Recipes to Live By

Cheese, Spinach, and Artichoke Calzones

2012-01-22T21:00:00.002-07:00

This recipe is still a work in progress. We tried it with some sourdough pizza dough that we had leftover in the fridge from when my husband made pizza last, and the dough was kinda dry... so I learned a few things I am going to implement next time. I'll share those tidbits of knowledge with you at the end of the recipe. Overall though, I think it was a success. I'm going to play with it some more and see if I can't make it better.

Spinach Cheese Artichoke Calzones

1 recipe pizza dough
15 oz ricotta cheese (one small container)
1 c mozzarella cheese
3 eggs
1 10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 can artichoke hearts (the un-marinated kind, just in water), drained and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder, or granulated garlic, or 2 cloves fresh minced garlic
1/4 c pizza sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces, about the size of a tennis ball. Spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray and stretch dough to a circle about 6" in diameter. Set aside. Mix together ricotta, mozzarella, spinach, eggs, artichoke hearts, garlic, pizza sauce, and salt and pepper together until well combined. Spoon about 2-3 tbsp of the cheese mixture onto half of each round of dough. Fold over the other half and roll the edges up and pinch them together. You'll want to roll the bottom edge up over the top one and pinch to keep everything inside. Brush the tops of the calzones with some olive oil or melted butter (this is something I am going to try next time--this time they were kinda dry) to keep things soft while it all bakes. Then top each calzone with some more shredded mozzarella and bake for about 30 minutes.

Serve hot with a salad or whatever you like. These have veggies and protein in them already so you can also just eat them on their own. I imagine you could make mini versions of them for appetizers too if you wanted. Freeze any leftovers on a cookie sheet and they would probably make fantastic homemade "hot pockets" if you will. Enjoy!

Meatloaf

2012-01-07T18:56:00.002-07:00

Meatloaf is an American family classic and has been for years, but it also seems to be the brunt of so many jokes around the country. It can be completely delicious or completely the opposite. I have a few things that are always the same when I make meatloaf and some things that change depending on what I feel like and what I have in the fridge. As long as you get the basics of meatloaf down, it doesn't really matter what veggies you use. I learned this valuable lesson as a kid from my mother, a fantastic cook. So here we go, a primer if you will about meatloaf.

Meatloaf

1 lb ground beef (defrosted completely if previously frozen)
1 tube lean ground pork sausage (I use the Jimmy Dean lean--it's about 3/4 of a pound per tube)
2 tbsp worchestershire sauce
1/2 to 3/4 c breadcrumbs (seasoned or not, doesn't matter)
1-2 eggs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 small onion, or 1/2 medium onion, diced very fine
1/2 c each of mushrooms and bell peppers, sliced and diced fine.
also possible: grated carrot, finely chopped celery
optional: ketchup or bbq sauce (I don't like to use these, but sometimes my mom does for extra moisture and flavor

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine meats, egg, breadcrumbs, worchestershire sauce, and garlic powder and veggies together. I usually use my hands to do this, it just seems to get the job done better than anything else I've tried. Be sure to remove any jewelry from your hands and wash them well before and afterward to prevent meat germs from spreading everywhere.

Once everything is well combined and the veggies are all sticking together with the meat, you can do one of two things. My husband prefers I mold the meat into a loaf shape and bake it on a sheet pan so the grease runs off and doesn't pool on the top of the loaf pan. But you can always do what most people do, and just dump this mixture into your loaf pan and press it down. At this point, if you wanted to use the bbq sauce or ketchup you can glaze the top of the meatloaf with said sauce.

Bake this for about 45 minutes to an hour. Let rest for about 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving. This helps prevent crumbling when you slice it.

Serve with baked or mashed potatoes and your favorite veggie. My mom also likes this leftover the next day in a meatloaf sandwich. Not my personal fave, but a common one. Enjoy!

** Optional Variation** You can also make this more Italian flavored by using oregano and some tomato paste in it, and then coating with marinara sauce before baking. I've also had it with a more Asian flare with soy sauce in the meatloaf and scallions instead of regular onions and sesame oil--kind of like wonton soup. Very versatile.

Sourdough Pancakes

2012-01-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

Ok this is one I tried in the Fall of 2010 when we lived at my in-laws house because my husband wanted to try making sourdough starter and sourdough bread. The bread didn't turn out so well but these actually worked out pretty well. I made them again the other night and the only difference was that we made whole wheat starter instead of plain starter (used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour). They tasted a bit different this time because of the wheat factor, but I think they still turned out well. We also enjoyed making sourdough pizza dough and breadsticks this time around. I'll get those recipes posted soon, they turned out pretty well. Without further ado, here is the recipe for the pancakes.

Sourdough Pancakes

Starter

(MUST BE MADE A WEEK IN ADVANCE) This is not an exact science. It's a 1:1 ratio of water to flour. You can use AP flour or Whole Wheat, and you just mix them together til you get the consistency of pancake batter. Preferably in a pitcher or large jar with a loose lid. You need to let it sit on your counter where it can get some air/bacteria in it (that's how it works--bacteria is required to create the yeast which creates the alcohol which creates the sour taste of sourdough. Don't worry, it's a safe bacteria and the yeast thing is no big deal, it won't make you sick. I've checked, I'm pregnant and I can eat them just fine). So, you mix the flour and water together til you get the right consistency--I started with 2 cups of each. Every day for a week, just stir it again and keep an eye on it. If the top has floating liquid on top, just pour it off (it's alcohol, which is the result of the yeast forming in the mixture. You can leave it, but it's best to pour it off.). Add more water and the same amount of flour again and just keep stirring and keeping it going. You can use this starter now to create all kinds of recipes. This pancakes recipe is just one possibility.

Pancakes

2 c sourdough starter
1 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp olive oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp warm water

Dilute baking soda in water. Set aside. Mix together all the other ingredients in a medium bowl. Heat skillet to medium high, and then spray with cooking spray. Add water/baking soda mixture to the rest of the batter and whisk gently. Pour 1/4 c of batter into pan per pancake (you kind of have to do one at a time with this, the batter is pretty runny). Flip when browned on one side and the bubbles stop forming. Serve with butter, syrup, or whatever your favorite pancake toppings are.

Mashed Potato Pancakes

2012-01-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what to do with your favorite leftover mashed potatoes from that fancy roast beef dinner you made last weekend? I never seem to make just enough for us to eat around here, we always have leftovers. Usually we eat them with the rest of the leftover meal, but this time the turkey disappeared faster than you could say "Happy New Year!" so I was needing another solution to the leftover potatoes problem.

So this morning, I was wondering what to make for breakfast. And I thought, "hmm, I wonder if I could figure out a good way to make mashed potato pancakes....?" I have tried these in the past and never managed to do it right without them falling apart all over the place. BUT, I learned something new today.... a little thing I tried that fixed my problem. And it is SO simple you'll wonder "OF COURSE! Why didn't she/I think of that before?!" So without further ado, a great solution to the "too many potatoes problem" and one that doesn't make a mess either!

Mashed Potato Pancakes

2-3 c leftover mashed potatoes (the least lumpy the better) recipe found here if needed
1/4 c milk
2 eggs
1/4 tsp seasoning salt (optional, can substitute regular salt)
pinch of dried dill (optional)
2 tbsp all purpose flour (this is the secret problem solving ingredient. this way you don't break it or make a mess when flipping)
grated cheese for topping (optional serving suggestion)

(you can also leave out the seasoning salt and dill and just use regular salt for a sweet rather than savory flavor, I just like them this way.)

Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Should come together in about a pancake batter consistency. Heat skillet to medium high, spray with cooking spray or grease with 1 tbsp olive oil. Pour batter into skillet and cook just like you would a normal pancake, flipping after the bubbles around the edges pop and stop forming. Serve with grated cheese on top or sour cream, whichever you prefer.

Like I said, you can do these with a less savory flavor, by just using regular salt and omitting the dill. I just like these savory instead of sweet. If you prefer sweet, just serve with butter and syrup like regular pancakes, or with sour cream and jam.

I am not sure exactly what about the flour makes these work so much better, but I have a hunch it has to do with gluten or something. They just hold together better and flip more like normal pancakes when you add the flour to the batter.

Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic and Mushrooms

2012-01-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

Better late than never, I know I promised this to you FB fans out there on Saturday, but I was remiss because we were up later than I planned and I never got back to blogging since. Sorry about that! Anyway, this is a very tasty side we had with our turkey and mashed potatoes on Saturday for New Years Eve 2011. It's super simple and very good and I hope you enjoy!

Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic and Mushrooms

1 1/2 lbs of green beans, ends snapped off and larger beans snapped in half
2 tbsp olive oil
8 oz sliced button mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced very fine
1/4 c water

Heat skillet to medium heat and add oil to the pan. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook til mushrooms have shrunk to half volume. Add green beans and stir to combine, being careful to not let the beans fall over the side. Toss together til beans, garlic and mushrooms are well combined, and then add water and cover skillet with lid or aluminum foil to steam for about 5 minutes or til the water is fully evaporated and beans are tender. Serve hot with your favorite chicken or other protein and potatoes or rice. We made it with roast turkey and mashed potatoes and some of my homemade orange cranberry relish.

So I have been a bit absent for awhile...

2011-11-02T18:05:00.000-06:00

I have a list of excuses, but none are very good except for one that just began recently. And that is that I recently found out I am expecting. So my appetite has been here and there and sometimes no where to be found. Which makes it hard to find the motivation to cook when I can hardly decide what I want to eat.

I am going to work harder at posting something at least once a week. Hopefully when I begin my 2nd trimester in a couple weeks I'll feel more energetic and motivated to get in the kitchen more often.

Until then, I hope you are enjoying my existing recipes and Happy Cooking!

Beef Stroganoff

2011-11-02T18:02:00.000-06:00

So this is one my mom made when we were kids that pretty much everyone has their own sort of version of. My mom always made it with ground beef, but I know some people prefer to use stew meat or sliced steak. Steak was a rarity at our house, as there were 7 of us and it gets expensive. However you make it, this is one of those comfort foods that makes me think of Fall or Winter because it's warm and the gravy just seems to speak cold weather to me. Something about onions and mushrooms and beef and gravy that just warms me up.... You can serve this with rice or pasta or mashed potatoes or however you like. This time I chose to serve it with brown rice because I am trying to amp up my whole grain intake. Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb ground beef
2 small onions or 1 large one, diced
1/2 lb button mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp butter, plus one
2 tbsp worchestershire sauce
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1-2 c water or beef stock or broth
1/2 c sour cream (I used Daisy Light--you can use whatever you like)

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Add half the onions with the raw meat. In a separate pan, brown mushrooms and the rest of the onion together in a bit of butter. Add this to the meat once fully browned and onions have reduced by half. Add the rest of the butter to the meat and mushrooms and onions, and let it melt and then toss in the flour to create a roux. Stir everything together to coat the meat with the butter and flour, and then add worchestershire sauce and broth/stock/water. Stir over medium heat til thickened. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Just before serving stir in the sour cream.

Serve over egg noodles, whole wheat pasta, rice, brown rice, or mashed potatoes with your favorite vegetable on the side.

Super Cool Giveaway

2011-11-01T10:10:00.001-06:00

My friend Debra, from Housewife Eclectic (also featured on my sidebar--super cool blog, you all should check it out for sure!) is doing this awesome giveaway for these super fun charm bracelets! The charms are made to look like miniatures of your favorite book covers! So fun!

What a great idea, and an awesome Christmas present. I know my mom would love it.

Check it out and mention I sent you when you do!

Here's the link. I promise you'll love it!

Photo taken from Housewife Eclectic who got it from Sofie's Beads.

Pot Roast

2011-10-24T20:08:00.000-06:00

This one is super easy and most people already have a pretty basic idea of how to do it, but I figured since it's what I made for dinner tonight, I may as well post it. I forgot to take a picture, so I will do that later this week when I pull out the leftovers. So simple and so tasty, and most people will think you slaved all day, when really all you did was put a hunk of beef in the crock pot with some basic veggies and let it sit for about 6 hours. As with most of my recipes of this sort (basic comfort foods) the veggies will change from time to time, but in general the recipe stays pretty close to this.

Basic Pot Roast

1 boneless beef roast (about 2-3 lbs)
2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
1-2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
3 cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
2 tbsp worchestershire sauce

Whisk together your olive oil, worchestershire, and balsamic in a small bowl. Pour it over your roast and rub it into the meat all over. Sprinkle both sides of roast generously with salt and pepper. Place roast in crock pot and then cover with carrots and garlic and onions. This is also where you can add other veggies like mushrooms or whatnot. Set crock pot for 6 hours on low, and let cook til the time runs out.

Remove roast from crock pot, and then slice and place on a plate to serve. Put the veggies in a bowl and serve as a side dish if desired. Pour meat juices into a skillet and heat over medium low heat. Whisk in some flour (a couple tbsp depending on how much of the meat drippings you have) and keep heating til thickened, adding water if too thick. Pour this into a gravy boat and serve along side the roast and veggies.

I usually serve this with mashed potatoes or baked ones. You can also toss the potatoes in with your roast and cook them at the same time, but I usually prefer them on the side instead. You can serve with another veggie on the side too, or just the roasted ones that you had in the crock pot. We had steamed broccoli with it tonight.

Enjoy!

Sundried Tomatoes

2011-09-07T18:23:00.000-06:00

Ok, so it's been awhile since I have been on here. I haven't been cooking much around here, and when I do, its a lot of repeat recipes. Once we move to the new house and I have a gas stove again I think I will be more in the mood to experiment in the kitchen. Until then I thought I would share this little gem my husband and I figured out recently.

Any of you out there enjoy some good sun-dried tomatoes? I sure do, the are probably one of my favorite ways to eat tomatoes. Among the hundreds of ways I will eat them of course.....I love to just eat slices of tomato with a bit of salt on them....or in caprese salad...or homemade spaghetti sauce. The list can go on and on. So anyway---back to the original subject. Sun-dried. They are SO DANG EXPENSIVE at the store. So why didn't I think of making them at home before? Because I am crazy, I guess. It's not like we ever have a shortage of tomatoes in our family, we both love them and try to grow them in our garden. In addition to the pile we get from our parents. So here seemed a good idea to try.

Here's what we found out after doing a bit of research. Very simple. You will need:

a cookie sheet
some tomatoes (any kind, though romas work well for this because they have a higher flesh to seed ratio)
some wax paper or parchment
a glass pyrex baking dish (just a clear glass 13x9 will do)
OR a hot car left in the sun all day. (seriously, I am not kidding here)

Directions:
Wedge your tomatoes. Place wax paper on the cookie sheet and then top with tomato wedges. Place in the sun. Cover with pyrex dish, or place on the dashboard of your hot car while you're at work all day. Let stand for about 10 hours. Check them, flip them over if needed, and let them dry the rest of the way. When they are done, seal in an airtight ziplock bag, or in a jar with some garlic and basil and olive oil in the fridge. Will last up to 6 months in the fridge, or the same in the bag in your cupboard.

Lastly, EAT THEM. Any way you want. On salads, with pasta, with chicken...the possibilities are endless. ENJOY!

Cheddar Potato Broccoli Soup

2011-05-14T18:55:00.001-06:00

This was something I decided to do to use up the baby red potatoes, 2 heads of broccoli and 1 head of cauliflower we had in the fridge that needed to be used. Turns out today was a good day to do it, too, because it looks like it might rain at the moment. Anyway, it's a super simple recipe that gives great results. I think I will try this again sometime!

Cheddar Potato Broccoli Soup

1 or 2 bunches of broccoli, chopped into small florets
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into small florets
1/2 lb red or russet potatoes, diced
1 stick of butter
1/3 c flour
1 small onion, diced
1 or 2 c sharp cheddar cheese (if you get it pretty sharp it will flavor enough that you don't need as much)
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
3 cans chicken broth or stock (about 6 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder

Melt butter in a large saucepan or stock pot. Add onions and cook for a few minutes until they are tender. then add your flour. Add the first 2 cans and stir well til the mixture thickens. Add your evaporated milk, then your broccoli and cauliflower and potatoes, and the other can of broth and stir well to combine. Stir in the cheese til it melts and combines with everything else. Simmer on medium heat til potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Then add your seasonings, simmer another 5 minutes and then serve warm with some of your favorite bread.

Spanish Rice

2011-05-09T17:58:00.000-06:00

This was something my mom usually did from a box, but I decided to do from scratch today just because we needed to use up some leftover taco meat from last week. It was pretty simple, generally the same method as the box Mom used, but I used my own ingredients. This is a one skillet meal, no need for extra veggies or meat or carbs, because everything is in there. Quick, cheap, and so flavorful.

Spanish Rice

1 1/2 c white rice
2 tbsp butter
taco seasoning, about a teaspoon
about a teaspoon of onion powder
1 can diced tomatoes
2 1/2 c water
leftover taco meat, about a cup or so. (or you could use 1/2 to 1 lb ground beef and half a can each of corn and black beans)

Melt the butter in a medium large skillet. Add the rice and cook together for about 2 minutes, the rice should start to turn golden. Add onion powder and taco seasoning and stir well to coat rice. Add your tomatoes and water and taco meat, and then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve hot with grated cheese if you wish.

Ginger Orange Glazed Carrots

2011-04-24T15:40:00.000-06:00

I think these are pretty standard all over the place, but I love them and they work great with the rest of the Easter menu I am going with. And even better, it uses up the carrots my husband's worried we won't use up quick enough. I am making enough for 10 people today, so I'll downsize the recipe for the blog (usually I don't feed that many people, I don't know about you readers out there...).

Ginger Orange Glazed Carrots

1-2 carrots per person (that's for whole carrots, you can use baby carrots too, just plan for about a cup of carrots per person)
2 oranges, juiced
2-3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
a couple of shakes of allspice or nutmeg, if desired

Cut the carrots into sticks or sliced rounds. Place in a medium saucepan with the orange juice, brown sugar, ginger, and spices. Over medium heat, stir til carrots are tender and glaze has thickened. Serve hot with your favorite protein and starch. Delicious!

