Tales from the Mad Men Kitchen

Honey Chicken Stir Fry

2012-01-16T20:39:00.001-05:00

Tonight's dinner was supposed to be something yummy sounding from Cook's Country. There were issues. My husband suggested we have chicken stir fry, so I went online and came across this recipe. After reading through the reviews, I decided to make some of the modifications suggested and came up with this version:

Honey chicken Stir Fry adapted from Caroline Sperry via Allrecipes

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
3 garlic clove, minced
4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetable blend
Hot cooked rice

Directions
Combine garlic, honey, chili sauce, soy sauce, orange juice and ginger in a large bowl. Add cubed chicken and marinate for 20 minutes. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat two teaspoons oil until just smoking. Add the chicken and marinade. Cook and stir until chicken is lightly browned and juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.
In the same pan, stir-fry the vegetables in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes or until heated through. Return chicken to the pan; mix well. Serve over rice.

I always struggle to make rice properly, so turned to the internet for help and found these directions. For the first time ever, rice (that wasn't Minute Rice) came out PERFECTLY!

How to Cook Rice by Steve Pavlina
Put brown rice and water together in a pot with a lid. Use the ratio of 1.5 cups water to 1 cup rice. I normally make 3c rice with 4.5c water for a single batch.
Set the heat to maximum, and bring the rice/water to a boil uncovered. Then put the lid on the pot, and reduce the heat to low/simmer. If your lid has a steam valve, keep it closed. Let the rice simmer for 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat, and let the rice sit in the covered pot for another 10 minutes. It’s OK if you let the rice sit longer than 10 minutes (20 or 30 minutes is fine too), but don’t let it go any less. I prefer my rice to be slightly chewy, not mushy, so I usually remove the lid after 10 minutes.
Eat and enjoy. Be careful when you remove the lid, since a lot of steam may escape when you do.

Family Cookbook Deal

2012-01-13T15:07:00.000-05:00

Here's a special deal I was given for my readers from the Family CookBook Project. This is an easy way to collaborate online to create a collection of all your favorite family recipes. Let me know how yours turns out!

Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce

2012-01-11T10:52:00.000-05:00

What a mouthful! In my meal planning for the week, I used Giada's Family Dinners. When I saw this, I added it to the shopping list immediately (c'mon, not only is marsala one of M's favorites, but I had everything but the mascarpone!) and it did not disappoint. Another big hit for the whole family, this came together easily and was incredibly delicious. It had many of your typical marsala flavors, but the mustard definitely added something different, interesting, and delicious to the mix.

Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce Source: Giada's Family Dinners by Giada Di Laurentiis via FoodNetwork.com

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, each breast cut crosswise into 3 pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons butter, divided
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus whole sprigs, for garnish
12 ounces dried fettuccine

Directions

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly.

While the chicken cools, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Toss the fettuccine with 3 tablespoons of butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Swirl the fettuccine onto serving plates. Spoon the chicken mixture over top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.

Tortellini with Creamy Tomato Sauce

2012-01-10T21:43:00.000-05:00

Ahh, Giada. I love her cookbooks. Her recipes are usually quite good, when I can get past how overwhelming they sometimes seem.

This wasn't one that overwhelmed; it just looked good. Everyone loved it in my house, and the leftover sauce (in the book, but not on the website) was excellent in the Crock Pot Lasagna I made that day. Deliciousness!! You really have to try the tomato sauce Giada listed in her book; it's incredible.

Tortellini with Creamy Tomato Sauce Source: Giada's Family Dinners by Giada Di Laurentiis via FoodNetwork.com

1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds spinach ravioli or tortelloni
1 cup purchased marinara sauce
1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add about 1/4 cup olive oil to the water to help prevent pasta from sticking. Add the ravioli and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain the ravioli, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Toss the ravioli with the remaining oil to coat.

Meanwhile, bring the marinara sauce to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking often. Whisk in the ricotta and enough reserved cooking water to thin the sauce to desired consistency. For a thicker sauce, use less pasta water; for a thinner sauce, add more water. Return the sauce to a simmer. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon 3 tablespoons of sauce over the bottom of each of 6 bowls. Arrange the ravioli over the sauce.Drizzle the remaining sauce over the ravioli. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and the basil, and serve.

Meatless Monday--Tempeh Tacos

2012-01-09T18:15:00.000-05:00

I'm often nervous serving my family, my husband in particular, healthful food. Not that he doesn't want to eat well; he absolutely does. He's not one, however, to give up anything in taste to save a few calories, be better to the planet, etc. So, I was really nervous serving something I'd never heard of before (Tempeh), but since the source is a very trusted one (Cook's Illustrated), I figured it was a good place to start.

As soon as he put it in his mouth, he gave a kinda grunt of it being good. After he told me he really liked it, I told him that it was "pretty good for meat free, huh?" I then told him what tempeh is--and the five grain tempeh I bought includes soybeans, brown rice, millet, barley, and rye--and after talking about the nutrition information, we concluded that not only was this a tasty dish that took only about 20 minutes to put together, but that it's a reasonably healthful one as well. I told him the worst stuff on our plates were the cheese and sour cream.

I went to the "fancy" grocery store because I thought I wouldn't find tempeh, but when I was at our regular grocery store, I discovered they carry it as well, right next to their soy products in the produce section. I assume it's not nearly as hard to find as I anticipated.

Try this. You'll like it. You won't miss the meat at all.

I didn't have any tomato sauce, so used 8oz of regular old jarred marinara sauce.

Tempeh Tacos Source: America's Test Kitchen Light and Healthy 2011 via Indy.com

Serves 6 (2 tacos each)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 (8-ounce) packages low-fat, five-grain tempeh crumbled into 1/4-inch pieces
1 (8-ounce) can plain tomato sauce
1 cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper
12 store-bought taco shells, warmed
1. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until simmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, garlic and oregano until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add tempeh to skillet; cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, broth and brown sugar. Bring to simmer; cook until thickened, about 2 minutes.
3. Off the heat, stir in cilantro and lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide filling evenly among the taco shells and serve.

Cook's Illustrated Recommended Tools

2012-01-07T10:12:00.000-05:00

If you've been reading this at all, you're aware my love for America's Test Kitchen. Their recipes are nearly always foolproof (I can only think of one recipe that wasn't to our liking), and my first purchase of their work gave me confidence in the kitchen so that baking was no longer something I couldn't do. The recipes in their Best 30 Minute Recipe cookbook actually take 30 minutes or less.

The Test Kitchen folks are known for their rigorous testing of recipes, but also give lots of recommendations on products. They consider not only how well a product performs, but also how affordable the product is. It seems they're a truly a real home cook's best friend, particularly if that home cook is just starting out.

So, this is a shout out to all the products rated with a "Highly Recommend" by America's Test Kitchen. Most of these are recent recommendations, coming from my year and three month subscription to Cook's Country magazine. So, without further adieu, here's the list. Clicking on the picture will (*should*) take you to the listing of the product.

Rimmed Baking Sheet

ATK recommends this as their go-to rimmed baking sheet in the Feb/March 2012 magazine. They say it deals well with high heat and is incredibly versatile; they use it not only as one would typically use a jelly pan, but that it's even more handy because it can be used for other applications with a cooling rack inside it.

Cookie Jars

Also recommended in the Feb/March 2012 magazine, ATK liked the OXO cookie jar because of its tight seal and relative ease for cleaning. They do warn that the lid is difficult to clean (but how often do you really need to clean the lid for your cookie jar? Err, maybe I'm just gross....)

Cake Carrier

ATK rated this in their Dec/Jan 2011 magazine. They liked the "comfortable handles" and locking system as well as its ability to collapse for storage. Further, this product can carry not only cakes, but also cupcakes. Reviewers on amazon, to some extent, complain that the handle is not well made and that they have dropped cakes by holding it only by the handle (to which there were many responses that you should NEVER trust a handle on its own for a cake without supporting it by the bottom). Another reviewer's response was that he/she thinks CI is "deplorable" and doesn't know why anyone trusts them. I don't know; I like them (obviously!)

Slow Cooker

Also in their Dec/Jan 2011 issue, Cook's Country recommends the Crock Pot Touchscreen Slow Cooker. They like the 6qt size, its keep warm setting, and a power light. Further, the crock is dishwasher safe (!!) and has its own handles to easily remove it from the base using potholders.

Spider Skimmers

In Feb/Mar 2011, Cook's Country tested spider skimmers. This 13cm skimmer was their pick because of its ease of use and cleaning as well as the angled handle and deep basket.

Muffins Tins
In the Feb/Mar 2011 issue, Cook's Country didn't rank any muffin tin as "Highly Recommended," but they did rate several as "Recommended."

First, Wilton Avanti Everglide. They like its wide rims and ease of gripping, even with thick oven mitts, its durability, and its nonstick coating. They also commented on its "acceptably even--though not stellar" browning and its low price.
Next, the Norpro Nonstick 12-Muffin Cupcake Pan, which got high marks for its relatively even browning and easy release, but got low marks for construction. It has but one extended rim, which oddly enough is on a long side. CC says it was hard to hold.
The Anolon Advanced Bakeware 12-Cup Muffin Pan had "good 'grab-ability,'" silicone handles, and a raised lip, but is more expensive than the others listed and also got the same rating in browning as the Wilton.
Finally, Bonjour Commercial Nonstick Bakeware 12-Cup Muffin Pan got high marks for its cupcake performance, but its rating was lowered because blueberry muffins clung to the pan and of its "not generous" handles. It also has the same price as the Anolon.

So there you have it; some of the best rated cooking equipment from the folks at America's Test Kitchen!

Overnight Egg Casserole

2012-01-04T20:36:00.000-05:00

When it comes to breakfast, many of us just grab and go. Fast is the name of the game, but we know that fast generally results in the hungry monster making an appearance at 9 (oh wait, is that just me?). Something that can be made ahead and baked while doing other things or fully cooked and heated in the microwave is a perfect solution. I've recently learned that protein helps keep that monster at bay by making us feel fuller longer, so I've been looking for ways to incorporate "The incredible, Edible Egg" into my morning routine.

This meal, made for our Breakfast for Dinner New Year's Eve party, is a perfect solution. It combines carbs in the potatoes with protein in the ham and eggs, plus is adaptable enough that one could easily add some veggies--broccoli seems the perfect fit here.

I made it yesterday morning, baked it around dinner time, and it was really good. This morning, I warmed it in the microwave, and it was still just as good. So the only time you'd need in your manic Monday morning is to slop it on a plate, nuke it for 30 seconds, and eat it. It's not the most grab and go of breakfasts, but it still is really fast.

A little secret; it made me so happy to have a use for my leftover Christmas ham!!

Overnight Egg Casserole Source: Taste of Home's Simple and Delicious March/April 2006. Online here.

Ingredients

4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Salsa, optional

Directions

In a greased 8-in. square baking dish, layer the hash browns, ham, chilies and cheeses. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and pepper; pour over the casserole. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5-10 minutes. Serve with salsa if desired. Yield: 9 servings.

Bacon and Cheese Strata

2012-01-02T20:11:00.000-05:00

Continuing the Breakfast for Dinner we had for New Year's Eve, I also made this Bacon and Cheese Strata from Delish.com. I ended up not having a 9x12 pan, so made it in two 8x8 pans; this meant I had one for NYE and one for today!

It looked so pretty when it came out of the oven.

and was really delicious too. The Dijon mustard was a really interesting twist, and it was cheesey and gooey and so yum. So easy to put it together, and so tasty too!

Bacon and Cheese Strata Source: Delish.com

6 slice(s) bacon
2 tablespoon(s) Dijon mustard
12 slice(s) firm white bread
6 ounce(s) Gruyère cheese, shredded
9 large eggs
3 cup(s) whole milk
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground black pepper

Lay strips of bacon on a foil lined baking sheet so that they don't overlap. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 375 degrees. Let cool and coarsely crumble bacon.
Meanwhile, grease 13" by 9" ceramic or glass baking dish.
Spread mustard on 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange 6 bread slices, mustard side up, in bottom of baking dish, cutting slices to fit if necessary. Sprinkle with half of cheese. Top with all but 2 tablespoons crumbled bacon, then remaining bread slices, mustard side up.
In large bowl, with wire whisk, beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper until blended. Slowly pour egg mixture over bread slices; press bread down to help it absorb egg mixture. If necessary, spoon egg mixture over any uncoated bread. Top with remaining cheese and bacon. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes or cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake strata 40 minutes or until puffed and golden and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.

Meal Plan Monday

2012-01-02T08:17:00.000-05:00

Monday--Tempeh Taco (Cook's Illustrated Light and Healthy)
Tuesday--Clear out the fridge night
Wednesday--Mac and Cheese (Cook's Illustrated) with Artichoke and Pea Gratin
Thursday--Cajun Stuffed Peppers
Friday--Crock Pot Lasagna
Saturday--Chicken Marsala with Mustard and Mascarpone
Sunday--Ravioli with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Have a great week!

Syrupy Banana French Toast

2012-01-01T20:42:00.000-05:00

We had some friends over for a very low key New Year's Eve gathering. We've done this since 2007 when our first son was born, and invited others interested in a low key, bring along the kids, night. On the evite, I asked everyone what their preference for dinner was--Mexican or Breakfast? Breakfast was the winner, and so I turned to the internet to find make ahead breakfast dishes that would be kid friendly and delicious. I came across Good Housekeeping's recipe site Delish and found many recipes that seemed perfect.

First up is the all around favorite, Syrupy Banana French Toast. This was so easy and so yummy. I put it together on Saturday morning and it was ready to go for dinnertime. The brown sugar and butter "crust" caramelized so that it didn't even need the addition of syrup. I used a French baguette, which meant that the 1" slices of bread were way too much for this dish; next time I'll either use thinner slices of baguette or a loaf of French bread.

I toyed with the idea of throwing in some chocolate chips, because banana chocolate chip pancakes are so yummy, but instead made the recipe as written. One note is that this does not reheat well. We tried to have it this morning for breakfast and found it was pretty disgusting.

Yummmmmmmm

Syrupy Banana French Toast Source: Delish.com

6 tablespoon(s) butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup(s) packed brown sugar
5 large ripe bananas, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 (12-ounce) long loaf French or Italian bread, cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices
6 large eggs
2 cup(s) milk
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1/2 cup(s) sliced almonds or coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

In microwave-safe small bowl, heat butter in microwave oven on High 1 minute or until melted. Stir sugar into butter until moistened. With fingertips, press sugar mixture onto bottom of 13-inch by 9-inch glass baking dish. (It's okay if mixture does not cover bottom.) Spread fresh or dried fruit over sugar mixture; top with bread slices, cut sides down.
In medium bowl, with whisk, beat eggs; whisk in milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Slowly pour milk mixture over bread; press bread down to absorb egg mixture. Sprinkle with nuts. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap from baking dish. Bake, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes or until bread is golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Note: If you don't have bananas, substitute 3 to 4 very ripe pears or peaches (about 1 1/2 pounds), sliced; or 1 cup dried cherries, cranberries, or raisins.

