-5 green chiles (or 1 4oz. can) diced

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 cup frozen corn

1 14 oz. can creamed corn

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups skim (or 1%) milk

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1/4 t cayenne pepper

kosher salt and black pepper

Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crispy. Remove and let drain on a paper towel. To the bacon drippings add the chicken, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the green chiles and cook an additional minute. Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add frozen corn and creamed corn and stir well.

Place flour in a medium bowl and gradually whisk in the milk. Add the flour flour mixture to the soup and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in the grated cheese and cayenne pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Garnish with crumbled bacon and grated cheese if desired.

~~~

Lets just keep the chile theme going here a while. This is a Pioneer Woman creation and was as easy and delicious as she claimed it was.

Chile Relleno Casserole

from Pioneer Woman

makes 6-8 servings

8 whole green chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded

1 1 2/ cup grated Monteray Jack cheese

5 large eggs

2 cups whole milk

kosher salt and black pepper to taste

1/2 t paprika

1/2 t cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne.

Cut chiles in half and place half of them in a single layer on the bottom of a heavy 9x13 baking dish. Top the chiles with half of the grated cheese. Repeat with another layer of chiles and cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the top. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until completely set.

Serve with warm corn tortillas.

~~~

Now this is what I call a man meal. Every time I make something like this I get a "Good dinner, Honey." from Jer. His highest compliment. He is a man of few words.

Strip Steak with Rosemary and Garlic and Baked Potatoes

from Real Simple

makes 2 servings

2 russet potatoes

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 T fresh rosemary

1 T olive oil

1 1" thick strip steak

kosher salt and black pepper

sour cream

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork and bake directly on the oven rack until tender, 45-55 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine the garlic, rosemary and oil. Add the steaks and turn to coat. Let marinate, turning once, for at least 30 minutes (up to 1 day in the refrigerator).

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. remove the steaks from the marinade (reserve the marinade) and season with 1/4 t each salt and pepper. Cook to desired doneness, 5-7 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Wipe out the skillet and return to medium heat. Add the reserved marinade and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden, 2-3 minutes. Spoon over the slices steak and serve with the potatoes and sour cream.

~~~

This simple tomato sauce was simply perfect. It tasted like summer, and was even better on the second day. I still can't believe the incredibly simple list of ingredients.

Tomato Sauce

from Smitten Kitchen

makes four servings

28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes (she recommends San Marzano but I am not sure if they are available everywhere)

5 T unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved

salt to taste

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter into a medium sized, heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Lower heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot. Remove from heat, discard the onion and add salt to taste.

Serve with your choice of pasta. I used a thin, whole wheat spaghetti.

~~~

Weekend Warriors

2010-01-17T09:21:00.003-05:00

I am sitting here listening to the sounds of my handy husband and a plumber installing a new faucet in our shower and bathtub. The second step on the road to a new bathroom! Yesterday was demo day. It was dirty and tiresome but totally satisfying to tear out all of the old tile and plaster. We had planned on just doing the shower this weekend and saving the floor for another time but once we got into the demo we decided to just go for it and so far I am glad we did. Ask me how I feel on Tuesday morning though, when it is time to go back to work and we have no shower. In the end it will be great to have it all fresh and new. Maybe I will post some pics here to show you all the before and after.

Lets get on to the menu. Like I said, I have been cooking a lot. It has been pretty hardy, winter type food. The type that warms you up at the end of a cold day.

This is basically the same as the butternut squash version I posted about here in the Fall but this time I opted for a frozen package of squash and the butternut they had was full of margarine and other non-desirable things but the winter squash was just winter squash so I went for that. I have to say, at first I didn't like it quite as much but it mellowed out as it sat and the leftovers I had for lunch the next day were delish.

Chicken and Winter Squash Risotto

modified from This Week for Dinner

makes 4-6 servings

1 12oz package frozen winter squash, thawed

2 chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper, sauteed in olive oil and cut into bite size pieces

6 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 T olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups Arborio Rice

1 cup dry white wine

pinch nutmeg

kosher salt and black pepper

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 T butter

1 t fresh thyme leaves

In a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and toast, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the it is absorbed, 2-3 minutes.

Add two ladles of the warm chicken broth to the rice and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat adding two ladles at a time until all of the liquid is absorbed. If the rice is not completely tender continue to add hot water, 1/2 cup at a time until rice is cooked through.

Stir in the squash, nutmeg, thyme, salt and pepper to taste and let cook two minutes. Add the chicken, cheese and butter and stir until melted.

~~~

These were so easy to make and really fantastic. After I made them I couldn't stop thinking of all the delicious variations you could do. Yesterday we made another batch but with breakfast fillings. Mine had scrambled eggs, onions, green peppers and turkey sausage. Jer just went for the eggs sausage and cheese.

Pork and Sweet Potato Turnovers

modified from Real Simple

make 4 servings

1/2 lb ground pork

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 sweet potato grated

2 cups baby spinach

kosher salt and black pepper

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Brown the pork with the garlic over medium-high heat until cooked through. Add the sweet potato and spinach and cook until the spinach in wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut each pastry sheet in half and place 14 of the filling on half of each piece. Fold the top over the filling and press along the edges to seal.

Bake until golden, 25-30 minutes.

~~~

Jer has recently decided that he loves cooked carrots (especially if they are roasted) so I have been looking for ways to incorporate them into our meals. This came from the Martha Stewart Great Food Fast Cookbook (I got it from my Mom for Christmas). It is great book, I like that it is organized by season and the recipes are simple and strait forward. It also has really enticing photos of all of the recipes in the book.

Oven Roasted Chicken and Vegetables with Rice Pilaf

modified from Great Food Fast

makes 4 servings

4 chicken breasts

1 lb carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut diagonally into 1/2" chunks

6 cloves garlic, quartered

1 medium red onion, halved and cut into 1/2" wedges

kosher salt and black pepper

rice pilaf for servings (I made one from a box)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the carrots, garlic and onion around the chicken; season everything generously with salt and pepper.

Roast for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve with rice pilaf.

~~~

This was another from the Martha Stewart book. Well it started out that way but as I got into it, it quickly became one of those meals where nothing seams to be working right and it became something entirely different than what it set out to be. The main problem was that I thought I had hoisin sauce sauce but when I went to dig it out of the depths of the fridge it was no more (probably the victim of a clean sweep of the refrigerator one day when I couldn't find what I was looking for). I looked online to see if I could make it from things I had in the pantry and sure enough there were several recipes. I came up with something based on what I did have but then, when I made it, it came out very thin. That was when I gave up on the plan and started flying by the seat of my pants. Here is what came out of the fog.

Hoisin Pork with Pineapple

makes 4 servings

For the Hoisin Sauce:

4 T soy sauce

2 T peanut butter

1 T honey

2 t white vinegar

1/8 t garlic powder

2 t sesame oil

20 drops hot sauce

1/8 t black pepper

Mix all ingredients together and set aside.

For the pork:

1 pork tenderloin, cut into 1" pieces

1/2 pineapple cut into 1" pieces

1 T vegetable oil

1/4 t fresh ginger minced

Heat the oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pineapple and cook until they start to get a little char on them. Add the pork and cook until cooked through. Pour in the hoisin sauce and ginger and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Serve over rice.

~~~

This was supposed to be a weekend project but I didn't get to it last weekend. I had all of the ingredients so I decided to take it on on Monday. It took me two hours and the entire time I was doubtful they were going to turn out, but in the end they were a total success and I think next time they may even be a little quicker too.

Chinese Dumplings

from Fine Cooking (check out the Feb/March '10 issue for great step-by-step photos and variations on the filling and cooking method)

makes 36 dumplings

For the filling:

1 cup napa cabbage, finely chopped

kosher salt

6 oz ground pork

4 oz. shrimp, peeled, deveined and coarsely chopped

2 medium scallions, thinly sliced

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 T Chinese rice wine

3/4 T grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 t soy sauce

1 t sesame oil

1/4 t granulated sugar

1/4 t black pepper

In a medium bowl. toss the cabbage with 1 t salt and set aside for 30 minutes to shed moisture. Wring out in a clean kitchen towel to extract as much moisture as possible.

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir until well mixed. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. (You can prepare and refrigerate the filling up to 8 hours ahead.)

For the dough:

1 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour: more for kneading

1/2 cup cold water

Put the flour in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the water. Stir first with a spoon and then with your hands. If the dough remains in shreds, sprinkle in additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it begins to stick together. Don't ass too much water or the dough will be difficult to work.

Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with flour and knead the dough for 5 minutes to form a smooth, firm, elastic ball. The dough should not be sticky and should bounce back when pressed lightly.

Divide the dough in half with a benchknife and roll into two 6" logs. Sprinkle each evenly with four and, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. (At this point you can cover the dough with plastic and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. return to room temperature before rolling.)

Cut each log in half crosswise. Cut each half crosswise into thirds, then slice each of those pieces into three even pieces. You should have 36, equal size, pieces. Toss the pieces in four and cover with a clean towel so they don't dry out.

Roll each piece of dough into a thin 3" circle. Spoon 1-2 t of the filling onto the dough circle, fold it in half and seal by pinching at the center of the curved edge and then pleat toward the center on both sides to create a rounded belly.

Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. As you work arrange the dumplings on a plate in a single layer without touching, so they won't stick together.

To pan-fry the dumplings for pot-stickers heat 2 T vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working quickly (in batches if necessary) arrange the dumpling, belly side down in the skillet. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, 1-2 minutes. Pour in about 1/2 cup water, enough to come about 1/3 of the way up the sides of the dumplings, bring to a boil, cover, and cook until all of the water has been absorbed, 2-3 minutes. Remove the lid, reduce the heat to medium, and continue to cook until the dumplings are dry and crisp on the bottom, 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a plate, browned side up, and serve with a dipping sauce.

Soy dipping sauce:

3 T soy sauce

1 T rice vinegar

1 t granulated sugar

1/2 t hot chile oil or sesame oil

1 small scallion, thinly sliced.

Combine first four ingredients. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in scallion.

I am still here.

2010-01-13T06:07:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to say I have not fallen off the face of the planet! I have been cooking like crazy latley but have not been able to motivate to post about it. Not to worry though, this weekend I will be back with an actual menu!

See you all soon,

Andrea

December 25th

2009-12-25T06:28:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Hot Chocolate Cake

2009-12-24T09:57:00.002-05:00

I've been busy...

...making this

I call it Hot Chocolate Cake

I promise I will post the recipe but for now I need to head to the gym and prepare to indulge in this decadence later today.

My Favorite Christmas Cookie

2009-12-22T07:58:00.002-05:00

These are my absolute favorite Christmas Cookie. I love the combination of cranberry and orange and the sugar on the outside gives them a little sparkle. Perfect for Christmas!

Cranberry Orange Cookies

makes about 3 dozen

Sugar Mixture:

1/3 cup sugar

1 t freshly grated orange peel

(Instead of the orange peel, this time I used the left over sugar from rolling the candied orange peels I made. It was infused with the orange flavor and worked really well.)

Cookie:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 egg

1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

1 T freshly grated orange peel

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar mixture ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside. Combine sugar, butter and egg in a large bowl and beat, at medium speed, until creamy. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture. Beat until well mixed. Add cranberries and orange peel and continue to beat until just mixed.

Shape dough into 1" balls and roll in the balls in the sugar mixture. Place 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten the balls with the bottom of a glass to 1 1/2" circles.

Bake for 7-11 minutes, until edges are very lightly browned, Do not over bake, the best part about these cookies is the soft, chewy texture. Cool for about 1 minute before removing from cookie sheet (they will be soft when they first come out of the oven).

Breakfast of Champions

2009-12-21T08:12:00.005-05:00

Paired with a Clementine fruit salad this would make a great Christmas morning breakfast; hearty and flavorful and super easy to make for a crowd.

Biscuits and Gravy

makes 4 servings (but can easily be doubled or even tripled)

8 biscuits*

1 lb breakfast sausage roll (such as Jimmy Dean)

2 cups milk (I use 1 or 2%)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

(if you want to add a little kick sprinkle in a little cayenne pepper too.)

Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking apart as it cooks, until browned.

Mix in the the flour, 1 T at a time, until completely mixed. Slowly stir in the milk and cook until thick and starting to bubble. Stir in salt and pepper to taste (and cayenne, if desired).

*For the biscuits I usually make drop biscuits because they are so darn easy. This time I made the buttermilk biscuits from Pioneer Woman Cooks but I have to say I didn't love them and I think I will go back to drop biscuits in the future. It didn't help that I overcooked them a tad. There's something about a kitchen full of people that makes it impossible for me to remember what I have put in the oven. Good thing I don't work in a professional kitchen.

Here is a recipe for drop biscuits that I like (this makes about 12-15 biscuits):

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 t baking powder

1 t kosher salt

1/2 t baking soda

5 T cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup regular or low-fat buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper of aluminum foil.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Using a pastry blender, two knives or your fingers (I go with the finger method) add the butter to the flour mixture and mix until crumbly. Add the buttermilk and stir until combined. The dough will be very sticky.

Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the baking sheet and bake until lightly golden and cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.

A PW Cooks Giveaway! Winner

2009-12-20T07:49:00.003-05:00

Good Morning.

I was so excited about choosing the winner of the PW Cooks giveaway this morning that I was up at 7 AM and I am supposed to be on vacation!

Anyway, I'll get to it. I went the boring route and used random.org to generate the number and the winner is:

Heather from Squirrelbread!

(Heather I sent you an email, please respond with your shipping information and I will try to get it to you by the end of the week!)

Thanks to everyone for entering. I wish I could have given a book away to all of you!

(Twila, do not despair, there is a consolation prize on its way to you!)

Candied Orange Peels

2009-12-19T19:25:00.003-05:00

These candied orange peels make me smile because two years ago, at Christmas time, I went online searching for a recipe for them and landed on Use Real Butter. I had no idea at the time of the vast world of food blogs and URB quickly became my favorite. She really opened my eyes to the world of food blogging and was a big inspiration for me to start TWM.

It is important to blanch the peels at least three times (I usually do four) in order to take away the bitterness. Any small amount of leftover bitter flavor is zapped by the chocolate dip.

Dark Chocolate Dipped Candied Orange Peel

from Use Real Butter

4 oranges

3 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 cup sugar for rolling

&/or

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate for dipping

The method I use to get the peel off the oranges is: Cut each orange in quarters and then cut each quarter into quarters. Using a sharp paring knife, cut the flesh out of each piece. Cut about half of the pith off of the peel and slice the piece of peel in half lengthwise. Repeat, repeat, repeat. This is messy work, be prepared.

Place the peels in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Heat on high until the water comes to a boil. Pour off the water. Repeat two or three more times. Combine sugar and water in the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the peel and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer until peels are translucent (at least 30 minutes, probably longer). Remove the peels from the syrup with tongs and roll in sugar. Shake off excess and set on wax paper to dry. Once the peels are dry dip half in melted chocolate.

Snowflake Sugar Cookies

2009-12-18T18:07:00.003-05:00

It has been a baking extravaganza around here the last couple of days. So much so yesterday that I didn't get a chance to post anything. I gave away gift bags of a variety of goodies to all of my coworkers today.

I find a lot of sugar cookie recipes can be pretty bland and have a poor texture. This one is easy to work with, has a great texture and is delicious! The trick is not over baking them. My first batch usually comes out well but if I get anxious and try to bake the second batch when the sheets are still hot I will often get them a little on the brown side. In my opinion if these are brown at all they are overdone.

Sugar Cookies

makes 3 dozen medium sized cookies

2 sticks (16 T) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 t pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for work surface)

1/4 t baking soda

1/4 t kosher salt

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of and electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. The dough will be stiff.

Shape the dough into a flat 1" thick disk. Refrigerate, wrapped, for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/4" thick. Cut into shapes and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 10-12 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheets.

Royal Icing:

makes 1 cup (enough for 2-4 dozen cookies)

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 large egg white (or equivalent amount of dried egg whites if you don't want to eat uncooked egg whites)

1/2 t lemon juice

water

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, egg white and lemon juice. Add water 1/2 t at a time (stirring well between additions) until it reaches the desired consistency. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

If you want to decorate your cookies like the ones I made start with a thicker icing that you can pipe around all of the edges of the cookies. When that hardens dilute the remainder of the icing and flood the cookies. When that hardens you can pipe a contrasting color over the top, again with a thicker icing. There are really great step by step photos and beautiful cookies here.

Cookie Mix in a Jar

2009-12-16T21:17:00.003-05:00

So, remember how I said I tied for best outfit at the Ugly Holiday Sweater Party? Well, this was my awesome prize!

It is a cookie mix in a jar. The other winner got the baked cookies but the party hostess knew that I would enjoy baking the cookies as much I would enjoy eating them!

The recipe is from Domino Sugar's website and they have several varieties. They also have the recipes on little cards that you can print out and attach to the jar. My friend recycled holiday cards from last year to make the tags. So clever!

I think this is a fantastic gift idea for friends or co-workers.

A Deliciously Simple and Healthy Appetizer

2009-12-15T20:45:00.003-05:00

There is still time to enter the PW Cooks signed cookbook givaway! Do it here.

Do you still have a holiday party to attend this season? Do you have to bring something to share? This is a deliciously simple and healthy appetizer that will impress your fellow party goers.

I have already attended all of the parties this year that I needed to bring something to but I really wanted to share this here so I whipped these up the other day and then ate them for lunch! It was sort of fun and out of the ordinary.

