HEARTH AND HOME

Hawaiian Sliders

2011-11-08T18:46:00.006-04:00

I've been excited about winter ever since it started getting cold here. Yes, seriously. I think it may be a residual effect of living in Puerto Rico for 3 years, and opening Christmas presents in 80 degree weather. Don't get me wrong, I love summer, but I have a new appreciation for winter's benefits. Today, however, I felt a little tinge in my gut when my daughter watched a show that was set in the summertime. Swimming at the lake, nothing-to-do days, hot sun. And grilling. I miss grilling. Well, ok, technically I'm still using my grill, but not very often. And not after 5, thanks to that magic winter sun that disappears at the drop of a hat. My solution? Bake some sliders, baby! The Pioneer Woman (see here)made some big fat bacon sliders IN THE OVEN. So genius. I wanted to put a little more summer in mine though; hence the Hawaiian . These were so juicy and flavorful and delish! We really, really loved these, although my kids picked off the bacon for the most part. (There's a chance that could have been just so they could feed it to our dog Mojo.) So I'm leaving the bacon up to you. To wrap or not to wrap: that is the question.

HAWAIIAN SLIDERS

2 lbs ground beef(for my family of 6)(I used 80/20)
teriyaki sauce
Hawaiian sweet rolls
thinly sliced cheese
thinly sliced bacon(optional)

You'll want to season your ground beef in the morning, so the meat has time to absorb the flavors. Dump your meat in a bowl, and season with salt and pepper. (Please, you don't need to act so shocked that I'm not using Tony's.) Drizzle some of the teriyaki sauce over, however much you think will add a touch of sweetness to the meat. Now get your hands in there and mush it all up; you want to make sure the meat is well mixed. Cover with plastic and store in the fridge until you're ready to cook. 30 minutes or so before you're ready to roll out the sliders, take the bowl out of the fridge and let the meat come to room temp. Get out your broiler pan. Preheat your oven to 400. Now look at the size of one of the Hawaiian sweet rolls. Picture the slider in it. Then grab a handful of meat and roll into a large meatball that will fit the bun(I'd say fits comfortably in the palm of your hand). Don't worry, you won't be shot if the size isn't exactly right. Once you've rolled all the meat, now is the time to put the bacon on if you so choose. Cut each strip in half. Wrap one half around meat ball, trying to stretch it enough to touch on the other side. Then take another half slice of bacon and wrap the meat so that it intersects the first slice, making it look like a small Gaga-inspired ribbon-wrapped gift. Regardless of whether or not you used bacon, when the meat is ready to go, drizzle each ball with some teriyaki sauce. Slide the pan of tropical treats into the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, until done to your liking. You need to know that if you wrap with bacon, the parts of the meat that the bacon covers will still look pink, even when it's done. I'm only mentioning this because that caused a bit of a ruckus with my kids, who seem to feel the need to protect themselves from food poisoning. You can use the firmness method--pushing down on one to determine how done it is--or you can go for the sure thing and just cut one open. Don't worry, it won't go to waste. When done, turn off the oven and pull them out. Top each one with a slice of cheese, and put back in the warm oven while you get out the rolls and condiments. Once your line is assembled, pull out those juicy darlings and add them to the lineup. Now, don't you feel your summer anguish depleting just the tiniest little bit? No? Have another slider.

German Chocolate Cake

2011-10-25T16:37:00.004-04:00

Ok, yes, you totally caught me. I had to get creative with my picture taking since I didn't come to my picture-taking senses until half of this deep, dark, luscious, tender, moist, chocolaty, scrumptious, tantalizing, addicting, rich, intoxicating, wondershizzliciouslamdunkitykitycometome....

Ummm, I'm sorry, where was I? Oh yes, I didn't take my pics until we were halfway through the cake. And baby, what pictures....

BIRTHDAYS!!! What is it about birthdays that inspire us to reach beyond our culinary boundaries and swim in unknown waters? Am I alone in thinking the success of a birthday relies quite heavily on the magnificence of the cake? That we should be able to recall our birthdays by the cakes we celebrated them with? Now, I must stop now and issue a disclaimer, lest you think I am some kind of cake-decorating genius(unlike my friend Wendy, who most definitely IS a cake decorating genius), that I am NO cake decorator. Rather, I take pride in finding new flavors in cakes--new meaning new to my family. I have never given a second thought to German Chocolate cakes, as the few times I have tried them, the occasions have been forgettable. Well! Scott's birthday was this past Friday, and I was of course trying to think of some show-stopping concoction for his gâteau d'anniversaire. Really, German Chocolate should have reasonably had no place in my stream of consciousness. But I kept going back to the fact that my honey loves chocolate and coconut combined, and despite the fact that I had already made him a Mounds-inspired cake for a previous birthday, I was trying to figure out a twist on those flavors. I started thinking that there just HAD to be a reason for German Chocolate's popularity, and I wanted to FIND OUT WHAT IT WAS! (did I mention I'm a bit of a cooking challenge freak?) Let me tell you, I DID. I am even wanting to make it again, less than a week later, because I only got ONE PIECE!!! Yes, I've definitely had a seismic paradigm shift, and I completely understand the popularity of a GOOD German Chocolate cake. I wholeheartedly support the movement. If you do too, then tell me you're coming over for a visit so I can make this for you...

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE
from David Lebovitz
(don't be intimidated by the length of the recipe: you can do it!)

For the cake:
2 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 Tbs water
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk, room temp
1 tsp vanilla

For the filling:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
3 oz butter, cut in small pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
1 1/3 cups unsweetened coconut, toasted

For the syrup:
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs dark rum(I used molasses)

For the chocolate icing:
8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 Tbs light corn syrup(didn't have, used molasses, worked fine)
1 1/2 oz unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream

1. Butter 2 9-inch cake pans, then line the bottoms with rounds of parchment or wax paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt both chocolates together with the 6 Tbs of water. Use double-boiler or microwave. Stir until smooth, then set aside until room temp.

3. In mixer bowl, beat butter and 1 1/4 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 min. Beat in melted chocolate, then the egg yolks, one at a time.

4. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

5. Mix in half the dry ingredients into the creamed butter, then the buttermilk and the vanilla, then the rest of the dry ingredients.

6. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft, droopy peaks. Beat in the 1/4 cup sugar until stiff.

7. Fold about 1/3 of the egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it, then fold in the rest of the whites until there's no visible trace of egg white.

8. Divide the batter into 2 prepared cake pans, smooth the tops, and bake for about 45 minutes, unto toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool cake layers completely.

While cakes are baking and cooling, make the filling, syrup and icing.

To make the filling:

1. Mix the cream, sugar and egg yolks in a medium saucepan. Put the 3 oz butter, salt, toasted coconut, and pecans in large bowl.

2. Heat the cream mixture and cook, stirring constantly(scraping the bottom as you stir)until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the spoon(170 degrees).

3. Pour the hot custard immediately into the pecan-coconut mix and stir until butter is melted. Cool to room temp(it will thicken.)

To make the syrup:
1. In small saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar has melted. Remove from heat and stir in rum.

To make the icing:
1. Place the 8 oz of chocolate in a bowl with the corn syrup and 1 1/2 oz of butter.

2. Heat the cream until if just begins to boil. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand one minute, then stir until smooth. Let cool to room temp.

To assemble the cake:

Remove the cake layers from the pans and cut both cake layers in half horizontally, using a serrated bread knife. (Okay, so just to let you know, I didn't do this. I kept my cake to 2 layers, and didn't even feel one bit guilty.)

Set the first cake layer on the cake plate. Brush well with syrup. Spread 3/4 cup of the coconut filling over the cake layer, making sure to reach the edges. Set another cake layer on top. Repeat, using the syrup to brush each layer, then spreading 3/4 cup of the coconut filling over each layer, including the top.

Ice the sides with the chocolate icing, then pipe a decorative border of chocolate icing around the top, encircling the coconut topping.(Or, just push some extra up the sides and fiddle with it using your icing knife, like I did.)

(It may seem like a lot of chocolate icing, but use it all. Trust me. You won’t be sorry.)

My New Blender!

2011-10-14T13:38:00.004-04:00

You like it? I don't.......I LOVE IT!!! In my house, we ride our blenders hard and put 'em to bed wet--well, broken, usually. I got the model that's a step down from this one in Puerto Rico, and that thing was a workhorse. It could power through anything I threw its way, and it lasted longer than any other blender I've ever owned. We finally chewed it up and spit it out this morning, and I simply couldn't face not having my Kitchenaid blender sitting on my countertop. SO, I got online this morning and researched what amount of dinero I was looking at parting with to replace it. I don't know how or why, but the stars were aligned this morning and I found a smokin' deal. One of my favorite places to look for Kitchenaid appliances is at their online outlet store, where they sell discontinued and refurbished models.(I am totally a refurbished fan, as my refurbished 7-year-old Pro 600 Series mixer will attest to.) Anyways....... back to star alignment. The Kitchenaid outlet is currently featuring as their weekly special the refurbished 5-Speed Artisan Series Blender with 56-oz Blend and Serve Pitcher for $54.99. AND, they are currently offering a flat-rate shipping fee of $2. AND, CouponCabin currently has a coupon for 10% off any Kitchenaid outlet store purchase. SO, the bottom line for my new blender, including tax and shipping? ******$55.33****** I am so happy!
Oh, and one of the best parts is you can choose your color! I just have to post this color option for my friend Zana, who loves turquoise more than anyone I know:

Hmmm, reading back through this post I'm noticing I'm in quite the old western sayings mood. Ok, don't worry, I am planning on doing an actual food post soon. It's not that I haven't been eating; I just need to remember to pick up my camera before I pick up my fork....

Soft Pretzels

2011-08-29T00:58:00.006-04:00

I can't believe school starts for us tomorrow. We've had such a great summer that up until now I haven't really been ready to get back into the thick of things. Boy, I'm ready now sister!!! I guess when the time is right, the time is right. It also helps that I know what I'm gonna make for the kids' after-school snack. Hey, don't laugh! I say whatever gets me motivated to feel ready for homework, projects, library trips, sports, scheduling conflicts, morning wardrobe malfunctions, and deadlines, then so be it. Mmmmmm, warm, soft, salty, chewy pretzels. Yes, I believe I will carpe diem. Tomorrow.

SOFT PRETZELS
from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
makes 20

4-4 1/2 cups flour
1 pkg dry yeast
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs oil
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs salt
3 quarts boiling water
coarse salt

In your mixer, combine 1 1/2 cups flour and yeast. In saucepan, heat and stir milk, sugar, oil, and the 1 tsp salt till warm. Add to flour. Mix on low 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high for 3 minutes. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that's smooth and not sticky. Shape into a ball, and drizzle with some oil, turning dough to coat. Cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour. Punch down. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and let rest 10 minutes. Cut into 20 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope 16 inches long. Shape the pretzels by crossing one end over the other twice, to form a circle. Lift twisted end over the top of the circle end and tuck the two tips under the circle. Place on greased baking sheets. Bake in 475 degree oven for 4 minutes. Remove and lower temperature to 350. Dissolve the 2 tablespoons salt in the boiling water. Lower pretzels, 3 or 4 at a time, into water. Boil 2 minutes, turning once. Remove with slotted spoon. Place back onto well-greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

2011-08-25T12:46:00.003-04:00

You know, it's true, man does not live by bread alone. Despite the numbers here weighting the scale towards dinners, I really do love a good sweet. But it really does have to be good. I have no qualms admitting to being a total food snob when it comes to treats, because if ever you want your calories to count, it's when you're indulging. Who wants to say they blew their diet and their conscience on something that was just fitting the "sweet" bill? You want any guilt to be completely subdued by the utter glory of eating something truly divine. That being said, there are a lot of bad cookies out there. The kind you eat but wish you hadn't. It takes a good cookie to make me go in for more than one(hey, I'm not THAT snobby-of course I'll give all cookies a try!). I'm not going to go in to my whole rating system, but there are a lot of factors involved. These cookies passed my test. For me, chocolate cookies really have to have something that makes them special, because chocolate alone just doesn't do it for me. Texture: thin layer of crisp on the outside, like the top of creme brulee. Just enough to let you know you're breaking through to a chewy inside. Not doughy or pasty or airy or too dense of an inside, but classically chewy and tender. Taste: clean cocoa flavor, the kind that makes you think of how good hot chocolate smells. Chips: different kinds of chocolate, so they don't all blend into the cookie dough making for an anonymous chocolate flavor, but rather give you a chocolate disco in your mouth; the intense cocoa cookie, the creamy mildness of milk chocolate chips, the vanilla richness of white chips that intensify the other cocoa flavors in the cookie. Don't worry, you won't harbor any ill will towards these cookies once you realize you've hoovered through more than your fair share.

CHEWY CHOCOLATE COOKIES
from The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2010
makes 16 cookies

1/3 cup sugar, plus 1/2 cup for coating
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
12 Tbs unsalted butter, soft
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. In separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the corn syrup, egg white, and vanilla in separate bowl. In mixer, beat butter, brown sugar and remaining 1/3 cup sugar until fluffy. Beat in the corn syrup mixture. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and chocolate chips. Mix just until incorporated. Chill 30 minutes. Divide dough into 16 portions and roll into balls. Toss in sugar to coat. Place on greased baking sheets until cookies are just beginning to show cracks, 8-10 minutes. Rotate sheets halfway through baking time.

Shrimp, Bacon and Avocado Salad

2011-08-10T15:50:00.003-04:00

Well, today is another big day for our family. My oldest daughter, Mailee, is 15 1/2 today, which means that when I am done posting this recipe, we are taking a trip to the DMV so that she can take the test for her permit. I know this is so cliche, but my! how time flies. My sister-in-law Carrie had her fifth baby yesterday (Happy Birthday Jack!), and looking at his picture reminded me how it seems like it was just yesterday I was bringing home my babies. Have you seen that commercial where the dad is holding the car keys, standing outside the car door and giving his daughter some last minute driving tips? Then it shows her daughter in the driver's seat, and she's about 4 years old. When he finally hands her the keys, she's really 16. I totally get it! I'm posting this recipe in honor of Mailee's big day. Why? Because she hates shrimp. It's ok, you don't have to see my reasoning. Let's just say there will be some laughing and hitting involved when she reads this. After all, I can't let her get too big for her britches yet....

SHRIMP, BACON AND AVOCADO SALAD
(adapted from Perry's Plate)

32-40 raw shrimp, tail on (I buy the bag of frozen, and defrost before using)
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and chunked(save 1/2 avocado for dressing)
1 lb bacon, chopped into pieces and cooked
a handful freshly shaved Parmesan
24 oz salad greens
grape tomatoes, halved

Grill the shrimp on medium heat. You can do this by skewering them, cooking them in a grill basket, or just putting them loose on the grill. They're done when they're pink and show nice grill marks. Toss them with the rest of the salad ingredients.

Ok, you have a few options for the dressing. I tried it with the Tangy Avocado Dressing that came with the recipe, but I was not happy with it. It was really thick and rich (not enough tang or flavor for me), which, combined with the avocado chunks, shrimp and cheese was just too much for me. I would strongly recommend dressing this with some salt, freshly ground pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. BUT, here's the original dressing recipe:

Tangy Avocado Dressing

1/2 avocado from original 2
1 green onion, sliced
3 Tbs sour cream
3 Tbs mayo or plain yogurt
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs agave nectar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
Blend in food processor until smooth. Adjust seasonings.

Serves 8

Bacon-Wrapped Honey Mustard Chicken

2011-08-04T12:51:00.004-04:00

I know, it's only been 2 days since my last post. I'm on a roll! I'm fired up! I'm gung-ho! I'm loving summer! Yes, that totally makes sense. I love the food permissiveness that summer encourages. It's almost like when your husband goes on a trip and you don't even consider making a menu, because you know your chitlins will be UBER excited that you're letting them eat sugar cereal every night. Ahhhhh, yes, the lazy days of summer. And why is it that grilling does NOT feel like cooking? It's just too easy, but the payoff is huge. Take last night, for instance. I knew I was going to grill the Bacon-Wrapped Honey Mustard Chicken, but that was as far as my planning went. The result? A pan brimming with this succulent pork-enshrined poultry, and a bowl of cherries. Ok, I lied; I didn't even bother with the bowl. The cherries were left in their plastic case. When I called my family into the kitchen, my husband looked at the dinner line-up and said "Chicken and cherries, huh?", but I could see that little smile he was trying to suppress. I suppose he thought that he couldn't be seen as supporting such a blatant display of dinner wantonness, but I saw that little twinkle that was brought on by visions of a plate heaped with grilled bacon-wrapped meat and cherries(he loves cherries). And oh my, what amazing meat this was. I got the marinade recipe from Pioneer Woman(no, I didn't change anything, so she totally gets the credit for that), and the bacon robe just seemed logical to me. The result was this succulent, sweet and savory, smoky addiction. Just be warned, you'll eat more than you think. Hehehe.

BACON-WRAPPED HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN

Marinade:
1/2 cup mustard(not the american yellow, please!)
1/2 cup honey
juice of one small lemon
1/2 tsp chile powder or paprika
1/2 tsp salt
crushed red pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc. Add 6 chicken breasts that have been cut into pieces about the size of your palm. Marinade a few hours. Remove chicken from marinade. Wrap each piece with one piece of bacon and secure with toothpicks(I made the mistake of thinking the bacon would stay on by itself). Grill over medium heat for a total of 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally so the bacon doesn't burn. WARNING: THE BACON WILL MAKE YOUR GRILL REALLY SMOKE! Voila, dinner is served. Sides optional.

Crispy Red Chile Chicken Tacos

2011-08-02T22:30:00.003-04:00

I asked my husband the other day some of his favorite meals growing up(yes, I'm just going to act like it hasn't been over a month since I posted). Some of the things he said were sweet and sour chicken, enchiladas, and tacos. It made me think back to some of my fondest early food memories, and just by coincidence I was organizing my photos on the computer and came across this one of my daughter Tessa wearing the apron that my mom made for me when I was little:

Those were the days when my mom sewed everything and cooked everything--days that my mom assures me are blessedly long gone. I wonder what my children will look back on with relish or disdain....

I can't really come up with any kind of coherent segue, but all ramblings aside, going through my photos got me all excited to dive into the food bloggy world once again. I ventured onto Pioneer Woman's blog, and her spectacular food photos were just what I needed. Her recipe for "My Brother's Chicken Tacos" caught my eye(find the recipe here), so I grabbed it and ran with it. DISCLAIMER:'ran with it' means changed it from it's original state, hence the link to see the real recipe. Besides, you really can't go wrong visiting the Pioneer Woman.

CRISPY RED CHILE CHICKEN TACOS

1/2 rotisserie chicken, deboned and shredded
1 soup-sized can red enchilada sauce
12 corn tortillas
oil for frying
shredded cheese
chopped lettuce, tomatoes, onions and cilantro
Cholula hot sauce(I know, everyone's got a fave; this is mine)

In a saucepan, combine the chicken and the red enchilada sauce. Heat. Taste for seasonings(I added salt and sugar). Heat your oil for frying, about 1/4-1/2 inch in the pan. Have ready to go the shredded cheese and a big flat something covered with paper towels to put the tacos on after they're fried. When oil is shimmering, drop in a small piece of tortilla. If it actively fries, it's good to go. Take a corn tortilla and spoon about 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken right in the middle. Fold in half. Using tongs, lower into the hot oil, one side down. NOTE: I actually fry two tacos at a time in my fry pan. Lightly push down on the top so it doesn't pop up. When nice and golden crispy, turn it over and goldenize the other side. Remove from oil and drain off excess oil by holding taco sideways and tipping down so oil drips off. Place on paper towel-lined receptacle. Prepare two more tacos and place in oil. While they're frying, take your tacos that are done and open them just enough to fill with some shredded cheese. CAREFUL! THEY'RE HOT WHEN YOU OPEN THEM! Let everyone grab their tacos and top off to the beat of their own drum.