Rock Soup

2011-12-29T11:16:00.000-05:00

A few years ago, I was a subscriber to the Rachael Ray magazine. Around Christmastime, there was a recipe called Rock Soup, for ham leftovers, which happened to coincide with my having a ton of leftover Christmas ham. This is a delicious (and not split pea soup) way to use up leftover ham, or you could even just use a ham steak or whatever you have.

This came together fairly quickly and was really easy to make. It had a ton of flavor, even though I went easy on the hot sauce, and went really well with the leftover bread I used too (Pumpernickel and rye). I even have a bunch leftover in the freezer for a rainy day or even for lunch club when my turn comes up!

Sopa de Pedra from Everyday with Rachael Ray December/January 2008

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for drizzling
1/2 pound chorizo, ham or leftover meat, chopped
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
4 ribs celery, chopped
3 to 4 carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
One 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
6 cups chicken broth
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes or tomato sauce
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
2 cups cubed stale bread
Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions:

In a soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, garlic and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, 7 to 8 minutes.
Add the chickpeas and season with the paprika. Stir in the chicken broth, tomatoes and hot sauce and bring to a boil, about 6 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Place 1/2 cup bread cubes in each of 4 bowls and drizzle with EVOO. Pour in the soup; top with parsley.

Christmas Dinner Plan

2011-12-24T08:12:00.000-05:00

Appetizers:
Spinach Dip in Bread Bowl
Cheese and crackers
Shrimp Ring
Something else I can't remember

Main:
Salad
Ham
Sweet Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans
Grands Biscuits

Dessert:
Being brought

One day, we will have something different in the appetizer department and maybe we won't have ham....

Italian Hot Dog

2011-12-15T11:32:00.000-05:00

My husband requested Italian hot dogs for dinner once last week, and not really knowing what all this entailed, I turned to my friend, Google. I found a "New Jersey" Italian hot dog on Simply Recipes that looked delicious.

I don't typically like a lot of stuff on my dogs; mustard and an occasional sauerkraut are sufficient for me. But boy, throw some peppers and onions on top and you've got yourself a really tasty dog. My husband commented that this wasn't *quite* was he was looking for when he requested Italian hot dogs, but that it was really good anyway.

Italian Hot Dogs Simply Recipes

1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 medium green peppers, sliced into strips
1 large yellow or white onion, sliced into strips
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or a mixture of oregano, basil and rosemary
8 beef hot dogs, preferably with natural casings
4 sandwich buns
Mustard

METHOD

1Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet or griddle until it shimmers. Put the potatoes in the pan in one layer and fry on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes without touching them. Use a metal spatula to scrape the potatoes off the bottom of the skillet, flipping them. Sprinkle salt over the potatoes, and cook for another 2-3 minutes without touching them.

2 Remove the potatoes, which should be partially browned, to a bowl and set aside. Turn the heat to high and add the peppers and onions. Arrange evenly in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes without touching them. Sprinkle salt over them, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes untouched. There should be some browned and even blackened bits here and there. Add the Italian seasoning and the potatoes to the pan, stir to combine and cook over medium-high heat until they are soft and nicely browned, about 8-10 minutes.

3 Heat a grill or a frying pan to cook your hot dogs; don't boil your dogs for this recipe. Grill or fry until they are done to your liking and set aside.

4 Liberally smear mustard on both sides of the sandwich roll. Add two hot dogs per roll and top with as much of the potatoes, peppers and onions as will fit. Serve at once.

Nutter Butter Snowmen

2011-12-14T17:20:00.000-05:00

I was looking for something to bring to a holiday party this weekend, and went to Brown Eyed Baker's blog to see what she had up. She'd recently posted this recipe, which looked so fun, sweet, and easy that I went for it.

Not only were they fun, sweet, and easy, but they were a perfect afternoon baking activity for my four year old and me. We had a ton of fun "gluing" the M&Ms as well as sneaking them, and decorating them too. In addition, they were a big hit at the party!

I have to admit, the orange Tic Tac was a little weird with the other flavors, so next time I might use orange frosting instead.

Nutter Butter Snowmen my pretty purse via Brown Eyed Baker

1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper; set aside.

2. In a small to medium bowl, melt the white candy melts according to the package instructions.

3. Working one at a time, dip a Nutter Butter cookie into the melted coating and flip it over to coat completely (a fork is great for this). Remove and let any excess drip off then place on the wax paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining Nutter Butter cookies. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes so the coating can set.

4. Attach a small decorating tip (I used a #2) to a pastry bag and fill with black icing (I just used Wilton decorating icing to make it easy). Dab a small amount on one side of an M&M and place on the coated cookie. Repeat with another just below to make the two “buttons”.

5. Dab another small amount on the bottom of half of a Tic Tac and affix to the center of the top of the cookie for the nose. Again, repeat.

6. Now squeeze out small dots for the eyes and the mouth.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

2011-12-14T11:35:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, I just get a craving for Mexican food. Sometimes, I have no idea what to make for dinner, and a recipe lands in my lap that solves that problem. Sometimes, both happen and all is right with the world.

This recipe was that recipe. I was able to use things I had in my pantry--the whole roast chicken I'd planned for one thing that didn't end up happening and so roasted (poorly) after trying to cut it into pieces, the cornbread mix I had around from something I'd planned that didn't end up happening-- as well as have enough leftovers to bring in for lunch club. Total, and complete, score.

Of course, it's only made better because it was so very good. The enchilada sauce I chose had some spicy in it, but mixing in sour cream satisfied my spicy hating son. I got compliments from the ladies in lunch club, who got it as leftovers (I was nervous about how well it would reheat, but it was just as good, if not better, on day 2).

Chicken Tamale Casserole Cooking Light November 2008 via Myrecipes

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Meatless Monday: Vegetarian Chili

2011-12-13T14:42:00.002-05:00

My husband was not to be home for dinner the other night, so as we were traveling and I was doing my meal plan, I asked my four year old what he'd like: vegetarian chili, beef stew, or something with sweet potatoes. He said he wanted chili, red chili. So, I found a new red chili recipe to try.

I came across this one from Emeril on Ezra Pound Cake's blog, and her review made me want to try it for sure, in addition to the fact that Emeril's recipe came up in my initial search for vegetarian recipes as highly rated.

First of all, I wish I had used my better judgment and used canned diced tomatoes instead of the December tomatoes from the store. Hard as rocks and utterly devoid of flavor, they added little to the recipe. Since I was cooking for Mr. "It's too spicy," I skipped the serrano pepper (the little sign in the grocery store said HOT!) in favor of some jarred sliced jalapenos I always have in the fridge. I tossed in more than I might have otherwise, after he enjoyed a spicy to my palate Chicken Tamale Casserole into which I'd mixed sour cream. He said he liked it at first, and then refused to eat it after about 10 bites. Yes, seriously.

Anyway, this was REALLY good. Not the typical chili recipe, but really good nonetheless. I added lots to it in the way of toppings: avocado, shredded Mexican cheese, and sour cream, and they were super yummy.

Vegetarian Chili Source: Emeril Lagasse, via Ezra Poundcake

Makes 6 to 8 servings
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (about 3 small onions)
1 cup chopped red bell peppers
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3T diced jarred jalapenoVeg
1 medium zucchini, stem ends trimmed and cut into small dice
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (about 3 ears)
1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms (about 5 large), stemmed, wiped clean and cubed
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 cups cooked black beans (or 2 15-ounce cans of black beans), rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup vegetable stock or water
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (do not add to the pot if you’re planning to freeze chili)
Optional additions: cooked brown rice, sour cream, Greek yogurt, diced avocado, chopped scallions
In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and serrano peppers, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add the zucchini, corn, and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables give off their liquid and start to brown around the edges, about 6 minutes.
Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the tomatoes.
Add the black beans, tomato sauce and vegetable stock, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat, and stir in the cilantro. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.
To serve, place 1/4 cup of brown rice in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the chili over the rice, and top with whatever garnishes you choose. Serve immediately.

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

2011-12-12T11:16:00.000-05:00

Have you yet checked out Best 30 Minute Recipes from Cook's Illustrated? If not, you should do it. Go to your library, add it to your Christmas list.... I tried a bunch of recipes in the time I had the book, and there was only one that my family wasn't raving about.

This may be the best macaroni and cheese I've ever made. My husband, who doesn't really like macaroni and cheese liked it... that says a lot! And how many macaroni and cheese recipes do YOU know that really, truly, honestly, absolutely take 30 minutes? Even if you're a disorganized, odds are good you forgot something, cook like me?

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese Best 30 Minute Recipes by Cook's Illustrated via Recipe Swap Blog at Syracuse

3½cups water, plus more as needed
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
12 ounces elbow macaroni (3 cups)
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Bring water, 1 cup of evaporated milk, the macaroni and ½teaspoon salt to simmer in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes or until macaroni is tender.
Whisk together remaining ½ cup evaporated milk, cornstarch, mustard and Tabasco, then stir into skillet. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
Take skillet off heat and stir in cheeses, 1 handful at a time. Add additional water if needed, if sauce gets too thick. Stir in butter and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Variations: Add 4 ounces deli-style baked ham, diced medium, and ½ cup frozen peas with the cornstarch mixture in step 2. Or, for spicy mac and cheese, add 2 teaspoons minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce and 1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes, drained, with cornstarch mixture in step 2.

Spanish Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

2011-12-11T10:30:00.000-05:00

Recently, a friend of mine had her second baby in less than two years, and was really struggling. I wanted to bring food to help her out. Since they are vegetarians, I asked my friend Lishie, who is a former veg and has a veg sister, for some inspiration for food that would travel and/or freeze well.

She gave me a few suggestions, and this is the one I chose.

What a wonderful way to use up or take advantage of the bounty of summer produce. This was really easy (once I figured out an easy and effective way to roast the peppers) and quite tasty. It's such a basic recipe, you could easily spice it up by adding some crushed red peppers, or change the flavor with some easy additions (mushrooms? green peppers?) Lishie suggested making a lasagna using this sauce, which sounds outrageously good!

Spanish Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Delish

5 red peppers
3 medium tomatoes or 14 oz tomato sauce
1 small Onion, diced
Olive Oil
3 TBSp Heavy Cream
S & P

Place the red peppers & the tomatoes on a baking sheet & sprinkle with olive oil. Roast them under the broiler until they are blackened, roasted. Allow to cool.

Transfer the veg to the food processor & puree with a little more olive oil.

Meanwhile, saute the onion is a sauce pan on medium-high. Add the pureed mixture & stir. When the sauce is nearly heated through, add the cream. Add S & P to taste.

FOUR YEARS???

2011-12-10T11:35:00.000-05:00

Wow, I just realized that the fourth anniversary of my first post was this week (December 5). This blog has been an incredible resource for me, even if not another soul ever looks at it. I started because the trend on a message board I was reading was to do it. Yep, the bandwagon. But really, I wanted to find a better way to organize all the recipes we've tried and loved so that I could access them from anywhere--and this was before I had a smartphone. Now that I do have a smart phone, I don't wander the grocery store as aimlessly on those nights I don't have a plan for dinner. Instead, I bring up my website, and instantly have an easy recipe to shop for.

Another way in which it's been a resource for me is that it's challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone. It's very rare for us to have a meal again. For better or worse, the challenge to try something new--a new technique, a new recipe, even a new food, is present because I want to blog about it.

On another message board, there's been criticism of bloggers like me. One person commented that the only food blogs she reads are those with truly original recipes or really beautiful photography. This bothered me at first, because I have neither of those. Ever. But then I stepped back and thought about why I'm doing this. First, I'm doing this for me--to have all my recipes (and thoughts about them) in one place, to inspire or challenge myself in some new way and to grow (geez, without this, I'd never have tried to conquer the recipes of Dorie Greenspan or some of the other challenges in which I've partaken). Second, maybe there IS someone who will read this and find my comments and bad photography useful. If not, that's totally cool because the ultimate goal is part one, but if it does help another person, how could it be bad?

So, happy birthday, "Tales from the Mad Men Kitchen," formerly known as "Nothing to See Here." You've been super awesome for me!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

2011-12-10T05:58:00.000-05:00

For a co-worker's birthday in October, she requested cupcakes. When I asked what kind, she said any. So, I went with something that caught my eye and sounded like something *I* would like. Turns out, pumpkin is one of her "favorite things ever," and I made a perfect choice. Score!

These were outrageously good. My coworkers told me I should open a cupcake business (little do they know how unskilled in the kitchen I really am). They had that perfect flavor of the Starbucks fall treat to which I used to be addicted (until I realized how much I don't like Starbucks and thus how much cream and sugar it required to make it taste good to me as well as how big a dent such an addiction was putting in my wallet!)

I happened to have been drinking Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Spice coffee the week I made these, so I added that additional flavor to it when I brushed that flavor of coffee over top, but any coffee (or maybe caramel, cinnamon, whatever) would add an additional treat too.

A perfect fall treat!

Shout out to my friend Lishie for the B Movie zombie plate!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes Annie's Eats

Yield: about 2 dozen cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. espresso powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 large eggs
½ cup coffee or espresso, for brushing

For the whipped cream:
2¼ cups heavy cream, chilled
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

For garnish:
Ground cinnamon
Caramel sauce

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Stir together and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixture on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing just until incorporated.

Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full. Bake until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pans. While the cupcakes are still warm, brush them two or three times with the coffee or espresso, allowing the first coat to soak in before repeating. Let cool completely.

To make the frosting, place the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-low speed at first, gradually increasing to high speed. Blend in the confectioners’ sugar gradually. Whip until stiff peaks form, being careful not to over-beat. Use a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip to frost the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and drizzle with caramel sauce. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.

Source: cake adapted from Williams Sonoma

Creamy Shiitake Alfredo

2011-12-10T05:51:00.000-05:00

Oh, my blog, I've missed you. I'm sure I'll fall behind again, take pictures of every new thing I make, forget what I thought about them, and be back here again. At any rate, let's catch up.

A few months ago, the guys at The Bitten Word ran a contest to win a subscription to Everyday Food. By some stroke of changing luck, I won! I love this little meal because it's... Everyday and I can even use it... every day. Not fussy, easy meals, that don't take long to make, complete with beautiful food photography, and a design that, if I had time/interest in scrapbooking, I'd use as inspiration for my scrapbook pages.

This is one recipe I discovered in this magazine. Of course, their food photography looks a million times better than mine, so see how it's supposed to look in a photograph here.

We really enjoyed this. The boys weren't nuts about the mushrooms, but my husband and I really loved the flavor they brought. According to the time stamp on the photo, we had this on October 29. A while ago. But I know we liked it. The recipe states it take 50 minutes from start to finish, and I can't remember at all, but I do know that I made it on a weeknight, so perhaps it wasn't so very bad to do...