It may be hard to find cherry tomatoes at this time of year but grape tomatoes are usually available all year long. Also, if your market has an olive/antipasti bar that is a great place to look for the small fresh mozzarella balls.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Balls

from Fine Cooking

makes 16

8 thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise (get this at the deli counter)

8 large basil leaves, halved lengthwise (or 16 small leaves)

8 small fresh mozzarella balls (about 1" in diameter), halved

8 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

extra-virgin olive oil

Lay 1 piece of prosciutto flat on a work surface and put a piece of basil on top at one end. Top the basil with a piece of mozzarella and tomato, matching the cut ends to form a ball. Season lightly with salt and generously with pepper and rolls the balls up in the prosciutto. Secure the end with a toothpick and place on a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Drizzle with olive oil and serve. (These will keep at room temperature for up to 1 hour before serving.)

The Coolest Wreath on the Block

2009-12-14T21:01:00.004-05:00

First off, if you haven't entered to win the PW Cooks signed cookbook give away you can do it here.

Now, I'm excited to share this wreath that I made with the help of a friend a couple of weeks ago. She has recently been getting into paper crafts and has made some really beautiful things. She made a wreath like this in the fall and I asked her to show me how. It is so simple and the end product is really impressive.

All you do is apply glue (with a glue stick) to one diagonal corner of a sheet of regular printer paper and roll it tightly with a wooden dowel (starting with the not glued corner and ending with the glued corner. Once you have made about 100 of them apply them to a doughnut shaped circle cut out of cardboard. At this point you can spray paint the whole thing whatever color you want. The center circle are additional doughnut shaped cardboard cutouts wrapped tightly with yarn and glued onto the first circle.

At first I was just going to go with the teal yarn but I thought it was a little more festive with the red added.

I guarantee it will be the coolest wreath on the block.

A PW Cooks Giveaway!

2009-12-13T13:02:00.007-05:00

The Ugly Holiday Sweater party was a blast and I actually tied for best outfit and won a sweet prize! I am going to share it here sometime this week. When you win at something like that it shouldn't really be an honor because it basically means that you looked the ugliest. But I was proud to accept and I think I really owe it all to my leg warmers, which, by the way, were totally functional since it was so freakin' cold last night!

How could I not have had a great time with these four lookers as my escorts for the evening!

The other excitement of the day was that we took a trip down to the city (it still surprises me every time we go how easy it is to get there!) and we met the Pioneer Woman! The book signing was at 11:00 and I was pretty sure it was going to be packed so we got there about an hour early and were glad we did. Even so we had about 50 people in line in front of us. The wait wasn't too bad though because we met a couple of really nice people and chatted it up all the while. The two women in front of us were a mother (The Everyday Woman) and daughter (The Farmer's Daughter)and both bloggers from CT! The girl behind us was from Brooklyn and she gave us a great tip that if we went out the back door of the building we were in (The Chelsea Market, such a cool place!) that we would be directly under the High Line, which is a new park in Manhattan built on an old rail line. We had been wanting to see it but didn't think we would be able to on this trip.

PW looked beautiful and is so gracious. I can't imagine the energy it would take to sit there all day signing book after book after book, and still manage to connect with each individual person.

I got my copy of her cookbook a couple of weeks ago and so far have made her Chicken Pot Pie and her Buttermilk Biscuits. The book is definitely heavy on the comfort/cowboy food but those are the recipes that we return to time and time again throughout our lives. It is the type food that can warm up a bitter cold day and join friends around the table.

I am not going to post this recipe today but I am going to do one better for one lucky reader. I am giving away a signed copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook!

Just a leave a comment below and let me know, What is your favorite comfort food? and you will be entered to win. I am going to choose the winner next Sunday the 20th and will announce it here.

Please, one entry per person and good luck!

Ugly Holiday Sweaters

2009-12-12T18:13:00.002-05:00

Every year our friends throw an "Ugly Holiday Sweater" party. That is where we are headed tonight. I have approximately 2 minutes to do this post so I thought I would share a few pics from last year.

Hilarious! And so much fun.

My outfit hasn't changed much this year (I searched for a new sweater but couldn't find one nearly as ugly!) but I did add some turquoise leg warmers that I picked up in NYC today!

A Christmas Miracle!

2009-12-11T17:53:00.002-05:00

Tonight I am celebrating because today I became an Architect!

For the past 16 months I have been studying for and taking the seven most grueling exams of my life and today I received my final pass letter! It is the best Christmas present I have ever gotten!

Cookie Truffles

2009-12-10T19:54:00.003-05:00

I was disappointed in myself that I didn't get a post done yesterday but then I remembered that this is my blog and I can to whatever I want with it. So I stopped giving myself a hard time and instead was happy that I had a jamb packed day which concluded with a lovely dinner with great friends.

I am starting to get in to the sweets that I plan on making for holiday gifts. The first is a deceitfully decadent treat. It looks and tastes totally gourmet but it's actually made with only three ingredients (four if you count the sea salt on this version) and can be changed up very easily. All it is is a package of cookies, a package of cream cheese and semi-sweet chocolate. I'm telling you, deceitfully delicious!

The original "recipe" uses Oreos but I changed it up a little here and used Nutter Butters and, to make the peanut flavor really pop I sprinkled a little sea salt on top. I'm not going to lie, they are not too good for the waistline but they are great for the spirit. My friend ate one last night and said it was like crying in public. Um, is that a good thing?

Cookie Truffles

makes 3 dozen

1 package Oreos, Mint Oreos or Nutter Butters (do not use double stuff Oreos)

1 8oz package cream cheese, at room temperature

16 oz semi-sweet chocolate (it is better to use a bar than chocolate chips as they do not melt very well)

Crumble the cookies into fine crumbs (or process in a food processor until very finely chopped). Mix with the cream cheese until well combined. Refrigerate mixture for at least 1 hour. Roll into 1" balls and refrigerate again until well chilled.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave and dip the balls until completely covered. Set aside until chocolate is hardened. (I think these just get better with time so if you can wait a day or so they are really amazing!)

The 8th Day

2009-12-08T21:02:00.002-05:00

It's day 8 of the advent and I don't have it in me tonight. I had a killer spinning class and then came home and made 72 cookie truffles. I will post that soon and you will not want to miss it. They are amaizing!

Also, don't forget to stop by on the 13th when I will be doing my first give away! I will give you one hint now, I will be getting the item at an event I am attending on Saturday.

Hmmm, what could it be?

I hope to be back in the saddle tomorrow.

Goodnight,

Andrea

I am not proud.

2009-12-07T21:07:00.004-05:00

I have two confessions to make.

The first is, I am really pushing to publish this post today, I would much rather be curled up on the couch right now. Which leads me to my second confession...

I am addicted to the terrible Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel and Falalala Lifetime. I don't know what it is about them. I would never put up with the terribly predictable story lines and bad acting at any other time of the year but it is something about the Christmas theme that just gets me. Jer laughs at me and mocks the movies by making sure at the end that they all lived happily ever after. I am happy to report that they did.

But, I will push through and finish this post tonight. Tonight I will resist the Santas who are dreaming of a life down south and the single mothers looking for love by Christmas. But tomorrow all bets are off.

~~~

I made this cake for Thanksgiving but wanted to save it to post now. I guess it is technically dessert but I think it would make a great addition to a breakfast or brunch spread. It really has the texture of a coffee cake.

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

modified from Dorie Greenspan via Playing House

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 t baking powder

1 t ground cinnamon

1/4 t salt

14 T (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup plus 6 T sugar

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (it frozen do not thaw)

2 large eggs

1 t vanilla extract

1/3 cup whole milk

red current jelly, for glazing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place a rack in the center of the oven.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Melt 6 T of the butter in a small saucepan. Sprinkle in 6 T of the sugar and cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil. Pour the mixture into the cake pan and scatter the nuts and then the cranberries evenly of the sugar mixture.

Beat the remaining butter (8 T) in a stand mixture with a paddle attachment until smooth. Add the remaining1/2 cup sugar and continue to beat until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half of the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Mix in the milk and then the remaining dry ingredients. Spoon the batter over the cranberries and smooth the top.

Bake for 40-45 minutes in a 8" pan or 35-40 minutes in a 9" pan, until the cake is golden and a knife inserted in the center come out clean. Turn the cake out onto a serving platter. If any berries stick to the pan, scrape them off and return to the cake.

Warm the jelly in a small saucepan over low heat, or in the microwave. Gently brush over the hot cake.

Christmas Tree

2009-12-06T20:58:00.005-05:00

It's day six of the advent and today I want to share some pictures of our Christmas Tree. We just put it up today. I love this part of the holidays!

When we brought it home it had some ice on it from our first snow of the season! It was so pretty we were wishing it would stay.

Peek-a-boo!

Grapefruit!

2009-12-05T12:50:00.002-05:00

To me the holidays go hand in hand with citrus fruits. When I cut into one it just smells like Christmas. And, during this season, when it is so easy to reach for a cookie or a piece of chocolate is it especially important to keep a lot of fruit around the house. One of my favorites is grapefruit and, beside being delicious, it is packed with health benefits not the least of which is its ability to raise your metabolism! It has been found that this fruit, which is packed with vitamin C reduces insulin levels and promotes weight loss! Or in the case of the holiday season, can help level things out. So go pick a few up and enjoy!

A Decadent Holiday Side

2009-12-04T21:17:00.002-05:00

It's day four of the advent and I thought I would share a recipe that would make a decadent side dish for any holiday party or menu. You really don't need to worry about all of the heavy cream and butter and cheese because it is so rich that a little bit is all you need. The sauce came out just perfect, thick and creamy and gooey. Mmmmm.

Caramelized Shallot and Crispy Sage Macaroni and Cheese

from Cake, Batter and Bowl

makes 6-8 servings

1 lb orecchiette pasta

2 T olive oil

2 large shallots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 T butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 cups Gruyere cheese

1 t kosher salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook 15-17 minutes, stirring frequently until deep golden brown. Add the garlic and cook 1 additional minute. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt 4 T of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth and until mixture starts to brown, about 1 minute. Whisk in the buttermilk and cream, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and mix in cheeses and salt. Cook 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.

Melt remaining 1 T butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add sage, saute 1 minute and turn off heat.

Mix pasta, shallots, cheese sauce and sage in a large bowl and enjoy!

Beauties

2009-12-03T19:00:00.002-05:00

I took these beauties...

...and turned them into this.

And it was gooood.

And that is all I am going to say about that.

Cranberry Apple Streusel with Crystallized Ginger

modified from Fine Cooking

makes 8 servings

For the streusel:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

1/4 t salt

6 T unsalted butter, melted

Combine the flour, sugar, walnuts and salt. Using your fingers blend the butter into the flour mixture, set aside.

For the filling:

4 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, quartered and cut into 1/4" pieces

1 3/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

3/4 cup + 6 T. granulated sugar

3 1/2 T all-purpose flour

1 T very finely chopped crystallized ginger

1/4 t ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, pulse the cranberries and 3/4 cup of the sugar until coarsely chopped. In a large bowl, combine the remaining 6 T sugar with the flour, ginger and cinnamon, breaking up the ginger clumps with your fingers. Toss in the cranberry mixture and apples.

Divide the filling evenly between 8 small baking dished or place in one 8"x8" baking pan. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apple mixture, pressing into small lumps as you sprinkle.

Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake until the streusel is deeply browned and and the filling the bubbling at the edges, about 30-40 minutes if you are using individual dishes or 65-75 minutes for one large dish.

A Dinner Dressed Up in Red and Green

2009-12-02T19:33:00.005-05:00

I didn't realize when I was making this meal how Christmasy it was going to look. It really wasn't until I opened the photos on my computer and the red and green leapt off the screen. Beside the delicious colors of the meal the flavors were fantastic. I had the pomegranate juice leftover from the side dish I made for Thanksgiving and it played so well with the shallots. It was super quick and easy too. A nice to meal to have in your back pocket during the craziness of the holidays.

Pork Chops with Pomegranate Pan Sauce and Garlicky Green Beans

from Cooking Light

makes 4 servings

For the pork:

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t kosher salt

1/2 t ground cumin (I love cumin with pork chops!)

1/4 t black pepper

4 4oz boneless pork loin chops

2 t olive oil

1 large shallot, chopped

3/4 cup pomegranate juice

1 T sugar

1 T balsamic vinegar

Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Combine the first four ingredients and sprinkle on both side of the pork chops. Place the pork chops in the skillet and cook until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Set aside and cover with aluminum foil.

Add the shallots to the pan and cook 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the juice, sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil. Cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve with the pork.

For the green beans:

3/4 lb green beans, trimmed

1 T butter

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 t kosher salt

1/4 t black pepper

Cook green beans in boiling water until crisp-tender. Drain and set aside. In a large skillet melt the butter, add the garlic and saute until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Toss with the green beans, salt and pepper.

25 Days and Counting

2009-12-01T19:46:00.004-05:00

Okay everyone,

I am going to change things up here on TWM for the month of December. I am going to be posting once a day with holiday crafts and food and events, sort of like a blogger advent calender.

To start things off I am posting an actual advent calendar that I made. I started this project over a year ago and didn't get it done in time for last Christmas so I made sure to have it done this year. When I was growing up my Grandma gave us an advent calender that had a pocket for each day and there was a little mouse that you moved from pocket to pocket. I loved that thing and remember racing down stairs in the morning to move the mouse. I wanted to make something in that spirit, something I knew I would have for a long time.

This is, obviously, a Christmas tree and there is an ornament for each day. I had so much fun making it and, thankfully, got a lot of advise from my Mother-in-Law who has been quilting for a couple of years now.

I think this would make a fabulous gift if I had it in me to tackle another one. Maybe next year.

So here we go, I hope you come back often this month to see what is in store; and definitely mark your calenders for the 13th when I will be doing my first give away! I am not going to say what it is just yet but I am very excited about it!

Yippee and God help me on this marathon!

A Ton of Leftovers

2009-11-22T09:02:00.002-05:00

I have been wanting to make French Onion Soup at home ever since I picked up these cute little crocks and when the November issue of Fine Cooking arrived with a recipe in it I knew it was time. I think I was partially holding off because I didn't think Jer was interested in it but when he saw the cheesy, gooey, overflowing bowl of the soup in the issue he said "Mmm, what is that?" I knew he would at least give it a try.

French Onion Soup

from Fine Cooking

makes 4 servings

2 T unsalted butter, more for baking sheet

2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 t granulated sugar

1/2 small baguette, cut into 1/2" thick slices

1 quart low sodium beef broth

1 bay leaf

1 cup grated Gruyere

Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Stir in the onions and season with 1/2 t salt and a few grinds of pepper. Reduce heat to low. Cover the onions with a piece of foil, pressed to cover them completely, cover the pot with a lid, and cook stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft (but not falling apart), 40-50- minutes. Remove the lid and the foil, raise the heat to medium-high and stir in the sugar. Cook, stirring often, until deep brown, 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the baguette toasts, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a rimmed baking sheet (I lined it with a silicone mat, you could also use aluminum foil) and arrange the baguette slices on the sheet in a single layer. Bake until the bread is crisp and lightly browned, turning once, 12-15 minutes. Set aside.

Add the broth and bay leaf to the caramelized onions and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce he heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper (I found it needed a lot of pepper and not much salt at all).

To serve, position a rack 6" from the broiler and heat the broiler. Put 4 broiler proof bowls on a baking sheet and ladle the soup into each bowl. Top with 2-3 toasts and sprinkle with cheese. Broil until the top is browned and bubbly, 2-5 minutes. Serve immediately.

~~~

Last weekend, Jer thought a Pot Roast sounded good and, since I had never made one, I knew just where to turn for a recipe. The Pioneer Woman! Who better to turn to than a food blogger who lives on a cattle ranch!? Sure enough, she had a delicious sounding recipe and great step by step photos. I loved her idea of leaving the potatoes out of the pot and instead serving the meat and veggies over a bed of mashed potatoes. I knew we would have a ton of leftovers too, so the rest of the week was spent reinventing the meal into new dishes.

Pot Roast

from The Pioneer Woman

makes 8-10 servings (or 4 with lots of leftovers)

2 T Olive Oil

1 4-5 lb Chuck Roast (nicely marbled)

2 yellow onions, cut in half

6-8 carrots, scrubbed well and cut into 2" pieces

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

1 cup red wine (or beef broth)

2-3 cups beef stock

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

3 sprigs fresh thyme

Preheat over to 275 degrees F. Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast. Heat the olive oil in a large (oven proof) pot or Dutch over over medium high heat. When the oil is very hot, but not smoking, add the onions and brown on both sides. Remove to a plate. Add the carrots to the same pot and toss until slightly browned, remove to a plate.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the pot and add the meat, searing for about a minute on all sides (including the ends) until nicely browned. Remove to a plate. With the burner still on high, add the red wine (or broth) and deglaze the pot by scraping the bottom with a a whisk. Place the roast back in the pot and add enough beef stock to reach halfway up the sides of the meat. Add the onions and carrots back to the pot and submerge the thyme and rosemary on either side of the meat.

Cover the pot with a lid and place in the oven for about 4 hrs. Serve over mashed potatoes with some of the juice from the pot poured over the top.

~~~

Leftover Pot Roast Green Chili Enchiladas

For leftovers the first night I shredded up some of the leftover meat and cooked it in a skillet with a little taco seasoning until heated through. Then I wrapped a little of the meat and some shredded cheddar and jack cheese inside corn tortillas, topped with green chili and more cheddar and jack and placed under the broiler until the cheese was melted.

~~~

Leftover Pot Roast Pasta

On the second night I cubed up the leftover meat and the carrots and onions and threw them all in with some marinara sauce. I served it over pasta on a bed of spinach.

It's Pie Time

2009-11-21T08:42:00.004-05:00

I just had to share this pie recipe before Thanksgiving. It is so delicious and unique. The pears I used were slightly under ripe and I think that helped them maintain there shape during baking. Also, I unintentionally made it a little healthier by accidentally omitting half of the butter in the streusel topping. I suppose that could be a good thing but on Thanksgiving who wants to think about all of that? I say butter it up, baby!

