Melissa's Multi-faceted Musings

Pico de Gallo aka Salsa Fresca

2011-09-03T09:57:00.000-04:00

This is also from Pioneer Woman's website. I can't help myself, but this is just 'it'. I've tried to make pico and fresh salsa for years, and it was never quite right. This recipe finally gets the ratio of tomatoes to jalapeno to onion jussssst right, in my opinion. When I make this I have to quadruple the recipe, at the very least. I'm not kidding. It turns people into pigs. Pico-eating pigs. I hope you have enough chips. I have even made this and used it to marinate leftover grilled flank steak overnight. Then the next day, I sear the leftover marinated steak in a cast iron skillet, just long enough to heat it up, and make steak fajitas with portabello mushrooms, mushrooms, onions and red/yellow/orange bell peppers, sauteeing the vegetables in olive oil and Sal con Chile y Limon before heating the steak. YUM!

Pico De Gallo

5 Roma tomatoes (firm, not soft)

1/2 large or 1 small onion

3 jalapeno peppers

1 bunch cilantro

2-3 limes

Kosher Salt

*These quantities are approximate

Dice tomatoes, onion, and jalapenos. (I quarter my tomatoes lengthwise, then scrape the seeds and tomato goo out with a paring knife. I also remove the seeds and white membrane from inside the jalapenos.) Mince cilantro. Toss together in a bowl. Squeeze lime juice over chopped vegetables, add cilantro, toss again. Add salt to taste. Toss again.

***To make wonderful guacamole, just add some of this pico to mashed avocado.

Lemon-and-Bay-Leaf Pickled Green Beans

2011-08-20T16:58:00.000-04:00

During one of my 57 visits to Lowe's in the last few months, I made an impulse purchase (okay, there were probably a few impulse purchases, but this one has proven the most fun). It was a copy of Better Homes and Gardens Canning. I'm working my way through this cookbook/magazine and have made a few recipes, and adapted a couple others. I'm really enjoying it, and recommend it to anyone interested in canning as a food preservation method.

Lemon-and-Bay-Leaf Pickled Green Beans

recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Canning special interest publication, 2011 edition

makes 4 pints

2 3/4 cups water

2 cups white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon pickling salt

2 1/4 pounds (11 cups) fresh green and yellow beans, ends trimmed

8 bay leaves

4 teaspoons whole peppercorns (I used a mix of red, green and black)

8 strips lemon peel (use a vegetable peeler to make these, then squeeze the lemons for the juice called for in this recipe)

1. In an 8-quart stainless-steel, enamel or nonstick heavy pot, combine the water, vinegar, sugar, lemon juice and pickling salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar and salt dissolve.

2. Add beans to liquid and return to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Drain beans; reserve the liquid. Set beans aside and return pickling liquid to a simmer and cover.

3. Place 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of peppercorns and 2 strips of lemon peel to each of the 4 hot, sterilized pint jars. Pack the hot beans into them, lengthwise.

4. Pour boiling pickling liquid over beans in jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles in filled jars. Secure lids and rings.

5. Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes (start timing when the water returns to boiling after adding the jars). Remove jars from canner and cool on wire racks.

Southwest Chicken Sliders

2011-08-17T18:02:00.000-04:00

These are very easy to make--in fact they were a sort of accidental creation, but now I crave them often. I serve them topped with sour cream and the pickled red onions that I posted about previously (Red Chile Short Rib Tacos aka Taco Toppings). The burger is a simple mix of ground chicken, olive oil, salt, hot sauce (I use Tapatio) and southwest seasoning (Penzey's Southwest Seasoning or Pampered Chef Southwestern Seasoning Mix). If I had it, I'd add sliced avocado or some guacamole to the list of toppings! Don't forget the tomato! The one pictured is straight from my garden. Yum! I recommend cooking these in a skillet so they don't dry out--I personally don't grill ground chicken due to this, but it's certainly a matter of personal preference. Please note the variances in seasonings in the recipe guidelines below--I posted these varied amounts keeping in mind that everyone has difference comfort levels when it comes to salt and other seasonings.

Southwest Chicken Sliders

serves 4

1 pound ground chicken

1 tablespoon olive oil

several dashes of hot sauce

1/2-1 teaspoon of salt

1-2 teaspoons of southwest seasoning

Mix all ingredients and form into patties (I make 8 sliders from a pound of ground meat but these would make great regular sized burgers, too!).

Cook in a skillet on medium-high heat for approximately 5 minutes per side or until chicken is fully cooked.

Place cooked sliders on buns and top with your choice of toppings.

Pickled Red Onions

courtesy of Food Network/Bobby Flay

3/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt (I lowered this amount)

1 thinly sliced red onion

Combine ingredients 1-4 and bring to a boil. Allow mixture to cool for at least 5 minutes. Toss with onion and refrigerate at least overnight.

I usually make a double batch as these keep very well in the refrigerator--I love these and always have some in my fridge!

Scallops with Creamy Pesto

2011-07-24T11:41:00.001-04:00

I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's actually been too hot to stand outside and grill, so I've been dredging up recipes that get me in and out of the kitchen quickly. More accurately, this is a recipe that only requires your stove to be on for about 5 minutes. Minimal ingredients, fast and really tasty. Serve with veggies or pasta (which may require the stove to be on a little longer ;-P--make sure it's done before the scallops so they don't have to sit as they are best served immediately).

Scallops with Creamy Pesto

1 ½ lbs. sea scallops, patted dry

1/3 c. prepared pesto

2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. minced garlic

olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Heat 1 ½ tsp. olive oil and minced garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops and cook just 4 minutes (2 minutes per side), until golden and barely opaque at the center. Remove from skillet to plate and cover with a paper towel. Turn off stove burner. Add pesto and cream to still-warm skillet and stir to blend.
Spoon cream sauce onto plates and top with scallops. Add salt and pepper, to taste, though this dish really doesn't require much of either.

Serves 4

Creamy Dill Potato Salad with Eggs

2011-07-17T18:55:00.000-04:00

I've tried numerous potato salad recipes. I have several favorites for more of a specialty-type potato salad, but this is more of a creamy potato-and-hard-boiled-egg salad. I found the recipe on Allrecipes but took some liberties and made several changes. The original recipe is titled: My Sister's Favorite Potato Salad...Ever.

Creamy Dill Potato Salad with Eggs

12 red potatoes, cut into 1" chunks

6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon mustard powder (or 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard)

2 tablespoons dried dill weed

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Place cubed potatoes in a large pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.

2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. For best flavor, refrigerate overnight.

Red Chile Short Rib Tacos aka Taco Toppings

2011-06-26T09:50:00.001-04:00

A recent issue of Food Network Magazine contained a feature on tacos, with recipes presented by various popular chefs. I decided to try Bobby Flay's Red Chile Short Rib Tacos. I did some research and decided to substitute brisket for the short ribs I had difficulty locating at my local Kroger. Perhaps my substitution of meat greatly affected the flavor, but I wasn't fond of this dish as a whole, though some portions of it I'll carry to other Mexican cooking recipes that I've tried and love. The recipe consists of several parts--you make the meat, then you also make a homemade queso sauce, pickled red onions and green chile relish to top the tacos.

I felt that the port overwhelmed the pepper flavor I expected to shine in the meat part of this dish, making the meat seem very heavy and pot-roast-flavored. The queso sauce just wasn't what I was looking for (though the cheese lovers who tried the dish really liked the queso--personally I prefer some good Crema Mexicana on my tacos as opposed to cheese). Now, onto the pickled red onions and green chile relish. I loved the flavor of both these taco topping and will definitely make both again. The only change I'll make is to reduce the canola oil to 1 teaspoon in the green chile relish. I could taste the oil and felt the amount imparted an oily texture to the relish that I could easily eliminate.

Preparing the brisket

Infusing broth with red chiles

Red chile brisket

Red chile tacos with pickled red onions, green chile relish and fresh cilantro

Potlatch-Seasoned Salmon Grilled on a Cedar Plank

2011-06-13T19:15:00.001-04:00

This is a recipe that bears repeating now that summer is here!

Over the years I've had several opportunities to enjoy salmon grilled atop a cedar plank. Each time I remember thinking "Oh, this is easy. I can do this at home. No sweat." If only that were ENTIRELY true. My gas grill didn't allow for the flame down to be adjusted to a point low enough to keep from catching the cedar plank on fire (bad, because you may not realize it right away since the grill lid is closed for cooking). Also, I wasn't soaking the plank properly--you need to place something heavy (such as an unopened can of soup or vegetables) on the plank to keep it fully submerged in water for several hours (I let it soak all day or even overnight). Now that I feel that I have mastered my charcoal grill, I decided to try again. Charcoal grills seem to work better for this cooking application because once the coals of charcoal burn down, there is no actual flame left to ignite the board. I use one of my all-time favorite seasonings: Williams-Sonoma's Potlatch Seasoning. They also carry the cedar planks, but many stores carry these now (I'm able to find mine at Kroger, Target and Lowe's). Make sure the wood is UNTREATED!

Potlatch-Seasoned Grilled Salmon on a Cedar Plank

1 cedar plank (soaked)

2 lbs. fresh salmon (with the skin still on)

2 heaping TEAspoons Potlatch Seasoning

enough olive oil to make a paste of the seasoning (but no more than that...stir the olive oil and seasoning together to make a thick paste)

Prepare your charcoal grill. Let the coals burn down until there is no more flame. The temperature will be between 350-400 degrees. While the coals are burning down, prepare the fish as follows:

Place the salmon (skin down) on the soaked cedar plank. Spread the paste evenly over top of the salmon filet. You can use a silicone basting brush or even your fingers. Press the seasoning into the flesh of the fish gently--do not rub and tear the flesh of the fish.

When the coals are ready, place the plank on the grill and close the lid. The salmon will take approximately 20 minutes to cook, but this can vary due to grill temperature and thickness of your salmon filets.

A few words on "extreme couponing"...

2011-05-30T17:23:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't like...no, love...to save money?!?!? At this point, who doesn't need to save on purchases? There's more buzz than ever before about people really trying to work coupons and customer loyalty programs to maximize their savings. I watched one episode of the show "Extreme Couponing" and I can assure you, it was the last one I will ever watch.

One of the women profiled really caught my attention. I may be fuzzy on my details; so while my opinions may be a little misguided, here are two particular points I took away from this person's story:

She spoke of spending $70 on a "clipping service". Whether this was for one shopping trip or, say, a month, was unclear. However, what is clear is that this money she spent to "buy" coupons needs added to her "total" in some way.
She also spoke of carrying $35,000 of insurance on her hoard of soap, toothbrushes and candy bars. This is another cost that needs to be added to the total that makes viewers "ooh" and "aah" over how much this woman saved.

