New Year, New Look!

 Last year, our New Year's Eve plans were ruined by a snowstorm, but we managed to have an amazing time with fantastic food.  If you're still deciding on tonight's menu, try our last minute New Year's feast that rang in 2009.

Planning to make resolutions?  I'm going to be trying monthly goals again - this is a great way to set achievable goals and actually see results.  By giving yourself just 30 days, you don't lose track of your resolutions and you won't make excuses to push them off.  More on my January goals after the new year!

In celebration of 2010, I've decided to switch up the layout of my blog a bit.  I've been wanting a new background and banner, and I thought that the new year was the perfect time to pick one.  Hope you like the changes!


Happy New Year!

Christmas Cookies: Ginger Cookies

In an attempt to share with you all the Christmas treats I made, I present to you, my cookie plate!

Included on the plate are pizzelle, brown sugar "slice & bake" cookies, chocolate dipped Oreos, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate chip cookies, coconut macaroons (store bought by my mommy!), chocolate covered pretzel rods, homemade marshmallows, and ginger cookies.

I hesitate to call these gingersnaps, as the recipe does, because these cookies are not crispy.  They stay soft and chewy, and actually continue to soften with time.  After about a week, they started to head toward mushy.  Luckily, there were only four left (out of the 170+ that the recipe yields!) so I didn't feel too bad.

I know the holiday has passed, but these cookies are delicious and not particularly seasonal, so I thought I'd post the recipe with some photos so you can save this one in your files for anytime you need a non-chocolate cookie recipe (though of course, I'll show you how to make it chocolatey!).


Ginger Cookies
recipe courtesy of Grandma Haas

2 c. sugar
1-1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 c. molasses
4 c. AP flour
4 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt


Combine flour, soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a medium sized bowl, set aside.


Mix sugar and oil well.  I used my KitchenAid mixer, but you could also blend with a hand mixer if you prefer.  Add eggs one at a time, beat well to incorporate.  Stir in the molasses.


Add the dry ingredients in batches - I usually do 2-3 additions.  Mix well.  If you are using a KA mixer, you may want to take the bowl off the stand and mix by hand with a spoon - I found that the molasses settled to the bottom and didn't mix completely into the batter.

Shape dough into 3/4" balls, roll in sugar, and place balls at least 2" apart on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  I have very dark baking sheets, so I baked at 325 for 8 minutes.  I would recommend doing a small trial run with the first batch to make sure your oven temp and timing are perfect. 

Yields 14-1/2 dozen cookies.


The ginger cookies are in the tall pile on the upper left:

If desired, melt dark chocolate candy melts or chocolate chips in the microwave - 60 seconds on defrost, stir, then 30 seconds on defrost.  Continue microwaving in 30 second increments on defrost, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted.  Dip half the cookie into the chocolate, then set on wax paper to cool.  The original recipe recommends using a mix of white chocolate and shortening, but because I have a major aversion to the latter, you'll never see me combining it with chocolate!


Here are the gift boxes and bags and trays I made for Christmas.  It was a TON of work, but I had a great time doing it!

Merry Christmas!

I hope that wherever you are and whatever you're doing, you are happy, healthy, and eating delicious food!  Happy Holidays!

Restaurant Review: Grace

 Andrew and I went to Portland, Maine almost two months ago, and we stayed with our friends Greg and Emilia.  We had a great time hanging out with them, exploring the city, and of course, eating at some fantastic places.  The first night we were in town, I made Seafood Linguine for dinner.

On our second night, we ate dinner at one restaurant, then started to head home.  At the last minute, we decided to go to Grace for drinks and dessert.  We were all so happy that we went - Greg and Emilia had eaten dinner there before, and had raved about the atmosphere, so Andrew and I were looking forward to seeing it.  Previously the Chestnut Street Church, the building that houses Grace is on the National Register of Historic Places.

I loved all the little touches that tied in the building's history - the pulpit has been repurposed as the hostess station, an upstairs bar takes the place of the organ, and the altar has been removed to make way for an open-air kitchen.  This combination of church and state feels a little sacrilege, but in a most delicious way.