Fresh Pear Pie with Dried Cherries and Brown Sugar Streusel

from Fine Cooking

makes 8 servings

For the Streusel:

1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 t table salt

8 T unsalted butter, melted

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, blend the butter into the flour mixture. The mixture will be moist. Set aside

For the Filling:

5 medium Anjou or Bartlett pears, peeled and cored, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges and then crosswise into 1/2" slices

1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

1/4 t table salt

1/4 t ground cinnamon

1/8 t grated nutmeg

3/4 cup dried tart cherries, coarsely chopped

1 9" pie crust of your choice (Fine Cooking has a good recipe and some really great ideas for crimping the edges.)

In a large bowl, toss the pears with the lemon juice. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the sugar mixture to the pears and toss well to combine. Stir in the cherries.

Mound the filing into the piecrust. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the pear mixture, pressing the streusel between your fingers into small lumps as you sprinkle.

Bake the pie until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly and thickened at the edges, 55-65 minutes. Rotate the pie halfway through baking and if the pastry or streusel browns before the filling has thickened, loosely cover the top or edges of the pie as needed with a aluminum foil.

Cool the pie, on a rack, completely before servings. The pie can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Two Weeks

2009-11-14T08:44:00.003-05:00

Last week totally got away from me and I never got a chance to post the previous week's menu so today you get a twofer. I was feeling like our veggie consumption was a little lower than it should be, especially with us both fighting colds recently, so I stepped it up in the meals below. Red, green and orange seem to be representatives from the vegetable kingdom.

~~~

Although I have eaten it on a few occasions this was my first time cooking kale. A past coworker was always singing it's praises and now I totally see why. I found it to be really satisfying to work with. I loved the heft of the bunch and the hearty texture. This meal left me feeling completely satisfied and the leftovers made two delicious lunches.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Bacon and Braised Kale

makes 4 servings

1/2 lb whole heat spaghetti (I like to use a pretty thin one what I go for the whole wheat variety)

3 slices bacon, chopped

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bunch kale, stems removed and roughly chopped

1/2 lemon

grated Parmesan cheese

kosher salt and black pepper

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon or tongs to a paper towel lined plate. Wipe out the skillet leaving a thin layer of the bacon grease. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more. Add the kale to the onion mixture and about 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook about 10 minutes, until the kale is tender.

Remove from heat, stir in the spaghetti, a handful of Parmesan, juice from the lemon and the bacon. Add salt and pepper to taste.

~~~

I printed this recipe out a long time ago and in the shuffle of things I never got around to making it. Somehow it found it's way to the top of the pile and caught my eye again. It was a nice combination of flavors and the glaze you make at the end was really flavorful.

Caramelized Pork with Sweet Potatoes

from Real Simple

makes 2 servings

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced.

1 T olive oil

1 T fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb)

1/4 t kosher salt

black pepper

1 T Dijon mustard

1 T sugar

Juice from 1/2 orange

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat two baking panes with vegetable oil. In a bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil. Arrange in a single layer on one of the baking pans and sprinkle with half of the rosemary. Place in the oven and cook until tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, season each side of the pork with salt and pepper, spread with the mustard and sprinkle with the sugar and remaining rosemary. Roast 25 minutes, turning once, until cooked through.

Remove the pork from the pan and cover with aluminum foil until ready to slice. Place the pan on the stove, over medium heat, add the orange juice and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour over the pork and sweet potatoes.

~~~

Jeremy was the first to spot this recipe several years ago and suggested we give it a try. Sometimes he surprises me. The cinnamon really has the ability to transport the food. And can I just say, why don't I make couscous more often? It is so tasty!

Moroccan Shrimp

from Real Simple

makes 4 servings

box of couscous

1 T olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

1/2 t kosher salt

1/4 t black pepper

1 red bell pepper, diced

3/4 cup golden raisins

1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 t ground cumin

1 t ground cinnamon

1 lemon

Prepare the couscous according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, salt and 1/8 t of the pepper. Cover and cook until the onion is softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the bell pepper and raisins and cook another 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, place the shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle with the cumin, cinnamon and the remaining black pepper. Squeeze the lemon over the top and stir to combine. Add the shrimp (but not the liquid) to the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Fluff the couscous with a fork and serve with the shrimp mixture on top.

You know what would go perfect on top of this Cheeseburger Chowder? Home made garlic croutons. That is if you don't forget them under the broiler until you exclaim, to your kitchen full of people, "Oh my God, what is all of that smoke pouring out of the oven!!!"

Don't ask me how I know that.

Cheeseburger Chowder

makes 4 servings

1 lb very lean ground beef

2 red skinned potatoes, scrubbed well and cubed

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup corn

1 beef bullion cube

1 1/2 cups water

1 t kosher salt

2 1/2 cups milk

3 T all-purpose flour

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

In a soup pot brown the ground beef, drain off any fat. Stir in the potatoes, celery, onion, bell pepper, corn, bullion cube, water and salt. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Whisk together the flour and milk. Slowly add to the meat mixture and cook until thickened and bubbly. Add the cheese and heat, stirring, until it melts.

~~~

These come together super quickly if you buy a pre-made dough from the grocery store. Ours has a pizza counter that sells it fresh every day. You can put whatever fillings in you want. this time mine had caramelized onions, black olives, red peppers, mozzarella cheese and a little spicy Italian sausage.

Calzones

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out a single serving of dough into an oval shape and layer your choice of fillings on one half of the dough. Fold the second half of the dough and crimp tightly to seal. Brush the top with olive oil and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

~~~

I had peanut sauce left over from the Thai Chicken Pizza I made a couple of weeks ago so I just took a cue from the recipe on the bottle and made this pasta salad. I bought a rotisserie chicken from the store and used half of the meat for this and half for the next meal on the menu.

Thai Pasta Salad

makes 4 servings

10 oz. thin egg noodles

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken

1 carrot, shredded or cut into matchstick size pieces

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into matchstick size pieces

4 scallions, slices into 2 inch lengths

1/2 cup peanut sauce

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Stir in the chicken, vegetables and peanut sauce. Serve hot or cold.

~~~

An old standby around here. Anything wrapped in a tortilla with cheese and something spicy.

Shredded Chicken Burritos

Place the cooked, shredded chicken into a skillet over medium heat, add taco seasoning and water. Cook until a sauce forms and the chicken is heated through. Layer on a tortilla with your choice of toppings. I overstuffed mine as always with black beans, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado and salsa.

~~~

This meal was born out of nothing working out the night I made it. Each component was originally meant to be used in some other way but Murphy's law was definitely in effect and as it was I still had to have Jer stop by the market on his way home to get me some mayo. For all of my careful planning sometimes I still have to fly by the seat of my pants. It is good to know that I can.

Pork Chops and Potato Salad

makes 4 servings

For the pork:

2 T all-purpose flour

1 t ground cumin

1 t kosher salt

1 t black pepper

4 medium size boneless pork chops OR one 1 1/2 - 2 lb. pork tenderloin cut into 1/2" thick slices

1 T vegetable oil

1 T butter

1/4 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 T white wine vinegar

2 T grainy mustard (optional, but delicious)

Mix together the flour, cumin, salt and pepper on a large plate. Lightly coat each piece of pork with the flour mixture and set aside. Heat the vegetable oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the pork in the skillet, sprinkle with the parsley, and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, mix together the broth and vinegar. When the pork is done remove it from the skillet and set aside. Pour the broth mixture into the skillet, stirring and scraping up any bits from the bottom. Bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened.

Serve each piece of pork with a drizzle of pan sauce.

For the Potato Salad:

6 Yukon Gold potatoes

1/2 cup Tarragon Vinaigrette Dressing (recipe to follow)

4 hard boiled eggs, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 red or white onion, diced

1/2 cup chopped green olives

1 cup mayonnaise

kosher salt and black pepper

Paprika

Scrub the potatoes well but do not peel. Dice into bite-size cubes and cook in water to cover until just tender, about 10 minutes after water boils. Drain and toss with the dressing. Set aside and allow to cool thoroughly.

In a large bowl, mix together the potatoes, eggs, celery, onion and olives. Add enough mayo to make the salad moist but not mushy. Chill thoroughly. Sprinkle with Paprika before serving.

For the dressing:

3 oz. olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 1/2 t red wine vinegar

1 1/2 t French mustard

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 t dried tarragon

1/4 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

Mix together all of the ingredients.

~~~

I have made this oven roasted broccoli once before and I think I made the same mistake of cooking it a little too long. I like the flavor the broccoli takes on from being roasted rather than steamed but the texture suffered a little from being almost burnt. Maybe recording it here will help me remember next time.

Spaghetti with Oven Roasted Broccoli

makes 2 servings

1 broccoli crown, cut into florets

2 1/2 t olive oil

salt and pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

pinch red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Toss broccoli with 1 1/2 t of the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes.

Stir together the remain 1 t oil, garlic and the red pepper flakes. Drizzle over the broccoli and roast another 5-8 minutes, until the broccoli is beginning to brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Trick or Treat!

2009-10-31T07:59:00.004-04:00

There is a house in the next town over, the town where my husband grew up, that every Halloween displays dozens of the most beautiful jack-o-lanterns I have ever seen. I always thought is was a group of people, maybe a club, that got together to pump out the masterpieces, because there was no way it could be done by one person. Well last night I met the woman responsible and it turns out she does do it all. Wow! Every year I look forward to seeing them and am never let down by her amazing creations.

~~~

Last week I told you to stay tuned for the next instalment of the roasted butternut squash and here it is. I have seen several recipes popping up for apple and butternut squash soups and the combo sounded really delicious. They all started with uncooked squash but what I had was leftover from last week's risotto and was already roasted and smashed so I had to improvise. The result was a smooth, earthy soup with a hint of tartness to lighten the flavor.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

makes 4-6 servings

1 T butter

1 small red onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 granny smith (or other tart apple), peeled, cored and cut into 8 pieces

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1/2 butternut squash, peeled, roasted and smashed

pinch nutmeg

kosher salt and black pepper

If you are not starting with leftover butternut squash, cut a whole butternut squash into 8 pieces, wrap in foil and roast in 375 degree oven for about 1 hr, until very soft. Scoop the flesh out of the skins and mash.

Melt the butter in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until just softened, 2-3 minutes. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are slightly golden. Add the stock, increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, about 20 minutes, until apples are very soft.

Puree soup and squash, in batches, in a blender and return to the pot. Add nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally 5-10 minutes. Serve with a hearty bread or croutons.

Note: I made my own garlic croutons with cubes of stale bread that I coated with melter butter and minced garlic and toasted under the broiler, tuning once, until golden. The crunchy croutons nicely contrasted the silky soup.

~~~

Jer did the shopping last week and picked up ham and turkey for sandwiches and then it sat, untouched all week. I was worried it would go bad before we even opened the packages so I put Monte Cristos on the menu again. They ended up being the perfect meal in the middle of the week when we both got home pretty late and didn't feel up to cooking much.

Monte Cristo Sandwiches

makes 2 servings

4 slices sandwich bread

thinly sliced ham

thinly sliced turkey

sliced American cheese

sliced Swiss cheese

2 eggs beaten

1/8 cup milk

maple extract (optional)

maple syrup

Between two slices of bread, layer American cheese, ham, Swiss cheese and turkey (that is the order we like). Heat the sandwich in the microwave for about 25 seconds.

Heat a skillet on medium high heat. Beat the eggs, milk and extract (if using) in a shallow bowl. Coat the sandwich on both side with the egg mixture and place in the skillet. Cover with a lid. Cook the sandwich until golden brown on both sides. Serve with warm maple syrup.

~~~

I can't recall ever having eaten a chili dog before in my entire life so I was surprised with myself a couple of weeks ago when I had an intense craving for one. I put off making them but once I get an idea in my head I can't let it go until I have tried it. I'm not sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that I really enjoyed it. Not only while I was eating but even an hour later I felt totally satisfied. This may be trouble.

Chili Dogs and French Fries

No recipe here. I opted for a store bought chili this time.

~~~

I thought this sounded like such and interesting combination of flavors that, although I had already completed my menu for the week when I came across it, I added to the list. The meat of the chicken was perfectly cooked but the skin never got very brown or crispy, the way I like it. I think it was because it didn't have any kind of fat on it to help it along. Next time I think I'll use a little butter.

Roasted Chicken with Apple and Leeks

modified from Real Simple

makes 2 servings

4 small, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

1 T butter, softened

2 small, crisp apples, quartered (I used Braeburn)

2 leeks, halved crosswise and lengthwise

3 small sprigs rosemary

1 T olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan ( I used a cast iron skillet lined with parchment because I didn't want anything to get welded to the bottom) toss the apples, leeks, rosemary, olive oil, 1/4 t salt and 1/8 t pepper.

Rub the butter over the skin of the chicken and season with 1/8 t each of salt and pepper. Nestle the chicken, skin side up, into the apples and leeks.

Roast 40-45 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and apples and leeks are tender.

~~~

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween! And don't forget to set your clocks back tonight (only if you are in a part of the world that does that of course)!

Not So Daunting

2009-10-26T08:34:00.006-04:00

I am so excited. I built myself a light box this weekend and got a little tabletop tripod. All in all the project cost me about $40 and it has made all the difference in my enthusiasm for shooting. Actually, the light box itself was basically free. I had a cardboard box in my basement that was the perfect size and I had a bunch of white muslin from some curtains I had made for our screened porch that no longer exists. I only had to buy white bristol board for the inside of the box. Other than that the cost was for two daylight light bulbs and clamp lights and the tripod. The dark days of winter are no longer so daunting since I know I can now shoot at any time of the day (or, more likely, night)!

~~~

I hope I am not boring you yet with the green chili recipes but my freezer is still mostly full and so they will continue. This is, for the most part, a repeat of the recipe from a couple of weeks ago but this time I did puree about half of the chiles and it had the desired effect of giving the chili a thicker, creamier texture. The other difference this time was that instead of using half hot chiles and half medium chiles this ratio was a little more like 3/4 hot and 1/4 medium. It's good but it'll light your tongue on fire. I was trying to kill the cold I picked up somewhere between DC and here. I'm no medical professional but I am pretty sure it helped to send those little germies packing.

Green Chile Smothered Burritos

1 T vegetable oil

1 pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2" chunks

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 yellow onions, chopped

~ 24 green chiles, roasted and peeled, half purred, half chopped

1 14 oz can tomatoes, half pureed, half chopped

4 cups chicken broth

2 t cumin

2 t oregano

1/2 t kosher salt

1/2 t white pepper

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the pork and cook until no pink remains. Add the onion and garlic and cook until lightly golden.

Add the chiles, tomatoes, chicken broth, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least one hour (the longer the better).

If you want to thicken it up a bit, stir together 1/2 cup all purpose flour with about 1 T vegetable oil to make a paste. Add a ladle full of juice from the chili and mix well. Once the mixture is smooth and liquidy stir it back into the chili.

~~~

This idea came from the blog The Other Side of 50. I saw her photo on foodgawker and it immediately caught my eye. She uses a whole wheat pizza crust recipe from King Arthur Flour's Whole Grain Baking book, which is a fabulous book by the way. It teaches you how to work with whole grains and avoid the undesirable effect they can have baked goods. Their Double Fudge Brownie recipe makes the best brownie I have ever had. No one ever believes they are whole wheat. But, back to the pizza. I decided to go with a pizza crust that I have used before because, although I am sure it is delicious, I didn't have the energy to start the dough the night before, which the whole wheat crust calls for. Another time. I used the same toppings as her because the sounded perfect for a Thai pizza. And... they were.

Thai Chicken Pizza

For the Crust:

1 T (1 package) active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 t kosher salt

3 1/2 - 4 cups bread flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer mix the yeast with the warm water until dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Add the olive oil, salt and 2 cups of the flour to the bowl and mix on low speed, using the paddle attachment, for 5 minutes to form a wet dough. Switch to the dough hook and, add 1 1/2 cups more flour and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour by the tablespoon as needed to form and soft dough that is a little sticky but not too wet. (I didn't have to add any f the last 1/2 cup of flour.)

Form the dough into a ball and place it in a large oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. (You can also put it in the refrigerator at this point and let it rise overnight. Let it stand at room temp for 2 hours before making your pizza.)

For the Pizza:

Thai peanut sauce

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite size pieces

1 red bell pepper, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Assemble pizza and bake ~ 15 minutes on a baking sheet and 5 minuted directly on the oven rack.

~~~

This is another foodgawker find. Lately, it seems, that has been my main source of inspiration. This time it comes from This Week for Dinner. She has a similar blog concept as mine (which may be obvious from the name). She advised having the squash ready before starting the risotto which I did not do and because of that my risotto was ready before the squash and I had to pull it from the oven and mash it up before it was fully cooked. I left what I didn't need roasting a little longer and it got much softer. Despite the squash not being perfect the risotto was still a dreamy, flavorful success.

Chicken and Butternut Squash Risotto

1/2 butternut squash

1 chicken breast, seasoned with salt and pepper, sauteed in olive oil and cut into bite size pieces

5 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

2 T olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups Arborio Rice

1 cup dry white wine

pinch nutmeg

kosher salt and black pepper

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 T butter

1 t fresh thyme leaves

Cut the butternut squash into 8 pieces, wrap in foil and roast in 375 degree oven for about 1 hr, or until very soft. Scoop the flesh out of the skins and mash. Save half of the squash for another recipe (stay tuned next week for what I do with mine.)

In a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth and water to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low.

Stir in the squash, nutmeg, thyme, salt and pepper to taste and let cook two minutes. Add the chicken, cheese and butter and stir until melted.