Mustard Rosemary Garlic Marinade

2011-04-23T23:17:00.000-06:00

Ok kids, this is the amazing recipe that my grandparents used to use on lamb every Easter when I was a kid growing up. Papa would get a boneless leg of lamb, butterfly it, and then marinate it in this fabulous mixture for a few days before grilling it perfectly and serving it with delicious roasted potatoes and other amazing food. Yep, I have grandparents that double as gourmet cooks. Probably where my mom got her love of cooking, and maybe where I adopted it from too. So you can thank Grandma and Papa for this one, and maybe me too, just for sharing. It's meant for lamb, of course, but you can use it for chicken too (the ingredients go really well with the flavor of chicken, too. And I can't afford lamb right now, so that's what it ended up on here...)

Mustard Rosemary Garlic Marinade

1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c rosemary, chopped
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp mustard seed, or course ground mustard
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

This makes a lot of marinade, so you might want to downsize it a bit if you aren't doing the whole leg of lamb. As I said before, it's made for a 8-9 lb leg of lamb, boneless and butterflied. So if you want to make chicken, it would probably be delicious on a whole chicken, or on LOTS of chicken pieces. :)

Just mix all of the above ingredients in a large ziplock bag, add the meat, and then mash it around and place in the fridge for a day or so before cooking. If you are doing lamb, Grandma says to grill the meat 10 minutes per side, after bringing it to room temperature. If you are cooking a whole chicken, cook it like you would a roast chicken. If you are doing boneless skinless chicken breasts, pound them thin before you put it in the marinade, and then fry it in a bit of oil in a saute pan. Slice thin and serve with the roasted potatoes posted previously.

Enjoy!

Garlic Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

2011-04-23T22:41:00.000-06:00

This is something that I originally ate at my Grandma's house and loved, and it's really a simple recipe. Super easy, and super tasty. And goes great with the chicken or lamb you decide to make from the recipe I am going to post next--great for an Easter feast for sure. Or any other time of the year, for that matter. Anywho, I hope you like them as much as I do.

Garlic Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

1 lb baby red potatoes, quartered
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed, and minced
4 tbsp olive oil
pinch each of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium to large bowl, mix together rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper, potatoes and oil until the potatoes are coated well. Dump contents of bowl into a large baking dish (I usually use a 13x9 pan). Spread it out so they don't overlap and they all have enough space to brown nicely. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown, whichever comes first. Make sure to let them rest for a bit before you pop the delicious bites of potato in your mouth, because if you aren't careful, you'll burn your mouth.

Serve with lamb, chicken, steak, whatever you like. And a veggie of course...because a meal isn't complete without a good veggie. Stay tuned for a great veggie recipe I plan to make next for Easter dinner....

Sparkling Limeade

2011-04-21T18:35:00.001-06:00

This is sort of inspired by someone I knew when I was in high school. We went to their house for a party once, and she had made this sparkling cucumber limeade drink thing that was DELICIOUS. I have ever since been trying to figure out the recipe and have since failed. But this is close. And you'd be surprised how easy it is!

Sparkling Limeade

1 2 liter bottle of 7up or Sprite or similar lemon lime soda (I used diet of course, that works fine too.)
1 lime, sliced into rounds
1 can limeade concentrate
1/2 a cucumber, sliced into rounds

Combine the limeade and 7up gently in a pitcher with a spoon. Be careful, because you don't want the soda to bubble over. Add the lime and cucumber slices to the mix and serve cold.

See? It's that easy! Enjoy!

Creme Brulee with Berries

2011-04-21T18:08:00.003-06:00

Who out there doesn't like a good creme brulee? I mean seriously, the stuff is DIVINE. It's probably not healthy for any of us, and its not cheap at the fancy restaurants, but soooo worth it when you can have it, right? I found this wonderful recipe on Food Network's awesome index of recipes, and it was wonderful. The truth is, when it comes to making creme brulee or any other kind of custard, the important part is technique. So pay close attention to the instructions, because if you do it right you will have a delightfully smooth, creamy custard with a delicious caramelized sugar crust/shell. Do it wrong, and you'll end up with heavy cream mixed with scrambled eggs and sugar. And that's just not good eats. Here we go...

Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee with Sliced Strawberries

2 1/3 c heavy whipping cream

2/3 c sugar (YES, it has to be the real stuff, no substitutions this time)

1 vanilla bean (optional--plain creme brulee just uses a bit of vanilla extract, this recipe is vanilla bean though)

6 egg yolks

Brulee top:

3 tbsp granulated sugar

Berries:

this can be any berries you want, or have on hand. I used strawberries because I had them. the original recipe calls for raspberries, which would be equally delicious, as would blueberries or blackberries. About a cup of whatever berries you choose, and a couple tsp of sugar, depending on the sweetness you want. It also suggests adding lemon zest, but I didn't and it was delicious.

You will also want to invest in some ramekins. 4 of them, each about 4 inches or 6 oz. A baker's torch would be nice too, but if you don't have one, use your broiler (that's what I did).

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place ramekins in a 9x13x2 baking pan. In a small saucepan or tea kettle, heat some water.

In a medium saucepan combine heavy cream and sugar (not over heat yet). Using a sharp paring knife, slice the vanilla bean down the center lengthwise along the seam of the bean. Scrape out the center of the vanilla bean and add to the cream and sugar mixture. Toss in the bean too. If you get some of the stuff in the center of the bean on your hands, just use a bit of sugar to rub it off into the cream mixture.

Heat cream and sugar and vanilla bean over medium heat until it simmers, whisking constantly to keep from burning. When it comes to a simmer, cover, reduce the heat to low, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes (SET THE TIMER, do not cook longer than the prescribed 10 minutes). When it's done cooking, remove the vanilla bean (just the shell part) and either throw away or dry it out, and you can use it later to make vanilla sugar.

Now, here is the tricky part: tempering the eggs. You have to mix the hot cream with the cold eggs without getting scrambled eggs. I used a ladle and just mixed a small amount of the cream with the eggs as I whisked it, so it brought the eggs to temperature and kept things smooth. That's probably the best way to do it, because if you just add all of the eggs to the hot cream, you'll end up with scrambled eggs.

**Once you have added a couple of ladles full of the cream to the eggs, whisking the whole time, you should be able to just add the rest of the cream because by then the eggs are up to temp and you've combined them well enough that it won't matter.** Mix the rest of the cream in, and scrape out all of the vanilla bean goodness into there, and make sure everything is mixed in well.

Now, all you have to do is ladle the mixture into your ramekins. I actually used a silicone bowl since it was flexible and heat proof and wouldn't move around on me when I was whisking and ladling at the same time while tempering the eggs. So just evenly portion the custard into your 4 ramekins. Then you need to create a water bath around them by pouring in the hot water around them into the baking dish you placed them in at the beginning. You'll want enough water to go up halfway around the ramekins.

Carefully place the 9x13 into your oven and bake custard for 30-35 minutes. The custard should be set, but jiggle slightly when you lightly shake the pan. When it's done baking, remove the ramekins from the water bath and let cool to room temperature, then transfer to the fridge to chill the rest of the way.

Once fully cooled, sprinkle sugar on top of each ramekin to cover the whole custard, but not too thick (about 2 tsp per ramekin). Place on a baking sheet under the broiler for about 3-5 minutes, watching the whole time, making sure the sugar doesnt burn, but turns golden brown. Let cool.

Mix the berries, sugar, and lemon zest together. Top the creme brulee with the berries and enjoy!

Homemade Gnocchi

2011-03-28T13:00:00.000-06:00

This one is really from Food Network, but I made it and loved it and its going to be a repeat occasion for sure. Mario Batali is a star chef for a reason, folks! Trust me, this is totally worth not buying them at the store--they're lighter and more tender and not so dense and dried out like store bought. So here we go, I hope you like them as much as we did.

Gnocchi

3 lbs potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 c flour
pinch of salt
1 egg
1/2 c vegetable oil
extra flour for kneading

Boil potatoes in salted water til very soft. Drain, and then run them through a food mill or potato ricer (prevents lumps and makes them smoother, which means smoother dough) into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the potatoes and sprinkle the 2 cups of all purpose flour over the potatoes, and then add the egg and the oil. Mix with a fork til soft dough forms, and then move to a well floured pastry board to knead. Gently knead more flour into it til it becomes firm and not sticky, about 4 minutes. Divide into 8 small balls of dough and then roll each ball of dough into a rope. Cut the rope into 1 inch pieces and then roll them on the back of a fork to mark them. Place on a baking sheet dusted with flour. Recipe makes about 3 lbs of gnocchi, or 12 servings.

We cooked a bit of it tonight and froze the rest for later on the cookie sheets. Once they are frozen solid you can move them from the cookie sheets to separate bags. You'll want to freeze them on the sheet to keep them from sticking together and forming a large ball of dough instead of lots of little dumplings.

Serving Suggestion: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop in gnocchi and cook til they float to the top, about 3-4 minutes. Drain. Saute some sliced mushrooms in a bit of butter. Add cooked gnocchi to mushrooms and continue to cook with the mushrooms. Add some pesto and stir til combined and heated through. Serve with parmesan cheese on top. You'll love it!

Mostaccioli with a Twist

2011-03-27T13:00:00.000-06:00

My mom makes this delicious pasta casserole that the whole family loves, which can be found here that is called Mostaccioli. This week I was looking for a good way to use up the swiss chard I got in the bountiful basket last Saturday and I found a manicotti recipe by Giada De Laurentiis from Food Network that I wanted to try. I didnt have manicotti noodles and it seemed like I could easily morph it into a sort of mostaccioli recipe with a twist. Here is what we ended up with.

Sweet Pea and Swiss Chard Mostaccioli

1 1/2 lbs penne rigate pasta (I used whole wheat, but regular works too)
1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
3/4 c frozen peas
olive oil
1 head swiss chard, stems removed
1 medium white onion, diced finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c mozzarella cheese
3/4 c parmesan cheese
1/4 c fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt and pepper

white sauce
1/2 stick of butter
3 tbsp flour
2 c milk
1 c chicken broth
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1/4 c fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 diced tomato, optional

Cook pasta to pkg directions to al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil, and then saute the onion and garlic and then add swiss chard til its all wilted. Set aside to cool slightly.

Most of the time I say you can substitute a blender for a food processor, but in this case I totally wish I had a food processor. If you use a blender, make sure the frozen peas are defrosted first so you don't have trouble with the blender blades not working.

In the food processor, blend together the ricotta, peas, chard and onion mixture, salt and pepper and mozzarella and parmesan.

Make white sauce by melting the butter and then whisking in the flour to create a roux. Add your milk and stir til thickened and add the chicken broth and parmesan cheese. Stir til combined and thickened again, and then add basil and tomato at the very end. Mix this sauce with the pasta, and then place half of the pasta in the bottom of the pan, cover with the ricotta mixture, and the top with more pasta and more grated mozzarella. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Jeff's "Heavenly" Pizza

2011-03-26T13:00:00.000-06:00

Ok all of you faithful readers...remember last year when my husband and I went to Park City and we had the best pizza we had ever tasted? Remember how we endeavored to recreate such pizza in our own home? Well my loving husband has finally mastered the pesto pizza. We tested it out on Mom for her birthday and it was a standing ovation all around. So here we go, we will share our masterpiece with you since you are such loyal and wonderful readers.

Heavenly Pesto Pizza

1 recipe basic pizza dough, found here
3-4 tbsp prepared pesto, storebought or recipe can be found here
1 tomato, diced
fresh mozzarella cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
fresh basil

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Roll out pizza dough to a 12 inch round, and place on a pizza stone coated with cornmeal. Prebake dough for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread pesto onto the crust, and then cover with the basil and garlic, and then top with cheese and tomatoes. Bake again for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Catching up!

2011-03-25T21:43:00.000-06:00

Okay, I did follow the menu, but I fell off the blogging wagon this week. I dont really have a good reason or excuse, but I am going to catch up starting with steamed mahi mahi and mango raspberry salsa and steamed rice. Then throughout the week I will have the other recipes posted so you can try them all out. Here we go with the mahi mahi....

Steamed Mahi Mahi with Mango Raspberry Salsa

4 fillets of mahi mahi
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2-3 drops of sesame oil
1/2 c water

Salsa

3 mangoes
1 box of fresh raspberries
1/2 a red onion, finely diced
1/2 a bunch of cilantro, chopped finely
lemon juice

In a 9x13 inch pan, place a large piece of aluminum foil. Place the fish in the middle of the foil and then add the soy sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil and honey. Raise the sides of the foil and then add the water and then fold and crimp the foil to make a packet. Place in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Cut the mango sides away from the pit, then score it with a paring knife vertically, and then again horizontally to create 1/2 inch cubes. It's sort of like cutting an avacado, but instead of cutting around the pit, you just slice it off the side away from the pit. Then once you have scored it with the knife, turn mango inside out so you can cut the flesh from the peel. Do this with all of your mangoes, and you will end up with a bowl of diced mango.

Saute your onion in a bit of olive oil just until its soft, and then add that to the mango, and add the raspberries and cilantro and lemon juice too. Stir til combined, set aside til ready to serve.

Serve the fish along side steamed rice and topped with the salsa.

Bountiful Baskets: Round 2, Week 2

2011-03-19T10:40:00.000-06:00

It's that time again! I picked up our basket this morning, thankfully this time with my husband's help because it was a whopper this time. Here is what we got:

2 bunches of swiss chard
1 head of celery
3 mangoes
4 tangelos
5 apples
3 vine tomatoes
1 cantaloupe
bananas
1 head cauliflower
1 bunch of broccoli
1 bunch asparagus
1 bunch cilantro

PLUS we ordered 2 add-ons this week:

5 loaves of ciabatta bread

and the Italian Pack which included:

1 pkg white button mushrooms
1 pkg baby bella mushrooms
2 white onions
1 red onion
1 head of garlic
basil, oregano, and rosemary
flat leaf parsley

Still working on the menu for the week, but here is what I have so far:

Today or Tomorrow: Pesto Pizza. Husband is making it, and its really good.
Monday: Mahi Mahi with Raspberry Mango Salsa (probably with rice and some veggie on the side)
Tuesday: considering making manicotti with the swiss chard
Wednesday: probably spaghetti with leftover spaghetti sauce I have in the freezer
Thursday: Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Friday: Homemade Gnocci

So stick with me this week to see what I can do with what we got. Try it along with me!

Chicken Curry and Rice

2011-03-14T09:31:00.000-06:00

Yesterday my husband decided to cook again, and who am I to complain? He even cleaned up afterwards too! I was a lucky girl last night. He made chicken curry, which is a common well loved thing around here. We love all kinds of curry around here--Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Thai....its all tasty. This recipe is easy because the curry spices are already done for us--we use a pre-made curry paste called Golden Curry. Usually it's the mild heat level because I freely admit I am a wuss when it comes to really spicy stuff. I love the flavor of spices used in curry, I just can't take the heat. So here we go--simple recipe, delicious results.

Chicken Curry and Rice

2 whole chicken breasts, preferably boneless skinless, cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion, sliced thin
3-4 carrots, sliced into coins about 1/4 inch thick
1 pkg Golden Curry paste/block, in the heat level you desire
1/2 pt heavy cream, optional
cooked white rice, for about 4 people.

In a wok or large skillet, cook chicken pieces til cooked through. Add carrots and onions and cook til onions are tender. Stir constantly in this process--again, this is to keep things from burning because you will be using high heat for this part of the process. Add your curry paste and the water the pkg calls for, reduce the heat to a simmer, and let all ingredients simmer until the sauce is thickened and the carrots are tender. If you choose to add the cream, add that at the very end right before serving and just cook until its well combined and warmed.

Serve over rice.

Oven Steamed Salmon, Steamed Green Beans, and Mashed Potatoes

2011-03-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

According to the planned menu for the week, I made salmon tonight. Thanks to a neighbor who ended up not liking the frozen salmon she bought at the store, I ended up with a couple of fillets in my freezer. I have done salmon a few different ways in the past but this time I tried something slightly different and a little bit healthier. I paired it with still crisp steamed green beans and some mashed potatoes to use up the potatoes in the pantry. I hope you like it as much as we did!

Oven Steamed Salmon

1 large salmon fillet (about a foot long)
1 lemon
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 tsp each: seasoning salt, black pepper, onion powder
1 tbsp butter, cut in half
1/4 c water
aluminum foil, for cooking
baking dish (keeps your oven clean--catches any leaky juices)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a large sheet of aluminum foil inside your baking dish (needs to be at least 6 inches longer than the fish) Place salmon in the middle of the foil, and then sliced the lemon into rounds. Place lemon rounds on top of the fish. Top with seasonings and dill weed. Top all of that with dots of the butter. Pull up the sides of the foil to make a pouch and then add your water. Pinch together the tops and sides of the foil to close the packet, and bake for 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Mashed Potatoes (simple recipe, but everyone has a different one, right?)

6 medium potatoes
water
1 tsp salt
1/4 c butter
1/4 -1/2 c milk

Peel and cut potatoes into wedges. (You don't have to peel them, sometimes I don't. Potato peels are actually really good for you--full of vitamins.) Put potatoes into a large pot, and cover with water. Add salt, and bring to a boil. Cook for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender and break when poked with a fork. Drain, and then place them back in the same pot. Add butter and milk, and mash til you get the consistency you want.

Green Beans-- so simple you'll laugh at how easy it is.