Creamy Shiitake Alfredo Everyday Food November 2011

Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 pound fusilli or other short twisted pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 small shallots, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
3/4 cup heavy cream
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, until shallots are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and thyme and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stir in cream, and cook until warmed (do not let boil). Season with salt and pepper. Add pasta to skillet, toss to combine, and top with Parmesan.

Swiss Mushroom Turkey Burger

2011-11-23T12:07:00.000-05:00

This was another hit from the December issue of Food Network Magazine. My husband was the meal planner, and is not a fan of beef. When he saw the original recipe, he figured just throwing some ground turkey, salt, and pepper together (since he doesn't like beef) wouldn't make a very tasty burger, so he went in search of a good turkey burger recipe, and came across "Actually Delicious Turkey Burgers" on allrecipes.

Together with the Food Network Magazine recipe, this made an awesome sandwich. It was full of flavor, and just the right amount of messy.

Swiss Mushroom Burger Food Network Magazine December 2011
Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds ground beef (preferably chuck)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 8-ounce package sliced mixed mushrooms
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
4 thin slices gruyere cheese
4 sesame buns, split and toasted
Boston or Bibb lettuce, for topping
Potato chips and/or pickles, for serving (optional)

Directions

Preheat the broiler and line the bottom of a broiler pan with foil. Lightly mix the beef with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Gently form into 4 patties, about 3/4 inch thick. Arrange on the prepared pan and brush both sides with olive oil. Broil until browned, about 4 minutes per side for medium rare.

Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook 2 more minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Combine the ketchup and mustard in a small bowl and set aside.

Top each patty with one-quarter of the mushroom mixture and 1 slice cheese. Return to the broiler to melt the cheese, about 1 minute.

Spread the buns with the ketchup mixture; sandwich with the patties and some lettuce. Serve with chips and/or pickles.

Actually Delicious Turkey Burger Allrecipes
Ingredients

3 pounds ground turkey
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely diced onion
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

In a large bowl, mix ground turkey, seasoned bread crumbs, onion, egg whites, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Form into 12 patties.
Cook the patties in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning once, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C).

Four Cheese Pasta with Peas and Ham

2011-11-22T20:55:00.000-05:00

My husband planned all the meals this week, with intentions of cooking as well, and he did it all through this month's Food Network Magazine. This is one of his choices, though I ended up making it.

This one was a huge hit with my family. The one year old gobbled it up, the four year old thought it was mac and cheese and ate it up, and my husband and I thought it was delicious. It was super creamy and gooey and cheesey, had the right amount of textures, and was really flavorful.

I made a few slight changes, using heavy cream instead of evaporated milk, and honey ham steak instead of deli ham, and I added black pepper at the end. Nothing crazy. But a crazy yummy dinner.

Four Cheese Pasta with Peas and Ham Food Network Magazine, December 2011
Ingredients
Kosher salt
12 ounces penne
1 cup frozen peas
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg white
1 cup evaporated milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (1 scant cup)
3 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
3 ounces fontina cheese, grated (1 scant cup)
3 ounces deli ham, in 1 piece, diced
1 ounce parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until very al dente, about 8 minutes, adding the peas in the last 2 minutes of cooking.
Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, egg white, evaporated milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl.
Drain the pasta and peas; wipe the pot dry and return the pasta and peas to the pot. Add the butter and stir to coat. Add the cheddar, mozzarella, fontina and the egg mixture. Place the pot over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes, adding the ham halfway through cooking (don't let the mixture boil or the eggs will scramble). Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the parmesan.

Stir Fried Pork and Snow Peas with Sweet and Sour Sauce

2011-11-07T11:30:00.002-05:00

,A few months ago, several friends and I all made at home versions of Chinese take out standards, Take-Out at Home Challenge. I had a great time and found some great recipes, but haven't really made anything Asian since. But as I'm making as many of the recipes from Cook's Illustrated's The Best 30 Minute Recipe, I decided to go for Asian once again.

This was almost excellent. The flavor was great, however, the book's recommendation to prepare the sauce while stir-frying the pork kind of goes against the philosophy of stir frying--it happens fast, so you have to be there and on it. If you have two cooks in the kitchen, surely it would work great, but with only one, your odds of the meat becoming overcooked as mine did, are very high. So, it's worth calling a helping hand if you have one around or waiting till the sauce comes together before dealing with the pork.

Otherwise, this is a near perfect dinner!

Stir Fried Pork and Snow Peas with Sweet and Sour Sauce Source: The Best 30 Minute Recipe Cook's Illustrated, via Searchable Recipe Database

1 pound	Pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
2 teaspoons	soy sauce
2 tablespoons	vegetable oil
1 recipe	Sweet-and Sour Sauce (see below)
1	red onion, sliced thin
6 ounces	snow peas, strings removed
1 20-ounce can	diced pineapple, drained
3 cloves	garlic, minced
1 tablespoon	fresh ginger, grated

Making the minutes Count:

Prepare the suce while the pork cooks. Mince the garlic and grate the ginger while the vegetables cook.

Stir-fry Pork and prepare sauce: Toss pork with soy sauce. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in 12 inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add pork and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up clumps, until lightly browned, about 3minutes. (While pork cooks, prrepare sauce.) Transfer pork to clean bowl

Stir-Fry Vegetables and Pineapple. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to pan and return to high heat until shimmering. Add onion and snow peas and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add pineapple and cook until warmed through

Combine and Simmer: Clear center of pan and add remainineg 1 teaspoon oil, garlic, and gingner. Cook, mashing garlic mixture into pan with bakck of spatula, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in cooked pork. Whisk sauce to recombine, add it to pan, and bring to simmer. Cook until sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
6T red wine vinegar
6T orange juice
6T sugar
3T ketchup
1t cornstarch
1/2t salt

Using a medium bowl, mix all ingredients.

Chicken and Rice with Broccoli and Cheddar

2011-11-06T11:10:00.001-05:00

I love Cook's Illustrated. In almost every single case, I've found their work to be incredibly perfect and that while sometimes time consuming, their recipes are not too difficult for my not super skill in the kitchen. So, when I heard they had a new cookbook, The Best 30 Minute Recipe, I knew I had to check it out.

Everything I've made so far has been perfect. Chicken and Rice with Broccoli and Cheddar (page 108) was the first I made, I believe, and it was so excellent and FAST. Yes, the recipes actually do take 30 minutes. They give handy little tips so that it actually happens in the home kitchen!

I did have some trouble with the rice, as I often do. I used long grain brown rice, and followed the directions CI gives, but it took way longer than directed to get it cooked all the way. I'm wondering how much of that is me and how much of it is something else.

Chicken and Rice with Broccoli and Cheddar Source: The Best 30 Minute Recipe Cook's Illustrated, via Heat Oven to 350

Skillet Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli

4	boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 ounces each)
	salt and freshly ground black pepper
3	tablespoons vegetable oil
1	onion, minced
1½	cups instant white rice
3	garlic cloves, minced
1½	cups low sodium chicken broth
1	10oz pkg frozen broccoli florets, thawed
	(or one large head of broccoli, washed and cut into florets)
1	cup shredded cheddar cheese
1	teaspoon tabasco

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chicken well on one side, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate and set aside.

2. Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet, and return to med high heat till shimmering. Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook uintil softened. 5 minutes. Stir in rice and garlic and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits. nestle chicken into rice browned side up. Cover and cook over medium low heat until liquid is absorbed and thickest part of chicken registers 160, about 10 minutes.

4. Transfer chicken to clean plate. Off heat gently fold broccoli, ½ cup cheddar, and tabasco into rice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheddar over top, cover, and let sit till cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Serve with chicken.

Yield: Four servings

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated Best 30-Minute Meals

Skillet Baked Ziti

2011-11-05T20:07:00.000-04:00

I love baked pasta dishes, the cheesier the better. My husband, on the other hand, generally doesn't like baked pasta. He can't take it when there are pieces of hard pasta--hitting a piece of it turns him off to the whole dish. Nevertheless, I went for it when I saw that Cook's Illustrated had a skillet AND baked version of ziti.

It was farking awesome. It was so fast, so easy, and tasted almost like something you'd get from your local pizza shop. No hard pasta either, my husband (and my sons) loved it just as much as I did.

Keeper!

Skillet Baked Ziti Source: The Best 30 Minute Recipe Cook's Illustrated, page 140, via Right in Front of Me

1 Tbsp. olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
3 cups water
12 oz. ziti (3 3/4 cups) *
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Combine oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp. salt in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet and sautÃ© over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add tomatoes, water, ziti, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain a vigorous simmer, until ziti is almost tender, 15 to 18 minutes. (Note: this is a good time to grate your Parmesan and prep your basil.)
Stir in cream, Parmesan, and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over ziti. Transfer skillet to oven and bake at 475Â° until cheese has melted and browned, about 10 minutes.
(Note: if your 12-inch skillet isn’t ovensafe, you can transfer the pasta to a 2-quart casserole dish before sprinkling with mozzarella and baking.)

Snickerdoodle Blondies

2011-11-05T19:08:00.001-04:00

I'm forcing myself to bake more in these crazy times of working full time by baking for my coworkers' birthdays. In October, one of the birthday girls requested brownies. Wanting to challenge myself, I made brownies but when I came across this recipe at Brown Eyed Baker's blog, I wanted to make those too.

Holy cow these were delicious. I didn't use a whole lot of cinnamon sugar on top, so they didn't have that little bit of crunch, but they were absolutely perfect as I made them.

Snickerdoodle Blondies Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Snickerdoodle Blondies
Yield: 24 blondies
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 25 to 30 minutes
2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan; set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, and then the vanilla. Beat, scraping the bowl, until thoroughly combined. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until just combined. Give the dough a final stir with a spatula or wooden spoon to make sure the flour is incorporated.
4. Spread the dough evenly into the pan (I found an offset spatula was the best tool for the job, as it’s a thick batter). Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool completely before cutting. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
(Recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction)

Bake Sale Brownies

2011-10-27T10:50:00.001-04:00

I learned something new this weekend. You don't check doneness on a brownie the same way you do a cake or cupcake. Instead, when you stick a toothpick in, there should be pieces (though not streaks) clinging to it. Or you can check to see that the edges are pulling from the side of the pan. Probably something everyone already knew, but it was news to me.

This year, to get myself baking more despite the demands of being a working mom, I've taken on the challenge of being "Sunshine Chair." Among other things, this has evolved to mean bringing in goodies to celebrate birthdays. I asked everyone who participates what their favorite baked good is. This month's first birthday celebration asked for brownies.

I turned to where it all began, America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. See, I credit the ATK with giving me the confidence to bake. It soon became a bible of sorts, since every single thing I made from it turned out great. I'll now go so far as to say I'm in a love affair with Cook's Illustrated, and my birthday gift from my husband last year was a subscription to their (very excellent) magazine, Cook's Country.

Bake Shop Brownies.

With a name like that, you already get a sense of how good they'll be. And they were excellent. Just the right amount of cake and goo. The perfect amount of chocolatey yumminess. And it took roughly the same amount of time it would have taken me to toss together brownies from a box. And, perhaps you've noticed, I'm not the most adept person in the kitchen. You can do it too.

These flew at work. I promised A a taste, but there just wasn't any left after my fairly small group of coworkers got hold of them. I'm glad I took a taste before bringing them in (you know, to make sure they weren't poisoned.)

The recipe I used is almost identical to the one shared at gas*tron*o*my. I'll take advantage of her having done the work!

Bake Sale Brownies America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, via gas*tron*o*my
Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 Degrees. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil then coat lightly with vegetable oil spray. Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave, stirring often, 1 to 3 minutes. Let the mixture cool slightly.

Whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl until combined. Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture until smooth. Stir in the flour until no streaks remain.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 22 to 27 minutes.

Let cool completely on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, before removing the brownies from the pan using the foil and cutting into squares.

Chicken Marsala Wrap

2011-10-26T21:49:00.000-04:00

My husband is a big fan of chicken marsala; it's probably the meal I've seen him order most when we go out to eat (not counting his old standby takeout meal of chicken parm sub). When he heard we were having it in wrap form for dinner, he raised his eyebrow with an "I'm intrigued" look.

This really didn't disappoint. I'm not as big a fan of chicken marsala as he is and it has to be really good for me to like it, and I liked it a lot. My four year old LOVED it. Woo!

I served it with a mixture of sweet potato and regular french fries. Yum!

Chicken Marsala Wrap from Stephanie Cooks
Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup thin sliced white onions
6 oz. white sliced mushrooms
1 cup cooked chicken
1/2 cup marsala wine
4 slices provolone cheese
2 flour tortillas

Directions:
1- In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms, cooking until soft (about 10 minutes).
2- Add the wine and chicken, allowing the wine to cook down. If the sauce doesn't thicken and coat the mixture turn the heat up until completely coats the mixture.
3- Turn off the heat and divide the chicken mixture over the tortillas. Top with the cheese and wrap tightly, allowing the cheese to sit a couple minutes and melt. Slice and serve hot.

Apple Bread

2011-10-20T10:53:00.000-04:00

I know I've mentioned this before, but I'm pretty sure I haven't reviewed it.
As a bread machine recipe, this is so darned easy. All you do is measure everything out, toss it in, press a button, and go about your day.

It's delicious. We bought apple butter while we were at the orchard, and my husband asked what he should put it on other than regular bread, so I suggested that I make apple bread.

And it was delicious. and easy. And used up an apple or two from our haul.

Apple chunk bread from Razzle Dazzle Recipes
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil1 1/3 cups apples, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups bread flour
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Add ingredients in order, adding apple pieces with liquid ingredients.

Apple Muffins

2011-10-19T21:36:00.001-04:00

This year, we once again went apple picking at a local farm. Due to busy schedules, we didn't get there until really late in the season, and though the trees were pretty picked over, there were still lots of great apples to be had. My husband paid and didn't pay any attention to the size of our haul, but I immediately got to baking.

We've been trying as much as possible to bake something for our boys' breakfasts, so that they don't have school provided Cheerios every single day. It hasn't gone as well as planned because of the busyes (the busees? busies?), the lazies, and the overwhelmzies, but we've been successful at home baking more weeks than we've bought. So I decided to turn some of those apples into breakfasts, and found this recipe over at The Girl Who Ate Everything. I went super light on the brown sugar topping, so my muffins don't look nearly as nice and crunchy as hers do, but they were incredibly delicious nonetheless.

I substituted about a cup of natural chunky applesauce for the oil, which may have resulted in a denser muffin than the original, but these are delicious anyway. It made about 20 muffins, so I popped half of them into the freezer in the hopes of saving some for later. These come together really quickly and are totally yummy.

