The Cookin' Sisters... & Friends

Apple Carrot Salad

2011-12-06T23:09:00.002-05:00

Another gem from Simply in Season

Apple Carrot Salad
serves 4-6 sides

1/4 cup lemon or lime juice (i used both)
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp honey
Mix together in large bowl until honey is dissolved

2 cups of apple (about 1 and 3/4 medium size apples)
Grate directly into the juice mixture to keep apples from browing

2 cups carrots, shredded (about 2 big, full length carrots - not minis)
1 tbsp fresh mint (omitted)
1/8 tsp salt or to taste (omitted)
1/4 cup raisins (didn't have, so thus omitted)
Toss with apples and serve immediately

I used two different kinds of apples. Also be aware that the apples and carrots release water so you'll end up with a lot of residual liquid in the bowl, which I'm sure would be delicious say, mixed into a smoothie the next day.

Curried Potato & Pea Soup

2011-11-28T12:08:00.003-05:00

I found this recipe in a magazine at my MIL's house. We made it last night and it was delicious! I had it for breakfast and it was even better! I only made a few minor adjustments that I note:

Curried Potato & Pea Soup
makes 4 cups - 40 mins

Sweat in 2 Tbps unsalted butter
-8 oz yellow potatoes, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced

Stir in
- 1 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- pinch of red pepper flakes

Add
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tsp sugar
-1 cup frozen peas
- Juice of 1/2 a lime (or two small)
- salt to taste

My changes were that we added extra potatoes and BEFORE adding the peas, we took the immersion blender and made the soup a bit chunkier. We didn't blend all of it, but enough to give it more body. Add the peas after that if you don't want them blended. Enjoy!

Turkey Pita

2011-11-18T08:57:00.002-05:00

I had lunch with a friend the other day and she made the most delicious sandwiches. I rarely make myself a sandwich for lunch - lack of creativity, ingredients, time, etc...but this was so good it made me want to start trying.

It would be perfect for Thanksgiving leftovers, too.

Pita
Shaved turkey (or leftover roasted turkey)
Bean/alfalfa sprouts
Red grapes, halved
Feta cheese
Greek salad dressing

So, so yummy!

A Fall Soup

2011-11-09T10:09:00.001-05:00

I got this recipe from my mother in law. I haven't actually made it myself yet, but I've tasted it as she graciously made us a big pot of it this week. The thing about this soup is that, in addition to being tasty, it is super filling especially for a soup. My MIL got this from The Wall Street Journal but I don't see a title for the recipe on my copy.

2 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 t fennel seeds, coarsely ground with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder
7 whole canned San Marzano tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 - 2 lbs butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed yields about 5 1/4 cups
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 3/4 c chicken stock
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
2/3 c mascarpone cheese

In a medium pot set over low heat, heat 2 T olive oil with garlic and fennel seeds. Squeeze tomatoes over the pot to break up the flesh and catch all the juices in the pot. Cook over low heat stirring often for 8 minutes or until tomatoes begin to turn dark red. Turn heat to medium-high and stir in squash and potatoes. Add enough stock to just cover the veggies and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer covered for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally to make just the veggies are just submerged. Once veggies are tender, remove from the pot and mash with a potato masher. Soup should be thick and creamy like risotto. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with Parmesan and a few dollops of mascarpone cheese and if desired some additional olive oil.

And One for my Husband

2011-10-17T13:15:00.002-04:00

Meatballs!

So,while yes I eat differently, I still cook "normal" meals for my family. Although now I make them as healthy as possible. Like with this recipe, I made homemade breadcrumbs with whole wheat bread and things like that.

When making the menu this week I thought Dan would appreciate little changes to our normal stuff. He loves spaghetti with meat sauce so I serve it a lot but he also loves meatballs so meatballs it is this week! I started with a recipe Mrs. Zak gave me but decided it wasn't what I was looking for this time. When that happens I take to Google and pretty much just took a little something from a few recipes and got this.

Fast & Easy Meatballs

1 lb lean ground beef

1 eggs, beaten

2 slices of whole wheat bread

some Italian seasonings
sea salt - 1/8 tsp-1/4 tsp

Put the bread in your Cuisinart and pulse until well ground. Put everything else on the list into a bowl and mix well. Form into balls; makes about 12-14. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, turn once and bake another 5.

Collard Greens

2011-10-16T13:20:00.005-04:00

I wrote about my diet changes over on my blog so that's why I'm posting all these new recipes. I'd never had collard greens till about two months ago. Lucky for me, I've always loved vegtables so getting to try new stuff like this and others has been fun. The only draw back would be, I have no idea how to cook this stuff. I eat about 40% of it raw (like when I first ate collard greens it was literally me holding a huge leaf in my hand chewing at it while watching my girls). Here's a little something I've try and was good. Oh, I almost forgot, this amazing-for-you-vegetable is dirt cheap. I'm taking $1.29 for a HUGE bunch of HUGE leaves. Can't beat that.

Collard Greens with Nuts and Other Good Stuff

Put about a tbls olive oil in a pan - bring it to medium-high heat
Put whatever kind of nuts you have on hand (walnuts in my case) and saute about a minute. Be careful not to burn - I did this the first time I made these.
Add about 2-3 leaves of chopped collard greens and cook another minute or three. Remove from heat and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and some dried fruit (raisins and cranberries in my case)

And voila!

Cornbread Revisited

2011-10-14T21:41:00.001-04:00

Here's a new cornbread I made tonight...and the whole family loved it! It's the closes I've ever gotten to making that famous cornbread from my beloved, but not forgotten, Cajun Connection. Does anyone else miss that place? Here we go...so simple and SO good.

Ingredients
1 cup sorghum or maple syrup (since I have no clue what sorghum syrup is, I used maple)
1 1/4 cup soy milk (or rice milk)
1/4 cup safflower oil
1 1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or all-purpose)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt

Preheat over to 400 degrees and grease a 9x9 pan (I used a 8x8). Combine syrup, soy milk, and oil in bowl and mix. Add in remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

Pour batter into greased pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Recipe from: The Kind Diet

Burritos: Black Bean and Sweet Potato

2011-10-10T16:00:00.000-04:00

How have I not shared this recipe before? I first made it over three years ago. And it is yummy! The original comes from the much-loved book Simply in Season. Does anyone have that book and not love it? It is fabulous! Here's my only slightly altered version.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burrito
1/2 onion, diced small and sauteed in 1 T oil
then add
2-3 cups diced sweet potatoes, cooked covered until soft
use water or apple juice as needed to prevent sticking to the pan
Add
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 t cumin
a generous 1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt (or more as needed)
Heat until warm. Serve inside warm tortillas. Also good on top of rice. Shredded cheddar cheese is a good topping option.

So Incredibly Delicious!

2011-10-04T14:12:00.005-04:00

I found this recipe here and it's going to knock your socks off. I'm not gluten-free but if you are, it fits! I've recently discovered the awesomeness (word?) of quinoa. It cooks up like instant rice but is jammed packed with things your body will love and run on for hours so it's a great recipe for moms who need go-juice quickly.

Black Bean, Edamame, Corn and Quinoa Salad

1 cup shelled edamame
2 cups fresh corn kernels (only had canned on hand)
1 cup cooked black beans
2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro (only used 1/4 cup)
1 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 T minced red onion
1 tsp ground cumin
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional – and I didn't do this)

1. In a medium saucepan bring water to a boil. Cook edamame for 10 minutes. (I got a steamable bag to save time)
2. Bring a fresh pot of water to boil and steam corn for 3 minutes.
3. Combine edamame, corn, black beans and quinoa.
4. Make salsa dressing by combining tomatoes, red onion, cumin, lime juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and cayenne.
5. Only dress the amount you are going to eat right away. Combine dressing, cilantro and salad. Toss and serve.

Make it! You won't regret it!

Harvest Soup

2011-09-21T19:15:00.001-04:00

Another fun and delicious fall soup!
Ingredients:

1 tbls olive oil
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 lbs butternut squash, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes (about3 1/2 cups)
2 medium apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups chicken broth (I used my left-over veggie broth)

Directions:
in a big pot, heat oil on medium. Add carrots, celery, and onions. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender and brown. Add squash, apples, and broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Cool slightly

Puree soup in blender or food processor, and in a couple batches if needed. Add pepper and croutons (we skipped the croutons)

Recipe from: some parenting magazine....I forget which one

Sweet Potato Lentil Stew

2011-09-20T07:47:00.006-04:00

A good fall meal. I've never tasted anything quite like it. Give it a try!

Ingredients
-1/4 cup safflower oil
-1 medium onion, diced
-2 small tomatoes, diced
-1 tsp fresh minced ginger
-1 1/2 tsp turmeric
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp ground coriander
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/8 tsp cayenne
fine sea salt
2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 cubes
7 cups vegetable broth*
1 cup brown lentils

Heat oil over medium heat in large deep pot. Add the onions and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and ginger and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, and a small pinch of salt. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Add sweet potatoes, broth, and lentils. Stir well, and bring to a boil over high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 40 minutes or until lentils and potatoes are soft.

*Veggie Broth - Amateur Style

Take carrots, celery, and onions and chop them. Throw in a big pot full of water then add 2 bay leaves, salt and pepper and simmer for a couple hours. Strain and use. Freeze remaining broth.

Recipe from: The Kind Diet

Garden Tomato Salad

2011-08-02T06:24:00.001-04:00

Just like with zucchini a surplus of tomatoes happen as well. Our neighbor has brought over about 40 fresh tomatoes in all, so I'm searching my cook books and finding things to make. His tomatoes are so good, a little sweet, juicy, tender, just lovely little things. They even smell wonderful. Anyway here's a recipe we keep going back to because it's so good. We grew our own basil this year so we like it because of that too.

3 to 5 tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced (I chop mine)
2 to 3 leaves fresh basil, finely chopped
2 to 3 tbls red onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic salt (I used 1/2 tsp minced garlic and added plain salt)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tbls olive oil

Mix all ingredients together. Let stand for awhile before serving.

Zucchini Fritters

2011-07-26T21:25:00.002-04:00

It's starting again. The time of year where there's so much zucchini people don't know what to do with them. I think I may add a zucchini tab in my cookbook so I know just where to go once they start rolling in each year. Daniel made these tonight. I'm terrible at frying anything so I gladly hand the apron over to him when the frying starts.

Ingredients

1 cup zucchini, grated

1 cup carrots, peeled and grated

2 T. onion, chopped

1/2 to 3/4 cup flour

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/8 t. seasoning salt

1/4 to 1/2 c. oil

Mix together all ingredients except oil; set aside. Heat oil in skillet; drop vegetable mixture into skillet by tablespoonfuls. Saute until golden and vegetables are tender. Serve Warm. Makes about 2 dozen.

Recipe from: Gooseberry Patchwork Potluck Edition.

Easy Crockpot Fiesta Chicken

2011-06-28T21:06:00.001-04:00

I'm going to start babysitting in August so my crockpot will become my best friend. When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. Sooo easy and it is really good, although it doesn't look it, believe me, it is.

4 chicken breasts, frozen or thawed

1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) jar of your favorite salsa
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (used fat free)

Take 4 frozen (or thawed), boneless chicken breasts put into crock pot. Add 1 can of black beans, drained, 1 jar of salsa, 1 can of corn drained. Keep in crock pot on low for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked. Once it is cooked, take it out and shred it. Return shredded chicken to the crockpot.

Add 1 package of cream cheese and let sit for about 1/2 hour then stir it in and you've got yourself a tasty dinner.

Serve over rice or in warm flour tortillas.

Recipe From: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Chicken Pillows

2011-06-28T21:01:00.000-04:00

I saw this recipe over at The Girl Who Ate Everything and if you're looking for a healthy recipe, keep on lookin cause this ain't it. I made them because they sounded fun but who knows if I'll be making them again. They were good and MG did eat it like she said her boys did so I thought I'd share it. Her recipe calls for a gravy on top but that's just way way too much for us so here it is. Have fun if you make 'em!

Chicken Pillows

Mix together:8 ounces cream cheese, softened½ cup sour cream

Stir in:

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 ½ Tablespoons dried chives

1 ½ Tablespoons fresh onion minced

3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced (All we had was skinless boneless thighs and those worked just fine too)

Assemble Pillows:

2 (8 ounce) cans of crescent rolls

1/4 cup melted butter

Italian bread crumbs (about 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and sour cream until well combined. Stir in salt, pepper, onion, chives, and diced chicken.

Moving on to the rolls, take 2 triangular rolls and push together at seam to make into a square. Put about 3 tablespoons of chicken mixture in the center of each square. Fold the dough corners to the center over the chicken mixture forming a pillow.Dip each pillow in melted butter on both sides. Roll in bread crumbs on both sides. Shake excess crumbs off. Place chicken pillow on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes

Recipe from: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Fudge Popsicles from Smitten Kitchen

2011-06-04T00:25:00.002-04:00

It was 92 degrees in Glenview today. What a perfect day for homemade popsicles!! We used popsicle holders that my mom has had since my brother and I were young. They're the Tupperware brand ones with the stick that, by now, looks like we tried to eat it, it's so beat up, but still works like a charm! Todays recipe on SmittenKitchen.com happened to be fudge popsicles and they are OH SO GOOD!!! Very chocolately flavored without being overwhelming in the sugar arena.