1 lb green beans
1/4 to 1/2 c water

Snap the ends off the green beans. Place into a steamer basket inside a pot on the stove. Add your water, which should be below the level of the basket, and cover with lid. Bring the water to a boil, creating steam for the beans to cook. Steam beans for 3-5 minutes. Not long at all, just til they turn bright green. You want them to still have their snap/crispness. Steaming keeps as many nutrients in the beans as possible while giving you optimum flavor. My favorite way to eat them. Yum!

Sesame Beef and Bok Choy

2011-03-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

Alright, this is one of my husband's recipes, and in truth, I am not sure there is really a science to it at all....stir fry is kind of a free for all. But I am going to try to put this in a recipe form, as well as I can. My husband loves to cook Chinese food--it reminds him of his 2 year LDS mission in New Zealand, which was about 6 years ago. He served the Chinese people in Aukland, and he loves cooking with a wok. So I let him, naturally. What wife wouldn't let her husband cook if he wants to? Especially if he is good at it? No one. So here is what he made the other night. As I said before, the measurements are approximate, but you get the idea.

Sesame Beef and Bok Choy

2 pkgs stir fry style sliced beef
1 head of bok choy, chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 c soy sauce
1/2 an onion, sliced
3 carrots, cut into coins
1 small can water chestnuts, drained and sliced
peanut oil, for stir frying
steamed rice, to serve with

In a large wok, pour a couple of tbsp of the peanut oil and heat til it starts to ripple. Add the beef, and cook, stirring as you go, until cooked through. Add carrots and onions, and continue to stir while cooking. Add garlic and ginger and water chestnuts, and then bok choy. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds last, and cook til the bok choy begins to wilt. Remove from heat, and serve over rice.

**Note: if you have never used a wok before, you need to take note of a couple of things.

First, woks are best used over high, but controlled heat--it's best to use them over a gas stove or outdoor cooker if possible. Electric heat is too hard to control.
Also, because the heat is high, you need to continue stirring as you cook so your food does not burn.
Always cook meat first to avoid food contamination.
Follow cooking the meat with the harder, or more solid veggies, such as carrots, celery, and onions. Wok cooking goes fast, so you have to make sure you time everything right so you get everything to the right tenderness.

Mango Banana Orange Smoothies

2011-03-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

This sounds like a simple enough thing to make, and in truth, it really is. I got some mangoes and oranges in my bountiful basket, and as usual, I have a load of bananas in the freezer since we never seem to use them all up and we get them every time we get a new basket. So here we are, with the ingredients of a really tasty smoothie, and in need of breakfast in the morning. Seems to me we should take advantage of the situation.

Mango Banana Orange Smoothies

3 Ataulfo mangoes (that's what I had on hand, but you can use regular mangoes too, if you like)
2 frozen bananas
3 oranges
1 c milk

Peel and dice mangoes. Peel and quarter oranges. If you didn't remove the peels from the bananas prior to freezing them (which I completely recommend because it makes things easier all around), peel them and break them in half.

Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Makes 4 servings.

*I realize I had some fresh bananas on the counter, but I decided rather than using ice to make the smoothie cold, I would use frozen bananas, so the whole thing would be fruit and milk and therefore get more nutrition out of it. You can use fresh bananas, but in that case you may choose to use ice as well to chill the smoothie.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

2011-03-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

We had some crazy weather yesterday so we decided to switch the plans on the menu. So last night I made stuffed acorn squash, and tonight Jeff is cooking on is outdoor wok, a recipe which will be posted tomorrow. Some of you may remember I posted a stuffed squash recipe a couple years back from Alton Brown's reportoire on Food Network's website (which can be found here). This time I kind of took inspiration from him but made up my own recipe as I went along. I am sorry I dont have a picture this time, I forgot to take one last night, and Jeff took the rest of it to work today for lunch. I will work on finding a picture for you, or you can look at the one Alton has with his, by clicking on the link provided.

If you are doing this from the Bountiful Basket we got over the weekend, this recipe will use both your acorn squash and your spinach.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

1-4 acorn squashes, depending on size. Ours was big this time, so I just did one.
1 c cooked rice
1 c pork sausage
2 c chopped spinach (if fresh. if frozen, only 1 cup) rinsed and shaken dry (or squeezed dry if frozen)
4 oz sliced white button mushrooms
1 tbsp butter (you may need 2 or 3 if you are making multiple squashes)
Optional ingredients: parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup), toasted pine nuts (about 1/4 cup)

Cut the tops off your acorn squash(s), and scoop out the seeds. Cut just a little bit off the bottom, just so the squash sits flat on the bottom of your baking dish (only about 1/4 in or less). Set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a skillet, brown and crumble your sausage. When sausage is fully cooked, add your mushrooms and cook til they are slightly browned and cooked all the way through. Add the rice next, stirring til combined well, and then add the spinach, which will probably seem like it's way too big for the pan. Don't worry, it will wilt into everything and shrink quite a bit. After the spinach has wilted, add your optional ingredients if you choose.

Put half the butter in the bottom of the squash and then fill the cavity with the stuffing, then place the other half of the butter on top, and then top with the top of the squash. Place in preheated oven and bake for 1 hour. If you have extra stuffing, you may also bake that for about 15 minutes just before you are ready to take out the squash.

You will know when its done by sticking a fork in it. It should be soft, but not mushy. Quarter the squash, and then serve hot. No need for veggies or meat because its all included. Enjoy!

Bountiful Baskets: Let's Try this again...

2011-03-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I fell off the wagon with my Bountiful Baskets weekly menu project. I have been ordering baskets this whole time, but the blogging part has kind of fallen behind. I am recommitting myself to do better and to make sure I use everything we get. My husband and I sat down today and decided what we are going to have for dinner each night this week, and planned most of it around what we got in our basket today, so here we go again: I am starting over from scratch and sharing my menu and then recipes of the things I make from what I got in the basket. I will be probably spreading out the recipes over 2 weeks, but I promise I will be giving you all ideas of how to use up the different things you got.

But before we go there, I must first tell you what was in this magical basket this week. We got a lot of stuff this time around! Here is what we got:

1 pineapple
3 ataulfo mangoes
6 beefsteak tomatoes
6 oranges
6 apples
bananas
1 acorn squash
4 large turnips
1 bunch of spinach
1 yellow squash
1 bag of green beans
1 bag of baby yukon gold potatoes

PLUS the add-ons which were

5 loaves of sourdough bread ($10.00 extra)

and the Asian Pack ($7.50 extra) which consisted of:
1 head bok choy
1 head napa cabbage
1 bag of snow peas
basil
2 heads of garlic
and 1 bunch of scallions/green onions

Here is the plan for the week so far:

Today: Pizza made from tomatoes and basil and some fresh mozzarella cheese we bought today
Tomorrow, we're eating at my mom's house.
Monday: Chinese Sesame Beef with Bok Choy and rice
Tuesday: Stuffed Acorn Squash
Wednesday: Baked Salmon with Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes
Thursday: either leftovers or Tacos
Friday: Crock Pot Chicken Curry and Rice

Follow along with me in the next week to find recipes you can use to use up that basket. I'll probably be using the turnips next week, and I will also include a recipe for a couple of desserts and probably a recipe for a mango and orange smoothie, so I can use that too.

Hope you'll join the fun!

Sausage Cheddar and Spinach Quiche

2011-03-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

So my husband likes quiche and he was asking for it last month. We had some spinach that I had gotten in our Bountiful Basket that needed to be used, as well as some red bell peppers. I had some country sausage in the freezer, so I decided I would see what I could do with the combination. Here is what I came up with:

Sausage Cheddar and Spinach Quiche

1/2 recipe pie crust, recipe found here
1 lb regular country sausage, or lean country sausage
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 bunch spinach, washed and chopped
1 c sharp cheddar cheese
6 eggs, separated
1 c milk

Roll out pie crust and place in pie dish, and crimp edges. Set aside.

Brown sausage and crumble into small pieces. Add bell peppers and cook til tender, and then add your spinach and cook til wilted into the peppers and sausage. Set aside.

Whip egg whites with hand mixer or in a stand mixer til you get stiff peaks. Mix egg yolks, milk, and cheese in a small bowl. Add whipped egg whites, and then your sausage mixture, and combine til well mixed. Pour this into your prepared pie pan, and bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve hot.

Fresh Strawberry Kiwi Pie

2011-03-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

This was a recipe requested by my husband for Valentines Day, and since I got some strawberries in my Bountiful Basket that weekend, I figured why not? It's a bit late in posting, but it turned out well, and I think you might all enjoy it. I must warn you though, this is not a diabetic friendly recipe: the glaze for the pie alone is 35 grams of carbohydrates, and its pretty much all sugar. But trust me, one little slice will be worth it.

Fresh Strawberry Kiwi Pie

1/2 recipe double crust pie crust, recipe found here (you only need one crust, so I would suggest either making two different pies, or maybe a quiche with the second crust)
1-1lb container fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
4-5 kiwis, peeled and sliced
1 box strawberry flavored Danish Dessert
1 pint or 1 can of heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar (if not using already sweetened canned whipped cream)

Cook Danish Dessert according to pkg directions. Set aside to cool. Roll out your pie crust and place in pie dish, and crimp edges. Prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork a few times, and then bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool. Mix strawberries and kiwi slices into danish dessert until everything is combined well and all fruit is coated. Pour this mixture into the prepared pie dish and then chill for at least an hour before serving. When ready to serve, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until you get stiff peaks. Cover pie with whipping cream, or dollop some of the cream on each slice.

Cranberry Applesauce Muffins

2011-03-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

So I was looking for a good recipe to make treats for book club tonight, and I realized I also needed to use up the applesauce I made awhile ago. It was cranberry applesauce, so I figured I would go with a cran apple muffin recipe. I found a recipe on allrecipes.com and tweaked it to my liking to fit the ingredients I wanted to use and what I had, and here is the recipe I came up with. The recipe makes 12 muffins, but I decided to double it and get more use out of my applesauce and maybe have something for my husband to eat before running off to work in the morning, too.

Cranberry Applesauce Muffins

1 c cranberry applesauce, recipe here
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 egg
2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c sugar (or half and half splenda/sugar)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c milk
1 c craisins, or other dried cranberries

Blend applesauce, oil, and egg together and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Mix lightly with a fork to incorporate some air. Add the dry mixture to the wet, and mix til combined. Add milk, and then mix again til combined, and then fold in the dried cranberries. Spoon into a greased muffin pan, til each cup is 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Applesauce

2011-03-03T17:01:00.000-07:00

This is probably the easiest, most self explanatory recipe ever, and I am sure most of you have done it before. Even better, its also very versatile. You can change it to your liking to whatever flavors you like, and it's still done in only 20 minutes! Sometimes I just use apples and water, sometimes I add cinnamon, sometimes I add brown sugar, and sometimes I even use apple juice as the liquid to get it going. This is the basic recipe, and then I will give a few variations of my liking.

Apple Sauce

6-8 apples of your choosing, peeled, cored and sliced
1 c water

In a large pot, combine apples and water. Over medium high heat, bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer til apples are soft and water and juices are comined as one. Blend in your blender or food processor til smooth. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks, or freeze for up to 1 year.

Variations I like:

Cran Apple Sauce

6-8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 pkg frozen cranberries
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c water or apple juice

Same process as before--Bring to a simmer, cook until apples and cranberries are softened (usually the berries will burst), and then blend til smooth in your blender. It's a bit more tart, but really tasty. Storage time is the same as regular applesauce.

Apple Pear Sauce

6 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2-3 pears, peeled, cored and sliced
1 c water or apple juice

Same process, again. This is sweeter, and has a slightly grainier texture because of the pears, but also very good.

**Note about apples: you can use any kind of apple you like, depending on what sweetness or tartness level you prefer. I find that the softer apples work well for applesauce because you don't have to worry about them going mushy--they're supposed to be that way. So I would recommend golden delicious, red delicious, macintosh, or any other softer variety. If you still like tarter apples, then you can go for granny smith, jonathans, or any other tart apple. It really depends on your taste.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

2011-02-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have a newfound love. My name is Carmel, and I love hummus. I'm addicted, I am telling you. At least it's a healthy habit, right? Lots of protein and fiber, and its a low-glycemic food so it doesn't make my blood sugar spike fast. And oh so delicious. There are so many ways you can make it with so many different flavor profiles. And it's completely vegetarian, gluten free, and soy free....so it's friendly for most eaters out there, low risk of allergy troubles. Try this recipe out, I like it, and so did my friends at church.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1-16 oz can garbanzo beans/chickpeas
2 red bell peppers
1 jalapeño, seeds removed and sliced
1 tbsp chopped garlic
3 tbsp chopped onion
1 tsp paprika
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, depending on your desired heat level
3 tbsp tahini (sesame paste--you can usually find it near the peanut butter in your grocery store)
1/2 c olive oil

Turn your oven on to the broiler. Cut the tops off the peppers, and then pull out the seeds in the center, and cut them in half. Place them skin side up on a baking sheet, and broil for 10 to 15 minutes, til the skins are charred on the outside. Once done roasting them, place them in a bowl with plastic wrap tightly stretched on top. Let them sit in the bowl and steam for about 15 minutes, this will let them cool, and make the skins come off easily. Remove the skins, and set the peppers aside til needed. (if you have a gas stove, you can also roast them by just doing this on your range instead of in the broiler. Just leave them whole, place them over the heat and turn them as each side chars on the outside. When they are blackened on the outside, steam them just the same as I mentioned before.)

In a food processor, blend garbanzo beans til smooth. I usually pulse them until they are chopped and then blend them the rest of the way. Add your bell peppers, jalapeno, garlic, onion, cilantro, and spices. Blend til well combined, and then add your olive oil and tahini, and blend til smooth.

Chill in refrigerator til ready to serve. Serve with pita chips, veggies, or spread inside a falafel or any other sandwich of your choosing. Delicious!!

Lemon Bars

2011-02-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

I love this recipe. By far my favorite version of lemon bars. My mom has made these since I was little and they have always been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. I can't give mom full credit, since she got the recipe from Joy, our favorite cookbook on the planet. I hope you love them as much as I do.

Lemon Curd Bars

1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1/4 c powdered sugar
3/4 c butter (1 1/2 sticks)

6 eggs
3 c sugar
zest of 1 lemon (I used two, I like the extra lemony flavor)
1 c plus 2 tbsp lemon juice, fresh is best. (about 5 lemons worth)
1/2 c all purpose flour

powdered sugar to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together 1 1/2 c of the flour with the powdered sugar. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture is combined well and comes together in clumps like small peas. Press this into an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees.

While baking the crust, whisk together the sugar and eggs until well combined and a light yellow color. You may want to use a mixer for this. Add your lemon zest and juice and whisk again til well combined. Add last half cup of flour and mix well. When the crust is done baking, remove from the oven and pour the custard filling over top, then bake again for 35 minutes at 300 degrees.

Chill for at least an hour, then sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into 1 inch squares. Serve cold.

Mini Meatloaf, Baked Potatoes, and Asparagus

2011-02-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

That's what we had for dinner tonight. It was pretty good, so I think I will blog it for you all. You can always use the same recipe to make a big meatloaf (or rather, normal sized meatloaf), I just had a husband who wanted what he called "pub steaks." So I did my best and it was more like meatloaf, I just didn't add bell peppers or mushrooms or other things I sometimes add to meatloaf. I should clarify that when I make meatloaf, it's never really a specific recipe. It's more like whatever I have in the fridge that I think will be good in it, which means anything that tastes good with beef. Sometimes I will even do half sausage and half ground beef....it just depends on my mood and what I want it to taste like... So here is tonight's recipe.

Baked Potatoes

(not really a recipe, but we adopted this method from Alton Brown from Good Eats on Food Network and we will never go back)

1 potato per person eating (I did a few extra to make fries or hashbrowns with later)
olive oil
coarse ground kosher sea salt

Wash and poke potatoes with a sharp knife or fork. On a cookie sheet or baking sheet, place your potatoes. Pour a little olive oil on each one, and then rub it all over the potato, and then sprinkle the salt to cover all sides. Place baking sheet in a 400 degree oven, and bake for an hour. The result will be tender fluffy potato inside, and a nice crisp crusty peel....yummy!

Mini Meatloaf

1 lb ground beef
1/2 a white onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 c oatmeal or plain breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/2 tsp dried rosemary

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl (I use my hands, but you can also use a spatula or something). Shape into mini loaves or little football shapes, and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.

Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus, ends snapped off
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced fine
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of half a lemon
1/4 c water

Over medium high heat, heat olive oil. Add your asparagus and then your garlic. Saute just til asparagus is almost bright green. Add your water, and then the dijon, along with the salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Continue to cook til asparagus is bright green and water is fully absorbed. Serve hot with baked potato and your mini meatloaf.

Bruscetta Pizza

2011-01-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

So I wasn't sure what to call this recipe because its not really like anything else. I kind of made up the recipe as I went along but used a pizza I had at California Pizza Kitchen as inspiration. My sister and I had this wonderful roasted pepper and eggplant pizza with goat cheese once when we went to Salt Lake and it was DIVINE. So this was what I went for, except I had no mozzarella or goat cheese, and I used Parmesan instead.

I was mostly trying to use the stuff I got in my Italian Pack from my Bountiful Basket....yep, I am going with that this week, using the basket stuff. :) Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

Bruscetta Pizza

1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1 red onion, peeled and sliced thin
1 white onion, peeled and sliced thin
8 oz of mushrooms, sliced
olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste
4-5 roma tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
basil, oregano, and marjoram to taste (about half a tsp each--I used fresh, but you can used dried)
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1 recipe basic pizza dough, featured here

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put some olive oil on a baking sheet and spread it around on the sheet. Place eggplant slices on the baking sheet and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. When they are done roasting, dice into medium cubes and set aside. In the meantime, in a skillet, place about a tablespoon of olive oil, and then when heated, add onions. You'll want to caramelize them, so you'll cook them over medium heat for awhile. Add a bit of salt so they release their liquid, and just keep stirring them so they don't burn. they will reduce in size to about a third of what you started with. When they start to turn brown, and really soft, remove from heat and place in a bowl. In the same skillet, saute your mushrooms. Just until cooked through. Remove from heat and place in another small bowl. In the same skillet, cook your tomatoes with your garlic and herbs. Add a bit of balsamic vinegar, and cook until liquid is reduced and thickened.

