Turning Paper Into Water

Clare's Soup (..or Kielbasa & Cabbage Deliciousness)

2012-01-15T19:02:00.000-08:00

...as I mentioned on the "anything goes" blog, Clare is a woman who used to work with my mom. A long while ago she gave us a recipe for this kielbasa & cabbage soup that is so easy and so good. We always called it Clare's Soup so I am continuing the tradition here. It is wonderful with warm buttered sourdough and a little bit of parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. I think it might actually be ridiculously healthy, too.

Ingredients:
1 medium head cabbage
2 medium carrots, cut into ½ inch slices
1 (10 ounce) Polish sausage, cut into ½ inch slices (we use Turkey Kielbasa for this)
1 (28 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
4 cups of chicken broth
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine onion, cabbage, carrots, sausage, tomatoes, sugar, stock, allspice, paprika,
and salt and pepper to taste in a 4-quart non-aluminum pot. Bring to boil. Simmer,
covered, until carrots and cabbage are tender, about 20 minutes. Adjust seasonings
to taste.

Cranberry Relish

2011-11-19T15:33:00.000-08:00

There is a good chance I have posted this before--but it bears repeating in the days before Thanksgiving. Also, I wanted to test out my new iPhone camera and pretend I was the Pioneer Woman or Deb from Smitten Kitchen.

We've been making this for Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. Its been a Thanksgiving staple for me and my family. I understand there is a time and place for canned cranberry sauce--but it should not be on the Thanksgiving table because this is far superior in most every way imaginable. Despite this--I am always "battling" with the canned stuff whenever I go to Lars' family's. Don't even get me started. Don't ask me to bring cranberry relish and then have discs of canned cranberry crap on the table. BITTER? ME? No...I'm as sweet as homemade cranberry relish.

So simple and so good.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 cups sugar (you can make this less sweet if you like--I usually only put in about a cup)
1/2 cup water
1 12 oz package (3 cups) cranberries
2 medium pears (cored & cubed--2 cups)
1/2tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
4 inches stick cinnamon

COOKING DIRECTIONS
Bring sugar and water to boiling in two quart saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil rapidly, uncovered, 5 minutes

Add cranberries, pears and spices. Return to boiling. Cook 3-4 minutes or until cranberry skins pop, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Cover and chill. Remove cinnamon before serving. Store for up to a week in the fridge.

Here's the finished product. If I had my act together I would post it in a beautiful white bowl but you get it like this.

Comfort Me With Chicken Pot Pie (Palos Verdes Style)

2011-11-17T04:57:00.000-08:00

I realize that the legitimacy of a chicken pot pie recipe from Palos Verdes is a little circumspect (what do people in Palos Verdes know about comfort food for crisp fall weather and cold winter nights!)...but this recipe will make a believer out of you. Its a little bit of a twist on the traditional chicken pot pie, in that you bake biscuits within and on top of the "pie" in lieu of the pie crust. Comfort food at its finest and perfect for winter weather. Or summer weather if you're Kate and you live in San Francisco. Ginny--I don't think you're allowed to eat chicken pot pie in Florida-might be illegal so you should check with local ordinances. So, really, this recipe is for Erika--my cold weather doppelgänger. We got our first dip into 20 degree weather last night so its very appropriate to post this now.

Recipe here--I give it 5/5 "Noms"

PALOS VERDES CHICKEN POT PIE (Serves 4)

Pie Filling

8 teaspoons butter
8 teaspoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup diced carrots, peeled
1 cup green peas
4 chicken breast halves, skinned, cooked and diced (or a roast chicken from the market)
¼ teaspoon thyme (so important--love the flavor this adds)
Salt and pepper to taste

Biscuit Dough

1 ½ cups of flour
2-teaspoon sugar
1-teaspoon salt
2-teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1-cup milk or half and half

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Melt butter in a medium pan and stir in flour. Stir in broth and cook over low heat until mixture is smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrots, peas and chicken. Add thyme and season well with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
Prepare Biscuit Dough: Place flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in bowl and stir to mix well. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add cheese. Pour in milk and stir briefly until batter is sticky and holds together.
Spoon half of chicken mixture into buttered 2 quart casserole. With spoon, drop half of dough over chicken. Cover with remaining chicken mixture and top with remaining dough.
Bake until golden brown, about 30-40 minutes.

Slow Cooker Masala Chicken

2011-10-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

We all know what a deal breaker is, right? Its something you can't live without. I feel as though my ultimate relocation deal breaker would be proximity to a Trader Joe's. Somehow, its become the only place I shop. I don't know how--but I've just discontinued my weekly trips to the more traditional grocery stores, do the bulk of it all at TJs, and occasionally pick up some items at Target or Kroger (Ralph's equivalent).

That said--I found this excellent/easy recipe for slow cooker chicken masala which uses the Trader Joe's simmer sauce as a base. Its kind of cheating--but kind of not. We're all incredibly busy, right? Why not let TJ's ease our cookies woes if only for a little while.

The recipe can be found HERE--but the pictures don't do it justice. I mean--it looks wrong. But it tastes so right. For mine, I actually did not add that much half & half and I did add some red pepper flakes to up the heat index. Also, I just made regular old rice with butter and mixed in some peas for the base. Lastly--I bought some Trader Joe's frozen Naan bread and ate that on the side. Delicious. Plus you just kind of throw everything into the slow cooker and let it go. I love this.

Shrimp with Avocado-Mango Salsa

2011-08-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

This was a very easy, quick meal and healthy too. It was pouring outside so I used the broiler setting in the oven and the only mis-hap was using a silpat to line the baking pan. Turns out, Silpats+broiler=FIRE; so I advise against using a silpat in this recipe.

Also, toddlers + cous cous=GIANT MESS. Be prepared to spend more time cleaning cous cous off the floor than cooking. I generally wait until it's dried (about an hour) and it's much easier to sweep up.

Shrimp with Avocado and Mango Salsa

Vegetable oil cooking spray

8 cups baby spinach

1 cup couscous

1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon salt,divided

1 large mango, peeled and diced

1 medium avocado, diced

1 medium tomato, diced

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/2 jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Heat grill. Fold four 18-inch-long pieces of foil in half; unfold and coat inside with cooking spray. Place 2 cups spinach in center of 1 half of each piece of foil. Combine couscous with 1/4 cup water; divide evenly among packets, placing on top of spinach. Combine shrimp, 1/4 cup cilantro, oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Divide shrimp evenly among packets, placing next to couscous. Fold foil to close and crimp edges to seal; place on grill; close lid; cook until packets are fully puffed, 10 minutes. Combine remaining 1/4 cup cilantro with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, mango, avocado, tomato, onion, jalapeño and lime juice in a bowl. Carefully cut foil to open; stir contents; garnish with salsa before serving.
(Source: Self Magazine, via www.epicurious.com)

Mediterranean Lentils and Rice

2011-07-06T06:40:00.000-07:00

So here is a vegetarian recipe that I enjoyed. I wouldn't say it made it into our top ten but it might be a contender with a few additions (mainly some form of protein for the husband). It was very easy and healthy! Plus it made the house smell FANTASTIC (thanks, cinnamon).

PS--Who swapped out the layout? I lava it!

Mediterranean Lentils & Rice
(serves four)

Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup dried lentils, sorted for stones nad shriveled lentils and rinsed
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (I had chicken broth on hand and this is what I used instead--no harm no foul).
1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes undrained
2 more cups low-sodium broth
1 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup of water
1/3 cup dried currants or raisin (I would actually recommend MORE of these--they're so flavorful and when all was said and done, I wished there was a higher ratio of them in the dish).
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne. Cook for 10 minutes or until the onion is soft.

Stir in the lentils and first two cups of broth. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients except the feta. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes--or until the rice and lentils are tender.

To serve, sprinkle with feta.

Taming the Beast--Conquering Cravings for Mexican Food in the Great Lakes Region

2011-06-26T05:23:00.000-07:00

So--now that I've conquered fish tacos-it was time to think about shredded beef. Now there's an introductory line if I ever wrote one.

I love love love shredded beef in Mexican food. I've made it a couple of times before but I've never been able to make it as wonderful as it is in some of the B-Grade restaurants/shacks in San Diego. Fear not, my friends--for I have found a recipe that I made last night and it was so good (and sooooo easy with a little bit of planning). Searing a giant chuck roast at 8am is not my idea of a good time--and this is before I had my coffee!--but it was worth it in the end.

Here it is.

It makes a lot (I made it for 6 adults and we still had quite a bit of leftovers)--so would recommend making it for a large group or being prepared to eat tacos or some variation of tacos for a while after making the meat.

Earl Grey Cupcakes with Lemon Earl Grey Buttercream Frosting

2011-05-31T09:13:00.000-07:00

Earl Grey Cupcakes with Lemon Earl Grey Buttercream
Makes about 15

For the cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder*
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 bags of earl grey tea, just the leaves (tea bag tea leaves are finer, so stick to bags)

For the frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups of powdered sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tbsn. lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons of earl grey tea leaves

Preheat oven to 350 F. Fill a cupcake pan with liners. Beat the butter until creamy, then add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure that they are incorporated thoroughly. In a bowl, combine the rest of the dry ingredients, including the tea leaves. Next, add half of the dry mixture. Add the milk then the remaining flour, stir until combined. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, rotating halfway to ensure even baking. Let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, cream the butter until nice and smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Next, add the lemon zest, lemon juice and tea, making sure it is well incorporated. Frost and enjoy.