Monuments and Solar Homes

2009-10-21T17:01:00.005-04:00

We spent last weekend in DC. My first trip to our nation's capital. Despite the torrential rains we had a fabulous time and not only got to visit the memorials and some of the Smithsonian museums around the Mall but we were also lucky enough to be there during the last weekend of the 2009 Solar Decathlon. It was so inspiring to see the solar homes designed and built by students around the world, all of which were beautiful, and to see the amount of people braving the rain and cold to check them out. Although they were all very good I did have a few favorites including Penn State and Minnesota. I thought these two teams achieved some of the most livable solutions. I think after the 10 event contest there should be a year long study of the homes in the climates they were designed for with two residents in each one. I think this would be very telling.

It did clear up on the last day we were there and we enjoyed a walk around the mall and the monuments. I was most looking forward to seeing Lincoln but was surprised by the beauty and serenity of FDR. This is one of my favorite images from the trip. If only we could live up to the words of this man.

~~~

Last week was spent moving things back into the house and packing for our trip. I did manage a couple of meals and although they weren't incredibly inspired they were pretty darn tasty.

~~~

This lasagna kept us fed for several days and did a good job of it. Mmmm.

Lasagna

modified from The Big Book of Casseroles by Maryana Vollstedt

makes 12 servings

1 lb lean ground beef

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 14 1/2 0z can crushed tomatoes

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

3/4 t dried basil (or 1 T chopped fresh basil)

3/4 t dried oregano (or 1 T chopped fresh oregano)

1/4 t sugar

1/2 t kosher salt

black pepper to taste

16 oz cottage cheese

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 T chopped fresh parsley

12 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat cook the beef, onion and garlic, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is tender. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce temperature to low, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, sour cream, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese and the parsley.

In a 9"x13" baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray or oil, spread 1 cup of the meat sauce. In layers add 4 noodles, then 1/3 of the cheese mixture and 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Repeat layers two more times ending with the sauce. I like to rotate the direction of the noodles in each layer so the spaces between do not end up stacked.) Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on top.

Cover and bake 45 minutes. Remove cover and bake until bubbly and browned, about 15 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

~~~

This is such an easy meal to throw together and is really satisfying on a cool night. I haven't yet attempted making my own pierogies but someday I will. I had a friend in high school who is Polish and every year at either Christmas or New Years (I can't remember which) she and her grandmother would spend all day making pierogies from scratch.

Pierogies and Kielbasa

~~~

This was the first time I have made Chicken Parmesan and the chicken itself turned out really well. It was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, but the sauce I used for the pasta was totally gross and it tainted the whole dish for me. The tomato relish helped add some flavor to the flavorless sauce, but next time I'll stick with a sauce I know or make my own.

Chicken Parmesan

modified from Cuisine Tonight

makes 4 servings

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4" thick and cut in half (or 4 thinly sliced chicken breasts)

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 T fresh basil, chopped

1 1/2 t capers, minced

1 1/2 t red wine vinegar

1/2 t tomato paste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan. Place cheese mixture, flour and egg into separate, shallow dishes. Season chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour egg and cheese mixture, in that order.

Heat 1 T oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute chicken, turning once, until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a baking sheet and top each with 1 T of mozzarella. Place in the oven and cook until the cheese melt and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, basil, capers, vinegar, tomato paste and the remaining 1 T oil in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve chicken over pasta topped with relish.

Playing Catch-up / House Guest

2009-10-12T13:27:00.008-04:00

The first three items in this post are things that I have made over the past several weeks that didn't really fit into a weekly menu but that I wanted to post anyway because they were soooo good. All three are great fall food. Warm and earthy.

~~~

I made these for a party at a friends house. I wanted to make some kind of finger food and was browsing on foodgawker for inspiration when I came across a fried risotto ball with green chiles that someone had made for a potluck. I thought that would be perfect and I decided to modify my sweet corn risotto recipe for them. Well, as the day drew near I felt less confident about frying the risotto balls (I have always been a little timid about frying) so I decided instead to put a scoop of the risotto into a crispy wonton cup. They turned out really great but were definitely at their best when the risotto was still warm. It got me thinking about more ways to make green chile risotto which I plan to experiment with this fall. Stay tuned...

Green Chile Corn Risotto Bites

makes 72 pieces (+ extra risotto)

For the Risotto:

2 cups uncooked corn

4 cups chicken broth

2 T unsalted butter

1 shallot, minced

1 cup Arborio rice

1/4 cup chopped green chiles

kosher salt and black pepper

1/4 cup pepper jack cheese, grated

Puree 1 cup of the uncooked corn in a food processor until smooth. In a saucepan, heat the chicken broth to a simmer.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and saute, stirring, 3 minutes. Stir in one cup of the chicken broth and the pureed corn and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has been absorbed, 5-7 minutes. Continue add the chicken broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently and waiting until the previous addition has been absorbed before adding more.

After the last cup of broth has been absorbed, let the risotto cook 3 minutes more, stirring. Add the remaining corn and the chiles and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

For the Wonton Cups:

18 wonton wrappers, cut into quarters

vegetable oil

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Brush each wonton wrapper lightly with oil. Mold each wrapper, oiled side up, into the bottom of a cup if a mini (1") muffin tin. Bake until light brown, 5 - 7 minutes. Let cool slightly and remove from tin.

~~~

I have been wanting to make Chile Rellenos for a while now but have always shied away from actually doing it (again with the frying phobia). Well, I recently got a surge of confidence I guess because I tackled them and they were good. Oh, were they good! I used a recipe from Use Real Butter and my only problem with it was it made A LOT of batter. I ended throwing a lot of it away which I hate to do. Next time I will use the reduced recipe which I am providing below. In fact, I have a half full bag of thawed green chiles in my fridge right now which I need to use up so "next time" might be very soon.

Chile Rellenos

from Use Real Butter (slightly modified)

makes 2 servings

8 whole, large green chiles, roasted, peeled and deseeded.

8 oz, Monteray Jack cheese, cut into sticks

vegetable oil for frying

1/2 cup flour

1/4 to 1/2 t kosher salt

2 eggs, separated

1/4 -1/2 cup beer

Place a piece of cheese in each chile and fold the chile over the cheese.

Combine the flour, salt and egg yolks in a bowl and slowly add the beer until the mixture is thick but smooth and well combined. Beat the egg whites to medium-stiff peaks (I did this by hand and had to tag team Jeremy to take over halfway through because I thought my arm was going to fall off!). Fold the whites into the batter thoroughly. Heat 1" of oil in a skillet until it is glistening. (To test if the oil is ready, drop a small amount of the batter in and if starts to sizzle you are good to go.)

Coat each chile with batter and fry for about 4-5 minutes, until golden. Flip and fry until evenly golden. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain and serve hot with salsa or green chili on top.

~~~

Jeremy celebrated a birthday recently (the big 3-0 in fact) and we upheld what is, in my opinion, one of the best birthday traditions... homemade cake! Each year I ask him what kind of cake he wants (meaning flavor) and each year he tells me something like "A Land Rover Cake" or "A Volkswagen Cake" or "A Bugatti Veyron Cake". The man is very into cars, what can I say. Well I have done the Land Rover and I have done the VW and last year I even decorated his cake with an ear of corn (I'm not sure which he like better, cars or corn). This year I was stumped by the Veyron so instead I focused on the flavor and kept the decorations pretty simple. I saw this cake on foodgawker and had to try it. Jer was a little concerned about the chocolate to peanut butter ratio (he likes the chocolate to dominate) but said he would give it a try. It was perfect. The peanut butter was a nice accent but certainly not the star of the show and the ganache gave it a decadence worthy of a thirtieth birthday celebration. One warning though, this cake is enormous so plan to share it with a lot of people or to wear out (or break out) you walking shoes.

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Ganache

from Smitten Kitchen via Food o' del Mundo

For the Cake:

1 1/4 cups sour cream

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 3/4 cups water

2 1/2 T white vinegar

2 t vanilla

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

3 cups sugar

1 cup Dutch process Cocoa Powder

1 T baking soda

1 t salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 9" round cake pans and place a round of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan.

Whisk together the wet ingredients (sour cream to eggs). In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the dry mixture to the wet and stir until smooth. Pour an even amount of batter into each cake pan and bake 35-45 minutes, until the center springs back under gentle pressure. Cool in the pan and freeze until ready to frost.

For the Peanut Butter Frosting:

1 lb cream cheese, at room temperature

1 lb peanut butter, at room temperature

1 lb powdered sugar

Cream together the cream cheese and peanut butter. Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time and blend until smooth.

For the Chocolate Ganache:

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 T vanilla

2 T light corn syrup

Place all of the ingredients in a double boiler and melt, stirring until smooth. Cool until it is still runny but not so hot that it will melt the frosting. Pour in the center of the frosted cake and help it just to the edges with a spatula, let gravity do the rest.

~~~

We are now moving on to the second part of this post. Last week we moved in with my in-laws while we had our floors refinished (they look gorgeous, by the way!) and I offered to cook for the week so that I would have something to post about and also as a thank you to them for putting us up for the week. It was kind of fun to be away from our house. Sort of a like a mini vacation. Planning a menu for 4 is a little harder than planning for two, with two more peoples taste preferences to think about. I didn't do it on purpose but for some reason almost everything I made was very spicy.

~~~

This is another Use Real Butter recipe. Since I brought home my stash of chiles I have visited her recipe archives often since she has made a number of delicious things with chiles in the time I have been reading her blog. This was definitely a hit all around. And, I didn't even know it at the time but apparently it is National Chili Month! This was a great way to celebrate!

White Chili

from Use Real Butter (amounts modified)

makes 6 servings

1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, cubed

1 T olive oil

1 large white onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

6 roasted green chiles, skinned, deseeded and diced

3 cans cannalini beans, drained and rinsed

32 oz. chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

3 t cumin

2 t oregano

1/4 t cayenne pepper (I left this out because the chiles I used were already causing us breath fire)

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Saute the onion, garlic, celery and green chiles together. When the onions and celery are soft add the chicken and saute for a few more minutes. Pour in the beans and broth. Bring to a boil, add the seasonings and season salt and pepper to taste.

Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until liquid thickens to desired consistency. Serve with Jack cheese and tortilla chips.

~~~

Oww, not Tuna Noodle Casserole agaaiiiin. Yep, Tuna Noodle Casserole again and no whining. Oh sorry, just practicing. I know I just made this a couple of weeks ago but my Mother-in-Law has always talked about how much she likes it and doesn't make it at home because my Father-in-Law is not a fan. Well, we let him fend for himself one night and I treated my MiL to an old fav. We also had plenty of leftovers to eat for lunch for a couple of days.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

~~~

This dish is quintessentially fall. The apples give it a nice tartness and the chiles bring it back to earth.

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Spicy Apple-Green Chile Salsa

modified from Real Simple

makes 4 servings

1 1/2 to 2 lb pork tenderloin

1 t chili powder

1/2 t cumin

1 1/2 t kosher salt

2 T olive oil

2 small Granny Smith Apples, diced

1 small red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T cider vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth

4 roasted green chiles, skinned, deseeded and chopped

1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped

1 T sugar

1/4 t black pepper

1/2 cup diced red pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rub the pork with the chili powder, cumin and 1 1/4 t of the salt. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 1 t of the olive oil. Add the pork and brown on all sides. Transfer to a roasting pan and 20-25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, in the same skillet used for the pork, add the remaining olive oil. Add the apples, red onion, garlic, and vinegar and cook 5-8 minutes until the apples and onion are translucent. Add the broth, chiles, jalapeno, sugar, black pepper and remaining 1/4 t salt. Stir and cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the apples are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the red pepper during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve with the pork.

~~~

I made a simple quinoa "salad" to accompany these meatballs. It is one cup of quinoa, cooked and to it I added 1 can of drained black beans and 1 mango, diced. The mango was an especially nice addition, adding a little tart to the plate.

Mexican Meatballs

~~~

The sun just popped out and I am going out to rake some leaves! Oh, happy fall weather!

Sandwich City

2009-09-28T13:11:00.005-04:00

I have really been neglecting this blog lately and I want to say sorry to anyone who has been wondering what the heck is going on. I know it hasn't been that long since I posted but part of the neglect is that I haven't been photographing this week at all and so next week there will be a very small post. Part of this is due to the lack of sunlight available in the evenings, it has really been a bummer and has not made me want to take photos and part of it is that we are currently in the middle of a few large house projects: painting the garage and getting our wood floors refinished. The refinishing is requiring us to move every item (including ourselves and our kitties) out of our house for at least a week. It hasn't been easy so far and I haven't really even scratched the surface of the moving.

So I am going to a attempt to finish this post that I started almost a week ago and then it may be little while before you hear from me again. I just want to say, please don't leave me...

I will be back.

I was on a bit of a sandwich kick last week. On top of all of the sandwiches we were eating for dinner I also had them for lunch most of the week. Not such a bad thing since the simple sandwich comes in endless varieties. Welcome to Sandwich City!

~~~

These were my favorite of the entire week. A little spicy, crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. And bacon... bacon makes everything delicious.

Spicy Grilled Bacon and Tomato Sandwiches with Avocado

good quality bread

bacon, cooked

pepper jack cheese

tomato slices

avocado slices

butter

I think you know the drill on a grilled cheese sandwich. Butter the bread and grill (buttered side out). I like to put the cheese on both sides of the sandwich with the other goodies in between so the melted cheese sort of encases everything.

On the last official day of summer we grilled burgers. It was a nice way to bid the season ado. Although I don't think we will be packing up the grill anytime soon.

Grilled Cheeseburgers

I bought a packages of meat labeled "Sandwich Steaks" for this meal. I though they looked perfect for these sandwiches but it actually ended up being pretty tough and made the sandwiches a little hard to eat. Next time I will stick with the strip steak that the recipe called for.

Broiled Steak Sandwiches with Balsamic Vegetables

modified from Real Simple

makes 4 servings

1 lb strip steak

kosher salt and black pepper

4 plum tomatoes, halved

1 medium red onion, sliced in 1/4" rings

4 t olive oil

1 T balsamic vinegar

8 slices good quality bread

a handful of baby spinach

Parmesan cheese

Heat broiler. Season the steak with 1/2 t salt and 1/2 t pepper. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place the steak on half of the sheet.

Toss the tomatoes and onion with the oil, vinegar, 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper. Place on the other half of the baking sheet (tomato should be cut side down).

Broil, turning everything once, until the steak reaches desired doneness (4 minutes per side for medium rare). Remove the steak and return the vegetables until browned if necessary.

Slice the steak, against the grain, and assemble the sandwiches with the steak, tomatoes, onion, spinach and Parmesan.

~~~

I actually made this a couple of weeks ago and completely forgot to put it in the post. So I thought I would sneak it in here since the menu was a little short anyway. It was pretty good except the garlic was very overpowering and I used less than half of what the recipe called for.

Shrimp Scampi with Corn and Orzo
modified from Clean Eating

makes 6 servings

8 oz. orzo pasta

1 large ear corn, kernels removed from cob

3 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 1/2 lbs raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 t cornstarch dissolved in 1 T cold water

3/4 t kosher salt

3/4 t black pepper

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 T lime juice

Cook the orzo according to package directions.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium0high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the corn and cook until shrimp is just cooked through, about 1-2 more minutes. Add broth, cornstarch mixture, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until liquid comes to a boil and sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice.

Drain the orzo, top with the shrimp mixture and serve.

Good Bye Summer, Hello Fall

2009-09-21T08:09:00.004-04:00

This is it... the last day of summer. Although I love fall I am a little sad to see summer go. I think because it really didn't start until halfway through July. But, there is plenty to be excited for. We put our flannel sheets on our bed and dug out our down comforter, the trees are just starting to turn and it is already promising to be a very colorful year (I heard once on NPR that the wetter the summer the redder the fall so this one ought to be amazing!) and I am always inspired and reinvigorated in the kitchen when the seasons change.

Yes, I do love fall, bring it on!

~~~

Jeremy came home one day with this great cast iron, enamel coated pan and I am now addicted to using it. I haven't cooked in cast iron since I was growing up and I had forgotten (or never really appreciated in the first place) how nice they are to cook in. This one still has a ways to go to get a good seasoning on it but I'm working on it slowly but surely.

Oven Roasted Chicken with Lemon Garlic Green Beans

from Real Simple

makes 2 servings

3 1/2 T olive oil

1 lemon, thinly slice half and juice the other half

2 gloves garlic, minced

1/2 t kosher salt

1/4 t black pepper

1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut in half

4 small red potatoes, quartered

2 chicken breasts, bone in, skin on

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a large cast iron skillet or baking dish with 1 T of the oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer on the bottom of the skillet.

In a bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat. Using tongs or a slotted spoon remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices. Add the potatoes to the olive oil mixture and toss to coat. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, arrange the potatoes along the perimeter of the skillet. Place the chicken in the oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken, skin side up, on top of the green beans. Pour and remaining olive oil mixture over the chicken.

Roast for 50 minutes.

~~~

This tomato was gorgeous. By far the best I have had all year (except maybe the $20 tomatoes Mom!) and could have just eaten a plate of them and been satisfied but I also had a perfectly ripe avocado and some delicious marinated olives and feta, and so, a salad was born. Oh, and we had spaghetti on the side.

Spaghetti with Italian Sausage and Zucchini and Salad

No recipe here. I just crumbled up two Italian sausage links and cooked them with a sliced zucchini and a half a jar of pasta sauce from the store.

~~~

When I first met Jer I had never heard of a Monte Cristo Sandwich so when he said that was what he wanted to have for his birthday that year I was utterly confused. Then he explained it to me and I was still confused. I thought it sounded pretty gross but I trusted him and we gave it a go. Well, I never should have doubted they were delicious. I have learned a few tricks since then to insure they are warm and melty all the way through, mainly, I pop them in the microwave for a few seconds before dipping them in the egg and putting them in the skillet. Otherwise it is hard to get the inside warm before the outside is burnt. This time I also put a little maple extract in the eggs and it added a little extra deliciousness.