Apple Muffins

Source: Marissa Pinon via The Girl Who Ate Everything

Cream together:
2 cups sugar (I use 1 1/2 cups)
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla

Sift:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups peeled, cored, diced apples (around 3 apples)
Brown sugar for topping (around 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with paper liners.

Cream together sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon (I never sift and they turn out fine). Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Add the diced apples.

Fill paper liners almost to the top, about 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes. Makes 18 muffins.

Goat Cheese, Sweet Onion, Apple, and Brandy Chicken

2011-10-19T09:59:00.000-04:00

When I saw this on Sarah's blog, I knew I wanted to make it soon. Sarah decided she wasn't going to roll the chicken but instead top it, and though I also HATE making stuffed chicken, I went ahead and followed the original stuffed chicken recipe from Cheesecurd in Paradise.

We really liked this, the perfect fall dinner--the flavors blended perfectly. I served it with Stove Top (yep, Stove Top) and it was a perfect accompaniment.

Goat Cheese, Sweet Onion, Apple, and Brandy Chicken from Cheesecurd in Paradise
Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 oz goat cheese
1 medium apple, chopped
1 sweet onion, sliced
1/3 cup brandy
1 Tbl olive oil
1 Tbl butter
1 Tbl sugar
Black pepper

Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Add butter, oil, sugar, apples, onion and brandy to a large skillet. Allow mixture to simmer till liquid is absorbed, and onions are tender. Set aside.

Place chicken breasts into separate plastic bags and pound with a meat mallet till chicken is about 1/4 inch thick. Spread one quarter of the goat cheese on chicken and place 1/4 cup of apple mixture in the center of the chicken. Fold in the sides of the chicken and secure with toothpicks. Place chicken in baking dish and repeat with 3 remaining chicken breasts. Be sure to reserve 1/2 cup of the apple mixture. Season chicken with black pepper. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Top with remaining apple mixture.

Cilantro Lime Rice

2011-10-18T20:54:00.000-04:00

I served this with Hawaiian Chicken the other night, and since the chicken looked kinda weird, I didn't bother taking the camera out for this.

The rice got rave reviews, despite my habit of never being able to properly cook rice. My husband, who almost never likes rice as a side dish, said he really liked it. I really liked it too.

I used brown long grain rice, which may or may not have impacted the cooking time. I accidentally over boiled so that there wasn't any water covering the rice after the first step, so added more water and I also had to simmer it about 10-15 minutes longer than directed.

Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice

Source: Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes via Macaroni and Cheesecake

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 cup extra long grain rice or basmati rice
1/2 lime, juice of
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
4 tsp vegetable oil

Directions:

In a small heavy pot, add rice, water, 1 tsp oil and salt. Boil on high until most of the water evaporates. When the water just skims the top of the rice, reduce to low and cover about 15 minutes. Shut off flame and keep covered an additional 5 minute.In a medium bowl, combine chopped cilantro, lime juice, rice and remaining oil and toss until completely mixed.

Hawaiian Chicken

2011-10-18T20:51:00.000-04:00

When it comes to cooking, I'm not great at side dishes. I'm also not great at presentation. I have no future on a line at a restaurant because when the food I've cooked comes out of the kitchen, it more often than not looks like slop. This is much more acceptable in a Crockpot meal than in many others, but most everything I cook looks like it came out of a Crockpot.

This is one of those cases in which the food comes out looking terrible, but tastes really good. At least, it tasted really good to the over 18 crowd. I'll admit to going a bit heavy handed on the cayenne pepper, but it wasn't bad at all to M and me, but the boys wouldn't eat it and had to have a second meal.

And, just like so many of my favorite meals, this came together really quickly and used ingredients I already had on hand. Good stuff.

So, feel free to take a look at the picture at Macaroni and Cheesecake because her dinner certainly doesn't look like slop.

Hawaiian Chicken from Macaroni and Cheesecake

Hawaiian Chicken

Ingredients:

1 cup crushed pineapple

1 tbsp. honey

juice of 1/2 lime

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/8-1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. cilantro

2 large chicken breasts, cut in half or 4 smaller chicken breasts

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl mix together pineapple and all other ingredients except the chicken until combined. Place chicken in the bowl to marinate and refrigerate until ready to use. We marinated for 1 hour, but if you have less time it would be just fine.

After marinating, place chicken & marinade in a large skillet, sprayed with cooking spray. Cook over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and marinade has reduced just slightly. Serve chicken topped with cooked marinade & garnish with cilantro.

Apple Cheesecake Crumb Bars

2011-10-13T21:04:00.000-04:00

I've taken on the role of morale builder upper person this year, which means I've taken on way more responsibility than I probably should have. One of the jobs includes getting baked goods for birthdays and other celebrations, and I'm taking this as something to get me baking when I'm way too exhausted and would rather plop on the couch (I need goals and motivation to do even the things I love sometimes).

One of my colleagues got married recently, and she listed her favorite dessert as apple crumb cake and dessert, so when this recipe from The Naptime Chef came in my email literally the day before I was planning to make something for her, I knew I had a winner.

I had some real problems making the crust/topping for this recipe, since my 4 cup food processor just wasn't cutting it. I got fed up and actually went out and bought another one once this was all made. Other than that, though, this was a really easy, and oh my freaking God delicious recipe.

Since I brought it into work, some of my coworkers ate them with the vanilla ice cream in our work freezer; when we ate them at home, we did a drizzle of caramel on top of the still warm bars. Heavenly!!

Apple Crumb Cheesecake Bars Source: The Naptime Chef

Crust & Topping:

3	cups all-purpose flour
1 ½	cups light brown sugar
1	cup quick-cooking oats
3	sticks unsalted butter
1	teaspoon Kosher salt

Filling:

1	14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
8	ounces cream cheese, softened
2	teaspoons vanilla extract
2	eggs
2	tablespoons flour
4	apples, peeled, cored and chopped
½	teaspoon cinnamon
¼	teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼	teaspoon ground ginger
2	tablespoons sugar

1.Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Pour the flour, sugar, oats and salt into a food processor and pulse until crumbs form. Add the butter in large chunks to the food processor until the mixture becomes pebbly and holds shape when pinched.

3. Press 2/3 of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 pan and bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden.

4. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese until soft and pour in the milk until completely smooth. With the mixer on low add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add the vanilla and flour. Set aside.

5. Toss the chopped apples with the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and sugar and set aside.

6. Once the crust is cooled pour the cream cheese mixture evenly on top, followed by the chopped apples. Spread the remaining 1/3 of the crumb mixture on top and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the bars are set and the crumb is lightly golden. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili

2011-10-13T20:30:00.000-04:00

Now that I'm back at work, I'm once again part of "lunch club," in which one person provides lunch for everyone participating for a whole week. My husband loves it because he doesn't have to make my lunches (yep, he does that for me!) and I love that I get to do some bigger batch cooking of meals my husband doesn't like.

But when looking for recipes to make, I try to think of something that will reheat well. Lately, we've all been going with pasta dishes, so I wanted to find something different. Goggling brought me to Cheap, Healthy, Good and one post in particular, a list of meals with great leftover potential. Jackpot! This is a list of recipes that seem perfect for not only this week's lunch club meals but for the future too.

When I said I tend to make things my husband won't eat, I wasn't kidding. Beans are on his won't eat list, so chili was a natural fit for this week, and when I saw that a Cook's Illustrated (read: "can't fail") recipe was on the list, I went for it.

I probably went a little heavy handed with the chipotle, I only had a can of whole tomatoes, and not nearly enough chicken stock, so it wasn't as "can't fail" as one would think, but a good, solid, chili recipe that comes together really fast. I really liked the smokey flavor the chipotle added and the vegetarian nature of it makes me feel like it's fairly healthful too.

I have no idea why the picture came out so yellow--I used AWB after all--but I used a mix of small white beans and dark kidney beans.

Easy Vegetarian Bean ChiliServes 4 – 6
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated Best 30-Minute Recipe via Cheap, Healthy, Good

CI Note: A combination of beans is better in this (kidney, black, pinto, whatever). Also, don't sub in anything for the pureed diced tomatoes, as the consistency is vital.

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (15-ounce) cans beans (see note), rinsed
2-3 teaspoons minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1) Pour tomatoes and the accompanying juices in a food processor. Pulse 4 or 5 times, until it's kinda chunky.

2) In a large saucepan, combine tomatoes, beans, chipotles, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir and cover. Heat over high until it starts boiling. Drop heat to medium-low and simmer for the time being.

3) In a different large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. When very hot, add onion, chili powder, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir. Saute until onions are soft and a little translucent, around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic. Stir. Saute until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

4) Pour tomato mixture into onion pot. Scrape browned bits with the back of your spoon, if you have 'em. Drop heat to medium-low and cook about 15 minutes, until chili has a more chili-like consistency. Stir occasionally.

5) After 15 minutes, add corn and cilantro. Stir. Heat until corn is warmed through. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Chicken Caprese Sandwiches

2011-10-03T13:45:00.000-04:00

I know I've mentioned before how much I love tomato, basil, and mozzarella. I know I don't need to mention it again. The last time I tried to make a chicken caprese sandwich, I followed the Rachael Ray recipe from one of her early cookbooks. At the time, I really liked the recipe, but it was a tough one--the chicken always cooked all wrong--burning in parts and not being cooked in others. So I pretty much gave up on the idea of a homemade chicken caprese.

Nevertheless, my husband suggested a chicken caprese sandwich for dinner one night, so I went to my friend "The Internet," and found this recipe on Our Family Treat.

Life has been absolutely crazy these days, between two kids, back to work, trying to get my head on straight to clean the house, and adding a new curriculum to teach, so I sometimes don't know which was is up. This was one of those nights, and my husband ended up making dinner. He said it was very easy to make. Knowing my husband as I do, I am certain he followed the recipe exactly as written, although he also mentioned he went light on the rosemary because he doesn't like it. I also know he pounded the chicken breasts thin, not only so that they cooked faster, but also so that they cooked more evenly.

We both LOVED this. In fact, even our boys liked it. Definitely make this one while tomatoes are still sort of in season.

Chicken Caprese Sandwich Source: Our Family Treat

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese sliced

Fresh Roma tomatoes sliced

Pesto (See our Pesto recipe or you can buy it)

4-5 Ciabatta rolls or Kaiser rolls toasted

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 tsp rosemary

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp garlic salt

In a plastic bag marinate the chicken breasts in the olive oil and spices. Be sure to cover evenly.

On an oven safe grill pan, or skillet, grill the chicken on both sides till golden brown. Put into a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes until done (180 degree with a meat thermometer). Let stand for 5 minutes.

On the bread that has been toasted, spread a good layer of pesto on both sides. Slice the chicken on a bias very thin, and place on the roll. Top with the mozzarella and tomato. Enjoy!

Portobello Parmesan

2011-10-02T11:31:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure how I found this recipe on Taste of Home Cooking, but was delighted when I saw it originally came from my good friend Lishie's blog, Delish.

We loved this. At least, the grown ups in the room loved this. The under 5 crowd was less than enthused. Whateves, this was delicious and so very easy to put together, they can have chicken nuggets and we'll all be happy.

Definite keeper!!

Portobello Parmesan Delish via Taste of Home Cooking.

8 small OR 4 large portobello mushrooms, wiped, stems removed
olive oil
salt & pepper
3-4 cups marinara sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup shredded parmesan

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a large skillet or grill over medium heat. Brush the portobello caps with the olive oil on both sides. Salt and pepper each cap. Place in the skillet or grill about 5 minutes per side.

In an oiled baking dish, spread 1 cup marinara sauce. Place the mushroom caps, bottom facing up, on the sauce. Ladle more sauce into each cap. Place shredded mozzarella onto each cap, then top with shredded parmesan cheese.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted, bubbling and browned. Serve with pasta and veggies.

Chicken with Tomato Herb Pan Sauce

2011-10-01T18:23:00.005-04:00

I'm a fan of Annie's Eats. In general, she does the same thing I do, which is making other people's recipes, but she does a LOT of it and she takes beautiful photos of it all. While being a mom of two and a doctor. In other words, she does the same thing I do, way better, and with much different other demands.

So, when I'm meal planning or looking to make an impressive dessert, her blog is one of the first places I stop. So I found this recipe in that way. Annie found it at Cook like a Champion who took it from Bon Appetit.

When you know something has been passed between so many hands, you know you're probably onto something good. That was definitely the case here. I really liked the changes Cook like a Champion made, largely because I know I don't have marjoram and wouldn't know what to use in its place.

This was delicious--the whole family enjoyed it, it came together fast, and it's yummy and healthy! YAY!

Chicken with Tomato Herb Pan Sauce taken from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
For the chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and halved (4 halves total)
Salt and pepper
¾ cup flour

For the sauce:
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 clove garlic, minced
1½ tsp. fresh oregano, minced
½ tsp. sweet paprika
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (about 12 oz.)
1/3 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley

Directions:
Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour, shaking off the excess. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, oregano, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the oregano butter with the olive oil. Place the chicken breast halves in the skillet and cook until golden brown on each side and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.

Increase the heat to high and add the tomatoes to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to char and burst, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining butter mixture to the pan. Crush the tomatoes slightly to release their juices and continue stirring until the butter is melted. Add the wine or broth to the pan, scraping the bottom to loosen the browned bits. Cook for a minute more until well blended.

Slice the chicken, transfer to serving plates, and top with the pan sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

2011-10-01T12:20:00.000-04:00

Broccoli Cheddar Soup. It's a staple soup in our home, and the quest for a decent homemade version has been long and arduous. When I found this version in Food Network Magazine this month, and noticed its use of not only Russet potatoes, but also sweet potatoes, I knew I'd be trying it soon. See, I love sweet potatoes, while my husband despises them. If I can find ways to get them into our diets by sneaking or making them taste different, I will surely do it.

One great thing about this is that it came together fast; a perfect fall weeknight meal when some salad and crusty bread is thrown into the mix. As is typical with me these days, I didn't have everything I needed to make the recipe as written. Specifically, I didn't have enough chicken broth. I boozed it up, and used dry white wine (probably about 1/4c) and water to make the full 2 cups. I think it really contributed to the flavor, but wasn't overwhelming--I could definitely taste the wine in the soup and it was lovely.

I like that the broccoli is added in chunks instead of pureed; I think it makes for a much more attractive and appetizing, not to mention easier, soup. I wish, however, that I'd had the foresight to chop the broccoli down even smaller to make it more manageable to eat.

Now, for my deception. Using an immersion blender was imperative here. I discovered some chunks of sweet potato hadn't been cut all the way down, and made sure they didn't make it into his bowl. The color of the soup is just like any restaurant Broccoli-cheddar soup I've ever had. There also seems to be no sweet potato flavor. In other words, he didn't even notice that there was something unusual in the soup. He did comment, however, that while it is good, it just doesn't meet his expectations of a delicious restaurant style broccoli cheddar soup.