*I had read that these cupcakes have a tendency to sink in the middle. So I actually doubled the baking powder amount to 4 tsp - to no avail. They still sunk in the middle, and had a slightly extra tart flavoring - probably from too much BP. If you have any ideas about the sinking, please share! :)

Surfer-Style Fish Tacos

2011-05-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

It may be hard to believe, but last night there were a total of four people from San Diego in my Ann Arbor house. Not interlopers, people who were raised in the land of milk and honey (and fish tacos). To celebrate this aligning of the stars, we made fish tacos--and it was glorious!

This recipe is from a book that ktull got for me a long while back. I've had my eye on it (especially in times of Mexican food desperation) and, let me tell you, it did not disappoint. San Diego consensus was a thumbs up. Plus we had a few Michiganders (yes, that is what we're called) who also gave it a nod of approval. Win-Win and sure to make the rounds again. Now, if only I could get my husband to eat fish.

Surfer-Style Fish Tacos
(Makes 6)

For the Tacos

12 Corn Tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded red cabbage (I just bought pre-shredded cole slaw mix and it worked just fine)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
6 Lime Wedges

For the Sauce

1/3 cup of mayonnaise
1/3 cup of crema Mexicana (available in Hispanic markets) or sour cream--not many Hispanic Markets here so we used sour cream and, once gain, it was just fine.
2 tablespoons North American-style chili sauce (such as Heinz)

For the Fish

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black peper
1 cup dark beer
Peanut or Canola Oil for deep-frying
1 pound halibut fillet, cut into 12 rectangular strips (I used cod. Again, just fine. IT WAS DEEP FRIED IT COULD NOT BE BAD).

1) Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a baker's parchment and put 6 stacks of 2 tortillas on top. Lay another piece of parchment on top, then cover the pan with aluminum foil to create a seal. Warm the tortillas in the oven while the fish is fried. Line another baking sheet with a brown paper bag or some paper towels so it will be ready to receive the fish when it's fried.

2) Put the shredded cabbage, chopped tomatoes, lime wedges, and taco sauce in separate bowls, ready to assemble the tacos when the fish is fried.

3) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sea salt, pepper and then whisk in the beer. Heat about two inches of oil in a cast-iron skillet or deep, heavy saucepan over high-heat. When it reached 375 degrees, on a thermometer, or when a drop of the beer floats immediately to the surface and swims across the surface of the oil, bubbling all the way, it's ready.

4) Dip the halibut/cod in the beer batter and gently lower the strips into the oil, 3 or 4 at a time, and cook until the batter is golden brown, about three minutes. Lift the fish out of the oil with a slotted spoon and put it on the paper-lined baking sheet. Hold it warm pin the oven while you fry the rest of the fish. Stir together the ingredients for the sauce.

5) To assemble the tacos (and lord help me this should be obvious for those of you who have ever been in San Diego), put 1-2 fish strips and a generous pinch of cabbage in the center of each warm stack of tortillas (2 per taco). Spoon chopped tomatoes over hte taco and garnish with a lime wedge. Let each person add the sauce to taste.

Recipe courtesy of WEST COAST COOKING.

Minted Watermelon and Lemon Ice Pops

2011-05-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

aka Heaven from the freezer

I first made these last summer in Newport and they were declared awesome by everyone all around and my kiddos have been requesting them for months now. Watermelon ice pops are the most refreshing and light summer dessert and although they do require a little extra effort, the payoff is much more special than your average sickly sweet, syrupy popsicle. There are multiple steps involved and I usually make a double batch because we have lots of pop molds. The liquid does keep in the fridge in a sealed container for about a week if you don't have as many as we currently do. Also, this is a great use for leftover watermelon. We LUV us some watermelon but generally have a difficult time finishing the big ones before they get too mushy.

A couple quick notes of mine, let the watermelon layer freeze a *little longer, about 1.5 to 2 hours so when you push the stick piece in the lemon layer doesn't "bleed" into the watermelon layer. It's still good but I really like the purity of the minty watermelon and then the tart lemon/orange layer. Also, you don't need the orange extract but it does make the lemon layer more tart and delicious.

Watermelon layer:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
2 cups packed (1/2-inch) cubed seeded watermelon
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Lemon layer:
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
- 1. To prepare watermelon layer, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; cook 30 seconds, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir in mint; cover and let stand 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a bowl.
- 2. Place watermelon in a blender; process until smooth. Strain puree through a sieve into bowl with mint syrup; press with back of a spoon to extract juice. Discard solids. Stir in lime juice; cover and chill 1 hour.
- 3. Pour about 2 1/2 tablespoons watermelon mixture into each of 8 ice pop molds. Freeze 1 1/2 hours or until almost set. Arrange 1 wooden stick into mixture, being careful not to push through to bottom of mold. Return to freezer. Freeze 1 hour or until frozen.
- 4. To prepare lemon layer, combine 6 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; cook 30 seconds, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour into a bowl; stir in lemon juice, orange juice, and extract. Cool 15 minutes; cover and chill at least 1 hour.
- 5. Remove molds from freezer. Pour about 3 tablespoons lemon mixture over frozen watermelon mixture in each mold. Freeze 2 hours or until completely frozen.
- SOURCE: COOKING LIGHT MAGAZINE

Artichoke & Mushroom Lasagna

2011-04-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

We were having friends over for dinner and looking for a meatless dish since one of them was observing no meat on Fridays over Lent. We found this delicious artichoke and mushroom lasagna. It was pretty rich but oh so worth it. We had it with a spring greens salad with walnuts and pears and a vinaigrette dressing.

A lot of people in the comments on epicurious said to make more of the filling. I can see how that might be the case if you wanted a lot a lot of mushrooms and artichokes--but we followed the filling recipe to a t and it seemed fine. More wouldn't necessarily be bad, though. For the bechamel sauce we did add more parmesan cheese. Because cheese makes everything better.

Here's a picture of the finished product.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

2011-04-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

I took this off of friend Leslie's blog.

It is so good and so easy and so healthy (probably even with cheese, avocado, and sour cream but you get to make it as healthy or unhealthy as you want!).

I love love love the roughly chopped carrots in it and the tofu. I've never tried seitan, though. Maybe I should.

Spiced Chai Concentrate

2011-01-14T12:48:00.000-08:00

If you do nothing else this winter, make this chai concentrate. It is seriously so delicious and comforting, perfect for a chilly (or, as cold as it gets in FL) afternoon. The hardest part is tracking down the star anise and cardamom pods. I never did find cardamom pods and just added 1/2 tsp ground cardamom, just be careful when you strain the mixture (the spices will sit at the bottom). Also, I used about half the brown sugar and the sweetness was just right for me.

You're welcome.

Experiments in Fruitcake (Bars), Part I

2010-12-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

We still haven't really settled into Tampa. We're moved in and all but our routine still has a bit of a foreign, transient feeling to it. Maybe it's all the cheap, falling down strip malls and billboards or more likely, it's because I've been lazy about trying to make friends. Anyways, my homesickness has turned into old timey nostalgia as of late because Mei and I have been reading Anne of Green Gables together.
In that vein, I had plans of making a real, old fashioned, booze soaked fruitcake this holiday season but totally chickened out. So...baby steps: enter a recipe for Martha Stewart's fruitcake bars. You can use whatever combination of fruits, nuts and liquor you like and so far, I have used golden raisins, cranberries, cherries, apricots, dried apple and grand marnier for my liquor. Step one: get a whole bunch of dried fruit, dice it up and then pour a bunch of honey and brandy (or liquor of your choice, in my case it's grand marnier) and let it sit for 2-14 days. I'll post the final product in a week or two. Wish me luck!

Here is the recipe from the Holiday Cookie 2010 magazine (I couldn't find it on line):

2 1/2 cups dark raisins
2 1/2 cups golden raisins
2 cups dried currants
2 cups dried sour cherries
2 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup dried apricots, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup honey
1 cup Cognac

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 Tb coarse salt
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups sugar
7 (!) large eggs

1. In a large nonreactive container (glass, ceramic or plastic) combine dried fruits, honey and Cognac, let macerate at room temperature for 2 days up to 2 weeks covered with plastic wrap.

2. Preheat oven to 275. Generously butter and flour 2 8 inch square pans, tap out excess flour. Whisk to combine flour, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in a bowl. Stir in nuts.

3. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down side of bowl as needed. Transfer to a large bowl. Using a flexible spatula, fold in flour-nut mixture and drained fruit mixture, stir to evenly distribute fruits and nuts.

4. Divide batter between prepared pans, use an offset spatula to smooth tops. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. 2-2 1/4 hours. Transfer pans to wire rack to cool completely. Invert cakes onto racks to unmold. Invert again, top sides up. Cakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 months.

5. Using a serrated knife, cut cake into thirds. Slice each third into 1 inch thick slices. Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Chunky Two-Bean and Beef Chili

2010-10-16T06:14:00.000-07:00

We made this last weekend during the unfortunate Michigan v Michigan State game. I won't hold the chili responsible for Michigan's loss---how could I? Especially when it is so good garnished with either queso fresco or monterey jack cheese (or both?!).

Ingredients:
1 tbsp canola oil, divided
Cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat (chef's note--I am okay with not using any meat in this recipe--but the lars likes it otherwise. we compromise and put in about half).
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 tbsp minced fresh garlic
2 tsp finely chopped jalapeno pepper
2/3 cup Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry-red-wine
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground ancho chile-pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground red pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes undrained and chopped
1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can hot chili beans

1) Heat 1 tsp of oil in a large dutch oven with cooking spray over medium high-heat. Sprinkle beef with salt. Place half of beef in pan, saute eight minutes or until browned. Remove from pan and repeat procedure with remaining beef. Remove from pan.

2) Add 2 tsp of oil, onion and bell pepper to pan and saute 3 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno; saute 1 minute. Add wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return beef to pan.