Monte Cristo Sandwiches

makes 2 servings

4 slices sandwich bread

thinly sliced ham

thinly sliced turkey

sliced American cheese

sliced Swiss cheese

2 eggs beaten

1/8 cup milk

maple extract (optional)

maple syrup

Between two slices of bread, layer American cheese, ham, Swiss cheese and turkey (that is the order we like). Heat the sandwich in the microwave for about 25 seconds.

~~~

Here it is.

My first batch of chili with the bounty from our trip. I have to say it was pretty darn good and I can't really think of anything I would do differently next time. Well, the one thing I may try is pureeing some of the chiles and chopping the rest (they were all chopped in this batch). I think it might give it a little thicker base. I brought home two kinds of chiles and one is hotter than the other. For this batch I used half and half and it had the perfect amount of heat for me. It will definitely clear your sinuses but it is not painful to eat. We have been eating this on top of everything: burritos, eggs, potatoes, quesidillas... I especially love it on scrambled eggs.

Green Chili

makes a lot of servings

1 T vegetable oil

1 pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2" chunks

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 yellow onions, chopped

~ 24 green chiles, roasted and peeled

1 14 oz can tomatoes, half pureed, half chopped

4 cups chicken broth

2 t cumin

2 t oregano

1/2 t kosher salt

1/2 t white pepper

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the pork and cook until no pink remains. Add the onion and garlic and cook until lightly golden.

Add the chiles, tomatoes, chicken broth, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least one hour (the longer the better).

Serve over rice, burritos, chile rellenos, eggs... The possibilities are endless.

Road food detox? Not so much...

2009-09-14T17:32:00.005-04:00

Wow, it feels like ages since I have been here. Not home, we got home from our road trip out west over a week ago now, but here, at This Week's Menu. The trip was really smooth sailing, the car ran great (except for a little trouble with the steep elevation gain out of Denver, but it acclimated pretty quickly), we got great gas mileage for a 17 year old car with nearly 230,000 miles (we averaged ~32 mpg) and the driving was pretty easy. I think my favorite part of the whole drive was going through Western Iowa. We drove through the biggest wind farm I have ever seen and it was gorgeous. On the way out it was foggy and the enormous blades of the turbines spun in and out of view. It was really awe inspiring. Besides the driving (of which we did a TON) we got to catch up with a lot of old friends (some I hadn't seen for over 5 years!) and spend some time with family.

The other goal of the trip, to load up the car with some of our favorite food stuffs that we cannot get east of the Mississippi (or east of the very farm stand where we bought some of those items according to the woman running the stand) was a success! We brought home two bushels of roasted green chiles and three cases of New Belgium beer. I was nervous that the chiles may not survive the long trip but we cleaned and packaged them before we left and kept them on ice the whole trip and they fared just fine. I have already made one batch of chili, which I will not be posting this week because I have not yet gotten a single decent photo of it. But do not fear, it will be a staple at our house this winter and you all will probably get sick of it long before my freezer is empty!

On the last day of the ride home I was thinking the menu for the first week back needed to be a road food detox menu. Well, as you will see below, that didn't really happen. It was actually more of a comfort food/cooler fall weather menu. What can you do?

~~~

The first thing I felt like doing when we got home was baking. Jer suggested brownies or chocolate chip cookies but I wanted something a little more seasonal and something I could eat for breakfast. Not that I have anything against brownies OR chocolate chip cookies for breakfast but my "sensible" side won out this time. (The quotes are necessary here because I still snuck in some chocolate chips in place of the more traditional breakfast choice of nuts.)

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
modified from Use Real Butter
makes 24 muffins

3 eggs
2 c grated zucchini
2 c sugar
1 c vegetable oil
1 T vanilla
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 c chocolate chips (I used the darkest one I could find)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all of the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl beat the eggs until foamy. Beat in the sugar and vanilla. Mix in the zucchini and oil. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into lined muffin tins and bake until golden and muffins spring back to a light touch. About 15 minutes.

~~~

This soup was pretty simple to make and is a great Summer/Fall transitional dish. The flavors of summer but the warm and creamy texture I crave in the fall.

Summer Corn Soup with Crisp Prosciutto
from Fine Cooking
makes 4 servings

3 very thin slices prosciutto
4 large ears of corn
4 T unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
kosher salt
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 medium red potatoes, peeled and diced
black pepper
2 t coarsely chopped fresh basil

Position oven rack about 4 inches below the broiler and heat the broiler on high. Arrange the prosciutto in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil until it begins to curl, 1-2 minutes. Flip the prosciutto and broil until appears crisp and has curled a bit more, about 1 minute. Let cool, then chop and set aside.

Slice the kernels off the corn cobs (you want ~3 cups of corn total). Reserve the cobs.

In a medium Dutch oven (or heavy pot) over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until softened and slightly golden, 5-7 minutes. Season with a generous pinch of salt.

Add four cups of water, the broth, potatoes, half of the corn, the cobs and 2 t salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the cobs.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender and transfer each batch to a bowl. Pour the pureed soup back into the pot and add the remaining corn. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the corn kernels are tender, 3-5 minutes. (I like mine to still have a little crispness to them so I stayed on the short end of the cooking time.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish each serving with the prosciutto and basil.

~~~

Jer requested tortellini this week and his favorite sauce with tortellini is Alfredo. I don't love it so I have never made it myself but I decided to give it a try. It turned out a little grainy, but I think it was because the cheese I used was pre-grated. Not good for melting. Other than that it was pretty darn good.

Tortellini Alfredo with Prosciutto and Peas
makes 4 servings

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, grated
generous pinch nutmeg
1 cup grated Parmegiano-Reggiano
kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
8-10 thin slices prosciutto, chopped
1 lb fresh or frozen tortellini

Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Add the peas during the last few minutes of cooking time.

Meanwhile, combine the cream, butter, garlic and nutmeg in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes, or until thickened and saucy. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese and prosciutto. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

~~~

When we got home from our trip my sweet in-laws had stocked our fridge with a few essentials; milk, eggs... and biscuits and gravy. Well, maybe that isn't an essential but it was sure was tasty the next morning when we got up. The gravy was in the dish above and I had it all cleaned and ready to return to them when I decided it would be perfect for the tuna noodle casserole. Something about the retro flowers and the retro food. I was also pleased with the color combination when I looked back at the photos.

Ah, the things I never thought about about before becoming a food blogger...

Tuna Noodle Casserole
makes 4 servings

3 cups wide egg noodles
1/2 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup peas
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup milk
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can tuna, drained
1/4 lb cheddar cheese, grated

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the noodles according to package directions.

Meanwhile, mix together all of the remaining ingredients (except the cheese). Stir in the drained noodles and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn on the broiler and place the the dish on the top oven rack until the cheese starts to brown, 2-3 minutes.

~~~

Da Booty

2009-08-22T15:19:00.007-04:00

I raided my in-laws herb garden last weekend and this was my booty:

In that glass there is:

basil

oregano

sage

parsley

mint

& chives

I had a plan for all of it...

First up:

Pasta with Garlic, Shrimp and Fresh Herbs

makes 4 servings

1lb pasta

1/2 lb shrimp, shells removed

3T olive oil

8-16 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 cups fresh herbs, chopped (I used all of them listed above, except for the sage)

1/2 t Kosher salt

black pepper

1-2 cups milk or heavy cream

1 lemon

Parmesan Cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions, add the shrimp during the last two minutes of cooking time. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic until very lightly browned.

Return the pot of drained pasta to medium heat and add the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. Add the milk or cream slowly and mix until a little sauce forms around the pasta. Taste and re-season if necessary (it will probably need a little more salt).

Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon and Parmesan on top.

~~~

#2:

Chicken Salad with Apple and Basil

from Real Simple

makes 4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 t Kosher salt

1 t black pepper

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (~2 limes)

1 T white wine or rice vinegar

2 T light brown sugar

4 scallions, thinly sliced

2 granny smith apples, diced

1/3 cup peanuts, roughly chopped

2 T fresh mint, thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

Place the chicken in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover by 1/2". Add 3 t of the salt and 1/2 t of the pepper and bring to gentle simmer. Cook until no trace of pink remains, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the lime juice, vinegar and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the scallions and apples and toss.

Drain the chicken and pat it dry. Dice the chicken and add it to the apple mixture along with the peanuts, mint basil and the remaining salt and pepper. Toss.

Serve with a hearty bread and a good cheddar cheese to make it a meal.

~~~

And last:

Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage

from Real Simple

makes 4 servings

1 24-oz package cheese ravioli

6 T unsalted butter

2 medium shallots, thinly sliced

16 fresh sage leaves (the leaves I had were huge, so I cut them into four pieces each, and counted 1 piece as 1 leaf)

1/4 t kosher salt

1/4 t black pepper

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the ravioli according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it foams. Add the shallots and cook until golden, 1-2 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium, add the sage and cook until the leaves get crispy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Return the cooked ravioli to the pot, add the butter mixture and toss gently. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan and toss again. Top each serving with the remaining Parmesan.

~~~

So, that was it for the herbs and 3 days was really pushing their shelf life in the fridge. This meal was born out of the need to use up some of the stack of corn tortillas that I had leftover from the Poblano Soup a couple of weeks back. I make another version of Enchilada Casserole but I wanted to try something new for this one. Also, I looked at a few different pans to use before I decided on this one. It was a little strange to bake the casserole in a loaf pan but it really ended up being the perfect size. This was very rich and a little heavy. I think if I make it again it will be when the weather is much cooler.

Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole

makes 4 servings

1 T vegetable oil

1 lb chicken, cut into bite sized pieces

1 can green chili enchilada sauce

1 can diced green chilies

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

10 corn tortillas

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until no pink remains. Stir in the diced green chilies and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.

Layer two corn tortillas in the bottom a loaf pan and top with 1/4 of the chicken mixture and a little bit of the enchilada sauce. Repeat three more times. Once you have used all of the chick mixture place two corn tortillas on top and cover with the remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with the cheddar. Bake for ~15 minutes, until heated through and cheese is bubbling.

~~~

I have had this meal on the menu for three weeks now and kept not getting around to making it. The shrimp were frozen so they kept fine but I had to replace the zucchini and the lemon because I ended up using them in other things. It is so simple and really delicious, especially on a sweltering night.

Grilled Shrimp and Lemon Kebabs

modified from Real Simple

makes 2 servings

12 large shrimp, shells on, deveined

1 lemon, cut into small wedges

2 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and then cut into 1" thick slices

1 T olive oil

1/2 t kosher salt

8 skewers (if using bamboo soak them in water for 30 minutes)

Heat grill to medium. Thread the zucchini onto 4 skewers. Brush with the half of the oil and season with half of the salt. Grill turning once, until tender, 4-5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, thread the shrimp and lemon wedges onto the 4 remaining skewers, alternating them. Brush with the remaining oil and season with the remaining salt. Grill, turning once, until the shrimp are cooked through. About 2 minutes per side.

~~~

I made this salad to have along with the kebabs above. I hadn't planned it but had all of the ingredients on hand and wanted to use the broccoli before it went bad. When I went over to my in-laws house later that night they had made the same thing. We compared notes and had pretty much come up with the same recipe.

Broccoli Salad

makes 2 servings

1 small head broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces

1/8 cup raisins (I used golden, or you could also use dried cranberries)

1/8 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/8 cup red onions, chopped

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 t white wine vinegar

1 t sugar

Combine the first five ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar and pour over the broccoli mixture. Stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

~~~

Jer and I are hitting the road this week, headed for the great Rocky Mountain West! The home of my childhood, my family and my heart. So, there will be a little hiatus here on This Week's Menu. We will be packing light on the way out so that we can load up on the things we love that we can't get out East. For Jer it will be Fat Tire and I will searching for a bushel of roasted green chilies! See you all in a few weeks!

Capital H.O.T.

2009-08-16T08:42:00.011-04:00

What a week!

Work was crazy, I was only in the office one day and all the others I was out in the field. It is exhausting work, measuring and documenting buildings. My co-worker and I decided it is because it is this slow, monotonous pace all day long, not enough to get your blood pumping. And... it was capital H.O.T!

On top of that, I am getting down to the wire on studying for my next exam (next Friday), Jer's Aunt was in town a couple of days, and we are planning a cross country road trip in two weeks. We also saw Julie & Julia. Loved it! Although I missed some of the side stories that filled out the book, but I understand why they needed to be edited, with Julie's being only half of the story in the movie.

To top off the craziness of the week we went to a filming of Deal Or No Deal yesterday. It was a riot. A friend of ours got some tickets and invited us along. It is not a show that I have ever really watched but it was fun to see in person. It is really high energy and you have to ham it up big time for the camera. At the end of the filming of the actual game we had to stick around and film a bunch of audience reactions, laughing, cheering, gasping... It got a little tiring by the end but it was fun to do something different.

Because of the long days, cooking was the last priority this week so the meals are not the most exciting, but they're simple and good. Sometimes the best kind of all!

~~~

You want to know a secret to saving money big time at the grocery store and cutting tons of unwanted fat, calories, sodium and other junk from your diet? Stick to the perimeter of the store. It is as simple as that. The perimeter has all of the "whole" foods if you will. The food that is in it's most natural state. And the center isles (with some exceptions) have the all of the packaged and processed foods. I can't say I always avoid these items all together but I do my best to cook from the "whole" ingredients to avoid the "junk" and save money. And you know what else? It tastes a lot better too!

This is my recipe for taco seasoning. I love that in this picture I can actually identify all of the different herbs and spices that went into it. And I love that when I make my own I can control the spiciness level. I like some heat for sure but the nose running, brow sweating kind? Not so much, and I find that the pre-made mixes are either too bland or too hot, never just right.

Taco Seasoning

This makes enough for about 6 pounds of meat, use ~2 T per pound (or to taste). Keep the rest in an airtight container in the pantry.

6 T chili powder

1 1/2t garlic powder

1 1/2 t onion powder

3/4 t red pepper flakes (or 1/4 t cayenne pepper)

1 1/2 t oregano

1 T paprika

3 T cumin

2 T Kosher salt

2 T black pepper

Put all of the ingredients in a jar or a container with a lid and shake, shake, shake...

~~~

We had a roasted chicken on Sunday (which I was too lazy to take a picture of) and we had the leftovers in a couple of meals throughout the week. For these tacos I roughly chopped the chicken and put it in a skillet over medium high heat with the seasoning from above and a little water. As it heats it is easy to shred up while you stir it.

1. Shredded Chicken Tacos

~~~

I bought this pork and pineapple for an entirely different dish but when I was reading the recipe it was way to time consuming for me to handle this week so I reverted to this old favorite because I had everything I needed on hand.

2. Chili Rubbed Pork Kebabs with Pineapple Salsa

from Real Simple

makes 4 servings

1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut lengthwise into 16 strips

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1 T fresh lime juice

1/4 t black pepper

2 T olive oil

1 3/4 t Kosher salt

3 t chili powder

4 boneless pork loin chops, cut into 1" cubes

Heat grill to medium-high. Skewer the pineapple strips and grill for 2 minutes per side. Cut into a small dice and combine with the jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, pepper, 1 T of the oil and 3/4 t of the salt. Set aside.

Combine the chili powder and remaining 1 t salt in a large bowl. Add the pork and the remaining 1 T oil and toss to coat. Thread the pork onto skewers. Grill the kebabs, turning every 2 minutes, until cooked through, about 8 minutes total.

~~~

We also had mashed potatoes with our roasted chicken on Sunday (which I was too lazy to take a picture of) and I planned to make these burritos with the leftovers. These were something I ate back in my vegetarian days (all of high school and college, I was an herbivore, my husband was a carnivore, and we met in the middle). They are a little plain but surprisingly good.

3. Potato Burritos

makes as many as you have ingredients for

mashed potatoes

green chilies, diced

Cheddar cheese, shredded

flour tortillas

Fill the tortillas with the goodies and heat. Um, that was easy.

~~~

I came home from work on Monday with a killer headache and went strait to bed for two hours. Jer whipped up this salad for me when I woke up with some of the left over chicken. What a sweetie, and not bad for a reformed carnivore, huh?

4. Chicken Cesar Salad

this one had:

Romaine lettuce

red onion

black olives

avocado

chicken

Parmesan cheese (?)

and Cesar dressing

Business Time

2009-08-09T09:17:00.005-04:00

I am sitting here with nothing to say so I am just going to get right down to business. The menu this week has a couple of old favorites and a couple of new things. All in all it was a good week of eatin'!

Enjoy...

~~~

This is a combination of two different recipes for pork with apples. I like the pork from one and the apple slaw from the other. Cutting the apples into matchstick size pieces is made a lot easier if you have a mandolin slicer. If not it can take quite a while.

1. Pork Chops with Apple Slaw

modified from Real Simple

makes 4 servings

For the apple slaw: (I like to make this before I start the pork and keep it in the refrigerator while the pork is cooking.)