I don't know about all that, but I found it to be a delicious, hearty soup that was easy to prepare and got some additional veggie goodness in our bellies. The boys both ate it, although they particularly enjoyed the bread we served with it. As far as I can tell, it's gluten free and fairly healthful.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup Food Network Magazine October 2011

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups half-and-half
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1/3 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/3 cups)
Croutons, for topping (optional)

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, half-and-half, both potatoes, bay leaf, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, put the broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl; add 3 tablespoons water and season with salt. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes; drain.

When the potatoes are tender, remove the bay leaf from the soup and transfer the soup to a blender. Puree until smooth, leaving the filler cap slightly open to let steam escape (or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender). Return the soup to the pot and thin with water, if necessary. Return to a simmer over medium-low heat; stir in the broccoli and season with salt and pepper.

Add the cheese and stir until melted. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with croutons, if desired.

Cranberry Orange Scones

2011-09-26T21:41:00.000-04:00

My sons' daycare provides them with lunch, snacks, and if we'd like, they'll give them generic Cheerios for breakfast. While this is certainly the most convenient solution for their breakfasts, the idea of giving them the same exact thing for breakfast five days a week isn't appealing. So, I've started baking. I had grand plans of getting a ton of baking done before school started and getting it into the freezer for stress free mornings.

While this was a fantastic plan, in reality, it fell through. Hurricane Irene being the biggest wrench in my grand design, we spent the time allotted for baking cleaning the basement and getting everything water would damage up off the floor.

So when this easy looking scone recipe from Brown Eyed Baker turned up, I figured it would be an easy solution to the morning rush dilemma. I've never made scones before, largely because I'd always heard they were really difficult to do well and very easy to make rock like. So, I was wary.

This, however, was so darned easy. And so darned tasty. And so darned foolproof! Set aside half an hour and make these lovelies. Make a double batch; you'll be happy you did!

Cranberry Orange Scones from Brown Eyed Baker
Yield: 8 scones
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 15-20 minutes
¼ cup granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons orange zest
1½ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
¾ cup dried cranberries
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Place the granulated sugar in a large bowl. Add the orange zest and, using your fingers, rub the orange zest and the granulated sugar together until the sugar is uniformly moistened with the orange zest.
3. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk together. Stir in the cranberries.
4. Pour in the cream and, using your fingers or a fork, stir together until combined. Dump mixture onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead to bring dough together. Pat dough into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 triangles and place on baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with the melted butter and sprinkle with the granulated sugar.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the scones are just turning lightly browned. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store at room temperature.

Chicken Fajitas

2011-09-26T21:22:00.000-04:00

The problem with taking too much time off from posting is that I have all these photos of delicious looking food, and have no idea what the recipe is, what the meal is called, or even if we liked it.

This one, however, I do remember. I made it way back on 8/31, and it was delicious. I'd had a craving for fajitas after making the Shrimp "Fajitas", and had almost gotten them out at dinner one night when something else caught my fancy. So I decided to add them to the meal plan.

I found these over at The Way the Cookie Crumbles. They were a little more work than I'd have expected for fajitas, but they were worth every minute. So yummy. Perfect homemade fajitas.

Chicken Fajitas (from Cooks Illustrated via The Way the Cookie Crumbles)
Serves 4 to 6
CI’s note: The chicken and vegetables in these fajitas are only mildly spicy. For more heat, include the jalapeno seeds and ribs when mincing. When you head outside to grill, bring along a clean kitchen towel or a large piece of foil in which to wrap the tortillas and keep them warm as they come off the grill. Although the chicken and vegetables have enough flavor to stand on their own, accompaniments (guacamole, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, and lime wedges) can be offered at the table.

⅓ cup juice from 2 to 3 limes
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1½ teaspoons brown sugar
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, minced
1½ tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
table salt and ground black pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds), trimmed of fat, tenderloins removed, pounded to ½-inch thickness
1 large red onion (about 14 ounces), peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds (do not separate rings)
1 large red bell pepper (about 10 ounces), quartered, stemmed, and seeded
1 large green bell pepper (about 10 ounces), quartered, stemmed, and seeded
8-12 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, 4 tablespoons oil, garlic, Worcestershire, brown sugar, jalapeno, cilantro, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper. Reserve ¼ cup marinade in a small bowl; set aside. Add another teaspoon salt to the remaining marinade. Place the chicken in the marinade; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes. Brush both sides of the onion rounds and the peppers with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, using a large chimney starter, ignite 6 quarts of charcoal briquettes and burn until the coals are fully ignited, about 20 minutes. Empty the coals into the grill, spreading them in a single layer; place an additional 20 unlit coals over the lit coals on one side of grill to create a two-level fire. Position the grill grate over the coals and heat the grate for 5 minutes; scrape clean with a grill brush. (For a gas grill, light all burners and turn to high, cover, and heat the grill until hot, about 15 minutes; scrape the grill grate clean with a grill brush. Leave one burner on high heat while turning the remaining burner(s) down to medium.)
3. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it smooth side down on the hotter side of the grill; discard the remaining marinade. Place the onion rounds and peppers (skin side down) on the cooler side of the grill. Cook the chicken until it’s well browned, 4 to 5 minutes; using tongs, flip the chicken and continue grilling until it’s no longer pink when cut into with a paring knife or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers about 160 degrees, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Meanwhile, cook the peppers until spottily charred and crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or twice as needed; cook the onions until tender and charred on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes, turning every 3 to 4 minutes. When the chicken and vegetables are done, transfer them to a large plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
4. Working in 2 or 3 batches, place the tortillas in a single layer on the cooler side of the now-empty grill and cook until warm and lightly browned, about 20 seconds per side (do not grill too long or the tortillas will become brittle). As the tortillas are done, wrap them in a kitchen towel or a large sheet of foil.
5. Separate the onions into rings and place them in a medium bowl; slice the bell peppers lengthwise into ¼-inch strips and place them in the bowl with the onions. Add 2 tablespoons reserved unused marinade to the vegetables and toss well to combine. Slice the chicken into ¼-inch strips and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons reserved marinade in another bowl; arrange the chicken and vegetables on a large platter and serve with the warmed tortillas.

Meal Plan Wednesday

2011-09-14T16:51:00.000-04:00

Meals were planned and shopped on Sunday, but yet here I am, just getting around to it.

Monday--Seared Shrimp with Tomato and Avocado (Cook's Illustrated)
Tuesday--Taco Night
Wednesday--Chicken Stew
Thursday--Ravioli
Friday--Multigrain Flatbread Pizza with Tomatoes, Eggplant, and Feta (Cook's Illustrated)
Saturday--at my parents'?
Sunday--TRIATHLON DAY!!! I don't know what I'll be cooking, but Cheesey Chicken Shells is the game plan.

Hope you're having a great week!

Meal Plan Monday

2011-09-05T17:02:00.000-04:00

Monday--Pasta Primavera
Tuesday--Crockpot Rustic Chicken
Wednesday--Cheesy Chicken Shells
Thursday--artichoke and sun dried tomato stuffed chicken
Friday-- Pizza
Saturday--Portobello Parmesan

Back to School! Have a great week. I, for one, am really gonna hate grocery shopping on Sundays again....

Dannon Oikos Review

2011-08-29T23:03:00.000-04:00

No doubt you've seen the still incredibly delicious John Stamos in tv spots for Dannon Oikos yogurt. Come on, not only is he Uncle Jesse and Dr Carl and in a hilariously awkward moment on Friends, but he's Greek (my husband wants me to share the Glee with Stamos "doing the dance in hot pants," but alas, not on youtube. And to whom are you going to listen when you want to buy GREEK yogurt, but a famous actor of Greek descent?

Ok, all weird sense of humor aside, let me tell you about this yogurt. I've really become a fan of Greek yogurt lately, because it has much less sugar but yet tastes way sweeter than traditional yogurt, plus it's loaded with a lot more protein than regular yogurt. It's thick and creamy and just tasty.

So, I've tried a lot of different brands of yogurts, as well as made my own. Dannon Oikos was definitely the best tasting of the bunch. I'm always concerned about the amount of sugar in yogurt that has fruit added or blended in, this had 20g in 5.3oz... decide for yourself about that amount. I really liked the size; it felt like I got a lot more than other single serve yogurts at the store, even though it looks like they're about the same size or even bigger.

I ate mine either as a morning snack or with my lunch, and it definitely kept me going without my typical mindless snacking. Love that! I also like that you can choose Dannon Oikos or Stonyfield Organic Oikos. I only tried the Dannon, non organic, but since Stonyfield regular yogurts are so good, I would expect their Greek yogurt to be outstanding as well!

I tried three varieties--Black Cherry, Key Lime, and Raspberry. All were delicious, though some might not like the seeds left in the Raspberry variety. I love how smooth this yogurt is; I'm not a big fan of pieces of fruit in my Greek yogurt.

Here are some things the Dannon folks want you to know about their product:

Dannon® Oikos® is created through an authentic Greek straining process which gives it a rich and creamy-thick texture.
Dannon® Oikos® Plain and Fruit on the Bottom contains 0% fat, while the Dannon® Oikos® traditional blended varieties contains about 3% fat. Both are an excellent source of protein, twice that of most regular lowfat yogurts.
Dannon® Oikos® 0% varieties contain active yogurt cultures and range from 80 calories (Plain) to 130 calories (Fruit on the Bottom) per 5.3 oz. cup.
Dannon® Oikos® 0% Fat Berry Flavors beat Chobani 2-1 in a taste test!*

I hope you try and enjoy Dannon's Oikos as much as I did! Let me know what you think if you do try. Also, if you like them on facebook, they will soon be giving away coupons and other fun stuff!

I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Clever Girls on behalf of Dannon. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program but my opinions are my own. For more information and recipe ideas, visit www.oikosyogurt.com or www.Facebook.com/oikos. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Spice Rubbed Chicken over Spaghetti with Salsa Verde Cream Sauce

2011-08-29T22:28:00.000-04:00

Sometimes a meal goes into the meal plan and then doesn't get made for whatever reason. So, I put it in the next week's meal plan. Something like this was planned for tonight's dinner; the chicken needed to marinate for two hours, I still hadn't gotten around to it and time was ticking, then I realized my chicken was still partially frozen.

I turned to my BFF Google Reader and came up with this little recipe from A Taste of Home Cooking.
Now, if you've been paying any attention, you can probably guess what my husband's response was when I told him the name of the dish, "Is it going to be spicy? Is A going to eat it?" I said, "No, it's got spiCES, but isn't spiCY. And, no, he won't eat it, unless it tastes like PB&J."

So, I move on. I make this really quick to put together dinner. The cooked chicken smells awesome; I'm reminded of the chicken fajitas I almost ordered when we went to Friday's the other night. Then I made the sauce, which also smelled out of this world.

We sat down to eat, and no surprise, the 1 year old dug right into the pasta and didn't touch the chicken (Funny story from last night, he was actually sucking the sauce off his chicken pieces and putting the sauce-less chicken on his plate). I really liked mine, because really, what's not to like? My husband was like this is fine, I'd eat it again (yeah, what feedback.) AND....

A ate it. And said he REALLY liked it. And that it was a keeper and I should make it all the time (as long as I make him mac and cheese too). M commented that it was in fact spicy, but I said it was the pasta's sauce, which he was eating, so definite score there!

You have to try this recipe! It's so easy to put together, you can get the spice rub made up in advance and have even less to do during the dinner dash. If I can find a foolproof (because, at least when it comes to this, I'm a total fool) Mexican rice recipe, I will absolutely make it to go along next time. The chicken has so much flavor, and the sauce on the pasta adds a whole new level of flavor and texture.

Spice Rubbed Chicken over Spaghetti with Salsa Verde Cream Sauce Source: A Taste of Home Cooking

1 pound spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse grind black pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 finely chopped white onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup salsa verde
1 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Set aside.

Place chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper into a small bowl, stirring to combine. Sprinkle over both sides of chicken, then rub. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, oven-safe pot over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until browned on both sides, about 6 minutes each side. Continue cooking another few minutes to make sure the chicken is completely cooked. Remove from pan and cover with foil until ready to serve.

In the now-empty skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, cooking and stirring until tender, about 5 minutes. Add salsa, tomatoes, sour cream and cilantro, stirring to combine. Just before serving add cooled pasta to the sauce and stir to combine.

Cut chicken into slices. Spoon pasta into serving bowls and top with slices of chicken breast. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro, if desired.

Sauteed Green Beans with Tomatoes and Basil

2011-08-24T22:11:00.000-04:00

When I was growing up, my mother ALWAYS served macaroni and cheese with stewed tomatoes on the side. While I wasn't nuts about it then, I crave it like nuts now.

So when I was making tonight's macaroni and cheese dinner, I knew I needed to serve a nice fresh veggie side dish and stumbled upon this, and thought it would be an excellent compliment.

I was absolutely right. This was really tasty, very easy side dish. I didn't have any shallots around, so just skipped them, but you could very easily use onions if you'd like.

Sauteed Green Beans with Tomatoes and Basil by Giada di Laurentiis

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan Crisps, recipe follows

Directions

Cook the green beans in a large pot of boiling water until just crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain well; set aside.

Melt the butter and oil in a heavy, large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add the beans and cook until the juices evaporate and the beans are almost tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Stir in the wine and basil. Simmer 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl, and serve.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2011-08-24T21:47:00.000-04:00

My four year old ate the healthiest of his life on our recent trip to Disney. Every day he had macaroni and cheese--when we forced him to eat something else, he ate either a cheeseburger or hot dog... maybe he ate pizza. Somehow, all this macaroni and cheese hasn't made him HATE the dish, but now he expects to have it daily.

Meanwhile, my husband dislikes macaroni and cheese. I'm not quite sure what it is he doesn't like about it--pasta, good... cheesey goodness, gooooood. Since I don't really know what it is he doesn't like about it, I keep trying different versions of mac and cheese to try and find one we all will like.

Lately, he's been watching a lot of Good Eats, which combines two of his loves, food and science. He really likes Alton Brown, so I figured trying his version of macaroni and cheese would be a hit.

I got experimental and tried a new product in this macaroni and cheese. I went with Barilla Piccolini Mini Pipe with Carrots and Squash.

The mini pipe was so cute! I noticed a little bit of an unusual taste when I tasted them without any sauce, and placed it as the sweetness of the squash. I asked my husband what he thought and he didn't notice a flavor difference, but wondered what was up with the color of the pasta. Good job, Barilla, for making a tasty pasta that sneaks in some veggies! (Is it wrong that I really wish it was whole wheat too?)

So, the results of Alton Brown's recipe. It made a lot a lot a LOT of dishes. I love macaroni and cheese too, and thought this was very good. I used about 4 ounces of monterey jack cheese in addition to 8 ounces of cheddar, which may or may not have made an impact.