3) Stir in tomato paste and remaining ingredients (I like to put all the spices/sugar together in a bowl before I start making this dish and then just dump it in when the time is right) and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender, stirring occasionally. Yield 6 servings (serving size about 1 1/2 cups).

This recipe is from the March 2006 Cooking Light.

Corn Chowdah

2010-09-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

Nothing says the return of fall like good soup. We're loving the crisp autumn weather in Ann Arbor and thought we'd celebrate football season, cooler temps and delicious corn with corn chowder. Or, as I like to pronounce it, "chowdah".

I've tried a couple different Corn Chowdah recipes and this is the one I like the best. We like ours with a little kick so also add hot pepper flakes (and I've also put in jalapeno before). Its good just on its own. Its from the old classic, Joy of Cooking.

Corn Chowder
About 6 Cups

Cook, stirring, in a soup pot over medium-low heat until beginning to crisp, 10-15 minutes:

4 slices bacon, chopped (I tried turkey bacon and there's really, for soups, no substitute for the real deal).

Leaving the bacon in the pan, spoon off all but two tablespoons of fat. Add and cook, stirring until tender and slightly browned, 10-15 minutes

1 small onion, chopped
2 medium celery ribs, diced

Meanwhile, remove the kernels from:

6 small ears of corn

Set the kernels aside and add the cobs to the pot, along with

4 1/2 cups milk
2 medium potatoes diced

Submerge the corncobs with the milk. Bring the milk almost to a boil, reduce hte heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes. Remove the cobs and stir in the reserved corn kernels with

1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper.

Simmer gently until the corn is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. With a slotted sppon, remove 1 1/2 cups solids from the soup and puree until smooth (or use your immersion blender until desired consistency is reached). Return to the soup and add

1 Tablespoon of butter (we don't do this but its in the recipe!).

Let stand until the butter is melted, then stir and serve.

African Peanut Butter Soup

2010-09-11T11:58:00.000-07:00

So a woman I work with has been making this soup and bringing it into the office ever since she started working with me three years ago. I have always been intrigued but never daring enough to make it---I mean, it doesn't *sound* great when you sell it as "peanut butter soup"...unless, of course, peanut butter is your thang. But guys, it is REALLY good. And very healthy. Think of all the protein you're getting sans meat. The texture of the rice and the sweet potato puree and the tofu and the scallions. D'lish!

Here is the recipe on Epicurious. It makes GOBS-full. You can freeze and save for later. I ate mine with some sourdough bread and chopped up canteloupe for added fun.

The only thing I would do differently is add a little bit more cayenne pepper. I did not get the heat kick that I anticipated with it. I'm sure a jalapeno or two in the mix wouldn't hurt, either.

Summer/fall sweet potato salad

2010-08-14T17:17:00.001-07:00

Friends, this is soooo good. And it's very easy (as long as you read the ingredient list and remember to buy the limes and then read the recipe so that you put the onions in to roast with the potatoes at the beginning rather than halfway through when you're supposed to be going to pick up some limes, and then all hell breaks loose because the husband you're supposed to be picking up after you finally get the limes got caught up in the ICU and then you decided to take a shortcut that leads to a no left turn onto your street so you have to backtrack and the baby has been whining/wailing for a good half hour at this point. And no one was there to praise your excellent parallel parking job when getting the limes!). Perhaps an unnecessary digression, but since there isn't much else to say other than THIS IS SO GOOD AND EASY so I guess I needed something else to beef up the post.

Anyway, we first discovered the fab salad last summer and ate it a bunch then and I'm so glad I found the recipe again. I throw in an avocado, and it's a great complement. Tonight I'm putting the leftovers in quesadillas with jack cheese. I don't know how they will turn out, but I can't imagine they won't be good - jack cheese, tortillas and a spicy summer salad. Right? I'll let you know if they're a massive failure.

Almond Cake

2010-07-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

We had friends and babies over for dinner on Saturday night. We served pesto, chicken sausage, watermelon and bread from Zingermans. It was good, I won't lie. But the real star was this fantastic almond cake that our friend brought. So delicious!

As David Leibovitz says in his article, "This is one of those cakes that's hard to mess up"...and apparently its adapted from Chez Panisse! I smell a blind taste test sometime in early August! Oh, what I would do to eat this sweet cake again and again and again and forever.

P-Dub's Pico De Gallo & Shredded Beef Tacos

2010-06-23T16:10:00.000-07:00

Pioneer Woman's Pico de Gallo

Sometimes its so easy to just buy pico de gallo at the grocery store that I would never really ever consider making it myself. HOWEVER, this recipe from Pioneer Woman is fantastic and I really liked it a lot more than the pre-made stuff from the grocery store.

This weekend I had hoped to have a couple of people over to our new place for Father's Day. I thought the easiest thing to do would be have kind of a high class taco bar--so I found a recipe for shredded beef tacos (surprisingly, none of my cookbooks had a shredded beef taco recipe; only ground beef!), and did it up all fancy-like with chihuahua cheese, homemade pico de gallo, avocados, limes, black olives, ...the works. Then Bjorn came down with a 103+ fever on Saturday night so we cancelled Father's Day dinner and ended up with copious leftovers. However, I am happy to report that the shredded beef tacos were good enough to eat at least three nights in a row. We *COULD* eat them again tonight but I'm tuckered out on that food front.

Seriously, though--make the pico. Its SUPER easy. Then get some good tortilla chips. And a corona. And a lime. Oh, heaven.

Grilled Rosemary Chicken Breasts With Blackberry Mustard Glaze

2010-06-13T05:18:00.000-07:00

Super easy and pretty sure this is Lars' favorite chicken dish ever. That said, I only make two so his choices are limited...still pretty good.

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp white wine or tarragon vinegar
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 clove of garlic minced
2 tsp minced freshly chopped rosemary
1/4 cup seedless blackberry jam
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Trim the chicken and pound to an even 1/2 inch thickness. Season chicken to taste with salt and pepper and place in a flat baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and rosemary. Pour over the chicken, turning to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

In a small bowl stir the blackberry jam and mustard together.

Remove chicken from the marinade and grill for 3-5 minutes per side or until cooked through, brushing with the blackberry mixture for the last minute on each side to glaze.

Serves 4.

Killer Cabbage Slaw

2010-06-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

Now--if I saw the title of this recipe I would think "blech" because I'm not really a "slaw" type of person. I think this is mainly because everytime I eat it brings back forsaken memories of the KFC drive-thru that we ended up eating at when my dad was out to sea (this is not a metaphor). ANYWAY--its really good. Yummy and I am going through a real sesame thing right now. Sesame bagels, sesame dressing, sesame slaw! Love love love! Also please note the "SERVES 12" below--I would imagine you could make this smaller but just use minimal amounts of the seasoning in the ramen packet.

Dressing:
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup canola oil or any vegetable oil
½ teaspoon pepper
Seasoning packet from Japanese ramen noodle mix

Salad:
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
½ cup slivered almonds
1 (3-oz.) package Japanese ramen soup mix noodles
4 cups shredded cabbage (I buy the pre-shredded cabbage)
1-2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
3 green onions, finely chopped

Make salad dressing and allow time for flavors to blend. Toast sesame seeds and slivered almonds in a fry pan until they begin to brown/golden. Cool. Place soup mix noodles in a plastic bag and break up or roll with a rolling pin (not too fine). Mix with toasted sesame seeds and almonds. Combine shredded cabbage, shredded lettuce and chopped green onions. Just before serving, add sesame seeds, almonds, noodles and dressing. Mix lightly. Serves 12.

Avocado Salad With Carrot Ginger Dressing

2010-04-27T18:44:00.001-07:00

I saw this recipe earlier today and immediately became obsessed. I just had to make it.

One of my favorite eating experiences in the world is the side salad you get right before you get your sushi at any Japanese restaurant. Who knew you could make it at home?! And with avocado?! Score x 2! I made mine with butter lettuce (which maybe is the same as bib lettuce? I can't tell--but it was still v good). Also, I ommitted the red onions because I don't really like them raw and I didn't have any in the house. One less thing to chop. Really, it was quite good. It makes so much dressing that you can have it twice. Now if only I could figure out how to save a half used avocado. I could just eat it for dessert...but that might be a little intense.

So, the recipe is actually by way of Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle website, Goop, and from a newsletter where she talks about doing a cleanse to lose a couple of pounds--but don't be fooled by that--it still tastes great! We ate it tonight coupled with a helping of Kung Pao Chicken and it worked just swell.

Like Thanksgiving dinner...but not

2010-04-22T11:15:00.001-07:00

Grilled thin sliced turkey cutlets (tiny bit of kosher salt and pepper and olive oil so it didn't stick)--Thanks Trader Joes
Steamed pre-cut green beans--also courtesy of TJs
Sweet potato sticks (TJs, of course) seasoned with "salmon seasoning" in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes
Jarred lingon berry sauce--from Ikea

The ultimate lazy meal that took less than 20 minutes and for some reason everyone was thrilled. Oh Trader Joes, how I miss thee! It's almost worth a weekly 35 minute commute over the bridge and through the woods.

Spring Chicken With Leeks and Peas (Served With Lemon Rice)

2010-04-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

I have been so reluctant to try anything other than our core staples--it just feels hard to invest the energy into something and not know how its going to turn out (although I have been eye'ing Ginny's curry pot pie for as long as its been posted!). The daffodils in our courtyard and the warmer weather inspired me, though--there's something about just throwing open the windows and letting spring smack you in the butt like the flirt that it is. Also, does not hurt that Bjorn jumparoos on his own while I'm cooking for longer periods, now. Anyway, let's get to it.