1/3 cup pine nuts

2 Granny Smith apples, cut into matchstick-size strips

1 T fresh lemon juice

2 celery stalks, chopped

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/2 t kosher salt

1/8 t black pepper

Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat, be careful not to let them burn, it can happen very quickly. Remove from heat and set aside. Place the apples in a large bowl and top with the lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. Stir in the celery, sour cream, parsley, salt, pepper and pine nuts. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the pork:

2 T all-purpose flour

1 t ground cumin

1 t kosher salt

1 t black pepper

4 medium size boneless pork chops OR one 1 1/2 - 2 lb. pork tenderloin cut into 1/2" thick slices

1 T vegetable oil

1 T butter

1/4 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 T white wine vinegar

2 T grainy mustard (optional, but delicious)

Serve each piece of pork with a drizzle of pan sauce a dab of mustard and a side of the apple slaw.

~~~

I saw these on foodgawker a while back and put them in my favorites. I didn't get around to making them but did recommend them to a friend/co-worker and they loved them. That gave me the kick in the pants I needed to give them a try. Next time I would use fresh ginger in the sauce instead of ground but other than that they were delish!

2. Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

modified slightly from Our Best Bites

makes 4 servings

For the Teriyaki Sauce:

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/4 t fresh ginger, grated (or 1/2 t ground ginger)

1/4 t black pepper

1 T cornstarch

1 T cold water

Combine the first six ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Combine the cornstarch and water, set aside. When the sauce comes to a boil (it will happen pretty quickly) add the cornstarch mixture and stir until the sauce is thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the skewers:

1 package chicken tenders, cut into bite sized pieces

1 package bacon (not thick-sliced), cut into thirds lengthwise

1 fresh pineapple, cut into chunks about the same size as the chicken pieces

If using bamboo skewers soak them in water before using so the don't burn on the grill. Wrap each piece of chicken with a piece of bacon and slide onto a skewer, follow with a piece of pineapple. Repeat three more times per skewer. place in a 9x13 baking dish

When all of the ingredients have been used up pour the Teriyaki sauce over them , reserving about 1/4 cup. Let them marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, no longer than 8.

Heat grill to medium-high heat. Place the skewers on the grill and baste with some of the reserved sauce. Cook about 7 minutes, flip, baste again and cook another 7 minutes.

~~~

I usually make these burgers with turkey but they didn't have any at my market this week so I went with the chicken instead. I could not even tell the difference. I love these once they are cooked but I am always a little doubtful while I am making them because the texture of ground poultry kind of grosses me out.

3. Chicken Burgers

modified from Real Simple

makes 4 servings

Recipe is here. Just swap out the turkey for the chicken.

~~~

When I made the calzones last week I had a lot of leftover ingredients, including half a package of yeast so I threw these together pretty quickly before I had even done my shopping for the week. They were dangerously close to being burned but luckily they I caught them just in time.

4. Personal Pizzas

There isn't really a recipe for these except for the dough which you can fine here. They were pretty typical: red sauce, pepperoni, black olives, green olives, onions and mozzarella cheese.

Making Bank

2009-08-01T12:37:00.016-04:00

This week seemed to fly by and this weekend is the last one that we don't have anything planned until the middle of September. Yikes! I am excited for the upcoming "events" but I know being so busy is going to make the rest of the summer fly by. Good thing I like fall so much, it is going to be here before I know it!

I have a little rant to get off my chest here. Do any of you ever look at you grocery store receipts after you leave the store? I friend of mine told me a while back that she always gets charged for the wrong produce. I thought "always" might have been an exaggeration but the next time I shopped I took a look when I got home and sure enough I was mis-charged for at least 5 things! I went right back to the store and got it corrected. It only ended up being a couple of dollars at the most and that hardly makes it worth it to get back in the car and drive all the way back to the store but it is really the principle. I have started trying to watch the screen while they ring things up (at my market it is easy to see) and EVERY TIME I buy a loose yellow onion they charge me for a Vidalia onion which is more expensive. I am starting to think it is on purpose. I mean really, how is it possible that they would do it every time as a mistake? Last week it was a good thing Jer came with me to the store because I did not pay attention and when we left he made a comment about how the bill seemed a little expensive. When I thought about it I agreed and I pulled out the receipt. They had charged me for 2 1/2 POUNDS of jalapenos when I had bought just 1 jalapeno! It cost me nearly $10! I was pissed and headed back into the store to get it fixed. I know people make mistakes and I am certainly not immune, but this market alone is making BANK on all of these mistakes. It is crazy! Check your receipts people and don't let them get away with it!

Ahh, I feel better now :) On to the menu!

~~~

It was a hot night the night I decided to make this soup. The whole time I was thinking "What am I doing making soup when it is 85 degrees outside with about 90% humidity!?!" But really it ended up being a great meal for a hot evening. The subtle heat can actually having a cooling effect and the soup itself was not too rich or creamy. It was so delicious we both ended up eating two servings!

1. Poblano Soup

from SippitySup

makes 4 servings

2 6" corn tortillas

3 T flour

1/2 t chili powder

1 t ground cumin

1/2 t kosher salt

1/2 t black pepper

2 T vegetable oil

1 onion, diced

1 poblano pepper, seeds and membrane removed, diced

1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

4 T unsalted butter

3 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 ears corn, kernels removed from the cob

1/4 cup sour cream

Optional Toppings/ Add Ins:

Shredded Monteray Jack or Cheddar Cheese

avocado

shredded chicken

corn chips

Slice the tortillas into thin strips and place them in a food processor. Pulse until uniformly chopped. Add the flour, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Process until it is the consistency of cornmeal.

Heat oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, poblano, jalapeno and garlic. Lower heat to medium and cook until the onion is transparent, 6-8 minutes. Add the tortilla mixture and stir until well combined. Add the butter, let it melt and stir to form a roux like

paste. Cook 4-5 minutes stirring constantly. Do not let the mixture burn.

Slowly add the half of the broth and stir until the paste is well Incorporated. Add the remaining broth and raise the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Add the corn, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Add the sour cream and cook for 10 minutes, do not let the soup boil.

Remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving. Garnish with cheese and/or avocado and add shredded chicken if desired.

~~~

I bought a jar of sundried tomatoes a while back to make a quinoa salad but I never got around to actually making it, so last week when I noticed this recipe for a sundried tomato pesto over on 101 cookbooks I thought it looked like a good way to use them up. I modified it a bit because she called for dry tomatoes and I already had the oil packed ones. I enjoyed the meal and even Jer who HATES tomatoes ate all of his! The leftovers made a good lunch the next day too.

2. Ravioli with Sundried Tomato Pesto

modified from 101 Cookbooks

makes 4 servings

1 lb cheese raviolis

1 7.5 oz can sundried tomatoes, packed in olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1/4 t red pepper flakes

1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem

1/8 t kosher salt

1/4 cup walnuts

3 handfuls baby spinach

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook ravioli according to package directions. Drain, but reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, place the sundried tomatoes, garlic, red pepper, thyme and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it all comes together. Add the walnuts and pulse a few more times.

Combine 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water, about 2/3 of the pesto and the

ravioli in a large bowl. Toss gently to combine. Add more of the pasta water if it needs to be thinned out a little more. Add the remaining pesto if desired. Serve the ravioli over a bed of baby spinach.

~~~

So, this meal was a bit of a disaster. Notice the word omelets is in quotes above? That's because I failed at making them. In my most recent issue of Fine Cooking there are instructions for making a classic omelet. It was different from how I have always made them and I thought I would give this method a try. I had visions of a very elegant dinner of a simple cheese omelet and green salad on the side. Well it tasted pretty good but omelet it was not. The first one was already cooked solid on the bottom when I started to stir and the second one didn't seem to ever get fully cooked. I'm afraid I will have to forget the frustration before I try again, but I hope someday I will be able to turn out a "simple" omelet without a thought.

3. Cheese Omelets and Green Leaf Salad

from Fine Cooking

makes 1 serving

1/2 T unsalted butter

2 large eggs

1/8 t kosher salt

black pepper

1/4 cup loosely packed Gruyere

Melt the butter in an 8" nonstick skillet over medium heat.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the salt and couple grinds of pepper until the eggs are frothy. Pour the eggs into the skillet and let sit until the eggs are just beginning to set around the edges, 30-60 seconds.

Gently scramble with a silicone spatula while shaking the pan back and forth just until the eggs have set on the bottom but are still undercooked on top, 45-60 seconds. Turn off the heat and shake the pan to evenly distribute the eggs. Tap it once firmly on the stovetop (or on a heat proof cutting board if you have a glass stovetop like me) to smooth out the bottom.

Sprinkle the cheese down the center and run a spatula around the edge. Let sit for about 1 minute.

Fold a third of the omelet over the cheese. Shake the unfolded third of the omelet up the side and slightly out of the pan. Slide the omelet onto the plate while completing the final fold. It should be folded in three. Serve immediately.

If you are interested in seeing step by step photos of the process there are really great ones in August/September issue of Fine Cooking.

~~~

After I failed at the dinner above I guess I needed to redeem myself because I had an urge to bake something. I looked around the kitchen and had everything I needed to make these muffins. I made them once before to take on a ski trip and they were super good. You could use any kind of jelly you like. After I made them I really didn't want the entire batch around the house so I packed up most of them and brought them over to our friends' house.

Jelly Doughnut Muffins

modified from 1 Mix, 100 Muffins

make 12 muffins

For the muffins:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 T baking powder

1/8 t salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

6 T vegetable oil

1 t vanilla extract

~4 T jelly, any flavor (I used raspberry)

For the topping:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

(I had some raspberry flavored creme brulee sugar that I mixed in with the regular sugar for a little something special.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the sugar.

Lightly beat the eggs in another bowl. Beat in the milk, oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.

Fill each muffin cup about 1/3 of the way and make a well in the center with a spoon. Add ~1 t of jelly and then top with the remaining batter.

Bake for ~15 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown and spring back when pressed lightly.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a shallow bowl and place the sugar in a second bowl. When the muffins are baked let them cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Dip the tops of the muffins in the butter and then in the sugar and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

I like these muffins best when they are really fresh and still a little warm but they will also keep in an air tight container for 3-4 days.

~~~

This was Jer's contribution to the menu this week. I made the dough with the same recipe I used for the pizza crust last week except I cut it in half. That made two large calzones. I ate half of mine for dinner and the other half for lunch the next day. The fun thing about calzones is you can put whatever you like inside. Mine had pizza sauce, hot Italian sausage (which I crumbled and cooked first), black olives, green olives, thinly sliced onions, red pepper flakes and Mozarella cheese. The method is pretty easy. Roll out the dough into a large oval. Spread the pizza sauce on half and top with whatever ingredients you like. Fold the bare half over the toppings and crimp tightly. Brush with olive oil and bake in a 450 degree oven for about 16 minutes.

4. Calzones

Find dough recipe here. This full recipe will make 4 large calzones. I cut it in half.

~~~

This is my favorite enchilada filling. Unfortunately, I didn't have any almonds and had to leave them out. Jer didn't mind, he said they are not his favorite part anyway but I really like them, they add a nice flavor and crunch. On the side I just made a Spanish rice from a mix and had some refried beans. I topped the whole plate with a little cheese and put it under the broiler for a few minutes to get everything all meltly. Mmmmm, melty.

5. Enchilada Dinner

modified from Cabbage Town Cafe Cookbook

makes filling for 4 large enchiladas

1/2 cup sliced almonds

3 T vegetable oil

2 green peppers diced

2 cups fresh or frozen corn

1 t ground cumin

1/2 t ground coriander

1/4 t cayenne

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1 can enchilada sauce

4 large tortillas

Toast the almonds in a dry skillet until lightly browned, be careful not to let them burn. Heat the oil in another skillet over high heat. Add the green pepper and cook until they are tender. Add the corn and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Add the spices and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Remove from heat and mix in the almonds and cheese.

Fill the tortillas and top with enchilada sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Heat under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Cheesy Dreams

2009-07-24T18:24:00.006-04:00

We had a great time at the Cape last weekend and got to eat at all of our favorite places. The Post Office Cafe in Provencetown, Box Lunch in Wellfleet (where I discovered my new favorite "rollwich" the Cheese Dream, thanks to our friend Ry for pointing it out) and Cooke's in Orleans. We also totally lucked out on the weather, it rained the first night we were there but was gorgeous the rest of the weekend.

When we got married we rented two houses in the center of Wellfleet for the week and we had the wedding right at one of the houses. Every time we drive past it now we refer to it as "Our" house and we get jealous when we see other people there. It was a dream location and we always talk about renting it again for our anniversary and inviting our friends and family back to stay.

The menu this week was a good one. I love it when I succeed at making a plan where the meals build upon each other and share ingredients. This one does.

Enjoy.

~~~

Oh Boy! This was go-oo-od! All of the flavors worked so well together and I especially loved the squeeze of lime at the end. It made it taste very summery and I never would have thought lime on pizza. I love it when I make a new discovery like this.

1. Corn and Zucchini Pizza with Lime and Cilantro

from The Cheese Board Collective Works

makes 2 large pizzas

For the Dough:

1 T (1 package) active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 t kosher salt

3 1/2 - 4 cups bread flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer mix the yeast with the warm water until dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Add the olive oil, salt and 2 cups of the flour to the bowl and mix on low speed, using the paddle attachment, for 5 minutes to form a wet dough. Switch to the dough hook and, add 1 1/2 cups more flour and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour by the tablespoon as needed to form and soft dough that is a little sticky but not too wet. (I didn't have to add any f the last 1/2 cup of flour.)

Form the dough into a ball and place it in a large oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. (You can also put it in the refrigerator at this point and let it rise overnight. Let it stand at room temp for 2 hours before making your pizza.)

For the Pizza:

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

yellow corn meal

1 ear of corn, kernels removed

pinch of black pepper

1/2 t red pepper flakes (I used a little more)

1 lb Mozzarella, shredded

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 small zucchini, thinly sliced

6 oz. Feta, crumbled

fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

1 lime, cut into quarters

Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the garlic and olive oil and set aside. Sprinkle corn meal on two baking sheets. Divide the pizza dough in half and roll out each section to roughly the size of a each sheet. In a bowl, toss the corn kernels with the black pepper and red pepper. Scatter half of the Mozzarella over the pizzas, leaving a 1/2" rim. Place the onion over the cheese and the zucchini over the onion. Scatter the remaining Mozzarella over the zucchini. Sprinkle with the feta and the corn. Place one of the pizzas on the lower oven rack and bake for 8 minutes. Move that pizza to the upper rack and place the second pizza on the lower rack. Continue baking for 8 minutes. Finish baking the first pizza by sliding it off of the pan directly onto the lower rack for 5 minutes. Move the second pizza to the upper rack. Finish baking the second pizza the same as the first. Immediately after removing the pizza from the oven, brush the garlic oil onto the rim, squeeze the lime juice over the top and garnish with the cilantro.

~~~

I first saw this sauce on foodgawker and followed the link over to Delish. It looked so good and I couldn't wait to give it a try. I made four chicken breasts and the leftovers lasted the rest of the week in various dishes. The day after, for lunch, I brought another strawberry salad and had a piece of chicken on the side and then for dinner I put some in the quesidillas (more on this below) and then for lunch the day after that I had the rest on another salad, this time with a few kalamata olives and red onion. I couldn't believe how far 4 pieces of chicken could stretch.

By the way, I *love* strawberries on salad (any kind of fruit really, but strawberries especially) and to keep the whole "white" theme going I made a dressing out of white balsamic vinegar. (About 1 T of olive oil, 1 1/2 t vinegar and a pinch of sugar.) The salad also had spring greens, spinach, pecans, red onion and feta. Mmm mm!

2. White BBQ Chicken

from Delish

makes 4 servings

For the Brine:

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 t kosher salt

1/8 t garlic powder

1 1/2 t honey

1/4 t dark brown sugar

1/4 t soy sauce

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Add chicken and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 5.

For the White BBQ Sauce:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1/4 cup apple juice

1 t prepared horseradish

1 t lemon juice

1/2 t kosher salt

1/4 t cayenne pepper (I used more like 1/2 t)

Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Heat the grill. Remove the chicken from the brine and pound to an even thickness. (It should be pretty easy to do this after brining because the vinegar in the brine is going to tenderize the meat.) Place the chicken on the grill and brush with the BBQ sauce. Cook 6-7 minutes. Flip and cook another 6-7 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. (160 degrees in the middle) Let rest 5-10 minutes. Top with more BBQ sauce.

~~~

I was in Spain for three weeks when I was in college and I think I ate at least one bowl of gazpacho every day that I was there. It isn't that I love it so much, but there was something about it there. It was unlike any I had had before. I have since been trying to recreate it but so far not I have not gotten it quite right. This version was good but again, it wasn't the same. It has been a number of years since I was there and I feel like I am forgetting what it even was that made the soup there so unique from what I have had here. I guess I will just have to go back for another taste!

A girl can dream, right?

3. Gazpacho with Chicken and Cheese Quesidillas

soup modified from Simply Soup

makes 4 servings

5 slices white bread, crust removed

1 can chopped tomatoes or 12 oz fresh tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

2 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 1/2 T red wine vinegar

2 t tomato paste

2-3 cups cold water

1/2 t cayenne pepper

kosher salt and black pepper

Tear the bread into pieces and process briefly in a food processor to make fine breadcrumbs. Transfer to a bowl. Add the tomatoes, garlic, bell pepper, cucumber, olive oil, vinegar and tomato paste. Mix well.