Emilia and I opted for drinks from the highly amusing bar menu.  I chose "Redemption" - a nutmeggy white sangria with seasonal fruits, and Emilia decided on the "Holier Than Thou", a champagne and orange juice concoction.  We convinced the guys to split desserts with us.  I chose the Brown Sugar Cake, which was served with poached pears, pear chutney, cardamom ice cream, and candied walnuts.  Emilia opted for the Peanut Butter Cup - a combination of chocolate mousse, chocolate macaroon, peanut brittle, and peanut ice cream.  Both were beautifully plated and tasted delicious, but everyone agreed that Emilia's choice beat mine!

The cocktails we had were superb, the service was friendly, and the desserts were divine.  The next time we're in Portland, Andrew and I would love to return to Grace to try more of their menu.

**The first image on this post is from Grace's Facebook site, the rest are personal photos.

Christmas Cookies: Brown Sugar "Slice & Bake"

I adore the blog "The Way the Cookie Crumbles".  Bridget, the author, is a fantastic photographer, a wonderful baker, and I love her writing style.  I rarely make recipes from her blog, for two reasons:  first, she is a much more accomplished baker than I am, and a lot of her recipes are difficult.  Second, her dinner posts are often extremely similar to things I have made or am planning to make, so I don't copy her recipe.  However, I read her blog often, and when I see something I think I can handle, like these Slice & Bake Brown Sugar Cookies, I bookmark it right away!

I'm not going to repost the full recipe with all the steps here - Bridget has very clear instructions on her blog, so feel free to check it out.

As you can see, my striped cookies didn't come out as cute as hers, but I think my spirals are much prettier, so I guess it's a wash!  As far as all the steps go, I considered posting photos, but I followed Bridget to the letter, and everything I would have photographed looks exactly the same as it does on her site.  I will definitely be saving this recipe and making these cookies again and again!

Butternut Squash Risotto

I have been baking up a storm in the last week or so, and I'll be sharing more cookie posts with you very soon.  I wanted to start working through my huge backlog of dinners though, to show you some of the other things I've been doing in my kitchen.

While my mom and auntie were visiting in November, I made a delicious Butternut Squash Risotto for dinner one night.  Auntie Jody had never had risotto, and I hope I made her first experience with it a good one!  Risotto is such a comfort food for me - I love the creamy starchiness, the versatility, the richness.   I'll throw just about anything into risotto, and I'm always happy with the results.

I had never combined butternut squash and risotto, so I used an Ina Garten version of this recipe as a guide, but of course (per usual) made some changes that let the recipe work for me. 


Butternut Squash Risotto
adapted from Ina Garten's recipe

1 large butternut squash
2 tbsp. olive oil
6 c. chicken stock
6 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 c. arborio rice
1/2 c. white wine
1 c. grated pecorino-romano cheese
1/4 c. fresh parsley


I've documented my risotto method before, and if you'd like step-by-step instructions with pictures, click here.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Peel and cube the butternut squash.  I find this a little easier to do if I pierce it with a fork and microwave it for five to ten minutes first.  Toss the cubed squash with the olive oil, and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven 25-30 minutes or until softened.

Place the chicken stock in a smaller pot over medium heat.  Once the stock begins to simmer, drop the heat to low.


In the meantime, melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Add the onions, salt them, and saute until they are translucent, then add the garlic and saute another minute or two.  Add the arborio rice and stir to coat in the butter.  Allow the rice to toast for three minutes or so.

Add the white wine to the pot, stirring to allow the rice to soak it up.  Once the liquid is gone, ladle about a cup of the chicken stock into the pot.  Stir, and when liquid has evaporated, add more.  Continue this process until all the liquid is absorbed.  The rice should be creamy with an al dente center. 