Stretch your dough onto a pizza stone or baking sheet to form about a 12" round. Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, then top with the tomato mixture, then the parmesan cheese, then the onions and mushrooms, and then the eggplant. Add more parmesan to the top and then bake again for roughly 18 minutes.

Couscous with Asparagus

2011-01-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

First, I apologize for not posting for awhile. First there was Thanksgiving, and then there was Christmas crazy when all of my recipes I was using were already posted because they were all traditional. Then we moved immediately after, and we have been having an interesting time getting settled in. Not very good excuses, but there they are.

So tonight I felt like making something vegetarian with the asparagus I got in my Bountiful Basket. Yep, I am still ordering baskets, and yes, I am going to try to start that series again, now that things are a bit more calm. Tonight I decided to make couscous with some of the asparagus and mushrooms and onions I had in the fridge. It turned out really tasty even though it was vegetarian. You could easily serve this with some sort of protein, and I am sure it would have been really good with some of the fish I have in the freezer. I just didn't have time to thaw the fish and cook it by the time I had already started on the couscous. Here we go...

Couscous with Asparagus and Mushrooms

1 c couscous
1 c chicken broth or water (recommend the chicken broth, flavors the couscous well), plus 1/4 c
1 tsp olive oil, plus 2 tbsp
1/2 an onion, sliced thin, or diced.
3 cloves garlic, or to taste (I like a lot of garlic, so I was quite liberal with it)
4 oz sliced button mushrooms
1/2 bunch asparagus, cut into about 1 inch pieces
1/4 c parmesan cheese

Bring 1 tsp olive oil and 1 c of the chicken broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, stir in couscous, and cover and let stand for 5 minutes--all the liquid will be absorbed. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil, and then add onions and saute for a little bit till they are almost tender. Add garlic, and then mushrooms. Saute til mushrooms are cooked through. Add asparagus and the extra 1/4 c of chicken broth. Stir and cook over medium high heat til all of the broth is pretty much steamed off and asparagus is bright green and tender. Add your couscous to the skillet, and stir everything together til combined. Transfer to a bowl and then add your cheese and toss til all is combined again. Serve hot with your favorite protein, or just by itself.

Fruit Salad

2010-11-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

This is an easy one, and everyone kind of has their own way of doing it. I made some of this to go with our turkey and thanksgiving fixings, to lighten the sides up a bit. Super easy, and it was a great way to use up our fruit from our Bountiful Basket, as there was a lot of fruit this time. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Fruit Salad

3 apples, peeled and cut into chunks
2 pears, cored and diced
2 bananas, sliced
1/2 a honeydew melon, peeled and cut into chunks
2 oranges, peeled and cut into chunks
3 tangerines, peeled and sectioned
sliced honey roasted almonds (in the salad section, in a bag)
1-6 oz container vanilla yogurt

Mix everything together in a large bowl. Refrigerate an hour before serving, and serve cold.

Recipe Contest Winners!

2010-11-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

The winners of the recipe contest have been posted on Half Baked Heritage!! It was a heck of a project and we thank all of you who participated. Congrats to all of you, Rachel will be contacting you soon so you can claim your prizes!

Also, while you are there, check out the recipes we posted for thanksgiving! I hope they will be helpful to you! It's not too late to make your own pie or stuffing! And check out John's recipe for a DELICIOUS (I have tried it, and its the best turkey I have ever had) roast turkey.

Thanks for following, and Happy Holidays from Recipes to Live By to all of you!

Cranberry Orange Relish

2010-11-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

I love good cranberry sauce with my turkey for Thanksgiving. I bought some cranberries to make an Apple Cranberry Pie, so I figured I would buy some extra so I could try some homemade cranberry sauce. I looked for a good recipe, just so I could get some inspiration and an idea of where to start. Here is what I did.

Cranberry Orange Relish

12 oz cranberries
3/4 c sugar
1/3 c water
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 orange, zested and juice

In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, water, orange zest and juice, and spices. Bring up to a boil over medium heat, and then reduce to a simmer.

Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. The mixture will thicken as it cooks. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl, then chill in refrigerator til ready to serve.

Bountiful Baskets, Week 3

2010-11-20T16:28:00.000-07:00

This would be a picture of the majority of what I got in my Bountiful Basket this week. There is other stuff, but it's already in the fridge. But still, are you convinced it's a good deal yet? All of this plus more was only $15! You need to sign up for this!!

So here is the lowdown of what I got:

4 Braeburn apples
5 Concorde pears
6 large tomatoes
a bunch of bananas
about 6 oranges
6 tangerines
some red potatoes
1 honeydew melon
2 bunches of radishes
2 big yellow onions
a head of green leaf lettuce
2 green bell peppers
1 head of celery

I'll be working on the recipes, but most of them will be part of my Thanksgiving spread. So far I know I will be making these recipes:

Orange Cranberry Sauce
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Apple Pie

I'll keep you posted on the rest!

Chicken Noodle Soup

2010-11-18T23:25:00.000-07:00

Remember that roast chicken I made last Thursday? Well we had half of it leftover still this past weekend. I needed to do something with it, and I found a way to do it when I wasn't feeling so hot on Saturday and Sunday.

Nothing makes me feel better when I have a cold or sore throat than a big pot of chicken noodle soup. My mom makes really good soup, and I couldn't think of anything else to eat but a bowl of something of that genre. So here is the recipe I came up with. While basic and not the most creative or amazing, it did the trick and I think it will for you, too. Enjoy.

Chicken Noodle Soup

about half a chicken, pulled from the bone and diced (you can roast your own from the recipe here, or you can get a rotisserie chicken, or you can poach a couple of chicken breasts)
4 stalks of celery, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced or chopped
1 onion, chopped finely
3 cans of chicken broth, or 6 cups (you could use stock here too)
2 c water
1/2 a bag of egg noodles

Saute veggies in a bit of olive oil and cook til tender. Add chicken and then add broth, stir. Bring to boil and then reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Add your noodles and cook til tender. Serve with bread and butter on the side.

Sorry for the delay...

2010-11-18T23:03:00.000-07:00

I have admittedly been on hiatus this week. I apologize for the lack of updates. I was sick last weekend and at the beginning of this week, and therefore took a break from cooking. And then I ran out of time and I am working on the recipe contest I mentioned before as well as this blog. So there will be some delays, and I am sorry.

I hope you haven't given up on me! I do have some catching up to do, but I promise I will make it up to you all! Thanks for being such faithful readers!

While I am at it, I would love it if you all would join my Facebook page. I have a gadget from Facebook that will link you to my page so you can "like" it. I am getting pretty close to 100 followers and it would make my week if I could get some Facebook followers! And also, I would LOVE it if you shared my blog with your friends! If you enjoy what you find here and you follow me, it would be great to share the love!

And one last favor to ask... If you read my blog regularly, will you please click the follow button on the right sidebar of the blog? I would be ever so grateful. If you comment here saying you are now following, I would love to return the favor and follow you on your blog if you have one!

Thanks for your loyalty! It means the world to me!! Happy Cooking!

Holiday Recipe Contest!

2010-11-13T22:26:00.000-07:00

I am teaming up with my friend at The Handmade Heritage with a new project she is calling Half Baked Heritage. I am excited for this project because it's a fun new thing to do, and it's something thats close to my heart. I love holiday recipes!

We're having a recipe contest for the holidays that is centered around Thanksgiving. Since Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away, we are doing this pretty quick! Check out the rules for the contest and enter your recipe quick so we can share recipes and you can have a chance at winning an AWESOME prize from The Handmade Heritage--the winning recipe gets featured and posted on Half Baked Heritage, and they get a great basket full of handmade candies made by The Handmade Heritage! (Trust me, you want in on this.....even if you cant eat it yourself, it would make a great gift! She makes some great stuff!)

Don't have any traditional Thanksgiving recipes? No worries. We'll be doing this again for Christmas too! I'll make sure I post another reminder for you as we get closer to that contest.

In addition to the contest, I will be featuring some of my favorite holiday recipes, and I hope you will follow us in this fun time! Maybe this will inspire you to start some of your own new holiday traditions!! Join the fun!

Mashed Potatoes

2010-11-11T20:39:00.000-07:00

I know this is a basic recipe, but everyone does these sorta differently and some people don't do their own mashed potatoes, period. And my thought to that concept is....why? They're super simple, take half an hour at the most, and they taste SO much better than the store-bought stuff you can get in a box or in the refrigerated section.

Mashed Potatoes

2 potatoes for each person eating, at least. washed, peeled, and quartered lengthwise
1 tsp salt
1/2 c milk, or 1/4 c cream and 1/4 c milk (half and half)
3 tbsp butter

Place potatoes in a stockpot and cover potatoes with water and salt. Bring to a boil, and continue to boil til potatoes when you stick a fork in them, it goes through but it doesn't break the potato. Don't over boil them because if you do you'll get mushy potatoes or potato soup. Drain your potatoes and return them to the pot. Add milk or cream, and butter, and salt and pepper, and either mash with a potato masher or whip in a mixer or with a hand mixer. Serve with your favorite protein and veggie.

Roasted Cauliflower

2010-11-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

I found this on Food Network, and it was delicious. The only think I might change is how much red pepper flake is in it....a bit too spicy for me. I am always looking for more creative ways to use different veggies, so this was a fun one to try. I hope you like it like we did.

Roasted Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower
1/4 c olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flake
salt and pepper to taste

Cut cauliflower into florets. Toss it with all the other ingredients. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. It should be golden brown on the outside. Serve hot with your favorite protein.

Roast Chicken, Take Two

2010-11-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I posted roast chicken already, about 2 weeks ago, but I made it again tonight and it turned out much better this time. So I am going to post the better recipe tonight. I hope you don't mind the redundancy. the other recipe is good too, just this one was better. And I found a better cooking method too. So here we go...

Roast Chicken

1 whole chicken (not the little fryers, but the ones in the shrink wrap marked "young chicken")
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
3 or 4 sprigs of rosemary, leaves stripped from stems
1 tsp garlic powder
3 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped from stems
1 or 2 carrots cut into sticks
1 onion, sliced thin
celery stalks, cut into sticks

A day before you plan to roast the chicken, remove from shrink wrap, remove neck and gizzards, and place in a large gallon sized ziplock bag, and add oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, garlic powder and thyme. Mash the bag together and get the mix to coat the whole chicken. Place bag on a large plate into the fridge and marinate for 24 hours. Flip bag over 12 hours into the marinade.

Be aware, this recipe takes about an hour and a half to complete cooking. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. When ready to roast, place veggies in the bottom of a 9x13 cake pan. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and some salt and pepper. This will serve as your "roasting rack" and also helps you get good flavors for your drippings to turn into some tasty gravy. Place the marinated chicken on top of veggies, and pour all of the marinade on top of the chicken. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, and then drop the temperature to 350 degrees. Continue to roast an additional hour, and then remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes. Carve and serve.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

2010-11-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

My mom has made homemade spaghetti sauce since I was a kid, and it's always amazing. Every time it is different, but every time it's delicious. I am posting the basics she usually uses and then a couple of things I added this time. You'll want to start this early in the morning so it has time to get all of the flavors to meld. Follow the basic rules and it will come out good no matter what veggies you use. Be prepared, this recipe makes a giant vat of sauce, so you'll probably end up freezing a lot of it. But it will be worth it!

Spaghetti Sauce

2 lbs mild Italian sausage
2 large cans tomato sauce (NOT marinara sauce or pre-made spaghetti sauce. It's just pureed tomatoes. You'll find it near the tomato paste.)
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 a yellow onion and 1/2 a red onion, or one whole yellow onion, diced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
oregano, basil, thyme and marjoram
pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 c balsamic vinegar

Optional: diced zucchini, diced eggplant, sliced bell pepper, diced tomatoes (for extra texture)

Brown off your sausage, and crumble. Place this in a large stock pot over medium low heat, and pour tomato sauce over the sausage. Put a little olive oil in a skillet and saute your onions and garlic til tender, and then add your mushrooms and cook til tender. At this point you can add your diced zucchini and eggplant and peppers, and whatever else you want. Add your tomato paste and stir til everything is coated, and then add this mixture to your tomato sauce and sausage. Stir all of this together til it smooths out and is combined. Add your balsamic vinegar and stir again. Cook for about 4 to 6 hours over low heat, stirring about once every half hour. You can also do this in your crockpot (that's what I did today), but make sure either way you dont cook it above a simmer. About half an hour before serving, add your spices and seasonings, and salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle over spaghetti or other noodles, and serve.

Are Brussels Sprouts REALLY good?!

2010-11-09T18:17:00.000-07:00

All my life as a kid I HATED brussels sprouts. My mom liked them so she would make them at least once a year. And every time, I detested them. So when I saw them in my basket, I will have to admit the thought "WHAT am I going to do with these?!" I quickly determined that I would need to find a way to use them and try them again. I needed to find a recipe that would somewhat mask their flavor, because I was still nervous about them. But I have to also admit, after eating this, I would actually eat it again. So for all of you brussels sprouts haters out there, give it a try. You may find you like them, too.

Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Hash

4 slices bacon, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
fresh thyme, about a sprig
about 10 brussels sprouts, trimmed, bottoms cut off, and quartered.
1 lb red potatoes, cut in halves or quarters, depending on size
1/2 of a big red onion, sliced thin
salt and pepper
3/4 c chicken broth
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 c chopped flat leaf parsley

Cook bacon over medium heat til pieces are crispy and fat is rendered. Add the olive oil. Add your brussels sprouts, potatoes, and onion. Stirring occasionally, cook til potatoes are browned and onions are tender. Add salt and pepper, thyme, and chicken broth, stir to combine and then cover and steam for about 5 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender and broth is absorbed. Stir in balsamic vinegar and cook til reduced and mostly absorbed. Fold in parsley, and serve warm.

Apple Crisp

2010-11-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

This is a fantastic winter/fall treat, and super easy. I had 4 granny smiths left from my last basket that needed to be used, and I had gotten the fuji apples this week, so I figured it was the perfect time to make some apple crisp. Great served warm with a bit of ice cream or whipped cream on top. I hope you like it as much as me! (this recipe is never really the same every time I make it, but it pretty much turns out well every time.)

Apple Crisp

6-8 small apples, (I like granny smiths, but any should do) peeled and sliced

1 c flour

1 c rolled oats

1 stick of butter

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon, divided

1 tsp nutmeg, divided in half

1 tsp allspice, divided

1/2 c apple juice

whipping cream or ice cream for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine apples in a large mixing bowl with half of each spice, a tbsp of flour, and the apple juice. Place sliced apples in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Using a fork or pastry blender, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, butter, and other half of spices til crumbly. Top apples with crumble, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Whip the whipping cream with a tsp of vanilla and some cinnamon sugar. Serve crisp warm with some whipped cream or ice cream on top.

Bacon and Onion Collard Greens

2010-11-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Alright, so I never thought I would like collard greens because they always look soggy and weird on Food Network whenever I see them. Not the prettiest food out there. But I got them in my basket this week and so I needed to try to do something inventive with them. I looked on Food Networks website, and I found something someone posted on Facebook, and changed it to my liking. See what you think, you might find you like them, too. Surprised me, too!

Collard Greens

4 slices bacon, diced
1/2 an onion, diced
1 bunch collard greens, washed and stems removed

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add collard greens and boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, and let cool. In a skillet, heat bacon til fat is rendered and meat is crisp. Add onions and saute in the bacon fat, and then add your drained greens. Cook til moisture is absorbed and everything is heated through. Serve hot with your favorite protein. We had it with fried chicken and cornbread.

Oven Fried Chicken

2010-11-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

I forgot to take a picture of this one, so we will have to wait til the next time I decide to do this again to get the picture posted. I made this to go with our collard greens tonight, and it was a hit. Super easy to make, and tasty. You should try it!

Oven Fried Chicken

3 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts, each cut in half, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c cornmeal
1 tbsp cajun seasoning
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 c vegetable or canola oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 13x9 baking dish, pour your oil--you should have about 1/4 to a half inch in the bottom of the pan. Heat for about 10 minutes. Combine flour, cornmeal, and seasonings in a large ziplock bag (just add everything and then seal and shake the bag). Add chicken and shake til all pieces are well coated. Using tongs, place the chicken in the oil and bake for about 15 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces over and bake again for another 15 minutes. Check to make sure pieces are fully cooked all the way through, and serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

Bountiful Basket, Week 2 Menu

2010-11-06T22:29:00.000-06:00

Alright, it took me a bit to figure this out, but I think I have it mostly ready to go. Mostly this week is side dishes, but I will figure out a main dish to go with each veggie side. Here goes nothing!

Monday: Sauteed Collard Greens with bacon, garlic, and onion. Probably do fried chicken with that...or maybe ham.

Tuesday: Brussels Sprouts and Potato Hash. Uses bacon and onion, too. Not sure what the meat will be. Might be eggs instead of meat.

Wednesday: Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Italian Sausage--will use the majority of my Italian Pack, if not all.

Thursday: Roasted Chicken with mashed potatoes and green bean casserole (recipe to be determined, but it will not involve cream of mushroom soup!) Probably some roasted cauliflower too.

Friday: Just desserts... Persimmon Cookies, and maybe another kind of apple tart to use the fujis and leftover granny smiths from last time...maybe poached pears, too. I think I might get hubby to make sourdough pancakes for dinner...

So that's our plan for the week. I'll probably use the cherry tomatoes in a salad to go with the spaghetti. Follow me this week to get the recipes for these creations, and see pictures too!