I made this from my Rachael Ray: 365 No Repeats cookbook. Haters to the left? I mean, she is pretty annoying but her recipes are sometimes fantastic. This wasn't the best I've had but it didn't take 30 minutes (it took less!) and it was pretty satisfying and different enough to be added to the repertoire. Also, have discovered I love peas and rice. The texture is fantastic!

Ingredients:
2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 cup white rice
Zest and juice of one lemon
3 tablespoons of EVOO
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
1 1/2 to 2 pounds of chicken breast tenders, cute into large bite-size pieces about 2 inches
2 medium leeks
1/2 cup dry white wine (or substitute chicken stock if you don't have any wine on hand)
1 10 oz box of frozen tender green peas
Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves finely chopped

Bring the chicken to a boil in a small pot. Stir in the rice, lemon zest and 1 tbsp of hte EVOO. Return to a boil and then reduce the heat toa simmer and cover pot. Cook for 17-18 minutes or until tender.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of EVOO and the butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the chicken to the pan and saute until lightly golden on both sides; about 4 minutes

Cut the leeks into half lengthwise, then slice into 1/2 inch half moons. Place the leeks in a collander and wash under cold running water separating the layers and releasing all the grit. Drain the leeks well and add them to the chicken.

Cook the leeks with the chicken until they wilt down; 3 minutes or so. Add the white wine to the pan and scrape up any pan drippings. Add the peas and heat through; about another minute. Turn off the heat and season with salt and peper. Drizzle the lemon juice over the chicken and leeks.

Fluff the rice with a fork. The zest in the cooking liquid will have infused the rie with lemon flavor. Add the parsley and toss the rice to combine.

Pile the chicken and leeks on dinner plates and top with a small mound of lemon rice.

Curry Chicken Pot Pie

2010-02-25T17:45:00.000-08:00

We had this for dinner a couple nights ago and Ryan was impressed that I served homemade chicken pot pie during a weeknight, but this is probably one of the easiest pot pies ever. I made a "turkey cobbler" (same difference) after Christmas that was probably tastier but I slaved over that thing for a LONG time. Active cooking time is less than 30 minutes but it does need 45 minutes in the oven so this is not something to make when you get home late from work.

The recipe is from Alton Brown and very simple, especially if you bake/broil some chicken breasts ahead of time (I often bake/broil 3 thawed chicken breasts in the oven and use throughout the week in salads, pastas etc). The addition of curry really helps this pot pie stand out without being overwhelming, my kiddos loved it. Excellent comfort food and so much better tasting and better for you than those Marie Calendar's individual pot pies from my childhood.

1 8 1/2 ounce sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed (usually come in 2 pack boxes)

2 Tbs of unsalted butter

1 Cup of onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

4 cups frozen vegetable medley (I used peas, corn, carrots and green beans)

1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup milk (he recommended whole milk but I used 2% because that's what I had, it turned out perfect but I'd stay away from the nonfat milk for this recipe because it may not thicken as needed)

3 Tbs flour

1 Tsp curry powder

2 Tsps dried parsley

1 Tsp kosher salt

1/2 Tsp black pepper

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, coarsely chopped

1. Unfold the thawed puff pastry and pierce with a fork. Cut into 2 inch rounds with a biscuit cutter or a glass. Set aside. If you like a lot of pastry and have a small casserole dish you could probably skip this step and just lay the whole pastry sheet over the top of the casserole.

2. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Melt 1 tbs of butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and sweat until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the frozen veggies and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 7-8 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, combine the broth and milk in a 2 cup microwave safe container (measuring cup to make pouring easier later) and heat in the microwave oven until almost boiling, about 2 minutes.

5. Add remaining 2 tbs of butter to the veggies and melt. Add the flour and curry powder and whisk for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk/broth mixture and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Add parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken and stir to combine. Pour into a 9 X 13 inch baking dish or your favorite casserole dish. Mash down the mixture to compact the casserole and top with the puff pastry circles.

6. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes or until puff pastry has browned and the mixture is hot and bubbly. Cool for 15-30 minutes before serving.

Good stuff

2010-02-15T06:03:00.000-08:00

We made this the other night. Actually, we=Steve. When he set out to get dinner started for me, he was shocked at the recipe's simplicity. Then, realizing how easy it was, he decided that he was going to make dinner and instructed me not to touch anything. He claims he put a secret ingredient in it, but I don't believe him. I'm not wild about tomato sauces, but this was so so good. It's great on it's own, but I think it would be excellent with some fresh seafood. I think we'll try shrimp or scallops sometime.

Steve's TPIW debut gave me time to make some caramel corn I'd been meaning to try for a while. Also very good and pretty easy. Take seriously the instruction to work quickly when stirring in the caramel... I didn't get it as evenly distributed as I should have. And I think I'll sprinkle some extra salt, maybe flake salt, before putting it in the oven next time, but this probably depends on how salty your popcorn is to start. Nevertheless, it was some good noshing while watching the Olympics on a winter night!

Chicken Fettuccine With Creamy Red Pepper Sauce

2010-01-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

Many of you have been lucky enough to hear me bemoan my weight gain during pregnancy. I think this puts the k'bosh on my incessant whining if I resign myself to making dishes like this. So bad. So good. What's a girl to do?

My mom started making this for Lars and I when she comes out to visit and play with Bjorn. Lars has requested that it become a "staple"--ie, something that I make frequently. Its super easy to make and super fast, too...we make it spicier than the recipe calls for but you can make it as spicy as you want. I love love love the carmelized red onions in this. Delicious. This fed four people with leftovers.

Fettuccine with Chicken and Red Pepper Cream Sauce

12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or chicken tenders)
1 tablespoon butter
2 large red peppers, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper (I used ¾+ teaspoon because Lars likes things spicy)
1 ½ cup whipping cream
1 cup chicken stock or broth
3 tablespoons fresh basil
8 ounces fettuccine
Parmesan cheese

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces (if you cut the chicken while it is still just a little frozen, it is easier to cut than totally defrosted). Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate. Add red bell peppers and onion to same skillet and sauté until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and crushed red pepper to skillet and sauté 4 minutes. Add whipping cream and chicken stock. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 8 minutes.

Add chicken and simmer until chicken is cooked throughout, about 2 minutes. Add basil and ¼ (or more!) cup grated Parmesan cheese to sauce, stirring to incorporate.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain and return to pot. Add sauce and toss to coat. Serve with more Parmesan.

Sam The Cooking Guy's Thai Chicken Curry

2009-12-10T19:32:00.000-08:00

This recipe is so good. I'm especially intrigued by using pre-grilled chicken in the recipe so that it takes even less time. My mom cooked this for Lars and I last night and my only complaint is that it looks like baby poo. I mean, I don't know if I'd think that if I didn't have a baby that poos frequently. Its just curry, ya know? It doesn't smell like baby poo if that is any consolation. It smells like delicious fantastic curry.

...What? You want me to stop with the baby poo descriptions? Is this a people's blog or a bourgeois blog?

Okay okay here's the recipe taken from Sam the Cooking Guy.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1-14 ounce can coconut milk
2 cups diced cooked chicken, or lamb, or whatever you like
2 tablespoons apricot jam

Steps

Cook onion and garlic in oil until softened - but not too soft
Mix flour and curry powder together, and add to onion mixture
NOTE - if you want it spicy, this is when you would add the cayenne
Stir well for a minute, and begin to add about 3/4 of the coconut milk (add all if you like, it will just be a little thinner)
Stir in apricot jam
Add in chicken and allow all to warm through
Serve on rice and garnish with a little fresh chopped cilantro

Meatloaf - pioneer style!

2009-11-04T04:09:00.000-08:00

I'm officially obsessed with the Pioneer Woman. You can read more about her on the blog, but I have come to love her recipes. They're simple, back-to-basics and sooooo yummy. The recipes are large, so we always have leftovers for lunch the next day. The best part is all the pictures! I just bought her cookbook and whipped up the first of many hits.

This meatloaf is slightly different from other meatloaf - because it's wrapped in bacon (to seal in moisture!) It does lend a slightly bacon-y flavor to the meatloaf so you could easily leave it off for a traditional meatloaf flavor. The BEST part is the sauce. There's lots of it and it's sweet and baked in. It's a big recipe (don't forget - she's feeding 4 kids...that she homeschools....and still has time for photography AND a blog!) so you could easily halve it. I baked the whole thing and saved some for leftovers.

Here's the list:

1 cup milk
6 bread slices (we used potato bread - is there anything yummier?)
2 lbs of ground beed (you could easily use turkey)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1//4 tsp Lowry's seasoned salt
Fresh ground pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
4 eggs, beaten
8 to 12 thin bacon slices

Tomato gravy:
1 1/2 cups ketchup
6 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
dash or two of hot sauce - more if you like heat

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Pour the milk over the bread and allow it to soak in for a few minutes.
3. Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parm cheese, salt, seasoned salt, pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the beaten eggs.
4. With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined.
5. Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan, which will allow the fat from the meat to drain. I line the pan with aluminum foil to avoid scrubbing later.
6. Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf.
7. Next, make the tomato gravy: Pour the ketchup into a small mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar and dry mustard, and splash in the hot sauce. I'm generous with it because I like spice.
8. Stir the mixture until well combined.
9. Pour one-third of the tomato gravy over the top of the meatloaf.
10. Bake for another 45 minutes then pour another one-third of the remaining tomato gravy over the meatloaf. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
11. Serve with the remaining tomato gravy on the side as a dipping sauce. Serve with PW's Creamy Mashed Potatoes or Olive Cheese Bread. Delicious!

Super Easy Sides: Roasted Veggies

2009-09-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

Cook's note: this is much better without the side of thumb mine came with tonight but you can use any combination of fall/winter vegetables that you like, thumbs included. Especially easy if you can find the precut squash and potatoes and baby carrots in the store.