Essentially, I think this is another level of hoarding. Filling up space with items that can't conceivably be used before their expiration dates (or in some cases, can't conceivably be used during a LIFETIME) is not in any way saving money. I see where families do benefit from stacking savings from coupons and other savings programs. However, this "extreme couponing" track seems to advocate hoarding and gluttony, in my opinion. Dragging home anything you don't need or can't use, is wasteful. I do see instances where folks are using savings to purchase items that they donate. That I can get behind. The family with 457 candy bars? I just can't.

Welcome Summer and the Sun Tea Jar

2011-05-28T12:01:00.001-04:00

Memorial Day weekend is here and it's official. Summer is here! It's only been this last week that it FEELS to me like summer is anywhere nearby. Maybe this has to do with the fact that while out and about the evening of MAY 3RD, I wore a SKI PARKA. At any rate, this last week has finally found me turning on the central air, planning, buying and planting the annuals in my summer flower pots for around the house and getting my hands dirty in the raised beds of my vegetable and herb gardens.

Now, I'm a year-round lover of iced tea (Luzianne tea bags, heavy on the sugar, please). I prefer it to soda and always have a pitcher in the fridge. Summer comes and I can't keep the pitcher full. While I was grocery shopping the other day with the kids, I saw that our friends at Kroger had the glass sun tea jars I remember my mom and grandma sitting out in the sun each year. I had to have one! And this morning, its maiden voyage on my deck:

It couldn't be easier to make. Just fill the jar with tap/filtered water (NOT boiling!!!), 4-6 tea bags and sugar (I like my tea to be like hummingbird food, so I use 2 cups...don't judge me ;-P). Allow the jar to sit in the sun until the tea is brewed to your preferred strength then bring the jar in and pop it in the fridge or on your kitchen counter. Serve over ice with a nice slice of lemon.

WELCOME SUMMER!!!!

Veal Saltimbocca Burgers

2011-05-22T17:13:00.000-04:00

These are just plain amazing. A new burger twist worth trying. I pick up the ground veal at Wheeling's Miklas Meat Market.

Saltimbocca Burgers

Rachael RayFrom Every Day with Rachael Ray

September 2007

FOUR SERVINGS

1 1/2 pounds ground veal
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
15 leaves fresh sage, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
4 slices prosciutto (about 1/4 pound)
6 ounces fontina cheese, sliced or shredded
Eight 1-inch-thick slices semolina bread
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce from the heart
Juice of 1/2 lemon

1. In a medium bowl, mix the veal, garlic and sage; season with salt and pepper. Form 4 patties, pressing your thumb in the center of each burger to prevent it from bulging while cooking.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the burger patties and cook through, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Top the burgers with the prosciutto and fontina. Cover the skillet to melt the cheese, about 3 minutes.

3. While the burgers cook, toast the bread and set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, dress the lettuce with the remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO and the lemon juice; season to taste with salt and pepper. Set each burger on a toasted bread slice; top with the romaine and another toasted bread slice.

Ramps, y'all! Again!

2011-04-25T20:51:00.000-04:00

What's

She

Gonna

With

ALL

THOSE

RAMPS

?!?!?

Oven-Roasted Shrimp

2011-04-12T15:27:00.001-04:00

This isn't a recipe so much as a jumping off point. Think of all the ways you can use this method of cooking shrimp. It's one of the easiest ways I've encountered to cook shrimp. I line a large rimmed baking sheet with a few layers of foil and just throw away the mess when I'm done. Please note that temperature and cooking time is for shrimp that still have tails and peels ON.

Oven-Roasted Shrimp

1 lb. shrimp (tails and peel still intact)--size medium (21-30 count per pound)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 stick butter
salt and pepper
lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss the shrimp with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, then spread on a foil-lined baking sheet. Scatter pats of butter over the shrimp. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and opaque.

There are a number of modifications that can be made to this recipe. You can add garlic and make a scampi-type shrimp, coat them in Old Bay or blackening seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning...the list goes on and on.

Oatmeal Cookies with Icing Drizzle

2011-03-04T17:17:00.001-05:00

I came across this recipe for Iced Oatmeal Cookies on a favorite food blog of mine, Smitten Kitchen. The SK blogger adapted a cookie recipe from cookbook Good to the Grain. After following the recipe exactly the first time, I jotted down these changes. They tested out to make the cookies exactly as I wanted them. My changes were to eliminate buttering the cookie sheets--this makes for a more browned, crisp cookie than I prefer to eat--so if you prefer this, slather away with the butter. I'm warning you, however, to watch cookies baked on buttered sheets very closely. They can burn in an instant. Additionally, I eliminated the cinnamon from the icing, and used just whole milk and confectioners sugar. Lastly, these were made smaller than shown on SK, using the Small Pampered Chef Scoop (appx. 1 tablespoon).

Try these! They're excellent in most any incarnation!

Firehouse Breakfast Bake, Take 2

2011-02-12T11:08:00.000-05:00

This recipe was sent to me by my friend Kara (hi, Kara!!!). The first time I made this, the only change I made was omitting 1 teaspoon of garlic salt from the recipe. This is fantastic and a great choice if you want something that is a little different than the usual egg breakfast bakes. The consistency of this is like that of a quiche, but there is no actual crust.

I made the egg bake again this morning and I've made a few changes that I think make it a little easier and a little better. Next time I make this I will also add a cup or so of diced fresh mushrooms. It may be clear by now that I am a relentless recipe tinkerer.

-12 eggs
-2 cups rice, cooked (I use Trader Joe's frozen packs of brown rice--no cleanup!)
-1/2 stick butter, melted (I used unsalted)
-16 oz. cottage cheese, small curd
-1 envelope Knorr Leek Soup mix
-1/4 teaspoon black pepper
-1 package (16 oz. bag) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed of excess water
-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then add the cooked rice, melted butter, cottage cheese, soup mix, pepper, drained spinach and mix together.

Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the bottom of a 13x9" greased baking dish to make the "crust". Spread the egg mixture in the dish, covering all the cheese.

Cover and refrigerate overnight (I didn't have time to do this the first time I made it, and I just baked a few minutes longer). Remove from refrigerator 30 min. prior to baking. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Cool 15-20 min. before cutting.

Serves 12

Shrimp Enchiladas

2011-02-10T20:18:00.002-05:00

This recipe was on the cover of Bon Appetit last summer. I saved it and then didn't come across it again until recently when I had company on the way for the weekend and a craving for Mexican food.

The actual title of the recipe is "Shrimp and Cotija Enchiladas". Cotija cheese is a hard, white Mexican cheese made from cow's milk. If this is an ingredient you think you'll have trouble purchasing, you can substitute feta cheese. I was able to make a trip to Reyna Foods in the Strip District of Pittsburgh to get most of the ingredients for this dish that I would have trouble getting at my local Kroger store. It's a great little store that carries lots of Mexican/Latin American staples, novelties, various fresh guacamole and salsas as well as in-store-made tortillas and corn chips. I was able to get the only other ingredient that isn't readily available to me at home in Wheeling, which is Crema Mexicana. This is the Mexican version of sour cream (which, of course you can use as a substitute in this recipe). True Crema is sour cream's richer, more decadent cousin. If you can get your hands on it, you won't regret it. It's delicious!

For the first time making this dish, I did follow the recipe closely. I thought it was wonderful, but I do have just a few changes that I will make when (not if, WHEN!) I make these enchiladas again.

I will substitute flour tortillas for the corn tortillas called for in the recipe. This is really a matter of personal preference. The one modification I did make was to use both flour and corn tortillas in this dish. The recipe directs that both sides of each tortilla be dredged in the freshly made salsa verde. I liked how the flour tortillas soaked the flavor up more (and I have to be honest, I just don't care for the texture of corn tortillas--again, personal taste should guide you, here)
The recipe calls for the finished enchiladas to be topped with thinly sliced avocado and red onion for serving. The next time I make these, I will dice the avocado and red onion and marinate it in lime juice then top each enchilada with the mixture along with fresh cilantro.

Bon Appetit's Shrimp & Cotija Enchiladas RECIPE

Cast Iron Skillets and Quesadillas

2011-02-01T19:42:00.000-05:00

Let's also call this post a few other things. Such as, "Sneaking more healthy food into your kids' dinner" (yes, that again). Or, "Feed your inner child" (or your real children).

Quesadillas are a popular quick meal in my house, and there are so many things you can do with them. Of course, my kids are partial to the standard "chicken and cheese, please". This isn't so much a recipe post, but a way to start thinking about all the fillings you can use for these quick-to-the-table lunch and dinner options.

I found a way to hide some more nutrition in our chicken and cheese quesadillas. I pureed a can of great northern beans (used my food processor and added just enough water that they blended into a smooth paste) and spread them on one of the tortillas, then added shredded cheese and diced chicken breast. The color and mild flavor of the great northern beans make them virtually undetectable by even the pickiest eater. Yay!

Now, onto the real fun part. I'm sure many other people have thought of this before it popped into my mind, but go with me anyway: S'MORES QUESADILLAS! I had some leftover whole wheat tortillas, mini marshmallows and chocolate chips. I always have butter and my trusty cast iron skillet. Oh my. Where have these been all my life? Easy. Yummy. Go make yourself one, or two. Or ten. I won't judge you.

Some other quesadilla ideas:

peanut butter and jelly
peanut butter and banana
pizza
nutella and cherries
use some leftover Buffalo Chicken Dip as a filling
Ranch Chicken (diced chicken, ranch dressing, cheddar cheese and diced red/yellow bell pepper)

Just think of all the things you can do! Do you have any favorites?

Oven-Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Horseradish Cream

2011-01-20T18:51:00.000-05:00

Oven-Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Horseradish Cream

adapted from a recipe found on www.epicurious.com

Ingredients:

Sauce:

1 large head of garlic, whole

1 teaspoon olive oil

pinch salt

2 cups heavy cream

¼ cup drained prepared horseradish

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

½ teaspoon salt

Tenderloin:

2.5-3 pound center-cut beef tenderloin roast

3 teaspoons kosher salt (flakes)

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper (preferably fresh-ground)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika (preferably smoked or Hungarian)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Make sauce:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut off and discard top ¼ of garlic head, exposing all the cloves. Drizzle garlic with oil and sprinkle with pinch of salt. Wrap garlic tightly in foil. Roast garlic until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from oven, open foil and allow to cool.