Happy Cooking!

Bountiful Basket, Week 2

2010-11-06T14:18:00.000-06:00

Alright, here we are at Week 2 of our Bountiful Baskets experiment. One of the many cool things about getting a Bountiful Basket is that you never know what you are going to get, and the only thing you know is that you will have to find some new recipes quick once you find out what's in there! That is the experience I am having this weekend, and here is what I got:

5 lb sack of russet potatoes
about 8 persimmons
more Bartlett pears
fuji apples
Asian pears
cherry tomatoes
bananas
cauliflower
collard greens
green beans
Brussel sprouts
grapes

I also ordered the Italian Pack which included:

fresh basil, rosemary, thyme, and flat leaf parsley
zucchini
eggplant
1 big red onion
2 big yellow onions
garlic
mushrooms

and the 9 grain bread, which was 5 loaves of fresh multi-grain bread with no preservatives and all natural ingredients.

The Italian Pack and the Bread were both add-ons to the standard traditional basket. So this week didnt add up to only 15, it was closer to 32. ($7.50 for the Italian Pack, and $10 for the bread.)

So the challenges this week? Well...you probably already guessed the persimmons, but also the collards, and the brussels sprouts, and possibly the Asian pears. The rest should be alright and pretty easy to consume. I'll be posting my recipes tomorrow, so stay tuned for the adventures!

Chocolate Ganache Cake

2010-11-05T20:26:00.000-06:00

Alright, so today is my husband's dad's birthday, and his favorite dessert is chocolate cake. This man decided one summer that the chocolate ice cream in stores wasn't good enough, and he needed to make a "killer chocolate" ice cream. So he spent hours in the kitchen scientifically coming up with the perfect recipe for chocolate ice cream. This man has a true love for chocolate. So I was commissioned by my mother in law to get a good chocolate cake recipe. I asked my friend Cindy for a good recipe (she works in a bakery in California) and this is the beauty she sent me. It definitely did the trick! I hope you like it like we did!

Chocolate Ganache Cake

3/4 c softened butter
3/4 c sugar
4 eggs
1 3/4 c self rising/cake flour (important--I used all purpose; it would have been less dense with cake flour)
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 oz good quality semi-sweet chocolate to melt for decoration (I used Guittard, but mostly you just want something high quality with no oil or anything, just cocoa butter as the only kind of fat)

Ganache

2 c heavy whipping cream
2 1/3 c semi sweet chocolate chips, again, good quality stuff

Making the ganache (You'll want to do this first so it can chill while you bake the cake) : Place cream into sauce pan and bring to a boil, while stirring the whole time. Add in your chocolate and stir until melted. Just gently move your spatula around scraping the bottom of the pan, don’t “stir” like you’re making a mixed drink. Pour into a bowl, cool, then chill for 2hrs or until it is set and firm. (after cooled and firm) Whip until light and fluffy and set aside a 1/3 of the ganache for later use. The rest of the ganache use to fill cake and cover cake.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line an 8inch cake pan (spring form if you have one) with parchment paper. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the eggs beating well after each addition. Sift your flour and cocoa together, and then fold in your cake batter very gently.

Pour into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake in oven for about 40min, or until its springy to the touch. Let cool for 10min and then turn out to finish cooling on a wire rack. After it’s completely cooled slice the cake into two layers. (mine was kinda molten in the center still, not sure it was supposed to be, but it was good anyway)

Melt the decorating chocolate and spread it over a large sheet of parchment paper. Let cool until shine is gone and it’s just set. Cut this into strips just a little higher then the height of the cake. Place strips on edge of cake over lapping just a little. Pipe the reserved ganache in teardrops to cover the top of the cake decoratively (start in center of cake and make a single tear drop, then go out about a half an inch out and make a ring of teardrops around that single tear drop and so on until you hit the edge of the cake). Let it chill for one hour and then serve.

NOTE : I am terrible at decorating cakes, so I am sure you could probably make it prettier. I was mostly going for the chocolate overload flavor. I was nervous that there wouldnt be enough chocolate with the cake batter not using very much cocoa, but trust me, it's plenty!!

Dessert Week, Recipe One: Apple and Pear Tart

2010-11-03T20:18:00.000-06:00

Remember those apples and pears I got from my Bountiful Basket? Well, as of this morning, I still hadn't really used them. And I had some puff pastry in the freezer because it was on sale awhile ago and my mother in law bought some. I thought it would be a perfect time to make a yummy apple tart--fancy dessert in half an hour! I promise it's easy, and I am pretty sure you will love it.

Apple and Pear Tart

1 pkg frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 granny smith apples, sliced thin
2 bartlett pears, sliced thin
1/4 c butter, melted, or 1/4 c cream
flour, for dusting
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp apple juice (just to keep things moist. you can use water, but the apple juice has good flavor)

To slice the apples and pears, I just cut the sides off the core, then lay them flat on the cutting board and slice them thin. This way they lay flat on your puff pastry.

Mix your apples with the cinnamon, tbsp flour, sugar, nutmeg, and apple juice. Unroll or unfold the dough onto a pastry board and dust lightly with flour. Roll out til smooth and no creases show (should be about the same thickness). Place dough on a baking sheet dusted lightly with flour. Brush the dough with the melted butter or cream, and fold the edges over to create a barrier for the fruit. Place apples and pears on tart dough, alternating apples and pears, and covering the whole tart.

Each pkg comes with 2 rolls of the dough, so you can make this twice and have enough for a party if you like.

Bake tarts at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Drizzle with caramel sauce (I just bought the apple caramel dip stuff at the store, but you can make your own if you want) and then cut into squares and serve (best warm, but just fine cold too).You can also top with whipped cream if you like.

Free Earrings...made by ME!

2010-11-01T16:09:00.000-06:00

Check out my cousin Jo's blog for an earring giveaway. Yes, it's telling you to visit my blog, because I made them. It's a chance for you to get a FREE pair of earrings. In order to win you'll need to go to this page and comment on the post, and then go to her Facebook page to "Like" it.

To thank her for throwing me a bone, I would also appreciate it if you followed her blog, too. We all like to share nice things with each other, so let's pay it forward and be friends!

P.S. If you love the earrings and find out that you didnt win the contest, you can email me and I will let you know how to get other pairs from me too. I have a load of them left since I decided not to sell them on Etsy anymore. I'd be happy to share with my readers and friends!

Homemade Chex Mix

2010-10-30T19:20:00.000-06:00

For some reason Chex mix always reminds me of Fall, and I love it as a snack. Homemade is so much better than the stuff you can get at the store, and its so easy to make! I just picked whatever stuff I wanted to mix, along with Chex of course, and mixed it with the seasoning stuff they recommend. Here is my recipe, try some of your own!

Homemade Chex Mix

1/2 stick of butter
4 tsp worchestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
3 c rice chex
3 c corn chex
3 c wheat chex
1 1/2 c cashews
1 c white cheddar cheese-it crackers
1 c regular cheese-it crackers
1 c pretzels

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Melt butter and then add worchestershire sauce, garlic and onion powder, and salt. Mix well with a fork or whisk. In a large bowl combine and toss together cereal, crackers, nuts, and pretzels. Pour butter mixture over cereal mix, and toss together with hands. Spread on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper, and bake for one hour, gently stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool, and then store in an airtight container or large ziplock bag.

Potato Leek Soup

2010-10-30T19:10:00.000-06:00

I have been using leeks a lot lately for different recipes and my mother in law mentioned that she loved potato lee soup. So I thought I would try making it, and this is the recipe I found and tried. It's originally from food network, but I tweaked it a bit to make it my own and add something I love: sweet potatoes. Try it out, I think you'll like it.

Potato Leek Soup

6 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into a medium dice
3 medium or small sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and medium diced
5 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
8 leeks, whites only, divided in half
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock
1/2 c flour
1 stick butter
1 c heavy cream
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper

Cut 1st 4 leeks in half lengthwise, and then slice thin. Put these in a large bowl of water and gently break apart the layers. Set aside. Using your fingers, skim the leeks off the top of the bowl and place into stockpot. The dirt and grit that gets between the layers falls to the bottom, so you want to leave that behind. Shake them dry after skimming them.

In a large stock pot, combine potato, sweet potato, celery, onion, first half of leeks, bay leaf and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and continue to boil til the potatoes are soft. While cooking, prepare second half of leeks the same way as the first and Remove the bay leaf, add the other half of leeks and with a stick or immersion blender, blend everything til smooth. Melt butter over low heat on the stove in a separate pot, add flour and whisk til smooth to create roux to thicken the soup. Add the cream, roux, salt, pepper, and thyme. Serve with rolls or bread or whatever you like. :)

Pineapple and Tomato Salsa

2010-10-29T20:53:00.000-06:00

This was a way for us to use up the tomatoes from the garden and use the pineapple I got in my Bountiful Basket. I was going to have it ready yesterday for the shredded beef tacos I planned to make, but last night we had leftovers instead. So now we have the salsa made, and I plan to make the tacos either next week, or on Sunday night for Halloween. I love the sweetness pineapple adds to salsa to balance the spicy of the peppery cilantro and the jalapeño. I hope you find this as good as I do.

Pineapple Salsa

15 cups quartered tomatoes, any kind
2 c chopped pineapple
1 bunch cilantro
1 onion
5 cloves of garlic
1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, and finely chopped

Put all of the ingredients together in either a food processor or a blender (you might need to do this in batches). Pulse til combined and chunks are broken down. Pour into jars and refrigerate til ready for use. Great on corn chips, tacos, burritos, carne asada, and whatever else you enjoy with your salsa.

Chicken Stock Basics

2010-10-29T20:47:00.000-06:00

This was something I did on Monday after I made roast chicken for dinner. I had the chicken carcass anyway, why not use it? All I had to do was simmer a chicken carcass with some veggies for a few hours. Easy, right?It is! So don't be afraid! Here are some basic pointers when it comes to making your own homemade stock!

Tip #1 Use a chicken carcass you have roasted or have leftover from when you make a whole chicken dinner. Yes, you want to use the bones, thats where the flavor is. If you roast the chicken before hand, the leftover bits of meat still stuck to the bone will provide you with even more tasty flavor. And you'll be getting more out of that chicken dinner you made!

Tip #2 Use the leftover bits of vegetables like celery tops and hearts, onion peels, etc. You can throw the garlic in whole without taking off the skin, and just quarter your onions and cut your carrots and celery into manageable chunks. No need to chop finely or uniformly.

Tip #3 Don't add any salt to this stock. Stock is meant as a base to soups and other things like gravy and such. You can always add salt later, but this should be very neutral so you have some versatility.

Here is my recipe for a basic chicken stock. Of course, you can change these ingredients if you want just a veggie stock or you can make a beef or pork stock too.

Chicken Stock

carcass of one whole chicken, roasted preferably
celery hearts (the center light green stuff that's usually too soft to eat raw) and tops, and stalks if you like
carrots, washed and cut into chunks (dont need to be peeled)
onion, quartered, skins left on or not
3-4 cloves garlic, whole
bay leaf, about 3 of them
pepper corns
6 quarts water

Put everything into a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and simmer for about 3-4 hours, stirring every half hour or so. It will be reduce to about half the volume, and smell like thanksgiving in your house. Oh, and you can use a turkey for this too. Just substitute the chicken carcass for a turkey carcass, or beef bones, or pork bones. Or just the veggies. Or dehydrated mushrooms.

When done simmering, Drain off your veggies and bones and just toss them in the trash (all of the nutrients and flavor have been infused into the sauce and all you have left are the skeletons of what you tossed in the pot to begin with). You can keep this in the fridge for up to a week and use it for everything from gravy to soup to whatever else. You can also freeze it and keep it for up to 3 months.

Chicken and Dumplings

2010-10-29T20:30:00.000-06:00

Alright, for some reason I have been craving these for a bit, and they seem to be a famous comfort food. I remember Mom didn't make them very often when I was a kid, but I remember liking it a lot when she did. There are a couple of ways of making this recipe, and I chose to use the way Mom used to. The alternative way is to roll out your dough and cut it into squares and pour all of your chicken and veggies in a casserole pan and then place your biscuit dumplings on top of it all and bake it. My mom just makes basically a thickened chicken soup and then drops biscuit dough into the pot with the soup. So that's the approach I used this time. I hope you enjoy this tasty winter comfort food!

Chicken and Dumplings

3 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, diced fine
3 carrots, diced fine
3 medium potatoes, diced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 quarts chicken STOCK (not broth, there's a bit of a difference, which I will go over at the bottom of this post)
1 tsp each of poultry seasoning, sage, and thyme
salt and pepper

2 1/4 c Bisquick or other biscuit mix
2/3 c milk
(you can also make homemade biscuit dough if you like. my recipe is posted here.)

Melt butter in a large saucepan or stock pot. Add onions and saute til translucent. Add celery and carrots and continue to cook. Sprinkle flour over veggies and stir till veggies are coated well. Pour in your chicken stock and then stir; add potatoes and chicken, and bring to a boil, then simmer on medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes--till the chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender. Add seasonings, and stir.

Mix your biscuit mix and milk together til you get a soft dough, but don't over mix. Roll lightly into balls, and drop dumplings into your soup mixture, and then let cook for 5-10 minutes. If you need to test them, take one out and cut it in half, it should look like bread inside but still have kind of a moist outside.

Serve warm. You don't need any side dishes or anything for this because its kind of a one pot meal. Makes it even better, not so many dishes to wash. :)

NOTE: When you see or hear the word stock versus the word broth, it basically means cooked down more. So the flavors of stock are more concentrated and have more depth. I am going to post my recipe for homemade chicken stock next, so check it out. You can also buy stock at the grocery store in quart sized containers. Yes, it is more expensive than broth because broth is faster to make and generally just made from chicken bones, rather than veggies too.

Caprese Salad

2010-10-28T16:28:00.000-06:00

So last night we had scones, which in Utah is the term used for fried dough, usually stretched out like a pancake, but fried in oil. Some people might call it fry bread or whatever the local term is. Here we call them scones. Typically served hot with honey and butter on them, but also used for savory flavors too. Last night I made a caprese salad to go on top of them, and it was a pretty tasty combo. For the recipe for the dough we used, see the pizza dough recipe I posted here (referencing the "basic pizza dough"). Caprese is super easy to make and very tasty. Enjoy!

Caprese Salad

2 large beefsteak tomatoes, either sliced or wedged
10-12 fresh basil leaves (important to use fresh basil, not the dried)
about a cup of fresh mozzarella, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Roll the basil leaves together into a log shape, and slice thin. Toss tomatoes, basil, and diced FRESH mozzarella with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Let stand in fridge for about 20 minutes minimum. Serve on the side of pasta, with garlic bread, or whatever else you like. You can also slice the tomatoes, slice the cheese and then place the tomato, cheese, and basil on a piece of toasted bread, and drizzle with the oil and sprinkle the salt and pepper before eating...good open face sandwich for lunch! We put this on top of our scones and ate it like an open faced sandwich.

NOTE: It's important you use the fresh herbs and the fresh mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella is softer and says specifically on the package. Mostly the difference is more moisture and not aged at all. You might have to look in the special cheese kiosk in your grocery store, rather than just the cheese section near the lunch meat because its slightly more specialty than regular mozzarella.

Swedish Meatballs

2010-10-26T19:20:00.000-06:00

Swedish Meatballs have to be my main reason for going to Ikea. Sometimes I go to look at dining tables and couches, but I generally always make my way to the restaurant on the second floor for a plate of those delicious meatballs and potatoes with extra lingonberry preserves. I mean really, what could be better? Maybe some of that yummy three layer chocolate mousse cake, or apple tart. Yep, heaven. So I found out this recipe online that's pretty close to what you can get at Ikea. Not quite as heavenly, but still delicious. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. I made a 2 and a half sized batch and froze a couple sheet pans of them for later. :-)

P.S. You can go to Ikea and get a big bag of their frozen meatballs and a jar of lingonberry jam so you can enjoy them at home. I just grabbed a jar of the lingonberry jam so I could make my own meatballs. Remember to boil some red potatoes to go along with.

Swedish Meatballs

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 c milk
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil for frying
1-10 oz can of beef broth or stock
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1/2 c heavy cream

Saute onion in first tbsp of oil til translucent. Set aside and let cool. Combine milk and bread crumbs and let soak for 10 minutes. Combine both meats, breadcrumb mixture, salt, pepper, allspice, and onions in a large bowl. Use a tablespoon or one of those spring loaded scoops about the size of a tablespoon to measure into meatballs and fry in second tbsp of oil in a skillet on the stove, turning on to every side of the meatball so they are cooked on all sides and through the center. While you are frying all of them, you might want to keep the cooked ones warm in the oven. Make the gravy by creating a roux with the butter and flour (melt the butter in the bottom of a saucepan, then whisk in the flour) and then pour the beef stock into the roux and whisk to combine. Right before serving, whisk in the heavy cream and heat through.

Serve with Lingonberry Jam, and boiled red potatoes with the gravy on the meatballs and potatoes. Enjoy!!

Roast Chicken with Roasted Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes

2010-10-25T20:59:00.000-06:00

Okay, so tonight was about using a chicken I bought a few days ago and the sweet potatoes and parsnips that came in my Bountiful Basket. It took twice as long as I expected, so next time I will start earlier. Anyway, it turned out well, so here is my recipe so you can try it too.

Roast Chicken

1 whole chicken
1 onion, peeled and cut into medium wedges
3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
olive oil, salt and pepper
1 can chicken broth

Rinse chicken well and pat dry with a paper towel. Rub with olive oil over whole thing and then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper and maybe some sage if you have some. Place breast side up on a roasting pan rack, and then stuff the cavity with half the onion and all of the garlic. Spread the rest of the onion and the carrots onto the bottom of the pan and then pour the can of chicken broth over it. You'll use the broth to baste the chicken every 20 minutes. Set oven to 450 degrees, and place chicken in oven for 10 minutes; reduce heat in oven to 350. Bake for 50 minutes. Raise heat again to 450 and bake another 15 minutes.