(copy below taken directly from smitten, except for my mention of Ghiradelli chips)

Fudge Popsicles (taken from smittenkitchen.com)
from On A Stick!

Makes 4 standard-sized popsicles (3 ounces each)

2 tablespoons (21 grams or 3/4 ounce) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate * - we used Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup (67 grams or 2 1/3 ounce) sugar
1 tablespoon (7 grams or 1/4 ounce) cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons (8 grams or 1/4 ounce) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) whole milk
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon (3 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon (7 grams or 1/4 ounce) unsalted butter

In the bottom of a medium saucepan over very low heat, gently melt the chocolate chips, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, milk and salt and raise heat to medium. Cook mixture, stirring frequently until it thickens, anywhere between 5 minutes (for me) and 10 (suggested in the book). Remove from heat, add vanilla and butter and stir until combined.

Set aside to cool slightly then pour into popsicle molds. Freeze 30 minutes, then insert popsicle sticks. Freeze the rest of the way before serving.

Strawberry Tart

2011-05-10T08:23:00.001-04:00

I made this tart for Mother's Day using berries we got at the Farmers' Market. The recipe is from Simply in Season. Easy, fast, and very yummy!

For the crust:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup butter
2 tbsp powdered suger
In a mixing bowl, mix together until crumbly, with no pieces bigger than a pea. press into a 9-inch pie pan or tart pan. Bake at425 for 10-12 minutes until golden. Cool.

For the filling:
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup mashed strawberries
1/2 orange juice
Blend in saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Add 2 tbsp. lemon juice and cool completely.
Stir in 4-6 cups whole strawberries, then pour into crust. Chill 3 hours.

Then top chilled tart with whipped cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Beat with electric mixer until semi-stiff peaks form.

Semi-Homemade

2011-04-28T12:34:00.001-04:00

I got this recipe from a friend and made it for Easter. It makes tons and they were almost completely gone so I think it was a big hit. I just copied and pasted from the Pillsbury website so obviously you don't have to use the name brand stuff. The only thing I did differently was add 1/4 tsp salt when I added the vanilla to the chocolate mixture. You could easily substitute your favorite cookie dough recipe for the the bought stuff too, but I was making a lot this Easter and appreciated a semi-home recipe.

INGREDIENTS

1/2

cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted

cups graham cracker crumbs (32 squares)

bag (8 oz) Heath® Bits 'O Brickle® toffee bits (1 1/2 cups)

roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies

bag (12 oz) Hershey’s® semi-sweet chocolate baking chips (2 cups)

can (14 oz) Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk

tablespoon LAND O LAKES® Butter

teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract

DIRECTIONS

1Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
2In medium bowl, stir 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 1/2 cups of the cracker crumbs and 3/4 cup of the toffee bits. Press mixture evenly in bottom of pan. Refrigerate about 15 minutes or until firm.
3Meanwhile, let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. In 2-quart saucepan, heat chocolate chips, milk and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat, stirring frequently, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Spread mixture over cracker crust.
4In medium bowl, break up cookie dough. Mix in remaining 1/2 cup cracker crumbs with wooden spoon until well blended. Crumble mixture evenly over chocolate layer. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup toffee bits.
5Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 2 hours. For a firmer bar, refrigerate 30 minutes longer. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 4 rows.

Breakfast Cassrole

2011-04-23T07:29:00.001-04:00

On Christmas and Easter morning growing up we had a special breakfast casserole, usually paired with something sweet and fruit of some sort. It's a good tradition because the casserole is put together the night before so all you have to do is pop it in the oven in the morning. I'm making a little bit of a different version than my moms, I got it from my aunt, and is more bready than eggy. We'll see if we like it better, we're an egg family so I could see switching back. I'm pairing this with Baked Oatmeal from over at Bless Us O Lord, and probably oranges.

Sausage Egg Casserole

1 lbs browned sausage

6 eggs

6 slices bread - cubed

3 cups milk

2 tsp dry mustard

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Beat eggs well - stir in milk (beat)

Add dry mustard (bead). Stir in bread

Add sausage & cheese - stir

Let sit covered in fridge overnight

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Healthy Snack

2011-04-06T11:11:00.000-04:00

Here's a healthy little snack I read about in Rachael Ray's magazine. I actually lost the recipe after seeing it but it's not one where you need exact measurement luckily.

The Goods:
1 can of chick peas
some EVOO
garlic salt
basil

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees (again, I lost the recipe so I just chose the trusty 350 degrees and it worked well). Drain and rinse beans then put on a baking sheet. Drizzle EVOO over beans (I used very sparingly so it would be healthy) then sprinkle however much garlic salt and basil you want on them and roast away. Super easy and so good.

Dairy-free, Egg-free Cake

2011-04-01T14:27:00.000-04:00

My mother-in-law brought this cake up to celebrate my father-in-law's birthday last month. Since we're always looking for cake recipes that don't call for butter, she sent the recipe my way, but I don't know where she got it. If you're so inclined you can mix all the ingredients for the cake right in the pan, but I ended up dumping all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mixing them that way first. It was easy enough to mix in the wet ingredients in the pan. The cake itself is really tasty, too, nice and moist. My kids loved it anyway, and so did I. We made it to celebrate my husband's birthday this week.

Bonus: this cake also happens to be egg-free, if that's important to you!

Three Hole Cake

1 1/2 c flour

1 t baking soda

1 c sugar

1/4 c unsweetened cocoa

1/2 t salt

1 T white or cider vinegar

1 t vanilla

1/3 c oil

1 c water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8 inch cake pan (you can serve it right from the pan in which case you don't have to bother greasing it). Combine the flour, soda, sugar, cocoa and salt. Sift together into the pan (I did not sift them, just mixed them together in a separate bowl first). Shake the pan to level the ingredients and make 3 holes in it it. Vinegar in one hole, vanilla in the second, and oil in the third. Pour the water over the top. Using a table forkk, mix vigorously making sure to get in all the corners and incorporate all the flour mixture.

Bake at 350 for 30 mins (mine took 35) or until toothpick in center comes out clean. Let cool for five minutes before turning out of pan or completely completely in pan. Then frost.

Menu Planning

2011-03-25T14:27:00.002-04:00

I think this could be a neat way to plan a monthly menu. Maybe I'll give it a try.

Pan Fried Chicken

2011-03-01T21:54:00.000-05:00

Tonight we had my famous pan-fried chicken for dinner! Every time I make it I change it up and add something different or take something away. Here is the general recipe:

1-2 lbs chicken breast tenderloins
1 cup italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesean cheese
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 egg
1 tbsp water
Salt and Pepper
1 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Start by seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper. Prepare the eggwash by combining the egg and water together. Prepare the breading by combining the bread crumbs, parm cheese and red pepper flakes. Dip the chicken in the egg wash, then into the bread crumb mixture, then repeat. Cook in olive oil until chicken reaches an internal temp of 160 degrees and serve.

You can mix it up when it comes to the breading. Sometimes I leave out the red pepper flakes, other times I add rosemary and oregano. Either way it's delicious. Tonight I made a pan sauce with the drippings from last weeks pork chop recipe I made. You can find that recipe HERE on my family blog.

Easy and delicious roasted vegetable & chickpea casserole

2011-02-24T12:46:00.003-05:00

I just made this recipe this week, and am currently heating up some leftovers. It is so delicious, and very simple, so I thought I'd share.

It's made up of roasted 'summer' veggies, according to the recipe name, but here in Turkey, these are 'all year' vegetables, so hopefully you can find them too.

Since it's from the BBC Good Food website, I'm going to briefly translate it into 'American English' just to avoid any confusion that will keep you from trying this yummy dish. (I've also added the modifications that I made to the recipe but you can find the original here).

1 eggplant, cut into thick fingers

3 zucchini, thickly sliced

2 red peppers, de-seeded and chopped into chuncks

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-sized chunks

1 Tbsp whole coriander seeds (although ground coriander will also do, I imagine)

1 14oz can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

2 14oz cans of chopped tomatoes

4-5 Tbsp olive oil

a small bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped

So, it's really easy. Preheat the oven to 4oo degrees F. Chop up all the vegetables, put them in a big oven proof dish or baking tin (if you've got one that can go on the stove and in the oven, use that), toss in olive oil, add the coriander seeds, some salt and pepper. Put it in the oven for about 45 minutes. When I cooked mine, I think it took a bit longer because my potato chunks were a bit too big, but roasted vegetables aren't an exact science, so you don't have to be too precise. When everything is soft enough to eat, it's ready.

Then put the dish on the stove, over low heat, add the tomatoes and chickpeas/garbanzos. Bring it to a gentle simmer and stir gently. When it's done, sprinkle on the chopped cilantro (I left the cilantro out because it's pretty tough to find in Istanbul) and serve with olive oil and crusty bread.

I actually made the meal one night and we ate it the next. I read from some comments that it was better the second night after letting the flavours mingle together. I reheated it in the oven and when it was just about done, added a sprinkling of feta cheese, which added a lovely flavour to it.

The recipe also suggested a meaty version. If you have a carnivore in the family, you can start to roast a chicken for 30 minutes, take it out of the roasting dish, put in all the vegetables above, nestle the chicken in the middle and continue roasting as per the recipe. Sounds pretty good. But trust me, the vegetarian version is delicious as it is. And it will make your kitchen smell amazing!

Mustard in Macaroni?

2011-02-24T12:12:00.000-05:00

My husband actually found this recipe online and asked me to make it! I never thought about a condiment having a website with recipes. At first I was very hesitant to put mustard in my macaroni and cheese (especially since i'm not a mustard fan) but it actually turned out really well. I'm making it again tomorrow night when we have friends over for dinner. GO TRY IT!

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

2011-02-23T14:38:00.000-05:00

HIII! First off I want to thank you for inviting me to contribute to your blog. I absolutely LOVE food and everything about it. My name is Brandi Marchbank and I met Laura in college. We lived on the same floor our freshman year and I think she's an absolutely delightful person!

Ever since I had my daughter 8 months ago I have been trying to lose the baby weight so I could fit back into my clothes! It's been super hard because I used to be able to eat what I wanted when I wanted. That came to a screaching HALT post-baby. In January my husband and I started eating healthy and working out. A few weeks in we got tired of the fish, chicken and rice that became routine on the dinner menu. This made me reach out and start searching for delicious, fast, and easy weight watching recipes.

I stumbled upon this wonderful blog full of easy weight watcher recipes. Most recipes you find online these days say they are "easy" recipes, but are chock full of crazy ingredients you've never heard of let alone find in a grocery store! I decided to make this next week a weight watchers week in our house starting with tonight. We had the spinach and ricotta lasagna rolls. My husband's first reaction: "there isn't any meat in this?" Typical male response.

For those of you who know me, you know I don't eat very many vegetables. I have been trying to change that because Adalyn learns by example so I think it's high time I start leading.

Here's the recipe:

9 Lasagna noodles, cooked
15 oz. Ricotta cheese, fat free
30 oz. Tomato sauce
1 egg
1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzerella
9 oz spinach, thawed and drained
Salt and pepper

I tweaked her recipe just a tad! First thaw a 9 oz box of frozen spinach and strain it in a kitchen towel. You can use cheese cloth if you have it. Then mix together the spinach, ricotta, parm, salt, pepper and egg in a bowl. After cooking the noodles, use parchment paper as a working surface and spoon the ricotta mixture onto each noodle. In a 9x13 baking dish spread half the tomato sauce. Roll each noodle and place into sauce. The recipe calls for 9 noodles, however, I only used 8 in the dish. This worked out great because one of the noodles broke in pieces during the cooking process so it was wonderful to have a back up!

Once you have rolled all noodles, pour the remaining tomato sauce over the top and add a tsp. of shredded mozzerella to each roll. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 40 minutes, covered.

YUM! I was able to do this while Adalyn was napping and it took no time at all. I popped it into the fridge and when Scott got home from work all I had to do was stick it in the oven.

I promise not to post anymore novels and hope you all have a blessed day!

Linkage

2011-02-10T12:20:00.001-05:00

We went over to a friends house for dinner last Saturday and she served the most amazing chicken. She said she got the recipe from her Land O'Lakes butter box so I went looking and found they have a lot of great stuff. Go look for yourself.

My New Favorite Breakfast

2011-01-31T14:46:00.000-05:00

Here.

Super Bowl

2011-01-28T14:40:00.000-05:00

What's everyone making for the Super Bowl? I kept going back forth between dishes until Anne reminded me that I made this stromboli last year. I think I'll be making it again. The party starts way before the game does at my parents house so I remember it was a good lunch for everyone to have before all the party finger foods came out later that night. I'll be making two this year though, one with pepperoni (and maybe sausage) and one veggie. The sautéed onions, green and red peppers, mushrooms and garlic sounds too good to pass up.

Any who, back to my original question. What are you making?!

Apples Going Bad

2011-01-27T11:53:00.002-05:00

When apples start to go bad I hate throwing them out so I usually hurry and bake something with them. Dan loves anything apple so that makes it easy. I made apple bars last night with MaryGrace while he was at class. I thought it'd be a good wintery treat for him when he got home. Plus, he could take them to work to share with the guys so they aren't around here all day for me and MG to eat.