While garlic roasts, simmer cream, salt and white pepper in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally until reduced to about ¾ cup, about 30 minutes. Transfer reduced cream to a bowl and set aside.

Squeeze roasted garlic into a small bowl, discarding the skins. Mash together with the prepared horseradish. Blend the cream and garlic/horseradish mixture using an immersion or other blender. Chill until ready to serve.

Prepare and Roast Tenderloin:

(I mix up the rubbing paste for the roast ahead of time and let it sit so the flavors blend) Stir together salt, oregano, garlic powder, paprika and olive oil into a thick paste. Rub the paste all over the surface of the tenderloin.

Place the tenderloin on a foil-covered baking sheet (with raised sides to contain any juices). Allow the roast to come to room temperature before baking (this will take an hour or so and will not harm the meat in any way).

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Take the thin ends of the tenderloin and tuck them under the center. Cover the roast tightly with foil.

Roast on center rack for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let stand (do NOT uncover) for 20 minutes.

Remove foil and continue to roast for another 15-20 minutes. This will cook the roast to medium-rare, which is optimal for this cut of beef.

Allow roast to stand for 10 minutes before carving into slices and serving with chilled garlic horseradish cream.

Happy New Year! Go forth and eat...Homemade Ranch Dressing!

2011-01-08T12:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome, 2011! I hope it's a good year for everyone. I know it promises to be a busy one for me. A while ago I recommended a favorite food blog of mine, Annie's Eats. She posted a great recipe for homemade ranch dressing. Who doesn't love ranch dressing? No, really. Tell me. Who? If you know someone who doesn't? Make them try this. I've tried a couple different recipes and this is my favorite (Pioneer Woman has another good recipe). I only made one modification--the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon lemon juice. I prefer to use 1 tablespoon white vinegar instead. Several homemade ranch dressing recipes use a small amount of chopped fresh dills, so that is something else you may wish to add to yours. Enjoy!

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:

3/4 cup mayonnaise (REAL, though you can use light)

3/4 cup sour cream (light can be used)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar (see notes above)

1/4-1 cup buttermilk (I like to use the full amount)

1 small bunch fresh chives, chopped

small handful chopped fresh parsley

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped

kosher salt (to taste, appx. 1/2 teaspoon)

freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Combine all ingredients except buttermilk, salt and pepper in a food processor (blender or whisk and mixing bowl work as well). While mixing, add in the buttermilk 1/4 cup at a time until desired taste and consistency is reached. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate in an airtight container.

ingredients before blending

Soft Molasses Cookies

2010-12-20T15:52:00.000-05:00

I posted the recipe for these a few years ago. I think it's worthy of a repost. They are a great old-fashioned-cookie addition to anyone's holiday baking arsenal.

Soft Molasses Cookies (King Arthur Flour Recipe)

Ingredients
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 c molasses
1/3 c dark rum
5 tbsps butter
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 c king arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp ginger

Directions
Step #1 Whisk together the flour, spices, salt & baking soda, & set aside.
Step #2 In a large bowl, beat together the butter & sugar, then beat in the molasses.
Step #3 Add the dry ingredients alternately with the rum.
Step #4 Using a cookie or muffin scoop, scoop out round balls of dough somewhere in size between a ping-pong ball & a golf ball, & place the balls on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.
Step #5 Bake the cookies in a preheated 375°F oven for 11 to 12 mins, until they crack on top but haven't yet browned around the edges.

Roast Turkey

2010-12-03T14:11:00.001-05:00

I made a really great turkey this year. I don't have a single photo to prove it, but I finally got the cooking process down to exactly how I want it.

I start by brining the turkey with a jar of Turkey Brine from Williams Sonoma. I follow the directions on the label (using the apple cider variation).

As far as roasting it after brining:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. Drizzle the turkey with olive oil and rub it into the skin. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes at 500 then decrease oven temp to 325 degrees. Continue to roast to at least 160 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast, about 3-3 1/2 hours for an 18 lb. turkey (the size I typically get). If the skin starts to get too dark during roasting, tent with foil. I always wrap the wings in foil so they don't get too dark, then uncover them during the last 30 mins. to 1 hr. to let them brown along with the rest of the bird. I no longer put the stuffing in the bird, but instead bake it in a separate pan. Stick to the thermometer for checking if the turkey is done--it really helps keep you from overcooking the turkey! After removing from the oven, allow the turkey to rest under a tent of foil or a large mixing bowl while you prepare your table/sides/etc (about an hour is fine).

Beef Stew

2010-11-10T16:13:00.001-05:00

1-1.5 lbs beef (or venison) stew meat
1 can/bottle Guinness
1/4 stick butter
1 onion (diced)
4 carrots (cut)
4 celery stalks (cut)
4 potatoes (cut)
8 mushrooms (quartered)
2 cups vegetable juice
1 large can crushed tomatoes (appx. 28 oz.)
1 teaspoon beef stock concentrate (or a boullion cube)
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon ground rosemary
salt and pepper to taste (I use about a teaspoon of each)

Toss the stew meat with just enough Guinness to coat it and allow to sit as you chop your vegetables.
Melt butter in skillet. Saute onions. Brown the stew meat.
In stock pot, put vegetable juice, crushed tomatoes, stock concentrate/boullion and spices on medium heat. Allow to simmer. Add meat and all vegetables except mushrooms (add them when the stew is close to done so they don't disintegrate).
Simmer for 2 hours (you can leave longer if you'd like, but I like my vegetables to keep a little bite so I leave it on the stove for less time).
Season and serve!

My favorite pumpkin project of the year

2010-11-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

Mini pumpkin

Black spray paint

Thick white paper

Black magic marker

Red paint and thin brush or toothpick (for mouth)

Black felt (I used glittery felt)

2 wooden skewers

Duct or packaging tape (to tape the eyes to the stem and the skewers to the back of the wings)

Pumpkin fun

2010-10-19T21:53:00.002-04:00

The Hot Chocolate Experiment, Attempt One

2010-10-07T14:50:00.000-04:00

Two winters ago, I fell in love with Williams-Sonoma's hot chocolate. I love good hot chocolate, but they really suckered me into purchasing it with their cutesy tin. Then my family came to visit and I realized it took an entire $20 can of the stuff to serve our whole bunch (Dad may have had seconds...or thirds...). So on and off for the next two years, I've grumbled about this--refusing to purchase more, yet wanting the rich hot chocolate. What makes this particular type of hot chocolate so good is the fact that you're not using powdered cocoa, but milk and CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS! I don't know about you, but when I want hot chocolate I want it to be rich! I'm not trying to tone anything down or be healthy here, so proceed at your own risk. Make it and let me know what you think!

Ridiculously Rich Hot Chocolate

makes 2 mugs

1 regular-sized chocolate bar (I used Hershey since I had it in my pantry)

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups milk

MARSHMALLOWS!

Break the chocolate bar into small pieces. Put pieces and sweetened condensed milk in a medium saucepan. Whisk ingredients until melted. Use low heat so as not to scorch the chocolate or milk! Add milk and continue to heat. Stir very often to discourage the skin that forms on top of cooking milk. Do not allow to fully boil. Add vanilla extract and stir thoroughly.

Pour into mugs and add marshmallows to serve (I put the marshmallows in the bottom and pour the hot chocolate over them so they melt more).

It's that time of year again...PUMPKIN MANIA!!!!!!!!!!

2010-09-24T13:41:00.001-04:00

I have to admit that I'm more a fan of pumpkins as decoration than food. I'm just not a fan of pumpkin coffee, pumpkin beer or pumpkin muffins stuffed with pumpkin covered in pumpkin icing drizzled with pumpkin glaze. However, I know I'm outnumbered. And that's ok!!!

Today it's difficult to write about fall, with the mercury climbing to about ninety degrees here in lovely Wheeling town. But it's the time of year when I start thinking about what I'm going to do to decorate pumpkins for the season.

I don't want to steal anyone's photos, so for now this post is a preview of things to come:

swiss cheese pumpkins with little mice
henna 'tattoo' pumpkins
spiderweb pumpkins
ribbon pumpkins
pumpkins decorated with upholstery tacks/hobnails

Now, for those of you who love your pumpkin foodstuffs, here is a link to a pumpkin puree recipe on a TERRIFIC food blog called Annie's Eats. Even if you have no interest in making pumpkin puree, check out Annie's food blog. It's really fantastic!

Some pics of my own from a couple autumns ago...

Monster Milkshakes

2010-09-07T15:09:00.000-04:00

~~Eat~~ Drink your fruits and vegetables!!! This is still a treat--face it, there's more than a fair amount of sugar in it, but there's avocado hiding in here!!!

2 avocados peeled and pitted
1 cup vanilla milk (or plain milk if unable to get vanilla, just adjust sugar amount below)
1 cup vanilla yogurt
2 cups ice cubes
2-4 tablespoons sugar

Puree in blender and feed to your little monsters. Don't forget to save some for yourself! It's pretty tasty if I do say so myself. This recipe is a modified version of one found in Disney's Family Fun magazine.

White Lies, part One (aka Falafel pretends to be chicken nuggets)

2010-08-21T10:52:00.000-04:00

Parents know that trying to feed kids can be trying. Sometimes trying to feed ourselves is trying! We have dreams of our little people eating mountains of vegetables so we can be "that mom (or dad)" who gets to brag about our little asparagus-loving geniuses smiling for all the world to see. Then those children morph into creatures who decide that the only foods on the planet are grilled cheese sandwiches and marshmallows. Or beige food. Or that vegetables are the equivalent of Anthrax. Kids are great that way, aren't they?

There are books and shows and blogs and such popping up everywhere, all telling us how to sneak what our kids need to eat into the things that they WANT to eat. When I first noticed this phenomenon, I thought "well, I'm never going to do that...I'm just going to teach my kids to eat right". Nice theory. I think what has been decided on in my house is that teaching and talking about healthy eating is important, but often enough, desperate times call for desperate measures.

One of the things I really try to be sure is present in our foods is dietary fiber. It helps you feel full (and can help with weight loss), is important for gastrointestinal health, helps regulate blood sugar...it's just a really good thing. And most of us don't get enough of it. So, here is a "recipe" in which I get fiber into my and my little family's diet and trick my kids. All at the same time.

All you need to do is this--go buy a box of falafel mix. Blend ingredients as directed. Then, coat your hands in olive oil and make little chicken-nugget-shaped patties. Arrange them on a greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes per side. Fool your kids and giggle that you've just fed them ground chickpeas! Eat them yourself because they're good for you, too!