Roasted Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes

3 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
5 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Set oven to 450 degrees. Place parsnips, sweet potatoes, garlic, oil, butter, and salt and pepper in some aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Fold into packet and then bake for 1 hour.

Serve chicken with sweet potatoes and parsnips and carrots and onions. :)

Bountiful Basket Menu, Week One

2010-10-25T13:01:00.000-06:00

Alright, so I have come up with a menu for the week. I am using what I can out of the Bountiful Basket and also some of the things I planned to make last week but need to use up because things were crazy last week. So here we go....

Monday: Roasted Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips

Tuesday: Swedish Meatballs with Red Potatoes and Lingonberry Preserves

Wednesday: Scones with tomatoes from the garden (might make Caprese salad to go with this)

Thursday: Shredded Beef Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Friday: Chicken and Dumplings

Saturday: Potato Leek Soup

So I will be posting the recipes I haven't already posted previously on here as we go through the week. I think I will also use the apples and pears for some sort of crisp or tart. I'll let you know. :)

Happy Cooking!

Bountiful Basket, Week One

2010-10-23T21:54:00.000-06:00

Okay, so this morning I got up at 7am with my hubby to go get my first Bountiful Basket and put it in the fridge. yes, I sacrificed sleeping in on my Saturday for this basket....that's how much I was excited about it, and how much I am dedicated to this new blog experiment. Yes, I went to bed again when I got home, and yes, I was cranky the rest of the day, but that's beside the point. Anywho....here is the list of what we got.

1 head of romaine lettuce
1 bunch of spinach
1 bunch of broccoli
1 bag of grapes
2 pomegranates (the big ones)
about 8 small sweet potatoes
3 parsnips
6 granny smith apples
6 Bartlett pears
1 pineapple
4 beefsteak tomatoes on the vine
2 bunches of bananas

I am in the process of coming up with ways to use these ingredients in some creative way that I haven't already used on this blog. I will keep you posted how that goes and update the blog when I have made something new. If you have been following this blog, you will notice none of these ingredients are things I have not used before---I have used them each in some way or another. So this week shouldn't be too much of a challenge to get some recipes for. My mother in law already used half of the lettuce and half of the spinach, but we will be using the rest of everything else this week.

Happy Cooking! Go to www.bountifulbaskets.org if you would like to sign up for a bountiful basket or head up a location in your area. Trust me, you won't regret it. Did I mention I got all of the stuff listed above for one low contribution rate of $15?? I did. And there is at least $50 worth of fresh produce in that list. And they try to keep it as local as possible. So you get super fresh and ripe produce and you are also supporting your local economy! Good deal, huh? So go get started! You can thank me later.

Bountiful Baskets

2010-10-20T12:33:00.000-06:00

I just signed up to get my first Bountiful Basket last night, and I am so excited. When I went to visit my cousin last weekend and saw everything she got in hers I was sold. I had been thinking about it for a long time, but this time I actually decided to do it.

Because of this new adventure and the wealth of bi-weekly produce I will be getting, I am going to start a new series of recipes that will be inspired by the produce I receive in my box every other week. I will be needing to find new recipes and new ways to use all kinds of fruits and vegetables, so I look forward to learning new things and trying new foods.

I hope you will follow me with my new adventure and try some new things too! If you would like to sign up for a Bountiful Basket, check out their website at www.bountifulbaskets.org and check it out!!

Crostini...what's that?

2010-10-18T19:42:00.000-06:00

So Hubby and I decided it was time to use up the goat cheese we had leftover from when I made the tomato goat cheese tart awhile back. It had been in the fridge and I had been trying to figure out what to make with it for awhile and tonight I just decided to go out on a limb and try something new. I came up with this recipe on my own, and it turned out delicious, so I hope you like it as much as I do.

By the way, crostini is basically just Italian for toast. But when you get it at restaurants or see it in cookbooks, it generally is toasted bread with some sort of topping or spread on it. Tonight I made different types of toppings for some tasty crostini. :) There are 3 things we had with it, though I only made 2 of them (the other was some spinach artichoke dip we got at Sam's Club that needed to be used up).

Crostini

2 long thin baguettes of crusty French or Italian bread
1 large whole clove garlic
2-3 tbsp olive oil

Slice the bread at an angle into 1/4 inch slices, and then place on baking sheet. Brush with oil, and bake for about 10 minutes at 375 degrees. When done baking, let cool slightly and then rub each slice with the garlic clove. Set aside. (You'll want to do this close to serving time so it's still warm when you serve)

Goat Cheese Topping

8 oz goat cheese
2 tbsp basil Pesto, homemade, or store bought
1/2 c pine nuts

In a mixing bowl, combine goat cheese and pesto, and beat with hand mixer on low til combined, then whip til smooth and fluffy. Toast pine nuts over medium heat, watching carefully and tossing occasionally so they don't burn. Let pine nuts cool, and then stir into goat cheese mixture. Refrigerate til ready to serve.

Veggie Bruscetta

1 tbsp butter
1 medium zucchini, diced fine
1/2 onion, diced fine
1 eggplant, diced fine
4 oz white mushrooms, chopped fine
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 beefsteak tomato, or 4 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 c water

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion and sauté til almost caramelized over medium heat(takes about 10 minutes, once they are cooked through, if you continue to cook and stir consistently, they will turn a light yellow color and begin to caramelize). Add zucchini and a pinch of salt and continue to cook. Add garlic, and stir well to combine, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add half the water, and cover for 5 minutes to let zucchini steam and become tender. Add eggplant and another pinch of salt, sauté into the mixture, and then add the rest of the water to steam the eggplant. When all water is evaporated again, add mushrooms, and then finally tomatoes. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, letting extra liquid evaporate and the flavors to blend together.

To serve: I spread some of the goat cheese on half of the bread slices, and then left the other slices free to be topped with other things, but we found when we ate it, we liked the goat cheese spread on the toast, and then to spoon on the veggies on top. Of course, the artichoke dip was good too. :)

Beef Pot Pie

2010-10-11T22:40:00.000-06:00

We had this for dinner tonight when my sister and brother in law came for dinner. I took some ideas from Joy of Cooking, but mostly just inspiration and came up with my own filling. It will definitely be a repeat though, we all liked it. I will first give my pie crust recipe, also used in my Apple Pie recipe. Here goes...

Beef Stew

Pie Crust

(for pot pie recipe, you will need two batches of the below recipe. But just to be careful, I always do pie crust one batch at a time. Maybe I am paranoid, but pie crust is one of those finicky things that I am extra careful about.)

2 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp cold butter
3/4 c cold shortening
6-8 tbsp cold water

(Make sure the butter, shortening, and water are COLD. Very important.)

Sift flour and salt together (YES, this is important too. Helps keep it light and flaky) Add butter and shortening, and cut in with a pastry blender til butter and shortening and flour form small pea shaped lumps. Add cold water, a tablespoon at a time, but using half of them during the first addition (4 tbsp first, then mix lightly with a fork, and then add the rest one at a time til the dough forms and comes together just barely). Do not over mix, and once it combines, divide in half, and carefully form (DO NOT KNEAD) into 2 discs and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out.

Stew Filling

2 lbs stew meat, but I would halve the pieces so they are smaller, and therefore mix into the veggies more evenly
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1/4 c worchestershire sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
pinch sage
1 c finely chopped carrots
1 c finely chopped onion
1/4 c flour
2 c diced potato
1 c finely chopped celery
other things you can add or substitute: sliced mushrooms, peas, corn, or whatever other veggies you like.

Marinate the beef in the balsamic vinegar, oil, worchestershire, and herbs for at least an hour, would be better if you did for 2 hours (right about the time you start making the pie crust). After marinating for a good amount of time, dump the meat and marinade into a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook til cooked all the way through, and then add onions, carrots, and celery. When carrots are tender (they are the crunchiest veggie in the mix), sprinkle flour over all of it, and stir to combine. Add potatoes and about a cup or so of water, and simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Potatoes do not need to be fully cooked, because they will finish in the oven, but you do need to take some of the edge off them so they are done at the same time as the pie crust.

Roll out your pie dough and place a layer of crust in the bottom of your pie dish or dishes (you can use these to make personal sized pies, or 2- 9 inch pies). I put a crust in the bottom and on the top because I LOVE pie crust. Fill the prepared pie dish with the stew mixture, and then top with another crust, and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour for 2 pies, or 25 minutes if you do personal sized pies.

Serve with your favorite veggie, or just by itself. One personal sized pot pie covers all of the major food groups, so you're good to go if you just eat that. Enjoy!!

Funeral Potatoes (aka Cheesy Potatoes)

2010-10-09T13:04:00.000-06:00

Here in Utah we have a tradition of bringing a large casserole dish of cheesy potatoes to funerals. Thus the coined phrase "funeral potatoes." But you don't have to wait til someone dies to eat these! We also have them at church parties, for Christmas, for Thanksgiving, generally with our ham for Easter....pretty much whenever we feel like eating them. Everyone around here has their own recipe, and here is mine. I made them last night and they were a hit.

Funeral Potatoes

2 lbs frozen southern style hashbrowns (country fried potatoes)
1 1/2 c sour cream (you can use the light stuff if you want, I did)
1 lb shredded cheese (I used a mix of pepper jack and cheddar, but traditionally it's just cheddar), plus extra for the top
1 can cream of mushroom soup (one of the few recipes I use this for)
1/2 c milk
2 c finely diced ham
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chives, dried or fresh
1 c french fried onions (some people like to use corn flakes, but I like the flavor of this better)

In a large mixing bowl, combine sour cream, cheese, cream of mushroom soup, and milk and spices. Mix well. Add potatoes and ham, and then combine til everything is coated and mixed well. Spray a 13x9 casserole pan or baking dish with cooking spray and then pour the whole thing into the dish, and spread evenly into the pan. Top with more cheese, the french fried onions, and then cover with foil. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes, removing the foil half way through (prevents burning the onions, but lets them stay crispy at the end).

Serve with ham, chicken, whatever you like, or just by itself. Generally I like to have a healthy serving of some green veggies to keep myself from eating piles of the potatoes--helps me keep my blood sugar in check!

**NOTE** I don't thaw the potatoes before I mix them with everything else. They defrost while cooking in the oven, and it turns out just fine. You can also use Potatoes O'Brien, which adds more flavor.

Pork Fried Rice -- Using Up Leftovers

2010-10-09T12:52:00.000-06:00

So I had all of the leftover pork from the night before sitting in the fridge and I needed to use it up in some creative way so the family would eat it, and so it wasn't like eating the same thing over and over again. So here is what I did....I added some veggies, diced up the pork, and stirred in all of the veggies, the apples, and the onions with some of the leftover rice I had served with it. Turned into sort of a stir fried rice thing...and it was pretty good. So enjoy!

Pork Fried Rice

1 1/2 c diced leftover pork tenderloin
Leftover juices and apples and onions from tenderloin
1/2 c carrots, diced fine
1/2 c corn
frozen peas would work in this too...whatever you have around.
3-4 c steamed rice, depending on how many people you are serving

In a skillet or wok, heat a bit of olive oil. Add the pork, and cook til warmed and slightly browned. Add carrots and apple/onion mixture, and keep cooking til carrots are tender. Add rice and corn and whatever other veggies, and keep stirring til all mixed well and rice is heated through. Serve warm.

Pork with Apples and Onions

2010-10-01T17:59:00.000-06:00

This has to be one of my favorite ways to serve pork, and I thought since apples are in season right now, why not make it for dinner tonight? It's in the broiler right now...and while I still remember what I did, I will tell you how to make it.

Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Onions

1-2 pork tenderloins
1/2 tsp each of coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, and cloves
1/4 c salt, plus a pinch
1 tsp pepper
1/4 c brown sugar
4-5 medium to small apples, cored and sliced very thin
1 large white onion, sliced thin
2 tbsp butter
1/2 c apple juice or cider

About 2 hours before you plan to start cooking, mix together the spices, salt, pepper, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Once you have blended everything well, place pork tenderloins into the bowl and coat well with your rub mixture. Let sit in fridge for 2 hours.

Place tenderloins in a roasting pan and cover with all of the leftover rub (which will now be liquidy from the pork juices and sugar). Melt the butter in a large skillet, and then sweat your onions in the melted butter. Add a little salt and once your onions are tender, add your apples to the skillet. Add your apple juice after a bit of cooking and just cook the apples to barely tender. Dump this mixture over the top of your pork, and then broil pork for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping over halfway through.

Let the meat rest after taking it out of the oven and then slice into 1/4 inch slices. Serve with either potatoes or rice and your favorite vegetable.

Awesome kids clothes.

2010-09-29T12:24:00.000-06:00

This is definitely different than what I normally do, but I have an awesome friend who is going into the kids clothing business and her stuff is adorable! She got her website up and running and you can actually order stuff from it now, rather than just see pictures. I would love to order one of her hats for a Christmas gift this year, and I am sure you'll love it too.

So check out her website, www.shortarmy.com and I am sure you'll like what you see. I sure do!

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

2010-09-27T20:26:00.000-06:00

I found this one in a recent edition of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine. It looked tasty, so I decided to try it. I made a couple of changes to the recipe and I think everyone really liked it. I think next time instead of using frozen puff pastry dough, I might actually use my husband's recently found recipe for pizza dough. Anyway, enjoy. Our family certainly did.

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

1 sheet puff pastry dough, thawed
1 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp butter
2 leeks
3/4 lb vine tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or plum tomatoes (or a combination of all of the above), sliced in 1/4 inch slices, or halved if cherry or grape.
2 ounces goat cheese (I would use more than that)
fresh thyme or basil leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 12 inch square. Mix mustard and sour cream together, and then spread mixture onto dough thinly. Fold over edges of dough (about half an inch) and seal together by pinching with fingers. It says to refrigerate this after pinching edges, but I didnt and it turned out fine.

Cut off the bottoms of the leeks and the tops. You want to have the white and the light green parts left. Once you have removed the dark green parts and the root ends, cut each leek in half lengthwise, and then slice into 1/8 inch slices. Place in a bowl filled with water and gently with your hands move them around in the water (this gets rid of the dirt that gets between the layers while they grow). With your hands, gently strain the leeks from the water and place on a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Dry them gently with the towel. Saute the leeks in the butter with a pinch each of salt and pepper until the leeks are softened. Takes about 3 to 4 minutes. Once softened, place your leeks on top of the puff pastry dough and spread them out evenly on the dough. Top with your tomato slices, and then bake for 25 minutes.

When done baking, remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Crumble goat cheese on top all over the tart, and then add the fresh herbs.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread

2010-09-23T15:49:00.000-06:00

Consider this Part 2 of the "what do I do with ALL of that ZUCCHINI?" section. I got this recipe from Lion House, but I altered it to my liking. Mostly I just lowered the fat and sugar content by substituting Splenda and applesauce. Hope you like my version.

Zucchini Bread

1 c applesauce
1 c sugar
1 c Splenda
2 c shredded zucchini
3 eggs
3 tsp vanilla extract
3 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder

Mix applesauce, sugar, splenda, zucchini, eggs, and vanilla in stand mixer or large mixing bowl with hand mixer. Add flour, and combine on low speed til completely mixed. Add baking soda, salt, cinnamon and baking powder and mix again. Spoon evenly into two small greased loaf pans, and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

I doubled this recipe twice because we had a lot of zucchini, but this makes a healthy family dose of zucchini bread. Great toasted and buttered, or just eaten plain. You can also spoon the batter into muffin pans and make them into 24 muffins. Cut the cooking time in half, but at same temperature.

Pasta with Ricotta and Peas

2010-09-17T14:11:00.000-06:00

This recipe idea was inspired from watching Rachael Ray one morning and it sounded pretty good to me. Simple and tasty. I love ricotta cheese, and the fresh taste of peas, so it just seemed like a winner. I am not sure if my husband liked it, but I sure did. I hope you like it as much as I did.

Pasta with Ricotta and Peas

1 lb box of uncooked pasta, any shape that will hold sauce well (something with grooves or a tubular shape)
1 c frozen peas
1 1/2 c ricotta cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp seasoning salt (I like McCormick's or Lawry's, but it's up to you)
1/2 tsp thyme
Parmesan cheese, to taste, and then for topping at the table

Cook pasta to pkg directions. While cooking pasta, heat peas in microwave til thawed and warm. In a large mixing/serving bowl, mix the ricotta and spices together til cheese is softened and it is well blended (if you use a whole milk ricotta it tends to be thicker, you need to mash it to get the right consistency; if you use part skim it should just need a light mix). Just before draining the pasta, reserve about 1/2 c of the cooking water in a mug or something. You'll use that to loosen things up and make it more like a sauce than coated with cheese. Drain the pasta, and then dump it over the cheese mixture, add peas and stir well. Add parmesan cheese if you like, and stir again. Enjoy!

What do you do with ALL of that ZUCCHINI?!

2010-09-15T18:58:00.000-06:00

So, being an LDS member who has been encouraged to have a garden since I was born, zucchini has always been the curse from September. It's a doorbell ditch gift that nobody celebrates. We always had to find inventive ways to use it before it went bad. So this is how Mom came up with this recipe...she was trying to find other ways to get her kids to eat the stuff. Oddly enough, even though I didn't like zucchini as a kid, I like it now, and this recipe has A LOT to do with it. I hope it has the same effect for you!

Zucchini Fritters

5-6 c shredded zucchini, squeezed dry (the stuff holds a lot of liquid, needs to be wrung out after you shred it)
1 c breadcrumbs
1 c parmesan cheese
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
pinch each of salt and pepper
2 eggs
1/2 c flour

Mix all ingredients together until well combined. Heat griddle over stove top or use electric stove. Grease it well, and then spoon the zucchini mixture like pancakes onto the griddle, and cook until golden, then flip. I recommend heating the oven to about 175 degrees, so they stay warm while you cook them all. You'll have to do them in batches of about 5 at a time. Makes about 25 medium sized fritters, or 40 small ones (for snacks or party appetizers).