Preheat oven to 425/450 depending on how crispy you want your veggies.

3-4 medium Yukon Gold or Red potatoes, cubed
1 yellow onion cut in 1/8ths
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 small Butternut Squash, cubed
2 medium carrots, cut in "thick" matchsticks
4 Tbs olive oil to coat
Kosher Salt
Fresh ground pepper
* Chopped fresh rosemary--optional

Place cut veggies in pan (I like to use a deep sided baking sheet lined with parchment) and douse with olive oil, salt and pepper and herbs and stir to coat veggies. Bake for 20 minutes and turn vegetables and return to oven for another 20-25 minutes.

Cinnamon Crumble Apple Pie

2009-09-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

Yay for Autumn! One of the best things about fall is the bumper crops of apples. My food porn often involves apple pie, caramel apples, baked apples, apple slices with peanut butter--you get the idea: Ginny <3's apples.

My brother-in-law Chad and his girlfriend Sonja are visiting this week so I've been cooking up a storm for the guests. Also, Chad eats a lot. As he reminded me last night, I should have made a shopping list of what I thought I would need and then doubled it for him. Why the man is not 300 pounds is a complete mystery to me. Ryan can put it away too and is just over a buck fifty. Not fair.

Anyways, getting back to my original point. Apples are awesome, apple pie is even better and although I make a few modifications,this is one of the better recipes I've come across (on epicurious.com). I suck at pie dough but luckily Sonja makes a perfect crust. I include the recipe's pie dough here but you can sub in your favorite iteration of flaky pie crust. Traditionally, bakers use the granny smith which gets very soft when baked but I recommend that you use golden delicious apples. Apple pie connessieurs may be yelling "Blasphemy!" but golden delicious apples stay firmer and need less sugar and the resulting pie is more "appley" and less mushy. My version is below but you can view the original on epicurious.com here.

Crust

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup frozen solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons (or more) ice water
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Filling

3 1/4 pounds Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Topping

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Vanilla ice cream

For crust:
Mix flour, salt, and sugar in large bowl. Add butter and shortening; rub in with fingertips until coarse meal forms. Mix 3 tablespoons ice water and vinegar in small bowl to blend. Drizzle over flour mixture; stir with fork until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch; turn edge under and crimp decoratively. Refrigerate while preparing filling and topping.

For filling:
Mix all ingredients in large bowl to coat apples.

For topping:
Blend first 5 ingredients in processor. Add chilled butter cubes; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles wet sand.

Toss filling to redistribute juices; transfer to crust, mounding in center. Pack topping over and around apples. Bake pie on baking sheet until topping is golden, about 40 minutes (cover top with foil if browning too quickly). Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until apples in center are tender when pierced and filling is bubbling thickly at edges, about 45 minutes longer. Cool until warm, about 1 hour. Serve with ice cream.

Corn and tomatoes

2009-09-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

I made this on Friday and this on Saturday. Yum. And we felt so healthy!

We love the Bittman salad - my mom had made it for us when we were on vacation - and I think it will become a regular part of our rotation. We use turkey bacon. Also, I couldn't find Thai peppers so I just used some random kind. Make and love this salad.

I modified the Smitten Kitchen cornbread salad - not on purpose but because that's life and cooking. I didn't have the inclination to chase down the various types of greens (trader joes i love you but i hate your approach to produce; really - all those wasteful plastic containers and more of one thing than i ever need?) so I just used a mix of greens. I couldn't find a Vidalia onion either so I just used some type of sweet onion. For no good reason I am afraid of putting my skillet in the oven so I didn't use the cornbread recipe provided. I planned to use TJ's cornbread mix (forgive me), but they were out so I ended up making the Joy of Cooking's Northern Cornbread. I think it might have been better to have the sweeter TJ cornbread because it would have contrasted with the bite of the onions and the dressing. Despite my tweaks, it was good.

I wasn't going for a theme, it just looks like it. Both were very easy and yielded leftovers that we enjoyed today. Excellent.

Chicken Tequila Fettuccine (CPK Knockoff)

2009-09-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

My friend Minal had my mom and I over for dinner and made this fabulous little recipe...after we had dinner I wanted to know what it was and she said she just did a little google search on a knockoff recipe for CPK Chicken Tequila Fettuccine. I love the lime and cilantro flavor in this. Also, am loving having people cook for me and hope to get back into the swing of things myself soon. You can only eat so many burritos from BTB (Big Ten Burrito) before it loses its allure.

Ingredients

1 lb dry spinach fettuccine (or 2 lbs fresh) .
2 tbsps minced fresh garlic .
1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced .
2 tbsps gold tequila .
2 tbsps minced jalapeno peppers (seeds & veins may be eliminated if milder flavor is desired) .
1/2 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced .
2 tbsps freshly squeezed lime juice .
3 tbsps soy sauce .
1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced .
1 1/4 lbs chicken breasts, sliced 3/4 inch .
1/2 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced .
1 1/2 c heavy cream .
1/2 c sliced fresh cilantro (2 tbsps reserved for garnish or finish) .
3 tbsps unsalted butter (reserve tbsp per sauté) .
1/2 c chicken stock (preferably homemade)

Instructions

Step #1 Prepare rapidly boiling, salted water to cook pasta; cook this until al dente, 8 to 10 mins for dry pasta, approximately 3 mins for fresh.

Step #2 Pasta may be cooked slightly ahead of time, rinsed & oiled & then "flashed" (reheated) in boiling water or cooked to coincide with the finishing of the sauce/topping.

Step #3 Cook 1/3 c cilantro, garlic & jalapeno in 2 tbsps butter over med-heat/flame for 4 to 5 mins.

Step #4 Add stock, tequila & lime juice.

Step #5 Bring the mixture to a boil & cook this until reduced to a paste like consistency; set aside.

Step #6 Pour soy sauce over sliced chicken; set aside for 5 mins.

Step #7 Meanwhile cook onion & peppers, stirring every once in awhile, with remaining butter over med-heat/flame.

Step #8 When the vegetables have wilted (become limp), add.

Step #9 chicken & soy sauce; toss & add reserved tequila/lime paste & cream.

Step #10 Bring the sauce to a boil; boil carefully until chicken is cooked through & sauce is thick (about 3 mins).

Step #11 When sauce is done, toss with well-drained spinach fettuccine & reserved cilantro.

Step #12 Serve family style or transfer to serving dishes, evenly distributing chicken & vegetables.

Kung Pao Chicken

2009-09-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

...ANOTHER Cooking Light recipe. Sometimes when I make this and then I overeat I'm like "hey but its cooking light". Awww the food addict's dilemma.

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients
1 tbsp canola oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 tbsp ground fresh ginger, divided
2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (more to taste)
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp corn starch
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp coursely chopped salted peanuts

Instructions
1) Heat 1 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and tsp ginger to pan, saute 1 minute. Add water. Cover, cook 2 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Remove broccoli from pan, keep warm.
2) Heat remaining 2 tsp of oil in pan and add remaining 1 tsp of ginger, crushed red pepper, and chicken. Cook 4 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, stirring frequently.
3) Combine broth and next five ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl and stir with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan, cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Return broccoli to pan, toss to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Chile-Cheese Corn Bread

2009-09-08T15:48:00.000-07:00

Would you believe this is from a "lighten up" section of a magazine? Me neither--but its really quite good! We had it with Miracle Chicken Tortilla Soup last night. Seems perfect for the harvest season, too...with a good chili or perhaps some bean surprise?

Chili-Cheese Corn Bread

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup shredded reduced fat extra sharp cheddar cheese (or more to taste but that defeats some of the "lighten up" aspect to the recipe, no? mmm cheese).
1 (14 3/4 oz) can cream-style corn
1 (4 1/2 oz) can chopped green chiles undrained
Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2) Combine softened butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg substitute, nonfat buttermilk, and eggs, beating at low speed until well combined.
3) Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking power and salt in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk. Add flour mixture to buttermilk mixture, stirring until combined. Fold in shredded cheese, corn, and green chiles. Pour batter into a 13 x 9 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes in pan. Yields 16 servings.

Bean Surprise*

2009-09-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, folks. Here is quite possibly, THE easiest dinner you can make. It's loaded with protein, and even if you want to go totally veggie and leave out the chicken, there's plenty of protein left.

Seriously...got a can opener?

1. Poach chicken and cut into cubes.
2. In a saucepan, combine the chicken, 1 can of refried beans, 1 can of pinto beans (do not drain), 1 can of red kidney beans, 1 can or jar of salsa.
3. Stir until mixed well.

This is actually Roger's recipe, and he came up with it back in the oooooold days of bodybuilding. There's virtually no fat, and it's got tons of protein and fiber. We mix this up lots of different ways - serve in a bread bowl or over rice, add garnishments like cilantro or green onions, sour cream and tortilla chips, wrap it up in a tortilla, etc. I actually just make a bunch and freeze it to use later. It's hearty!

** You've probably guessed what the 'surprise' is by now, right? Ahh beans, the magical fruit. :)

Chicken Couch Divine

2009-08-13T16:01:00.000-07:00

My mom cooked up a storm for us when she came right before Bjorn made his grand debut. A lot of what I requested was comfort food and this is one of the recipes specifically. I've never made HER recipe before--only the one in my Crate & Barrel cookbook. This one is hands down better. Maybe its the cup of mayo that goes into it...yikes. I like to think all the chicken and broccoli counter the negative effects of the mayo.

...this is like its straight from the Betty Crocker cookbook from the 1950s. Straight up with 7-Up Salad and SO good.