Fruity Food Fun

2010-07-28T22:10:00.000-04:00

~~Don't.~~ Play! With! Your! Food!

Southwest Cider-Spiked Marinade

2010-07-26T16:13:00.001-04:00

I have a tendency to throw different things together to make marinades or salad dressings. Some aren't good enough to revisit--some are. I use this one a lot, particularly for flank steak. Today I'm using it for a London Broil. My son, Grant, asked if he and his sister Sophia could ride trikes while I grill steak. The terrible heatwave has broken (for at least the moment). So: Yes, my kidlets. Yes, you can!!! I hope you enjoy this quick marinade as much as we do.

1/2 cup oil (I used a canola oil blend)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3-5 tablespoons southwest seasoning (I have used Southwestern Dip Mix from Miller's Market in Romney, WV and Pampered Chef's Southwestern Seasoning Mix)
1/2 large yellow or white onion, sliced into rings

Toss ingredients together and marinate meat for a few hours. Grill the marinated meat as you like it (and grill the other half of the onion to serve with the meat).

Firehouse Breakfast (Egg Bake)

2010-07-23T15:27:00.000-04:00

This recipe was sent to me by my friend Kara (hi, Kara!!!). The only change I made was omitting 1 teaspoon of garlic salt from the recipe. This is fantastic and a great choice if you want something that is a little different than the usual egg breakfast bakes. The consistency of this is like that of a quiche, but there is no actual crust.

-12 eggs, divided
-1 cup rice, cooked
-1 stick butter, melted
-16 oz. cottage cheese, small curd
-1 envelope Knorr Leek Soup mix
-1 teaspoon onion salt
-1/4 teaspoon black pepper
-1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained & squeezed of excess water
-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

In a large bowl, beat 9 eggs, then add the cooked rice, melted butter, cottage cheese, soup mix, spices, drained spinach and mix together.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese on bottom of a 13x9" greased baking dish. Spread the rice and cottage cheese mixture in the dish. Beat the 3 remaining eggs and pour evenly over the top of the mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over mixture.

Cover and refrigerate overnight (I didn't have time to do this the first time I made it, and I just baked a few minutes longer). Remove from refrigerator 30 min. prior to baking. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Cool 15-20 min. before cutting.

Serves 12

Cherry Almond Cookies

2010-07-05T12:52:00.001-04:00

For some reason, I decided I just had to have cherry almond cookies. I couldn't find a recipe that was quite what I wanted. Here's what I've come up with:

Cherry Almond Cookies
makes 6-7 dozen

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup oat flour*
1/4 cup ground flax seed (can be omitted)
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream together butter and sugars until smooth.
Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Stir in almond extract.
Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add baking soda/water and salt to batter.
Stir in flours, flax seed, cherries and almonds.
Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven, until cookie edges are lightly browned.

* Make oat flour by grinding oatmeal in the blender, then sifting out any leftover large pieces using a mesh colander.

Kids say the darnedest things...

2010-06-29T15:55:00.000-04:00

I'm somewhat of a proper-grammar and spelling fanatic (please don't take that statement as an opportunity to dissect my blog-writing, hehe). But there are a few things my kids say that are so cute I can not bring myself to correct them!!!

Pork Chops = "Fork" Chops
Backpack = "Pack-pack"

Is there anything your kids have said that you decided to wait a while to correct? A while as in...maybe never?

Pecan Pie (aka: the only thing I accomplished today)

2010-06-19T20:26:00.001-04:00

I've tried several different pecan pie recipes. I've doctored, added and subtracted, then scratched my head and started over. I think this is a good, solid recipe for a classic dessert. Some things are just best kept pretty simple. Try it and let me know if you agree! I made a few tweaks to a recipe that claims to be that of The Camellia Grill in New Orleans.

Pecan Pie
makes 2-9" deep-dish pies

10 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup salted butter, melted
2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 cup cane syrup*
2 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 unbaked pie shells
2 cups pecan halves

1. Beat eggs with a wire whisk (I use a stand mixer to make the pie filling).
2. Add salt, butter, syrups, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Blend well.
3. Pour filling into pie shells (tip: don't overfill crusts--leave room for pecan topping and for filling to bubble while baking). Top with pecan halves.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

*more light corn syrup can be substituted for the cane syrup if unavailable

Re-Introducing Myself...

2010-06-17T14:56:00.001-04:00

I've recently been added as one of the bloggers linked to my hometown newspaper: The Hampshire Review (thanks for having me, Sallie!). This is exciting because it's another connection to my hometown of Romney, WV even though I now live with my two children in Wheeling (uh oh...the "other panhandle"). I'm the oldest of Royce and Sharon Saville's four kids (hi Mom, Dad, Ashley, Meagan and Philip!). I don't get home as much as I'd like these days, but love where I had the good fortune to grow up. I graduated from Hampshire High School in 1994. I'm currently pursuing my masters of Criminal Justice at UMass. I guess it's fair to call me a career student--I can't stay away. I love to cook, knit, make my kids do things that generate good photos and try to wrangle an army of rescued dogs and cats. You'll probably hear a little about all of that and then some. Hope you find a neat tidbit to take away if you stop by to read for a bit.

Without a Net

2010-06-13T18:09:00.000-04:00

I've had a hard time with food blogging because I'm not good at following recipes (or documenting what I do when I'm cooking, period). Do I love recipes? Yes! Do I use them as inspiration? Absolutely! But I often find myself in situations where I've made something that I think is memorable, but I'll have a little trouble telling anyone else how to recreate what I've done. The biggest culprit is that I'm not good about measuring--I'm certain this is why I do so little baking.

Does this happen to anyone else? Do you just throw things around the kitchen and can't necessarily nail it down into a follow-able recipe if asked to do so?

Green Beans and Zucchini with Sauce Vert from Bon Appetit

2010-06-13T14:08:00.000-04:00

Green Beans and Zucchini with Sauce Vert

I followed this Bon Appetit recipe to a T. I'd absolutely make it again with no changes. BUT! It's nearing the start of zucchini AND squash harvesting in my little garden and I thought the zucchini absorbed the sauce vert flavor a little better than the green beans. So, I'll make it again with zucchini and squash spears, most likely.

The sauce is fantastic. The recipe says leftover sauce is good stirred into cous cous. I made a bowl of rice the other evening (Trader Joe's frozen--I am SO lazy sometimes for someone who loves to cook) and stirred some of the sauce in. Terrific! I'll be thinning some with olive oil as a marinade for chicken before grilling. I think it would make a great pasta sauce as well. Think pesto with more of a kick.

Roasted Fingerling Potato Salad from Bon Appetit

2010-06-13T09:19:00.000-04:00

Roasted Fingerling Potato Salad from Bon Appetit

1. This gave me a huge "DUH" moment when it comes to roasting fingerling potatoes. Seriously people, follow the directions from this recipe. Each time. Every time!

2. I will just say no to tarragon the next time I make this recipe. I really don't care for the licorice-y taste and I didn't like the taste with roasted potatoes one little bit. The rest of this recipe really shined as good enough to think of a substitute. Next time I make this I'll be using fresh thyme.

Back to the kitchen

2010-06-13T09:17:00.000-04:00

I'm going to be using this blog to log recipes I've tried and alterations I've made. Because let's face it--who cooks and doesn't mess with the recipe?

Potlatch-Seasoned Grilled Salmon on a Cedar Plank

2008-06-06T19:17:00.000-04:00

Over the years I've had several opportunities to enjoy salmon grilled atop a cedar plank. Each time I remember thinking "Oh, this is easy. I can do this at home. No sweat." Mmm...not so much. My gas grill didn't allow for the flame down to be adjusted to a point low enough to keep from catching the cedar plank on fire (bad, because you may not realize it right away since the grill lid is closed for cooking). Also, I wasn't soaking the plank properly--you need to place something heavy on the plank and keep it fully submerged in water for several hours (I let it soak all day). Now that I have a charcoal grill (yep, still singing the praises and giggling at converting my parents who thought it was just a waste of time and energy) I decided to try again. It seems to work better because when you let the coals of charcoal burn down, there is no actual flame to ignite the board. This time I wanted to try a seasoning I've heard so much about. Get ye to Williams-Sonoma and buy some of this Potlatch Seasoning. They also carry the cedar planks, but some grocery stores even have these now. Make sure the wood is UNTREATED!

Potlatch-Seasoned Grilled Salmon on a Cedar Plank

1 cedar plank (soaked)

2 lbs. fresh salmon (with the skin still on)

2 heaping TEAspoons Potlatch Seasoning

enough olive oil to make a paste of the seasoning (but no more than that...stir the olive oil and seasoning together to make a thick paste)

Prepare your charcoal grill. Let the coals burn down until there is no more flame. The temperature will be between 350-400 degrees. While the coals are burning down, prepare the fish as follows:

Place the salmon (skin down) on the soaked cedar plank. Spread the paste evenly over top of the salmon filet. Rub it in gently, not tearing the flesh of the fish filet.

When the coals are ready, place the plank on the grill and close the lid. The salmon will take appx. 20 minutes to cook, but this can vary due to grill temperature and thickness of your salmon filets.

Remember Me? Summer Grilling (and a recipe for Cheater's Cajun Shrimp Alfredo)

2008-05-31T09:15:00.001-04:00

So, I've been a little busy. OK, a lot of busy. I still cook...sometimes. I'm doing a good bit of chasing the kids around outside and reading for school.

We've been doing a lot of grilling on our new Char-Griller combination charcoal grill/smoker. I can honestly say that I don't think our propane gas grill will get any (or much) use this season (or ever again). Like many people, we shied away from charcoal thinking it was a pain, too dirty or too time-consuming. We're finding that none of that is really true. Now, my mom says it's carcinogenic, but after all the food hysteria (and packaging hysteria) that we've been inundated by, I just can't even bring myself to look. It appears that breathing air each day is carcinogenic, too. So, anyway, sidetracked... Jon has been begging for a charcoal grill and I found this great model on sale at Home Depot (if we ever go bankrupt, I hold them solely responsible). It was supposed to be his Father's Day gift, but I guess Father's Day came early this year.

Something to consider (it's worth the $10-15 or so) is a Charcoal Chimney Starter. This takes all the work out of getting your charcoal ready for grilling. We've been buying natural charcoal, too, instead of the briquettes with all of the chemical starters, etc. in them.

The taste difference in grilling over charcoal as opposed to on the gas grill is just unbelievable. We haven't used the smoker yet, but I'm sure we'll get to that (probably a pork loin with a cider-vinegar-based BBQ marinade so we can chop the meat and make Pulled Pork Sandwiches). today I have a flank steak marinating in a mixture of Pampered Chef's Southwest Seasoning, Olive Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar (yes, I love me some vinegar...what of it?!!?).