Lemon Roast Chicken

2011-05-16T22:05:00.004-04:00

From Nigella: "It's something of a family joke that, whenever any of my siblings asks what I'm cooking for supper, it's this. It's less a recipe than a blueprint for life. There are few things that can't be made better by a chicken roasting in the oven, and those that are impervious are beyond any intervention.
This is how my mother roasted her chickens, and I expect it's how my children will do theirs. The buttery lemony waft through the house is, for me, the smell of home. And there's something about that simple bird, that iconic form with its crispy skinned curves and kitchen-filling aroma that makes it the elemental and perfect, unbeatable feast."

Honestly, I just couldn't say it any better myself.

Lemon Roast Chicken
as found in Nigella Lawson's 'Feast'

2 whole chickens
Yes, I really mean two. My family of 6 devours more than one, and trust me; you will experience a sort of smug happiness when you open your fridge to find the leftover chicken whose sole purpose is to rendezvous with you after the kids are in bed. You won't even bother walking away from the fridge to satisfy you carnal appetite.

2 lemons
2 Tbs sea salt
2 heaped Tbs butter, soft
olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make sure your chicken is at room temperature, and cut off any string or rubber bands. Remove any gizzards lurking inside the chicken. Sit the chickens in a roasting pan. Put 1/2 a lemon into the chicken cavity, and sprinkle a little of the salt in there as well. Rub the butter over the skin and dribble with a little oil. Put into the oven and cook for 80-90 minutes. Let the chickens rest in the roasting pan for 15 minutes, sprinkling over the remaining salt and squeezing over the other half lemons while it sits, then move to a carving board. Deglaze the roasting pan with a little water, letting the juices and caramelized bits from the roast chicken make a small-volume but intensely-flavored gravy to spoon over the carved bird.

Nigella Lawson's Eton Mess

2011-04-23T21:03:00.005-04:00

Can I just say, England in the springtime is magnificent. I just got back from our big family vacation to the jolly ol' UK, where we had a wonderful time visiting family and seeing the sights. There's just something about the English atmosphere that seeps into your blood and makes you want to say strange words(like 'loo' and 'ello! oright?') and take long walks in the countryside. Really and truly, there was more than one occasion when I felt like I'd been transported to a Jane Austen movie(yes! I saw her house, and went to Winchester Cathedral where her grave is). And of course, I ate lots and lots of yummy things. Hey now, don't act so surprised. I know the English don't have the best reputation where food is concerned, but there are some things that are just so so good. Banoffee Pie(a banana toffee pie). Any pastry. Scones with clotted cream and jam. All meat pies. Custard over anything. And, Eton Mess. A name that describes how this dessert looks, but doesn't even begin to give you the big picture in the taste department. It's an inspired combination of macerated berries, whipped cream, and broken meringue cookies, all thrown together in a big, heaping mess. This amazing dessert has creaminess, crunch, freshness. If you want a fabulously elegant dessert that is minimum work, here you go. Really, you can't go wrong with this one. Yes, you should make this for Easter tomorrow.

Eton Mess

Prep Time:10 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
4 cups strawberries
2 teaspoons caster or vanilla sugar
2 teaspoons pomegranate juice
2 cups whipping cream
1 packet individual meringue nests

Hull and chop the strawberries and put into a bowl and add the sugar and pomegranate juice and leave to macerate while you whip the cream.

Whip the cream in a large bowl until thick but still soft. Roughly crumble in 4 of the meringues nests - you will need chunks for texture as well as a little fine dust.

Take out about half a cupful of the chopped strawberries, and fold the meringue cream and rest of the fruit mixture together.

Arrange on 4 serving plates or glasses or in a mound, and top each with some of the remaining macerated strawberries.

Spicy Mongolian Beef with Asparagus

2011-03-10T23:59:00.004-04:00

Looking at this picture, my first thought is "Ok, I need to start taking my pictures with a real camera and NOT my iPhone", which I suppose doesn't bode well for this post. Let me plead on behalf of this recipe though. IT IS SO STINKIN GOOD!!! I'm not much of a beggar, so there you go. I am good at comparing, though, and I thought this was way better than the time I ate at PF Changs. Just sayin.

SPICY MONGOLIAN BEEF WITH ASPARAGUS

1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs hoisin sauce
2 Tbs sesame oil
4 tsp sugar
2 Tbs minced garlic
1 Tbs red pepper flakes
2 lbs beef, thinly sliced(recipe calls for flank steak, I used tri-tip and would recommend steak in general)
1/3 cup cornstarch
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 lb asparagus, cut in 1-inch pieces

Whisk together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic and red pepper flakes. Put sliced beef in ziplock bag and add marinade. Refrigerate 1 hour to overnight. Heat a large frying pan over high heat until very hot. Just before ready to fry, add cornstarch to the bag of beef and marinade and squish around until combined. Add a few tablespoons of oil, such as peanut or canola, to the hot pan. Add the green onions and cook for 5-10 seconds before adding in the beef. You'll need to cook the meat in two batches, so that it will brown nicely and not boil in its own juices. Cook and stir the beef until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate. Drizzle in a few more tablespoons of oil, and add in the asparagus. Fry until beginning to get some carmelization. Taste one; if it's too crunchy for your taste, add in a little water and cover with a lid, then let steam for a few minutes until it's to your liking. Add to the beef. Serve with rice.

Nigella's Shrove Tuesday Pancakes (aka Crepes)

2011-03-01T16:08:00.005-04:00

Happy Pancake Day! No, I'm not really that much of a foodie, but I did happen to see one attention-grabbing news headline this morning about IHOP giving away free short-stacks in honor of the occasion. I had no idea what Shrove Tuesday was, though, so I did a little research. Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent, or the season of fasting and prayer. Shrove Tuesday (aka Pancake Day) has been traditionally known as the last day to feast and get in your sugar, fats and eggs, hence PANCAKES! Internationally, there are lots of versions of these tasty cakes: semla in Finland, which is a sweet bun filled with almond paste and whipped cream; malasadas in Madeira(and now Hawaii), which are sugar-coated round donuts; and for German Americans it's fastnacht, or fried potato dough served with dark corn syrup. One country with a long tradition of celebrating Pancake Day is the United Kingdom, where they've been known to not only eat lots of pancakes on this day, but also to have races, festivities, and a half-day holiday in honor of the occasion.

Nigella's Pancakes are the typical UK version, which I have been served every time I've gone to England. Nigella reminisces about eating them with lemon juice and sugar growing up, and tells how her children prefer theirs with Nutella. I made mine with a creamy lemon filling and berry syrup. I'd say these are great right from the plate, standing at the stove while you're working to replace the ones you've eaten....

SHROVE TUESDAY PANCAKES

4 TBS butter, melted
2 cups flour
2 2/3 cups milk
2 eggs

Pour all ingredients into a blender, and whiz until completely combined. Heat a small, non-stick pan over medium heat. Add a tiny amount of butter if you wish, though it's not necessary. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into hot pan and swirl to cover bottom of pan. Flip in about a minute, when golden, and cook on other side about 30 seconds. You can adjust the thickness of the pancake by adjusting the amount of batter you pour in; just make 'em how you like 'em. Fill with whatever your heart desires.

Lemon Cream Filling

In a bowl, whip up 1 cup of cream cheese with 1/2 jar lemon curd, some vanilla and a dash of nutmeg.

Berry Syrup

Put a small bag of frozen mixed berries in a saucepan, and add a cup of sugar, a spoonful of frozen orange juice concentrate and a splash of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until berries are breaking down. You can help the process along by either smashing the berries with a fork or using an immersion hand blender and blitzing everything.

Granola! or, my first Nigella post

2011-01-21T21:01:00.005-04:00

I must 'fess up to my heathen past: I was definitely a non-believer when it came to homemade granola. I was perfectly happy with store-bought granola, because no matter what brand I bought, it all pretty much tasted the same to me. I liked it with yogurt, but that's about it. I know people who make their own granola, and I would secretly think it sounded like a waste of time to me, because how could homemade granola be so much better than store-bought? I should have known I was just tempting fate. As I looked through Nigella Lawson's book Feast, I came across her recipe for Andy's Fairfield Granola. Going on the knowledge that I have never been led astray by Nigella, I decided to take the leap of faith and make a batch. Of course, I had to customize her recipe, because that's the best thing about granola, right? I had an inkling that I might be a goner when it was in the oven and my house smelled amazing. It was confirmed when I took my first bite with milk. I'm not afraid to shout it from the rooftops now that I LOVE HOMEMADE GRANOLA!!!! I love just opening the lid on the granola container and smelling it. I have to think of a reason not to eat it during the day(like, I would be embarrased if anyone knew I had three bowls of granola for a little snack). Whenever I'm hungry, it's the first thing I think of eating. In the past week, I've had it for lunch more often than not. I'm already checking to make sure I have the ingredients to make another batch. Ok, this really is getting embarrasing so I'll stop. Here's my tinkered-with recipe; you'll have to refer to Nigella's book for the original.

Granola

4 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
3/4 cup apple sauce
4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1/3 cup light Karo syrup
1/4 cup honey
4 Tbs molasses
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups nuts(1/2 almonds, 1/2 pecans)
1 cup dried unsweetened coconut
1 cup dried bananas, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 cups golden raisins

Mix everything except the raisins in a large bowl. Spread the mixture out on two baking sheets and bake in a 300 degree oven for 40-60 minutes, until it turns golden. Stir around the granola halfway through, and switch the positions of the pans. Allow to cool and mix in the raisins. Store airtight.

Spicy Twisty Pasta

2011-01-18T18:20:00.002-04:00

Well, I finally did it. Last night, I sat down with my cookbooks, firmly resolved to kick some new life into my way-too-comfortable menu, and I re-discovered one of my food soul-mates: Nigella Lawson. So, I am pretty darn excited to cook my way through this week so I can post all of my newly-discovered favorites from my perennial favorite Nigella.

BUT, before we get to that, I am posting one of my menu staples. To me, it's the perfect dinner: adaptable to the seasons, number of diners, level of fanciness, and most importantly, my moods. It's like the books I used to read as a kid, where I got to pick the ending I wanted. The basic recipe is just pasta, meat, veggies and cheese. But what possibilities! What kind of pasta are you in the mood for(or do you have in your pantry)? What meat sounds good? Sausage, chicken, bacon.... What veggies are in season? Asparagus and mushrooms? Zucchini and tomatoes? How strong do you like your cheese flavor? Some grated parmesan sound good or do you want some feta or blue cheese? Or wanna just throw in some cubes of mozzarella for lots of ooey gooeyness? Here's how I did it recently:

Spicy Twisty Pasta

1 lb twisty pasta(no I can't remember the name)
1 lb spicy bulk sausage
6 big mushrooms
handful of asparagus
1/2 bag frozen petite peas
fresh grated parmesan(No, don't even think about reaching for that can of parmesan dandruff on your cupboard shelf!)

Drop pasta in a pot of boiling salted water. Heat olive oil in a large hot skillet. Add in sausage, mushrooms and asparagus(cut into chunks). Cook until sausage is brown, making sure to break it down into chunks while it's cooking. Add peas to the pasta the last few minutes it's boiling. Add minced garlic to the meat and veggies, to taste. When pasta is done, drain and add to meat in skillet. Season with salt and pepper or Tony's Creole Seasoning and drizzle some more olive oil over. Top with fresh parmesan. The cool thing is the spicy sausage, olive oil and parmesan combine to make this incredible sauce for the pasta. If you're feeding a crowd, throw in lots of veggies and meat. Not so much? Use them to just dress the pasta, but plan on enjoying yummy leftovers, 'cause it reheats really well.

Crockpot Tapioca

2011-01-15T02:38:00.004-04:00

Is there anyone out there who will admit to eating at cafeteria-style restaurants...and liking it? I know, there are a lot of bad cafeterias out there(let's leave schools out of this, shall we?)(and buffets are not cafeterias), but I must say, eating at a good one is almost like being able to hop in a time machine and go back to the days when your meals were just there on the table at mealtimes, waiting for you, except with the added bonus of being able to see all your options and choose your favorite. Of course, there are always dishes you can count on being served in cafeterias, like salisbury steak, slices of pies, and jello, but despite the myriad stereotypical offerings, there is one that I am always tempted to grab from the rows of cold bowls filled with salads, puddings and jellos: tapioca. I am an absolute sucker for the tender pearls enrobed in clouds of eggy creaminess, especially when it's topped off with a dollop of whipped cream. However, I can probably count the number of times I've made it from scratch on my pinky finger, using a box of "minute" tapioca (that neglected to mention the additional 29 minutes it takes to stand stirring the pot at the stove), and the result did not best the months-old tapioca cups I had sitting in my cupboard waiting to be put in someone's lunch. BUT, I have had a tapioca epiphany (a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience)(I wasn't sure if that meant what I thought it meant, so I looked it up and it's exactly what I meant). I had bought a bag of tapioca pearls from the bulk section at Winco, with high hopes I would use it. That was last month. Then a few days ago, the thought popped into my head that I vaguely remember hearing something somewhere about a recipe for crockpot tapioca. I googled it and got this recipe from Allrecipes.com. This is exactly what tapioca should be: rich, creamy, comforting, and easy. And don't be fooled into thinking you'll be making enough to take 'round to the neighbors; my family of six polished this off in three days.

Tapioca Pudding

2 quarts milk(I subbed in cream for the last cup of milk; why not?)
1 cup tapioca pearls(whole, not minute, any size)
1 1/2 cups sugar(I know, doesn't sound like enough, but it is)
4 eggs
2 TBS vanilla
pinch of salt

Crack the eggs into the crockpot and whisk up until blended. Add all other ingredients and mix. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 - 3 hours until thickened up to pudding consistency, stirring occasionally so you don't have a layered egg casserole. If you leave it in the crockpot after it has initially thickened up, it will result in a thicker pudding when it has cooled.

Now, when I made this, I have to admit I was despairing that it would work when I stirred it at the 2-hour mark and it looked the same as it did when I put it in in the first place. But then some kind of magic happened, because when I opened it again at the 2 1/2 hour mark, it had suddenly transformed into this thick, rich pudding you see in the picture. It's like the pearls finally decided to give in and just sucked in all that creamy goodness like a camel finding water. Unbelievably satisfying.

Fruity Tootie Smoothie

2011-01-08T15:08:00.005-04:00

This is an exciting day in our house! My daughter Hailey made the MOST delicious smoothie, and I thought is was ingenious how she did it so she agreed to post it on my blog, officially making this a family blog! This drink has an amazing burst of fresh flavor, and the apple pectin and citrus zest make this a very healthy drink that is unbelievably delish. I'm turning the reigns over to Hailey now so I can go get another drink.....

Well I was babysitting and I felt like having a grapefruit(which I have been so sadly deprived of for the past four or so years)but instead I decided to make a smoothie. I guess this smoothie was partially made by my laziness. My mom congratulated me on how she never thought to use whole fruit, but I only used whole fruit because I didn't want to juice the fruit. Well enough about how I came to make the smoothie here's how you can make it..

Fruity Tootie Smoothie
This serves approximately ten people

two grapefruit
two apples
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar

Then today I reinvented the smoothie today but added

1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen peaches
milk

First you cut out the part you eat from the grapefruit and squeeze the rest you couldn't cut out, then cut the apples into slices depending on how good your blender is, also if you prefer more of a tang then use green apples( i used fuji apples).After your finished with that you add the peaches and strawberries.then depending on your like or dislike of sour things you can add more or less lemon juice, and even it out with the sugar. (I found the smoothie is also good as a popsicle) And their it is, enjoy!

PS The glass isn't full in the picture because I couldn't stop drinking it

Egg Nog

2011-01-03T19:26:00.004-04:00

I know you've heard this one before, but Happy New Year! Ahhhhh, this is a great time of year. Still reeling from unabashed overindulgence(which wasn't accompanied with guilt until now), you can look ahead at the new year as a clean slate; a time to imagine reinventing yourself, to be buoyed up by hope and resolve, as well as great intentions. This is the beginning of the making of new stories.

Now, all that aside, I am posting a recipe that is a New Year's Eve tradition, and while it may be a little late to be posting this(as my daughter just informed me), you can also look at this from the reinvention standpoint. Yes, the traditional drink is typically only associated with the holidays, BUT think of the possibilities that are waiting to be discovered. At a time when we are all thinking of ways to be healthier, I can't help but go back to some of my health roots: Adelle Davis. In her book Let's Have Healthy Children, Adelle Davis gives a recipe for "pep-up", made from fresh milk, powdered milk, raw eggs, brewer's yeast, vanilla, oil, frozen orange juice, calcium, lecithin, and magnesium. While touting the health benefits to expectant mothers, she also talks about her teenagers having this as an optional breakfast, providing all the protein and nutrients they need for breakfast. Ok, while this may be a little out of your comfort zone, think about the small jump egg nog needs to make from decadent drink to healthy smoothie. Keep the milk, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon(ever read the amazing benefits of cinnamon? least of which is helping your body to be able to better process sugar), and add in some frozen oj, fruit, protein powder, coconut oil, spinach(hey! you can't tell), whatever is in the realm of your possibilities. However you choose to make it, the point is, take the leap! Whether for your self that's not quite ready to let go of holiday cheer, or for your self that's ready to forge ahead into the realm of possibilities, treat yourself to a glass of happy.

Egg Nog

6 eggs, beaten to death, or until they're somethat thickened, frothy-looking, and lemony colored

Ok, I have to pause here, to really encourage you to be dilligent in using quality eggs here. I'm talking grain fed, no hormones or antibiotics, organic, whatever the label is. Just be picky, it matters in this one.

1 can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup sugar
2 quarts milk
1-2 Tablespoons vanilla
cinnamon and nutmeg, generously sprinkled
softly whipped cream

Beat in to the dead eggs the sweetened condensed milk, sugar, vanilla and spices. Pour into a gallon pitcher, and mix in the fresh milk. Top with whipped cream and an additional sprinkling of nutmeg.

Coconut Macaroons

2010-03-30T15:22:00.002-04:00

Isn't it funny how you can discover new things about your spouse, even after being married for a while? For instance, it's only been in the last few years that I've uncovered my husband's love of coconut. If something smells or tastes like coconut, or really contains it in any way, it's a pretty sure bet that he'll like it. And since noticing Scott's preference, it seems my whole family has taken to coconut. SO, I'm always on the lookout for good coconut recipes, because it's a fine line that divides the good ones from the bad ones. A good recipe has to take into account the texture of coconut meat, if it's being used, and allow you to enjoy the uncompromising stick-to-your-ribs goodness of coconut. It also needs to showcase an authentic coconut flavor, one that reminds you why you love coconut. We made these macaroons for our Christmas gifts, and I loved that they were easy enough for our whole family to do without giving me an anxiety attack. I found the recipe on Chef Keem's blog, HERE. I was thinking this would be great for a little Easter treat: some coconut, some chocolate...

Coconut Macaroons

4- 14oz bags sweetened coconut flakes
2- 14oz cans sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbs heavy cream
1 Tbs vanilla

Add 3 bags of conconut, milk, sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla in mixer. Mix until combined. Slowly add in fourth bag of coconut, and mix on low for about 30 seconds. Scoop with an ice cream or cookie scoop onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes until macaroons are golden brown with dark brown tips. Let cool. Melt chocolate over low heat. Dip macaroons halfway in, then let set up on wax paper.