Serve warm with ranch dressing, cream cheese, cottage cheese, or just butter and salt and pepper.

Meatballs and Biscuits

2010-09-03T19:59:00.000-06:00

This one is a Prows family favorite that my mother in law, Cathy, makes all of the time. My husband and all of his siblings really enjoy it, and I thought I would give it a bit of a face lift if you will. The traditional recipe is based in basic meatballs, cream of mushroom soup gravy, and biscuits. I decided to make homemade mushroom gravy, and upgrade the meatballs a bit, and take it to a different level. Happily, the family enjoyed them and I was complimented on them and asked for the recipe. I share it with all of you here!

Meatballs and Biscuits

I will start with the meatballs, then move to the gravy, and then move on to the biscuit dough....

1 1/4 lb ground beef
3/4 lb lean pork sausage (usually the size of the Jimmy Dean Lean tube)
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
1 c breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 tsp each garlic powder and onion powder
1/2 tsp dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix meats with all other ingredients til well blended. Form into balls about a 1/2 inch thick, and place in a greased 13x9 in. baking dish, and bake for about 25 minutes.

While Baking Meatballs, make...

Mushroom Gravy

1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 can chicken broth (about 2 cups)
4 tbsp butter, plus 1 more (separated from each other)
3 tbsp flour
1/2 c milk
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce

Melt 1 tbsp of the butter in a skillet, then add mushrooms. It will look like a lot, but they generally shrink when sautéed. Cook them til they are about half their original volume. While this is going, melt the other 4 tbsp of butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour to the melted butter, and whisk. It will be still kind of thin, not as thick and dough like as when I make a white sauce. Add chicken broth to the butter mixture, and stir till all lumps are out of your roux. Add milk and whisk well. Add worchestershire, and stir well, and then add mushrooms (at this point, ditch the whisk and use a wooden spoon or something). Simmer on Low for the rest of the time til the meatballs are done baking the first half of the time.

While simmering gravy and still waiting for meatballs to finish, make...

Biscuit Dough

2 c all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
7 tbsp COLD butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 c milk

Blend dry ingredients together with a fork. Add butter, and rub in with fingers or cut in with pastry blender. Add milk and continue to mix with hands. Dust with more flour and then roll out to 1/4 inch thickness, and cut with biscuit cutter. Should make about 12 biscuits.

Lastly, pull out the meatballs from the oven, and pour the gravy on top of the meatballs. Top with biscuits, and bake another 20 minutes. By then, the meatballs should be fully cooked and the biscuits will be golden on top. Takes a bit longer because you're baking the biscuits at 375 instead of 425, but you don't want to burn the gravy and meatballs while baking the biscuits. When you take it out of the oven, just to keep the top of the biscuits softer, it might be good to brush or rub butter on the top of the biscuits.

Enjoy!

Homemade Ravioli

2010-08-24T19:52:00.000-06:00

Okay, I have been posting a lot lately...because I have made a lot of new things lately! So here is what we had for dinner tonight. I had been promised by Jeff's mom to be taught how to make homemade pasta. I wanted to try making homemade ravioli for my first try, and so I decided to try it today! Turns out making pasta is really easy to make, and more about method than about the recipe. Here we go....be prepared, this one is somewhat involved. I'll start with the actual pasta dough, and then give you the recipe for the filling, and then give you the directions for putting it all together.

Pasta Dough (you'll need about 2.5 recipes of this to use all of the filling)

2 c flour
2 eggs
4 tbsp cold water

In a food processor, pulse together flour and eggs. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, and then blend til it forms a ball in the food processor. Dump onto a floured surface and just knead lightly til the flour makes it less sticky, not much.

In a pasta press, start at the widest setting, and run the dough through. You'll start at setting 1, and run it through, and then fold the dough in thirds, and run it again. Then you'll move it up to the 2nd setting, run it through the first time, and then fold it, and then run it through again. As you get to the 3rd setting, you'll stop folding it in thirds and just run it through to thin it out, twice through each setting, til you get to the 5th setting, and then you'll quit.

Before you roll out your dough though, you need to mix together your filling. Here's the recipe:

Cheese and Spinach Filling

15 oz ricotta cheese
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (about a cup and a half)
2 eggs
salt and pepper

Mix all of these ingredients together. Get your pasta dough ready, and use about a half tsp to a tsp of filling per ravioli. Basically you'll have a long rectangle of pasta dough, and you'll want to place each spoonful of filling about a half inch apart and then place another sheet of pasta dough over the top of the first sheet. Use your fingers to press the dough together between fillings, and press out as much air as possible from each ravioli. once they are all sealed shut and no air is in there, use a pizza cutter or rotary cutter to cut the pasta apart. Place them on a cookie sheet, making sure you don't overlap them so they don't stick together.

**Note** I am so sorry I didnt think to get the camera out. It would be a lot easier for you to picture this if I had pictures and more of a tutorial. If you need a tutorial, go to www.foodnetwork.com and search for ravioli. There's an Alton Brown video that shows you how to do everything I did. REMEMBER: BECAUSE IT IS FRESH MADE PASTA, IT ONLY TAKES 1-2 MINUTES TO COOK. Just cook it til it floats to the top of the boiling water.

Stuffing...not just for Thanksgiving!

2010-08-24T16:13:00.000-06:00

I am a firm believer that you don't have to wait for Thanksgiving to have turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes....and of course rolls and pie!! This post is only for stuffing though. I love it! My mom and step-dad have been making this stuff their own way for years, and I have morphed my own recipe because theirs isn't my fave...sorry Mom! We were invited to a friend's house on Sunday because they roasted a HUGE turkey and needed help eating it. This guy knows how to roast a bird, let me tell you... and I brought my favorite side dish to go along side...it even won over the non stuffing lovers...! Enjoy!

Stuffing

1 pkg herb seasoned stuffing
1 small pkg cornbread stuffing
1 can chicken broth
1 stick of butter
1/2 c celery
1/2 c onion
1 lb pork sausage (usually use the country kind)
1 c cashew halves
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced

Pour stuffing pkgs into a large mixing bowl, toss to combine. Brown sausage in a skillet, and break into crumbly pieces. Set aside. In same skillet you browned the sausage in, melt the butter, and then promptly add celery, onions, eventually, when onions and celery are tender, mushrooms. Sauté veggies together til mushrooms shrink down and veggies are completely tender, and then dump this (make sure you get all of the butter in there too) and sausage into bowl with stuffing mix. Add cashews and mix well. Add chicken stock, stirring as you go so you get it moistened evenly but not soggy. Pour this whole mixture into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Pull out of oven, and stir so the top and bottom are swapped (kind of flip or turn the stuffing so the top doesn't burn and the bottom stuff gets slightly crisped.) Bake another 10 minutes.

Serve with your favorite fixings, or just on its own. I love this stuff!!

Recycling Leftovers

2010-08-23T20:57:00.000-06:00

So the other day I made enchiladas--both chicken and beef. My chicken version can be found here, and the beef version is very similar. I just use red sauce instead of green, and I substitute ground beef in place of the chicken. And because I use ground beef, I don't crock pot it, I do it on the stove. Anywho, I had leftovers of both chicken and beef this last week and needed to figure out what to do with all of them. Perfect timing, too, because today, I was facing brain block when it came to making dinner. So I made this...quick, easy, and pretty much mostly done before I started....

Tamale Pie

4 c of leftover beef enchilada filling, recipe follows
1 1/2 c cornmeal
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 c milk
6 tbsp melted butter

Enchilada filling
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small can red enchilada sauce
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Brown the ground beef in a skillet, break into pieces as it cooks. Add onion, continue to cook. Add corn, beans, and enchilada sauce, and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour leftover enchilada filling into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Mix together flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add milk, egg, and then lastly, stir in the melted butter. Basically, you're making cornbread batter. Pour this batter over top of the enchilada filling mixture, and bake for 25 minutes. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and whatever other toppings you enjoy (I liked guacamole on it too).

Enjoy!

(If using the filling for enchiladas, I usually double the beef and use the large can of sauce, and then of course, stuff and roll the enchiladas. In this case, just use the amounts above and then follow the directions. Because I had this already made and leftover, I just dumped what I had left into the pan.)

Tabbouleh....

2010-08-23T16:06:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I hear you saying it already...what's tabbouleh? It doesn't sound like something to eat for dinner...but it is! It's a recipe I got from my grandma (a self taught gourmet cook) and it's very tasty. It uses wheat bulgar, which is like cracked wheat. Try it, you'll like it!

Tabbouleh

2 c wheat bulgar
2 c cold water
1 c chopped parsley (I actually used spinach, didn't have any parsley)
1 c finely chopped bell pepper, any color
1 c finely sliced scallions
1/2 c chopped mint leaves
1/2 c feta cheese crumbles (or the block stuff cut into small pieces), optional
1/2 c lemon juice
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

In a large bowl, combine bulgar and water, and let stand for 1 hour. Add vegetables and cheese and stir to combine. Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil and salt. Pour over salad and stir well to combine. Let stand in refrigerator overnight. Stir well again before serving.

Spinach Alfredo Pasta with Veggies

2010-08-21T16:25:00.000-06:00

I made this on Thursday, and I haven't had a chance to sit down and post it til now. I made a version of this, kind of, awhile back called Linguini Alfredo, but this one is a bit different. This time I used rotini pasta, and I used chopped fresh spinach and added peas, but no mushrooms. I like the flavor the peas brought to it, kind of made it taste fresher to me. I also used sausage instead of chicken. Anyway, enjoy.

Spinach Alfredo Pasta

1 lb box of pasta, any shape that holds sauce well (I don't recommend the strand kinds, short pastas work better)
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
3 c milk
1/2 c parmesan cheese, grated
1 tbsp onion powder
dash of salt and pepper
2 c chopped fresh spinach
1 c frozen peas
1 c broccoli florets
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch slices (we had this stuff we got on sale with sundried tomatoes and mozzarella and spinach, it worked well..but use whatever. you could also use italian sausage in the casing--just cook it all the way through, then slice it into slices, rather than slicing and heating)

Cook pasta to pkg directions. While waiting for water to boil and pasta to cook, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Once melted, add flour and whisk to form roux. Add milk and continue to whisk til smooth. Add cheese, continue to whisk til smooth. Add onion powder and salt and pepper, whisk til combined. Set aside. In a small skillet, cook sausage slices til heated through; set aside. Steam broccoli in small saucepan; set aside. I zapped the peas in the microwave for about a minute to take the chill off, but they dont need to be fully heated. When pasta is done cooking, heat sauce again, and add spinach to sauce, stir til spinach is wilted into sauce and combined. Toss pasta with broccoli, peas, and sausage. Pour sauce over everything, and toss well.

Serve with more parmesan cheese.

Grilled Tuna Steaks

2010-08-18T23:22:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I made this for dinner last night and never got around to posting it til now. Sorry about that. This recipe actually came out of my in-law's barbecue book--the one that came with the grill-- and it has been a hit with Jeff's family for awhile. I tried it for the first time last year and loved it, and now I am sharing it with all of you. I strongly suggest using fresh ginger and garlic, it really makes a difference. I have done it both ways and it was way better the second time through with the fresh ginger--dried ginger just isn't as flavorful. I served this with couscous, which I will also include the recipe for, after the tuna marinade.

Grilled Tuna

1/4 c soy sauce
2 tbsp dark sesame seed oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp minced or grated fresh ginger (or the stuff you can get in the tube at the grocery store in the refrigerated section near the produce)
1 tbsp minced or grated garlic
1 scallion sliced thin
4 tuna steaks, about half an inch to an inch thick

Mix marinade together, pour over steaks. You can also do this in a ziplock bag, but I did it in a corningware dish so I could flip the tuna and get both sides well coated and soaked. Be careful with the tuna, it can come apart if you press or pinch it too hard. After half an hour at minimum, 1-2 hours maximum, grill tuna over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side. If you like just seared tuna, then just a couple minutes per side. My family prefers all meat and fish besides beef steaks to be fully cooked, but tuna can get kind of dry if you cook it too long...I liked mine about medium rare, same as I like my steak.

Cous Cous

2 c water
2 c cous cous
1/2 c celery, finely chopped
1/2 bell pepper (I used red), finely chopped
3 scallions, sliced thin
1/2 tsp ginger, minced
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
2-3 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp olive oil
couple drops sesame oil

In a medium saucepan, heat water, soy sauce, olive oil, and sesame oil to boiling. While waiting for water to boil, quickly saute the vegetables in a bit of olive oil and soy sauce til they are tender. Once water boils, add veggies and cous cous, stiring well to keep from clumping; cover and remove from heat. Wait 5 minutes for cous cous to steam, then fluff with a fork and serve.

Enjoy!

What's a Falafel?!

2010-07-30T22:51:00.000-06:00

Well....I am here to tell you what it is and how wonderful it really is. We had it for dinner last night, and it was divine! Okay, okay, I will tell you what it is.... it's a pan fried patty made from chickpeas (otherwise known as garbanzo beans) and vegetables and other yummy stuff. You put it in a pita pocket with hummus and all kinds of fresh veggies and tahini sauce.....oh, heavenly! I am also including a recipe I have for Spinach Hummus. So branch out of your meat and potatoes box and try something different! I am sure you will enjoy it!!

** I borrowed this falafel recipe from my friends Damaris and Steve, and the hummus recipe was given to me by my friend Julia. Both are delicious**

Falafel

¾ c sliced green onions

½ c sliced celery (forgot to get this, turned out alright anyway...but probably would be better with the celery)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained (I used all garbanzos, but I can see why the recipe uses pinto now that I have made them. Both ways turned out great!)

1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, rinsed, drained

1 egg

2 T flour

2 t lemon juice

½ t salt

½ t ground cumin

¼ t pepper

Heat small skillet; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Cook and stir onions, celery and garlic until tender; remove from heat. Process beans in food processor until smooth. Combine bean mixture, egg, flour, juice, salt, cumin and pepper in a large bowl; stir in cooked vegetables. Form mixture into about 24 patties. Heat large skillet and pour in a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil. Cook patties over medium-low heat until lightly browned, about 5 min per side.

Serve in Pitas or flat bread w/ cucumber, tomato, thin sliced onion, sliced red pepper, and/or anything else that sounds good.

Spinach Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 10-oz box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/4 c tahini

2 tbsp garlic (about 6 cloves.....haha I really like garlic, so I go crazy)

3 tbsp lemon juice (about equal to one lemon worth)

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

pepper, to taste (I used a dash)

Process in your food processor, starting with beans and garlic and spinach. Add tahini and oil and lemon juice, then salt and pepper. Continue to process til smooth and creamy. Can be made up to 2 days ahead, kept in a tightly covered container in refrigerator.

**Assembling your falafel: Cut a pita bread in half, and separate to make pocket. Spread hummus inside, then add tahini, veggies, and then a falafel patty. My in-laws enjoyed adding some of the leftover tzatziki sauce I made for the gyros, but thats not really traditional. I had sliced a red pepper, some tomato, cucumber and some thin sliced red onion. You can use whatever floats your boat. Once stuffed to capacity, stuff your face with it! Haha. It's tasty, you'll love it!!

Greek Night!!

2010-07-22T21:36:00.000-06:00

So I have been wanting to do gyros for awhile, and for some reason, lately I have just wanted stuff from different countries. So I planned an exotic menu for the week and we shopped for all of the ingredients. Tonight was Greek Night...we had gyros, greek salad and we're about to have baklava for dessert as soon as it's cool. I think it was a success, but it was not my husband's favorite. Though I do think my in-laws enjoyed it.

Traditionally, gyros are made with lamb and beef together, roasted on a spit and then shaved very thinly. Lamb is kind of pricey in Utah, so we went with just the flank steak. It turned out well, even though not quite as authentic. I include the recipe for the toppings, as well as the greek salad dressing, and the baklava.

Gyros

1 flank steak
steak marinade (I didnt use my recipe this time, I used a bottle of Lawry's steak and chops marinade. Use whatever you have)
Tzatziki sauce (recipe follows)
tomato and red onion salsa (recipe follows)
lettuce
4 pitas

Directions for gyro below sauce recipes. (sorry, just works better that way)

Tzatziki sauce

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced very finely
1 c plain greek yogurt (the thicker stuff)
1 tsp dry dill weed
1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic (I used a press)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper

Mix together, refrigerate til needed for gyros. Can be made ahead.

Tomato and Onion Salsa
1 small tomato (I used a roma, but whatever you have), diced very small
1/4 small red onion, diced finely
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 c balsamic vinegar

Stir together ingredients, place in fridge til needed.

Marinate flank steak overnight in a ziplock bag. when ready to serve, grill steak, 5 minutes per side over medium high heat. Let it rest for a few minutes, then slice it thinly. Warm pitas in microwave or on very low temp in oven. Assemble gyros by starting with tzatziki sauce in the bottom of center of pita (fold it like a taco, not like a pocket bread), then the meat, then the tomato onion salsa, and then finally the lettuce. Enjoy!

Greek Salad

1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 small can sliced olives, or 1/2 regular can of sliced olives (usually this is kalamata olives, but the family likes black olives better. Use what you like.)
1/2 small block feta cheese, cut into thin strips, or crumbled
1/4 small red onion, diced finely
Dressing, recipe follows.

Greek Salad Dressing

1/4 c red wine vinegar
1/8 c white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 small clove garlic, pasted or pressed
1/3 c olive oil
1/2 c canola oil

Mix together either in a salad dressing mixer or in a bowl with a whisk. Shake or whisk til well blended. Pour over salad and toss.