Happy Grilling!!!

Now, last night I made a quick "fake it don't make it" kind of dinner. Last weekend I went to fish market and got some Old Bay-seasoned steamed shrimp. We had some left over, so we peeled them and popped them in the freezer. I had an idea to make some kind of Cajun Shrimp Alfredo, but had no desire to make alfredo sauce from scratch (my only true cooking disaster was homemade alfredo sauce...the cats wouldn't even eat the shrimp from it). So, here's what I did.

Cheater's Cajun Shrimp Alfredo

1 lb. cooked shrimp (frozen or thawed, doesn't matter) peeled and deveined

powdered cajun seasoning (I use something called Cajun Dust...found it at TJMaxx)

3 small containers refrigerated alfredo sauce (I used Buitoni)

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 portabello mushroom, chopped

1 box whole wheat linguini

Place first 5 ingredients in a large saucepan and allow to heat through. DO NOT ALLOW CREAM SAUCES TO BOIL. Prepare pasta and serve. It tastes so good that no one could ever guess how lazy you are ;-)

RAMPS, Y'all!!!

2008-04-15T21:58:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again. We just harvested our first batch of ramps on Sunday. We have a hillside full of them. For those who know and love ramps, no, I'm not telling you where I live. We're greedy and selfish folks. Unless we like you. And you're brave. And you like to be a little stinky. This post will be continued, with photos and a recipe or two (or ten). But, I needed to get started with the post as I lose my train of thought a lot these days (Since bringing our daughter Sophia home from Guatemala late last month, we now have two kids under the age of two in the house). Go forth, click these links, and learn about ramps. Appalachian brain food. Read about "The Feast of the Ramson".

Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

2008-03-13T09:39:00.000-04:00

because as my husband say, "Everything is better with BACON!". Undo all that healthy, vegetable goodness.

Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

Salad:
1 bag baby spinach
1 small red onion, sliced into very thin rings
sliced, hard-boiled eggs
cherry/grape tomatoes
sliced mushrooms
walnuts (toasted in a dry skillet, if you wish)

Dressing:
(I found this recipe on Allrecipes and it is the best and easiest that I have tried at this point--and it doesn't call for using bacon grease)
8 slices cooked bacon, drained and chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt (I omitted this)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar

Place chopped bacon in skillet over medium heat, and allow to reheat and start to sizzle. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Slowly pour in water and vinegar, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture into the skillet with the heated bacon and stir constantly, until mixture heats and thickens. Dress salads and serve immediately.

I Love Bread and Dipping Oils.

2008-03-08T09:32:00.000-05:00

What could be better than bread? Bread and butter? Mmm...sometimes, I guess, but this is even better than that. BREAD AND DIPPING OIL! You know the stuff...you go to that little Italian place and here comes your server, arms laden with a cutting board of crusty bread and a bottle of olive-oil-y goodness tucked in the crook of his/her arm. It's coming to your table, and barring your dedication to to some low-carb eating plan, you'd better eat it. Not only should you eat it, you should make your own at home when the spirit moves you. It's easy!!! I have a basic throw-together recipe that I use. We'll call it my 'winter version', because in the summer I always add bits and pieces of fresh herbs from my garden. You can start with this basic grouping of ingredients and add most anything you want, depending on your meal or just what you have a taste for in general.

Dipping Oil

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (use the good stuff, it really makes a huge difference in taste...stronger extra virgin olive oils will have a definite green hue to them)

4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and crushed

pinch of salt

pinch of hot pepper flakes

dash of balsalmic vinegar (maybe 1/2 teaspoon)

Whisk it all together and break bread! Recipe is easily doubled, tripled, etc. It can be stored, but I prefer to make it fresh when we're going to eat it. It's nice to let the flavors meld for an hour or so before serving, but not necessary.

This is where I'll admit that I'm not really a baker of bread. I prefer to pick up a loaf or two of whatever artisan bread is fresh at the grocery that day. If you baked your own bread, well, people would probably love you even more. I will just have to live with less love coming in due to my lack of love for baking.

Fettucini with Italian Sausage and Peppers

2008-03-06T18:47:00.001-05:00

There is nothing revolutionary about this dish, but it's easy, quick and good. Here is the way I do it...

Fettucini with Italian Sausage and Peppers

2 tbsp. + 1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 lb. Italian sausage--loose pack if you can find it, otherwise sliced or removed from link casings and crumbled (hot or mild)

4 Cubanelle or Hungarian Wax peppers, cut into small pieces (depending on the level of 'heat' you'd like; the Cubanelles are a little milder in my opinion)

1 lb. fettucini

salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan or Romano cheese to sprinkle after cooking

Boil a pot of water and cook pasta as directed. As the water boils/pasta cooks, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil and garlic over medium-high heat. Allow garlic to just start to brown, and add sausage. Cook until done. Add pepper chunksand stir together. Saute until peppers are JUST done (don't let it all get mushy and colorless). Add enough olive oil to skillet to make this into a good 'sauce' for your pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Add cheese to taste and serve!

**my dad likes to add crushed red pepper flakes to this recipe

Convenience Food RAVE!!!

2008-02-28T12:01:00.000-05:00

I'm not a big fan of convenience foods. They don't taste good, they're terribly unhealthy and the overabundance of packaging fills up my garbage can and our landfills far too quickly. However, our friends at Kroger strategically placed the display of this wonderful product next to the milk cooler in the natural foods section, so I decided to give it a try. The product is Annie Chun's Noodle Bowls (comes in various flavors). No artificial ingredients, it really is delicious and cooks up quickly in the microwave, and...the packaging is not only biodegradable, but it's compostable! Take that, petroleum giants! Good for me, and my planet. Cool. Note too, that it requires no refrigeration, so you can keep it in your pantry or even your desk at work.

I had the Pad Thai flavor today and topped it with leftover flank steak and pickled veggies from the Banh Mi sandwiches we had last night. Absolutely delicious!

Open-Faced Cream Cheese Crockpot Chicken Sandwiches

2008-02-27T11:29:00.000-05:00

Say that really fast six times. Anyway, a fellow mom and internet friend posted this recipe and I decided to make it for dinner last night. The original recipe can be found here. I used Jenn's changes and made a couple of my own. Thanks again, Jenn!!!

Cream Cheese Crockpot Chicken

4 chicken breasts
Olive oil
1 can chicken broth (divided in half)
½ cup white wine
1 package of dry Italian dressing/seasoning mix
1 small package sliced mushrooms
Handful chopped celery
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz brick of cream cheese, cut up in cubes
1 large onion, minced
crushed garlic to taste

Brush chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with the dry Italian seasoning mix. Add ½ can chicken broth and wine to crockpot and place chicken breasts in the wine/broth. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours.

About 45 minutes before done, brown the onion in the butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the cream cheese, soup, and chicken broth to the pan (and a splash more wine if you wish). Add the crushed garlic and whisk all ingredients in saucepan until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour sauce mixture over chicken in crockpot and cook an additional 30-45 minutes. Remove chicken to platter and stir sauce before serving.

I served the chicken and gravy atop slices of whole-grain bread, as you would an open-faced turkey sandwich.

Banh Mi - Vietnamese Steak Sandwich

2008-02-25T11:35:00.000-05:00

This recipe is from the August 2004 issue of Real Simple magazine. It's a favorite in our house. My only real deviation from this recipe is to marinate the flank steak overnight or from morning until cooking at dinnertime. Don't be afraid of the mayo, it broils off in the oven and serves only to soften the bread surface. You cannot taste it and the recipe just isn't the same without it. Being weird about mayo, I have made it both ways. Enjoy (Michelle, I know you've been waiting for this)! Also, I double or triple the marinade to make more meat and also use an entire bottle of rice vinegar and make a lot more pickled veggies so there are lunchtime leftovers for Jon.

Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches (Banh Mi)

1/2 lb. piece of flank steak, about 1 inch thick

1 TEAspoon sriracha chili sauce (found in the international aisle of most supermarkets...heck, I can even find it here in Wheeling!)

4 TEAspoons sugar

1 1/2 TABLEspoons nuoc nam (fish sauce...once again, head for the international foods aisle)

1 TEAspoon minced garlic

1 cup rice wine vinegar

3 radishes thinly sliced (daikon if you can find them, but regular radishes are just fine)

1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks

1/2 medium bell pepper, cut into thin rings

4 TABLEspoons mayonnaise (don't even think of using Miracle Whip)

1 small loaf (appx. 8") baguette or french bread, halved and cut horizontally

6 sprigs fresh cilantro

Place chili sauce, sugar, fish sauce and garlic into a gallon ziploc bag. Mix together and add meat to marinate. Heat oven (or toaster oven) to 450 degrees. Heat an outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan to medium-hot. Place vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Toss the radishes, carrots and pepper into the vinegar. Remove from heat, cover and set aside. Place the marinated steak on the grill and cook to medium, 4-6 minutes per side and allow to rest before cutting into thin slices. Meanwhile, spread mayo on the baguette. Heat the open baguette, mayo-side up until the mayo melts and the bread begins to get crispy. Fill the baguette with the vegetables and steak, and top with cilantro.

serves 2

A New Cookbook!

2008-02-25T07:34:00.000-05:00

This has been out for a while, but I finally remembered to buy it while at BooksAMillion yesterday. I don't know if you would enjoy it if you're not a Sedaris fan, but if you are, please go get it. Now. I'm a lover of all things Sedaris, though moreso David than Amy. I honestly thought this would just be a spoof of a cookbook/entertaining guide, but it doesn't appear to be. It looks to be very real, just twisted in that snide, nonPC Sedaris way. There are several recipes for Greek dishes that look to be good and not overdone (has anyone else noticed that recipes for a lot of Ethnic foods end up getting glammed up and the simplicity of the original dish is lost, or is it just me?). Now, I have to admit that I keep opening this up and flipping through it to look at the photos. It's like a demented scrapbook. ...buy this book because nothing says "I Like You" like planning your dinner party using a book containing photos of Amy Sedaris in dayglo-nude pantyhouse and a '60s housedress...holding a bong.

Sloppy Joe Pizzas

2008-02-09T09:34:00.000-05:00

This is a quick dinner. It's a nice little twist on an ordinary standby. Kids seem to love it, too. I like the little bit of sweetness the carrots add, not to mention the fact that you're sneaking a vegetable in somewhere. How can that be bad? I served these with 3-bean salad.