Chicken Couch Divine

Ingredients:

5 - 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and cut into small pieces (or the easy way is to buy a store cooked roasted chicken)
2 packages of fresh broccoli to steam in microwave...or 2 packages of frozen broccoli, cooked and drained (about 20 ounces total)
1 tablespoon butter
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (you can add a little more to taste)
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese (again, a little more to taste) grated

Mix sauce ingredients and simmer until warm, and the cheese melts. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in bottom of shallow baking pan (9x13).

Place broccoli in bottom of pan. Cover with some sauce. Layer sliced chicken over sauce and add remaining sauce to cover. You can smash up some croutons to place on top if you want to add a little crunch. Cook 30 minutes in 350 degree oven. Can be prepared a day ahead...increase baking time if casserole has been refrigerated or frozen.

Other recipes still to come from mom's venture to Ann Arbor:

Kung Pao Chicken
Chicken Tortilla Casserole
Chicken Fettucini Alfredo
Spanish Chicken Breast Bake

My favorite marinade

2009-07-31T08:22:00.000-07:00

Our new kitchen is unfortunate. Tiny, no counter space, no fan/exhaust system over the stove. Cooking dinner turns the main living floor into a sauna. And as Kate can attest, it's been oppressively sticky hot in the northeast for the last week so I've been doing a lot of grilling. Here's my favorite, no fail marinade that works for just about everything: chicken, beef, pork and veggies. Our favorite use is for chicken and beef (flank steak) kabobs because kids will eat anything on a stick. Adapted from Creme de Colorado by the Junior League of Colorado (I know, I know.)

1 cup of oil
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1/4 cup of worsteshire
1/4 cup of dijon mustard
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
A little salt and pepper

Mix it all up and toss in your meat of choice and let marinate for 8 hours to overnight. Grill or broil until desired doneness.

Lentil Vegetable Soup

2009-07-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics show on the Food Network and it looked so good and so easy to make. I haven't tried it, yet, but I'm hoping maybe to get a certain mom who is visiting in two days to make some and freeze some for leftovers when BBJ arrives. It seems like it might even be good in the summer...we shall see, though. I have majorly escaped the heat of the summer of 2009 with this pregnancy.

This would probably be so good with warm sourdough bread. Or in a sourdough bread bowl. Nom nom nom.

Ingredients
* 1 pound French green lentils
* 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large onions)
* 4 cups chopped leeks, white part only (2 leeks)
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
* 1/4 cup good olive oil, plus additional for drizzling on top
* 1 tablespoon kosher salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 3 cups medium-diced celery (8 stalks)
* 3 cups medium-diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots)
* 3 quarts chicken stock
* 1/4 cup tomato paste
* 2 tablespoons red wine or red wine vinegar
* Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Check the seasonings. Add the red wine and serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan

Spicy Orange Chicken Stir-Fry

2009-07-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

I had this crazy momentum yesterday evening at 7pm. Usually Lars and I will go out to dinner on Saturday night--but I was totally craving a night in so took it upon myself to look up a recipe on my iphone via the epicurious app after impulsively buying Tess of the D'Urbervilles at Borders to try and find something quick and easy to make for dinner. I think I may have been manic, but the results ended up quite nice!

This was VERY easy to make and had a lot of kick to it. Lars wished it was a little sweeter. He likes the SWEET and the SPICY but to me it was just right. I think, what he was really wishing for, was that I discovered the secret recipe for Chang's Spicy Chicken at PF Chang's and made that. Yeah, good look with that, honey buns.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice or long-grain white rice (10 to 11 ounces) 3/4 cup orange juice 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 small red onion, halved, thinly sliced Large pinch of dried crushed red pepper 1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips 1 8-ounce package stringless sugar snap peas

Preparation:

Cook rice according to package directions. Cover to keep warm; set aside.
Meanwhile, whisk juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch in medium bowl until cornstarch dissolves. Mix in orange peel.
Heat oil in large wok or nonstick skillet over high heat. Add onion and crushed red pepper. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add to wok and stir-fry until onion is crisp-tender and chicken is just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and juice mixture. Toss until sauce thickens and comes to boil and peas are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with rice.

Fake Bakes=My New Best Friend

2009-07-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you forget a recipe--and then you remember it--and then you remember that you liked it and so did your husband and that it provided ample leftovers. This is that recipe. We made it this past week and it was sooo good. Its from a Rachael Ray show I saw eons ago (don't be a hater until you've tried it!). I think the first time I made it tried so hard to follow all the directions it took a lot longer than expected (as with most of her recipes). Once I got the hang of it, though, I feel like could make this as a very quick week-night dinner with leftovers for probably 2-3 more days (depending on how hungry Lars is)....

Chicken, Sausage, Pepper & Onion Pasta Fake Bake

Ingredients

1 pound rigatoni
Salt
1 pound cooked chicken sausages (we use jalapeno-flavored from Trader Joe's)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 cubanelle pepper, seeded and sliced (if I can't find this, I just use another bell pepper)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
Ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken stock, a couple of glugs
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, (recommended: San Marzano)
Handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup fresh basil, 10 leaves, torn or shredded (I also just shake in a couple dried herbs if I don't want to go out and get fresh basil)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus some to pass at table

Directions

Place a pot of water on the stove to boil for pasta. When the water boils, salt it and cook pasta to al dente, with a bite to it.

Prick sausages with a fork. Place chicken sausages in a large skillet and add 1 inch of water. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet, 1 turn of the pan. Bring water to a boil then reduce heat a little. Allow all the liquid to cook away then brown and crisp the casings, 5 to 6 minutes.

Preheat broiler.

While pasta and sausage cook, heat a deep skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add the peppers, onions and garlic and season with salt and pepper. When the sausages are cooked through, slice them on an angle and add them to the peppers and onions. Cook together until peppers and onions are tender and sliced sausages are crisp at edges then deglaze the pan with white wine or chicken stock. Stir in crushed tomatoes and bring to a bubble, reduce heat to low.

Drain rigatoni and return to warm pot. Add ricotta cheese, salt and pepper, parsley and basil and half of the Parmigiano, a couple of handfuls, stir to combine.

To assemble the "fake bake," place half the sausage, peppers, onions and sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Top with all of the pasta and then the remaining sausage and sauce. Cover the top of the dish with the grated Parmigiano and place until broiler 2 minutes to brown cheese and set pasta.

Keen-wah

2009-06-30T04:52:00.000-07:00

Given recent TPIW quinoa enthusiasm, I have to share the Peruvian Quinoa Stew I made yesterday. I love it, especially because it seems pretty healthy and it's easy. This seemed a little blander than I remembered, but I would just add pepper to taste, and bump up the cheese and cilantro. We had it with yummy summer peaches, strawberries and fancy chocolates.

From Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home.

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water

2 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (i used olive b/c it was at the front of the cupboard)
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, cut on the diagonal into 1/4 inch-thick-slices
1 bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup cubed zucchini
2 cups undrained chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
2 cup water or vegetable stock (ok, i used chicken stock b/c that's what i had)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
pinch of cayenne (or more to taste)
2 teaspoons fresh oregano (1 teaspoon dried)

chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
grated cheddar or jack cheese (optional)

Using a fine sieve, rinse the quinoa well. Place it in a pot with the water and cook, covered, on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, until soft. Set aside.

While the quinoa cooks, in a covered soup pot, saute the onions and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the celery and carrots, and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, and water or stock. Stir in the cumin, chili powder, coriander, cayenne, and oregano, and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Stir the cooked quinoa into the stew and add salt to taste. Top with cilantro and grated cheese, if you wish. Serve immediately.

Special thanks to Sarah for holding baby G while I did the prep work!

OMG. That was way too easy.

2009-06-22T13:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I cooked what will probably be our last real meal here at Black Walnut: pan fried rib eye steak, spinach salad and...creme brule. Ryan and I luv us some creme brule and we pretty much order it for dessert at every restaurant that has it on the menu. I've never attempted it at home but decided to give it a try because it's Ryan's favorite and it was Father's Day.

It was SO easy that it's a little scary. Will I be tempted to make creme brule for dessert all the time now? Only time will tell.

This recipe makes 6 smaller servings or 3 larger servings. Our ramekins are on the bigger side and it was pretty rich, especially after the rib eye, but I was still trying to surreptitiously lick the bowl when no one was watching. Adapted from a recipe on epicurious.com.

Creme Brule
6 egg yolks
6 tbs of sugar
1 vanilla bean with the seeds scraped out
1 1/2 cups of whipping cream
More sugar for the carmelized topping.
Hot water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Whisk eggs and sugar. Add vanilla bean seeds and whisk to combine. Gradually add the whipping cream until well mixed. Divide evenly among 6 small (or 3 large) ramekins and put into large roasting pan. Add hot water to the pan until it comes about halfway up to the ramekin dishes, being careful not to splash water into the dishes. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand in the water an additional 30 minutes. Chill for at least 4 hours.

After the custards are thoroughly chilled, sprinkle sugar (about a teaspoon?) over the tops and swirl the dishes to evenly coat with sugar. We used one of those torches to burn/melt the sugar on top but you can also use the broiler of your oven. (Put rack on the highest position and broil for just about a minute, keeping an eye on the tops to avoid over burning.) Refrigerate for another two hours and serve with fresh berries and mint.

Cusp of Summer Dinner-Pesto, Watermelon, Chicken Sausage & Ginger Cooler

2009-06-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

I have been pretty uninspired lately on the cooking front. Its mostly been "hey what goes with cut up watermelon?"...

Well, that was kind of the case tonight except I went a little crazy and made homemade pesto, grilled up some chicken sausage, cut up some watermelon AND made a "Lemon-Ginger Tea Cooler" (which was actually the hardest part of the dinner but SO worth it). I have made this Kate before....like FOUR YEARS AGO. This recipe has been in hibernation for far too long.