Black Bean Cake Tostados

2010-03-19T12:05:00.006-04:00

Just in case you didn't catch that, "Black Bean Cake Tostados" is actually code for "I'm REALLY REALLY REALLY sorry that you've had to stare at Key Lime Cupcakes for the past 4 months". I have to confess that I had a bit of a blog meltdown, but that was followed by a blog paradigm shift, so it's all good. Here's the scoop...
November 2009, the beginning of the BIGGEST food season of the year. I was so excited to look at all the food that would be lovingly prepared over the next few months that I regularly read all my favorite food blogs to see what they had planned, and I wasn't disappointed. I found holiday menus, themed cooking weeks, giveaways, etc., etc., etc. Blogs that went above and beyond celebrating food. I started taking note of the vast difference between all the amazing blogs I was looking at and my homely little blog that was lucky to be updated every now and then. I admit it, I got caught up in blog comparing, big time, and got a little overwhelmed. So, I stopped blogging. Then I watched the movie Julie and Julia, and was inspired to remember what it is that I love doing. I love eating. I love cooking. I love cooking and eating with friends and family. I love talking about cooking and eating. And I like doing things my own way. So, I'm back to blogging, but I'm doing things a bit differently now. I took the FOLLOWERS tracker off my blog, because honestly, I was focusing way too much on getting my numbers up, and that just wasn't healthy. I'm leaving the COMMENTS option on because I really do enjoy talking food with you, and definitely want to answer any questions you might have. BUT, don't feel obligated to leave a comment just because you visited my site; just know that you coming here makes me happy! I'm also gonna try something new: I want to extend to you an open invitation to be a guest on my blog! I love getting glimpses into other people's food worlds. If you cook up something that you'd like to share, just email me the recipe, along with a picture of your yumminess and any story that might go along with it(including maybe a little bit about you and your style of cooking). My email address is scdunn5@yahoo.com. So, my posting will probably still be pretty erratic over the next 4 months or so as we are moving, but I am back to being happy and excited about blogging. SO! On to the new recipe...

Mmmm mmmm, I have fallen in love with these little darlings. My friend Amie gave me this recipe, and it has become one of my favorites, ESPECIALLY because it's a scrumptious non-meat meal. But don't fret, it's hard to miss the meat when it tastes this good: a crispy tostado shell paired with a fried bean patty that manages to be substantial while still retaining a vestige of creaminess and fresh flavors, topped with cool salsa, crunchy lettuce, juicy tomatoes, salt-and-peppered avocado, and of course, fragrant cilantro.

Black Bean Cake Tostados

4 cans black beans, liquid drained but reserved
1/2 onion, diced
1 tsp garlic
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 egg
1/2 cup or more flour
salt and pepper
hot sauce
1/2 cup flour seasoned with cajun seasoning
oil for frying

In a food processor, puree 2 cans of the drained beans. Add the onion, garlic and cilantro and pulse to combine( a small amount of bean liquid may be added as needed to puree). Add the egg and pulse for 10 seconds. Transfer mixture to a medium mixing bowl. Add the remaining half of the beans and gradually add the flour until the mixture becomes firm enough to form into a loose ball. Add salt, pepper and hot sauce. If too thick, adjust consistency with been liquid. Form cakes in about 4-oz patties. Dredge in seasoned flour and fry in about 1 inch of oil until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes each side. Top with your favorite toppings.

Key Lime Cupcakes

2009-11-17T15:07:00.005-04:00

Last week was my 36th birthday. I had big plans to try out a new restaurant with friends for lunch, then go out to dinner and dancing with my honey and friends, plus Scott gave me a hot tip about a gift all my kids had saved up to get me that I had wanted for a while and I got all excited about that. So what happened? Tessa, my 3-year-old, ended up getting asthma so I needed to stay home with her. Which brought to my immediate attention how badly my house needed to be cleaned, but it was just too depressing for me to be cleaning all day for my birthday. Then my girls had said they would make dinner, but I just didn't feel like supervising that when I would rather just eat some cereal and make things easier on everyone. Then my kids seemed like they were arguing more than usual after they got home from school. SOOOO, Scott came home from work to find me in my room, reading my latest copy of Cook's Illustrated and crying. Plus, that same weekend, I had to call my parents and tell them we couldn't go on a cruise with them that we had previously said we could. ANYWAY, long story short, I was still feeling a little sorry for myself when I logged on today to catch up on blogs that I hadn't looked at through the weekend. There's a blog I follow called Yaya Stuff. Yaya(aka Alicia) is a women who has been trying to either have a baby or adopt for the past 7 years. She also happens to be one of the funniest people ever! She posts herself doing these crazy dances for anything from getting a new toothbrush to trying to get her husband's attention(in a funny-definitely-not-questionable way). She wrote a post last week about how they had finally gotten word that a birth mother chose them to adopt the baby she was going to have. Over the weekend, Yaya posted that the birth mother had decided to rescind the adoption and keep the baby. Needless to say, she sounded crushed. Wow, let me tell you, it made me rethink my bad attitude about this past weekend. So my birthday didn't go EXACTLY as planned; boo-FRIGGIN-hoo! I mean, so what if I couldn't go out to lunch: I'm grateful to have good friends. So what if I couldn't go dancing: I'm thankful to be in good health and able to dance. So what if I had to turn down a cruise with my parents: I'm blessed to have such amazing parents. So what if I got a sewing machine instead of the automatic floor-cleaning machine that I've dreamed of: I've needed a sewing machine for 15 years. Plus, my husband took us all out to dinner when he got home, and even took me out for an "official" birthday dinner the next night, because he knows I love going out to eat. I LOVE MY KIDS AND MY HUSBAND. I even made cupcakes for my birthday, and they may be my favorite of all time. I got the recipe from Bon Appetit magazine online here. The fresh lime flavor combined with creamy cream cheese frosting is an unbelievably scrumptious combination. I had a little mishap with the food coloring, so I'm posting the picture from their website, along with the recipe. The only thing I did differently was to add a few tablespoons of Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice to the batter and one to the frosting.

These vibrant green cupcakes match the chartreuse walls at Buttersweet Bakery in Atlanta. They also reflect the fun, laid-back vibe of the shop. "We call it retro funk," says owner Charlita Varner.

MAKES 12
Photograph by José Picayo

Recipe by Buttersweet Bakery

September 2008
Ingredients
CUPCAKES
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/4 teaspoon neon-green food coloring
3/4 cup buttermilk
FROSTING
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
CUPCAKES
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Whisk both flours in medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then next 3 ingredients (batter may look curdled). Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Spoon scant 1/3 cup batter into each liner.
Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool.
FROSTING
Beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread over cupcakes

Santa Fe Style Rice and Beans

2009-11-12T18:18:00.004-04:00

Do you, by any chance, know my friend Reeni? I say my friend not because we've ever met or even talked, but because every time I go to her blog, I feel like I've just come home. Her pictures, her recipes, and her style of writing just take you by the hand, sit you in the overstuffed chair, and hand you a cup of hot chocolate flanked by some homemade dipping cookies. I'm always inspired to cook after I've visited her. Isn't that exactly what a friend does? Inspire you? Comfort you? Feed you? It was on one of my visits to her blog that I saw this little gem. Santa Fe in the title? Oh yeah, I'm cookin' it sister. It turned out just how I imagined it: major comfort food. The rice was a little nutty-tasting from its saute and fragrant with spices, the beans were firm but creamy, the chiles and tomatoes contributed zest and spice, and the sour cream and cheese topping added both creaminess and crustiness. Now I did do it a little differently from Reeni's original recipe, so if you'd like to see her post, click here. Or, if you'd just like to browse, go check out her blog, Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice.

Santa Fe Style Rice and Beans

2 cups long-grain rice, uncooked
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 can black beans, drained
1 can red beans, drained
1 can chopped green chiles
1 can corn
1 can Rotelle diced tomatoes with jalapenos
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp red chile powder
1 tsp oregano
2-3 cups shredded mozzarella
1-2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle bottom of hot pot with olive oil, then add onions. Saute until beginning to soften. Add rice and stir until fragrant and starting to turn golden. Add garlic, curry and turmeric and stir for another few minutes. Add black beans and 4 cups of water, stir, and let cook uncovered until water level is below rice. Turn heat to low and cover; cook about 15 minutes until rice is done. Spray 9x13 pan with baking spray. Add green chiles, red beans, corn, and tomatoes to rice mixture; season well with salt and pepper. Mix well, and pour into baking dish. Whisk together sour cream, milk, chile powder, oregano, salt and pepper, and pour over the rice. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until cheese is browned. I did mine more than a little browned so that it would have a nice crust on the top; if you like your cheese more melty, keep an eye on it and take it out sooner.

Jeweled Citrus Salad

2009-11-09T14:13:00.004-04:00

I'd been sitting here trying to figure out what to write about this salad, when my four-year-old came up to me to argue the sanity of the tooth fairy. She had a tooth pulled today, and the dentist's parting words to her(after giving her a sparkly little tooth-shaped necklace containing the pulled tooth) were "And don't forget, the tooth fairy is going to visit you tonight and leave you double since you were such a good girl!". Since the sedative was still taking her for a ride, she didn't think to bring it up until now, when she asked me what the tooth fairy does. "She takes your tooth and leaves you some money." "No she doesn't! She gives you another tooth! I'm going to have two teeth! YAY!!!" "No, she doesn't give you another tooth. She takes your tooth, but she gives you money for it." "But I don't want her to take my tooth. Why does she do that?" Oh, why indeed, Ms. Next-Time-Limit-Your-Parting-Comments-To-Something-About-IceCream-Pedodontist!

ANYWAY...I was asked to come up with a salad this past weekend that would go with Raspberry-Walnut Vinaigrette. Mmmm, citrus of course! I love fresh citrus in salads; they look so colorful and festive, especially when paired with plump red craisins. Sweet, salty and juicy is just my kind of salad. I do wish I had thought to add in some red onion, to add a little spice. Next time....

Jeweled Citrus Salad

1 bag mixed salad with raddiccio and spring greens
handful pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 handfuls Craisins
2 oranges, segmented and chopped
2 red grapefruit, same
shaved Parmesan(or you can substitute feta, Gorgonzola or bleu cheese)

Mix all ingredients. Serve with Raspberry-Walnut Vinaigrette

Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Caramel Pecans and Bananas

2009-11-04T22:21:00.004-04:00

There are mornings when the ol' protein shake or bowl of cereal just won't do. Mornings when something from deep inside is telling you that this is a morning to spoil yourself, just because you can. This is the breakfast for just such an occasion. The only regret I had after indulging in such a decadent treat masquerading as breakfast is that I didn't have any whipped cream to top off with.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Caramel Pecans and Bananas

1/2 bag mini-chocolate chips to add to pancake batter
(see here for recipe)
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
4 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs butter
dash of cinnamon
pinch of salt
splash of milk or cream
1 banana, sliced

For the caramel pecan sauce, add brown sugar and butter to pan, and stir over med heat until bubbly. Add cinnamon and salt. Stir in milk(be careful-it will bubble vigorously!); check consistency, and add additional milk if too thick. Add in pecans and stir for a minute until bubbly. Make pancakes per recipe. Serve pancakes topped with caramel pecan sauce, sliced bananas and maple syrup(if you like). Don't forget the tall glass of ice cold milk.

Fajita Fettuccine

2009-11-03T11:21:00.006-04:00

Is it Tuesday already? That snuck up on me. Could it be because Halloween weekend was crazy busy?

Or that yesterday was Tessa girl's 4th birthday, complete with a house full of friends and a cake big enough to feed them all?

Or maybe because the kids are STILL not back at school yet with STILL no return date?!(see why here) Hmmmm, at any rate, time is flying by. Hello November! Honestly, I'm getting butterflies in my stomach thinking about all the lovely, yummy food that I get to cook in the next few months. All the people I get to feed. All the new menu and treat ideas I get to sniff out from shiny, new cookbooks and tantalizingly lovely food blogs. Ahhhh, it's finally and officially holiday season.

We had a really yummy dinner last night, and the colors in it just looked like holiday food to me. I like my pasta the way I like my salad: with lots of stuff in it. This dish certainly fit the bill.

Fajita Fettuccine

1 lb fettuccine or linguine
1 onion, cut into strips
2-4 handfuls mini-peppers, cut into strips
1 rotisserie chicken, deboned and shredded
1/2-1 lb grilled churrasco (see here)
1 stick unsalted butter
2-4 cups heavy cream, depending on taste(or you can substitute half-and-half)
Tony's creole seasoning
granulated garlic

Cook pasta per directions in salted water. Drizzle hot frying pan with olive oil. Add onions and peppers; saute until tender crisp. Add in chicken and steak, season with creole seasoning and garlic, and saute until hot. Drain pasta, then add back to pot along with butter, cream and creole seasoning. Stir gently until butter is melted and cream is hot. Add in veggie/meat mix. Sauce will thicken up as it cools. Ready to serve

Chewy Crunchy Sweet n' Salty Bars

2009-10-29T22:37:00.002-04:00

I'm afraid there's not a whole lot more to say that the name doesn't cover. I found this recipe on the back of the Kraft Caramel Bits bag, and my daughter was in a food mood, so she churned these out in no time. We had different things than it called for on the bag, so I'm gonna post how we did it and what I would change next time.

Chewy Crunchy Sweet n' Salty Bars

10 graham crackers
2 pkgs Kraft Caramel Bits
4 Tbs. milk
1 cup whole pecans
coursely crushed pretzels, about 4 handfuls
1 small bag candy corns(I used caramel apple flavored, hence the red)
1 small bag mini-white chocolate chips
1/2 bag chocolate chips

Line 9x13 pan with parchment paper, extending over sides. Grease. Line bottom of pan with graham crackers. Microwave caramel bits and milk in bowl on high 2 minutes or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Pour over grahams. Top with nuts, pretzels, candy corns and white choc chips. Melt the chocolate chips. Drizzle over the top. Sprinkle a VERY sparse amount of kosher salt over top. Refrigerate until set. Using paper handles, remove bars from pan and cut into bars with a pizza cutter.

SO, the next time we do this, this is what I would do differently:
1. Use a nice, crunchy salted nut, like almonds or peanuts, and more of them.
2. Leave out the candy corns; it's sweet enough without them.
3. Leave out the white chocolate chips: ditto.
4. Throw in some mini marshmallows for a nice texture addition.
5. Maybe try another crunchy option, like Fritos.
6. Put them in a bigger pan so they're thinner.

BBQ Short Ribs

2009-10-28T10:12:00.005-04:00

Well ladies, this is the first time that I have ever made short ribs. With my 36th birthday looming near, it just goes to show--you're never too old to learn! (HA! You were expecting me to say something about old dogs, weren't you??) My family loves ribs, and Scott asked for some for his birthday dinner. These were at--you guessed it!--Costco, so I picked up a pack. I used the recipe for Zesty Short Ribs from my trusty Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book as a guide, and now have a new family favorite. The meat was so tender and flavorful, and with no bones to slow us up we devoured them! I barbecued them, but if you want to make them in the oven, just do the simmering bit, then put the ribs on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Brush with sauce, and broil 4-5 inches from the heat for 10-15 minutes or till heated through, turning often and brushing with sauce.

BBQ Short Ribs

4ish pound pack of boneless beef short ribs
steak seasoning
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup molasses
3 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs mustard
garlic powder
salt and pepper

Cut ribs into serving size pieces. Place in pot and cover with water. Generously season water with steak seasoning. Cover and simmer about 1 hour until tender(pierce with fork). Drain. Mix sauce ingredients in a big bowl(be sure to taste for seasonings). Add in ribs and mix until coated. Grill on medium heat grill until heated through, about 20 minutes, turning and brushing occasionally with sauce.

Chocolate Coconut Layer Cake

2009-10-24T22:30:00.004-04:00

This week has been birthday central here! Not only was it my grandma's birthday, it was also my dad's and my honey's! One of Scott's all-time favorite flavor combinations is chocolate and coconut, so I created this cake for him. I got the recipe for the cake itself from The Repressed Pastry Chef, and the frosting recipe I just googled for a good high-humidity recipe. I can't say enough how good Dorie Greenspan's cake is. It has an amazingly light and silky crumb, tender and moist and so delicious. I couldn't imagine it getting any better, but unbelievably, it did: the second day. I have no words. Scott thinks this might have been his best birthday cake ever.

From Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking: From My Home to Yours”

Makes 12 to 14 servings

For the Cake

•2 1/4 cups cake flour(I used regular flour, minus 2 Tbs per cup of flour)
•1 tablespoon baking powder
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk(I used whole)
•4 large egg whites
•1 1/2 cups sugar
•2 teaspoons grated lemon zest(I omitted)
•1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
•1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract(I used 2 tsp coconut extract)

To Make The Cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.

Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and, working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the tough – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (The cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.)

For the Frosting

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, room temp
1 tsp vanilla(I used coconut extract)
4 cups powdered sugar(I used 3 1/2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup cocoa powder)
2 Tbs milk
2 Tbs corn starch

Cream shortening and butter. Mix in vanilla. Add sugar 1 cup at a time. Combine milk and cornstarch; add to icing and beat until fluffy.

For the Filling and Topping

1 jar Nutella
flaked coconut
Almond Joy candy bars, cut in half

To Assemble

Place one cake layer flat side up on plate. Frost with Nutella. Place other cake layer on top, with flat side down. Frost top and sides with chocolate frosting. Place candy bars, cut side down, around top of cake. Press coconut onto top and sides.

I know, it's a bad picture, but I had to show what the whole enchilada looked like!

Grandma Slade's Stacked Red Chile Enchiladas

2009-10-23T21:34:00.003-04:00

Today has been a crazy day, to say the least. Eighteen holding tanks for Shell oil have exploded and are burning, threatening to ignite the rest of the 40 tanks and sending up a toxic mushroom cloud into the atmosphere. The governor has declared a state of emergency and we are all waiting to see what will happen. My kids go to school at the army post here, which is where the tanks have exploded. Luckily the explosions occurred in the middle of the night last night, but school has been cancelled indefinitely. GREAT!

Today has also been a poignant day. Last year, my Grandma Slade passed away, and today is her birthday. There have been some sad feelings in my heart today, mostly just missing her, but I must admit, I've done more smiling and chuckling as my Grandma Slade memories have flooded me. Grandma Slade had a contagious laugh. When she laughed, she didn't hold back; in fact, she was usually squinting, doubled over, and slapping her knee when she laughed(well, she'd slap her knee when she wasn't trying to slap one of her adult kids because they LOVED teasing her). Her hero was John Wayne, and I think she was the kind of woman he would have admired: full of life, quick to laugh, quick to anger but quicker to repent(if I didn't learn how to swear from Grandma, she certainly taught me how to perfect the art). Grandma Slade was the rare person who could be the life of the party, but was not an attention-seeker. She just REALLY enjoyed people. She loved long visits, when she could laugh with you, and swap news and stories, and just get caught up on all your comings and goings. And of course, she wouldn't hear of you going without having been fed--well fed, at that. The hallmark of the infamous Slade family gatherings was her Enchiladas. They were hailed as one of the things we most looked forward to(along with nightly movies and malts). In fact, they are an integral part of the Slade family identity. Revered as they were, there was a constant debate between cooks about cooking them strictly how Grandma Slade did it, or throwing in a few untraditional ingredients to stir up the pot. I'm posting the recipe as Grandma told it to me, the way I make them.

Grandma Slade's Enchiladas

2 lbs ground beef
1 small jar minced garlic(or fresh equivalent)
salt
pepper
flour
sugar
New Mexico red chile powder
red pepper flakes
tortillas, flour or corn
shredded cheese
diced onions
shredded lettuce
diced tomatoes

Heat a pot of water to boiling, about an 8-cup capacity size. Meanwhile, add beef, garlic, generous pinch of sugar, ground black pepper and LOTS of salt to a large pot and brown the meat. I mean REALLY brown it; make sure it's got a lot of the charred-looking piece, because really browning the beef will add a layer of flavor to the chile. Drain the fat. Add enough flour to the beef to make it stick together when you stir it, about 1/2 cup mas o menos, and then add in enough chile powder to make the meat dark red after you've stirred it all in(it might end up being 1/4-1/2 cup). If you want to kick up the heat, add in a few generous pinches of the pepper flakes. Stir for about a minute over high heat, then pour in the whole pot of boiling water all at once. Stir to get up anything that's sticking to the bottom of the pan and break up any meat clumps. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 1-2 hours, until chile has reduced by almost half and is noticeably thicker(still soupy, though). TASTE FOR SEASONING!! Chances are very good that it will need more salt, because it always takes more than you think. To build your enchilada, first ladle some chile onto your plate. Then take a tortilla and dip it into the chile before laying it on your plate. Ladle some more chile over it. Repeat for 1-2 more layers. Sprinkle cheese over the top, LOTS of cheese, and some chopped onion if you like. Put in a hot oven or the microwave(my usual MO) and heat until cheese is melted and bubbly around edges. Top with shredded lettuce, chopped fresh tomato, and season with a little salt and pepper. Here's to you Grandma Slade!