Apple Bars

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup milk

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2 cups chopped peeled apples (I got this from one apple, the recipe says two)

1 cup chopped walnuts

Spice Glaze (below)

1. Heat oven to 350 degree. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9x2

2. Mix brown sugar, oil, milk and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Stir in apples and walnuts. Spread in pan. (It's sticky so I used a spatula to spread. It's also a very thin dish - I thought I grabbed the wrong size pan at first but it cooked up nicely.)

3. Bake about 20 minutes (mine took about 15 but me oven runs a little hot). Cool 30 minutes. Drizzle with Spice Glaze. Cut into 2 inch squares.

Spiced Glaze

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1-2 TBLS apple juice or milk

mix all ingredients until smooth and spreadable. The glaze really does finish this dish off. I don't normally make the little stuff recipes call for but did here and loved it.

The Smith Menu

2011-01-24T11:40:00.001-05:00

Monday
Potato Soup
Broccoli
(Dan likes bread on the side with this. That's a little too carb-city for me but I found some bakery-made bread at Meijer on the major discounted shelf for $1.49. We love fresh baguettes but hardly ever get them so I think he'll love this treat)

Tuesday
Ham/cheese/veggie Omelets and Potatoes

Wednesday
Stuffed green peppers

Thursday
Left-over Night

Friday
Jambalaya (minus the sausage)
Corn bread

Saturday
Dad's Specialty
mashed potatoes
green beans

The crockpot is coming mighty handy these days. If we go to 4:30 on Saturdays it's definitely a crockpot meal night because by the time we get back everyone is hungry for dinner. Dan is also going to a class two nights a week until the beginning of March so my hands will be busy as he leaves right during supper time. Meals like stuffed greens peppers, meatloaf, etc. I like to make when both girls are down for their naps so I can just throw it in the oven when 5:00 o'clock rolls around. Getting meals to the table is going pretty smoothly. Dan is always a huge help too - whether it's throwing the last couple of ingredients in if Anna needs to nurse or browning the meat at the beginning on the process he's always there lending a helping hand. MaryGrace now helps too -she sets the table every night and it's too cute.

Roasted Root Vegetables with Poached Eggs and Hollandaise (Part I)

2011-01-16T09:43:00.005-05:00

Okay. I hear you! "Finally!" you say! I know.. This three-part post is a little nuts.. But don't worry. We're near the end. And here we have the roasted root vegetables! Now, again you can use the veggies as a side dish at dinner or a meal in itself! Either way, let's get right to it.

Non-stick oil spray
Olive Oil
Rosemary
2.5 cups diced potatoes (Yukon Gold works best)
1 cup diced onion
6 cups of any combination of the following, diced:
- carrots (so great in this)
- brussel sprouts
- sweet potato
- asparagus
- parsnips
- rutabagas
- red bell pepper
- squash
Salt and Pepper
Couple minced garlic cloves

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Toss the ingredients (except the garlic) in a bowl, ensuring that you have enough olive oil (4 tablespoons maybe?), rosemary, salt and pepper to cover everything. Spread on a prepared sheet in single layer. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until tender, stirring and turning occasionally, about 45 minutes. Stir in garlic; roast 5 minutes longer -- you don't want it to burn.
Divide hash among 4 plates. Using slotted spoon, top each serving with 1 poached egg. Drizzle with hollandaise.

** Remember to dice the vegetables to be about the same size so that they cook at the same rate. **

You could also make this really hashy by adding in some corned beef, which I think would actually go pretty well!

I would add a video, but apparently everyone who likes roasted root vegetables are LOOOOSERS! They were super boring. But take my word for it.. This is a great dish. I hope you'll like it! :)

Roasted Root Vegetables with Poached Eggs and Hollandaise (Part II)

2011-01-12T15:21:00.003-05:00

So here's part two in this big ol' recipe! I break this one up because technically it's three different recipes that could be used separately! Pair the roasted root vegetables with a pork chop at dinner or drizzle the hollandaise over your eggs benedict at brunch.. Or, put a poached egg on your lunchtime cheeseburger. I know, I know.. I haven't tried it either. But apparently, it's to die for.
Let's get the image out of our minds though and just poach an egg.

Now, there are many variations on how to do this, each one that at least someone swears by. I think the sandwich baggie one looks interesting.. I might try it but I hate to cook in plastic.. Anyway, here's the way I do it:

You'll need -

An Egg or two
1 tablespoon of White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Salt

Fill a large saucepan with about 3 inches of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, pour in the vinegar and salt, and keep the water at a gentle simmer.
Now here's my big tip.. I did this accidently once and now I see that everyone's been doing it for years! I'm so behind the times.. Stir the water so that it's turning slowly. This will help the egg white fold around the yolk. Just don't make it an aquatic tornado.
Crack an egg into a small bowl. Holding the bowl just above the surface of the water, gently slip the egg into the simmering water. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Poach the eggs until the whites are firm and the yolks have thickened but are not hard, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon, and dab on a kitchen towel to remove excess water.

Here's a video with some extra tips for ya!

Roasted Root Vegetables with Poached Eggs and Hollandaise (Part III)

2011-01-10T13:31:00.007-05:00

Howdy, gals!

This is my second Cookin' Sisters and Friends post and I thought I'd share one of my favies!

Yes, I said favies!
It's a dish I recreated after having the best brunch of my life at a little bistro in Chicago with my cousin awhile back. It took some time to get it just right, but I think I've got it, my dear Watson and I'm here to share it with you! It's a perfect winter breakfast, though don't expect to be hungry for lunch soon after!

The root vegetables are seasoned perfectly, soft inside, crispy outside with a real earthy flavor! The poached eggs give a creamy, simple texture and the Hollandaise brings a rich, sweet finish to the whole thang! I can't wait for you to try it!

However, this is a three-part recipe (pronounced "ress-eep") and so I'll break it up a little and leave you wanting more (or perhaps, for all of those non-Caitie-fans out there, wanting less! *wink!*). And since posts are listed as newest first, I'll start at the end and begin with Part III - Hollandaise Sauce!

Now, I couldn't really find a good picture of Hollandaise sauce without it being on some other dish, so I just gave you a picture of Heaven, cuz that's what Hollandaise Sauce is! Heaven.

Well, technically butter and eggs, but like I said: Heaven.

I like this recipe cuz it doesn't use a double boiler and won't separate. Easy peasey, lemon squeezy!

So here's what you need:

1/2 cup of Butter
3 Egg Yolks
1/4 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1-2 tablespoons o' lemon juice
Dash of Tobasco Sauce or, my preference: Cayenne pepper
A Blender!!

In the blender, combine the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce or cayenne pepper. Cover (seriously, do it), and blend for a couple seconds.
Heat butter in the microwave or on the stove until completely melted and hot. Set the blender on high speed and pour the butter into the egg yolk mixture in verrrrrrry slowwwwlllyyyy in a thin stream. It will thicken up pretty quickly, but if the sauce gets too thick, you can add the second tbsn of lemon juice, but it should be all good.
You can keep the sauce warm until serving by placing the blender container in a pan of hot tap water or something equally as genius.

This is great for Eggs Benedict, asparagus, etc. It's not something to have everyday as there are a million calories in the scent alone, but definitely something every cook should know how to make!

Here's a good video for all you illiterates! I like this one cuz the guy is shirtless (just the way I like to cook) and he has a couple good tips. He doesn't use cayenne pepper (and truthfully, you don't have to), but I've forgiven him.

Next up: Part II - Poached Eggs!

www.caitierosie.blogspot.com or www.caitierose.webs.com!

Butterbeans with Rosemary and Garlic (from stonesoup.com)

2011-01-02T19:01:00.003-05:00

I bought my dad a small rosemary bush for Christmas and then the next week found this recipe for beans with rosemary and garlic. it's DELICIOUS. I can't wait to try it as a sandwich spread. It's from Jules Clancy's cooking blog stonesoup.com

Warm Butterbeans with Rosemary

1 14oz can butter beans, drained
3T olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled & finely sliced
2 small sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
pinch chilli flakes, optional
extra virgin olive oil, to serve

I added more rosemary than the recipe calls for. and I overdid it on the chili flakes, but it was so tasty!!

enjoy!

Comfort in a Bowl

2010-12-10T14:35:00.004-05:00

I made this soup the other day to take to my friends house. She had a baby about a month ago (her fourth) so I wanted to bring her a dinner. I made her a big pot of this chili one evening and put it in the fridge to chill overnight so the flavors could get to know each other and marry.
I tried a little bit of this soup to make sure it tasted okay, then ended up serving myself up a whole bowlful because it was so good.
Then, circumstances made it impossible for me to visit her on the day I had planned, so now I have a whole pot of soup to enjoy. Next week when I try to visit again, I will have to make it again - but that's okay, because it is pretty fast and easy-peasy. It is so delicious and oh - so- comforting!

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1 (18.75 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilis

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 bag frozen corn

1 pound diced, cooked chicken meat

1 (15 ounce) can white beans

1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste

Heat oil, and cook onion and garlic until soft.
Stir in broth, tomatoes, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Add corn, chicken, and beans; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Swedish Meatballs

2010-12-06T08:45:00.000-05:00

We had these for dinner Saturday night. Dan loved 'em. MaryGrace loved 'em. I thought they were so so. They are labeled an appetizer in the cookbook where I found them but we ate them as a dinner and then as sandwiches the next day for lunch. I also froze half of them to pull from the freezer at a later date because this makes about 30 pieces.

Ingredients
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 egg
2 T cream (used half and half)
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup grape jelly

Mix ground beef, salt, pepper, egg, and cream together. Add just enough flour to hold mixture together. Make miniature meatballs (1/2 to 1 inch diameter) and place in a shallow baking pan in one layer. Bake at 350 for 20 mintues. Turn once to brown evenly. Drain off excess fat.

In large saucepan, combine chili sauce and grape jelly. Heat to simmering. Add meatballs, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Enchilada Casserole - My first recipe submission!

2010-12-03T11:35:00.004-05:00

Hi ladies!

I asked Anne to add me to the recipe blog awhile ago, but if follow-through had an expiration date, I'd be that bag of shredded cheese you found under one of the seats in your car.

But I come with tidings of good Mexican food. :)

Though I can't say that this is traditional faire, I can say that it's fantabulous! My roommate made a version of this the other night and, I'm not gonna lie, I had a piece for breakfast the next day.

I know what you're thinking..

"Caitie.. Seriously? Mexican food in the morning?"

Yes, friend. Mexican food in the morning.

So here's the recipe (which, I pronounce ress-eep).

1 package of ground beef (or turkey.. I guess.. ugh) and 1 packet taco seasoning
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz.) refried beans
1 packet Mexican or Spanish rice
1 package flour tortillas (recipe initially called for corn, but I refuse to use them - ugh)
1 can tomato sauce
1 package Mexican mix cheeses (you can try low fat/part skim cheeses too)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet brown the meat. (Duh) Add packet of taco seasoning mix to meat, following instructions on the taco seasoning packet. (Duh) Drain. (Duh).

Follow directions on your Mexican rice packet to prepare rice. P.S. Try to choose one with minimal tomatoes cuz the recipe (again, ress-ipe) calls for them.

Cook the refried beans (you can add water to them so they are not to thick).

Combine rice, refried beans, diced tomatoes to the Morning Star meat and cook on low heat.

In a separate skillet heat tomato sauce. (Yes, I realize that the way I'm telling you to do this is calling for two dozen dishes. Don't hate me.. I know you can find a better way!)

Dip a tortilla into the tomato sauce and put on the bottom of the casserole dish, then add a layer of the meat mixture and some of the shredded Mexican mix cheese. Continue this process until all ingredients are gone and top with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered for about 15-20 or until cheese has melted and is browning.

Healthy Thanksgiving Leftovers!

2010-11-29T20:24:00.004-05:00

Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving!

We hosted far-flung friends AND family this year, and while I tried to keep the dishes cholesterol-friendly, in honor of my dear Father in Law, we did kind of tend towards the fatty (bacon draped turkey legs, anyone?) and the buttery and the creamy...so when Sunday rolled around, and all our guests (a houseful and a half!!) had departed, Matt and I (and no-longer-Baby Eddie) were ready for some healthful fare.

I found this in Mothering magazine and want to save it, and then thought I'd also share it here.

Sweet Potato-Lentil Burritos

4 large sweet potatoes, roasted in 425 oven ~one hour (leave oven on after removing potatoes), mashed

2 c. cooked lentils (we did brown rice and black beans together), adding

1 tbs cumin

2 tsp chili powder (We added 2 tsps of Thai Spice, since we ran out of chili powder)

Cilantro

Sour cream

Salsa

~2 c shredded cheese of choice

6 whole wheat tortillas (this was four flour for us, two corn for Eddie)

Assemble the burritos, tucking into oiled casserole dish, and sprinkle any remaining (or extra!) cheese on top.

Bake in the 425 oven for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and tortillas are golden.

(We omitted the baking step, since Eddie was really hungry. These burritos are just fine unbaked, but who doesn't like melted cheese on top??)