Turn off the heat and add the squash, cheese, and fresh parsley.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Christmas Cookies: Pizelle

Last year, I made Christmas cookies as gifts, and this year I'm continuing the tradition.  Though I made eight different types of cookies last year, the only one I posted was Gingerbread.  This year, I'm repeating several of the same cookies I made last Christmas.  Some of these recipes are ones that my mom and I always made together, and living 600 miles apart, it's a nice way to feel close to my family during the holidays.

Today I made pizzelle, a traditional Italian cookie that requires a special press.  This is the one I own, and I love it.  For about $40, you can make pizzelle for years to come.  Once you master the recipe and use of the machine, you can make cannoli shells, ice cream cones, waffle bowls, and more using the basic recipe.

Here's my pizzelle maker:

I use the "Classic Pizzelle" recipe that came with my Cuisinart Pizzelle Press and double it, which yields 60-70 cookies.

Classic Pizzelle
from Cuisinart

3-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
6 large eggs
1-1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp. vanilla extract

Sift flour and baking powder together in a small bowl, set aside.

Combine eggs and sugar (I use my KA mixer for this) for about one minute.  Slowly pour melted butter and vanilla into bowl of running mixer until combined.  Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. 

Follow the directions for preheating and baking using your pizzelle press.  Cool on a rack, dust with powdered sugar just before serving.  I like to add candies to the tray for color.

If you wish to shape your pizzelle, you need to do it as soon as they come off the press.  Once they start to cool, attempting to bend or shape them will only break the cookies.  These are an Italian favorite, and a staple of Christmas Eve in my family.  If you choose to purchase a pizzelle press, I know your family will be thrilled to make them a part of their holiday tradition too!

 

Chicken with Lemony Egg Noodles and Peas

 I have become a fan of MSN's food website - it's called "Delish.com", and there are tons of recipes that are easy to search and easy to make.  Each recipe includes nutritional information, reviews, and when available, other versions of the dish.

The first recipe I made from Delish was this Chicken with Lemony Egg Noodles and Peas.  Now, I'm not a huge fan of lemon in savory dishes.  I tend to think it outshines chicken, and I love the flavor of seafood so much that I hate to mask it with lemon.  I definitely scaled back the lemon in this dish, but you could follow the original recipe if you are a fan of lemony flavors.

I needed to feed five people with this recipe, and it didn't indicate how many servings I'd get, so I doubled the original.  Below you'll see the recipe exactly as I made it.  For the record, I'd say my version could have fed 8 people, because I had TONS of leftovers.  Luckily, this creamy dish is delicious, so I was happy to eat it leftover!

Chicken with Lemony Egg Noodles and Peas

adapted from Delish.com

4 chicken legs

2 lemons

16 oz. extra-wide egg noodles

8 oz. sugar snap peas

2 c. shredded carrots

2 c. frozen peas

2 c. chicken broth

1/2 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. skim milk

1 c. shredded cheese (I used 3/4 mozzarella and 1/4 parmesan)

The original recipe calls for a leftover rotisserie chicken, but I had chicken legs in the freezer, so I opted to use those instead.  I cooked them in the crockpot with a squeeze of lemon juice and the halves of the lemons.  When I put the pasta together, I skipped the zest that the original recipe calls for.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the slow cooker and allow to cool slightly.  Use two forks to shred the meat from the bone, set aside.

From here on out, this is pretty simple.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt the water, then add the egg noodles.  Cook as instructed on the package.  With one minute left to go, add the snap peas to the water.

Put the carrots and frozen peas in a colander.  Drain the noodles and snap peas over these vegetables.  The heat from the boiling water will heat the carrots and peas.

Return the noodle pot to the stove.

While the noodles and veggies drain, combine broth, milk, salt, and pepper in the pot over high heat.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium.  Stir in cheese and cream until cheese is completely melted.

 Add shredded chicken, noodles, and vegetables to the pot.  Stir thoroughly to combine, serve while hot.