Lemon-Ginger Tea Cooler

Ingredients
1 Lemon Thinly Sliced
1 1/2 cups of water
3 Regular size red zinger tea bags
3 (1/8th of an inch) slies peeled gingerroot
1/4 cup of sugar
2 2/3 cup of ginger ale, chilled
Ice cubes

Prep: 5 Minutes; Chill: 1 Hour
1) Reserve 4 lemon slices and set aside. Combine remaining lemon slices, water, tea bags, and gingerroot in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let cool completely; chill at least 1 hour.

2) Strain tea mixture, discarding tea bags, lemon slies and gingerroot. Stir in gingerale. Place ice cubes and reserved lemon slices in glasses and poor tea over ice. Serve immediately.

So refreshing and kind of feels like an indulgent drink I'm not supposed to have right now---gin & tonic anyone? Anyone? I mean, it doesn't taste like a gin & tonic but its a fancy summer drink so a girl can dream, right?

Cinnamon Bun Ebelskivers

2009-05-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

I broke down and bought the Ebelskiver pan from Williams-Sonoma because these just looked so fun and delicious. We brought them out post-community garage sale and the neighbor kids gobbled them up. I know you girls have limited kitchen space but these are as fun and tasty as they looked--so go get the pan!
A few notes: I would recommend halving the recipes for the filling and icing. They are both pretty sweet and we found that a little went a LONG way. I did not get a chance to take pictures but you can sneak a peak here. The recipe is on the Williams-Sonoma site and is a little more labor intensive than I bargained for, not difficult but there were a lot of steps. I tried to reduce some of the calories by using fat free milk and reduced fat cream cheese with good results.

Ingredients:

For the cinnamon filling:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 Tbs. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes,
at room temperature

For the cream cheese frosting:

3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 to 4 Tbs. milk

For the pancakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. granulated sugar

4 eggs, separated

2 cups milk

4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking

Directions:

To make the cinnamon filling, in a bowl, still together the granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and, using the back of a spoon, mash the butter into the flour mixture until all of it is absorbed into the butter, forming a paste. Set the cinnamon filling aside.

To make the cream cheese frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar, reduce the speed to low and beat until combined, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add 3 Tbs. of the milk and beat until combined, about 1 minute. The frosting should be thick but still pourable; add more milk if needed to thin it. Transfer the frosting to a small bowl; set aside.

To make the pancakes, in a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar. In another bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the milk and the 4 Tbs. melted butter. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined; the batter will be lumpy. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter in two additions.

Put 1/8 tsp. melted butter in each well of a filled-pancake pan. Set over medium heat and heat until the butter begins to bubble. Pour 1 Tbs. batter into each well. Spoon 1/2 tsp. of the cinnamon filling into the center of each pancake and top with 1 Tbs. batter. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Using 2 skewers, flip the pancakes over and cook until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the pancakes to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling.

Drizzle the pancakes with the frosting and serve immediately. Makes 35 to 40.

Quinoa...Where Have You Been All My Life?!

2009-05-01T14:36:00.001-07:00

Probably hiding in Co-Ops and Health Food Stores...

In any case, I had my first quinoa salad today and it was SO SO excelent and not that unhealthy to boot. I liked it because it didn't taste so much like yucky grain but had a really neat texture without being too aggressively healthy. You know that health food that you eat and it just TASTES like health food and its totally unsatisfying...yeah, that was not it. Anyway, I was inspired to try and find a recipe and I think I will try this bad boy on for size.

Maybe its just a pregnancy fad and by the time I make this I will hate it again. True story.

Ebbing and Flowing and Cooking and Not Cooking

2009-04-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a recipe for you that essentially describes my will to cook ever since Easter.

Buy a packet of tortellini from the grocery store (or two packets if you live with a Lars).
Boil water
Put tortellini in the water until done
Serve with sauce from a jar that you microwave because you're too lazy to even heat it up in a sauce pan.
Sometimes cut up cucumbers to eat as your "vegetable accompanient" but mainly just consider the tomato sauce as your vegetable serving.
Cry for your to-be-borned child's already pitiful nutritional existence.
Eat some frozen yogurt and be a little happier.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

She cooked!

2009-04-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

Well, baked. For Easter, I made Fallen Chocolate Souffle Cake, recipe from The Cottage cookbook (thank you, Jensens!):

16 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped OR 8 oz semisweet plus 8 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
9 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and line with parchment paper a 10-inch springform pan. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over simmering water. Remove from the heat and cool to a lukewarm temperature. Stir in the vanilla. In a medium bowl beat the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and the color is light. Fold in the cooled chocolate. In a separate below beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour the batter into the springform pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the center is barely set. Cool and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before removing the sides of the pan. Makes 10 servings.

Yes, I typed it correctly and you read it correctly. There are NINE eggs in the recipe and the chocolate comes out to somewhere around 3 cups. Makes the half a pound of butter sound pretty ok.

It's rich, but v yummy. Some lessons - I baked it for 30 minutes because my gas (boo) oven usually takes extra time for baking, but I wish I'd stopped it at 25. The center is gooey wonderful, but the outer edges, while fine, are not as moist as I would like. Also, I would serve it with raspberries or strawberries because it's very rich. Steve likes it with chocolate ice cream. Somehow, in his world, this cuts the intense sweetness. The best part? It's quite easy to make and could look pretty impressive with some berries, a platter and very little effort. Of course I forgot to take pictures before it was all sliced up.

Easter Dessert-Turtle Cake!

2009-04-12T18:16:00.000-07:00

Well--since I made my great grandmother's spaghetti for Easter Dinner, it only seemed fitting that I made my other great grandmother's turtle cake for Easter Dessert. Neither of them are very "Eastery"-but that's okay. I guess I just wasn't really in the mood to experiment with something I have never cooked before. Hello, Lazy Bones.

Here it is in all its glory...

Turtle Cake

1 box of German Chocolate cake mix
1 14 oz package of caramels
½ cup evaporated milk
1 cube butter
1 package of chocolate chips
1 cup pecans

Prepare cake mix according to box instructions. Pour ½ of batter in a 9x13 greased pan. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Unwrap and melt in microwave caramels and ½ cup milk and 1 cube of butter. Stir until creamy.

Remove cake from oven and sprinkle top with 1 package of chocolate chips and 1 cup of pecans (chopped). Pour caramel mixture over pecans and chocolate chips. Then top with remaining batter. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Before serving sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Date with a cupcake

2009-04-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

NYC's best cupcakes
Om nom nom. I am seriously jonesing for a cupcake now!

Erika, when you get back to SD we have to try that new cupcake place at UTC. Perhaps we should all start scoping out the best cupcake places in our respective (present and future) cities for the blog too. "Turning paper into cupcakes!"

Ginger Cookies

2009-04-06T18:49:00.000-07:00

Now, I realize that Ginger Cookies are generally a "harvest" treat--something to be enjoyed over the holidays with some nice glog...but when it snows in April sometimes you just gotta regress and bring back that nice ginger cookie smell into the house before you go insane from all the white stuff outside.

I tried this recipe. I was hoping they would be chewy. They were not but they were still good.

Good enough to eat. Nom Nom Nom.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/ginger-cookies-recipe2/index.html

(YES IT IS A PAULA DEEN RECIPE. DON'T JUDGE ME, PLS).

Okay speaking of dessert-like things...does anyone have any good suggestions for a dessert to make for Easter? We're hosting and while I already gave the caveat that I will not (NOT!) be making ham or lamb (Easter Spaghetti anyone?)...I was hoping to make a nice springish dessert.

O M G

2009-04-02T07:20:00.001-07:00

Taking Macaroni & Cheese to a new level. I double dawg dare someone to make this and (more importantly) eat it and (even MORE importantly) live to tell the tale...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/ladys-fried-mac-recipe/index.html

HOW/WHY DO YOU FRY MACARONI AND CHEESE?

As my friend Geoff says:
Chest seizing. White light. No, wait, not light -- white chedder? Take me lord!

Chicken Tortilla "Miracle" Soup

2009-03-31T17:33:00.001-07:00

Here is the soup that my mom made for me and worked miracles when I was sick. I like it SPICY with many a jalapeno.

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-2-3 tablespoons diced jalapenos (canned Ortega)
3 zucchini, diced
4 tomatoes, diced
4 cups, cooked and diced chicken (just get a rotisserie chicken from the market and shred the breast meat)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

2 boxes of Swanson chicken stock or enough to cover chicken and vegetables to your liking.

Tortilla strips
1 avocado, diced
Cheddar cheese, grated

Heat oil in a saute pan. Add onion and carrot and saute until tender. Add garlic, jalapeno and zucchini and saute for 2 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer then add tomatoes, chicken, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Cut corn tortillas into strips. Fry until brown and crispy. Drain well on paper towels.

Shred cheese. Dice an avocado.

Ladle into soup bowls and top with tortillas strips, avocado and cheese.

Eat and sleep for 10 hours

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2009-03-29T18:22:00.000-07:00

I am a bad food blogger this past week. Its because my mom has been in town and she has been cooking EVERYTHING for me. Are you jealous? You should be! We have a fridge stock-piled full of chicken tortilla soup, mint brownies, chicken enchiladas, homemade spanish rice. Nom Nom Nom.

I plan on getting these recipes out of her because they were so extremely excellent and not terribly hard to make. However, until then--here is a token BBQ Chicken Pizza recipe which is Lars favorite dinner that I make. True story. I got this recipe from my friend Colin during an "experimental" phase he was going through with pizza making...