Sloppy Joe Pizzas

1 lb. ground chicken (can subsitute ground beef or meatless crumbles)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup minced onion

1 can Manwich Bold sloppy joe sauce

1 cup shredded carrots (Yes, I'm channeling my inner Jessica Seinfeld here, just go with it)

4 personal-sized pizza crusts (or one regular-sized)

shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground meat, garlic and onion. Add Manwich sauce and shredded carrots. Simmer as directed. Preheat oven according to pizza crust directions. Spoon sloppy joe mixture onto pizza crust/s. Top with shredded cheese. Bake as directed.

Artichoke Dip Pasta Bake

2008-01-30T17:40:00.000-05:00

I was inspired by this recipe. I decided to make a few changes...it started with my aversion to mayonnaise. I use mayo in dips and such, but couldn't bring myself to use 1.5 cups in a main dish. It's not a dietary thing, oh no...it's an...I'm weird thing. So, off to tinker in the kitchen I went. I am thrilled with how this turned out, and I hope anyone else who tries it loves it too! Oh, a disclaimer...this recipe is not for the diet conscious. I mean, the title should probably give that away, huh? Also, this would be very easily vegetarian-ized; just omit the chicken!

Artichoke Dip Pasta Bake

1 cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded
2-13.75 oz. cans quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 lb. penne, cooked and drained
3 tbsp. olive oil
¼ stick of butter
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 8 oz. brick of cream cheese, cut into small chunks
¼ cup lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream (half and half would work, too)
2 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet (I use my wok so I have room to mix the pasta and ‘sauce’ together later), heat olive oil and butter over high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant and starting to brown. Add artichoke hearts to skillet. Allow to warm through. Stir in cream cheese chunks and allow to melt completely. Add lemon juice and cream separately, stirring into skillet mixture. Add chicken and 1 cup of Parmesan. Stir until well-mixed. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the penne pasta. Spoon mixture into baking dish (appx. 13x9”). Sprinkle remaining Parmesan over top of pasta. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese on top of pasta begins to brown.

Italian Stuffed Peppers

2008-01-25T18:10:00.000-05:00

This isn't a standard recipe of hamburger, rice, tomato sauce and green peppers, though it does still have rice and tomato sauce. It's a blend of ground chicken, grated zucchini, brown rice, tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese. Nothing drastic, just something a little bit different.

***Please note, these are easily reheated in the crockpot. I place 1 can tomato sauce in the bottom of the crockpot, then allow the peppers to simmer on the warming setting (low if you don't have a 'keep warm' setting) through the day for an easy dinner.

Another note, this is another recipe easily adapted for vegetarian diets. Either eliminate the ground chicken, or substitute a ground soy/vegetable product in place of the chicken. I like Morningstar Farms Ground Meatless Crumbles.

Italian Stuffed Peppers

12 red, yellow or orange bell peppers (tops and seeds removed, blanched in boiling water for about 1 minute)
8 cups cooked brown rice
1 can tomato sauce
1 packet powdered Italian salad dressing
1 tablespoon oilive oil
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, minced
1 lb. ground chicken
8 oz. pkg. of mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 small-medium zucchini, grated
Kosher salt
Garlic salt
Crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a very large skillet (I use my wok so it's easy to mix the rice in later), heat olive oil. Cook garlic and onion until lightly browned.
Add ground chicken. Season with Kosher and garlic salt.
Cook until nearly done, then add zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes. Allow to cook for a few minutes.
Add tomato sauce and powdered dressing. Allow to simmer over low heat until flavors combine.
Mix in cooked rice and Parmesan cheese, stirring until combined. Season mixture with salts and red pepper flakes to taste.
Coat the inside of a dutch oven or other deep baking dish with olive oil, then stand peppers in pan. Fill peppers with rice mixture and bake for 30-45 minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese (or sprinkle more on top towards end of baking time).

Reconstructing Recipes...

2008-01-24T21:02:00.000-05:00

Has this ever happened to you? You find a recipe that you think you'll love in a magazine, so you tear the page out, cook it, love it, and pencil in whatever modifications you have made. Then you make it some more...it's in your regular rotation, but you don't make it enough that you have memorized the recipe. Then you flake out, or move, or someone breaks into your house and steals your recipe box...and *poof*...it's GONE. That is me right now. I'm reconstructing a recipe for Banh Mi sandwiches of the beef variety. I am hoping this weekend to finish the project. I will post it here, save it to my hard drive, thumb drive, and perhaps I'll even print a copy and put it in our safe-deposit box. Yes, it's that good, and it's that important to me. And yes, I've printed out many other versions of this recipe, and they're just not the same as the one I found 3-5 years ago in, of all places, Real Simple Magazine. I've even emailed the magazine in hopes of recovering this little prize I've lost from my recipe repertoire. Aside from GA Pig pulled/chopped BBQ pork sandwich, it's my favorite, and I'm just lost without it. Wish me luck, and watch for some re-creation of Banh Mi soon!

Drunken Tuscan Pasta

2008-01-23T19:34:00.000-05:00

This recipe was taken from Rachel Ray's 'Express Lane Meals' cookbook. I have made a few modifications, just to suit my personal taste better. I wasn't sure my husband would be thrilled with it, because he's not a huge fan of mushrooms, but surprisingly he loved this dish. I love the subtle flavor added by the nutmeg! Look how pretty the pasta is after cooking in the wine-filled water! Cooking pasta in wine (be sure to fill the rest of the pan with water though...I tried to just cook pasta in wine once and it was too strong...just...yuck!) adds great flavor that isn't too strong, but really adds to a dish. I joke that I'd like to change the name of this dish to 'Plastered Pasta'.

Drunken Tuscan Pasta

1 bottle Tuscan red table wine (I used Chianti--thanks Annie & Greg)
Kosher salt
1 lb. Fettucine Rigate (or regular fettucine if you can't fine the Rigate)
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. sliced pancetta, chopped
1 lb. baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Red pepper flakes (pinch, to taste)
1 bag/box fresh baby spinach (about 4 oz.)
Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Parmesan cheese, grated
Handful of pine nuts (you can toast these in a dry skillet; in this case I was in a hurry and did not)

Pour bottle of wine (minus one glass for the chef, of course) into a pasta pot. Fill the rest of the way with water and bring to a boil over high heat. When the water/wine boils, add pasta and a few pinches of salt. Cook as directed on pasta package to al dente. Please note you will be using some of the pasta liquid for the sauce later.

Heat a large skillet (I used my stainless wok) and add 2 tbsp. olive oil. Add the chopped pancetta. Cook until browned, stirring constantly, then place on paper-towel lined plate. Toss mushrooms into oil left in the pan, and add rosemary. Cook mushrooms until golden brown (about 5 minutes). Move mushrooms to the sides of the skillet, and put 1 tbsp. olive oil, garlic and a couple pinches each of red pepper flakes and salt to the center. Stir to cook newly added ingredients, then mix together with the mushrooms. Add the spinach to the pan and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Allow greens to wilt, then add a couple ladles of cooking water/wine. Stir all ingredients together and allow liquid to reduce.

Drain the pasta well and add it, the pancetta and pine nuts to the skillet. Mix together, top with Parmesan to taste and serve.

Serve with rustic bread. For dipping, mix olive oil, red pepper flakes, a few drops of balsalmic vinegar, some crushed garlic cloves. This is better if you let it sit a little while to allow the flavors to blend. All bread dipping oil ingredients are to taste. You know what tastes good!!!

Stove, Glorious Stove!

2007-12-29T19:24:00.000-05:00

It's in! We need to pull it again to cut the countertop so we can slide it back in further, but it's operational (and was almost 12 hours before our party last night, so my husband didn't have to die). It's a GE Cafe model, and so far I love it. I haven't done too much with it yet, but I'm so happy to have no more electric stove in my life.

Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus Spears

2007-12-29T18:45:00.000-05:00

Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus Spears

1 bunch fresh asparagus spears, with ends trimmed

sliced prosciutto

olive oil

Wrap sliced prosciutto (I cut each slice into 1/2s or 1/3s) around center of each asparagus spear. Line up on cookie sheet and drizzle tops of asparagus with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Good hot or at room temperature.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

2007-12-29T18:41:00.000-05:00

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

fresh brussels sprouts

olive oil

kosher salt

Cut sprouts in half lengthwise. Toss with olive oil and kosher salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes (when tender and just starting to caramelize).

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2007-12-29T18:29:00.000-05:00

I finally have this JUST the way I want it, after tinkering with it shamelessly.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 stick butter

3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce, plus some extra for cooking chicken

2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened

1 cup Ranch dressing

1 1/2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar

Crumbled blue cheese

Melt butter in skillet and add some Frank's Red Hot (eyeball it; you know what wing sauce looks like). Cook chicken breasts in mixture and let cool. Shred with a fork. Put all ingredients except blue cheese into crockpot. Set crockpot on lowest setting. Stir often to combine ingredients and keep dip from scorching. Have a bowl of crumbled blue cheese on the side for people to add as they wish. Serve with blue corn chips and/or celery sticks.

Accidental Punch

2007-12-29T18:18:00.000-05:00

Well, as it got later last night, we decided to spike the punch. I wanted to document what we did, because it was GOOD.

1 2-liter bottle of Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash soda

2 cups orange juice

6 oz. Lemoncello (liquor)

1 bottle of Zardetto Brut Prosecco

Serves...a few :-)

Baked Reuben Dip

2007-12-29T18:11:00.000-05:00

Baked Reuben Dip

1 (appx. 16 oz) can of sauerkraut, rinsed and squeezed dry

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 pound deli corned beef

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

1 tablespoon brown mustard

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 cup mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip)

1 cup sour cream

Place sauerkraut, onion and corned beef in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Combine the mixture with remaining ingredients in a 1-quart baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with rye cocktail squares.

Serves 10

Recipe from The Bread of Life: A Cookbook for Body and Soul by Episcopal Church Women

Cowboy Caviar

2007-12-29T17:55:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe in Annie's cookbook and made some adaptations. It was a HUGE hit at our party :-) --edited 1/12/08, reducing oil by 1/4 cup and adding 1/4 cup vinegar--

Cowboy Caviar

1 1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup oil (I used Canola Oil)

1-3 jalapenos, seeded and minced (I use 3)

3 red bell (sweet) peppers, diced

3 yellow bell (sweet) peppers, diced

2 cans white shoe-peg corn, drained

2 cans black-eyed peas, drained

2 cans pinto beans, drained

1 small onion, diced

Bring vinegar to a boil. Remove from heat and add oil, sugar and minced jalapenos. Cool dressing mixture. Mix together remaining ingredients. Pour dressing mixture over vegetable/bean mixture and marinate overnight. Strain off marinade before serving (this is important or the dish will seem soggy and oily). Store leftovers in the refrigerator; keeps well for up to two weeks. Serve with Scoops tortilla chips.