We loved them, but Eddie was not such a fan until we dissected his burrito and served him the main components with a spoon for his use...

:D

How To: Make a Butterfly-Shaped Birthday Cake

2010-11-21T12:34:00.001-05:00

First, bake two 11 x 13 rectangular cakes. I made one chocolate, and one vanilla.

Then draw a butterfly wing on a sheet of paper, and cut it out. This is your template.

Place template on first cake. Cut around cake according to template. Do the same to the second cake.

You will have cake "scraps."

Time to decorate! Gather your supplies, such as: colored frosting, decorating bags, couplers, tips, candies, etc. This is the fun part!

Decorate any way you wish. There are lots of different ways to decorate a butterfly. First I piped frosting on the entire butterfly, alternating pink and yellow stripes. Then I chose to make the "body" out of M &M's and the "antennae" out of frosting that I drew on the board. I also made the hearts and spelled my daughter's name in M & M's.

I wrote "Happy 3rd Birthday" on the board to not take away from the design on te cake.

The birthday girl, who seemed very pleased with the result!

Winter Squash (pumpkin) Bars

2010-10-28T21:23:00.002-04:00

I brought these into work today and they were gone before lunch. They make a VERY moist crumb. Absolutely delicious and a good way to use of leftover canned pumpkin which is exactly what I used it for! This is from the "Fall" section of my new cookbook, Simply In Season. I made a half recipe, but I will post the full.

As the title is Winter SQUASH Bars, I am very interested in trying to make it with a different kind of squash, I wonder if the flavor will change at all. Has anyone every done that? Have you used a butternut or acorn squash in place of pumpkin for a dessert recipe?

Winter Squash Bars
Yields 24 "bars" when cut in bar form. I just left it in the pan and scooped it out.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

2 cups winter squash or pumpkin
3/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cups sugar (WOA, that's a lot of sugar, I cut it down a bit..)
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
Beat together in a mixing bowl all of the above ingredients

1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Sift all of the above into a separate bowl. Mix the wet in with the drive. Don't overmix. Pour into a lightly greased 11x17 inch jelly roll pan (or whatever fits/is the equivalent that you have). Bake in preheated over for 25-30 mins.

Mine baked for about 15 mins longer at least.

Roasted Eggplant Soup

2010-10-19T22:54:00.002-04:00

Another gem from www.smittenkitchen.com who adapted it from Bon Appetit magazine. She suggests seasonings for an alternative taste and it was this way that I made it. It was delicious!!

Roasted Eggplant Soup
adapted from Bon Appetit
Serves 4

3 medium tomatoes, halved (I quartered them)
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds) halved lengthwise, or 3 smaller ones
1 small or medium onion, halved (I quartered it)
6 garlic cloves, peeled (I used 3 )
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
4 cups chicken or veg stock
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional, or more to taste)
3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (opt, I omitted because it didn't need it IMO)

Preheat oven to 400F. Arrange tomatoes, eggplant, onion and garlic on large baking sheet (you'll need two). Brush or drizzle vegetables with olive oil and roast for 20 mins. Remove garlic so it doesn't burn and return the trays to the oven for an additional 25 mins until the vegetables are browned in spots and tender soft. Remove from the onion and scoop the insides out of the eggplant (though since you puree it all, next time I am not throwing away the skins) and scoop into a large soup pot. Add the rest of the vegetables, thyme and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook until onion is very tender. (Here is she says about 45 mins or longer, but since I had chopped some of the vegetables smaller mine were practically ready to puree after boiling). Cool slightly.

Puree soup. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and add additional spices. I used 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, 1/4 tsp red pepper. Sprinkle with goat cheese if using.

Chicken and Noodles

2010-10-12T20:15:00.006-04:00

I posted this recipe last winter and thought it was so good. Little did I know. I made true homemade chicken and noodles tonight. It was given to me from a friend from church. I didn't make the noodles but I bought from the Amish who make them from scratch. This dish screams love as it takes a good half a day to prepare but most of that is just letting the meat cook.

Ingredients
6 to 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
2 to 3 carrots, peeled and cut a few times
3 to 4 celery stalks
1/2 to 1 onion, quartered
2 to 3 bay leaves
Salt
Pepper
1 package of good noodles

Put all ingredients (except noodles) in a pot big enough to fit everything in and fill with water to where it's just covered. Bring to a boil, then reduce and let simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Take the chicken out and let cool. Once it's cooled remove bones/skin/nastiness from thighs. Set Aside.

Back to the water that's now broth, remove all the veggies and then run through a strainer. I don't have a strainer so I put a dish towel over my crock pot dish and poured the liquid over that to catch all the stuff I couldn't pick out. Once it's strained let cool so you can skim the fat off the top. There wasn't much on mine so I'm sure you can skip this step if time is an issue.

Bring the broth back to a boil and boil the noodles. (After the noodles were done I could tell it was going to be too soupy for our liking so I poured some of the broth back out and froze it for later use.) After noodles are done put chicken back in and mix about 1 cup of water to 1/4 cup cornstarch together and mix in the pot of goodness (or until your desired thickness is reached.)

Served with mashed potatoes and a salad.

It's worth every minute spent on it. And that's all folks.

Goat Cheesecake with Hazelnut Brittle and Blood Orange Caramel Sauce

2010-10-12T10:17:00.003-04:00

I only made this once, years ago. It was delicious, though, so when a friend who has gone dairy-free for her nursling asked if a goat-cheesecake was possible, I responded in the affirmative. And I typed this whole thing out while MY baby slept. All that hard work should be shared with MANY wonderful ladies, I think, so, without further delay...

Goat Cheesecake with Hazelnut Brittle and Blood Orange Caramel Sauce

1 egg
1 Egg yolk
10.5 oz goat cheese
5 oz crème fraiche
3.5 oz granulated sugar
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 300, grease six indivudal sized ramekins
Mix eggs, sugar and salt together, whisk until smooth.
Add goat cheese and and whisk smooth
Add crème fraiche and whisk unstil just combined. (Do not overwhisk, or cake will be grainy.)
Pour into molds, and bake 20-25 minutes, ratating halfway through. Centers should be just set.
Remove from oven, allow to cool. Chil in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Loosen with knife to unmold. These will keep refrigerated for 4 days.

Brittle:

1/8 tsp cream of tartar
½ c toasted skinned and finely ground hazelnuts
¼ tsp finely ground salt
1/3 c water
Preheat oven to 350, line an 11x17 baking pan with archement (or silpat, love those)
Place sugar, cream of tartar and water in a small sauce pan, cover. Heat on high until it boils, uncover, reduce heat to medium high and cook until sugar is dark golden brown. Pour onto prepared shhet to cool and harden. Break into small pieces and grind fine in food processor.
Stir in ground hazelnuts.
Place clean parchment or silpat on baking sheet, spread caramel/nut mixture evenly in a thin layer.
Bake until caramel melts and bubbles, about four minutes. Remove, and sprinkle sea salt over hot caramel.
Cool, and regrind, will keep in airtight container for up to three weeks.

Blood Orange Sauce:

4.5 oz granulated sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
½ c blood orange juice
¼ to 2 tbs water
Combine sugar, cream of tartar and water in a saucepan. Cover and dook over high heat until the mixture boils. Reduce heat to med. High until sugar is dark goolden brown.
Remove from heat and CAREFULLY add OJ (it will bubble!)
Return to heat and whisk so caramel dissolves and mixes with OJ
When mixture boils again, remove from heat, transfer to heat proof container, and place in fridge to chill and thicken before using. (Keeps for a week).
Coat cheesecakes with hazelnut brittle dust, dot or drizzle with sauce, and enjoy!

Cookbook Suggestions

2010-09-28T19:35:00.003-04:00

Hi ladies,

I want to ask for suggestions on a cookbook. I got a gift card for my birthday back in August and was told by the gift giver that she wanted to give me a cookbook, but had no idea which one. I have seen references to several cookbooks over this blog's lifetime (anne, I think you have one called Simply in Season? Or Always in Season or something like that?) I think the best way to judge whether or not you will like a cookbook off the bat is the flip through it and if more recipes make your mouth water than not, then it's likely to be a good fit. I looked at several cookbooks in Barnes and Noble and am just not inspired by any of them.

These are the 2 cookbooks I have (in addition to all the Barefoot Contessa that my mom owns):
Tyler Florence - "Tyler's Ulimate"
Molly Katzen - The New Moosewood Cookbook
My own binder of collected recipes

I'm not looking for a do-everything cookbook like Silver Spoon or Betty Crocker etc. I think i'd like one that leans on the vegetarian side (or is entirely vegetarian). I am far from vegetarian, but the more I learn creative ways to cook without meat, I think the better off I will be. I'm also not a pasta person so I'm looking for a cookbook that doesn't focus on that. Any suggestions? What's your favorite cookbook?

UPDATE: I got the Simply in Season cookbook and i LOVE LOVE it!!! I am very excited to start using it, I have already bookmarked several recipes :) thanks for the advice girls!

Stuffed Green Peppers

2010-09-27T10:54:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to post this recipe for awhile. I make it often enough to be considered a go-to meal. We both like it a lot and everyone who I've made it for has also liked it, or at least they say they do.

Ingredients

6 large green peppers
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 16-oz can tomatoes
1/2 cup long grain rice
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded cheese

Directions

Cut tops of green peppers; discard seeds and membranes. Chop enough of the tops to make 1/4 cup; set aside. Cook the whole green peppers, uncovered, in boiling water for 5 minutes; invert to drain well. Sprinkle insides of peppers lightly with salt. In a skillet cook ground beef, onions, and the 1/4 cup chopped green peppers till meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off excess fat. Add undrained tomatoes, uncooked rice, water, salt, Worcestershire, and dash pepper. Bring to broiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15-18 minutes or till rice is tender. Stuff peppers with meat mixture. Place in a 10x6x2-inch baking dish. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

Waffle Iron Cookies

2010-08-24T22:29:00.001-04:00

These are cookies you make in a waffle iron. They are so deliciously amazing because the sugar practically carmalizes. Just watch the time, they cook fast! I found this recipe in the Southwest Airlines magazine last time I flew to Columbus. Make these and show them to your friends and family. It will boggle their minds! Cookies! in the shape of waffle! Also, I would not recommend using a Belgian waffle iron, you should use a regular one.

Waffle Cookies
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup grandulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp instant espresso powder ( I used instant coffee)
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks

Heat waffle iron. In large bowl, whisk butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla.

Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and espresso/coffee powder, then chocolate. Coat the waffle iron with non stick cooking spray. Coat it WELL. Use a TABLESPOON to portion out the cookie onto each waffle square. Close iron and cook until beginning to brown, about one and a half to three minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and repeat with remaining dough. The dough will be very wet.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

2010-08-24T21:04:00.000-04:00

This is just about the meatballs though. I started making homemade sauce so I'm playing around with it. It's nothing special so I doubt I'll ever post it but the meatball, they are good! I can say that because it's not my recipe. It's a recipe from my old college roommate mother's. It's a family of great cooks and I've got a couple of really good recipes from them. I changed it a little but only because I didn't need to use 2 pounds of meat

Ingredients
1 medium sweet onion, diced extremely fine
A little less than 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup bread crumbs (I used store bought but homemade would be even better I'm sure)
1 egg
2 Tbls ketchup
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 lbs hamburger

Directions
Mix all ingredients together, except meat, until well blended. Add meat and mix until just combines. Roll into 1 inch balls. Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes, turn, bake another 15 minutes.

These made the spaghetti, were a fun change, and best of all, easy!

Frittata!

2010-08-01T21:56:00.000-04:00

Well, I've made this recipe twice in the past three days, and we've eaten it at breakfast, lunch and dinner. So it's versatile. And even my kids loved it, which always means I'm going to be adding the meal to our regular rotation! Therefore, I figured I ought to share it with you!

Spinach and Potato Frittata
2 T olive oil
6 small red potatoes, sliced
1 c torn fresh spinach
2 T sliced green onions
1 t minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
6 eggs
1/3 c milk
1/2 c shredded cheese of your choice

1. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Place potatoes in the skillet, cover and cook about 10 minutes until tender but firm. Mix in spinach, onions, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking 1-2 minutes, until spinach is wilted.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Pour into the skillet over the vegetables. Sprinkle with cheese. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 5-7 minutes or until eggs are firm.

Notes: I think this would cook better in a non-stick skillet. I think egg dishes always cook better in those. It always took longer than 7 minutes for my eggs to finish cooking, but keep your eye on it because I did overcook them once and that's never good. You can substitute rice milk or not use any milk at all; it will still work. Also, this is a really yummy dish - good for breakfast, lunch or dinner!!

Marie's Pasta Salad

2010-07-30T14:48:00.001-04:00

This amazingly delicious recipe comes to us via my mother in law, Marie. Pasta salad is one of the best meals for summer time. When my mother in law brought this to me on my birthday, she topped with some tuna that had been mixed with mayo - and that was even better! You should try it. Really. It's yummy.