Working in batches, place the tomato mixture and about 1 cup of water in the food processor and process to a puree. Transfer to another bowl and repeat until all of the tomato mixture has been processed. Add the cayenne and season o taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

For the quesidillas, I chopped some of the chicken from the night before into bite sized bits, heated it up in the microwave and tossed it with a little of the leftover BBQ sauce. I used this with some pepper jack cheese.

~~~

The last time I made this was the week I started this blog. I was happy to look back and see how much my photography has improved since then. It helps that it is actually still light outside when I make dinner these days and I can shoot with natural light. I got the eggs a little over done but they were still pretty good. I modified the recipe a little from last time too.

4. Huevos Avogados in Salsa Verde

makes 2 servings

1 12oz jar of salsa verde

1/4 cup chicken broth

4 eggs

flour tortillas

Blend the salsa and chicken broth together until it is about the consistency of tomato soup. Bring to a simmer in a sauce pan and carefully slide each egg into the mixture. Cover and cook until the whites are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Serve with the warmed tortillas.

Four Years

2009-07-16T17:39:00.008-04:00

Six years ago...

I was lucky enough to find my soul mate. The love of my life.

And four years ago...

I got to marry him!

This was our awesome cake...

It was made by my "beautiful sisters" as a surprise and has a long story behind it involving multiple requests for Sunfish Sailboats, a failed e-bay auction and a lifetime love of Playmobil. We couldn't have asked for a better cake! And yes, it is on a boogy board!

On Tuesday I celebrated four years of marriage to the most wonderful man I know and this weekend we are returning to the scene. Cape Cod (Wellfleet specifically). Because of all of the celebrating and packing and eating of leftovers from a BBQ at our house last weekend I don't have a lot to share, food wise, this week. But I couldn't leave you totally hanging.

~~~

I have not only never before made a Shepherds Pie but I can't recall ever eating one either. When I bought the rotisserie chicken a couple of weeks ago it came with a free container of mashed potatoes and after the BBQ last weekend I was left with a package of hamburger patties. I thought to myself, "Hmmm... what can I make with mashed potatoes and ground beef? Obviously, Shepherds Pie!" I looked online at a couple of recipes for the method and then came up with this version.

1. Shepherds Pie

makes 6 servings

1 lb lean ground beef

2 carrots, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn

1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas

kosher salt and black pepper

1/4 t ground thyme

4 T butter

4 T all-purpose flour

2 cups beef stalk

4 t Worcestershire sauce

mashed potatoes

Heat broiler. Heat 1 t of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and brown the meat until no pink remains. Drain the grease off of the meat and set the meat aside. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 t oil. Add the carrots and onion and garlic and cook until just soft. Meanwhile, in a saucepan melt the butter and slowly whist in the flour until no clumps remain. Cook until the color deepens to a golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly add the beef stalk and Worcestershire sauce and stir until fully incorporated. Let cook over medium heat until thickened slightly. Add the beef, corn, peas, gravy and thyme to the onion mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the mixture on the bottom of a large casserole dish and spread the mashed potatoes over the top. Broil until the mashed potatoes golden brown.

~~~

I made this for the BBQ and, perhaps because of more exciting desserts, it was mostly untouched. I am definitely not complaining. This is one of my favorite ice creams that I have made. The flavor has the ability to instantly transport me to the sunny summer days of my childhood. My friend J preferred to eat it with his eyes closed to fully experience the flavor. I'm telling you, it is that good.

2. Pink Lemonade Ice Cream

(I found this recipe a while back and now have no idea of the source. I also modified it slightly. If you know where it came from, please let me know.)

makes 1 quart

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 T honey

1 T vanilla extract

1 can pink lemonade juice concentrate, thawed

pinch of table salt

Combine all ingredients and chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Freeze in ice cream maker per manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a container and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.

Grillin!

2009-07-12T12:07:00.011-04:00

I have a confession to make...

I was afraid of my grill. Well, maybe afraid isn't quite the right word. How about intimidated. I worried that my steak would be cooked too well and my chicken would be dry and my fish would stick and fall apart. (Actually my fish did stick and fall apart but it was okay because I was making fish tacos anyway.) But I pushed through my fears and grilled everything from veggies to hot dogs last week and now I'm just anxious for more.

Yes folks, my eyes have been opened to the wide world of grilling and I am not looking back.

~~~

Sometimes, when I am making my menu I get stuck at the end and I know I really need one more thing on the list. This is often when I turn to Mac & Cheese. Anyone who has been reading this blog for any length of time must know this. I think I could have just as easily named the blog "101 Pasta and Cheese Combinations" or maybe something a little more eloquent but you get the gist. Sometimes I like to make it from scratch but more often I prefer the good old stuff from the box. After all, this is usually the afterthought, end of the list meal, remember? This week I went for the Annies Shells and Cheese and decided to play on the Corn Risotto I made a few weeks ago and add some fresh corn and thyme* to it. I also had some grape tomatoes left over from the salad below so I sauteed them in some olive oil with a little salt and pepper until they burst and put them on top. Jer grilled some hot dogs too, because around these parts the two go together like pb and j.

1. Shells and White Cheddar with Fresh Corn, Thyme and Burst Tomatoes

*I used two boxes of pasta and added the kernels from four ears of fresh corn to the pot during the last two minutes of cooking time. I stirred in about 1 t of fresh thyme at the end.

~~~

This steak was actually the very first thing I cooked on the new grill and I have to say I think it came out just about perfect. Rare enough for Jeremy and done enough for me with a nicely charred outer surface. We nic-named the dressing the "Super Magic Delicious Sauce" because that is exactly what it is. For the rest of the week we ate it on everything. YUM!

2. Chili-Lime Steak Salad with Creamy Lime Dressing

from Our Best Bites

makes 4 servings

For the Chili-Lime Steak:

1 t chili powder

1 t granulated garlic

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t coriander

1/2 t oregano

1/8 - 1/4 t cayenne pepper

3/4 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

1 lime

1-2 lbs flank steak (tenderloin, NY strip or tri-tip could also be used)

Juice the lime into a small bowl, add the spices and stir to combine. If it seams a little too dry you can add a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil to thin it out. Place the steak in a shallow dish and use your hands to rub the mixture on all sides. Pre-heat the grill and let the steak sit for 15 minutes. Grill for 5-7 minutes on each side (if using flank steak). When it is finished remove the steak and let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing it into 1/4" strips against the grain.

For the salad:

1-2 lbs flank steak, prepared as above

1 head romain lettuce

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1-2 avocados, sliced

1 can black olives, halved or quartered

2 ears of corn steamed and kernels cut from the cob

For Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing:

1 1oz. package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix (do not follow the directions on the package)

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup milk

1 lime

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/4 cup salsa verde

hot sauce to taste

Place all of the ingredients above into a blender and blend it up.

~~~

I cut this out of an old Real Simple Magazine a couple of years ago, but having not really had a properly functioning grill for all of that time, I always passed it over. I'

m glad I finally got around to making it. I have to say a word here about the photo too. I have not really talked about the photography on this blog because I really don't what I am doing on the camera end of things. I do have a lot of photoshop/post production experience and it is that alone that has salvaged most of my pictures. Well, I am trying to learn more about actually using the camera to it's full potential and while I have a long way to go I am happy to report that this is the first image on this blog that was shot on manual mode! A small accomplishment to some maybe but for me it was a big step. And, I think it was the best exposure I have gotten strait out of the camera that I can remember. I am really excited to keep learning and improving.

3. Grilled Chicken Chop Salad

from Real Simple

makes 4 servings

1/4 cup whole-grain mustard

1/2 cup apple juice

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 cup + 2T extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 lbs chicken cutlets

4 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/2" thick slices

4 plum tomatoes, cut lengthwise in half

1 large red onion, sliced into 1/2" thick rings

1/2 t kosher salt

baby spinach

In a medium bowl whisk together the mustard, apple juice, vinegar, 2 T water, 1/4 t pepper and 1/2 cup oil. Rinse and dry the chicken and place it in a bowl or re-sealable bag. Pour 1/2 cup of the dressing mixture over the chicken and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat grill to medium. Toss the vegetables with the remaining 2 T of oil, 1/4 t pepper and 1/2 t salt. Grill the chicken and veggies, turning once, for about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop. Divide the spinach 4 ways and top with the chicken, veggies and remaining dressing.

~~~

I have been wanting to try the Super Magic Delicious Sauce on fish tacos ever since I first made it so this week I did. All I did was drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper on two fillets of cod and grill it over medium heat for about 10 minutes. In the meantime I sliced some cabbage and poured some of the dressing over it. A note: cut up more cabbage than you think you need because it will shrink while it sits in the sauce. I put the tortillas on the upper level of the grill while the fish cooked and they got nice and warm. I had a little avocado on mine as well and topped the assembled taco with a little more sauce. Easy peesy.

4. Grilled Fish Tacos

~~~

I didn't use much of the cabbage for the tacos above so I made this old favorite to use it up. I first had it in high school and have been making it ever since. This was the first time I really paid attention to the amount of the ingredients so that I could post it here and you all wouldn't end up with something inedible.

5. Cabbage Crunch Salad

makes 4-6 servings

For the salad:

1 small head head of cabbage, finely chopped

1 bunch scallions, sliced

2 packages Ramen Noodles, Oriental flavor

1/2 cup almonds, sliced or roughly chopped

For the dressing:

seasoning packets from 2 packages Ramen Noodles

1/2 t sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

dash of sesame oil (optional)

Mix all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Mix all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the salad. Stir and let sit a few minutes before serving.

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-03T09:44:00.005-04:00

Ah, the joys of the store bought rotisserie chicken... Apparently I can't stop talking about them.

My market has this game you can play at checkout to win coins that can then be used for discounts on items around the store. There are silver, blue, red and gold. The silver is the least valuable and in turn is the most common. I have about 100 of them strewn all around my house. But the gold, oh the gold. Prized for its rarity and value, not the least of which it the deep discount on rotisserie chickens. A couple of weeks ago I won two of these beauties and, not wanting to squander them, tucked them safely away in my coin purse. This week I used one to buy said rotisserie chicken for $4.00! Last night I figured out that it provided 8 meals, that's only $.50 per meal (I'm pretty good at math).

I know I promised a few dinners from the grill and I swear there were two on the list but apparently the weather did not get the memo that we have a new one and thus delivered some spectacular thunderstorms this week. Soon...

~~~

The recipe for these peppers calls for poblanos and I have to say that I prefer them to bells but I couldn't find any this week and so used the bells instead. The flesh of the bell pepper is a little thicker and I think this is where I have the objection. None the less, I love the filling for this stuffed pepper either way!

1. Chicken and Cheddar Stuffed Peppers

modified from Fine Cooking

makes 4 servings

4 large poblanos (or bells)

2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped

1/2 medium white onion, roughly chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1 t dried oregano, crumbled

1 t ground cumin

generous pinch ground cinnamon

kosher salt

1 T olive oil

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used a combination of white and dark meat)

1 1/2 cups cooked rice (I used brown)

2 cups grates sharp or extra-sharp white Cheddar (about 7 oz.)

1 T lime juice

Position top oven rack about 4" from broiler and heat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil. Slit the peppers from stem to tip and place on the baking sheet. Broil, turning when the top becomes black, until blackened all over. Let cook slightly and peel off the skins and cut out the seeded cores, leaving the stem on. (Don't be afraid that the peppers are burning under the broiler, they have to turn really black for the skins to peel of and the flesh will be fine.)Return the peppers to the baking sheet.

Meanwhile, puree the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, cinnamon and 1/2t salt in a food processor. Heat the oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add the puree and cook, stirring frequently until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick and pulpy. Remove from heat and stir in the chicken, rice, half of the cheese, and the lime juice.

Spoon the filling into the peppers (they will be quite full) and wrap th

e sides up around it. Broil until the cheese is melting and the top is beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Top with the remaining cheese and broil 2 minutes more, or until the cheese is completely melted.

~~~

Mmmm... it's been a while since I made this favorite. So easy, so delicious. This time I added a handful of basil in with the spinach. It was a good addition.

2. Tortellini with Bacon, Greens and Brown Butter

Recipe is here.

~~~

After I made the stuffed peppers I used the rest of the chicken for these sandwiches. All I did was toss it in a large skillet with a little olive oil and some BBQ sauce (I thought briefly about making some from scratch but I decided against it this time) and let it get nice and warm. I heated the bun briefly and topped the sandwiches with sliced red onion, banana peppers and more sauce. Super fast dinner. You can see on the side I made a little corn with bacon and red onion.

3. BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

makes 3-4 servings

~~~

Corny

2009-06-28T09:42:00.007-04:00

My hubby has been working so hard lately that when he found a grill on sale that he really liked I wanted to get it for him as a surpise. But I have to admit that it is really just as much for me. I am really looking forward to doing more grilling. We didn't get it set up until Thursday night though so there is nothing from it on this week's menu, but look out next week for some BBQ action.

~~~

I made this risotto for the first time last summer and was in heaven with the first bite. It is creamy with crisp pops of juicy corn and the sweetness is cut perfectly by the thyme. It was a fleeting moment of joy though because Summer was drawing to a close and I knew that fresh corn would soon be disappearing from the market. Well, it's back and I was ecstatic to have this on the menu this week! If you make this (you have to make this), do it on a night when you are not in a rush to get something on the table. It does take some time and a watchful eye, but it is worth every second.

1. Corn Risotto

from Real Simple

makes 4 servings

2 cups uncooked corn, cut of the cob (from 4 medium cobs)

4 cups chicken broth

2 T butter

1 shallot, minced

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 t thyme leaves

kosher salt and black pepper

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Puree 1 cup of the uncooked corn in a food processor until smooth. In a saucepan, heat the chicken broth to a simmer. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and saute, stirring, 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the chicken broth and the pureed corn and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has been absorbed, 5-7 minutes. Continue adding the remaining broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently and waiting until the previous addition has been absorbed before adding more. After the last cup of broth has been absorbed, let the risotto cook 3 minutes more, stirring. Add the remaining corn and thyme leaves and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

~~~

I usually shy away from making any kind of Asian food because I feel like I usually just butcher it. So, I'm not sure what inspired me to put this on the menu but it actually turned out pretty good. I think the key, at least for me, is to have all of the ingredients ready to go because everything cooks very quickly once you get started. The cashews were my favorite part of the dish, they grounded it somehow.

2. Stir-fried Beef with Snow Peas and Cashews

make 2-3 servings

3/4 lb flank steak, cut into 3 long strips with the grain and then sliced across the grain into 1/4" thick slices

1 T soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup water

1/2 t red pepper flakes

1 T vegetable oil

1/4 lb snow peas, stem ends trimmed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 t fresh ginger, minced

1/4 cup cashews, chopped (if you buy the "halves and pieces" it will save you money and the step of chopping them)

brown or white rice, cooked according to package directions

Combine the steak and soy sauce in a bowl and refrigerate while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Whisk the hoisin sauce, water and pepper flakes together and set aside. Heat the 2 t of the vegetable oil in a large, nonstick skillet, over high heat until just smoking. Add the steak and cook without stirring for 1 minute. Toss until browned around the edges, about 30 seconds more. Remove to a clean bowl. Add the remaining 1 t of oil and heat until just smoking and add the snow peas, stirring once or twice for 2 minutes. Clear the center of the pan and add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Stir the garlic mixture into the snow peas and add the steak back to the skillet. Whisk the hoisin sauce mixture to recombine and pour into the pan. Cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in cashews and serve.

~~~

My mom makes cinnamon rolls with chili, when I asked her why, she said it's because that's what her mom did. Well, now it's what I do. I crave the flavors together. This soup wasn't exactly chili and the cinnamon buns were definitely not my mom's homemade ones but the flavors were there and it was a quick weeknight fix.

3. Pork Chili Soup with Cinnamon Buns

modified from Simply Soups

make 4 servings

2 t olive oil

1 lb ground pork

1 onion, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 T tomato paste

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes

2 cups chicken or beef broth

1/8 t ground coriander

1/8 t ground cumin

1/4 t dried oregano

3/4 t chili powder

1/4 t cayenne pepper

kosher salt and black pepper

avocado (optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the pork, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently until no pink remains. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, celery red bell pepper and garlic. Cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, broth and spices and stir to combine. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until all vegetables are very tender. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Top with avocado slices if desired.

~~~

This zucchini pies takes a little time but most of it is unattended in the oven. I have experimented with the flour before but this is the first time I have used 100% whole wheat. It was fine for flavor but it changed the texture a lot and next time I will go back to a mix of white and wheat or go with all white. This makes great leftovers for lunches.

4. Zucchini Pie

modified from Real Simple

makes ~6 servings

2 medium zucchini, grated (tip, don't cut off the stem end of the zucchini so that you have something to hold on to while grating)

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup all-purpose flour (or 1/2 cup a-p and 1/2 cup whole wheat)

1 cup grated provolone cheese (I can usually only find this kind sliced so I get that and chop it up)

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 vegetable oil

4 T Parmesan cheese, grated

2 t fresh basil, chopped

1 t baking powder

1 t kosher salt

1/2 t black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, reserving 1 T of the Parmesan. Pour into a greased pie plate and bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and let sit 10-15 minutes before slicing.

~~~

We are corn lovers around here (if you haven't guessed that yet) and so when I came across this recipe for Sweet Corn Ice Cream I had to give it a try. I also wanted to make something to go along with it that wouldn't be too sweet and these cookies seemed to fit the bill. All in all it was very good but the consensus was one bowl is enough, which isn't such a bad thing I suppose.

Sweet Corn Ice Cream

from The Last Course by Claudia Flemming

4 ears sweet corn, shucked

2 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 vanilla bean, split open

3/4 cup sugar

9 egg yolks

Slice the kernels off the cobs. Break the cobs in half. Place the kernels, cobs, milk, cream, vanilla and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a sauce pan. Cook on a gentle simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, remove cobs and vanilla bean and puree the corn mixture in a blender. Let sit for about 1 hour then reheat to a gentle simmer. Whisk the yolks with the remaining sugar. Add a small portion of the hot cream to the egg yolks, whisking. Keep adding hot cream until the yolks are warm to the touch. Add the yolk mixture back into the saucepan and stir until slightly thickened and it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and press the mixture through a strainer into an ice bath. Allow the ice cream custard to cool completely over the ice. Transfer the custard to a container and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Then freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Cookies

from Use Real Butter

2 cups all purpose flour

1 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese softened

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 t vanilla extract

4 oz seedless raspberry jam

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Mix in flour 1/2 cup at a time, blending well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (I only had a couple of hours to refrigerate the dough and turned out fine.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide the dough in half, leaving half in the refrigerator. On a floured work surface, roll the dough to about 3/8" thick. Cut out the cookies with a cookie cutter. Gather and reroll the scraps. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet 1" apart and use your thumb to press a 1" indentation in the center. Fill the indent with ~1 t of jam. Bake 13-15 minutes until golden brown on the bottom.

Officially Summer

2009-06-22T09:05:00.005-04:00

Despite the fact that the sun has been in hiding for the last two weeks and it looks like it's not going to show it's face anytime this week the food on our plates has still been a reflection of summer.