Puerto Rican Bean Stew

2009-10-22T14:07:00.007-04:00

I know this has nothing to do with my post, but I just had to tell you about what we had for dessert last night. Have you ever had Magic Shell ice cream topping? It's chocolate topping that hardens when you pour it over ice cream, forming a thin chocolate shell. I must admit, I've never bought a bottle, but I've had it. Well, lately I've become a huge fan of extra virgin coconut oil. It doesn't break down into trans fats at high temperatures, like many vegetable oils do. It's an amazing moisturizer for you skin, with the added bonus of smelling good enought to eat. It works wonders on rashes. Boosts your metabolism. Makes an amazing chocolate-coconut-banana smoothie. Okay, just google it already, because sister I am just breaking the surface here of all the good things that virgin coconut oil can do(note it's VIRGIN coconut oil, different from coconut oil which is NOT healthy). Well, to add to my list, I found a recipe for homemade magic shell ice cream topping using EVCO -or extra virgin coconut oil- because it is a liquid above 75 degrees, but it solidifies at 74 degrees and below. So last night we tried it. The recipe said to melt 1 part chocolate with 1 part oil, but I did 1 part oil to 2 parts chocolate. Melted them together over med-low heat in a saucepan, then poured it over Costco's fabulously delish vanilla bean ice cream. It was SO BLOOMIN' GOOD!! The chocolate hardened right up, and also gave it this decadent coconutty undercurrent that was completely over the moon. Bottom line, try it!

Soooooooo, back to the post! Hearty, rich, healthy, economic. Bean Stew. I had never had a soup like this until I moved here, and I love it. Easier than split pea, cheaper that beef stew, it's an ideal fall recipe to keep on hand. Sofrito is a Puerto Rican seasoning made with onions, garlic, green peppers, tomato sauce, along with a few other things, all blended together to make a kind of paste that is the base of Puerto Rican cuisine. My favorite store brand is Don Tono con Sazon(the refrigerated kind that's red, not green). You can probably find sofrito seasoning in the latin american cooking aisle of the grocery store, although it will be dried, not a paste. If you can't find it, just finely chop and saute the basic ingredients mentioned before, and add in a can of V8: it's comparable.

Puerto Rican Bean Stew

2 cans pink beans
1 big spoonful sofrito base
lunchmeat ham, cut in shreds
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 baking potato, prepared same way
1 large chunk calabeza(or any squash with firm, orange flesh), prepared same way
cilantro, chopped

Drizzle some olive oil into a hot soup pot, and add in sofrito base and ham. Saute for a few minutes. Add in both cans of beans(undrained) and 1 can of water, along with the potatoes and squash. Simmer until squash is broken down enough that it is thickening the stew, probably no more than 30 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper, then remove from heat and add in cilantro. Serve with rice.

Creamy Broccoli Casserole

2009-10-19T20:28:00.006-04:00

Baby, baby, baby, baaabeeeey, you know that you're so fiiiine... Remember the Brandy song? I can't help it, this casserole makes me sing. This is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. EVER. Maybe I can't explain it coherently, but to have the fresh broccoli, slathered in a curry cream sauce and melted cheese, with savory, juicy bits of chicken scattered throughout, topped off with none other than moist dressing that's been baked just long enough to form a bit of a crust on top that you need to break through in order to plunder the golden, creamy depths beneath--well, what more can I say? It was enough to bump this baby to the front of the line ahead of all the other recipes waiting to be posted, because NOBODY puts Creamy Broccoli Casserole in a corner! Sorry about the misquote, but I just polished off a hot plate of the aforementioned casserole, and I'm feeling a little slaphappy. Oh, and in case the picture didn't properly prepare you, your diet is going to buy a round-trip ticket to Siberia for the evening. But don't worry, you are eating some broccoli, right? And that darn diet will be there to pull you back on track before you know it.

Creamy Broccoli Casserole

3-4 medium heads of broccoli
rotisserie chicken, deboned
1 bag or box stuffing mix
2-3 cups shredded cheese
Sauce:
Basically, 2 cans cream of whatever soup, 1 cup mayo, a few glugs of lemon juice, and a few dashes of curry powder. If you want a lot of sauce, mix up as is. If you prefer less, you can leave out a can of soup, or reduce the mayo by half or leave it out all together.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Chop up the broccoli into largish chunks, and steam until barely tender. Make up the stuffing mix as directed.(As a side note, I had some leftover French Onion Soup that I should have posted before this, but I used it to make my dressing, and it was really, really good!) Whisk together the sauce. In a 9x13 pan(or equivalent), layer first the broccoli, then the chicken, the cream sauce, the cheese, and lastly the dressing. Spread the dressing all the way to the edges to get that nice crust over the entire casserole. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until it seems cheese should be melted and top is crusty. If you want to keep the top soft, cover the dish. Really, this was just a precursor to Thanksgiving for me, especially since we had it with orange jello that I had whisked a can of cranberry sauce into and topped with mandarin oranges and pineapple.

Thai Stir-Fried Beef with Basil

2009-10-15T19:16:00.004-04:00

The ONE food I miss here on the island more than any other is Thai food. Despite my slight addiction, I have been too intimidated to put any real effort into learning how to cook Thai. The flavors seem so complicated. Last year, while perusing the clearance shelves of Borders, I came across an enormous, hardcover, full-color Thai cookbook for $5.00. Really, there was no question in my mind if I should buy it and bring it home and place it on my cookbook shelf...where it sat until a few days ago. I really didn't think of it as a gratuitous purchase. I think that I thought I had to psych myself up to be ready to do some elaborate preparation and buy crazy ingredients and spend some mula on things I wouldn't use in any other dish. After making some curry the other night, I got so homesick(yes, that is the best description for what I was feeling) for Thai food that I pulled out my cookbook, gave it a good dusting, and sat down just to look, no commitments. A lot of it was exactly what I was afraid of, but there were also little gems in there that I knew I could make with stuff I had in my kitchen. So I did! I did it! I cooked my own Thai dish that wasn't curry(I've got cans of Thai curry paste in my pantry). Well, I did change it a bit. The picture above is the one I scanned from the cookbook, so I'll post the recipe as is, then I'll show you what I did differently for mine.

Thai Stir-Fried Beef with Basil

1 Tbs fish sauce
3 Tbs oyster sauce
4 Tbs chicken stock or water
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbs oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 red chilies, lightly crushed with the side of a cleaver(I used chili oil)
1 beef steak, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
2 handfuls of basil leaves

Mix the fish sauce, oyster sauce, stock and sugar in a small bowl. Heat the oil in the wok or frying pan and stir-fry half the garlic over a medium heat until light brown. Add half the crushed chillies and half the meat and stir-fry over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until the meat is cooked. Remove from the wok and repeat with the remaining garlic, chillies and meat. Return all the meat to the wok. Add the onion and the fish sauce mixture and stir-fry for another minute. Add the basil leaves and stir-fry until the basil begins to wilt. Taste, then adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Ok, so my version was a little different, as you can see. I did the garlic and beef per directions, but didn't return it to the pan. Instead, I drizzled a little more oil in the pan, then added some shredded savoy cabbage and thinly sliced yellow squash, and quickly cooked them until starting to wilt and take on some brown marks. Then I removed the vegetables and drizzled a bit more oil into the hot pan, and added the onions and beef, and stir-fried a few minutes. Then I added the vegetables back in, and also added in the sauce. I salt-n-peppered the whole thing, and just cooked until the sauce was bubbling hot up through the veggies. Then I threw in the basil leaves and stirred for another few moments(I should have taken the pan off the heat, though, after adding in the basil, as the leaves looked like cooked spinach at the end). Served it with rice.

Sugar-Topped Spiced Pumpkin Bars

2009-10-13T14:22:00.003-04:00

My friends, I am saved. At least, I was on Saturday. A friend of mine organized a vendors' open house, and I decided to participate by selling some freezer jam and cookie dough. The requirements were: 1) Bring your product; 2)Bring your own table; and 3) Bring some food to share for the refreshment table. So, 30 minutes before I needed to leave, I went through the list(details tend to ellude me, so don't laugh that I had to review a list of 3 items). Jam and cookie dough packaged and ready to go: CHECK! Table borrowed and ready to be picked up on my way there: CHECK! Yummy goodie made for the food table: CRAP! I did get a little panicked(no you are NOT allowed to ask my kids if I was only a little panicked), until divine inspiration stepped in and reminded me of this recipe. It's been a few years since I've made these bars, since I tend to forget what I've cooked and where I've found the recipes for what I've cooked, but lo and behold! I remembered where the recipe was. I love these! I mean, come on, 30 minutes from looking for the recipe to putting the pan in the car, and it feeds a load of people. Oh, and if you're worried about leftovers, these bars just get moister as the days pass. Spicy, pumpkin-y, deliciously moist goodness, all for 30 minutes of your time.

Pumpkin Bars

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
4 eggs
1 15-oz can pumpkin
1 cup oil or applesauce
1/4 cup molasses
powdered sugar

In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, pumpkin, oil and molasses; mix well. Spread into a greased 15x10 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool before cutting. Dust with powdered sugar.

Waffle of Insane Greatness (no, I didn't name it; yes, it lives up to its name)

2009-10-08T06:48:00.004-04:00

As I was typing in the title for this recipe, it popped up for me in the dropdown menu. Hmmmm, have I posted this already? Ooops--a quick look-up says yes, but at my other blog and without a pic. Now, instead of feeling so bloggily productive, I feel like I'm cheating. The guilt is not crushing enough to keep me from reposting this little gem, though. This recipe comes from Aretha Frankensteins, and it's why I have a waffle maker. These babies come out nice and crispy, but still dense and moist.

Waffle of Insane Greatness

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups whole milk or buttermilk
2/3 cup oil
2 eggs
3 tsp sugar
2 tsp vanilla

In a bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add milk, oil, egg, sugar and vanilla; mix well. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Preheat waffle iron; don't spray with non-stick(the oil in the batter will allow the waffle to release easily). Cook as directed for your waffle iron.

Chile Relleno Casserole

2009-10-05T09:10:00.004-04:00

This past weekend was one of my favorite of the year! It was the semi-annual General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is when the prophet, President Monson, and other leaders of our church give guidance and counsel in a live television broadcast. Which, practically translated, means we get to watch church on tv from the comfort of our family room. Which also means we get to have a nice, relaxing, BIG brunch together as a family. So, I'll be posting a few recipes from our big breakfast yesterday, the first of which is this hearty, satisfying, comfort-food breakfast casserole. I also love making this for a quick, easy dinner. One resolution I came away with this weekend?(Well, ok, besides eating healthier this week to make up for our food-fest.) To look for more opportunities to be kind to someone, and to have the courage to help someone in need. Oh, does that count as two?

Chile Relleno Casserole

2 cans diced green chiles
shredded cheese
tortillas, corn or flour is fine(4-6, depending on size)
chopped onion, sauteed until soft(optional)
6 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
4 Tbs flour
Tony's Creole Seasoning

Spray a 9x13 pan with baking spray. Layer 1 can of chiles, half of onions, a few handfuls of cheese, and half the tortillas(broken up into small pieces). Repeat for 1 more layer. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, flour and seasoning. Pour over layers. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, until eggs are set. Serve with salsa!

Grandma Slade's Bisquits and Sausage Gravy

2009-09-30T20:35:00.003-04:00

Cooking is in my blood. I am third in a line of women who carved out their own food niche. Stories about my Grandma Slade are the stuff of legends. Stories about feeding crowds of hungry Polynesians and anyone else who happened to get caught in their path; working at the BYU cafeteria(still not clear what exactly her position was) and making sure all the food was the best honest-to-goodness home cooking those college students could get; working umpteen years managing the BYU Creamery(I still think of Grandma Slade when I walk into an ice cream store and smell that cold dairy smell). Grandma Slade only knew how to cook one way: in bulk. And it didn't matter who you were, you called her Grandma Slade. Now Mom should have written a cookbook. You could throw anything her way, and she'd make it taste good. Okay, one exception-when she made us liver and onions. I just don't think it's possible to make liver and onions pallatable to 4 kids under 10. But I remember sitting down to dinner every night with my family and being excited to eat. Oh, another exception Mom-pear halves stuffed with mayo and cheddar cheese. Shudder. Anyway, I don't have very many stories under my belt, but I do feel the cooking blood coursing through my veins. Grandma Slade showed me how to make some of her trademark foods, and these bisquits were one of them. Grandma could whip up a batch of these and play Canasta at the same time. Someday...

Grandma Slade's Bisquits and Sausage Gravy

Bisquits
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
4 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
scant 1/4 cup oil

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Make a well in the middle, and add milk and oil. Stir with a fork until all ingredients are incorporated. Stir in enough additional flour to make the dough easy to handle. Dump out onto a floured surface and knead just until flour is mixed in-dough will be soft but not sticky. Pat out to about 2 inch thick circle, and cut out bisquits with a the top of a glass or a round cookie cutter. I usually get about 7 bisquits after reshaping the scraps and cutting out more. Drop 2 tablespoons of butter into a 9 inch round cake pan, and put in oven until butter is melted and bubbly. Remove pan from oven. Take bisquit rounds and place in melted butter, flipping them over so top sides are buttered. Return to oven and bake until bisquits are just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.

Gravy
1/3 lb sausage
flour
milk

Brown sausage in skillet, breaking up into little pieces. When good and brown, add enough flour to coat sausage when stirred around but still moist, maybe 1/4 cup. Pour in milk, stirring well. I just pour in enough to make the amount of gravy I want. Generously salt and pepper, along with adding a small spoonful of sugar. Stir gravy until thickened up; remember, gravy will get thicker as it cools, so make it a little runnier than you want it. Serve over a piping hot bisquit that's been split.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-09-27T20:36:00.004-04:00

Fall fall fall. Have I mentioned how much I love fall? Actually, how much I miss fall, since we've moved to Puerto Rico. Fall is my ultimate cooking season, when the cooler weather is begging for you to churn out comfort dish after homecooked comfort dish, and the upcoming holidays are calling for some pre-season menu planning(how can you not crack open those wonderful holiday cook books while browsing through Costco?). My sister-in-law Carrie has a blog that I regularly check(she's one of the best writers around!), and one of her latest posts is about her favorite fall recipes, one of which was a recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. YUM! Last Halloween was the first time I tasted pumpkin cookies, and I loved them. So, I pulled out a can of pumpkin that I had left over from last year, and whipped up a batch of these beauties. We loved them!!!! I changed the recipe a little wee bit(sorry Carrie, but you know I just can't help myself), so you can look here for the original post.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups butter, room temp
2 1/2 cups sugar
15 oz pumpkin
2 eggs
1/3 cup molasses
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ginger
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 bag butterscotch chips
raw sugar(or any large-granule sugar)for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350. In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Mix in pumpkin, eggs, vanilla and molasses. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, allspice and ginger. Mix well. Add both chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle a pinch of raw sugar over each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes until set and beginning to brown around edges.

Mexican Street Tacos

2009-09-26T15:27:00.003-04:00

Fall is a great barbeque season. You've got amazing weather, great new outdoor smells and scenery, and lots of hungry football fans to feed. Definitely not a good time to be stuck in the kitchen churning out platters of finger foods. What's a girl to do? My yummy yummy answer? Street Tacos. So, I've never actually been to Mexico, but lots of my family have, and they swear these are one of the greatest things you can eat there. I love using churrasco(I think it's also called carne asada) because it grills up perfectly for tacos. Traditional tacos are made with plain corn tortillas, not fried, but hey, it's me cooking 'em. The raw onions give a sweet and spicy crunch to the tacos, while the cilantro adds a burst of flavor that balances out the richness of the meat and tortilla.

Mexican Street Tacos

2 lbs churrasco meat
1 orange
Tony's Creole Seasoning(see here)
corn tortillas
1/2 onion, diced
handful of cilantro, chopped

Lay meat out flat in a pan. Cut the orange in half. Squeeze one half over the meat, then generously season with Tony's. Flip meat over. Repeat process. Preheat grill on high heat for about 10 minutes. Turn down to low before you put meat on. Lay meat out flat on grill and close lid. Let grill about 10 minutes, until top is looking light brown and juices are pooling on top. Flip over and turn grill up to medium. Let cook 5-10 minutes, until meat is charred but still looking juicy. Remove from grill and let rest 5 minutes. Slice meat thinly. Be sure to cut against the grain, like this:

While meat is cooking, fry tortillas one at a time in oil until just firm enough to be able to fold over. Pile sliced meat onto your tortilla along with the onions and cilantro. You can also squeeze on some lime juice and add some salsa or hot sauce if you like.

A Twofer! Refrigerator Rolls and Bread Pudding

2009-09-25T07:19:00.006-04:00

How do I love thee fall? Let me count the ways.... The leaves, the clothes, the weather, the FOOD, the deserted beaches(yes, this is fall in Puerto Rico!). Fall just begs for me to make my favorite comfort foods. One of my ultimates is bread pudding. Ok, to be fair, I've got to post this little disclaimer: CAUTION! This recipe will make you hungry. WARNING! This is a recipe you have to invest a little time into. So why bother you ask? Oh ye of little faith(hmmm, something about fall must also make me want to speak in biblical terms), let me illuminate the heavenly blessings that will rain down on your household if you make this. Have you had bread pudding before? The correct answer is NO! You haven't had bread pudding like this. Now, to reiterate, I have always loved loved loved bread pudding. I'll even eat it from all-you-can-eat feeding troughs like Golden Corral. But THIS bread pudding is in it's own category. I made it when I was with my brother this past summer in Indiana, and we had to come up with a recipe that bridged his ideal(crispy-topped) and my ideal(moist moist moist). And, as luck would have it, we had a whole-stinkin-lot of leftover refrigerator rolls we had to do something with. The result was this pudding, entirely more than just a sum of its parts: the sweet eggy rolls melting into each other to form more of an incredibly moist, tender, dense cake than a typical bread pudding texture, with a satisfying sugar-crunch on top. Finished off with whipped cream, well, let me just say, it made my moderation-in-all-things dad go from "Woa! I can't eat all that!" to scraping his bowl and licking his spoon. I'll give you the recipe for the rolls we used first. My suggestion: double them, and then use em to make this pudding a few days later. I know, I sound like the Bread Pudding Nazi today, but I would REALLY REALLY love for you to try this!

Refrigerator Rolls

1 cup warm water
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
4-4 1/2 cups flour

Combine the warm water and yeast in a bowl and let proof about 5 minutes until foamy. Stir in butter, sugar, eggs and salt. With a wooden spoon, beat in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is too stiff to mix(I use my Kitchenaide). Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or up to 4 days. Grease a 9x13 pan. Turn out the chilled dough onto a floured board. Divide dough into 24 pieces and roll each into a smooth ball. Place in pan and let rise until doubled, about an hour. Bake in 375 oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Brush with butter if you like.

Bread Pudding

leftover rolls, broken up unto pieces
4 eggs
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream or half and half
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla
any large-grain sugar, like raw sugar, for sprinkling on top

Grease baking pan, large enough to spread out the roll pieces to about a 2-3 inch layer. Dump in roll pieces. Drizzle melted butter over rolls. In a bowl, combine eggs, liquids, brown and white sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Pour over rolls. Generously sprinkle top with large-grain sugar. Bake in a 350 oven about 45 minutes, or until set. You can check by inserting a butter knife into the center and pushing a little aside to check for still-liquid egg. If top is browning too quickly, cover with foil. Top individual servings with freshly-whipped cream.