Holiday Party Menu

2007-12-29T17:45:00.000-05:00

We had our 3rd annual holiday party/open house last night. I enjoy throwing this so much! I always overcook, and several people bring food with them, too. Somehow, nearly all of it gets eaten. This year's menu:

Cider Baked Ham with Mini-Croissants
Shrimp Cocktail (thanks Stacie)
Baked Reuben Dip with Rye Bread for dipping
Buffalo Chicken Dip with Blue Corn Chips
Cowboy Caviar with Tortilla Scoops
Hummus with Pita Chips(thanks Becky)
Taco Dip (thanks Caroline)
Mini Meatballs and Cocktail Franks in Homemade BBQ Sauce (thanks Becky)
Biscuit-wrapped Mini Franks (thanks Angela)
Fresh Pico De Gallo, Guacamole and Blue Corn Chips (thanks Angela)
Pickled Eggs (thanks Kate)
Veggie Tray
Chocolate Raspberry Yule Log (thanks Jon's parents)
Trifle (thanks Karen)
Assorted Cookies (thanks Kate and Becky)
Cream Puffs
Punch in a Pinch (and we made up a new spiked recipe during the party that is oh-so-good)
Wine and Beer

Wow that was a lot of food. Amazingly, there are nearly no leftovers. I'd say we had 25-30 guests throughout the evening. It's great to see everyone, even though I always feel like I don't get to visit with everyone individually as much as I would like!

Me and my Big Mouth(tm)...

2007-12-27T21:50:00.000-05:00

I have a teeny, tiny (OK, maybe medium-sized) food processor. It takes I don't know how many rounds to pulse/chop/shred/slice/etc whatever I'm processor-ing. So, in the midst of my stove fit (and the fact that I'm currently being overcome by gas fumes in my kitchen as my husband installs a new stove), I asked Jon to bring home the biggest food processor he could find. He said locate it, he'd bring it home. I checked everywhere online that had some local brick-and-mortar store Jon could go to and buy the item, and I have learned some things. The largest food processor I could find was a 14-cup model. I don't use a food processor often enough to justify spending $200-300 on a new one, even though when I use it, it's always for a large job (or big mess, as the case may be). So, the hunt was on. This is what I found. The Hamilton Beach 14-cup Big Mouth Food Processor. Jon picked it up at WalMart for $49.88 (My sweet, errand-running husband picked it up where it was available in our local area, which was The Evil Empire. For anti-WalMart-ers, it's available at other retailers, too.) I'm hoping it's worth the price, because as I said before, I couldn't justify dropping what it would cost to buy a KitchenAid stand mixer! More later! I am doing what I can to fill the time it's taking for Jon to finish installing my new stove. That will be another post. See what you have to look forward to?!?!

Wishing you all the magic of the season...

2007-12-23T19:08:00.000-05:00

Herbed Salmon & Rice Pilaf Bake

2007-12-23T18:47:00.000-05:00

I made this a long time ago, straight from an Allrecipes recipe for Baked Salmon. I wasn't too impressed, and thought the recipe was a good idea, but somewhat bland. I always meant to doctor it up, but never got around to it. Well, tonight was the night, and I made some changes to the recipe. Jon and I really like how it turned out!

Herbed Salmon & Rice Pilaf Bake

INGREDIENTS
1 cup wild rice pilaf (I use Par Excellence Garden Harvest from Costco)

1/2 package fresh matchstick carrots (appx. 6 oz)
2 1/2 cups water
1 pound salmon filet
1/8 cup lemon juice

1/8 cup white wine
1 Tablespoon dried dill weed
1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1 Tablespoon ground mustard
1 Tablespoon lemon pepper

Salt (as desired)

Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a saucepan bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add rice and carrots. Stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

In a large pan, add enough water (or wine, if you wish) to just wet the bottom of the baking dish. Lay the salmon fillet in the pan, pink side up. Brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Place cooked rice mixture around the outside of the fish. Sprinkle the lemon juice and wine over the fish and rice.

In a small bowl, combine the dill weed, rosemary, basil, mustard, lemon pepper and sprinkle over the fish and rice (please note, if you like less spices, don't use all the dried spice mixture; we like a lot of spices in our food). Cover with aluminum foil (if desired).

Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the salmon is tender and flaky.

***Also, this certainly would all but destroy the health-conscious factor of the dish, but adds to the flavor...put a thin pat of butter on each piece of fish and atop the rice before baking.

Venison Chops with Mushroom Gravy

2007-12-18T17:11:00.001-05:00

This is a crockpot meal and requires little prep. Beef (round steak, flank steak or possibly even chunks of stew meat) could very easily be substituted if you don't have/like venison.

Venison Chops with Mushroom Gravy

8 butterflied venison chops
1/2 cup red wine (I used Beaujolais)
salt
pepper
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 large sliced onion
1 pkg. sliced mushrooms

Coat inside of crockpot with cooking spray or olive oil. Pour in 1/4 cup of the wine. Coat both sides of 4 chops with wine and arrange on bottom of crock. Salt and pepper meat. Layer half each of the mushroom and onion slices on top of meat. Spoon 1 can of mushroom soup on top of meat and vegetables. Repeat with remaining meat, wine, salt, pepper, veggies and soup. Cook on low setting for at least 6 hours.

Holiday Coin Cookies

2007-12-18T16:40:00.001-05:00

This is a good, easy holiday cookie. They're similar to shortbread.

Holiday Coins

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup pecans, finely chopped
2 tbsp. red decorator’s sugar

In small bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In medium-size bowl, beat butter until creamy, 1 minute. Beat in sugar until fluffy, 2 minutes. Beat in yolks and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until dough comes together. Divide dough into quarters.

Roll each quarter of dough into a 6-inch log, 1 inch thick. On cutting board, spread pecans in rectangle, 7x5 inches. Roll 2 of the logs in pecans to evenly coat. Wrap each log in waxed paper; refrigerate. Repeat with red sugar and remaining 2 dough logs. Refrigerate for 2 hours (or overnight).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap logs. Cut each into appx. 16 slices, about ¼ inch thick. Transfer to UNgreased baking sheet.

Bake cookies in 350 degree oven for about 14 minutes or until just golden around edges. Remove cookies from sheet to wire rack; let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe from Family Circle. Yields: 6 dozen cookies. Melissa Saville Murray.

Punch!

2007-12-18T16:22:00.000-05:00

St. Francis Punch

64 oz. cranberry juice (100% juice, not cocktail), chilled
64 oz. apple juice, chilled
64 oz. club soda, chilled
12 oz. frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
64 oz. cold water

Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl. Serve immediately. (note: I do not add any water)
Yields: 30-35 servings.

Taken from “The Bread of Life: A Cookbook for Body and Soul” – a collection of recipes from the women of the Episcopal Church

“Ordination” Punch

1 (14 oz.) can pineapple juice, chilled
1 (6 oz.) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
¾ cup sugar
2 ¼ cups water
1 quart strawberry ice cream, softened
2 liter bottle ginger ale, chilled

Combine pineapple juice, lemonade concentrate, sugar, and water in a punch bowl; mix well. Add ice cream and stir until blended. Stir in ginger ale and serve immediately. Yields: 25 servings.

Taken from “The Bread of Life: A Cookbook for Body and Soul” – a collection of recipes from the women of the Episcopal Church

Punch for Cheaters...or Punch in a Pinch

I made this once last year in a pinch, and everyone loved it and kept asking for the 'recipe'. This goes to show that presentation just might be everything, lol!

2-liter bottles of Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash (seasonal), chilled
Orange Juice
Limes and/or Limes, sliced
Cranberries, fresh

Pour OJ into a jello-ring mold (I have one from Tupperware) or a bundt pan. Arrange lime/lemon slices in the OJ ring, and sprinkle cranberries around the ring. Freeze.

Pour Sierra Mist into punch bowl, and float the OJ ice ring.

Pico De Gallo

2007-12-10T20:21:00.001-05:00

Pico De Gallo

5 Roma tomatoes (firm, not soft)

1/2 large or 1 small onion

3 jalapeno peppers

1 bunch cilantro

2-3 limes

Kosher Salt

*These quantities are approximate

***To make wonderful guacamole, just add some of this pico to mashed avocado.

Pioneer Woman's Pasta Primavera

2007-12-09T21:48:00.001-05:00

You should make this. I don't know what else to tell you other than that...just make it...and eat it, or make it and bring me your leftovers. I didn't even fiddle around with the recipe. It's just good...and makes a lot, so it's good, quick company food (provided your guests won't ostracize you for depriving them of meat...only some of mine would, hehe). It can go totally vegetarian if you substitute vegetable broth/stock for the chicken broth used in the recipe.

Pioneer Woman's Pasta Primavera

Favorite International Foods online stores...

2007-12-04T10:55:00.001-05:00

Often I have to order ingredients to stock my pantry, or take a trip to Pittsburgh. These are some sites I've found that may make finding some elusive items a little bit easier!

I stumbled across this website in Rachel Ray's magazine...

La Tienda

They have Spanish foods and serving/dinnerware. I have never ordered from them, but intend to soon.

MexGrocer

Another one I haven't tried, but they seem to have a good selection.

Import Food

They have lots of Thai and Oriental cooking staples, at good prices. I have ordered from this website numerous times (even some of their fresh produce). Their customer service is good, and they have a great selection of basics for Thai cooking!

Soft Molasses Cookies

2007-12-04T10:30:00.001-05:00

These are a great addition to anyone's holiday baking arsenal.

Soft Molasses Cookies (King Arthur Flour Recipe)

Ingredients
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 c molasses
1/3 c dark rum
5 tbsps butter
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 c king arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp ginger

Directions
Step #1 Whisk together the flour, spices, salt & baking soda, & set aside.
Step #2 In a large bowl, beat together the butter & sugar, then beat in the molasses.
Step #3 Add the dry ingredients alternately with the rum.
Step #4 Using a cookie or muffin scoop, scoop out round balls of dough somewhere in size between a ping-pong ball & a golf ball, & place the balls on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.
Step #5 Bake the cookies in a preheated 375°F oven for 11 to 12 mins, until they crack on top but haven't yet browned around the edges.

A New Find!