~~~

Stone fruits are just getting good around here and I love them when they are perfectly ripe but hate it when I get a bad one. Well, these nectarines were perfect and this salad was a delicious way to use them. It would have benefited greatly from a little more salt and pepper but I was too lazy to get some after I sat down to eat so instead I just sat there thinking, through every bite, "This would be a lot better with a little salt and pepper." Silly me. The dressing called for a tiny amount of buttermilk but the smallest container I could buy was 1 quart so keep your eyes out for a recipe using buttermilk next week, and if you have any suggestions leave them in the comments.

1. Almond-Crusted Chicken and Nectarine Salad with Buttermilk Chive Dressing

from Fine Cooking

makes 4 servings (I cut it in half because I didn't think it would keep very well.)

For the dressing:

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 T sour cream

1 T white balsamic vinegar

1/2 t honey

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 T thinly sliced fresh chives

Kosher salt and black pepper

In a medium bowl combine the buttermilk, sour cream, vinegar and honey. Slowly whisk in the oil to blend. Stir in the chives and season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the chicken:

2 large eggs

1 3/4 cups slices almonds (I had some sliced and some whole, this worked fine because you put them through the food processor anyway.)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 lb. chicken tenderloins, pounded 1/4 " thick (I skipped this step because I was lazy that night remember?)

Kosher salt and black pepper

2-3 T vegetable oil

Lightly beat the eggs. Pulse the almonds and flour together in a food processor until the almonds are chopped, transfer to a dish. Season the chicken on all sides with 1 t salt and 3/4 t pepper. Dip the chicken, one piece at a time, in the egg, shake off any excess and dredge in the almond mixture, pressing lightly (Tip: Use one hand for the egging and the other for the flour so your finger don't get totally caked.) Set aside. Heat 2 T of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering hot. Cook the chicken, in batches if necessary, until light golden brown on both sides and just cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side. Between batches, remove any stray almonds and add more oil if necessary.

For the salad:

6 cups torn tender lettuce (I used Boston Bibb)

2 ripe nectarines (or peaches), cut into bite sized pieces

Kosher salt and black pepper (This is where I left it out and wished I hadn't)

In a large bowl, toss the lettuce and nectarine with about half of the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper and divide among 4 plates. Top with the chicken and drizzle with the remaining dressing.

~~~

Jer worked super late the night I made this so I ate alone and had leftovers for three lunches. I was a little sick of it by the time I finished it all but considering I ate it for 4 meals and didn't give up on it all together says something. I have to do a little advertising here for a product that I love, the Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta is so good and, when I compared the nutrition facts to the whole grain pasta it was at lease equal and, in some cases, better (more fiber and protein and fewer calories). Sometimes I like the whole grain pasta but I worried it might be too heavy in this simple dish. The mint was and interesting addition, sometimes I would get a clear taste of it and was not so sure about it, but mostly it was a good flavor addition to the whole.

2. Penne with Zucchini, Fresh Herbs and Lemon Zest

from Fine Cooking

makes 4 servings

3/4 lb penne (whole wheat if you prefer)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4" half moons

4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 t lemon zest

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

3 T each coarsely chopped fresh: mint, basil and flat-leaf parsley

Cook the penne according to the package directions until al dente. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until barely tender and just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest, 3/4 t salt and 1/4 t pepper. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the zucchini mixture along with the Parm. and herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to combine, adding some of the reserved water if necessary to moisten the pasta.

~~~

Jer declared after finishing this meal that it was the "best ever". I should have known, it is basically all of his favorite foods: burgers, potatoes, corn, and bacon. I really couldn't go wrong.

3. Cheese Burgers with Oven Fries and Corn with Bacon and Shallots

makes 2-4 servings

For the burgers I mixed 1 lb meat with a little Worcestershire sauce (about 2 t), 1 t onion powder and an egg, formed it into 4 patties, and cooked them in a skillet.

The recipe for the oven fries is here.

For the corn:

3 slices bacon, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

~1 1/2 cups corn, fresh or frozen (thawed if using frozen)

Kosher salt and black pepper

Cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and wipe out the skillet leaving a slight residue of bacon grease. Cook the shallot until soft and add the corn. Continue to cook until the corn is starting to brown. Add the bacon back to the skillet and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

~~~

I read about an easy enchilada sauce recipe here that only used roasted red pepper soup and a can of green chilis. I thought it sounded easy and tasty so I decided to give it a try. It was okay but I didn't love it. I paired it with a pepper and olive filling that was good but was a little rich by the end. If you make this I would recommend a serving size of one enchilada and something a little lighter on the side, maybe a green salad.

4. Roasted Red Pepper Enchiladas with Pepper and Olive Filling

filling from Cabbage Town Cafe Cookbook

makes 4 servings

2 cups roasted red pepper soup

2 cans diced green chilis

3 T olive oil

2 green peppers, chopped

1 t coriander seeds (I left these out because I didn't have any)

8 oz cream cheese at room temperature

1/2 cup coarsely chopped black olives

black pepper

1/4 t cayenne

1/2 t ground coriander

1 cup grated Chedder or Monteray Jack cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the red pepper soup and green chilis in a saucepan and heat gently. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the green peppers and cook until the peppers are blistered and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in the cream cheese, olives and spices. Spoon a small amount of sauce into the bottom of a 9" square baking dish. Divide the filling between 4 tortillas, roll them up and place in the baking dish. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Bake until hot and bubbly, 10-15 minutes.

Something hot, something cold

2009-06-15T17:16:00.009-04:00

We spent a lovely weekend in New York, near Lake George, celebrating our friends' graduations, lounging by the pool, noshing on good food and playing lawn games. Although I will always be a western girl at heart, I am really starting to appreciate the beauty of the Northeast and I think we are going to have great summer enjoying it!

The other exciting part of the weekend is that after an agonizing 9 week wait I found out when we got home yesterday that I passed another of my architecture exams! I was nervous about it because it was the exam I took right after being so sick a couple months ago and I am so glad it is another one behind me now!

~~~

This salad is super delicious and is great for summer potlucks and picnics because there is no mayo to worry about in the heat. Whenever I make it I always feel like I need something "carby" to go with it. I think the perfect combo is a hearty bread and good cheddar. I love the combination of cheddar and apples.

1. Chicken Salad with Apple and Basil
from Real Simple
makes 4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts4 t kosher salt
1 t black pepper
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2-3 limes)
1 T white wine or rice vinegar
2 T light brown sugar
4 scallions (white and light green parts), thinly sliced
2 granny smith apples, diced
1/3 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
2 T thinly sliced fresh mint
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Place the chicken in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover by 1/2". Add 3 t of the salt and 1/2 t of the pepper and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until no trace of pink remains, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the lime juice, vinegar and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the scallions and apples and toss.
Drain the chicken and pat dry. Dice the chicken and add it to the apple mixture along with the peanuts, mint, basil and the remaining salt and pepper. Toss and serve.

~~~

I am always putting things on the menu and then not actually wanting to make them. This was one of those things and, as they usually do, it turned out great. Jer even liked it, minus the tomatoes of course. The recipe calls for artichoke bottoms instead of the more common hearts. If you can't find bottoms I think hearts would be fine too. I love a cold salad with something hot on it and the couscous cakes did the trick here.

2. Spinach and Artichoke Salad with Couscous Cakes and Feta
from Fine Cookingmakes 3-4 servings

For the dressing:
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T sour cream
1 t fresh mint, finely chopped
5 T extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper

For the couscous cakes:
3/4 cup couscous
kosher salt
1 large clove garlic
1/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
zest of 1 medium lemon
3 T vegetable or canola oil

For the salad:8 oz. baby spinach (about 6 lightly packed cups)
1 14 oz. can artichoke bottoms, rinsed, drained and sliced
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 oz. crumbled feta

Make the dressing:
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, sour cream and mint. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the couscous cakes:
Put the couscous and 1 y salt in a medium bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water to the couscous, cover with a lid or plate, and let sit for 4-5 minutes. Coarsely chop the garlic in a food processor. Add the parsley and pulse until finely chopped. Add the chickpeas and 1 t salt and pulse until coarsely chopped. Uncover the couscous and fluff with a fork. Stir in the chickpea mixture, eggs and lemon zest until well combined. Heat 1 1/2 T of the veg oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Press the couscous mixture into a 1/4 cup measuring cup, smooth the top and invert the cup to release it into the skillet. Repeat the half of the remaining mixture. Lightly press the cakes with a spatula to flatten to about 3/4" thick. Cook, flipping once, until crisp and golden brown on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with the remaining mixture.

Assemble the Salad:
In a large bowl, toss the spinach, artichokes and tomatoes with 3/4 of the dressing. Divide among plates and top each with 3 couscous cakes. Sprinkle with feta and drizzle with the remaining dressing.

~~~

I recently went to my first Red Sox game at Fenway Park. What an experience! The park is so cozy and the fans are amazing. It was raining all day and drizzling throughout the game and still the stands were nearly full! I was entertained with all of the vendors running around the stands selling everything from cold bear and "Fenway Franks" to peanuts and cracker jacks and... "chowda". Yep, New Englanders are crazy about their chowder and my hubby is no exception. He loves clam chowder and he is particular about how he likes it. It has to be thick and creamy. When I gave him a choice between three different soups when I was planning the menu I wasn't surprised when he chose this. Although I have made a lot of corn chowder I have never made a clam chowder. Jer approved of the final product although we agreed that it didn't touch our favorite from Cooke's on Cape Cod. Good thing we will be out there soon to get our fix.

3. Clam and Corn Chowder
makes 4 servings

1 10oz. can clams
4 t butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely diced
3 T all-purpose flour1

1/4 cups fish stock
3/4 cup water
1 lb potatoes, diced
1 cup corn kernels, thawed if using frozen
2 cups whole milk
kosher salt and black pepper
chopped parsley, to garnish

Drain and rinse the clams well.Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened. Stir in the flour and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
Slowly add half of the stock and stir well, scrapping the bottom of the pan to mix in the flour. Pour in the remaining stock and the water and bring just to a boil, stirring.
Add the potatoes, corn, and milk and stir to combine. Reduce heat and simmer gently, partially covered, for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are tender.
Chop the clams, if large. Stir in the clams and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until heated through. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
Garnish with the parsley.

~~~

Jer has a favorite meal, which he likes to make a huge pan of and eat throughout the week. He hasn't suggested it in a while, but it seemed like he used to suggest it whenever I asked him what he wanted on the menu. Well, my best friend's husband has one of those too and, I believe this is it. So, your welcome Chris.

4. Hot Italian Sausage and Tomato Pasta
modified from Real Simple
makes 4-6 servings

1 lb fettuccine
3 T olive oil
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, smashed
4 hot Italian sausages, casings removed
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 T red wine vinegar
3/4 t kosher salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup Parmesan

Cook the fettuccine according to package directions, Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion softens, 2-3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook about 5 minutes, crumbling as it cooks. Add the tomatoes and cook until the skins burst, about 8 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, salt and pepper.
Add the cooked fettuccine. basil and spinach and toss gently to combine. Top with the Parmesan.

The Repeater

2009-06-08T15:11:00.003-04:00

I was feeling in a bit of a rut and I realized that it was because I was making a ton of new food each week and I just needed to make some familiar things. Funny, that seems a little backward from what most people would consider a rut. Well anyway, it was satisfying to return to some familiar items, but that didn't stop me from doing a little experimenting...

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I have been wanting to try making french toast with a little orange extract in the eggs but I didn't know if Jer would like it or not. Well, one night last week I was just cooking for myself and I decided to give it a go. It was awesome! I think next time I will even add a little bit more. Note that the amounts below are somewhat approximate, the one tip I have that my mom taught me is that when you are making french toast use one egg for each serving plus one.

1. Orange Scented French Toast with Mixed Berries

makes 1 serving

2 slices sandwich bread, cut in half

2 eggs

~1 0z milk

a couple drops of orange extract (you could also use vanilla but then it wouldn't be "orange scented")

dash cinnamon

dash nutmeg

fresh or frozen mixed berries , thawed if using frozen

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Mix together the eggs, milk, extract, cinnamon and nutmeg. Soak the bread thoroughly and arrange in the skillet. Cook, turning once until nicely browned on both sides. Serve with the mixed berries and maple syrup and whipped cream if desired.

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I learned last weekend, while he was helping out with some yard work at our house, that a friend of ours is a bit of a mac & cheese connoisseur so I invited him over for the stove top version I make to say thanks. I also had a pork tenderloin left over from the week before because they had been buy one get one free and I thought it would be a good accompaniment.

2. Pork Medallions with Stovetop Mac & Cheese and Broccoli

makes 4 servings

For the Pork:

2 T all-purpose flour

1 t ground cumin

1 t kosher salt

1 t black pepper

1 1/2 - 2 lb pork tenderloin, sliced into 1/2" slices

1 T vegetable oil

1 T butter

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 T white wine vinegar

coarse ground mustard

Heat the vegetable oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Mix together the flour, cumin, salt and pepper on a large plate. Lightly coat each piece of pork with the flour mixture and place in the skillet. Cook until golden brown and crispy, 4-5 minute per side. While the pork is cooking whisk together the broth and vinegar. Remove the pork from the skillet and set aside. Pour the broth mixture into the skillet and scrape up any browned bits. Bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened. Serve the pork with the sauce and the mustard.

~~~

This dish makes great leftovers for lunches and is a great way to disguise a lot of veggies if you have a picky eater in the house who doesn't really like them.

3. Fried Rice

makes 4-6 servings

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The only thing I would change next time I make this is to make the meatballs a lot smaller. I think that is more traditional too. I love the escarole in this which is something I have never really worked with before.

4. California Italian Wedding Soup

make 4 servings

I could almost smell the salt air.

2009-06-01T13:47:00.005-04:00

I have a list a mile long of projects around the house and it seems like no matter how many things I cross off it doesn't get any shorter. Well, we are trying to change that and, because we are in full swing house project mode, my cooking has suffered a bit. Even so, I managed to make a couple of meals last week, and a key lime pie for Memorial day!

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My in-laws were in Key West a couple of weeks ago and they brought me back a key lime cookbook and gave me some key lime juice. Since we were headed over to their house to BBQ for Memorial Day I thought I would make a key lime pie to share. I've never actually been to the Keys but, with a bite of the creamy tangy goodness in my mouth I could close my eyes and almost smell the salt air.

1. Key Lime Pie

modified from Key Lime Cookbook and King Arthur Flour's All-Purpose Baking Cook Book

makes 1 9" pie

For the crust:

1 cup vanilla wafer cookie crumbs (about 35 small cookies)

1/8 cup powdered sugar

4T butter, melted

Heat the over to 350 degrees. Use a food processor to combine the ingredients well. Press crumb mixture into a 9" pie pan. (Use a measuring cup to press and smooth the sides and bottom.) Bake for 20-22 minutes, until it is golden brown. Set aside to cool while making the filling.

For the filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 15 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup Key lime juice, fresh or bottled

zest from 1 lime

1 cup sour cream

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft. Add the condensed milk and beat until well blended. Stir in the Key lime juice and zest. Add the sour cream and mix until smooth. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with whipped cream.

~~~

This was simple and tasty. I made the full recipe and it made good leftovers. Also, I used fresh corn that was lightly steamed on the cob but it still had a little crunch. It is amazing how something so minor, like the texture of the corn, in a recipe can have such a big impact.

2. Cumin Chicken with Black Beans

modified from Real Simple

makes 4 servings

4 thin sliced, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

3 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained

corn kernels cut from 4 cobs (lightly steam on the cob before removing)

1 1/4 cups cherry or grape tomato halves

2 scallions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Combine cumin with cayenne pepper and rub over chicken. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté chicken for 4 minutes per side. Remove to a cutting board. Return the skillet with pan drippings to medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, and 3 tablespoons water and cook, stirring, 1 or 2 minutes, until ingredients are just heated through. Remove from heat and toss with the scallions, cilantro, and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Slice chicken and arrange on top of beans.

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For some reason I don't find the picture of this meal very appetising but it was actually very good. The potatoes were perfectly tender and it was quite spicy. You'll just have to take my word for it I guess.

3. Spicy Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes and Peppers

from Real Simple

makes 3 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1  1-pound piece pork tenderloin
  kosher salt and pepper
1 pound new potatoes, quartered
2  large garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
1/3 cup jarred hot cherry peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place it on one side of the skillet; place the potatoes and garlic on the other side and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring the potatoes and turning the pork, until the pork is browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Add the wine, broth, and cherry peppers. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until the pork is cooked through and the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.

3. Stir the parsley into the potatoes and serve with the sliced pork.

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I had another meal on the menu this week which was something with salmon. I had put off making it because I didn't feel in the mood for salmon for most of the week but come Friday I knew I needed to use the it before it went bad. When I took it out of the refrigerator and rinsed it off it started to fall apart! It was the weirdest thing and I thought it was probably best not to eat it. So I put Jer in charge of dinner for the night and he decided on hot dogs; and hot dogs aren't a proper meal in our house unless they are accompanied by mac & cheese! We had the Annie's brand Shells and White Cheddar to which we sometimes like to add corn and peas.