Snacks

2009-09-24T08:11:00.002-04:00

I don't know what's in the air these days, but for some reason it seems like a lot of friends have mentioned that they are looking for healthier snacking options. I agree!! With four always-hungry kids and a husband in the midst of a weight-loss bet with his brother(ummm, ok, I admit, and me working towards weight loss goals) I am definitely in the market for some great healthy snacks. Ones that don't hurt too much to buy, make or eat. I thought I'd tap into my greatest resource--other people!--to gather in some great ideas. I'll share snacks that we eat in my house(not that these are the ONLY snacks we eat, just the HEALTHY ones, which is the point of this post, so no guilt, ok?). Leave me a comment and tell me what healthy snacks you chow on at your house, and the recipe if applicable. And thanks!

~yogurt(a staple! preferrably Stonyfield)
~fresh fruit
~apples or bananas with peanut butter and Nutella
~dried fruit(cherries, mangoes, prunes)
~hummus with fresh veggies or pita chips(see my post here)
~Mrs. Mays Ultimate Crunch
~string cheese sticks
~smoothies, made with frozen fruit, protein powder and Costco chocolate weight loss drinks
~graham crackers with bananas, peanut butter and Nutella or honey
~hard-boiled eggs
~tuna salad and tortilla chips(I know, weird but true)
~celery with cream cheese

Hummus

2009-09-23T07:07:00.003-04:00

Oh Happy Day! I finally got my first official issue of Cook's Illustrated! My friend Amie introduced me to this magazine before I left on summer vacation(she'd been given a stack of old editions she let me look through), and I have to confess, I missed them while I was gone! They're a spin-off of PBS's show America's Test Kitchen, which I've never seen, but each issue is like a cooking class in itself. Ten recipes are perfected in each issue--literally! Each recipe gets it's own write-up of how the tester overcame problems associated with the recipe and was able to achieve the ultimate version. Also featured are product reviews(again, write-ups on their testing process), kitchen notes, and must-haves in kitchen equipment. To celebrate getting my own first issue, I tried one of their recipes I've been wanting to make(albeit from an older issue)--homemade Hummus. We've always like hummus at my house, although it seems like you have to be careful which kind you buy; there's a lot of bad hummus out there, but I've always been too intimidated to try making it on my own. NO MORE! In fact, I doubt I'll ever buy it again, for the simple fact that store-bought hummus doesn't even come close to how good this is. When I opened the can of tahini(purchased at a regular grocery store) I was blown away by how GOOD it smelled. As an admitted fried-food addict, I immediately recognized what it smelled like: the most intense, freshest, nuttiest smell that comes from a great bag of just-opened potato chips. It's a good thing this hummus only took about 5 minutes to whip up, because I was drooling from the get-go. The end result? A hummus that was rich and nutty, full of intense flavor, yet with a light and creamy texture that melted in my mouth. So do yourself a favor: when you're ready for some hummus, make up a batch of this instead of buying a tub. Your tastebuds AND your wallet will thank you, and you can't beat that!

Hummus

3 Tbs lemon juice(I had limes)
1/4 cup water
6 Tbs tahini, stirred well(recommended: Joyva or Krinos)
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 14-oz can chickpeas(recommended: Pastene or Goya)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
pinch cayenne
fresh chopped cilantro or parsley, for garnish

Combine lemon juice and water in bowl. In second bowl, whisk together tahini and olive oil. Process chickpeas, garlic, salt, cumin, and cayenne in food processor about 15 seconds(I used a blender and kept scraping down sides). Scrape down sides. With machine running, add lemon-water in steady stream. Scrape down and process for 1 minute. With machine running, add tahini mixture in steady stream and process until smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds. Transfer hummus to serving bowl, sprinkle with cilantro, cover and let sit so flavors can meld, at least 30 minutes(I couldn't wait). Drizzle with olive oil and serve with chopped vegetables and pita chips.

Need a Good Laugh Today?

2009-09-22T07:37:00.004-04:00

Wait, let me just wipe the tears out of my eyes....ok, I can still type while I'm laughing. For all you moms out there--or any of you who knows a mom, or if you're married, or if you're a woman, you get it--please please PLEASE go check out this blog today, before you sign off this session on the net, before you even finish reading this post, GO!!! The blog is I'm Living Proof that God Has a Sense of Humor, and should be assigned reading for everyone. She's like a modern-day Erma Bombeck on steroids, and I was laughing so hard after reading some of her posts that I had to take a bathroom break. Read her three highlighted posts in her most recent post about SITS visitors. Happy reading friends!!!

Cream Puffs with Chocolate Chip Filling

2009-09-17T07:09:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite things is when I find out what a friend's favorite thing to eat is. I have a friend who is the chocolate chip cookie queen. She always has a stash in the freezer. She even brought my 3-year-old over her own bag of cookies one day when I couldn't bring her over to get some. I haven't been able to come close to how good her cookies are yet, so when I found out she likes cream puffs, I got pretty excited. She is moving in a few days, so what better way to give her a little love-filled send-off than to make up a batch? The cream puff recipe I got from my good old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, while the filling recipe came from Allrecipes(with my addition of chocolate chips).

Cream Puffs

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
dash of salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 400. In a medium saucepan combine butter, water and salt. Bring to a boil and add flour all at once. Stir until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Let cool 10 minutes. With a wooden spoon, beat in eggs one at a time. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons(I used a cookie dough scooper) 3 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until puffs are pretty brown. You don't want to undercook them, because the insides will be too damp and your puffs will collapse. You want to give them time to dry out. Cool on a wire rack. Split puffs and fill. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Filling

2 3.5 oz boxes of vanilla instant pudding
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk
1/2 bag mini chocolate chips

Whisk pudding mix and milk until pretty well combined. Add cream and mix well. Refrigerate until thick. Stir in chocolate chips.

Chicken Cacciatore

2009-09-16T07:18:00.005-04:00

The year was 1993 and I was a sophomore in college. I had met someone that I knew I wanted to get to know better--someone that had a car(a hot commodity at the time). So I worked out a deal: if he would take me grocery shopping, I would make him a fabulous dinner. The meal that I hinged my romantic future on? Chicken Cacciatore with mashed potatoes. I don't remember exactly how I decided that recipe was THE ONE, but the proof is in the pudding: 15 years of marriage to the man I still love cooking for. This one's for you baby!

Chicken Cacciatore

chicken breasts(bone-in is the best, or can use frozen, or if fresh, pound out to thin down)
2 bell peppers, cut into strips
1 onion, cut into strips
2 cans diced tomatoes
3-4 bay leaves
tabasco
italian seasoning
garlic, minced and powdered
sugar

Heat olive oil over high heat in large skillet. Salt and pepper chicken. Quickly sear both sides of chicken just to get some good color on them; remove from pan and set aside. Add peppers and onions to pan and saute until beginning to soften and get a little carmelization on them. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, 2-3 dashes of tabasco, big pinch of italian seasoning, both kinds of garlic, a spoonful of sugar, salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and simmer down about 15 minutes, until tomatoes are breaking down and turning a deeper red. Add chicken back in to pot(can add in some water if sauce is looking too dry). Simmer until chicken is done. Taste for seasonings and adjust.

Got leftovers? Great! Here's what you can make:

Chicken and Pasta

1 lb of your favorite bite-sized pasta
bag of frozen broccoli
mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Cook pasta and broccoli together in boiling water until pasta is done. Drain. Cut up chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add all leftover cacciatore to pasta and broccoli and mix. Taste to see if you need to add salt and pepper(or my favorite--cajun seasoning!) Pour into 9x13 baking dish and top with mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted.

Mom Tate's Chili with Mom Dunn's Cornbread

2009-09-15T15:23:00.005-04:00

So what would make a non-fan of chili post a chili recipe? My mom's chili. Growing up, I didn't know that there was food that didn't taste good until I ate outside of my mom's kitchen. It didn't matter what my mom was serving up, it didn't go on our table unless it tasted good. I'm not sure why, but I've never enjoyed eating chili until I visted my parents this past summer. And my mom made chili. Now, when she first served it up, I asked her, "When did you start making this?" because I didn't remember ever eating chili from my mom before. "What, this? I've always made this." Yeah, right. I know if you'd made this chili before, mom, I'd eat chili more. Either way, I'm glad she was willing to tell me how she threw this together. I just added some stuff of my own.

Chili

1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes(preferably with green chiles)
1 can tomato sauce(same size as diced tomatoes)
3 cans assorted beans, drained(I had black, pinto and navy)
tabasco, about 5 dashes
sugar or molasses or ketchup
garlic
oregano, about 3 tsp
cumin, about a tsp
worcestershire sauce, about 5 glugs
allspice, a few shakes
salt and pepper

Add ground beef, onion, salt, pepper, allspice, and garlic powder to pot. Brown meat. When good and brown, add remaining ingredients. If you want it soupier, add another can of tomatoes. Add the salt and pepper and sweetener to taste. Simmer down about 15-20 min.

Ok, so this cornbread is so luscious, I feel guilty not posting it under desserts. Its moist, dense, and mouthwateringly sweet-the perfect foil for a hot spicy bowl of chili. Actually, the perfect foil for a big bowl of creamy honey-butter and a tall glass of ice cold milk. Jeanie, this is one of my favorite things to eat!

Cornbread

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla

In a bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Beat in cornmeal, flour and milk. Pour into greased 9x13 pan and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. CAUTION-DON'T OVERBAKE!!! Bake just until center doesn't jiggle when you shake the pan; the cornbread won't necessarily be browned except on very edges.

Corn Bread

Sour Cream Pancakes and Buttermilk Syrup

2009-09-15T14:13:00.003-04:00

I love trying recipes whose author says that they've tried recipe after recipe to find the BEST possible version of whatever they're cooking, and AH-HA! After intense research and many hours of cooking, here it is. I love those recipes. They are always an exciting stepping stone on your own journey to find the BEST recipe. It's almost like a wild west shootout: Whose recipe is really the best? Which one will survive the cook-off challenge? (Because you KNOW, when you come across a recipe that claims to be the best, it's going up against YOURS.) Which, by the way, is why I am crazy about the cooking magazine Cooks Illustrated. Every recipe they present, every food gadget they recommend, comes with a detailed story illustrating exactly how they came to their conclusion that THIS is the best version. I am getting my first issue really soon, and am so excited!! (Thanks, Amie!) Anyway, back to the pancakes. I didn't really know to be picky about pancakes. I mean, a pancake is a pancake, right? Either they're made from a mix -dry and bready- or they're homemade -flat and tasteless- or so I thought. UNTIL... I decided to try a recipe in the 1997 Taste of Home Annual Recipes cookbook for Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes. Let me tell you, it rocked my pancake world. I felt like Eve after eating the forbidden fruit: my eyes were opened to a whole new world, where pancakes were flavorful, with a moist interior, a bit of crispiness on the edges, and still able to puff up when cooked. I would be happy eating these pancakes for the rest of my life. Actually, there was once when I didn't think that. It was when we went to this breakfast place called The Original House of Pancakes, about 1/2 mile from the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. One of the best breakfasts I've ever had. So, the recipe, with just a few tweaks of my own(like minus the blueberries):

Sour Cream Pancakes

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup sour cream (I've also substituted yogurt for this, plain and flavored)
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, oil, vanilla and milk. Add in the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; whisk until combined, but don't overmix-leave some lumps. Heat your electric griddle to 325 degrees. Either spray with Pam or grease with butter. Pour out your cakes. When bubbles are appearing and some are popping, and the edges are starting to look a little dry, flip em. They'll puff up a little when you do. Keep the cooked ones warm in the oven while you work your way through the batter.

So our favorite way to eat these pancakes is with Buttermilk Syrup. I got this recipe from my sister-in-law's in-laws, the Tolmans.

Buttermilk Syrup

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda

Heat sugar, butter and buttermilk in saucepan over med-high heat. Bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and baking soda. CAUTION-it will really foam up when you add the vanilla and soda, so make sure you're using a bigger saucepan than the amount of ingredients calls for. The foam will go down as it cools, but we can never wait so we laddle it on as is.

Spicy Stuffed Peppers

2009-08-25T13:32:00.005-04:00

A friend of mine was recently told that she is pre-diabetic, and as a result has changed the way she eats, which has given her some pretty great results in the health AND beauty departments. She's feeling so good, in fact, that I've started thinking maybe it would be a good thing to throw some more healthy meals into my family's mix every now and then(I say this as I sit munching on a Chunky Chewy Blondie--thanks Two Peas in Their Pod!). First step is to find some great healthy recipes that I can get excited about making and eating. Not so easy. UNTIL...I found Kalyn's Kitchen! She is a blogger from Salt Lake City, Utah who lost 40 lbs on the South Beach Diet and is now cooking to just maintain her weight loss. Her blog is fabulous, with tons of deliciously appealing recipes to browse through--complete with gorgeous photos. I saw her recipe for Southwestern Stuffed Peppers and decided to tweak it just a bit for my taste. YUMMO! We all loved them. PLUS, the leftovers are great for--you guessed it--HASH, along with burritos. If you'd like some healthy options to try out every now and then, check out Kalyn's blog at www.kalynskitchen.blogspot.com.

5-6 large bell peppers
1 lb lean ground beef
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup rice, uncooked(I used Uncle Bens)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
2 cups beef broth
1 onion, diced
a few different varieties of chile powder(I used New Mexico and adobo)
granulated garlic
dried oregano
salt and pepper
worcestershire sauce
shredded cheese

Add ground beef and onion to hot pan; cook until beef is browned. Drain grease. Add beans, rice, tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, chile powders(to taste), garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and a handful of shakes of worcestershire. Bring to a high simmer, then cover and cook on low until rice is cooked, stirring occasionally(if rice is not cooked and liquid is mostly absorbed, add some water). Heat oven to 375. Find a baking pan that will hold your peppers upright, and spray it with Pam. Place the peppers in, cuttting a thin slice off the bottoms if you need to stabilize them. Stuff with the beef mixture and bake, covered, for about 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese, and pop back in the oven until melted.

S'mores Cookies

2009-08-22T19:27:00.004-04:00

Although most of my posts tend to be dinners, I have found that when I browse through food blogs, my favorite ones are the baking blogs. Looking at all of the gorgeous pictures of drool-inducing goodies is almost as much fun as being in a bakery. I saw this recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod and immediately made plans to bake them this weekend; and I have to say, this might make the best cookie dough I have EVER tasted! The slight crunch of the graham crackers really puts it over the top. Actually, I made some slight adaptations to the recipe, mostly for baking in Puerto Rico.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups coursely crushed graham crackers
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar(I did 1/2 c)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 bag miniature choc chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
2 Hershey bars, chopped

Preheat oven to 375. In medium bowl, combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, salt. Whisk together. In larger bowl beat together butter, sugars and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Slowly beat in flour mix until smooth. Stir in choc chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes(I did 7), and remove from oven. Push 4-5 marshmallows and a few pieces of hershey bar into each cookie. Return to oven and bake few more minutes until fully cooked. Cool on cookie rack.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Pizza

2009-08-21T19:48:00.004-04:00

Friday night is pizza night here. Honestly, I'm not usually too picky about where the pizza comes from, but when I know I'm gonna be making it, I get pretty excited about this pizza. My friend Amie gave me the dough recipe, along with the idea for using pesto. My favorite pesto to use is the jar from Costco in the deli cold case (which, by the way, is also VERY tasty on the Spinach and Cheese Ravioli they sell). With 6 people eating, I like to have two sauce options, so I'll do both pesto and tomato sauce pizzas. I'm definitely a pesto fan, because the oil in the pesto makes the crust nice and crispy, while it stays tender inside. Actually, tonight I did a pizza with some pesto and some tomato sauce, and loved it! It had the rich herbiness(a word?) of the pesto that was perfectly balanced with the sweet freshness from the tomatoes. Mmmmmm, I think I need another slice...

Dough(makes 2 large pizzas)
4 cups unbleached flour
1 1/4 cups beer or water
1 packet active dry yeast
8 Tbs olive oil
1 egg
1 tsp salt

Heat liquid to 110 degrees(really warm). Put yeast in mixing bowl and sprinkle some sugar over it. Pour in water, and let sit until foamy. Whisk in olive oil, egg and salt. Add flour. Mix with dough hook on lowest speed for 6 minutes. Increase speed one notch and mix for another 2 minutes. Drizzle some additional oil along outside edge of dough; turn dough until well-coated. Cover with plastic wrap until doubled in size. Remove from bowl, cut into 2 equal pieces, form into balls and place on lightly oiled tray. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to use. Dough not used after 2 days can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Tomato Sauce
Puree a can of diced tomatoes(I use an immersion blender). Season with salt, pepper, dried oregano, and a dash of Tobasco.

To Cook
Turn oven as high as it will go. If you have a pizza stone, put it in now. I put some parchment paper on a metal pizza pan, and spray it with Pam. Then I press out the dough onto the parchment. After topping with sauce, mozzarella, and desired toppings, I put the metal pan on top of the pizza stone. When the cheese and crust are golden brown(I like some definite brown spots in my cheese), I pull out the pan, then slide the pizza off onto a wire rack by pulling on the parchment paper. After making sure the pizza is loosened from the paper, I pull out the paper and let the pizza sit for a few minutes. This helps the bottom of the pizza to stay nice and crispy.

Saucy Skillet Supper

2009-08-18T20:21:00.004-04:00

So, this is the second installment in my Skillet Supper Series. Although it LOOKS similar to its first cousin, it TASTES entirely different, which is what I think is brilliant: same ingredients, interestingly different possibilities. While the Sausage Skillet had the charred potatoes, veggies with a bit of fresh crispness and fried sausage, the Saucy Skillet is all about tender, moist, fall-apart bites bursting with flavor. For the meat, you can use any kind that fries up well(like chicken); I just happened to have half of a pork loin.

1/2 pork loin, cut into 1-inch thick slices
4 carrots, peeled and chunked
4 large red potatoes, scrubbed and chunked
4 celery stalks, washed and chunked
2 cups frozen peas
2 cups water
1/2 cup soy sauce
dried oregano
spoonful of brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
garlic powder
Tony's creole seasoning
black pepper

Combine flour, garlic powder, Tony's, and black pepper in ziplock bag. Add meat; seal bag and shake to coat. Drizzle oil into hot pan to coat bottom. Add meat that has been shaken of excess flour; brown both sides. (Save unused flour in bag) Remove oil from pan and add potatoes, carrots and celery. Combine water, soy sauce and oregano and pour over all. Cover and cook on med-high heat until potatoes are tender. Add peas and let cook another 5 minutes. Remove meat and veggies to platter. Add brown sugar to the liquid left in pan, and then enough of the leftover seasoned flour to thicken sauce. Pour over meat and veggies.

Smoked Sausage Skillet

2009-08-18T19:11:00.004-04:00

This a dish from my childhood, definitely a comfort food for me. Plus, it's easy, simple, quick and healthy. And another bonus: it appeals to the one-skillet kick I'm on right now. (Yes, that was a little foreshadowing right there) This is also a go-to camping dish for our family. Everything gets cut up and bagged at home, then thrown into the skillet on the camp stove that night.

4-5 medium-large potatoes, scrubbed with skins on(I prefer reds for faster cooking time), sliced
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 bunches of broccoli, cut into chunks and washed
1 smoked sausage ring, or polish kielbasa also works, sliced

Drizzle oil into a hot pan(enough to coat), then add sliced sausage; brown. Add all veggies and stir-fry until potatoes are tender. Season with Tony's creole seasoning and serve with a bottle of ketchup(my midwest roots coming through!)

Pork Chile Verde

2009-08-18T10:19:00.008-04:00

Yes, it really is the third installment in my Skillet Series, although technically, this is more of a one POT dish(even though you could do it in a really big skillet if you want). You'll notice a few of the same ingredients as in the other two dishes(a plus for grocery shopping!), but with flavors firmly rooted in the New Mexican-style of cooking. The spicy, tangy flavor of the green chiles contrasts so well with the richness of the pork.