White Wine Steamed Mussels

When Andrew and I go out to dinner, one of our favorite appetizers to order is mussels.  Typically, they've been steamed in white wine, then served in some variation of a scampi sauce - white wine, butter, and garlic.  I decided it would be fun, easy, and way less expensive to make this dish at home.  Having grown up in a family that adores all seafood, I've cooked many varieties in many different ways, so I don't have that fear that a lot of other home cooks seem to have regarding seafood.  If you are one of those people who is always nervous about cooking fish or shellfish, this is a great recipe for you.  It requires very little effort and it's tough to mess up!

This recipe makes a good appetizer for 4-6 people, but Andrew and I ate it as our meal.  If you wanted, you could serve the mussels and the butter-wine sauce over linguine, and it would probably serve 4 people as well.  Andrew and I opted to eat the steamed mussels as our main course, accompanied by a sliced baguette and a green salad. 


White Wine Steamed Mussels
adapted from The Big Slice 

2 lb. fresh mussels, washed
2 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, sliced or chopped
1-1/2 c. white wine
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

A tip on storing mussels:  when you buy them, the fishmonger may pack them in ice in a plastic bag for you.  If you purchase from a seafood market, they will most likely give you a bag with holes in it.  If you buy your mussels in the grocery store, they will probably put them in a regular plastic bag.  If they do this, take a pen or your car keys and poke holes in the top of the bag.  The best way to do this is to hold the bag in your left hand, and use your poking tool (I like to use an uncapped pen) to stab the loose area at the top of the plastic (where there are no mussels).  You want them to stay alive until you cook them; that is the point of packing them on ice, so don't suffocate them by skipping this step.  Put the mussels in a bowl in your fridge so the ice doesn't leak everywhere as it melts.

If you need advice on how to clean mussels (also known as "de-bearding" them), The Big Slice has a video for you.

Once they're clean, it's time to cook!  Make sure you have thrown away any mussels with open or broken shells.  Steam the mussels over 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of the white wine for ten minutes.  Discard any whose shells do not open. 

In the meantime, melt the butter in a medium saucepan.  Add the onions and saute on medium high heat so they will carmelize.  (This is an alteration - when I made this, I followed TBS's recipe exactly, and I found the onions were too white and too crunchy for my taste.)  Add the garlic, sauteeing for another minute or two.  Once softened, add the remaining cup of wine and bring to a simmer.

Continue simmering until the wine has reduced by about half.  Add one cup of the mussel steaming liquid to the pan, stir to combine.

Serve the mussels in a large bowl - pour the sauce over them, top with fresh parsley.   Accompany with plenty of crusty bread for dipping.

This is a great introduction into cooking shellfish.  If you've never tried serving seafood at home, this recipe is a fun first step.  A small ingredient list and simple preparation allow the mussels to shine.  I know you'll be satisfied with the results if you try this one!

Brownies + Chocolate Chip Cookies = Brookies!

If you read the title of my thread and didn't get excited, I may have to disown you.  How could you NOT be stoked about the combination of chocolate chip cookies and brownies?  Let me tell you, this is a synergistic partnership - cookies are great and brownies are yummy, but together...they are AMAZING!

I have seen this recipe all over the internet, but it seems most bloggers got it from Bakerella, who I believe got it from Betty Crocker herself.

I made these brookies for Ann's surprise birthday party.  Unfortunately, in all my excitement about these delicious treats and the party they were made for, I got just one final photo, and it's a bit blurry.  Click here to see Bakerella's finished product.  Mine looked exactly the same!

This is such a simple recipe - you need one bag of Betty Crocker's chocolate chip cookie mix, and one box of her brownie mix.

Make each one according to the package directions.

 

 

Pour the brownies into a 13x9 pan, then top with blobs of the cookie dough.

Looks good already, doesn't it?

Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees and you get this:

 

 

So far, this looks delicious, right?  Well, here's where Bakerella kicks things up a notch.  She tops these bars with chocolate ganache.  Um, yes please!

Chocolate Ganache

from Bakerella  

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 c. heavy cream

6 tbsp. unsalted butter

Put the chocolate chips in a bowl.