Toss all ingredients together. Pour over dressing, toss. Enjoy.

Baklava

40 sheets of phyllo dough (1 full pkg) thawed.
3 sticks butter, melted
5 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
honey syrup, recipe follows

Honey Syrup

2 c sugar
2 c water
1 c honey
zest of 1 lemon

Mix together in small saucepan, bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Should be warm when putting on top of baklava.

Directions for baklava assembly

Mix the walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and cloves in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

Layer 12 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing with butter between each sheet. Keep the sheets moist by covering with a damp paper towel. After layering the dough with the butter for 12 sheets, top with 1/3 the walnut mixture, and spread evenly. Layer again on top another 12 sheets of dough, again, brushing each sheet with butter before adding another sheet. Then add another layer of walnuts. Top with 8 more layers of the dough sheets, again buttering each time you lay a sheet down. Top with last bit of walnut mixture, and then cover with the remaining 8 sheets of dough. Cover the top layer of dough sheet with the rest of the butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Top with warm syrup, then cool completely, and serve.

Wonton Soup

2010-07-21T19:50:00.000-06:00

Okay, I got a request to find a recipe for Wonton Soup, and because I love requests and new challenges, I have been working on doing this for awhile. We finally got all of the ingredients, and so now I am happy to announce that I found a good recipe, tested it on my in-laws, and I am now very excited to share this information with you. I made veggie tempura on the side, and it was a hit!

I must admit, I did borrow this recipe from Emeril Lagasse on the Food Network website. But I loved it, and so did my family. Try it, you will like it too!

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions, plus 3 tablespoons finely chopped
10 cups canned low sodium chicken broth
1/2 pound ground pork
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
About 30 wonton wrappers, thawed if frozen
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced bok choy
1/2 cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps
1/4 cup sliced bamboo shoots

Directions

In a large saucepan or soup pot heat the oil over medium high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the garlic and 1 tablespoon of the ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the 1/4 cup of sliced scallions and the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low so that the broth just simmers. Allow broth to simmer for at least 20 to 30 minutes while the wontons are being assembled.

In a small mixing bowl combine the remaining teaspoon of minced garlic, remaining tablespoon of chopped ginger, 3 tablespoons of finely chopped scallions, the pork, egg yolk, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and crushed red pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Working on a flat work surface, lay out a few of the wontons. (Keep remaining wonton wrappers covered with plastic wrap.) Fill a small bowl partially with cool water and set aside. Using a teaspoon measure, place a heaping teaspoonful of the meat filling in the center of each wonton. Using your fingers, lightly wet the edges of the wonton. Bring 2 opposite corners of the wonton together to form a triangle and enclose the filling, pressing edges firmly around the mound of filling to eliminate any air pockets and seal. Moisten opposite corners of the long side. Curl moistened corners toward each other, overlapping one on top of the other, and press the edges together to seal. You should now have a rounded stuffed wonton with a triangle poking up at the top. Assemble the remaining wontons in the same manner. When the wontons are all assembled, set aside.

Add the sliced bok choy, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots to the broth and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Using your hands or a slotted spoon, gently add the prepared wontons to the simmering broth. Increase the heat slightly so that the broth returns to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally (very gently), until the wontons float and the pork filling is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

**NOTE** Instead of chopping the ginger, I used a fine grater (grates stuff really small) or you could use a microplane. I used a garlic press for the garlic, as well. I think the broth tasted good, but I think I could probably get away with watering it down a bit next time, it had a strong enough flavor that if you needed to stretch it with some more liquid you could. I also used dehydrated shitakes, and just hydrated them by boiling some water, removing it from the heat, and then tossing in the mushrooms to soak for about 20 minutes. Make sure if you have leftovers, you fish out the wontons and store them in a separate container, or they will get mushy in the soup broth. If you have leftover wontons, either freeze them or refrigerate them on a cookie sheet, and then once frozen, transfer them to a ziplock bag. You can fry them in a deep fryer or toss them in the soup the next time you make this.

New Pizza Dough recipe

2010-07-20T19:49:00.000-06:00

Right so we really like this Whole Wheat pizza dough that we've done in the past. But Carmel makes it. Pizza dough seems to take for ever to make and have endless complications to recipes. So this my new recipe, I got it from these guys. What I like about this recipe is that it is simple enough that I can memorize.

Step 1
1 1/2 C luke warm water
stir in 1 T yeast
wait 5 minutes

While waiting
Step 2
3 1/2 C flour
pinch of salt

Put them together using a spatula
Mix some flour in it with your bare hands

See seriously how hard is that. That's all there is to it. I think I'll make a movie. Then I thought no my main man Alton probably already has a movie somewhere around here and I saw THIS:

So I've decided it's time I go capture some of my own yeast, so if this works out I'll make a video.

Cous Cous Stuffed Bell Peppers

2010-07-19T17:18:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I was chatting it up with my friend Amie on Gmail chat (she lives in California, so we keep in touch that way), and she was telling me what she made for dinner that night. You know me, I like to get ideas from others and try all kinds of new things. Well, she had made stuffed red bell peppers that night. Easy enough, I've had it before. But get this...she stuffed them with cous cous! Hooray for that Moroccan carb I love so much! She gave me the basics and I took it from there....and we had them for dinner last night. Super tasty, and I hope you enjoy them too!

Cous Cous Stuffed Bell Peppers

1 box flavored cous cous, any kind
1/2 to 3/4 lb pork sausage (Amie used turkey sausage I think, and I used the lean jimmy dean stuff, whatever works)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and chopped very finely
any other veggie you like. mushrooms would have been good, but I didn't have any
4 sweet bell peppers (I used red, but you could use orange or yellow as well. Green ones are a bit more bitter, so I stay away from those for this)

Cut the tops off your bell peppers and then gently remove the ribs and seeds. Set aside. Brown your sausage and break into small crumbly pieces, and then add garlic and onions and whatever else you like to the mix. Remove from heat when veggies are tender. Cook the cous cous according to the pkg. Generally it says to boil the water with some oil or butter and seasoning packet, then add cous cous and remove from heat and cover. Let it steam for 5 minutes, then fluff it with a fork. Add to your sausage veggie mixture, and then stuff your peppers, and then top it all off with some parmesan cheese. In a square baking dish, place peppers evenly spaced (one in each corner, generally) and then add about 3/4 c water to the pan to keep them from burning (releases steam into the oven, and therefore doesn't roast your peppers). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

**Note** My mom says she generally parboils her peppers first, but I kind of liked that I hadn't this time. Makes them a bit more crisp and I like the added texture. You can do that if you like them a bit softer. All you have to do is bring your water to a boil and then toss in the peppers until they turn a bright red or yellow or whatever color your pepper is, then pull them out. I like my bell peppers more on the raw side, and everything inside the stuffing is cooked, so it's a personal taste thing.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Pizza

2010-07-11T16:10:00.000-06:00

Alright, so I have posted a couple of recipes for pizza dough, but I haven't posted this recipe for pizza. Jeff and I like to try different toppings on our pizza, and because we don't have any kids yet, we can get away with a lot of more adult flavors (rather than cheese and pepperoni only). We tried this recipe out and then tried it for his parents and his family loved it! I enjoy it a lot as well, and I hope you will too!

1 recipe Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (makes 2 pizzas)

1 container spinach artichoke dip (I like to use the stuff that is meant to be warmed, you can find it at Costco or Sam's Club, and it's usually in the refrigerated section)

1 small can of artichoke hearts, cut into bite sized pieces

1 chicken breast, cut into small bite sized strips

olive oil, salt and pepper

about a lb (16 oz) of mozzarella cheese, shredded

Once dough has risen and you have punched it down, stretch it out to about a 12 inch round. I like a thicker crust, so I kind of make a bit of ridge at the edges. Bake this dough for about 8-10 minutes, at 400 degrees. Top with dip, and spread to cover the crust, then add artichoke hearts,

The Ultimate Pizza...

2010-06-06T22:42:00.000-06:00

...in our humble opinions. I tried to recreate the fantastic pizza we had in Park City, pictured here. It didn't look as pretty, but tasted pretty close to the restaurant version. Anyone in Utah should still go to Park City and check out the real thing at www.nypcpizza.com (well, get the address there and then go there to get the wonderful amazing absolutely perfect pizza you'll ever eat). Until then, here is my version.

"Wasatch White" Pizza

This one is my personal favorite, though I love both. My husband likes the pesto better, but also loves both. Instead of sauce, it uses ricotta cheese on the bottom, then its topped with loads of finely chopped garlic and mozzarella cheese.

1/3 recipe pizza dough, see below
1/2 c whole milk ricotta cheese
1 head garlic, peeled, smashed and minced very finely
1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stretch and roll dough out til about a 12" round. Pour just a bit of olive oil on the pan or stone you use so it doesn't stick. Place dough on pan, and then brush with a bit of melted butter. Spread ricotta cheese with back of spoon on to dough. Sprinkle with lots of garlic, and then top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees for another 15 minutes.

Basic Pizza Dough (found here)

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 c warm water
3 1/2 c flour
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt

Combine yeast and water, and stir very gently with a fork. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place flour into a large mixing bowl, and when yeast/water mixture is ready, pour over flour and knead gently with hands til combined. Add olive oil and salt. Knead until soft dough forms, and add a little more flour if it is too sticky. Wash out the bowl, and grease it lightly with olive oil before placing dough back in, and then cross cut the top of the dough and grease again with olive oil to keep soft. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, til double in size. Punch down, and then divide into 3 pieces to use for 3 12" pizzas.

"Prospector Pesto" Pizza

Pesto is used as the sauce in this one, then topped with garlic, mozzarella and roma tomatoes.

1/3 recipe pizza dough (see above)
2 heaping tablespoons pesto, recipe here or use store-bought
1/2 head garlic, peeled and minced finely
1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 roma tomatoes, diced

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out dough to 12" and place on greased pizza stone or pan. Brush with melted butter, and then top with pesto and spread sauce with back of spoon. Top with garlic, and then the mozzarella and tomatoes. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350 degrees and bake another 15 minutes.

More Pasta...

2010-06-01T21:06:00.000-06:00

So tonight I was the only one home when it time to start cooking, because my sweet mother in law stepped in to help my husband clean the apartment while I visited my sister, brother in law, and brand new perfect nephew. I was in the mood to cook again, but didn't have much inspiration for the evening. So I made pasta again, its a go to. Close to stuff I have done before, yet different enough to have a distinctly different flavor. So I hope you enjoy.

Baked Rotini with Pesto Alfredo and Chicken or Beef

1 lb rotini, again, I used whole wheat
4 chicken tenders cut into bite sized pieces, or about 1/4 lb sliced flank steak (I used stir fry pre-sliced steak)
2 roma tomatoes, diced
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
3 c milk
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
3 to 4 tbsp pesto sauce
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Bring large pot of water to a boil, generously salted. Cook pasta to pkg directions in water, then drain. Set aside. Melt butter in a small saucepan, and then add onion and garlic; saute til onion is tender. Add flour, and stir til onion and garlic are coated and butter absorbed. Add milk and stir til smooth. Stir in pesto, Parmesan, and then add tomatoes. Simmer over low heat.

Cook chicken or beef in a bit of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss sauce and meat with pasta and pour into baking dish. Top with more Parmesan cheese and breadcrumb and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

**NOTE** I made both chicken and beef because my father in law doesn't like chicken. I just split the pasta in half and tossed it separately with the chicken and the beef, and poured into small 8x8 square pans, rather than the full sized 9x13.

My new favorite thing....

2010-05-28T10:35:00.000-06:00

While I am not blogging, check out this blog instead! Just promise me you won't stop reading mine after you see this one!

Cooking Channel Blog

Check out my friend's competition!

2010-05-24T19:30:00.000-06:00

My friend Rachel is having a competition on her blog The Handmade Heritage.

Come up with some fun Father's Day quotes and submit them to her blog via the comments on this post.

There's prizes involved, so have some fun and maybe you'll win!!

Pasta with Bell Peppers and Sausage/Chicken and Mushrooms

2010-05-24T11:56:00.000-06:00

So this is one of the things we actually made twice while we were in Park City last week. Our hotel room had a kitchenette and so to save money on eating we went grocery shopping and generally cooked twice a day and went out for one meal each day. And from eating out, I definitely got some inspiration for what I would like to try to make myself later! Anyway, back to the pasta. We used Italian sausage one night and chicken strips the next night, but the rest of the recipe is about the same. Hope you enjoy, we thought it was super tasty!

Oh, and if you are a foodie and like to go to Park City, there's a fantastic olive oil place you need to check out downtown. It's called Mountain Town Olive Oil Company. They let you taste olive oils and balsamic vinegars from all over the world, and there is some pretty tasty stuff!

Pasta with Sausage or Chicken and Bell Peppers and Mushrooms

1 lb whole wheat pasta, any shape that will hold some sauce
1 lb either chicken tenders or Italian sausage (in the casing)
1-2 sweet bell peppers, red, yellow or orange, sliced into thin strips
8 oz sliced white button mushrooms
2-3 tbsp pesto (you can use my recipe or just get a jar of it)
2-3 tbsp olive oil-- we used the Tuscan Herb infused stuff from the fancy store downtown, if you don't have that, use regular, but add some basil and oregano to the sauce mix, and add some garlic too!

Cook pasta to pkg directions. Reserve some of the cooking water from the pasta while it's still cooking before draining (you'll use that for the sauce).

Cook meat first. If using sausage, cook the sausage in the casing, whole, then slice after completely cooked. t I usually steam the sausage with about a cup of water with them in the skillet til the water evaporates or just til it all looks cooked through, then I drain off the extra water and brown the outsides with a bit of oil, then slice. If you are using chicken, slice the tenders into smaller strips, so they are bite sized...about 1/4 inch wide strips, and about an inch and a half long. Cook these completely and if you need to, remove from the skillet so you have enough room to cook the veggies and then add the meat back once the veggies have reduced in size.

Saute mushrooms in a bit of the oil, then add bell pepper strips and continue to saute. Add meat back to pan to bring to temperature, add starchy cooking water to the mix and the pesto. Stir to combine the pesto with the water and the veggies and meat--should be a kind of slurry mixture, not too thick, but will coat the pasta. Toss veggies and meat mixture with pasta and serve.

I'll add a picture this week, I promise. It was tasty!

We are out

2010-05-21T17:58:00.000-06:00

It's our anniversary so we are gone off to Park City. Where we are discovering how bad we really have the foody bug. We found a quaint little shop and bought olive oil that we put on some ciabatta bread with fresh mozzarella. Mozzarella is a cheese best eaten fresh not aged. A tomato would be great with this.

And we had the best pizza we have ever had, ever. At http://www.nypcpizza.com/

Marinated Broiled Pork Chops with Curry Spiced Oven Fries

2010-05-12T21:07:00.000-06:00

Alright, I will be honest, lately I haven't been cooking a lot. We have been very busy because my husband Jeff graduated with his Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree on Saturday (yes, I am bragging, its a big deal for us!). Most of the nights last week I haven't had to cook because we have had a lot of potluck dinners and celebrations. My husband has been cooking the last couple nights, and now it came to my turn. We had pork chops tonight, and they were pretty tasty. We're trying to eat out of the freezer as much as possible because we are moving in a couple weeks. So this is something quick I came up with from the pork chops we had defrosted. I include the oven fries recipe as well as how I boil my corn --my mom taught me, and it turns out perfect every time! Maybe this will make up for lost time.

Marinated Pork Chops with Roasted Garlic paste

3 bone in pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick), defrosted
1/3 c Virginia Brand Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette dressing (yep, the same stuff as for the pasta salad)
5 cloves garlic
1 tbsp dried rosemary
salt
olive oil

I store my meats in freezer ziplock bags, so I just added the dressing to the chops into the bag and mashed the bag til all the meat was coated. You can use a bowl, but I find the meat gets more evenly coated if you do it in the bag. Set that aside for about 20 minutes. Probably would be even better if you did it the night before. While that marinates, smash cloves of garlic with the side of a large, sharp knife. Mince it after smashing and then add salt and rosemary and keep mincing til paste-like. In a roasting pan, drizzle some olive oil, and then place marinated meat into pan. Top chops with garlic paste, and place in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Curried Oven Fries

5-6 medium potatoes, sliced or wedged into about 8 pieces per potato
2 tbsp olive oil
seasoning salt, curry powder

After washing and slicing potatoes, toss in a large bowl with oil and seasoning. Place evenly on a cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes. Should be browned on the outside and slightly crispy.

For the corn, fill a large pot with water and bring to boil. Once water boils, add corn and set timer for 5 minutes, then remove from water. Will still be crisp, and have good texture, and be very sweet. I like to just add butter and salt and pepper. Perfect!

Sorry for the lack updates.

2010-05-11T14:24:00.000-06:00

This is what I have been up to lately.... Check it out!

Facebook Photo Album: Earrings

I'll post a new recipe tonight when I make dinner.

Cinco De Mayo Calls for Tacos!

2010-05-05T22:43:00.000-06:00

So I know this is a simple thing and not really much of a recipe, but I thought I would post it anyway. I posted the shredded beef tacos in the past here. But here is the cheater version made with hamburger meat. Jeff and I will do this when we don't have a roast to cook, and we want tacos anyway. They taste great and we usually have some ground beef on hand. I hope you enjoy.

Ground Beef Tacos

1 lb ground beef
3 tbsp taco seasoning
1/2 c water
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can corn, drained
2 c cooked white rice
2 tortillas per serving
Sour Cream, Salsa, Cheese, lettuce, tomatoes

Brown and break up ground beef in skillet, and then add seasoning and water and stir to coat meat. Simmer over high heat for about 10 minutes, then add beans and corn. Continue to cook. Heat tortillas in a different skillet til they are still soft but slightly crispy on the outside. Layer tacos with rice, meat and toppings. Enjoy!