1/2 pork loin, cut into bite-sized chunks
garlic powder
cumin
chipotle powder
Tony's creole seasoning
black pepper
1 onion, diced
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
4 celery stalks, washed and diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
5 tomatillos, washed and diced
1 can salsa verde(soup can size; can also use green enchilada sauce)
1 can diced green chiles

Season pork chunks with seasonings. Working in two batches, fry pork until browned on all sides. Remove from pan. Add onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper and tomatillos. Saute until tender. Add salsa verde, green chiles and pork to pot. Season with salt, pepper, sugar and garlic. Add some water-enough to be able to simmer pot for 45-60 min. Cover and simmer for indicated time, stirring occasionally. The longer you simmer, the more the veggies will break down and thicken the stew. To serve, dish some up into a bowl, and top with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, cilantro, and tortilla chips.

Salmon Hash

2009-08-16T21:50:00.006-04:00

I really love eating leftovers for breakfast, but I realize that's kind of weird, so I've learned to redirect my fetish into a more normal option: hash. I wish I could eat hash every morning. Of course, most of the time, my hash creations tend to look remarkably like last night's dinner, rewarmed in a frying pan, scrambled together with eggs, and topped off (of course!) with hot sauce. This week I got lucky with my leftovers. We had salmon, and in terms of foods I like to eat the next morning, salmon is in the upper echelon of my leftovers category. Its sweet, firm creaminess is pretty hard to beat for breakfast, especially combined with the sweet crunch of corn and topped with a perfectly poached egg. Hence, Salmon Hash.

Leftover: salmon, corn
1 egg, poached(my favorite way to eat eggs)
hot sauce

To poach the egg, get a little water simmering in a small saute pan. Add a little bit of white vinegar to help the egg hold its form. Break the egg gently into the water (which is not boiling and will never get to boiling) and allow to poach until white looks cooked. I flip mine over when the bottom of the egg looks substantial enough to handle it, and cook until the middle is just firmer than runny. Gently warm the leftover corn and salmon. Top with poached egg. Salt and pepper (a bit of butter melted on the egg if you like) and hot sauce to taste.

Oreo Cookie Cake

2009-08-14T14:05:00.003-04:00

Hmmm, how can I describe this cake? It combines the addictive chocolatey crunch of Oreos with the warm, delicate crumb of a butter cake, and tops it off with a rich, fluffy, crunchy frosting that tastes like you're eating quadruple-stuffed oreos. No, don't wait until the cake is completely cooled to frost it; go ahead and slather it while it's still warm, so you can get some goo factor going.

1 package Oreos
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 box butter cake mix
Put all the cookies into a large ziplock bag, seal, and beat with a rolling pin until all cookies are crumbly(you can also just chop them if you don't need to let out any aggression); set aside 1 cup of crumbs. In bowl, combine bag of cookie crumbs, chocolate chips, flour and butter; set aside. Make cake mix per directions. Pour half of batter in greased cake pan. Sprinkle half of cookie mix over. Pour rest of cake batter over cookies. Sprinkle the rest of the mix on top. Bake at 350 degrees about 40 minutes(although mine cooked faster, about 30-35 min), or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting
1 stick of butter, soft
1 bag powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup reserved Oreo crumbs
splash of milk

Cream butter in mixer. Add 3/4 bag of powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Add splashes of milk, mixing well between each addition, to achieve desired consistency. Add oreos and thoroughly combine.

Sugar Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting and Fresh Berries

2009-08-14T13:19:00.004-04:00

It's good to be home. Two months away from a computer made me both dread and anticipate getting back on, but now that I've accepted that my summer vacation is really and truly over, I'm jumping back on the blog wagon. One of the best things about my vacation is that I was by a farmers' market. OK, that's an understatement. What I really mean is that I AM SOOOO JEALOUS OF ALL YOU LUCKY COOKS THAT LIVE BY A FARMERS' MARKET AND CAN REVEL IN THAT GLUTTONY OF FRESH, DELICIOUS PRODUCE!!!!! So, for 4July festivities, I just had to make a dessert that showcased all those ripe, juicy berries that were calling to be rescued from their overflowing containers at the market. I paired those delectable gems with a moist, dense sugar cookie bar that had been topped with a rich and tangy cream cheese frosting. The recipe for the sugar cookie bars came from My Baking Addiction, a blog that I love.

Sugar Cookie Bars
1 cup butter, soft
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Cream butter and sugar; add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each. Add vanilla and mix well. Add in flour, salt and soda; mix just until combined. Spread on greased baking sheet(she recommends 13x18; I used a jellyroll pan). Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

Frosting
8oz cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, soft
Cream these together until fluffy, then add:
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 bag powdered sugar
Mix until well-whipped. You can thicken by adding more powdered sugar, thin by adding splashes of milk.

Generously frost cooled bars, then top with mounds of fresh berries. I used blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, but I waited a little too long to snap a shot and some obliging nieces and nephews found new homes for the strawberries.

Green Chile Beef Stew

2009-06-03T12:05:00.004-04:00

I have loved every place I've lived. And for every place I've called home, there is food indelibly entwined with my memories: hot apple dumplings at the autumnal Feast of the Hunter's Moon in Indiana; Mexican food from diverse dives and restaurants in Southern California; tostones, beans and rice, and mofongo here in Puerto Rico; and in New Mexico, chiles. Green chiles being roasted whole in huge oil-drum roasters. Red chile ristras hanging from pueblo-style homes. On every New Mexican cuisine menu: posole, adobo, and green chile stew. Of course, the meal came with a basket of sopapillas. Here's my easy pantry version of the stew, along with the sopapillas that you have to eat with honey butter.

Stew:
4 12-oz cans beef chunks in broth
2 10-oz cans green chile sauce(can be traditional chile verde or green enchilada sauce)
1 onion, diced
1 can white beans(I had navy beans),drained
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cups frozen corn or 1 drained can corn
1 large tomato, diced, or 1/2-1 cup salsa
garlic, sugar, salt, pepper to taste

Drizzle hot pot with canola oil; add onion and saute a few minutes. If using fresh chopped garlic, add in at the end and saute just until you smell it. Add in everything else except the corn. Simmer until carrots are tender. Add in corn and turn off heat. Cover and let sit about 10 minutes.

Sopapillas:
2 cups unbleached flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbs shortening
1 cup buttermilk
oil or shortening(I used a mix) for deep-frying

In a bowl, sift or whisk together flour, bading powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the shortening and cut in using forks or pastry blender, until it forms particles the size of small peas. Add the buttermilk, and stir until dough comes together in a ball. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth, 10-15 times. Roll dough out into a square shape that's about 1/4 inch thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into desired number of squares(I cut 9). Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest 30 minutes. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a heavy pan. Fry 2 or 3 squares at a time. Sopapillas should puff up. Turn when frying side is light golden brown. Remove when golden on other side. Keep sopapillas on a plate in warm oven while you finish frying the rest. For honey butter, combine 1 stick softened butter with at least an equal part of honey. Mix well.

Snickerdoodle Blondies

2009-06-01T10:40:00.005-04:00

I got this recipe from My Baking Addiction, and all I can say is THANK YOU! These bar cookies remind me of our favorite ginger cookie recipe, but with all the rich, chewy denseness that is the hallmark of bar desserts. The name might be a little misleading. They don't taste like snickerdoodle cookies: they are denser and spicier. Think: blonde spice brownies. Or, just bake up a batch and name 'em yourself.

2 2/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, soft
2 eggs, room temp
1 Tbs vanilla
2 Tbs sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 pan. In mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy-ish. Add in eggs and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Mix in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until well blended. Spread evenly in pan. Combine the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the top. Bake 25-30 minutes until surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool before cutting.

Kalua Pork

2009-06-01T09:15:00.004-04:00

I think it must be my Polynesian blood, but one of my favorite foods on earth is kalua pig. Ever been to a luau? Remember the whole pig they stuck in a pit in the ground and cooked for hours? Better yet, remember the succulent, sweet, creamy, mind-blowing meat that came from that pig? Man, I may be biased, but I think there isn't a better use for pork than that, not in any culture. The problem is, how do you make kalua pork without the pit? I found a recipe for crockpot kalua pig over at On My Plate that I tried out. Normally, crockpotting isn't my favorite thing, because it tends to turn out tough or chewy meat. Not with this recipe. I think the key might be the cut of meat. She recommends using pork butt or shoulder, although I used a back cut with the rind still intact on one side. The common factor is that these are all big fatty hunks of pork. The fat must protect the integrity of the meat while imparting flavor and creaminess to the finished product. The result? Amazing. I served it with sticky rice and Hawaiian sauce.
Pork:
5ish pounds pork butt or shoulder
2 cups apple cider
1 Tbs liquid smoke
sea salt or kosher salt(any large grain salt)(except rock salt :))

The night before, rub pork with salt(about 1/4-1/2 cup)& liquid smoke and place in crockpot. Add cider. Turn crockpot on low and leave to cook for 10-12 hours, flipping pork halfway through. Take meat out and shred with fork.

Sauce:
1 can pineapple chunks
1 Tbs corn starch
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
Combine corn starch and sugar in sauce pan. Whisk in juice from pineapple, plus enough water to make 1 cup. Add soy sauce. Cook and stir until boiling; boil 1 minute. Add in pineapple chunks. Done.

Taco Skillet

2009-05-28T19:55:00.003-04:00

So here's the scenario: it's 6:00pm, you're at the pool, your honey gets home in half an hour, and your answer to the question "What's for dinner?" is a resounding I DON'T KNOW. What do you do?(your mission, if you choose to accept it....) Turn to a mother's best friend: skillet meals! I'm sure there's a name for them in every culture. In fact, I can think of one right now--Bubbles and Squeak! My dad is from England, and a staple in a good Englishman's dinner repetoire is the dish made with potatoes and any leftovers in your fridge, fried up and served(sometimes with gravy)piping hot to the table. I turned to my pantry. In the line-up tonite:

15 corn tortillas, cut into small pieces
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 small can tomato sauce
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
cheese (I had mozzarella)
oil

Add drizzle of oil, ground beef and onion to large skillet; season with salt, pepper and garlic. Cook until beef is crumbled and brown. Add in tortilla pieces and mix until tortilla is fairly well-coated with oil. Add in enchilada and tomato sauces; season with salt, pepper, oregano, sugar and garlic. Mix well. Top with shredded cheese and a little more oregano; cover with a lid and turn off the heat to melt cheese. I had some cilantro in the fridge, so I chopped some up and topped off before dishing up. Voila! Dinner.

Chicken Puffs

2009-05-27T15:19:00.003-04:00

About once a month I get together with a bunch of other moms and have a potluck luncheon at the park. I was thinking about what to do this morning for today's get-together, and remembered the delicious cream puffs some friends brought over on Sunday: light and crispy with a layered creaminess inside. I couldn't remember the last time I'd made puffs, so I thought I'd try a savory kind. Cream puff shells stuffed with chicken salad sounded like they'd be just right for lots of little hands reaching for something to eat on the table. With the light shell and creamy chicken salad inside, they needed a crunch to round them out, so I added a thin slice of cucumber and then topped it with a little wedge of fresh orange to add some sparkle to the bite. I wish I'd had watercress!! Yum! Perfect for a few bites of something yummy to hold when you've got to chase down an errant 3-year old.

Puffs:
1 cup butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups water
2 cups flour
8 eggs
Preheat oven to 400. Bring butter, water and salt to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until mixture comes together in a ball. Let cool 10 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in eggs one at a time until well combined. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven, poke a little vent in the top of each puff, and let cool on wire rack. When cooled, cut off top and fill with desired filling. Or, instead of cutting of top, you can pipe your favorite pudding filling inside and frost with chocolate ganache. Makes about 40 puffs. I actually doubled the original recipe for this, so if you don't need so many, go ahead and cut the ingredients in half, following the same directions.

Mile-High Strawberry Pie with Coconut Crust

2009-05-25T17:42:00.004-04:00

As I walked by 4-foot high pallets stacked with boxes of big, beautiful strawberries, I thought to myself, How can I let Memorial Day go by without a fresh strawberry pie? I couldn't, that's how. A nice, flaky crust, loaded with sweet coconut, filled to overflowing with whole berries enrobed in a strawberry glaze, topped off with freshly-whipped vanilla cream. I LOVE FRESH STRAWBERRY PIE! And I know I'm not the ONLY one....

Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 Tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbs cold water(2 tsp of which are apple cider vinegar)
1/3 and half again oil
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut

In 9-inch pie pan, mix flour, salt, coconut and sugar with a fork. Make a well in the middle. Add water(mixed with the vinegar)and oil to well. Mix with a fork just until blended. Using fingers, press out dough over bottom of pan and up sides. Crimp dough at the top. Prick on bottom and sides with fork. Bake in 375 oven until set and beginning to brown. Remove to counter and cool.

Glaze:
1 cup sugar
3 Tbs cornstarch
2 cups water
1 4-serving size strawberry jello

Mix sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Stir in water until smooth. Cook on med-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in jello mix until dissolved. Cool to room temperature.

Whipped cream:
2 cups cold whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs sugar

Combine all ingredients in bowl. Whisk or whip until cream is light and airy.

To assemble, gently fold strawberries(I used almost a whole 64-oz box)into the glaze. Carefully pour into pie shell. Refrigerate until set, a few hours.

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Asparagus and Pasta

2009-05-24T00:29:00.005-04:00

I love cooks that inspire me, and Giada de Laurentis is one of them. Every time I watch her show, I want to go cook something fresh and delicious, something that calls my family to the table and invites rays of sunshine to illuminate the tantalizing spread. I don't even eat that much italian! So this is what I made for dinner after watching her show today.
Chicken:
Frozen bag of pre-marinated garlic chicken breasts, grilled(from frozen!)on a med-hot grill until middle is not pink.

Asparagus:
Preheat oven to 400. Rinse spears. Grasp spear on bottom of stalk and just below flowerhead. Bend until it snaps; discard bottom piece. Continue until all spears are snapped. Lay in one layer on baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast until stalks are tender-crisp. Remove from oven and drizzle with balsalmic vinegar.

Pasta:
Cook long pasta of your choice per directions. In saute pan, fry 5 bacon slices until crispy. Remove from pan, crumble and set aside. Drizzle in some olive oil. Add 2 cans diced tomatoes or 1 big can whole tomatoes. Crush with back of spoon or masher until chunky but blended. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, 3-5 dashes of Tobasco, and garlic. Simmer about 10-15 minutes, adding a little water or chicken broth if necessary to keep from drying out. Add in bacon bits and toss in pasta. Top with fresh shredded parmesan and chopped basil.

Herbal Chai (aka Milky Drink)

2009-05-19T20:01:00.011-04:00

You know one of the best things in the world? Seeing your kids' faces on Christmas morning. The surprise, the unbridled ecstatic scream, the sheer joy tempered by the thought that maybe this is too good to be true. You know that look? That's the look my kids give me when I tell them I'll make them the 'Milky Drink', and I love it. I love this drink, too: sweet, creamy, cold, refreshing, and I'm making it for when my kids get home from school today. Oh mama, I gotta go have me some...

To make 1 gallon of Herbal Chai:
1 gallon pitcher, 3/4 full of ice
1 1/2 cups sugar
10 packets any dessert-type herbal tea, but my FAVORITE is Bengal Spice by Celestial Seasonings
1/2-1 can evaporated milk, to taste
8 cups water

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Turn off heat, then add tea packets and let steep 10-15 minutes.

Strain all the juice from the tea packets into the pot; don't let any of that brown goodness escape! Discard the tea packets.

Add sugar to hot tea, and stir to dissolve.

Pour tea into pitcher filled with ice, then add milk and stir.

Ahhhh, the final product.

The reward. Of course, this was after the shoving match to be the first to get a drink, because you never know if that gallon pitcher is gonna be empty by the time the third cup is up to bat.

P.S. To make a single serving, here's what you do: fill a hot chocolate mug 3/4 full of water and bring to a boil in the microwave; steep 2 tea packets in hot water for 5-10 minutes; strain tea bags and sweeten tea to taste; pour into 2-cup capacity glass, along with a splash of evap. milk; fill the rest of the way with ice. And there you go: just grab a book and head out to your patio to claim the most comfortable chair.

Baked Fish and Chips

2009-05-18T07:36:00.003-04:00

I found a few recipes in the June issue of Eating Well magazine that I wanted to try, and this was one of them. It's actually the second one I've tried; the first one was Steak and Potato Kebabs with Creamy Cilantro Sauce, but unfortunately we ate them too quickly for me to snap a pic, so I'll have to make them again. I like finding baked versions of typically fried foods, simply because I am a fried food JUNKIE! Each time I try a recipe, I am looking for that satisfying crunch accompanied by the soul-soothing moist middle that begs to be bitten into. I liked the fish--with a few recipe tweaks--and loved the fries. We ate both with fry sauce(ketchup and mayo). I am posting the recipe with tweaks already incorporated, so if you want the original version, you can find it in the mag.

2 lbs potatoes, scrubbed and cut into thick wedges
canola oil
cajun seasoning
steak seasoning
4 cups cornflakes
1/2 cup flour
2 large egg whites, beaten
8 4-oz portions whitefish(I used cod from the freezer section which I thawed)

Position oven racks in the upper and lower third of oven; preheat to 425. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet for fish; chips need just a cookie sheet. Rinse potato wedges in cold water and dry with paper towels. Toss with drizzled canola oil(enough to coat) and season with steak seasoning. Spread on baking sheet in a single layer and place on the lower rack. Bake 30-40 minutes, turning over fries every 10 minutes or so, until baked golden and crispy. Meanwhile, crush cornflakes in bag or food processor; transfer to shallow dish and season with cajun seasoning. Place flour seasoned with cajun seasoning in a second dish. Place eggwhites in a third dish. We are going to only coat the fish on three sides, so that the side that will face down on the wire rack will not have any coating. So, holding fish fillet on the sides, roll first in flour, then egg whites, then cornflakes, and place uncoated-side down onto wire rack on baking pan. Continue until all fish fillets are coated and on rack. Spray fillets with Pam cooking spray, and place pan on upper rack in oven until breading is golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.

Lo Mein

2009-05-14T19:33:00.005-04:00

Jackie, you inspired this dinner. So baby, this one's for you...

1 lb spaghetti noodles (ok, I had linguine)

1 package broccoli slaw veggies

1 onion, cut in large chunks

1 bell pepper, cut in large chunks

lunchmeat ham, diced

any other leftover meat you have, diced

soy sauce

oyster sauce

sesame oil

chili oil

garlic

Cook noodles per directions. Meanwhile, in large saute pan, drizzle in enough canola oil to coat. Add onions, slaw, peppers, ham and meat. Saute until veggies are tender-crisp. Season with salt and pepper. Add in drained noodles. Add about 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup oyster sauce(very scant), drizzle of sesame and chili oils, and sprinkle of garlic. Season with salt and pepper. I also added a dash of ginger. Toss until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Kids' Spaghetti Casserole

2009-05-14T17:31:00.005-04:00

I got this recipe from Steve's Lunch, one of the website links on my blog. It's a great name, because my kids loved it! This might be a reason for me to keep some canned soup in the pantry... (thanks for saving my bacon Kandace!!)

1 lb spaghetti, cooked
1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can corn, drained
1 can french-style green beans, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can tomato soup
shredded cheese

Cook ground beef and onion in frying pan; season with salt, pepper and garlic. When browned, stir in soups and veggies. Heat through. Stir in cooked spaghetti. Pour into casserole dish. Top with shredded cheese and heat at 375 until cheese is melted.

Pork Spareribs

2009-05-14T17:23:00.006-04:00

Pork ribs are one of my son's favorite things to eat, which is one reason I like making them; the other being that the leftovers taste really good in things like lo mein and fried rice--so buy a big rack.

1 rack pork spareribs-the kind that comes in the vacuum-sealed package and are not very expensive
cajun seasoning
bbq sauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place ribs in baking dish bone-side down. Sprinkle generously with cajun seasoning. Bake, uncovered, until fork easily pierces between bones, about 1 1/2-2 hours. Baste them with the bbq sauce, and return to oven until sauce is heated through.