2007-11-29T11:01:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I received a catalog in the mail that I have not seen before. It's called 'The Baker's Catalogue' and it's affiliated (apparently) with King Arthur Flour. There are some great recipes, they sell all-natural baking mixes, food-of-the-month and sampler gifts, and my favorite...GADGETS :-)

Potluck Potato Casserole

2007-11-29T09:27:00.000-05:00

Potluck Potato Casserole

From Cooking Light

The crunchy topping on this side-dish casserole gives way to a cheesy interior, resulting in a comfort food winner. A bonus with this dish is that you can make the casserole ahead--assemble and refrigerate it until time to bake. Sprinkle the cornflakes over the casserole just before baking.

1 1/2 cups fat-free sour cream

1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) finely shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons minced fresh onion

5 teaspoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 (30-ounce) package frozen hash browns, thawed (such as Ore-Ida)

1 (10.75-ounce) can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup (such as Campbell's Healthy Request)Cooking spray

1 cup coarsely crushed cornflakes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl; spread evenly into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle cornflakes over potato mixture.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until bubbly. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Yield: 10 servingsCALORIES 194 (30% from fat); FAT 6.4g (sat 3.7g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 7.9g; CHOLESTEROL 21mg; CALCIUM 166mg; SODIUM 283mg; FIBER 1.5g; IRON 1.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 27.1g Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005

German Potato Salad

2007-11-29T09:25:00.000-05:00

German Potato Salad
(adapted from Boy Meets Grill, Bobby Flay)

3 lbs. new potatoes
1 yellow onion, quartered
½ lb bacon, diced
1 large red onion, diced
¾ cup cider vinegar
1 tbsp mustard seed
¼ cup canola oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Place potatoes in a large pot with the quartered onion and cover with cold water. Allow water to come to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender. Drain, discard the onion. Cut the potatoes into cubes when they are cool enough to handle. Place potato cubes in a large bowl and cover to keep warm.

In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the red onions to the rendered bacon fat in skillet and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Carefully add the vinegar and mustard seeds and cook for 2 more minutes. Whisk in the canola oil. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add the hot dressing to the potatoes and toss gently to coat. Fold in the green onions and parsley. Season again with salt and pepper, to taste.

Turkey Wild Rice Soup

2007-11-29T09:01:00.000-05:00

I made some changes to the recipe, and am posting this as a way to deal with Thanksgiving leftovers.

TURKEY WILD RICE SOUP

1 stick butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 med. onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 c sliced mushrooms
1 c. thinly sliced celery
1 c. thinly sliced carrots
1 bunch asparagus spear heads
1/2 c. flour
8 c. chicken broth
4 c. cooked wild rice
pinch curry powder
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. chervil
1/4 tsp. white pepper
2 c. Half and Half
2/3 c. dry or cream sherry (I didn’t use this when making it, I used dry vermouth)
3-4 c. cubed turkey

Melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook until golden. Add mushrooms and celery. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Mix in flour thoroughly. Add broth, stirring constantly until thickened, 5-8 minutes. Stir in rice, spices and turkey. Reduce heat to low. Stir in Half and Half, asparagus and sherry, if using.. Simmer, stirring occasionally. Garnish with fresh parsley.

2007-11-29T08:55:00.001-05:00

Meatloaf

2007-11-29T08:51:00.000-05:00

Another one from Grandma...one of my favorites!

Meatloaf

1 to 1 ½ lbs. ground beef/chuck
½ cup oatmeal
1 tsp. salt
dash pepper
1 small can tomato sauce
parmesan cheese (to taste)
¼ cup chopped onion
1 egg
½ cup milk

Sauce

1/3 cup ketchup
1 tbsp. yellow mustard
1 tbsp. brown sugar

Combine all ingredients and place in loaf pan. Combine sauce ingredients and spread sauce on top. Bake 1-1.5 hours at 350 degrees.

Adaptation of Quaker Oats recipe from Dixie Brinkman

Tuna Noodle Casserole

2007-11-29T08:48:00.000-05:00

This is my Grandma's recipe for 'tuna noodle'. I love it; it's a different flavor than the standard cream of mushroom based dish and a nice twist. A lot of people see the ingredients and say 'no thanks', but then they try it ;-)

Tuna & Noodle Casserole

1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 tbsp. butter
1 can tuna (drained and flaked)
2 cups cooked, drained noodles
1 can tomato soup
½ cup milk
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
2 slices American cheese

Saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Add tuna to skillet and allow to warm. In large mixing bowl, combine onion/celery/tuna mixture and remaining ingredients (except cheese). Place combined ingredients in 1 ½ quart greased casserole dish. Top with cheese slices. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

Recipe from Dixie Brinkman

Quickie Paella

2007-11-29T08:46:00.001-05:00

Quickie Paella

OK, so it’s really not Paella. What it is…a one-dish dinner. And it’s quick.

8-16 oz. shrimp, sautéed in olive oil and McCormick Sal con Chile y Limon (Chile Lemon Salt, a Mexican seasoning). You can also use cooked chicken, maybe some chorizo thrown in, some of each...

Knorr Arroz Amarillo (Yellow Rice), prepared as directed

1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can diced green chiles, drained

In large skillet, mix all ingredients and cook on low for 15 minutes.

Garden Rice

2007-11-29T08:40:00.000-05:00

I came up with this over the summer when I was trying to make something for a family picnic without going to the grocery store, using produce from my/my neighbor's garden.

Garden Rice

4 bags quick-cook 10 minute rice, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ small onion, minced
1 small-medium zucchini, grated
2-3 diced fresh tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 packet powdered Italian Dressing
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch fresh-ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, to taste (I use a palm-full)

Heat butter, oil, minced garlic and onion until slightly sizzling. Add zucchini and tomatoes. Cook until just getting soft. Add remaining ingredients, stir and allow to simmer at very low heat until flavors combine. Stir together with cooked rice and allow to stand so sauce soaks into rice.

Pan-Poached Salmon Piccata

2007-11-29T08:08:00.000-05:00

Pan-Poached Salmon Piccata
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
2 (4 ounce) filets salmon
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons capers
ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS
Bring wine and lemon juice to a boil in medium-sized skillet. Stir in chicken bouillon granules. Reduce heat to a simmer and place salmon fillets in pan. Cover and simmer over low heat, 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at thickest part; or until fish flakes when tested with a fork. Remove salmon from pan; keep salmon warm.
Boil remaining liquid in the skillet until it is reduced to approximately 1/4 cup. Whisk in butter and stir in capers. Spoon sauce over fish. Season with pepper and sprinkle with parsley.

Beef Stroganoff

2007-11-29T08:03:00.000-05:00

I've tried several recipes for this. I made some changes to 'create' this one, and it's by far my (and Jon's) favorite.

Beef Stroganoff

2 lbs. beef top round steaks, cut into strips
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 stick butter
1 small onion, minced
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 14.5 oz can beef broth
1 beef bouillon cube
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 oz sliced mushrooms
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Season steak strips with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and brown the beef strips quickly, then remove from pan and set aside. Add the onions and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Stir the flour (on tablespoon at a time) into the pan juices. Pour in beef broth and wine, and add bouillon cube. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and stir in mustard. Add the beef back to the pan. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the meat is tender.

Ten minutes before serving, stir in the mushrooms, peas and sour cream. Heat briefly and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over buttered egg noodles or rice.

Crab Quiche

2007-11-29T07:50:00.001-05:00

Crab Quiche

½ lb. lump crabmeat (picked/checked for shells)
4 large eggs
2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp. each fresh chives, parsley, cilantro
1 tbsp. Paul Prudhomme’s seafood seasoning
½ tsp. each salt & pepper
½ cup each grated Monterey Jack & Swiss cheeses

Whisk together eggs, cream, herbs, seafood seasoning, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in cheeses and crabmeat.

Pour into pre-baked crust and bake until filling puffs and is no longer wobbly in center when quiche is gently shaken (40-50 minutes) at 375 degrees.

Adapted from epicurious.com

Chili Verde

2007-11-29T07:47:00.000-05:00

Chili Verde
adapted from Cooking Light recipe by Melissa Saville Murray
serves 6

1 tbls vegetable cooking oil
12 ounces Goya Mojo Criollo marinade (found in Mexican/Latin American food section)
2 – 1 pound boneless pork tenderloins, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 cups chopped onion
2 pounds tomatillos, husks and stems removed and quartered
4 poblano peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 chipotle in adobo pepper, finely chopped (found in Mexican/Latin American food section)
3 cups water – use 1 can beer as part of water
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 + teaspoon cumin
1 + teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt (kosher)
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Marinate pork cubes in marinade, preferable overnight. Heat vegetable oil in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add pork; sauté for 5 minutes or until meat is browned on all sides. Add onions, tomatillos, poblano peppers and garlic to same stockpot; sauté for 5 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add pork and all remaining ingredients to stock pot; stir and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to low-medium and allow mixture to cook for 2 hours until pork is tender. Stirring occasionally.

Mediterranean "Handful" Chicken

2007-11-29T07:44:00.000-05:00

Mediterranean “Handful” Chicken
Serves 2

2 fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ cup white wine
1 tsp minced garlic
1 handful kalamata olives
1 handful cherry or grape tomatoes
1 handful feta cheese
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat a dash of olive oil in a skillet. Add white wine. Allow chicken to poach in liquid with lid on skillet until nearly done. Throw in the ‘handful’ ingredients and allow to cook through.

Sometimes I add fresh basil or pinenuts…parmesan or romano cheese…easily adaptable…also good for salmon or tilapia or shrimp to serve over pasta.

Inaugural Post

2007-11-29T07:22:00.000-05:00

OK, this is not just a copycat blog, I promise (although thanks for the idea, Pioneer Woman, and to Kate and Jaime for being the people I know who did it first). More than anything, this will serve as a filing system/method of scrapbooking that is very effective for me. I have a jump-drive full of recipes, my favorite place in my house is my kitchen...I just love food. I love finding new recipes, tweaking them, making them and then hearing that the people I love have enjoyed them. I love to go out to eat--when we travel, I'm usually most excited about the culinary adventures we might have. I love all kinds of food...I appreciate everything from a dripping basket of buffalo wings to a five-star-chef-prepared meal. When I'm at home, I love finding opportunities to cook for family and friends. I have dreams of winning the lottery and clearing out Williams-Sonoma. Hopefully this is a good explanation of what this will be...not just a bank of recipes, though right now that will be the case. I just need to get what I have uploaded and then maybe will add photos as I remake the recipes, but I can't guarantee that I'll be as organized as my friends who've gone before me. I'll also talk about food reviews, kitchen gadgets, etc. Because I can :-)