I thought this was a good, if labor intensive, macaroni and cheese. I really liked the panko bread crumb crunchies on top. My four year old ATE DINNER!! And then he said he didn't like it, because he ONLY likes elbow macaroni in his macaroni and cheese. Aye. The one year old loved his and screamed for more. My husband finished his plate, but said he really didn't like it.

See, this is why I give you everyone's impressions--we ate the exact same meal, and all had different thoughts on it.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese by Alton Brown

Ingredients

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper

Topping:

3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.
Temper in the egg**. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

**To temper an egg, crack the egg into a bowl, mix it up with a fork, then add some of the hot stuff (that's called a roulx), mix it in, then add it all SLOWLY back into the original pot. This keeps the egg from scrambling!**

Apple Cider Braised Pork Sammies with Apple Slaw

2011-08-23T22:27:00.000-04:00

I was a fan of Jeff Mauro's on Next Food Network Star from darn near the beginning, but really didn't think he'd be the big winner until about halfway. In particular, I recognized him as a real contender after a challenge featuring the Rachael Ray show.

When my friend Lisa made (and raved) about the sandwich he made in that episode, I decided to once again follow in her footsteps and make the dish.

This dish made my kitchen smell like fall. A few years ago, I tutored a girl whose mother simmered a concoction of nutmeg, cinnamon, and other good stuff to make the apartment smell nice, and this was similar. I chose Woodchuck Cider's Limited Edition Fall flavor, which features those same spices and really added to the great smell.

This took a lot of work. It was all EASY, but there was a lot of time in the kitchen being fairly hands on in the preparation. Once again, I wish I'd not listened to the expert chef and not used the box grater. Julienne or even dice would have been totally fine here (after recently slicing my finger grating a tomato on a box grater, this time I used my mandoline slicer complete with sucky finger guard).

I skipped the celery seed in the recipe, but this made one HELL of a cole slaw. My husband commented that he couldn't wait for lunch tomorrow, to have the roll and that slaw. I also skipped the gorgonzola dolce... Lisa mentioned that she skipped it and didn't miss it, so when I DID find it at $16.99/lb, I figured it wasn't worth my money. I couldn't find brioche, so got these amazing rolls that were a perfect accompaniment.

Now. The pork. As far as the flavor, it was delicious. I couldn't find brioche, so got these amazing rolls that were a perfect accompaniment. I didn't do a great job with the pork and we got mouthfuls of a little bit of bone or fat. Not so much on the appetizing side. My husband, who really isn't a pork chop fan, put it best when he said that there is no problem with the recipe; the pork chops tasted good, had good flavor, but it really wasn't his STYLE of sandwich. I had a hard time butterflying the very hot, extremely tender pork chop, so served it straight of the bone; this may be behind his response since the thickness probably impacted the texture.

So, give Jeff's recipe a whirl sometime and see what YOU think!

Apple Cider Braised Pork Chop Sammys with Apple Slaw by Jeff Mauro

Ingredients

Pork Chops:

6 bone-in pork chops
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 cups apple cider
2 cups hard cider
6 sprigs fresh thyme
6 whole cloves

Apple Slaw:

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bag prepared coleslaw mix
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and shredded on a box grater

Sandwich Fixings:

6 brioche sandwich buns, buttered and toasted
Spicy dill pickle slices, for serving
Gorgonzola dolce, softened, as needed

Directions

For the pork chops: Sprinkle the pork chops generously on both sides with salt and pepper. In large, heavy-bottomed deep skillet over medium-high heat, add the grapeseed oil. When the oil is super hot and glistening, sear the pork chops, without moving, until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Pull out the chops and set aside on a plate. Work in batches of 2 chops at a time to ensure they form a nice crust.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the onions and garlic to the pan. Season again with salt and pepper and sweat the vegetables, 8 to 10 minutes. Deglaze with the apple cider and hard cider, scraping the tasty bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the pork chops back to the pan along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Add the thyme and cloves. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until the meat falls from the bone, about 1 1/2 hours.
While the pork is cooking, work on the slaw: Whisk together the mayonnaise, cider vinegar, agave nectar, celery seed and Dijon mustard until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the coleslaw and apples and mix well. And more agave nectar if you prefer a sweeter slaw, or more vinegar if you prefer a tangier slaw.
To build the sandwich: Cut the pork away from the bone and butterfly the meat. Place on the bottom bun and top with the apple slaw and pickles. Spread some gorgonzola on the top bun and close the sandwich. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve with the bone on the side and your favorite chips

Mini Meatloaves

2011-08-23T14:54:00.000-04:00

This may be the most requested dinner in our house, which is super strange considering that my husband does NOT like beef. But yet, the beef's flavor is diminished when combined with the sausage and homemade BBQ sauce, and he likes it! I typically make the whole meatloaf mixture, and freeze whatever's leftover to make meatballs but have also made it into burgers.

Since I last blogged about this recipe in 2007, and it doesn't even have a photo, I figured it was time for an update (not that this is an awesome photo). I love this recipe, and in its most recent appearance, my four year old helped me cook (though he wouldn't go on and reach his hands into the raw meat, but he did touch it). I love that I can use ground turkey if it's cheap or turkey sausage, I can use raw onion or dried onion depending on what I have. I've used a variety of different spices, depending on my mood. This time around, I used some fresh garlic as well as some garlic powder. You have to eyeball a few things, like the amount of bread crumbs you use, and the baking time--definitely keep an eye on them after 30 minutes!

Little Meatloaves Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried Italian-style seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound Italian turkey sausage
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, bread crumbs, milk, cheese, onion, Worcestershire sauce, Italian-style seasoning, garlic salt, ground beef and ground sausage. Mix this together well and form into individual loaves. Place the loaves in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Mix this together well and spoon some of this sauce over each loaf. Garnish each loaf with some Parmesan cheese and seasoning to taste.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 60 minutes.

Skillet Shrimp "Fajitas"

2011-08-22T10:35:00.000-04:00

My husband was so excited when he heard I was making fajitas, though he kind of raised an eyebrow at them being shrimp fajitas. He started talking about fajitas to our four year old, describing the onions and the peppers. He even told me I needed to get started early because I had so many veggies to chop.

Then I put the meal in front of him. It's really not fair of Rachael Ray to call this a fajita, since what he was picturing is what American chain restaurants have conditioned us to imagine. It would, however, be totally fair to call this a really yummy shrimp taco.

Because that's what it is. A really yummy shrimp taco. And I've never before had a shrimp taco, so it was a little unusual, but I really did like it. My husband, however, wasn't nuts about it, largely because of the fajita misconception.

So, tell your family you're making a shrimp taco (that's really yummy!) and perhaps you'll have great success than me!

Skillet Shrimp Fajitas Rachael Ray

1 cup plain yogurt, preferably Greek-style

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, for sprinkling

Eight 7-inch whole wheat tortillas

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, sliced

Salt and black pepper

One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 pound large shrimp—peeled, deveined and tails removed

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Wrap the tortillas in foil and heat in the oven for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat; add the onion, season with salt and black pepper and cook until browned, about 12 minutes. Add the tomatoes, increase the heat and cook until the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes; transfer to a bowl.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic and crushed red pepper to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the shrimp, season with salt and black pepper and cook until just pink and opaque, 3 to 5 minutes; stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Serve with the tortillas, onion mixture, yogurt and cilantro leaves.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-08-22T10:13:00.000-04:00

Woohoo, on time!

Monday--Macaroni and Cheese
Tuesday--Apple Cider Braised Pork Chop Sammie with Apple Slaw
Wednesday--Chicken Rollatini with Ditalini
Thursday--Garlic Chicken Pizza
Friday--Baseball Game
Saturday--Likely out for dinner
Sunday--Alice Springs Chicken (didn't get made last week, so maybe this time around!)

Have a great week!!

You've GOT to try this.

2011-08-21T21:50:00.000-04:00

I'll admit it. I don't like Starbucks coffee. For awhile, I had a Barnes and Noble credit card, which got me discounts on everything, including the in-store Starbucks. I tried. And tried. And tried to drink their coffee. I always ended up getting some super sugary latte, which was yummy, but not so great for me.

So combine this with my husband's dislike of all things coffee, and I was kind of hesitant when I heard Starbucks had a new line of ice creams at the grocery store. But then I was given the opportunity to try it, and took a good look. My grocery store had two flavors that were more like the flavored coffee like drinks I often bought at the Barnes and Nobel Starbucks--Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino and Signature Hot Chocolate, and they also make another non-coffee flavor, Vanilla Bean Frappuccino.

I chose the Signature Hot Chocolate because it sounded awesome. We both absolutely loved it. I love that it has swirls of chocolate fudge throughout, but it's different than other ice creams because it's still just an awesome texture--like a cold version of hot fudge. (That was my favorite part of this ice cream). I can't tell you if this is like another coffee shop's Iced Hot Chocolate or not, but this is delicious. It's rich and it tastes like it has both dark and milk chocolates, and if it does, it has them in the perfect combination.

I'm now really curious about the coffee flavors of Starbucks ice cream. The Signature Hot Chocolate was so delicious, I can't imagine I wouldn't like all their flavors! Also, check out the Starbucks Ice Cream website, which provides recipes of different fun things you can do with each flavor.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Starbucks and received coupons and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. Please check out the very awesome blogging community, Mom Central!

Kid's Candy Cookies

2011-08-21T14:34:00.000-04:00

My husband has tried this summer to bake with our four year old as frequently as possible. He went through my magazines and picked two choices for our son, and this was what he wanted to make.

This was a really yummy cookie, though it spread more than I would have liked and was more crispy than chewy. The pretzel M&Ms are a nice little surprise, though the individual candies used don't really stand out. Instead, they make a really nice chocolate chip cookie.

I think these would have been excellent with the addition of raisins, but suppose that's one that comes to preference. Do you like your chocolate chip cookies with raisins, nuts, or neither??

Kid's Candy Cookies Adam Gertler

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 cup Pretzel M&M'S
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup toffee pieces
3/4 cup peanut butter chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour and baking soda in a bowl.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on low speed until incorporated, then increase to high speed and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the salt, vanilla, whole egg and egg yolk to the mixer; beat until thoroughly combined. Add the Pretzel M&M'S and beat for a few seconds until slightly crushed. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Mix in the bittersweet chocolate, toffee pieces and peanut butter chips.

Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten each ball with your fingers.

Bake the cookies until the edges are golden brown and the centers are no longer wet, 11 to 13 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Branson, MO

2011-08-19T10:04:00.001-04:00

This post brought to you by Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

We just came home from our first family vacation, so I'm learning how wonderful they are as a bonding experience. I just learned about the wonderful things families can do together in Branson, Missouri. For example, families can see the Legends of Kung Fu Show, cheer on (or participate in) the Branson Mountain Man Triathlon, among many other activities.

Of course, families are concerned about value, and Hiltons of Branson is a great choice. Their Best Value Vacation Package offers the third night of a stay at either Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel or the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing free, show tickets, a shopping gift card, and meal credits. Talk about stretching your dollar!

Visit http://www.explorebranson.com/ Explore Branson Site for the complete calendar of events, which includes a list of rainy day activities (parents will find this of importance when looking for ways to entertain the kids and themselves without parking in front of the tv all day!), as well as great outdoor activities like the Hillbilly Chili Cookoff!

So, when planning your late summer, early fall family vacation, consider Branson, MO and all the fun family activities they have, for both good and rainy weather! Consider as well booking your stay at the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel, where you can be in the midst of all the action and enjoy great late summer deals!

Meal Plan....Wednesday

2011-08-17T14:33:00.000-04:00

Doh! Forgot to post this again; I was totally ahead in my meal planning, and have been sort of organized in it, but forgot to put it here in my central location. My awesome husband even took the boys grocery shopping while I took care of other things!!

Monday: Skillet Shrimp Fajitas
Tuesday: Out to eat!!! (Uhh, not part of the original meal plan!)
Wednesday: Meatloaf (Looks like this post needs an update)
Thursday: Chicken Souvlaki with Roasted Cauliflower
Friday: Taco Pizza
Saturday: Alice Springs Chicken
Sunday: Pappardelle with Corn

Have a great week!!

Radiatore with Grilled Chicken and Eggplant

2011-08-16T13:38:00.000-04:00

I love when some chef or magazine or whatever gives me a meal plan for the whole week that will reuse ingredients. Problem for me, of course, is that there are so many "No makes" that those same folks love to add. So it turns out that I pick and choose from the predone menu, sort of defeating its purpose.

Rachael Ray is one such organization (chef? magazine? I'm not sure how to categorize her, and since I'm sure her people are doing this anyway, organization seems to be the best word choice) that does this helpful tool for email subscribers. That's where I found the recipe for Radiatore with Grilled Chicken and Eggplant.

This was almost a meatless meal for us, since putting frozen chicken in the fridge overnight didn't get it defrosted, but I put the bagged chicken in some water and let it sit on the counter, defrosting MOST of it well enough to grill. Like so many pasta dishes, this one lends itself to substitution as your kitchen needs dictate.

One note, though, is that the recipe suggests grating the tomatoes and garlic. Don't. Put it in your food processor, and save yourself the blood that I shed doing this DUMB task.

We all enjoyed this one (of course, except for the child who will not eat), and I love that it's full of veggies (I'm thinking some cooked broccoli would be delicious next time), excusing me from making a side dish (what? That's not what I'm supposed to do??) If you're one of those lucky people who don't have a groundhog living under their deck, eating all their container vegetables, you could use whatever your garden is growing (I'm really starting to think about the suggestions of certain people that we gas or maybe take a shotgun to that groundhog... I know my friend Lishie has a recipe for Groundhog Stew on her blog....I keeed I keeed of course.)

It's funny, one of the nights this week I made one of Rachael's recipes, my husband commented that we typically don't like her stuff. I don't think I told him that THIS was one of her's, so I guess I need to give credit where credit is due, and he'll embrace RR recipes again!

Radiatore with Grilled Chicken and Eggplant Source: Rachael Ray

2 large tomatoes (12 oz. each)
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tbsp. EVOO, plus more for brushing
Salt and pepper
2 sprigs basil, plus 1/2 cup basil leaves, torn
1 box (12 oz.) tricolor radiatore pasta
1 eggplant (1 lb.), sliced crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick rounds
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat a grill to medium-high. Shred the tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater set in a bowl. Stir in the garlic and 1 tbsp. EVOO; season with salt and pepper. Add the basil sprigs and let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. 2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot.

While the pasta is cooking, brush the eggplant with a little EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Lightly oil the grill grate and grill the eggplant, covered and turning halfway through, until grill marks appear and the flesh is soft, about 10 minutes. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill, covered and turning halfway through, until nicely marked, about 10 minutes. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Chop the eggplant and chicken and add to the pasta. Add the torn basil leaves and the onion. Remove the basil sprigs from the sauce and discard. Toss the sauce with the pasta, adding some of the reserved pasta cooking water to thin the consistency, if desired; season with salt and pepper.