Broccoli-Bacon Salad

2009-05-14T17:18:00.003-04:00

1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup mayo, can be low-fat
1/4 cup sour cream, can be low-fat
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
4 cups finely chopped broccoli crowns
8-oz can water chesnuts, rinsed and chopped
3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
3 Tbs dried cranberries
fresh ground pepper

Whisk garlic, mayo, sour cream, vinegar and sugar in a bowl. Add broccoli, water chesnuts, bacon, cranberries and pepper; stir to coat.

Sweet and Sour Chicken or Pork

2009-05-12T10:50:00.004-04:00

chicken breasts or boneless pork, cut into chunks
Krusteaz pancake mix
carrots, sliced on the diagonal into thin medallions
bell pepper, chunked or sliced
1 onion, chunked
1 can pineapple chunks, juice drained and saved
Sauce:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
2 Tbs cornstarch
1/4 cup soy sauce
reserved pineapple juice plus enough water to make 1 1/2 cups
1 tsp chicken bouillon
cooked white rice

Mix all sauce ingredients and set aside. To make batter, follow Krusteaz instructions for making waffle batter. Heat about 1-2 inches of oil in pan until heat waves move over surface. Add meat chunks to batter; mix to coat. Remove meat chunks from batter, letting extra drain off meat. Add to oil; enough to fill pan but so no pieces are touching. Fry both sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Set aside. In saute pan, drizzle a little canola oil. Add onion, carrots, pepper. Saute until carrots are tender-crisp. Pour sauce over veggies; stir until thickened and bubbly. Add pineapple. Serve with sauce kept separate from meat, with rice. Can garnish with green onions.

Chicken Tacos

2009-05-12T10:34:00.003-04:00

1 rotisserie chicken
1 can red enchilada sauce
corn tortillas
canola oil
lettuce, tomato, cheese, chopped onions

Debone chicken. Shred. Drizzle a little oil in saute pan. Add chicken, enchilada sauce, salt, pepper, sugar, cumin, oregano and granulated garlic. Simmer on low until not too saucy but definitely succulently moist. Fry corn tortillas in oil, fold over for taco shells. In taco shell, layer chicken, onions, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.

Fruit and Nut Chocolate

2009-05-12T09:41:00.004-04:00

I love being a mom, and I know I'm just one member of the worldwide club, but it's one of the best things about my little world. I also know how much we talk about motherhood being not only the hardest but also the most rewarding job on earth, and how sacred that responsibility is, and how much we need to respect, revere, and support mothers. Despite everything we know, mothers can be the targets of sarcasm, derision, and even scorn(ie: "Are all those YOUR kids?" or "When are you planning on getting a REAL job?" or "My mom is a NUTCASE! I'm lucky I turned out so normal."). Well, my faith and hope has been rejuvenated. This past Sunday I sat in a room with about 30 other women, and we talked about mothers--yes, our mothers--and SURPRISE! there wasn't a dry eye in the place as we shared with each other stories of how our mothers have made us who we are today, and how grateful we are for them. Our hearts were tender as we reflected not only on our mothers' influence, but all the good mothering women in our lives who have nurtured and inspired us at pivotal moments. Most of them probably have no idea of the impact they have had on us, but we will be forever grateful for their gifts to us. And, of course, as we laughed and cried and shared, we ate.

1 bag Costco Fruit and Nut mix (has almonds, pistachios, walnuts, cranberries and cherries)
1 Costco-sized bag chocolate chips(or whatever you prefer: white, milk, dark...)

Line either 1 jellyroll-sized pan or 2 9x13 pans with wax paper, using enough paper to go over the sides. Melt chocolate in a large nonstick saucepan over med-low heat, stirring constantly. When smooth, add in bag of fruit and nut mix. Stir. Pour into pan(s). Cool, preferrably in fridge or freezer. When solid, lift out of pan by grasping wax paper on each side. Place on flat surface and cut into squares with a pizza cutter.

Cantaloupe Shake

2009-05-03T14:00:00.003-04:00

cantaloupe, cut into chunks and frozen
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 - 1 cup sugar, to taste
2 tsp vanilla

Fill blender with frozen cantaloupe chunks. Add whole can of milk, sugar and vanilla. Blend until smooth. (of course, can add more or less milk for desired consistency)

Orange Julius

2009-04-30T12:50:00.005-04:00

I have to say, my husband is the Orange Julius Master! Whenever we're feeling that Julius craving coming on, everyone knows it's DAD you beg to whip up a batch. For some reason, these can give you the worst brain freeze, but my daughter found a solution: press your thumb hard against the roof of your mouth until your head stops feeling like it's gonna explode. It works! FYI, all my drink recipes are for an 8-cup blender.

1 can frozen orange juice concentrate(costco sized)
1 can evaporated milk
water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
ice

Spoon frozen oj concentrate into blender. Fill empty oj can halfway with evap milk, then finish filling with water. Fill up blender with ice. Add sugar, vanilla and half of milk/water mixture. Blend on high until smooth. Add more milk/water to achieve desired consistency.

Pina Coladas

2009-04-30T12:46:00.003-04:00

1 can pineapple(any cut), drained but juice saved
1 cup sugar
1 can coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla
ice cubes

Add pineapple, sugar, vanilla and 1/2 can coconut milk to blender; mix until smooth. Fill blender with ice cubes; blend on high. Add in more coconut milk for a creamier taste or pineapple juice for a fruitier taste(or a mix of both) until mixture is smooth.

Strawberry Shakes

2009-04-30T12:44:00.003-04:00

Fill blender with frozen strawberries. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 can of evaporated milk(you can use fat free if you like). Blend on high; add milk to make thick but smooth consistency.

Banana Drink

2009-04-30T12:41:00.003-04:00

3 bananas(you can use more or less to taste)
1 can evaporated milk
cinnamon, to taste
ice cubes
1/2 cup sugar(can add more to taste)
2 tsp vanilla

Put bananas, sugar and vanilla in blender. Add 1/2 can of milk and shake of cinnamon. Fill almost full with ice. Blend on high; add more milk to make desired thickness. Taste for sugar.

Simple Side Salad

2009-04-30T12:19:00.003-04:00

romaine lettuce, chopped
tomatoes, chopped
cucumber(optional), chopped
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
half a lemon

Combine lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber. Drizzle over olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Squeeze lemon juice over all. Season with salt and pepper.

Frosted Banana Bars

2009-04-30T12:13:00.004-04:00

Honestly, this is pretty much a decadent cake disguised as innocent bars that sound like they might even possibly be healthy. Don't be fooled...

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream(can substitute yogurt)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 bananas, well smashed
Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, soft
1/2 cup butter, soft
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
milk

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in bananas. Spread into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 about 20 minutes until middle doesn't jiggle when you shake pan. Cool. For frosting, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar. If too thick, thin with milk. Can mix in cinnamon to flavor frosting.

Baked Potato Casserole

2009-04-30T12:06:00.003-04:00

5 lbs red potatoes, cooked and cubed(you can use whatever potatoes you've got)
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 cups cubed cheddar cheese
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese(I also just use 8 cups shredded mexican blend cheese)
1 onion, finely diced
1 cup mayonnaise, full fat
1 cup sour cream, full fat
1 Tbs minced herb of choice(chives, green onions, parsley, basil)
salt, pepper and garlic to taste

In a large bowl, combine potatoes and bacon. In another bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Add to potatoes an gently toss. Bake in greased dish uncovered at 325 for 50-60min until bubbly and lightly browned.

Peach Cranberry Cobbler

2009-04-30T12:01:00.003-04:00

Great for a tasty dessert in a hurry.

1 can cranberry sauce(whole berry or jelly)
2 cans sliced peaches, one can drained
1 yellow cake mix
1 stick butter(yes, real, always)
1 can Sprite, optional

Dump can of cranberry into 9x13 pan; break up and spread around. Dump in both cans of peaches. Sprinkle cake mix over fruit. If you've got it, pour can of soda over cake mix. Slice up butter and distribute over cake mix. Bake at 350 until top is brown and juices are bubbling up. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Jeanie's Corn Bread

2009-04-27T18:46:00.003-04:00

Hands down, THE BEST cornbread I've ever eaten. Now, of the two schools of thought on this subject--sweet vs. savory--I am definitely of the sweet persuasion. And yes, I have had Marie Callendar's cornbread(yes, at the restaurant, not the freezer section or box kind) and I like this better. Hopefully it goes without saying that this is best eaten slathered in (real) butter and honey or jam.

1/2 cup butter, soft or melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Beat butter, sugar and eggs until lemony-colored and thickly fluffy. Mix in milk. Add dry ingredients. Mix in well. Bake at 375 degrees: about 15 minutes in muffin tins, about 30 minutes in a greased 9x13 pan(bake just until center doesn't jiggle when you shake the pan; top may not necessarily be brown).

Cajun Fettuccine

2009-04-27T18:40:00.003-04:00

1 lb fettuccine
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 cup butter
bell peppers, cut in strips
meat of your choice(cooked chicken, sausage, shrimp)
cajun seasoning
1 tub parmesan, fresh shaved

Cook fettuccine per directions. In pan, saute peppers. Add in cream and butter. Warm until butter is melted. Add in meat and pasta; season with cajun spice to taste. Add in parmesan and garlic powder to taste.

Penne with Sausage, Mushrooms, Ham and Cherry Tomatoes

2009-04-27T18:35:00.003-04:00

1 lb penne pasta
1 lb sausage(can use the smoked kind or italian kind)
asparagus, cut into pieces same size as pasta
mushrooms, sliced
ham, diced
cherry tomatoes, cut in half
fresh basil, cut into ribbons
olive oil
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste

Cook pasta per directions. Brown sausage and ham; remove from pan. Add a little oil to pan; add all veggies. Saute until tender. Add meat back in. Add in pasta, seasonings and a little more oil. Warm through; sprinkle with fresh shredded parmesan.

Beef Manhattans

2009-04-27T18:23:00.003-04:00

I used to work at this cafeteria in Indiana that had the best food; they would make everything fresh from scratch. But one of their signature items was roast beef, and I'm talking this behemoth of a roast that was hand-carved for each customer, juices streaming with each succulent slice. It was awe-inspiring. But I loved that monster for one reason and one reason only--Beef Manhattans. You'll see why.

roast beef, thinly sliced(I use Sunday roast leftovers)
white bread
brown gravy, prefferably made with the drippings
mashed potatoes(again, I use Sunday leftovers)

Gently warm the beef. Heap hot piles onto the bread. Top with bread to make a sandwich(if you have any juices from the roast, drizzle some over the bread). Cut in half diagonally. Split apart. Scoop hot potatoes onto plate between sandwich halves. Smother everything with hot gravy. Oh mama....

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

2009-04-26T20:47:00.004-04:00

1 rotisserie chicken from Costco, deboned and shredded
cilantro, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 cans green enchilada sauce
1 can green chiles
wheat or flour tortillas
shredded cheese(either mexican blend or monterrey jack)

Add a little canola oil to frying pan. Saute onion. Add chicken, cilantro, 1 can enchilada sauce, and green chiles. Season with salt, pepper and garlic. To assemble, spoon chicken mix onto bottom half of tortilla. Top with cheese. Roll up and place in greased 9x13 pan. Continue until pan is full(you can squish them in). Spray enchiladas with Pam. Bake in 375 oven until beginning to brown. Remove from oven, pour over 2nd can of enchilada sauce and top with more cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted. Serve with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and salsa.

Puerto Rican-style Beans and Rice

2009-04-26T20:35:00.003-04:00

2 cans pink beans, undrained
2 small cans V-8 juice
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
garlic
lunchmeat ham, shredded
2 cups water
recao leaves or cilantro
salt, pepper, sugar
1 onion, diced
smoked sausage, sliced
*optional: I also like to add in diced sweet potato and/or orange-fleshed squash, like pumpkin, acorn, etc.

Saute onions in a little canola oil. Add ham and sausage, saute until beginning to carmelize. Add beans, V-8, potatoes, garlic, water and seasonings. If using recao leaves, add whole. If using cilantro(chopped), add at the end of cooking. Simmer about 45 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning, until starting to thicken and potatoes are soft. Serve over rice.

Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

2009-04-26T20:33:00.003-04:00

white or wheat tortillas
shredded cheese
refried beans
salsa

On a tortilla, spread beans and sprinkle with cheese. Top with another tortilla. Fry in a little canola oil in a pan on both sides until crispy and golden. Slice into wedges and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Taco Salad

2009-04-26T20:28:00.003-04:00

1 lb ground beef
2 cans red kidney beans, drained
1/2 onion, diced
salsa
lettuce
tomatoes
cheese
tortilla chips

Brown beef with onion. Season with taco seasoning, or salt, pepper, garlic powder, red chile powder, cumin, and sugar. Add beans and salsa(to moisten meat). To assemble, on individual plate, we 1) crush a handful of chips, 2) add spoonful of meat mix, 3) top with shredded cheese, lettuce and chopped tomatoes. Then add dressing or salsa or mix of both.

Quiche

2009-04-26T19:51:00.003-04:00

crust:
in pie pan, mix with a fork 1 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 Tbs cold water (1 tsp of which is apple cider vinegar), and 1/3 cup canola oil. When combined, press out into pan along bottom and sides.

filling:
lunchmeat ham
sliced swiss or jarlsberg cheese
cooked bacon, crumbled
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper
dash of nutmeg
1 cup shredded mexican mix cheese
fresh spinach, sauteed in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper

Layer ham on bottom of crust. Then layer sliced cheese. Then layer spinach. Whisk all other ingredients in a bowl. Pour over spinach. Bake at 325 for about 40 minutes, or until knife in center comes out clean. You might have to cover edges of crust with foil to prevent burning. Let stand 10 minutes.

Chef's Salad

2009-04-26T19:48:00.003-04:00

lettuce, I prefer iceberg or romaine
tomatoes
cucumbers
olives
canned black beans
cheese
pepperoncinis
lunchmeat ham, chopped
boiled eggs

Cut everything up into small bitesized pieces. Toss in big bowl.

Won Tons

2009-04-26T19:42:00.003-04:00

won ton wrappers (usually found in the refrigerated section, either deli or produce)
1 lb ground meat (I prefer pork)
carrots, VERY finely diced
green onions, ditto
cabbage, ditto

Season meat with garlic powder, salt, pepper, soy sauce and ginger. Mix in veggies. To assemble, place a wrapper on the table. Place a teaspoon of filling in center of wrapper. Moisten edges with a finger dipped in water. Fold over to form triangle. Leave as is or pinch corners together. Fry in moderately hot oil until golden brown. Serve with dipping sauce.

Carnitas, Rice and Beans and Amarillos

2009-04-26T19:37:00.004-04:00

carnitas from Costco deli section
cooked white rice
canned black beans(my favorite are in this sofrito sauce, but you can always season yours with V-8 juice, lemon or lime juice, garlic powder, white vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano)
very ripe plantains

Simmer beans until soft. Slice plantains and fry in hot oil until softened and golden brown. Warm carnitas per package directions.

Carnitas Tacos

2009-04-26T19:32:00.003-04:00

pre-packaged carnitas from Costco deli section
corn tortillas
red enchilada sauce
lettuce, tomatoes, cheese

Fry tortillas in canola oil and fold over for taco shells(you can make them softer or crispier). Pull apart carnitas. In frying pan, mix meat and enchilada sauce. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, sugar, cumin, and lime juice. Warm through. Serve in taco shells with desired toppings.

Beef and Gravy

2009-04-26T19:22:00.003-04:00

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
various frozen vegetables (or leftover cooked veggies from other meals)
enough mashed potatoes for the whole family
2 packets brown gravy mix
tomato paste

Saute onion in large frying pan in a little olive oil. Add ground beef. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Break up and brown. Add veggies, tomato paste, gravy mix and 2 cups water. Whisk and bring to a boil. Simmer until gravy is thickened and veggies are soft. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Getting Rid of the Elephant in the Room

2009-04-26T19:07:00.002-04:00

Phew! I'm finally facing my fear, admitting that I actually DO have a blog that I need to contribute to and that was in fact originally my idea of FUN! For the past ___ weeks this blog has been like the blur of movement you see out of the corner of your eye in your living room that you try to rationalize away by saying you just had an eye twitch. Why? Because if you admit that you actually saw something, that entails WORK, most likely of the unpleasant kind. I think the problem is the format I've been using, being committed to typing up a week's worth of food everytime I sat down at the computer. So, I'm going to be typing it up differently, possibly making this easier for you AND me. I will be giving each recipe its own post, so not only will I control my time committment but you'll be able to look up recipes much more easily. We'll see how it goes. At any rate, it's a good sign that I sat down at the computer and actually signed on to my blog, instead of letting the mouse wander over to my favorites tab and perusing the suddenly AMAZINGLY interesting sites I have listed there. So, here goes nothin'....

WEEK 8

2009-03-12T12:14:00.003-04:00

Roast Beef with Steamed Broccoli, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, and Rolls
Thin Cut Steak with Steamed Asparagus and Carrots
Penne Pasta with Asparagus
Steak Southwest Salad
Pan-Fried Tilapia with Curry Roasted Cauliflower
Hamburgers

ROAST BEEF DINNER

beef roast: I usually prepare by rubbing the roast generously with beef base, then maybe sprinkling with onion soup mix or brown gravy mix, or even coating with a can of cream of mushroom soup as is. Generously sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper. Place on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up. Roast at 300 or 325 until center reaches 155 degrees; I like my roast pink in the middle.

mashed potatoes: I like either regular baking potatoes or red potatoes. The former are fluffier, the latter are creamier. Peel, chunk and boil until just soft. Drain water. Put back on burner to evaporate any water still left on bottom of pan. For traditional, add 1/2 stick of butter, plenty of salt and pepper. When butter is melted, mash or whip. Add in enough milk to achieve desired consistency. For richer potatoes, melt same butter, salt and pepper, then add either sour cream or heavy cream to finish off.

rolls: ok, I've got 2 favorite recipes right now, and I just don't know which one I'll make until I'm making it, so here they are.

REFRIGERATOR DINNER ROLLS

1 cup warm water

2 pkg active dry yeast

1 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp salt

4-4 1/2 cups flour

Combine warm water and yeast in bowl, along with 4 tsp sugar. Let stand until foamy. Stir in butter, sugar, eggs and salt. Beat in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is too stiff to mix with a wooden spoon(I do it in the mixer on low, going for a soft dough). Cover and refrigerate 2 hours to 4 days. Grease a 9x13 pan. Turn out dough, divide into 24 pieces. Roll into balls, and place in even rows in pan. Let rise until doubled. Bake at 375 15-20 min, until golden brown. Brush warm rolls with butter.

MOTHER-IN-LAW ROLLS (thank you Jackie for this scrumptious recipe!!!)

2 pkgs yeast

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup powdered milk

3 eggs

2 tsp salt

6-8 cups flour

Combine yeast, water and 4 tsp sugar. Let sit until foamy. Add in sugar, oil, butter, eggs. Mix. Add in powdered milk, salt and flour. Dough will be VERY VERY soft. Let rise until doubled. Divide into 3 parts. Press out each part onto a big pizza pan. With pizza cutter, cut into pizza-like slices, 16 each pan. Starting from the outside edge, roll each slice up into a crescent shape. Place on baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 12-15minutes, until golden.

STEAK WITH STEAMED CARROTS AND ASPARAGUS

thin cut sirloin steaks (I get mine from...Costco!)

fresh carrots and asparagus

steak seasoning

Preheat your grill for about 10 minutes. Turn down to lowest heat. Sprinkle steaks generously both sides with seasoning. Grill until desired doneness; I like mine pink, so I take em off when their between soft and firm when I press down on the middle. Steam the carrots and asparagus together, making sure they are cut into similar sized pieces.