Marie's Pasta Salad

Just cook, drain and rinse the pasta. Add whatever veggies you want and toss in this dressing:

2/3-1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 Tbsp salt

1/2cup vinegar

1/4 tsp onion juice or 1/2cup finely chopped onion

1 cup salad oil

1/2 Tbsp celery seed

The recipe suggests marinating it all together overnight so the flavors can mix. Then, if you choose to use fresh tomatoes, add them just before serving so that they don't dilute the dressing.

Turkish green bean stew

2010-07-28T12:10:00.003-04:00

I saw Anne had posted a green bean recipe and I thought I'd share a recipe I just tried out today. Its another great way to use fresh summer green beans from your garden, if you have them. And, its super simple, healthy and dairy free too!

1 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 lb fresh green beans (trimmed and cut into 1" pieces)

1 lb lamb, cut into 1" cubes (or you can use beef instead)

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

3-4 medium tomatoes, chopped

a hefty Tbsp tomato paste

1-2 Tbsp sweet paprika (or more! I think tons of paprika is the best. Actually, I didn't have paprika today, so I added some hot cayenne pepper, chilli flakes and a couple Tbsp ground cumin.)

salt and pepper

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté onions until they're translucent.

2. Add meat and cook for about 10 minutes until most of the meat reabsorbs most of its juices.

3. Add green beans and saute for about 3 minutes.

4. Add paprika (or substitute spices), stir, and add tomatoes and tomato paste.

5. Just cover with boiling water.

6. Simmer over low/med heat until meat is tender. Usually with stew I think an hour will do it.

7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I served it with some white rice, but I think brown rice would be even better!

P.S. I love the new blog layout!

More New Recipes

2010-07-27T14:33:00.000-04:00

Here are two more delicious recipes. They are also my variations of recipes found in the All Recipes cookbook (which is based on the website). These are both really fabulous, easy meatless meals.

Spinach & Tortellini Salad
1 (9 oz) pkg cheese-filled tortellini
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 c Parmesan cheese
6 c cherry tomatoes, halved
bottled Italian dressing
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta according to pkg directions. Rinse under cold water and drain.
2. Combine tortellini, spinach, cheese, and tomatoes in a large bowl. Add enough Italian dressing to coat. Toss and season with salt and pepper.

Linguine with Broccoli and Red Peppers
1 (16 oz) pkg linguine
1 lb (or so) fresh broccoli, chopped
3 T olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
a pinch of garlic salt
Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to pkg directions. Drain.
2. Steam broccoli on stove top in covered pan for 10-15 minutes, until desired tenderness.
3. Heat oil in saucepan over low-medium heat and sauté garlic and peppers.
4. Drain broccoli and add to skillet. Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt and sauté until peppers and broccoli are soft.
5. Serve over hot pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Green Beans

2010-07-27T13:11:00.001-04:00

My sister recently inspired me to start planning meals once more. Between pregnancy, moving and a new infant it had been quite awhile, and I'm so happy to be planning for our eating once more. As soon as I decided to start planning meals again, I also was gifted a number of used cookbooks that were on their way to Goodwill - inspiration for our meals! It all worked out very well. And now the kids and I have lunch made ready-made everyday in the form of leftovers.

If you have an abundance of green beans coming to you right now, this is a great way to vary the vegetable a bit. And it's delicious! This is my version of the recipe that I got from an All Recipes cookbook.

Breadcrumbs and Green Beans

1 lb fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed

1/2 c water

1/4 c breadcrumbs

1/4 c olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 t each garlic powder, oregano, basil

optional: 1/4 c Parmesan cheese, if you don't need dairy-free it's yummy!

Bring the green beans in the water to a boil then reduce and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, covered, until they reach desired tenderness. Drain. Place in medium serving bowl and mix in remaining ingredients. Stir until coated.

More recipes to follow!

Empanadas with Goat Cheese

2010-07-16T09:15:00.003-04:00

I got this recipe out of the latest RealSimple issue. They have an article featuring a whole bunch of three-ingredient dishes, and this was one of them.

It's so simple, it's not even a recipe, really, but they were SO GOOD. I made them the other day when a friend came over and we gobbled them all up!

You need:

2 sheets of refrigerated pie dough (you can also make your own, if so inclined)
4 oz. of goat cheese
salsa

Roll out the pie dough and cut 3-inch circles out. I used a biscuit cutter, but you could also use the rim of a drinking glass.
Spoon a little goat cheese (about 1/2 a tsp. or so) in the middle of the circle.
wet the edges of the dough with a little water and then fold it in half, pinching closed (be careful not to get cheese in your seam).
Bake in the oven at 350 for about 20-25 minutes until they're golden and delicious.

Then, dip them in a little salsa and eat. So, so yummy!

Baked Beans

2010-07-14T11:25:00.000-04:00

A usual side dish turned main course. Anne, I always think of you when I come across a dairy free meal for Charlie and this is packed with protein. Unfortunately it has a lot of sugar in it too but that could be backed off some and still taste good, I'm sure.

Ingredients:

2 16oz cans Bush's baked beans (I got what was on sale - one of the big 28oz and then a tiny can)

1 lbs hamburger

1/2 lbs bacon

1/3 cup molasses or 1/4 c syrup

1/3 cup BBQ sauce

3/4 cup brown sugar (I'll use less next time, maybe even 1/4 cup, especially if syrup is used)

1 1/2 tsp mustard

1 cup chopped sweet onion

2 tsp bacon grease (I'd omit this next time)

3/4 cup chopped celery (we loved the crunch the celery gave it. I wouldn't leave it out)

Directions:

Brown hamburger with celery then crumble in 2 qt casserole dish.

Cook bacon then crumble again

Add everything else and cook at 300 degrees of 45 min

Crockpot directions:

Do everything the same as above except place in crockpot on high for 5 hours. The friend who gave me this recipe said they always double it so I'm not sure if the 5 hours is for doubled or not so I'd do less or at least on low and go from there.

Blueberry cake undone

2010-07-14T09:14:00.002-04:00

Lesson learned: Sometimes the clean knife test doesn't work.

Chickpea, Tomato and Eggplant Dish

2010-07-10T21:18:00.002-04:00

I am not sure where I got this recipe, but it was probably from an Indian cookbook. The meal sounds and tastes Indian in nature. Having said that, I obviously did not write down the title of the dish. Oh well. It is delish. I ate it over whole wheat cous cous because I thought it needed a base, but next time I am eating it all by itself :)

*I halved the recipe (mostly) and it still made a TON of food, but for the sake of being true to the recipe I will post the original amounts.

Chickpea, Tomato and Eggplant Dish
1 15oz can chickpeas, drained
6 Italian eggplants (or 1 large)
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped fine
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 large cans of 28oz whole, peeled tomatoes, UNDRAINED

Drain chickpeas, set aside. Dice eggplants and onion. Chop the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a big pot and saute the onions, eggplant, garlic and the spices over moderate heat for 10 mins or til onion is transluscent. Stir occasionally.

Season with salt and pepper, add the undrained tomatoes breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Add the chickpeas, cover, simmer for 20 mins. Serve hot.

*As I said earlier, I halved the recipe, but I did add 2 cans of diced tomatoes with their juices( didn't have whole canned). I also added an additional 1/2 tsp of cumin because it's mighty tasty flavor. Also I only diced 2 small eggplants and with the whole onion it seemed like a TON of food, but remember it all cooks down a bit.

enjoy!!

Daddy's Chicken

2010-07-07T16:40:00.000-04:00

Tonight my husband cooked dinner with just a hodgepodge of things we already had on hand. Grocery day is tomorrow, so he looked around and the dish just sort of presented itself! Our daughter called it "Daddy's Chicken" while we were eating. :)

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

broccoli

green beans

onion

soy sauce

garlic (powder, fresh - whatever is on hand)

oil

pepper

rice

Season chicken with pepper and bake at 375 degrees until fully cooked. While chicken is cooking, saute broccoli, green beans, garlic, and onion in a bit of oil. Season with some soy sauce. When chicken is done baking, mix with the vegetables. Cook rice according to package directions, and mix with chicken and veggies.

*any of the ingredients could be substituted for whatever you have on hand. It's a good dish to make when you're running low on supplies before grocery shopping!*

Italian Cheese Bread

2010-07-07T16:26:00.000-04:00

This would traditionally be made to go with lasagna, spaghetti, or anything Italian but I'm not going to do that. I had from mozzarella cheese that needed to be used and this bread popped in my head. We're having meatloaf tonight so it'll have to replace whatever potato dish I normally would have decide on. This bread is easy but isn't anything special. I'd make it again because it's easy to get to the table and I don't have another recipe for this kind of thing. If you have one and it's really good, due share!

Bread:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon active dry yeast (can use instant)

1 cup warm water (120*F)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Topping:

1/4 cup prepared Italian salad dressing (I didn't have this so I used butter)

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground oregano

1/4 tsp dried thyme

Dash pepper

1-2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients.

2. Combine water and oil; add to flour mixture. Add additional flour if needed to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

3. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. (Optional: if in a hurry, just skip this rise.)

4. Punch the dough down; place on a greased 16" pizza pan and pat into a 16" circle. Brush with salad dressing (I use the back of a spoon).

5. Combine the seasonings; sprinkle over top. Sprinkle with cheeses.

6. For a fluffier cheese bread (our preference), at this point, allow the bread to rest for 15 minutes or so. If you're in a hurry, just skip this rise. (The bread will rise while it bakes, too.)

7. Pre-heat the oven to 450*F. Bake for 11-15 minutes or until golden brown. See additional notes for baking tips!

8. Slice into 12 slices. Serve warm.

Weekly Menu

2010-07-07T12:56:00.001-04:00

Thursday
Pulled pork BBQ

Asparagus

Friday

Pizza

Saturday

Sausage Jambalaya

Corn bread

Sunday

Mom’s house

Monday

Backyard BBQ chicken

Cole slaw

Corn of the cob

Tuesday

Baked Beans (They are full of meat and other goodies so definitely a main meal dish. I'll probably post the recipe after I make it)

Bread

Salad

Wednesday

Left-over’s

Thursday

Chicken and potatoes

broccoli

Anne said she liked when I posted my menu so I'll do it again. I don't think I'll post it every week. I am looking for a chalkboard at Goodwill to hang in the kitchen though so I can post our menu in our home.

Sour Cream Chicken

2010-07-06T18:46:00.003-04:00

Incredibly easy and incredibly delicious. A whopping 4 ingredients go into this meal. I found it the other night while searching through Tasty Kitchen. I should have taken a picture - next time.

Ingredients
4 skinless boneless chicken breast (I only used 3)
8 oz container of sour cream
10.75oz can of cream of chicken soup*
1 cup French fried onions

Directions
Place chicken in a baking dish. Mix sour cream and cream of chicken soup and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 for about an hour. Cover with fried onions the last ten minutes of cooking.

*I started making a homemade cream of chix substitute so it's healthier, in terms of knowing what the heck you're eating. It's very simple and I usually make it in the morning or afternoon so when I make dinner I just grab it from the fridge. I found it over at my trusty Bless Us O Lord.

Cream of chix substitute

2 T butter, melt in pan

2 T flour, add flour to pan

2 t chicken bullion

1 cup milk, slowly add chx bln and milk to pan. Stir until thick and bubbly.

Fajitas

2010-06-30T14:55:00.003-04:00

One of my husband's favorite meals is tacos so most Tuesday we do something with them or at least something Mexican. I had flank steak left over in the freezer from making beef and broccoli so I decided on fajitas. And like beef and broccoli it cooks fast because everything in thinly sliced and cooked over high heat.

Ingredients

12 oz flank steak (you can use chicken or whatever meat you prefer)
1 tbls purchased or homemade Fajitas seasoning (given below)
4-6 tortillas
2 tbls cooking oil
1 cup thinly sliced red or green peppers
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
3/4 cup chopped tomato
1 tbls lime juice

1. Slice steak across the grain into bite-size strips. Place meat strips in a deep bowl and sprinkle with 2 tsp of the fajita seasoning. Cover and chill 30 minutes (I did much longer as I prepared this during my daughter's afternoon nap)

2. Heat 1 tbls of oil over medium-high heat. Add sweet peppers, onion and remaining seasoning. Cook and stir about 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove onion mixture from skillet.

3. Add the other 1 tbls of oil and the meat to the skillet. Cook and stir about 2-3 minutes until desired doneness for steak is reached. Drain Well. Return onion mixture to skillet. Stir in tomatoes. Cook until heated thought. Remove from skillet; stir in lime juice

4. To serve, fill warmed tortilla with meat mixture. Top meat with anything you want. We did some sour cream and guacamole.

Homemade Fajita Seasoning

Two things are great about this. One - all of it is used in this one recipe. Two - if you don't have one of the spices just leave it out. I did and I didn't know the difference.

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder

Recipes

2010-06-26T20:28:00.001-04:00

If you're looking for new recipes to try I'd head over to Tasty Kitchen. I've been going through the chicken link alone and have quite a few recipes saved under my new Dinners to Try link under Favorites. I haven't been saving everything that sounds good but the ones that I can actually see myself making. I said a little while ago on my personal blog how I'm getting a lot better at making menu and sticking to them, which was always the harder part for me but sometimes coming up with recipes is just as hard. When that happens now I'll go to my new link. Like I said before, I saved mostly easy weeknight meals but I did save a few that could be weekend fun stuff. We'll just have to wait and see!