Good job.  :)

Over medium-high heat, bring the butter and cream to just before boiling.  When bubbles are forming around the edges, turn off the heat. 

Perfect!  Pour the butter and cream mixture over the chocolate chips.

Stir until chocolate is melted and fully combined.

 

 

Top the brookies with the ganache, and step away from the pan.  You need to let the ganache set so it doesn't go all over everything.  I put the lid on this pan and stuck the whole thing out in the garage until it was time to cut and plate the bars.

 

There they are, in a place of honor on the table at the party!

I can tell you, these were a HUGE hit.  They are super rich, extremely chocolatey, and win big points from adults and kids alike.  Definitely make them for your next holiday party, office get-together, or random Tuesday at home.

Split Pea Soup

Watching Food Network with Andrew's stepmom Ann is always fun - we get ideas, chat about recipes we've made lately, and plan meals for the following week.  Recently we saw an episode of Sunny Anderson's show, Cooking For Real.  I had never seen it, but in this episode, Sunny made an "Easy Peasy Split Pea Soup" that looked absolutely delicious.

I went home and immediately bookmarked the recipe, but it's taken me several weeks to make the soup.  I'm so glad I got this soup onto my menu plan, because it was a rich, velvety, comforting dinner that was easy to put together on a cold weeknight.

You can click the link above for the full recipe, but I wanted to point out the differences in my version.  Instead of slab bacon, I used six slices of peppered bacon that I had leftover in the fridge.  I skipped the celery (we don't like it) and the cumin (I couldn't find it), and didn't garnish with tomato or lime as Sunny suggested (it sounded gross).  I also used my own homemade chicken stock rather than the boxed or canned variety.

This split pea soup truly was "easy peasy" - Andrew and I both enjoyed it's thick consistency and the nutritional value of the soup is sky high, a major plus for the healthy lifestyle we're trying to maintain through the holiday season.  The best part?  I had everything I needed on hand except the dried peas.  Now that I bought them for the soup, I'll have them on hand, and next time, this will truly be a meal straight out of my pantry.

Speaking of Food Network, Ann attended the Cleveland Fabulous Food Show and she got to meet our FN crush, Tyler Florence!!!  Aren't they so cute?!?

Raspberry Lime Sorbet

After the success of my lemon sorbet, I decided to try another kind.  Andrew and I have made sorbet one of our nightly rituals, having anywhere from a spoonful to a half cup each night as a sweet treat. 

I had planned to do the raspberry sorbet in my Kitchen Aid booklet, but got such a great deal on limes at the farmer's market ($1.50 for 13!) that I decided to make a raspberry lime sorbet.  I doubled the recipe, since I had already bought four pints of raspberries when I picked up the limes.

To see the steps to making simple syrup and sorbet, click here.


Raspberry Lime Sorbet

2 c. raspberry juice*
2 c. lime juice
2-1/2 c. simple syrup

*To make the raspberry juice, combine 6 cups fresh raspberries and 1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. water in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until very smooth.  Press berry mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds.  I opted to strain it twice to ensure all the seeds were removed.

You will have to make this in two batches, re-freezing the bowl of the ice cream maker for 12 hours in between.  Obviously, you can cut it in half for one batch, the measurements here are what I used.

Raspberry Lime may seem an odd combination, but the combination of sweet and sour is a winner, and the hot pink color is pretty fun too!

Pecan Tartlettes

My mom always makes pecan pie for Thanksgiving, and it's one of my favorite desserts.  Thanksgiving is the only time of year that I eat pecan pie, so I look forward to it in the weeks leading up to the holiday.  This year, Andrew and I will be celebrating here in Ohio with his family.  We're looking forward to a quiet holiday with great food and some of our favorite people.

I am in charge of the desserts, and in order to capture my love for pecan pie, I decided one of my offerings would be Pecan Tartlettes.  (More to come on the other desserts!)  I know Andrew's family likes pecan pie, but it's not their favorite, so they'd be unlikely to take a large slice of pie.  These mini tarts let people have a bite or two of pecan pie flavor without committing to a whole slice.  The best part is, if there are any leftovers, I can easily freeze them for future desserts.