Spaghetti with "Spicy" Turkey Meat Sauce

2011-08-15T09:35:00.000-04:00

There's nothing like a 30 minute meal. There's a reason Rachael Ray has made millions creating recipes that could be made in that amount of time, though there's this weird backlash against her for her personality. I dunno, I like her (most of the time).

So when looking to fill my meal plan for the week, I turned this time around to Rachael's weekly meal planner, and came up with Turkey Meat Sauce. It just happened to coincide with an ENORMOUS craving for meat sauce.

While a turkey meat sauce didn't quite fill that craving (because how could it possibly compare to a rich, restaurant prepared meal, which probably uses veal, pork, and beef?), it was quite delicious, AS I MADE IT.

I trusted Rachael, and returned the can of crushed tomatoes I'd brought up from the basement back downstairs in exchange for diced tomatoes. But then I stirred them in, and this was NOT a sauce for pasta. So I went back to my gut, and made a much more saucier sauce, with some nice chunks thanks to the diced tomatoes. I added in lots of fresh basil, a teensy bit of crushed red pepper, some Italian seasoning, another clove of garlic, and came out with a pretty tasty sauce for which I could pat myself on the back as my own sort of creation.

I enjoyed this one a LOT. E enjoyed this even more, eating at least three servings. A barely touched it (though at least he didn't call it "spicy," considering I barely added any crushed pepper!), and M said it was "Not bad" (almost six years of marriage, and I'm still not used to that dig/compliment--it totally depends on his tone of voice, which makes it even more frustrating).

Spaghetti with Spicy Turkey Meat Sauce adapted from Rachael Ray
15 30 45

Ingredients

1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 pound ground turkey
Salt and black pepper
Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
One 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped basil
1T Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente; drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.
Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat; add the onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Increase the heat to medium-high, crumble in the turkey, season with salt and black pepper and cook until the turkey is just no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and spicesand cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley and cheese.
Toss the pasta with the sauce and 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water, adding more water to thin the consistency, if desired. Serve immediately with more cheese.

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

2011-08-14T09:13:00.000-04:00

You know I love bruschetta; I've told you only about 100 times. So when I saw this appear on "Point-less" Meals, I knew I'd be making it very soon.

This was so fresh and summery; the bruschetta tasted so perfect, I ate it straight out of the bowl. Of course it went well with the grilled chicken, I've seen chicken with bruschetta all over the place, and have made a few versions myself.

My husband was ill that night, so didn't eat any of this, E gobbled it up, and A wouldn't touch it.

As suggested at Pointless Meals, I also served this with Grilled Peach and Arugula Salad.

You should try this while your basil plants are bursting and the produce stands are full of fresh, locally grown (not Florida!!) tomatoes!

Bruschetta Grilled Chicken Source: Gina's Skinnytaste, via Pointless Meals

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken: serves 4 ( 4 oz. chicken + Bruschetta = 6 points + )

3 medium vine ripe tomatoes
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
3 oz part skim mozzarella, diced
1.25 lbs (8 thin sliced) chicken cutlets

Combine garlic, onion, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside and let stand. Dice and seed tomatoes. Add to balsamic mixture. Right before serving, add mozzarella.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; grill until juices run clear. Serve chicken topped with bruschetta.

Grilled Peach and Arugula Salad

2011-08-13T21:34:00.000-04:00

My grill has been getting a workout lately, and I've been the Grill Meister...errr, Frauchen. So when Pointless Meals suggested this recipe to accompany Grilled Chicken Bruschetta, I had no fear (cavalier...).

When I went to the grocery store, I chose the way less expensive, still with the roots, arugula, instead of the bagged, convenience, arugula. BIG. MISTAKE. I washed it about a hundred times and there was still sand all over it. Totally gross (and I'm a beach lover who eats a LOT of sand!), and quite a turnoff. Lesson learned.

When my salad wasn't extra crunchy, it was quite tasty. I also made the mistake of getting goat cheese instead of crumbled goat cheese, which also wasn't super appetizing in this preparation, but it added great flavor anyway.

Grilled Peach and Arugula Salad Source: Cooking Light via Pointless Meals

¼ c. balsamic vinegar
2 T. honey
3 peaches, each cut into 6 wedges
1 T. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
5 oz. Arugula
2 oz. thinly slice prosciutto, cut into ¼ " strips
2 T. crumbled goat cheese

Bring vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until vinegar is reduced to about 2 T. Remove from heat and stir in honey. Cool to room temperature.

Place peach wedges on a grill pan coated with cooking spray. Grill 30 seconds on each side or until grill marks appear, but peaches are still firm. Remove from grill and set aside.

Combine oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add arugula and toss. Arrange arugula on a platter. Top with peaches, prosciutto and goat cheese. Drizzle with balsamic syrup.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

2011-08-12T12:35:00.005-04:00

It's not typical for me to think about side dishes. They're usually at the last minute consideration, meaning it's frozen veggies nuked. Something made me buy a head of broccoli at the store the other day, which worked out great for our carb heavy, veggie and protein light, dinner that evening.

We've been on an Alton Brown kick of late, ever since my husband started DVRing Good Eats. So, I went directly to the AB page on Food Network's website to find a great broccoli recipe, and found this one.

I liked that it gave a nice flavor to the broccoli and made it very tender. The addition of panko gave it a nice, unexpected, crunch too. My anti broccoli 1 year old at least kept TRYING this broccoli, rather than throwing it on the floor. He had a tough time with the stalks, but the problem didn't seem to be the taste.

Oven Roasted Broccoli from Alton Brown

Ingredients

1 pound broccoli, rinsed and trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan or sharp Cheddar

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets into bite size pieces. Cut the stalk into 1/8-inch thick, round slices. Place the broccoli into a mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil, garlic, kosher salt and pepper and set aside.

Spread the panko into a 13 by 9-inch metal cake pan and place into the oven for 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove the panko from the oven and add to the bowl with the broccoli mixture. Toss to combine. Return the mixture to the cake pan, place in the oven and roast just until the broccoli is tender, 8 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven, toss in the cheese and serve immediately.

Creamy Shrimp Rolls

2011-08-11T12:13:00.002-04:00

If you were to ask my husband what food he'd like for his last meal, he wouldn't reply a steak dinner (he hates beef of pretty much all kinds) or even his well loved Crab Legs. No, this man would ask for a sandwich.

When Lisa shared this recipe from Woman's Day magazine, I knew I'd be making it that week, because it sounded pretty tasty, easy, and most importantly, no cook (aka, no heat!).

I was glad I did; we all really liked this, and my doesn't want to eat anything I put in front of him child asked for seconds and also wanted it for lunch the next day. (Hallelujah, Woman's Day magazine and Lisa!) I didn't have any tarragon, though I thought I had some in the cupboard, so instead used dried oregano. Also, like Lisa, I couldn't find cornichons. I took her advice to get the smallest pickle you can find, and used these.

So give this baby a try for a ladies' lunch, Lenten dinner, or just because it's too darn hot! I served with sweet potato fries and regular fries!

Creamy Shrimp Rolls Woman's Day
(Link is currently broken as of August 10, 2011.)
Recipe taken from Yahoo! Shine
Recipe Ingredients

3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp whole-grain mustard
1/4 cup cornichons, chopped, plus 1 Tbsp brine Black pepper
1 lb cooked, peeled and deveined large shrimp, coarsely chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
4 hot dog buns
4 pieces romaine or green-leaf lettuce
Potato chips, for serving

Recipe Preparation
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise mustard, brine and 1/4 tsp pepper.

2. Add the shrimp, cornichons and tarragon and toss to combine.

3. Line the buns with the lettuce and top with the shrimp mixture. Serve with chips, if desired.

Chunky Gazpacho with Sauteed Shrimp

2011-08-10T12:10:00.000-04:00

Sorry to have been so absent for so very long. It's embarrassing.

I made this a few weeks ago during a huge heat wave. I had no interest in heating up the kitchen, so gazpacho seemed a natural choice. I haven't been traditionally a fan of gazpacho, so I hoped the addition of shrimp to the recipe would change the flavor dramatically but still keep my kitchen cool.

While I didn't make the recipe exactly as written, since I used all red tomatoes, I still wasn't super enthused about this gazpacho. I guess something's wrong with me; who wouldn't love the fresh flavors of summer produce? I was right that the addition of shrimp would make a big difference; the spoonfuls with shrimp as well as soup were quite delicious. Maybe you'll try cutting the shrimp into smaller pieces so there is shrimp throughout?

But perhaps someone out there hasn't perused the Cooking Light website lately and happens to LOVE gazpacho, or will play with the ingredients a little different so that it's not so heavy on the cucumber flavor.

Chunky Gazpacho with Sauteed Shrimp Cooking Light August 2010

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chilled low-sodium vegetable juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 1/2 pounds red tomatoes, cored, chopped, and divided
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 cup chopped English cucumber, divided
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper, divided
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12 ounces yellow tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Cooking spray
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/2 cup fat-free Greek-style plain yogurt

Preparation

1. Place vegetable juice, salt, ground red pepper, half of red tomatoes, and garlic in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed tomato mixture into a large bowl. Place the remaining red tomatoes, 2/3 cup cucumber, 1/2 cup bell pepper, 1 tablespoon basil, and lemon juice in blender; process until smooth. Add to pureed tomato mixture in bowl. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup cucumber, 1/4 cup bell pepper, and yellow tomatoes. Cover and chill.
2. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shrimp to pan; grill 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from heat.
3. Ladle about 1 3/4 cups soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with 4 ounces shrimp, 2 tablespoons yogurt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons basil.

Meal Plan Monday

2011-08-08T22:22:00.000-04:00

My laptop is on the fritz, so despite having a few posts to write, it doesn't look like they'll be done any time soon, so I don't jeopardize my husband's ALL night.

So here's what's on deck for this week:

Monday--Pasta with Mascarpone and Roasted Grape Tomatoes with Oven Roasted Broccoli
Tuesday--Grilled Bruschetta Chicken with Grilled Peach and Arugula Salad
Wednesday--Orange chicken
Thursday--Radiatore with Grilled Chicken and Eggplant
Friday--Bacon Ranch Chicken Pizza
Saturday--Skillet Shrimp Fajitas
Sunday--Spaghetti with Spicy Turkey Meat Sauce

I got tired of searching and searching for recipes this week, so I turned to Rachael Ray's weekly plans in my email, because I figure they're at least sort of seasonally appropriate.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

2011-07-27T21:37:00.000-04:00

I first made these forever ago with great success. I've seen it floating around the blogosphere, so added it to the meal plan last week or so, and finally got around to them tonight. They're fairly easy to make, and were a big hit with my entire family... yes, even Mr. "I won't even try it" ate it and liked it.

This makes quite an unusual enchilada; the sweetness of the honey with the bite of the lime plus the mildness of the green enchilada sauce makes for such a different flavor than you'd get from your local Mexican restaurant (chain or otherwise!)

So make this delicious and easy meal!

Honey Lime Enchilada Mel's Kitchen Cafe, via Good Eats and Sweet Treats
6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (approx. 1 large lime)
1 tablespoon chili powder (use a little less for a milder version)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (approx. 2 large chicken breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream

Mix the honey (tip: spray your measuring spoon with cooking spray before measuring out the honey), lime juice, chili powder and garlic together and toss with the shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (or toss together in a ziploc bag and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours).

Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken (approx. 1/4 cup) and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Meal Plan...err.. Tuesday

2011-07-26T08:21:00.000-04:00

Slacker over here. I was away for a few days, so things were sort of on hold, but here's what's up for the rest of the week:

Tuesday: Frozen Ravioli (Hubby's request; what can I say?)
Wednesday: Creamy Shrimp Rolls
Thursday: Honey Lime Enchiladas (These didn't get made last week for one reason or another... trying again!)
Friday: Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
Saturday: Birthday Party Day! (I can't believe my guy is going to be 4)
Sunday: Cheesey Chicken Shells

Have a great week!!

Strawberry, Orange, and Grilled Chicken Salad

2011-07-23T09:01:00.000-04:00

When meal planning for this week, I went to my Google Reader and this recipe from Sarah came up in the feed. It was so perfect, considering the heat has me looking for something light, and more importantly, I'm looking for meals that won't heat up the kitchen too much.

The only cooking this required was the chicken; I chose to cook it on the grill so the kitchen stayed cool and I did too, since I only went out to flip and check the chicken.

This was absolutely delicious. So light, so refreshing, and moderately healthy. My husband loved the vinaigrette. I had no pineapple in the house, otherwise I would have added it. It wasn't super filling, so I really wish I was good at accompanying dishes and could think of something to serve alongside it.

Strawberry, Orange and Grilled Chicken Salad
Adapted from The Cookaholic Wife, via A Taste of Home Cooking

6 cups baby spinach leaves
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 cups strawberries, diced
1 cup mandarin oranges, chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup gorgonzola, crumbled
Raspberry vinaigrette (recipe below)
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Add desired amount of dressing, toss well to coat. Season with pepper, to taste. Serve cold.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon raspberry preserves
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Fresh tarragon, minced
Black pepper
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Honey, to taste

Blend all the ingredients, except the sugar or honey, in a food processor, adding water as necessary to adjust the consistency. Add honey to taste at the very end.

Summer Pasta

2011-07-22T20:39:00.000-04:00

This is an incredibly late submission for a recent recipe swap for Fourth of July inspired meals.

When I saw this recipe from Melissa was my assignment, I was excited to make something deemed "Sicilian." my grandfather, while born in America, was Sicilian, and I don't know a whole lot about it, other than that could be where my temper comes from. I was late in making this for my own slacker reasons, but it's been delayed so much because of my grandmother's passing; losing her has made me think a lot about when my grandfather passed. So, even though Mom Mom's family was from northern Italy, I felt I was honoring her by making this dish from her beloved husband's heritage.

This is probably the first recipe that I've really made some changes to in order to make this my own. I typically don't have anchovies around, and didn't really feel like getting some when I had an idea of something that would be a good substitute. I chose to use some kalamata olives instead; I definitely used too many and so the sauce was a bit too salty. My basil plants are going crazy, so I threw some of that into the sauce too. I figure a sauce can't be too garlicky, so added some of that with the onions.

My finished product came out pretty well. I do wish I'd added some broccoli as instructed, so maybe next time. The great thing about this recipe is that it has some interesting textures--you've got the crunch of the nuts, the squish of the raisins, and the softer textures of the tomatoes and pasta.

Ha, I just remembered I meant to add cooked chicken to this. Oops!

Thank you, Melissa, for a great starting point recipe!