Nothing Special

2010-06-24T20:33:00.000-04:00

Dan said I should take a picture and post our dinner tonight but it's nothing special. We had Summertime Omelets with potatoes. I throw in whatever veggies are in the fridge and top it with some cheese. My husband loves eggs so that's probably why he thought this meal was so good. I eat it because it's cheap and packed with protein for my baby growing body right now. That's his man portion, for after his man workout.

The Smiths Weekly Menu

2010-06-24T13:07:00.002-04:00

June 28^th-July 4^th

Monday

Marinated Chicken Shish kabobs

Corn on the cob

Tuesday

Tacos

Guacamole and chips

Wednesday

Meat loaf

Green beans

Thursday

Left over night

Friday

Homemade Pizza

-make deviled eggs for Saturday

Saturday

Family cookouts

-make scones for Sunday

Sunday

Scones for breakfast

Eggs/bacon for brunch

Chicken Spaghetti

2010-06-17T21:40:00.000-04:00

A recipe given to me via my Grandma, given to her via my Aunt. I actually made it yesterday but it was softball night and we never got around to eating it so I put in the fridge for tonight. Tonight was labeled Left Over night anyway so it worked out perfectly. I popped it back in the oven tonight on the warm setting and it was so good; probably better after all the ingredients sitting together a whole day. Another thing, since it called for half a stick of butter I cut other corners to make it a little healthier; see below.

Ingredients:
-1/2 lb to 1 lb of chicken
-1/2 stick butter
-1/2 cup chix bouillon water
-1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
-1/4 c Parmesan cheese (I didn't have this. I had mozz. on hand so I threw a little in)
-1/2 tsp garlic powder (I ran out of this so I added garlic salt; not the whole 1/2 tsp though)
-1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used fat free)
-8 oz sour cream (again, I used fat free)
-10 oz spaghetti, cooked

Directions:
-Cut chicken into small pieces and cook; fry in pan with a little salt and pepper. Remove from pan and set aside.
-Melt together first 3 ingredients
-Add parmesan cheese, garlic powder and soup; bring to a boil.
-Put cooked chicken back in along with the sour cream. Mix well.
-Poor over cooked spaghetti in a 9x13pan. Sprinkle lightly with Parmesan cheese.
-Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes

Serve with a salad and enjoy.

Cherry Tarts

2010-06-09T09:24:00.009-04:00

I had some cherries that were a little past ripe and I wanted to use them up so I kind of experimented a little with puff pastry. It was so simple that it's not really a recipe. I think they turned out pretty good; not knock-you-down delicious, but good.

Start with a bowl of cherries. I didn't have very many; there were maybe two dozen or so. Make sure you get the pits out, which is messy business but worth it. Toss the pitted cherries with some flour and sugar and let them sit for awhile to get nice and juicy. You could also add some almond or vanilla extract too.

Unwrap your puff pastry and let it thaw for a bit. The box says 45 minutes but I didn't wait nearly that long; it was more like 20. I rolled it out a little with a rolling pin and then cut it into twelve little squares. The squares were big enough to fit in the cups of a muffin tin with the corners peeking up a little bit.

Then place a couple of cherries in each little pastry cup.

I sprinkled a few of them with some ground almonds too.
Then bake them at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes until the pastry is puffed up and browned on the edges and the cherries are bubbly.

Then remove the little tarts from the muffin pan, and drizzle them with a mixture of 1 cup powdered sugar/1 tsp of milk/1 tsp. vanilla. (You may have to play with this ratio for the right consistency for the glaze...I just eyeballed it until it was the right thickness.)

Then, eat them up!

Pico de Gallo

2010-05-11T11:00:00.001-04:00

I just made The Pioneer Woman's Pico de Gallo and it's so good I decided to post it. You can just as easily go over to her blog and find it there I'm sure. She says the secret to making great Pico de Gallo is making sure there are equal parts of onion, tomato, and cilantro. Not just a lot of tomatoes and hints of everything else. It's easy, healthy, and delicious for summer. I have a feeling I'll be posting her stuff in the near furture. My Grandma let me borrow her cookbook for a couple weeks and I want to try making most everything in it.

Ingredients

Yellow or red onion
Roma tomatoes
Cilantro
Jalapeños
Lime
Salt

Directions

Dice up the onion, tomatoes, and cilantro; equal in quantity to each other.
Slice in half then dice very fine 1 or 2 jalapeños. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon. If you like some spice, leave some of the white membranes.
Dump everything into a bowl, squeeze half a lime over everything, and mix
Sprinkle with salt. She suggests tasting with a chip so you don't over salt.

Beef and Broccoli

2010-05-03T17:10:00.003-04:00

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light and knew it'd be one for our family to try. It seems like there are a lot of steps but when one step is "cook for 30 seconds" it goes quickly. Also this is not a recipe to be holding a baby on your hip or even around the stove as it sizzles and pops juices at you.

Stir-Fried Beef with Broccoli & Bell Peppers
- 1 pound flank steak, trimmed
- 2 tbls soy sauce
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 1/2 tbls water, divided
- 2 tbls oyster sauce
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/4 pound broccoli (I used more)
- 2 tbls canola oil, divided
- 1 large red bell pepper, halved, seeded, andcut into 1-inch pieces

Directions

Cut steak in half lengthwise. Cut each half across the grain into 1/8-inch thick slices. Combine beef, soy sauce, garlic, and black pepper; toss well. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes
Combine 1 1/2 tbls water, oyster sauce, and crushed red pepper in small bowl; set aside.
Cut broccoli into florets. Peel broccoli stems; cut stems diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Heat 1 tbls oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef mixture to skillet; cook 3 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Transfer beef mixture to a bowl.
Heat the remaining 1 tbls of oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add broccoli; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the remaining 2 tbls of water; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add bell pepper; cook 30 second, stirring constantly. Return beef mixture to pan. Stir in oyster sauce mixture; cook until thoroughly heated. Serve over rice.

Pasta e Fagioli (with carne)

2010-03-03T18:16:00.003-05:00

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground turkey (optional)
2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
splash of red wine
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 pound seashell pasta (or macaroni or whatever)

Directions

Heat oil in 4-quart Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until onion is tender.
Add ground turkey and stir occasionally until browned. Stir in the tomato paste until blended.
Add undrained tomatoes, undrained cannellini beans, chicken broth, oregano, basil and pepper to Dutch oven and bring to a boil over med-high heat, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil for approximately 1 minute and then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes, covered.
Add pasta to Dutch oven and simmer approximately 10 to 12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Serve immediately and enjoy.

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and tweaked it a bit (above is the tweaked recipe). It's one of those recipes that you can really play with and add or take away what you don't have. The most traditional form of this soup is just beans and pasta with some tomatoes and herbs, but sometimes even the tomatoes are optional. I added the ground turkey, because I had that I needed to use up, but if you leave it out it would be a perfect Friday meal. I also added 1/4 cup or so of red wine after I stirred in the tomato paste and it really added to the flavor. It was a really delish and filling dinner. All of my finicky eaters gobbled it up.

Fruit Pizza

2010-02-03T15:22:00.000-05:00

When I was getting married one of my bridal showers was a kitchen-themed shower. On that day my mother in law gave me a little book of recipes that she had complied herself. Some were old recipes from her own mother, some were of her kids' favorites and some were relatively new recipes that she had lots of positive comments on the first time she made them. She photocopied the orginal recipe to preserve others' handwriting and such. It was a very thoughtful and heartfelt gift.

I use those recipes often. There are still some that I haven't tried at all. I suppose I should make it a goal to try each one. But the ones I've tried have all been successes!

This recipe is one that my sister especially liked the first time that I made it. Since today is her birthday and she happens to be with us this morning (a rare treat!!!) I decided to make it for her. And I even remembered to take a picture. This dessert can be as pretty as you have time to make it.

Fruit Pizza

Crust -
1/4 c butter or magarine, softened
1/2 c sugar
Cream together. Add:
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla
Blend well. Add:
1 1/4 c flour
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
Mix well. Cover and chill for 30 minutes, until easy to handle. Press dough into a greased baking sheet or 12-14 in round pizza pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely.

Cream Cheese Mixture -
4 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 c powdered sugar
Cream together until smooth. Add:
1 c whipped topping
Blend together. Spread over cooled crust.

Suggested Fruit Toppings -
1 firm banana
1 c sliced strawberries
8 oz can mandarin oranges, drained
2 kiwi, peeled and sliced
1/3 c fresh blueberries
Arranged as desired.

Glaze-
1/4c suager
1/4 c water
1/4 c orange juice
2 t cornstarch
Bring to a boil in saucepan, stirring constantly. Boil 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool to room temp (about 30 minutes). Brush over fruit. Store in fridge.

Sugar Cookies

2010-01-29T17:14:00.008-05:00

I made trial run sugar cookies this afternoon. A dear friend from high school is getting married at the end of February and her bridal shower is coming up. I'm unable to go because of all sorts of reasons but I'm making these cookies, the chicken salad, and doing some other things. Like most everything else I make I found the best recipe here for what the bride wanted. They're thick, soft, and with homemade icing.
Not the shapes I'm going to use for the shower but...
...I just got this huge tube of all sorts of shapes. It was fun to use them.
Homemade frosting. I'm going to stick with white for the shower.
Dan came home while I was making them and held MG. We might or might not have let her taste of the dough.
The end product.

Shrimp and Corn Chowder

2010-01-23T18:36:00.007-05:00

I got this recipe from RealSimple, and it was quick and easy and really good. I have never cooked with leeks before, and I really liked the flavor they gave to the soup. In the magazine the recipe is actually called "Shrimp and Corn chowder with fennel," but I couldn't find fennel at the store, so I left it out. I also added a cup of chicken broth because it didn't seem to have enough liquid. It still turned out great.

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 leeks (white and light green parts), chopped

2 tbsp a.p. flour

1 8oz. bottle clam juice

3 cups milk

3-4 potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (I didn't bother to peel them)

3/4 lb. med. cooked peeled and deveined shrimp

1 10oz pkg. frozen corn

2 tbsp. parsley, chopped

1 lemon, squeezed

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over med. heat. Add the leeks and season with s&p and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender; stir in the flour

Add the clam juice, milk and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occastionally, for 12 minutes or so. Stir in the shrim and corn and cook until the potatoes are tender and the shrimp and corn are heated through, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice.

(Image and recipe courtesy of RealSimple.com)

Beer Bread

2010-01-15T14:21:00.008-05:00

This is delicious!! It's also really easy. I had it mixed and in the oven in about 3 minutes

Ingredients
3 cups flour (sifted - I just spooned it into the measuring cup)
3 teaspoons baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1 teaspoon salt (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1/4 cup sugar
1 (12 ounce) can beer (All we have in the house these days is light beer so I'm not sure how it would taste with dark. I would think only better, but I guess that depends if you like dark beer.)
1/2 cup melted butter (1/4 cup will do just fine and I highly recommend 1/4 cup. I started with 1/2 cup and it bubbled over and filled my kitchen with smoke so I had to finish baking it in my toaster oven.)

Directions
1 - Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2 - Mix dry ingredients and beer.
3 - Pour into a greased loaf pan.
4 - Pour melted butter over mixture.
5 - Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.

6 - NOTES: Sifting flour for bread recipes is a must-do. Most people just scoop the 1 cup measure in the flour canister and level it off. That compacts the flour and will turn your bread into a "hard biscuit" as some have described. That's because they aren't sifting their flour! If you do not have a sifter, use a spoon to spoon the flour into the 1 cup measure. Try it once the "correct" way and you will see an amazing difference in the end product.

I found this recipe at Recipe Zaar and it's amazing. The photo is from there too.

Paula's Chicken Pot Pie

2010-01-11T21:25:00.002-05:00

I read about this over at Bless Us Oh Lord a long time ago but recently made it for my in-laws. They loved it and so did we. It's added the recipes made in our home!

Ingredients
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (I used more)
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup (I used the fat-free can)
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper, optional
1 1/2 cups instant biscuit mix
1 cup milk
1 stick melted butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a greased 2-quart casserole (I almost used the wrong pan), layer the chicken, eggs, carrots, and peas. Mix the soup, chicken broth, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Pour over the layers. Stir together the biscuit mix and milk, and pour this over the casserole. Drizzle butter over the topping. Bake until the topping is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

Rotting Fruit

2010-01-07T09:41:00.003-05:00

I had some rotting bananas that needed to be used before they went bad so I did some baking yesterday. The banana bread I made Charlie-friendly (aka dairy free) for a package I'm sending to Anne. I also have a huge can of pumpkin that needs to be put to use so I'm either going to make pumpkin bread or pumpkin cream cheese muffins for a friend of mine that lent me her high chair over the Christmas season when my house was filled with babies.

Banana Bread
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups mashed banana (5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil or melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (omitted for Charlie's sake)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one 9x5x3-inch or two 7-1/2x3-1/2x2-inch loaf pans; set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine eggs, banana, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). If desired, sprinkle Streusel Topping over batter.

3. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes for 9x5x3-inch pan or 40 to 45 minutes for 7-1/2x3-1/2x2-inch pans or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (if necessary, cover loosely with foil the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning). Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

4. Makes 1 loaf (16 slices)

Pumpkin Roll

2009-12-31T11:14:00.003-05:00

We're having a little New Year's gathering tonight (I don't think we can even call it party). I have corned beef and red potatoes in the crock pot and some other goodies but the one thing I made that I never have before is a pumpkin roll. I've wanted to make one for some time but never got around to it. I used Barb's recipe at Bless Us Oh Lord and it came out perfect. Happy New Year to all!

T. G. I. Friday's Broccoli-Cheese Soup

2009-12-31T09:35:00.003-05:00

I received a copy-cat cookbook from a lady at work for Christmas, and I couldn't wait to use it. My husband had been asking for a broccoli-cheese soup for about a month now. This one is super easy and quick! It's definitely a keeper in our house. YUM!

Ingredients
4 cups water
2 cups potato, peeled and diced
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup diced onion
2-10oz. packages frozen chopped broccoli
2-10.75oz. cans cream of chicken soup
1 pound Velveeta, cubed

Directions
1. Combine the water, potato, bouillon cubes, onion and broccoli in a large heave saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, or until the potato and broccoli are tender.

2. Add the canned soup and the cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted and smooth. Simmer for 15 minutes; the soup should thicken.

Spiced Pecans

2009-12-22T21:18:00.001-05:00

Ingredients
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
3 cups pecan halves
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
In a small bowl beat the egg white with the water. Stir in the pecans, mixing until well moistened.
In a small bowl, mix together sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Sprinkle over the moistened nuts. Spread nuts on prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Be careful not to overcook and burn the nuts.

Christmas Cookie Two

2009-12-10T07:46:00.002-05:00

Yesterday's venture: snowball cookies!

I'm not sure if I'll get to any baking today - we're having a guest all day - much better than baking!!

Sloppy Joes

2009-12-10T05:45:00.005-05:00

Dan had a hankering for Sloppy Joes last night. We didn't have a can so I looked in my cookbook and there was a homemade recipe for it. I thought it would turn out gross as I normally don't care for this sandwich but it was good. I would definitely make this over buying a the canned stuff.

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
8-oz can tomato sauce
2 tbls water
1 to 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic salt
Dash of hot sauce (I omitted but Dan put on his)

Directions:
In a large skillet cook ground beef, onion, and sweet pepper until meat is brown and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato sauce, water, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. Serve on rolls, buns, or bread.

Moving Back Towards the Kitchen

2009-12-08T13:17:00.001-05:00

Well this poor little cooking blog has been QUITE dead lately. I've been doing nothing to help either! I am pregnant with our third (which I never really announced here) and slowly moving into the second trimester. Which means that I'm also slowly moving back into the kitchen.

Up first?

Why, Christmas baking of course! Though you probably can't really call these baking...but they are delicious!

Spread out some pretzels on a cookie sheet. Unwrap Rolos candy and place on top. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 5 minutes.

Immediately place an M&M on each one. If you use half a walnut, they taste just like those turtle candies.

Yum!

First Use

2009-11-29T08:37:00.002-05:00

Here's my pretty china and silverware I used for the first time since our weddin'. I'm thoroughly a girly girl in this area. I enjoyed using it and even washing it. Until next time beloved pretty plates...

Compiling a Chocolate Cake

2009-11-02T16:00:00.002-05:00

I couldn't find a WHOLE recipe that I liked, so I used the cake recipe from the Brother Juniper Cafe cookbook, and a filling/ganache recipe from The Baking Bible put out by Tollhouse. I've jumbled it up a bit, mostly because *I* work best with step by step instructions, but I've put the ingredients (plus special directives, like the sifting and SIFTING of the flour) in bold for easy reference.

Susan's Old-Fashioned Moist Chocolate Cake from the Brother Juniper Cookbook

Preheat oven to 350, grease 2 9 in pans, line with parchment, grease parchment, and dust with flour.

1 3/4 c. flour, sift and re-measure into 1 3/4 c. Return excess to bag/jar. Sift twice more, and add
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 Dutch Process or European Style cocoa powder. Whisk together, then sift twice. Set aside.

Cream
1/4 lb sweet butter, room temperature. Add
1 tsp vanilla extract,
1 3/4 c white sugar and blend together until smooth.
Add, one at a time, beating in between,
4 large eggs, room temperature.

Measure out
1 1/4 c buttermilk or soured milk, and, beaters on low speed, incorporate 1/3 dry mix, and half the buttermilk, until just blended. Repeat with another third of the dry mix, and the last half of the buttermilk, beating until just blended, and the remaining third of the dry mix, just blended.

Spread in layer pans, and bake 30-35 minutes.

Let sit five minutes, then remove from pans, and place right side up on cooling rack (I put a cookie sheet under mine, just in case of drips from this next step, which is from The Baking Bible).

Melt
3 tbs seedless raspberry preserves in a small saucepan.

Using a skewer or a fork, poke holes in the tops of the cakes, trying not to pierce all the way through, and spread the preserves evenly on both cakes. Let cool completely.

Filling and Ganache, both from The Baking Bible

Filling:
2/3 c sweetened condensed milk, combined in heavy saucepan with
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 tbs butter

Cook over low heat until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Ganache:
Place in a medium bowl:
1 1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips.

In a saucepan, combine:
3/4 c heavy cream
1 tbs butter
1 tbs granulated sugar

Bring to a boil over high heat, stir until sugar dissolves. Pour over chocolate chips, let stand five minutes. Stir until smooth, let stand fifteen minutes, or until ganache reaches desired consistency. (It will thicken as it cools.)

Place bottom layer on cake plate, spread with filling. Let harden slightly, place top layer in place. Frost top and sides with ganache.

Serve and enjoy!

It seems labor intensive, but I was surprised how easy it was, and of course the finished product is completely worth it. A moist, rich cake without being too overpowering, with the most delightful hint of raspberry.

Birthday Bash

2009-11-02T00:23:00.004-05:00

We had a big birthday in these parts, so I kind of went a little nuts with the dessert making. I was so excited to order some specialty cupcakes, but then I started to wonder whether *I* could make some interesting variation on my own, so I gave it a shot. We haven't started Eddie on tree nuts, yet, so instead of doing a "peanut butter and jelly" cupcake I once saw somewhere in the web, I did my own twist on the jelly-filled cupcake. I wanted to call it The Jelly Donut, but then I figured I'd have to use powdered sugar instead of frosting, so I changed the name at the last minute. Also, the recipe for the frosting came from an OLD edition of the Farm Country Cookbook I found in a thrift store years ago.

I give you:

Vanilla Lemon SURPRISE! Cupcakes

I cheated a little on this one, and used a box mix but I *did* make the chocolate-raspberry-ganache cake completely from scratch, so I feel redeemed. :) (And I'll post that recipe/method next!)

Here goes:

1 Box vanilla cake mix, baked according to package directions. Makes 24 cupcakes.

When cupcakes are cool, use a sharp knife, held at an angle, to cut an inverted cone out of the top of the cupcake. Cut the point off the cone, so that there will be a cavity in the cake. Fill that cavity with a teaspoonful of berry jam (we used strawberry). I had to use the knife to enlarge the hole a couple of times...no big deal in the long run. The jam is the SURPRISE!

When all the cupcakes are filled and re-capped, blend together:

3/4 c. soft butter and
5 cups sifted confectioners sugar

Stir in:

1/4 c. light cream (I don't know what that is, so I used half and half) and
1 tsp lemon extract.

Spread a thin layer of frosting on each cupcake, just enough to "seal" the tops in place. Let harden, then frost more generously, as befits a festive cupcake.

Serve and enjoy!

(Pictures to come as soon as I can upload them from my camera!)

Peanut Cole Slaw (non mayonnaise based)

2009-11-01T22:51:00.003-05:00

There is a restaurant in downtown Chicago that makes this peanut cole slaw. I don't like cole slaw, but I gobble this stuff down and so does my mom. I found a recreation of it online and made it for my mom to surprise her. Success! (by the way, the restaurant is called Bandera)

The recipe did not say how many servings it makes, but it made A LOT, so I'd recommend cutting this in half the first time unless you're serving more than 2 people. Also, I don't like cilantro, but I still love this recipe!

Peanut Cole Slaw
1/2 head green cabbage, sliced in thin strips
1/4 head purple cabbage, sliced in thin strips
1/2 jicama sliced in thin strips
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped (depending on your preference)
1/4 to 1/2 cup roasted peanuts

Mix all ingredients above and toss with vinaigrette. Let sit for one hour.

For the vinaigrettte:
Add all the ingredients in a food processor and grind.

1/2 cup peanut oil. If peanut oil flavor is not strong, add 1/4 cup roasted peanuts to the vinaigrette mix before grinding. Do not use sesame oil
Juice of 1/2 lime or 1/4 lemon
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp sugar
1 green onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsely depending on preference
1/2 tsp salt

Mike's Granola Bars

2009-10-30T19:12:00.005-04:00

{I'm alive! Sorry I haven't posted in over a month...I started a new job and just haven't had very much free time to just...blog.}

I started making these granola bars for my husband about 6 months ago, and I've been tweaking it ever since. I think we've finally came to a combination that suits him well. He says they are more filling than most store bought granola bars and just taste "fresher". I've just nibbled on a few here and there but every bit I do get is tasty!

Servings: 8 big bars (or 16 regular sized ones)
Adapted from Alton Brown

Ingredients
2 cups old fashion rolled oats
1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup peanuts

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 oz chopped dried fruit, any combination*

*I used welch's mixed fruit and I found it in my baking aisle by the chocolate chips.

Directions
1. Spray a 7x 11 glass baking dish with Pam. Preheat over to 350 degrees F.

2. Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and wheat germ onto a sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 5 minutes, stir, and toast for 5 more minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine the honey, brown, sugar, butter, extract, and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar is dissolved.

4. Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the over and reduce the heat to 300 degrees. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down (I used wax paper on top of the mixture and my peanut butter jar to press). Place in the oven and back for 25 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely and store in airtight container.

Note: When buying the wheat germ, I've found toasted and untoasted. If you can only find toasted, don't toast it in the oven with the oats and nuts. Just add it in when you add the dried fruit.

Enjoy!

Grandma Pat's Beef Barley Stew

2009-10-26T15:41:00.006-04:00

I'm not sure if any of you other Mamas are having difficulties introducing solids to your wee one(s). Eddie wouldn't eat anything but breastmilk until he was ten months old, and then I tried being all crunchy and making him baby food out of our food, but he wouldn't touch it. He *loved* OTHER babies' homemade baby food (and storebought baby food, and cookies, and crackers and cheese...all that stuff we're not supposed to give him right away, of course!) but not mine.

But then I made that Tortilla Soup, and gave him a taste (PRE-hot sauce), and he LOVED it. I froze a bunch of it in an ice cube tray, and it's still a hit. I finally broke down and BOUGHT jarred baby food (sob :P) and he, of course, loved that too. The best laid plans of Mamas and wives, I tell you.

Also, he doesn't like the same thing twice in a row. If we had mango-peach-oatmeal for breakfast one morning, we'd BETTER have something different the following morning, or ELSE.

All this to say that I was so sad that I couldn't make food for my baby like I'd hoped and that I was afraid I was doomed to feed him pre-made food until he finally grew enough teeth to eat steak and green beans with us. UNTIL. We went to visit DH's parents and Grandma made her Beef Barley Stew, and I thought it was delicious and gave Eddie a bite, and then another, and the next thing I knew, he'd eaten half my bowl! :P Then he ate it for lunch the next day, and dinner, AND lunch the following day! So I had to get the recipe, and now that I've made it again, I'm sharing it here!

Beef Barley Stew

1/2 lb lean round steak, chopped in cubes
4 carrots, peeled and cut in 1/4" slices
1 c chopped yellow onion
1/2 c green bell peppers, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb fresh button mushrooms, quartered
3/4 c dry pearl barley
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dry thyme
1/2 tsp dry sweet basil
1 bay leaf
5 c beef broth

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low, 9-10 hours.

NOTE: I forgot to ask DH to unpack my slow cooker, and since I don't know where it is myself, I decided to brown the meat with the onions and garlic and throw it, along with everything else, in a heavy stew pot, and I've had it simmering for about half an hour now. I'll let it go until the meat is cooked through, and the carrots are tender. Then we'll store it for lunches and Eddie's meals! (DH isn't a big stew guy. :P)

Update: The stew simmered for about three hours before I was happy with the thickness and the taste.

Our first Turkish cooking experience!

2009-10-14T15:22:00.002-04:00

Well, we just tried this recipe out last night and it was really delicious. Richie (my husband) had the stew all put together and simmering when I got home from work, which really made my night. All I had to do was keep an eye on it for the next hour and a half. Its so delicious, and we just finished having the rest for leftovers tonight!

Eggplant Stew (aka Patlicanli Kebap)

Ingredients:

4 small eggplants

1 red and 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into chuncks

1 onion, chopped

1 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt and ground black pepper

1 Tbsp tomato paste

parsley sprigs, to garnish

1lb mutton (lamb is the main meat choice in Turkish cooking, but if you can't find any, beef should do the trick)

2 1/2 cups meat stock or water

1. Cut each eggplant lengthwise into four pieces and soak in salted water for 20 minutes. Drain them and squeeze a bit to extract some of the excess water.