I used a recipe I found on Cooks.com for Pecan Tartlettes.  I followed the recipe exactly, adding about 1/2 cup of pecans, but ended up having about a cup of filling leftover.  Not sure how that worked out, but I saved the extra pecan filling to add to vanilla ice cream next time I make it.

Once I made the dough, I split it into 24 pieces per the recipe.  Press the balls of dough into a mini muffin tin.

In order to make these blobs of dough into pretty little tart shells, I had to get resourceful.

I used my plastic ice cream scoop to form the tarts.  Pressing the scoop against the sides helped even out the sides of the shells.

I filled the shells with the pecan mixture, being careful not to get any of the sticky syrup on the muffin tin.

These pecan tartlettes are adorable AND delicious.  The shells are flaky and not too sweet, a nice contrast to the sugary pecan filling.  What a great addition to our Thanksgiving dessert table!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is a fun vegetable to cook.  It's different in texture and taste from other squashes, and the spaghetti "noodles" are easy to dress up in different ways.

This roasted spaghetti squash would be a great last minute side dish for your Thanksgiving feast.  It's easy enough to put together for a weeknight meal yet special enough for company.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

1 large spaghetti squash

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

olive oil

salt & pepper

To start, you'll need to slice the squash in half the long way.  I find this difficult to do with such a hard, large squash, so I microwave it for 5-7 minutes to make it easier to cut.  Poke the skin of the squash with the tip of your knife before you put it in the microwave so the steam can escape.

 

 

Once you've cut your squash in half, use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp.  

Pile the onions and garlic in the hollowed out squash.  Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper.  

Roast at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, or until squash is tender.  Use a large fork to scrape out the "spaghetti".  Toss with the roasted onions and garlic and serve.

Fabulous Fruit & Cheese Plate

After a morning at the farmer's market, an afternoon of yardwork, and my mother-in-law in town, dinner was a long way off.  To bridge the gap between light lunch and big dinner, something delicious, simple, and easy to put together was a must.  Combining fresh fruits from the market with items in my pantry, I was able to create a fantastic appetizer that filled us up long enough to get dinner made!

Fruit & Cheese Plate

1 persimmon, sliced
1 pear, sliced
1/2 c. raspberries
water crackers (or whatever you have)
8 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese, sliced
1/2 c. gorgonzola cheese, crumbled into large chunks

Arrange all your beautiful fresh fruits, crackers, and cheeses on a plate and enjoy.

Cheater's Strawberry Angel Food Cake

You know how I love a shortcut, especially when I'm strapped for time (or cash!), so this easy recipe is something I fall back on time and again.  I love that I can prepare the berries ahead of time, but if I forget, I can also throw it together at the last minute.  Even though it requires none, I'm filing this under "baking" as a the most appropriate label I can think of!

I'm still getting nice looking berries at great prices at West Side Market in Cleveland, so as long as they are decent, I will continue to buy them. Balsamic may seem like an odd accompaniment, but just trust me on this - the syrupy tang of the vinegar contrasts perfectly with the sugar and the natural sweetness of the strawberries.


Strawberry Angel Food Cake

1 store-bought angel food cake
1 pint strawberries, fresh or frozen
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Prepare the strawberries first.  If using fresh strawberries, wash them, remove the stems and cut into quarters or sixths (depending on the size of the berries).  Place berries into a plastic container that has a lid.  Add sugar and vinegar, stir to coat all the fruit. 

Store the mixture covered in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to six hours.  This process is called "macerating" and basically, we are using the sugar and vinegar to break down the fruit and get it to release its juices.  See all the lovely juice at the bottom of the container?

The angel food cake I bought was loaf-shaped, so I sliced it into 1" thick pieces. 

Arrange on a plate and top with the balsamic strawberries.  Drizzle the juice over and around the cake.

Serve to hungry people who will surely love you all the more after they eat this simple, delicious dessert.