INGREDIENTS

Two tablespoons of green onions, chopped
Cilantro leaves
Quarter of a yellow pepper
One tomato, thickly diced
A bone-less half breast of chicken
Stubbs BBQ sauce (OR Trader Joe's)
Trader joe's corn meal pizza dough (Or your garden variety pizza dough)
One quarter bag (or less) Trader joe's four-cheese italian shredded blend (mozerella is not sharp or salty enough)
About one and a half table spoons of finely crumpled gorgonzola or plain goat cheese (im trying cotixa next)

Preheat oven to 350

Salt and pepper chicken. Coat all sides with BBQ sauce, leaving ample
on the top to carmelize.

Bake chicken for 25 minutes.

Butter pizza pan.

Remove dough from the fridge and flatten immediately (dissregarding
instructions on the packaging). Turn dough between your hands and let
gravity spread it out. Finish at about an eighth of an inch thick.

Top flattened dough with bbq sauce, just a little bit more than you'd
need to glaze it. Use the back of a large spoon.

Top with thin layer of cheese, not obscuring all of the sauce.

Slice pepper lenghwise, in thin strips. Arrange in rough cris-cros
across pizza. Add tomatoes.

Remove chicken from oven, and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
Reset oven to 450.

Cut chicken lengthwise, and again across into pieces no thicker than
the flattened dough. Place chicken pieces on the pizza, wedging them
in between the vegetables. Refridgerate remaining half of BBQ chicken
for tomorrow's pizza.

Top with green onions, gorgonzola (or goat cheese) and a handful of
shredded cheese, just for binding.

Top with cilantro and then a half handful of more shredded cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minute, or until the crust crisps brown. Remove, cool
fot 5 minutes and then eat. With a spoon.

Butter makes everything better or Basic Scone Mix

2009-03-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

This recipe is courtesy of my restauranteur neighbors Tommy and Eddie Golden (original owners of the Beachgrass Cafe and Parkhouse, now they operate Iris in Del Mar). Most scones are tough and dry but these are so tender and yummy you will never buy another one from Starbucks/Peets etc. I like mine plain with fresh fruit (mangos and berries sweetened with a little vanilla sugar) on the side but you can probably add your favorite ingredient as long as you are careful not to over mix the dough.

Some helpful hints:
Make sure your butter is very COLD.
Use a food processor on the pulse setting to mix in the butter, it gets the right consistency in a fraction of the time so the butter doesn't warm up before you need to mix in the wet ingredients.
DO NOT OVERMIX once you add the buttermilk and eggs, just mix until the dough just starts to hold together. Roll it out onto a floured surface and work just a little bit before shaping.
Another secret from Tommy: keep a small container of sugar with some vanilla bean skins in your pantry. The resulting "vanilla sugar" is a great addition to coffee, berries etc.

3 1/2 cups of Flour
1 tbs Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 lb of chopped butter, chilled (yes, that's right a CUP of butter, hmmm butter...)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs beaten, plus one egg beaten for egg wash
2 tbs of turbinado sugar (raw cane sugar)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Sift dry ingredients then add chilled butter and cut in.
Butter and flour mixture should resemble small crumbs when done.

Mix wet ingredients then add to flour mixture till dough just holds together.
Roll onto flat floured surface and cut into desired shape. (I usually shape it into 2 rectangles, maybe 9 inches long, 3 or 4 inches wide and about an inch + thick.)

Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper (I use silpats), brush with egg wash and sprinkle turbinado sugar over the tops. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Crepes for breakfast, lunch AND desert!

2009-03-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

All I craved while I was pregnant was crepes. I made them every weekend, so now it's a tradition. The best part is that they will refrigerate/freeze really well. So I'd keep them on hand throughout the week, and serve them for lunch or dinner (with chicken, rice & salsa) and then for desert (helloooo bananas, chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream!)

Super easy (hey, that's my thing!) ingredient list:
1 cup unbleached flour
1 tbsp raw sugar
1 cup milk
1/3 cup water
3 eggs
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Heat nonstick griddle pan until VERY hot. Mix batter ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Pour crepe batter into middle of the heated pan, and roll the pan until the batter gets flat. Wait for air bubbles to appear consistently throughout crepe, and flip with a wide spatula (usually takes me under a minute).

As soon as you can loosen the crepe by rocking the pan, it's done (it should slide right off).

NOTE: don't do anything else while these cook. This is a very fast process, and if you get distracted, your crepes will burn. I cooked the whole batch in less than 5 minutes. So I recommend you cut up all your fruit/toppings before hand.

Panko Salmon

2009-03-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

This is nothing special, but it's very easy and quick! I had a little help from my friend Trader Joe. I kinda winged it on this recipe, and there are lots of opportunities to vary the salmon (add toppings, sauces, etc.)

Ingredients:
wild salmon
1-2 cups Trader Joe's panko crumbs
Seasoning salt
frying oil
1-2 eggs, beaten

Directions:
Heat oil in frying pan. Beat the eggs in a wide bowl, and fill another wide bowl with Panko crumbs/seasoning mixture. Coat salmon pieces thoroughly with egg batter on both sides, and then transfer to the Panko mix and coat thoroughly on both sides. Add salmon pieces to hot frying pan, and cook until one side is browned. Flip, and cook until the other side is browned and fish is no longer pink (or however you like salmon) : )

Like I said - SO easy!! I served this with Jasmine rice, steamed aspargus and topped it in low-sodium Soy sauce. That's it!!

Fab

2009-03-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

I love this! It will be fab. However, I no longer cook. I plan to start again once school is out. A newborn baby won't come between me and my mixer, right? Meanwhile, I'll try to post a bit about the ice cream cake that was actually a pie. Because it was fine.

Poulet Provencal

2009-03-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

I am not a big fan of handling a whole raw chicken but I love roast chicken recipes because I can get multiple meals out of just one dish. We recently tried this one from Gourmet magazine, via epicurious.com and it was delicious--way better than those rotisserie chickens you can get at the market. If you're like me and hate handling the whole bird, you could probably use some skin-on chicken breasts instead with okay results. But seriously, if I can get over my squeamishness so can you and the payoff is pretty damn good.

1 pound tomatoes (3 to 4 medium), cut into wedges
1 large onion, cut into wedges, leaving root ends intact
1/2 cup drained brine-cured black olives, pitted if desired
1 fennel bulb, cut into wedges
4 large garlic cloves, sliced, plus 1 teaspoon minced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence, divided
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds)

Preheat convection oven to 400°F for regular oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Toss together tomatoes, onion, olives, fennel bulb, sliced garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 13- by 9-inch or other 3-quart shallow baking dish. Push vegetables to sides of dish to make room for chicken.

Stir together minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, remaining teaspoon herbes de Provence, and remaining tablespoon olive oil.

Remove excess fat from chicken and pat dry, then rub inside and out with seasoning mixture. Tie legs together with string, then put chicken in baking dish.

Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, about 1 hour in convection oven; 1 to 1 1/4 hours in regular oven.

Let chicken stand 10 minutes before carving. Serve with vegetables and pan juices.

Oh, the pressure!

2009-03-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

Something healthy? Something decadent? To post pics or not? Witty instructions or keep it simple stupid? Complicated ingredient list, or useful pantry stand-bys?

I love a challenge. And cheers to yet another blog we can all stalk. Where would we be without you, blogger?

Sinful Macaroni & Cheese.

2009-03-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

It only seems appropriate that our first shared recipe post be macaroni and cheese. Why? Because if you don't like macaroni and cheese, then get the hell outta this blog. I kid I kid. I mean, really though. How do you not like Macaroni & Cheese? What did it ever do to you besides clog your arteries with this cheesy goodness?

I think it would be great to post photos but that requires a whole new level of organization that I'm a little afeared to tread into...we shall see, though!

Recipe Ahoy!

Classic Macaroni and Cheese--serves 6-8 as a main course or 10-12 as aside dish (trust me--if you make the entire thing, it will last for days!)

Its crucial to cook the pasta until tender--that is, just past the "aldente" stage. In fact, its better to overcook rather than undercookthe pasta. Whole, low-fat and skim milk all work with this recipe.The recipe may be halved and baked in an 8 inch square, broiler safebaking dish, If desired, offer celery salt or hot sauce, such astabasco, for sprinkling at the table.

BREAD CRUMB TOPPING:
6 slices good quality white sandwich bread torn into rough pieces
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into
6 pieces

PASTA & CHEESE:
1 pound elbow macaronisalt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all purpose flower
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
5 cups milk
8 oz monterey jack cheese shredded (2 cups)
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded (2 cups)

1) For the bread crumbs: Pulse the bread and butter in a foodprocessor until the crumbs are no larger than 1/8 inch--ten to fifteen1--second pulses. Set aside.

2) For the pasta and cheese: Adjust an oven rack to the lower middleposition and heat the broiler. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rollingboil in a Dutch Oven over high heat (I have made this in a big souppot AND a dutch oven and it really doesn't make much of a difference). Add the macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt and stir to separate thenoodels. Cook until the pasta is tender. Drain in a colander and setaside.

3) IN the now-empty Dutch Oven/Pot, heat the butter over medium highheat until foaming. Add the flour, mustard and cayenne (if using) andwhisk well to combine. Continue whisking until the mixture becomesfragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly,gradually add the milk; bring the mixture to a boil, whiskingconstantly (the mixture must reach a full boil to fully thicken), thenreduce the heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, untilthickened to the consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Off theheat, whisk in the cheeses and 1 tsp salt until the cheese are fullymelted. Add the pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirringconstantly until the mixture is steaming and heated through--about 6minutes.

4) Transfer the mixture to a broiler safe 13 x 9 inch baking dish andsprinkle evenly with the bread crumbs. Broil until the crumbs aredeep golden brown--3 to 5 minutes--rotating the pan if necessary foreven browning.
Cool about 5 minutes, then serve.