Dad's Sicilian Summer Pasta, adapted from I Was Born to Cook
1 pound penne
2-3T extra virgin olive oil
5-10 kalamata olives, drained, pitted, and finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
5-10 basil leaves, chopped
1T Italian seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup pignoli nuts
1 cup raisins, soaked first in water or liquor (rum, vodka)
1/2 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, cook the olives in the oil until fragrant, then add the onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes, pignoli nuts and raisins.

Cook all ingredients for a few minutes, then add crushed tomatoes, basil, and spices. Stir until combined, and simmer for a few minutes, until desired consistency. Add pasta to skillet, combine and cook for a few minutes on low. Top with grated cheese and serve.

This dish can be served immediately or at room temperature.

Banana Blueberry Bread

2011-07-22T08:18:00.000-04:00

I found this in my Betty Crocker cookbook, bridal edition, see it online here.. I had three very overripe bananas, and decided we would make banana bread. Then I forgot about it. They were moved to the refrigerator for "later," so the fruit flies would go away. Later came, and they were beyond overripe and I was afraid they were gross. They smelled sort of sour. But I decided to go with it anyway.

The book in my recipe suggested to add blueberries as an option, and since I have a freezer full of them, I went with it. I didn't even have to defrost, but I don't recall the amount--I believe it was a cup. I added them when the original recipe suggested to add the nuts.

Despite the sour ick of the bananas, this came out great. It looked gorgeous when it came out of the oven, and it's really tasty. The Boy has asked for it for breakfast every morning since we made it.

1 1/4	cups sugar
1/2	cup butter or margarine, softened
2	eggs I think the book says to use three...not sure.
1 1/2	cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)
1/2	cup buttermilk I used 1/2 c plain fat free yogurt
1	teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2	cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1	teaspoon baking soda
1	teaspoon salt
1	cup chopped nuts, if desired Omitted



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	About Concordance™

1.	Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches.
2.	Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans.
3.	Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch loaf about 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Crab, Corn, and Tomato Salad

2011-07-20T09:51:00.001-04:00

With the heat wave we're having round here, I turned to the internet looking for no cook meals. This came up from Cooking Light, in my searching, and it looked so fresh and delicious plus uses a lot of in season produce. I thought it was really tasty, light, and had great texture too, and it's great that it can easily be adapted to what's in your fridge, on sale, your tastes. You could easily take out the crab, or substitute shrimp.

I love the lemon dressing that goes along with this, though I have to admit I probably went a little heavy on the lemon here. I'd have to say that it's really important to use fresh lemon here because it is so forward in the salad.

Crab, Corn, and Tomato Salad, Cooking Light, June 2008
Ingredients

1 tablespoon lemon zest
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1/4 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices ripe beefsteak tomato
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1. Combine zest, 3 tablespoons juice, and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons juice mixture. Add remaining 2 tablespoons juice, corn, and next 4 ingredients (through crab) to remaining juice mixture; toss gently to coat.
2. Arrange 2 tomato slices and 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes on each of 4 plates. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon reserved juice mixture over each serving. Top each serving with 1 cup corn and crab mixture.

Eggplant Panini

2011-07-19T21:45:00.000-04:00

My friend Lishie posted this diner recreation a few weeks ago, and I thought it would be perfect for such a hot day, since it requires so little time at the stove. You could make it even cooler and make the eggplant cutlets early or in the evening when the heat isn't so intense, then just use the stove to toast the bread and melt the cheese.

I made a few changes to suit my desire to "make it my own," since I'm watching (and loving) this season of Next Food Network Star, though this is about as far as I go at making anything my own. And if you, like me, are hesitant to make a panini because you have neither a panini press nor a grill pan, remember that you're basically making a squished grilled cheese. I used a pot and a teakettle to act as the press, flipped when crispy, and then pressed again.

Eggplant Panini, slightly adapted from Delish

1 Eggplant
1 egg, whisked
1/2 cup Panko Bread crumbs
Black pepper
1t Italian seasoning
1t crushed red pepper
1t garlic powder
Approximately 3 TBSp Olive Oil
Italian Sub Rolls or full Italian Bread, sliced into sandwich sizes
1 Beefsteak Tomato
Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
Fresh Basil
Approximately 2-3 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Approximately 2-3 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Clean, peel, & slice the eggplant length-wise. Set up your bowls for dredging: place the egg in a shallow dish (8x8 Pyrex dish works great!), and combine the bread crumbs and spices in another. Dip the eggplant slices in the egg, then in the bread crumb mixture, pressing to stick. Heat the 3 TBSp Olive Oil in a saute pan on medium-high heat. Place the eggplant in the saute pan, and cook until it is golden, about 2-3 minutes each side. Allow to cool on a paper towel lined plate.

After the eggplant is cooled, assemble the sandwiches... Bread, eggplant, peppers, tomato slices, basil leaves (I leave them whole) & finally the splashes of extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar.

Close the assembled sandwich & cook it either on a panini maker OR on a grill pan with a weight on the sandwich (another pan or heavy plate) until the mozzarella is melted.

Meal Plan Monday

2011-07-18T20:41:00.000-04:00

Monday--Sicilian Summer Pasta
Tuesday--Honey Lime Enchiladas
Wednesday--Eggplant Panini
Thursday--Strawberry Orange and Grilled Chicken Salad
Friday--Orange Chicken
Saturday--Chunky Gazpacho with Sauteed Shrimp
Sunday--Crab, Corn, and Tomato Salad with Lemon-Basil Dressing

Cucumber Salad with Tomatoes and Mint

2011-07-08T11:39:00.000-04:00

Summer's bounty and the generosity of friends has come our way, so I figured I'd put the abundance to good use and make a cucumber salad. A friend of my dad's has given us four cucumbers so far, and I picked up some mint from a woman on freecycle, and figured this find on allrecipes would be a perfect fit.

Oh, how delicious it was. The mint was a really interesting twist and brought a lightness and freshness to this salad. This was my first time using our homegrown mint, so I was thrilled to give it a try, and now I'm curious how swapping it for other herbs would go in other recipes. Of course, the mint could be swapped for what you have around; dill, cilantro, basil, parsley would all work well too.

Cucumber Salad with Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Mint from allrecipes

2 large cucumbers - halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 large tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
2/3 cup coarsely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, toss together the cucumbers, vinegar, sugar and salt. Let stand at room temperature for an hour, stirring occasionally.
Add tomatoes, onion, mint and oil to cucumbers and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grilled Chicken Caprese

2011-07-07T21:31:00.000-04:00

Have I told you how much I love the combination of mozzarella, basil, and tomato? Five or twenty times, you say? Oh.

Well, I do. Nothing says summer like these flavors, which is why I so love having them in the winter too, even though the tomatoes aren't in season, because I just can't get enough, both of the combo and of summer.

I've tried several incarnations of this, most notable being Rachael Ray's version (It came from one of her early cookbooks, but check out that super awesome video! It's not the same recipe, as an aside), which just never came out right.

This version from Cook's Country involves making a (delicious, I drizzled it over my salad) vinaigrette and marinating the cheese in it then dressing the cooked recipe in it in addition to grilling the tomatoes and chicken.

I really loved the addition of grilled tomatoes, though my husband wasn't a fan. The three year old, well, dinner has been a struggle for us and him. He refuses, hubby threatens taking away his tv time, and we all end up angry or upset.

I was out of foil, so attempted to "tent" using my Silpat mat. It softened, but didn't melt the cheese.

Grilled Chicken Caprese Source: Cook's Country August/September 2011

2T chopped fresh basil
1T red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
salt and pepper, to taste
3T olive oil
6 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4" slices, halved, and patted dry
1-1/2lb chicken cutlets, trimmed
2 tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2" slices

1. Make your vinaigrette by combining basil, vinegar, garlic, 1/2t salt, and 1/4t pepper in a bowl. Slowly add oil, whisking gently until completely mixed. Combine 2T with mozzarella, and reserve the rest of the vinaigrette.
2. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Grill chicken and tomatoes over medium heat, about 2 minutes per side, until chicken is browned and tomatoes have a light char. Transfer chicken to a serving platter and top each cutlet with two tomato slices. Drizzle with reserved vinaigrette, then top with an even layer of cheese. Tent with foil and let rest until cheese is melty, about 5-10 minutes.

Margarita Cupcakes

2011-07-05T09:46:00.001-04:00

Every year, we attend a Fourth of July party hosted by a really creative friend. Last year, the theme was Mexican, and this year the theme was luau. Definitely not what you'd expect of an Independence Day party, but definitely fun, and unlike Fourth parties you've been to in the past. I offered to make either Aloha Mini Calzones or one of two cupcake recipes from Annie's Eats, my party go to starting place. She chose either of the cupcakes, so I asked my husband which I should make and he chose these.

Of course, you have to know your audience, and be aware that boozey cupcakes won't go over with just any crowd. I knew, however, that the liquor would surely be flowing and the hostess loves her buckets of margaritas, so these would be a perfect fit.

I made the cupcakes themselves the night before, and my husband kept tasting the batter. I guess he liked it. then my mom came and tasted the batter... she kept sticking her finger in again and again. I figured she REALLY liked it until she said, "I can't even taste... A (my four year old) can have these," because there's no booze in the cakes themselves. I'd considered putting it into the cake batter, but decided to keep it as a nice side flavor in the frosting. I'm glad I did so. Annie's suggestion is to brush with tequila before frosting, but we held back on that.

These were really tasty, though from my pictures, they really don't look that great. Folks at the party really enjoyed them, and yes, we did give A a taste of the cupcakes WITH frosting... the one year old had some too. The frosting didn't come out as great as it could have, probably because I'd written the recipe as notes for myself, but my husband was the one who made it from my notes... a few of the directions were omitted because I knew they'd happen. Nonetheless, they were delicious and fun to make and enjoy!

Margarita Cupcakes source: Annie's Eats

Yield: about 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3 limes, zested and juiced
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
For the frosting:
2 cups sugar
8 large egg whites
Pinch fleur de sel (coarse salt)
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2-4 tbsp. tequila
Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 325˚ F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir with a fork to blend. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Blend in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the lime zest, lime juice and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat each addition just until incorporated.
Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, brush the cooled cakes with tequila to emphasize the true margarita flavor.
To make the frosting, combine the sugar, egg whites, and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved.
Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.
Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (don’t worry, it will come together, though it may take a long time!) Stir in the lime juice and tequila and mix until fully incorporated and smooth.
Keep buttercream at room temperature if using the same day, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.
Frost the cooled cupcakes with the buttercream. Garnish with lime zest and lime slices as desired.
Source: adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride, who adapted it from Martha Stewart

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T14:17:00.000-04:00

I hope you have a fun and SAFE Fourth of July!

On this day, in Philadelphia, the 13 American colonies ratified the Declaration of Independence in 1776. They were in the midst of a seemingly disastrous war against one of the strongest militaries in the world. In this document, the Founding Fathers set forth some of our most important ideologies as Americans, that "all men are created equal," that we believe no government may take away a person's "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness" without due process, and that the people have the authority to overthrow any government that is not protecting those rights.

So while you're celebrating, don't forget that first American army and also all those who have served in the American armed forces since!

Coming off my history teacher soapbox, we're having a very low key day here. We ran some errands, are doing some cleaning, and are relaxing. We may load the boys up in the car for fireworks, but haven't yet made up our minds. This is the first Fourth in a really long time that we're home for the holiday, usually celebrating at my parents' house--who have a deck from which we can see the fireworks, so no need to wake the boys.

Happy Independence day, everyone!

Veggie Bean Burger

2011-06-30T10:07:00.000-04:00

This morning, my friend Lauren shared this recipe on her blog, and I was intrigued. I love the health element of beans, and love the idea of eating something that's easier on my health, the environment, and my wallet. My husband, however, refuses to eat beans. When we go out for Mexican, he will say, "No beans, anywhere on the plate," so it was awesome that she shared it on a night he was not expected to be home for dinner.

This was so stinking easy, and it had so much delicious flavor. I do have to admit, I wasn't nuts about the texture of the food, but it was yummy.

The boys, however wouldn't touch it. E wouldn't even touch the cheese I put on top. We got A to give it a good try, but it was still a no go.

I encourage you to give this a try, especially if you're just looking for something to feed adults, though I do suggest giving it a try with your kids.

I froze the leftovers, and hope they'll be good for me for lunches over the next few weeks!

The recipe calls for "white kidney beans," and I've never seen those before, so I used Great White Northern Beans.

Summer Cookout Veggie Burgers
from Leslie Sarna, via Lauren's Kitchen

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup rolled oats (non-instant Oatmeal)
3/4 cup bread crumbs (I like to use Panko also called Japanese bread crumbs if you can find them)
1 tsp. (or more) chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste
about 3 tbsp. chopped chives
1 egg
olive oil
1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 onion, finely diced
4 oz. mushrooms, finely diced
6 sun dried tomatoes, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced

In a medium frying pan, heat some olive oil. Add the chopped onion, garlic, bell peppers and a pinch of Salt. Let cook 2 minutes on a lower heat. Add mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes; let cook another couple minutes. Let cool when cooked. While the veggies are cooling, in a large bowl combine the Beans, Oats, Bread Crumbs and all the spices and chives. Toss a little and add the egg. Using your hands to mix the mixture until it's slightly sticky and about 3/4 of the beans are smashed. Add in the veggies. Continue to work with your hands. If the mix feels a little dry, add water by the teaspoon until right. If it's too wet, add bread crumbs : ) Form 8 burger patties. Refrigerate for about an hour. (you can also place these pouches in a ziploc bag and freeze for up to a couple of weeks) To cook, unwrap the burgers from the plastic and cook in a heated skillet with cooking spray or olive oil in the bottom. Cook about 3-4 minutes on each side.
PS these should always be cooked on a skillet or frying pan. Unfortunately, they can fall apart if cooked on the bbq.

Portobello Mushroom Burger

2011-06-29T21:24:00.000-04:00

My original plan was to make a different Portobello recipe, but was out of a few of the key ingredients, so turned to the Food Network for help and came up with this one.

These really got mixed reviews here. I really enjoyed it (though I can never figure out what people are talking about when they say portobello mushrooms taste like beef), but the three boys weren't on board AT ALL. M ate it, but wasn't really thrilled about it, and the boys wouldn't even eat it.

I used a slice of tomato instead of a roasted red pepper and romaine lettuce instead of arugula.

Maybe someone else will have better success with her family than I had with mine!

Portobello Mushroom Burger from Paula Deen at FoodNetwork.comhttp://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/portobello-mushroom-burger-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

4 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared pesto
2 teaspoons coarse-grained mustard
4 hamburger buns, split, buttered, and toasted
1 cup baby arugula
1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained

Directions

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Brush mushrooms caps with olive oil; sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Grill mushrooms, smooth side down, covered with grill lid, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender.
In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, pesto, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread mixture evenly over cut sides of buns. Divide arugula evenly over bottom halves of buns. Top each evenly with peppers. Place mushrooms caps over peppers. Cover with tops of buns.

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