PENNE PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS

1 box penne

fresh asparagus

olive oil

parmesan, shredded

Basically, you cook the pasta per directions. Cut up the asparagus into pieces about the same size as the pasta. Saute in some olive oil with some red pepper flakes and garlic. Drain the pasta and add to asparagus. Top with parmesan and plenty of salt and pepper. That's the basic dish, but if I have other things to throw in, I do; mushrooms, bacon, diced tomatoes, whatever sounds good. I add them to the saute pan with the asparagus.

STEAK SOUTHWEST SALAD

leftover steak, thinly sliced against the grain

lettuce

tomatoes

black beans

fried corn tortilla strips

shredded cheese

PAN-FRIED TILAPIA WITH CURRY ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

tilapia fillets

cajun seasoning

olive oil

cauliflower, 1 large head

1 Tbs curry powder

1/2 tsp salt

For tilapia, season both sides with cajun spice. Pan fry until done on both sides. For cauliflower, preheat oven to 425. Place cauliflower florets in large bowl. Drizzle with 3 Tbs EVOO, sprinkle with curry and salt, toss together. Pour cauliflower and all oil onto roasting pan in a single layer. Roast, stirring occasionally, until tender and beginning to carmelize, about 30 min.

HAMBURGERS

Grilled, fresh or frozen, I'm sure you know the rest. Just be sure to season your patties with cajun seasoning. Also, brushing your buns with a little EVOO and grilling them or crisping them up in a frying pan is really good. Prefer my onions carmelized. A1 is great on them. Ok, I'll stop.

BANANA COCONUT CREAM CUSTARD

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 ripe banana

1 tsp vanilla

4 small ramekins

Preheat oven to 350. Spray ramekins. Place coconut milk, sugar, eggs, banana, and vanilla in blender. Puree for 30 seconds. Pour into ramekins. Place ramekins in 9x13 glass dish. Fill with water, about 1/3 way up sides. Place in oven. Bake about 45min, until set. Serve warm or cold.

Great Recipe Web Site

2009-03-06T13:47:00.002-04:00

I was looking for some Thai recipes and clicked on www.thaifood.about.com. What a great site!! It looks like About.com is like an online reference resource. Anyway, I found some recipes I am really excited to try, and as soon as I'm done here I'm gonna go back and look for recipes in other food categories besides Thai. YUM!! I have high hopes!

WEEK 7

2009-03-06T13:32:00.003-04:00

CREAMY PASTA
BEEF TACOS
TUNA CASSEROLE
YELLOW CURRY
BBQ PORK CHOPS AND FRIED RICE
MOROCCAN KEBABS
PIZZA

Yellow Curry

For Thai curries, I use my favorite curry paste from MAESRI, in this case the yellow curry paste. The directions are on the can, and in addition I added sugar snap peas, baby green beans, diced potatoes, diced yams.

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

INGREDIENTS: (SERVES 2 as a main dish OR 4-5 as a side dish)
1 cup pineapple tidbits (fresh is better, but canned will work too)
4 cups cooked rice, preferably several days old
4 Tbsp oil - peanut, canola, or other high-heat oils work well
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red or green chili (de-seeded if milder rice is desired)
1/2 cup roasted unsalted cashews
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 egg, beaten (omit if vegan)
1/4 cup currants (or raisins)
3 Tbsp. chicken or vegetable stock
3 Tbsp. fish sauce or vegetarian fish sauce (available at Vietnamese stores)
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. sugar
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1/3 cup fresh coriander
Optional: 8-12 fresh prawns
Start by preparing the rice. Add a little oil to the rice (up to 1 Tbsp.) and work through with your fingers. You want to separate the grains of rice, so that they don't stick together. Set aside.
Stir fry the Shallots, Garlic, and Chilli
Add the Egg.
Add Spice and Sauces
Add the Cashews
Add the Rice
Add the Peas, Currents (or Raisins), and Pineapple.
Continue Stir frying and do a Taste Test
Serve

Chinese Fried Rice

3 cups leftover cooked rice

2 eggs, whipped with a little water, salt and pepper

onion, chopped

1/2 head cabbage, finely shredded or chopped

carrots, shredded or finely chopped

frozen peas

sugar snap peas

canola oil

soy sauce

Add a little oil to hot frying pan. Pour in eggs. Fry until set. Remove from pan and shred. Add a little more oil, then add onions and carrots. Stir fry a few minutes. Add cabbage and both peas. Stir fry a few minutes. If you are adding any meat, like leftover roast scraps or shredded lunchmeat ham, add now. Add some more oil. Add rice and eggs. Stir until combined. Add enough soy sauce to color rice a light brown color. Generously salt and pepper everything. Taste.

WEEK 6

2009-02-20T11:27:00.003-04:00

Apparently, I am in need of comfort food this week. Either that, or the fact that I made up my menu as I walked into the grocery store dictated this weeks meals. Either way, you're not gonna hear anything about how this week's menu will help you lose weight. I just hope you're having some nice, cool weather to cook in.

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS
PIZZA
EGGPLANT PARMESAN
TUNA CASSEROLE
BBQ RIBS AND FRIED RICE
SPICY CHICKEN SOUP
TACOS

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

1 lb pasta (I like linguine)

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork

1 egg

fresh bread crumbs(one piece of bread)

finely chopped onion

cajun seasoning

granulated garlic

prego, or whatever tomato sauce you like

canned diced tomatoes

italian seasoning

tabasco

Cook pasta per directions. Drain and set aside (after tossing with a bit of EVOO). In a bowl, mix meat, egg, bread, onion, garlic and cajun seasoning. Form into meatballs (size is up to you) and place in hot frying pan that has some EVOO in it. Brown meatballs on all sides. Dump in your jar of spaghetti sauce, can of tomatoes (with juice!), some more garlic, italian seasoning, few dashes of tabasco, and some salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Cover and simmer on low until meatballs are cooked through. Serve on top of pasta with lots of parmesan.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

2 small or 1 large eggplant

spaghetti sauce (leftovers from last nite are perfect!)

mozzarella

flour

cornmeal

2 eggs

Heat canola oil in frying pan, enough to fry eggplant slices in. In pie tin, combine equal parts of flour and cornmeal, and season with cajun seasoning. In another tin or bowl, beat 2 eggs with a little milk. Slice eggplant, 1/2 - 1 inch slices. Dip slices first in eggs, then flour mixture, to coat, and fry until golden on both sides. Drain on paper towels. In 9x13 baking dish, spread some sauce, then place eggplant slices in as much of a single layer as you can do, just use them all. Cover each slice with a little more sauce, and mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake in moderately hot oven until cheese is melted.

TUNA CASSEROLE

egg noodles

2 cans tuna

froz peas

old bay seasoning

curry seasoning

family size can cream of mushroom soup

milk

cheese

Cook noodles per directions. In large pan, combine soup, peas, seasonings and a little milk. Heat. Add drained tuna, breaking up chunks. Add drained noodles. Add milk if too dry. Taste for seasonings. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Serve when cheese is melted.

RIBS AND FRIED RICE

1 rack pork spareribs

cajun seasoning

bbq sauce

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly rub ribs with olive oil. Season with cajun seasoning. Place in baking dish, uncovered, and bake about 3 hours, or until meat is falling off bones. Cover with bbq sauce, turn off oven, and let sauce warm through. I think I did the recipe for the fried rice in an earlier week.

SPICY CHICKEN SOUP

1 whole chicken

canola oil

2 large onions

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp dried oregano

3 qts water

1 can diced tomatoes

1 tsp salt

pepper

cayenne pepper, to taste

In large soup pot, brown the chicken in a little oil on high heat, turning to get as much as you can. Remove from pan. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and oregano. Saute until soft. Return the whole chicken, and add water, tomatoes, salt, pepper and cayenne. Cover and simmer 1-2 hours. Remove the chicken, cool, debone, and add shredded chicken back to broth. Can be served with topping options: fried corn tortilla strips, diced Jack cheese, avocado slices, chopped green onions, cilantro, limes. Be sure to taste the soup to adjust seasonings.

TACOS

corn tortillas

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

shredded cheese & lettuce

tomatoes

salsa

chopped onions

Brown beef in pan, seasoning with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Drain grease. Season either with taco seasoning or combine red chile powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Fry corn tortillas in oil, not soft but not crispy, fold in half for shells, stuff with beef and toppings.

WEEK 5

2009-02-20T09:29:00.003-04:00

I know, I'm a few weeks behind. Would this be the time to tell you that I'm pleasantly surprised that I'm not further behind? The up side is that you get lots of new ideas all at once. As someone who loves options, that sounds like jackpot to me!

TOSTADAS
HAM AND BEAN SOUP
SALMON WRAPS
CHURRASCO W/ FRIED RICE AND CITRUS SALAD
PIZZA
CHICKEN AND FISH TACOS W/ BLACK BEANS
SOUTHWEST SALAD

TOSTADAS

corn tortillas

canola oil

refried beans

shredded cheese

lettuce

tomatoes

finely chopped onions

Pour canola oil into small frying pan--doesn't have to be a whole lot. Fry corn tortillas, one at a time, on both sides until crispy. Drain on paper towels. To build tostadas, smear crispy tortilla with beans, sprinkle on cheese, onions, lettuce and tomatoes. Eat like a piece of pizza, with your hands.

HAM AND BEAN SOUP

bag of dry mixed beans

1 onion, chopped

hamhock or leftover roast meat or just skip the meat

garlic, whatever form you like

salt, pepper, sugar

Soak beans in cold water overnight. Drain water, refill until water is 2-3 inches above beans. Add in all other ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer until beans are creamy. Be sure to taste for seasonings before serving. I also added the little packet of ham flavoring that came with the beans. I like to cook the beans until they're borderline mushy, and the soups nice and thick.

SALMON WRAPS

frozen salmon burger patties (from Costco)

cajun seasoning (can also use Old Bay)

Flat Out whole grain wraps (Costco)

tartar sauce (I'm pretty sure I gave the recipe on a previous post)

shredded lettuce

tomatoes

Pour a little canola oil into hot frying pan, enough to cover bottom. Fry frozen salmon patties on each side until golden; season second side. Drain on paper towels. To assemble, lay wrap lengthwise. Place salmon patty on the top of the wrap in the middle. Top with sauce, lettuce and tomato. Fold up bottom, then fold sides over patty.

CHURRASCO

Ok, for any by the bookers out there, this is NOT the type of churrasco served with chimichurri sauce. I'm simply referring to the type of meat used, not the preparation of it.

3 pounds churrasco (also labeled flank steak, the long thin marbled kind of beef)

frozen orange juice concentrate

cajun seasoning

Preheat the grill on hottest setting for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare meat. Get a spoonful of frozen oj (the kind of spoon you eat your cereal with) and smear it on one side of all the meat. Season with cajun seasoning. Turn over, repeat same process. Turn the grill down to lowest setting. Spread out the meat on the grill. Grill unti just browning, about 10 minutes on my grill. Turn over, grill until just browning and still nice and tender. Remove from grill and let rest about 10 minutes. Then cut into serving-sized pieces. I think I've already given the fried rice recipe on a previous post. For the fruit salad, cut up fresh pineapple and oranges; mix in a bowl and serve. If you want, you can mix in a little frozen oj concentrate.

PIZZA

I got the crust recipe from my friend Amie Barbieri (thanks Amie!). She cooks hers on a pizza stone, which makes it nice and crispy. I cooked mine on the metal pizza pans which I put on top of the hot pizza stone, and my crust turned out softer. I like both ways.

Crust:

4 cups flour

1 1/4 cups water or beer

1 packet dry yeast

8 Tbs olive oil

1 egg

1 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

Mix water (quite warm), yeast and sugar. Let sit until nice and foamy. Add olive oil, egg and salt. Whisk. Put flour in a kitchenaid with the dough hook. Add liquid ingredients. Mix on lowest speed 6 minutes. Increase speed one notch and mix another 2 minutes. Drizzle a little oil around dough where it meets bowl; with your hand, turn the dough until it's coated with the oil. Cover and let rise until double. For thicker crust, divide into half; thinner crust, fourths. Preheat oven as hot as it will go. Set the pizza stone on the rack while heating. Sprinkle cornmeal on pizza pan. Push out dough until it's as thin as you want it. Bake for a few minutes until starting to puff. Top with sauce ( I like tomato on one, pesto on the other), mozzarella, and whatever else you like (thinly sliced fresh tomatoes and basil on the pesto are YUMMY!). Put the pizza pan on the hot stone, and bake until crust and cheese are golden.

CHICKEN AND FISH TACOS

corn tortillas

canola oil

whole rotisserie chicken, deboned

frozen breaded or battered (or not) fish fillets or sticks, cooked as directed

shredded lettuce

shredded cabbage

tartar sauce

green chile salsa or enchilada sauce

1 can green chiles

onion, chopped

cilantro

To prepare chicken, saute most of chopped onion in a little oil. Add the chicken (that you've shredded), green chiles and salsa verde. Season with salt and pepper or cajun. Simmer until warmed through and not too wet. Fry corn tortillas in oil until softly firm, then fold over for taco shells. For fish tacos, smear tortilla with tartar sauce. Add fish chunks then cabbage. For chicken tacos, spoon chicken filling into corn shell. Top with chopped onions and cilantro, lettuce, cheese, tomato, whatever you want. For beans, you can use the leftovers from your bean soup (they will be thick now), or you can simmer a can of black beans with some chopped onion, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, cumin and oregano until they're soft as you want them; you may need to add some extra water to the liquid.

SOUTHWEST SALAD

chopped lettuce

diced tomatoes

tortilla chips or fried strips of corn tortillas

shredded cheese

can of black beans, drained

can of corn, drained

leftovers from bean soup or black beans you cooked

leftover churrasco, chopped into small bits

Combine everything --YES, even all the beans. It will not look like a normal salad. The beans (cooked) will add enough moisture to the salad to make salad dressing optional. Toss well enough to combine everything. You can eat it as is, or with salsa, or ranch dressing. Experiment, see what you like.

WEEK 4

2009-02-10T15:23:00.007-04:00

This turned out to be a very educational week for me. I've been reading about the Glycemic Index, and found it to be so interesting that I decided to try out some recipies that have low GI values. Now, you should know what I mean by trying them out: find EVERY recipe that looks like it has a chance of being good, because I'd hate to think there was one good one I didn't try. So, this week's recipes all come from the book The New Glucose Revolution. There must be something to it, because I did lose weight this week. Anyway, you should google it, or just try this week's recipes over and over and over again and see what happens!
Vegetable Lasagna
Creamy Mushrooms and Pasta

Baked Tilapia over Ratatouille and Rice

Thai Tuna and Sweet Potato Tart

Moroccan Kebabs

Cajun Salmon with Green Beans and Balsamic Browned Butter

VEGETABLE LASAGNA

1 bag baby spinach

flat lasagna sheets

shredded parmesan (fresh, ok? not canned dandruff)

oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
green pepper, chopped
1 can tomato paste
1 can beans, rinsed and drained (I recommend white, they're nice and creamy)
15 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
italian seasoning
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
2 cups milk
1 cup grated cheese
pinch of nutmeg

Lightly steam spinach; drain well. For the vegetable sauce, heat the oil in a nonstick frying pan. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the mushrooms and pepper and cook an additional 3 minutes. Add tomato paste, beans, tomatoes and herbs. Bring to a boil and simmer 15-20 minutes. Add water if it looks too thick or dry. For the cheese sauce, melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute, stirring. Remove from the heat. Gradually add the milk, stirring until smooth. Stir over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens. Remove from heat; add cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. To assemble, pour half the vegetable sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Cover with a layer of lasagna sheets, then half the spinach. Spread a thin layer of cheese sauce over the spinach. Top with the remaining vegetable sauce and remaining spinach. Place over a layer of lasagna sheeps and finish with the remaining cheese sauce. Sprinkle with some shredded cheese and parmesan. Cover with aluminium foil and bake at 350 until fork easily pierces noodles, 40-60 minutes.

*As a note of interest, the leftovers of this lasagna make some GORGEOUS hash! In a nonstick frying pan, drop in a small portion of the lasagna and small torn up corn tortilla. Stir around on med high heat, breaking up everything. Once it's warmed, crack an egg over the pile, and salt and pepper the whole shebang. Stir around until egg is cooked through. Eat with salsa or tabasco.

CREAMY MUSHROOMS AND PASTA

1 lb pasta of your choice

parmesan (you know what kind!)
olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb mushrooms
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp mustard
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 can evaporated skim milk
1/4 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Cook pasta. For the sauce, heat oil in a frying pan. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms, and cook until soft. Combine the paprika, mustard, tomato paste and milk in a bowl. Stir into the mushrooms with the cheese and cook over low heat, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add onions, salt and pepper. Add the pasta to the sauce, and toss gently. Sprinkle parmesan over all. For another option, add 1-2 cans of tuna and some peas.

BAKED TILAPIA OVER RATATOUILLE AND RICE

1 large eggplant, diced

1 red pepper, diced

4 zucchini, sliced into 1-inch thick rings

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

15 oz can chopped tomatoes, undrained

1 cup water

4 bay leaves

thyme

fresh basil

Basmati or converted rice

tilapia fillets

Place eggplant in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and leave for 30 minutes. Wash under cold water, drain, and pat dry with a paper towel. Heat some oil in a large saucepan and add eggplant, pepper, zucchini, onion and garlic. Toss in hot oil 2 minutes, then add tomatoes, water and thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves. Chop basil leaves and stir through ratatouille. For tilapia, spray baking dish with Pam, then add a little water. Place fillets in dish, season with cajun seasoning (I recommend Tony Chachere's) and any other herbs you want (dried italian, fresh thyme or dill, whatever). Bake in hot oven until cooked through. Squeeze fresh lemon half over all. Cook enough rice to have leftovers for another meal (so twice what you need for tonite). Serve by scooping rice into a pile on the plate, then ladle over some ratatouille, then a fillet of tilapia. You can sprinkle on any leftover basil.

THAI TUNA AND SWEET POTATO TART

2 sweet potatoes

5 eggs

14 oz can coconut milk

zest of 1 lemon

3 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 bunch green onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 cup self-raising flour

1/2 cup cooked rice

2 cans tuna, drained

1 can corn, drained

Preheat oven to 350. Oil a 12 inch round pan. Peel and steam whole sweet potatos until just tender. Drain and cut into chunks. Whisk eggs, coconut milk, lemon zest, cilantro, green onions, garlic, flour and salt and pepper in a bowl. Arrange chunks of sweet potato, tuna, rice and corn over bottom of dish. Pour eggs over. Bake for 1 hour until puffed and golden.

MOROCCAN KEBABS

I think kebabs is misleading; these are actually more like hamburgers, really good hamburgers.

pita bread, 1 piece for everyone

2 lbs ground beef

1/2 cooked bulgur (I used rice, 1 cup)

2 tsp moroccan seasoning (I used cajun and garlic)

1 onion, very finely chopped

2 eggs

3 diced tomatoes

1 diced cucumber

fresh basil

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

lettuce

hummus

Wrap pitas in foil and warm in oven. Combine beef, rice, seasoning, onion and eggs in bowl. Shape into 7 patties. Heat nonstick frying pan with cooking spray. Cook patties about 5 minutes each side until done. Combine tomato, cucumber, chopped basil, splash of olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper. To assemble, spread the pita with some hummus. We folded the pita in half like a taco, then added the lettuce, burger (that we cut in halves), and tomato garnish.

CAJUN SALMON AND GREEN BEANS WITH BROWNED BALSAMIC BUTTER

The sauce for the green beans comes from my good friend China Ramirez

large salmon fillet (I get mine from Costco, of course)

cajun seasoning

olive oil or spray

fresh baby green beans

4 tsp butter

4 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a baking dish large enough to fit the salmon fillet (I like to keep it whole). Lightly oil or spray both sides of salmon, and season both sides as well. Set in dish, bake just until center flakes, maybe 20 minutes. For green beans, add some water to a nonstick frypan. Bring to boil over med high heat; add green bean-cover and cook until tender. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, melt butter. Cook until light brown, remove from heat, stir in soy sauce and vinegar. Pour over drained green beans, and any extra can be drizzled over salmon.