2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplant lightly, in batches. (I always find that eggplant soaks up every bit of oil in a pan, and the recommended amount doesn't seem to be enough. I'm not sure what to do about this, so I usually add a bit extra, just to make sure they don't stick to a dry pan.) Set aside when done.

3. In the same oil (again, heat up a bit more if its all been soaked up by your eggplant), fry onion, bell peppers and meat. I usually make sure the meat is browned a bit on all sides, but you don't need to cook it too much. Drain and set aside.

4. Melt margarine or butter in an ovenproof casserole or big pot, stir in tomato paste, then pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, add meat and vegetables, and season to taste. Cover and cook over low heat for 1.5 hours (or alternatively, in a preheated 350 F oven). Serve hot and garnish with parsley sprigs.

Its great served with a bit of crusty bread, and maybe some olives.

Afiyet olsun! (Turkish for bon appetite!)

Incredibly Easy Chicken and Noodles

2009-10-09T07:20:00.002-04:00

I've never made this recipe and was taking it to a family in need from church so I had Dan try a bowl and it was a hit. It's cheap. It's makes a lot. And it's GOOD! I served it up with a slotted spoon for the more traditional gravy-ish chicken and noodle instead of soupy. This is definitely going on our go-to meals list! A great find as the winter weather draws near.

INGREDIENTS
1 (26 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 cups diced, cooked chicken breast meat
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 (9 ounce) packages frozen egg noodles

DIRECTIONS
In a large pot, mix the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, and chicken meat. Season with onion powder, seasoning salt, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, and stir in the noodles. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes

Amazing Soup!

2009-09-29T20:04:00.003-04:00

I wasn't going to post this recipe yet when I first tasted it. At first, I thought that I wanted to mess around with it a bit more, make it a bit better. But then I had three cups for lunch. And a bowl for breakfast. And it's the first thing I went for as a snack today. So I decided it must be pretty good as is. I got the recipe here. And the following is how I made it, pretty similar. If you like beans, this stuff is absolutely amazing. Dip a French baguette in it and you almost feel like you're treating yourself to Panera.

Pureed Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ cup bacon bits (the original calls for ham or bacon slices)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 – 1 1/2 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili
pepper to taste
1 can 14.5 oz diced tomatoes

2 - 14.5 oz cans black beans

Cook onion and bacon in small amount of oil. Add garlic, then water and bouillon cube (or broth) and spices. Puree tomatoes and beans in blender and add to soup. Bring to boil and simmer about 5 minutes. Serve with French bread. (I'm sure it'd be great with sour cream or cheese and tortilla chips as originally suggested.)

Next time I may try puree just 3/4 of the beans and smashing the rest to make it a bit thicker...or maybe I'll just put a little bit less water. Regardless it's delicious!!!!!!!!!

Spinach-Cheese Swirls

2009-09-24T10:00:00.002-04:00

I'm not going to type this recipe out because it's already in cyber space, right here, but I did want to point them out to you because they are a delicious way to use up that remaining sheet of the puff pastry that you bought for the chocolate croissants. And since I didn't buy the right kind of puff pastry (i.e. all butter) the spinach cheese swirls actually tasted better than the chocolate croissants. I didn't realize anything could taste better than chocolate! ;o)

Zesty Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

2009-09-22T21:23:00.003-04:00

This recipe is adapted from The Gooseberry Patch What's For Dinner? cookbook. When I told my mom what I was making for dinner, she said that's the same sort of dressing she's been using all summer for a new warm potato salad she's been serving. Once she told me that, I knew we'd like dinner because that potato salad is delish! And we did like dinner. I think we'll like it better when I follow the note below.

I hope you all try this. It's so yummy!!

Zesty Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts*

1 lb. potatoes, cut into about 1 inch cubes

1/3 c mayo

3 T Dijon mustard

1/8 t pepper

2 large cloves garlic, minced

Grease a cookie sheet. Place chicken and potatoes on cookie sheet. Blend remain ingredients together and brush over chicken and potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.

*I wrote the directions as I made it tonight, but next time I'm going to cube the chicken also and then toss all the chicken and the potatoes in a bowl with the coating to get it covered better. Brushing it on top was not enough. I think I'd give the potatoes a 15 minute headstart and then throw the cubed chicken in too. I'm not sure how long the chicken would take to cook in such small pieces, so I can't give any specific directions. But man this stuff is tasty!

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

2009-09-18T19:27:00.002-04:00

These were delicious! They were also easy (if involved) and cute. And I even took a picture. Totally a make-ahead-and-bake-whenever kind of meal.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, cooked and well drained

2 c cottage cheese

1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

1 beaten egg

1/8 t nutmeg

8 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

Spray 2 qt rectangular baking dish with nonstick spray. For filling, in a bowl stir together all ingredients, except the noodles. Spread about 1/3 c of filling on each noodle. Roll up, jelly-roll style, beginning at the short end. Place seam side down in dish, cover with foil, and cook at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sauce

1 large onion chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

14.5 oz canned tomatoes, undrained

1/2 t dried basil

8 oz can of tomato sauce

1/2 t sugar

Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer.

The sauce was okay, but I might save myself the trouble next time and just use my favorite spaghetti sauce (which is and always will be Prego).

More Chicken

2009-09-18T15:36:00.003-04:00

I ought to have at least tried to take a picture of this one for you all because it really is a pretty dish, but my food pictures always turn out really poorly. I don't have a photographer's touch unfortunately.

I made Chicken and Penne with Basil Sauce from the new book last night. We all liked it, even Charles (it's dairy-free!), but I will still do things differently next time. I might skip the sauce all together and just throw the basil in with the chicken and vegggies. I don't like the taste or texture of so much cornstarch. Can you substitute flour for cornstarch? Will it thicken in the same way?

Also the recipe cautions not to replace the fresh basil called for with dried basil. It apparently will not taste as good.

Chicken and Penne with Basil Sauce

from Better Homes and Gardens New Dieter's Cookbook

1 1/4 c chicken broth

4 t cornstarch

1/8 t black pepper

2 c dried penne pasta

1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into thin strips

1 medium green sweet pepper, cut into thin strips

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T oil

12 oz chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes

1/4 c lightly packed fresh basil leaves, cut into thin shreds

2 T Parmesan cheese

garnish - fresh basil

1. Stir together chicken brother, cornstarch, and black pepper. Set aside

2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Cover; keep warm.

3. Meanwhile, spray an unheated large skillet with nonstick spray. Preheat over medium heat. Add sweet peppers and garlic. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until crisp-tender. Remove from skillet. Add oil, increase heat to med-high. Add chicken; cook 3-4 minutes until no longer pink. Stir broth mixture and add to skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return peppers to skillet; add basil shreds. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Toss with hot pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan and garnish with additional basil as desired.

4 servings

Tonight's dinner: Spinach Lasagna Rolls from the same book. I'll let you know.

Broccoli-Sausage Sauce

2009-09-17T14:54:00.004-04:00

When my husband and I moved from Indiana to Missouri almost a year ago, I couldn't pack up all my food magazines; there were just too many. So I went through them all and torn out the recipes I liked. They were supposed to be organized neatly in a binder, but they still lay in a stack. I finally got around to looking through them and I found this recipe.

It's a pretty simple sauce, but delicious. The amount of sauce it makes is enough for 1 pound of pasta. I used rotini shaped pasta, but any short pasta will do - bow tie, shells, penne, etc.

Source: Family Circle - September 2004
Servings: 8

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (28 oz.) can of diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bunch of broccolli or broccoli, cut in 1-inch pieces

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large pot. Add onions and cook 5 minutes over medium heat stirring occasionally. Add garlic, sausage and mushrooms; cook 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add wine; cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, paste, salt, oregano, nutmeg, pepper. Bring to boil. Lower heat to low and cooked, covered, for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broccoli during the last 5 minutes.

Anne's Favorite Pizza Sauce

2009-09-16T14:10:00.003-04:00

Well, I did it. I found my new favorite pizza sauce. I've been working on perfecting a homemade pizza for our family because just like nearly everyone else, we really enjoy eating pizza but aren't so excited to spend the money on it. I'm sure we'll still order out here and there, but it's nice to know I can put pizza on our weekly menu if I feel so inclined.

While I was looking for the perfect sauce, I tried one that was way too spicy for me and one that was a little bit too sweet for me. I took a few ingredients from each recipe and came up with this one. And it was perfect for me. The best part is that Peter really liked it, too!

If you haven't found your own favorite pizza sauce, give this one a try.

Anne's Favorite Pizza Sauce

28 oz can tomato puree

3 T olive oil

1 T sugar

1 t dried basil

1/2 t dried oregano

1/2 t dried marjoram

1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 t salt

4 cloves garlic, minced

Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. (You might want to cover it because mine start splattering all over the place!) Reduce to a simmer. Simmer probably at least 15 minutes or so.

Makes enough for 3 or 4 14-inch pizzas. So you can just freeze whatever you don't use and use it next week. Your pizza will be that much quicker to make.

Yummy Breakfast Link

2009-09-14T14:11:00.005-04:00

I've recently declared Saturday to be Make-A-Fun-And-Delicious-Breakfast Day. I've got my shopping list ready to go, except I hadn't planned for anything fun on Saturday yet. Then I noticed these. That's what I'm hoping to put on my table on Saturday. Puff pastry and dark chocolate pieces have been added to my list now!

Some tasty wholemeal soda bread

2009-09-13T19:03:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone. This is my first post, obviously, but I'm really excited to be a part of this blog. I'm moving from Ireland to Istanbul, Turkey in a few days, and can't take all my cookbooks, so it will be great to check out your recipes to keep me going while I'm there. Here's a great Irish soda bread recipe that I love. Its quick and easy and I like it better than other soda breads I've tried to make. Oh, and sorry, its in metric and I don't have time to convert it at the moment. If you have a scale you'll be fine.

Ingredients:

400g fine wholemeal flour

130g plain white flour

50g wheatgerm

30g pinhead (nibbed/kibbled) oats- use more jumbo oats if unavailable

30g jumbo oats

1tsp bread soda (heaped)

1tsp salt (heaped)

70ml sunflower oil (I've never tried it, but regular vegetable oil might work too)

550ml buttermilk (if you want to make this vegan or dairy-free, replace buttermilk with 275ml water & 275ml soymilk curdled with a squeeze of lemon juice)

A handful of toppings: oats/pinhead oats/pumpkin seeds/sesame seeds

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Brush baking tray with oil. Into a large mixing bowl, sift the brown and white flour and the bread soda. Add the wheatgerm, nibbed oats, jumbo oats and salt and combine thoroughly. Next, stir in the oil and distribute evenly.

Now make a well in the centre of the dry mix. If using buttermilk, pour it into the well. If using soymilk, first curdle the milk with lemon juice and the pour it, along with the water, into the well. Use your hand to gently fold the milk into the flour. It is important not to over-mix your soda bread, so use as little mixing as possible to bring everything together. It will be of quite a sloppy consistency.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead it into a round loaf. Use a knife to score a criss-cross shape across the top of the bread. Transfer to the flat baking tray and dust with a little flour. Pake in the centre of the oven for 45-60 minutes, until well-risen and browned on top. Turn it out onto a wire rack. Tap the base of the loaf with your fingers. If it makes a hollow sound, the loaf is cooked. Cover with a tea towel and leave on the rack to cool completely before slicing, quarter by quarter.

This recipe is from 'Cornucopia at home: The Cookbook' a collection of recipes from Dublin's Cornucopia Restaurant.

New Book, New Recipe

2009-09-12T12:18:00.005-04:00

While I was staying with my parents' last week, I found a new-to-me cookbook in their pantry: New Dieter's Cookbook. I browsed through it while I was there and it's full of fabulous pictures and fast, appealing recipes. I borrowed it. But my sister wanted to borrow it, too. So I promised her I would post each recipe as I made it.

The first recipe I tried was Chicken with Potatoes and Peppers. It was good, not great, but maybe you'll like it better than me. It appealed to me because I like nearly all the ingredients in it, and it was a new way to eat them. The dish looks really beautiful (not necessarily in my picture), but I think maybe the herbs are a wee bit intense for me or something. Anyway, here it is as I made it. You can alter it further to fit your appetite.

Chicken with Potatoes and Peppers

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

nonstick cooking spray

2 c diced potatoes

1/2 c chicken broth

1 1/2 - 2 roasted red sweet peppers from a jar, diced

1 1/2 t dried basil (I will use less next time)

1 1/2 t dried oregano (less next time)

1/8 t salt

1/8 t pepper

(The orginal recipe suggestions 2 T olives; I do not like olives.)

Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Preheat. Add chicken. Cook and stir 4 or 5 minutes until tender and no longer pink. Remove and set aside.

Add uncooked potatoes, sweet peppers, broth, herbs and spices to the skillet. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer covered until potatoes are tender (10+ minutes). Stir in chicken (and olives). Heat through. Garnish with fresh oregano if desired.

Makes four servings.