The Petite Filet

A Long Time Coming...

2010-10-03T22:04:00.000-04:00

I've been considering moving TPF to a new hosting site for quite a while, and now I'm finally ready to share my new blogging home with all of you.

Please update your bookmarks and subscriptions, because I've moved!

Click here to visit my new site. Thanks for following me in my foodie adventures - I hope you'll take the time to visit and comment in my new location.

Hearty Egg Drop Soup

2010-10-03T16:40:00.001-04:00

I've been wanting to try making an egg drop soup for a while, but never got around to it. I've read a few different recipes, including this one and this one, and figured I would cobble together my own version.

I knew I wanted to add meatballs to mine the way Brianna did in order to make this soup into a hearty meal, so I defrosted a pound of meatballs I had in the freezer. (Sausage meatballs would be amazing in this soup!) We've been eating as healthfully as possible lately, so I also decided to bulk the soup up with spinach. What I ended up with was a garlicky, flavorful, filling soup that really hit the spot on a cool, rainy night.

Hearty Egg Drop Soup

makes six servings

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. canola oil

4 c. chicken stock

2 c. water

2 tsp. soy sauce

2 large eggs, beaten

2 green onions, sliced

1 lb. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 lb. meatballs

1-1.5 tsp. sesame oil (optional)

Heat canola oil in a large stockpot. Add garlic to the pot and saute until slightly softened (but not brown!). Add chicken stock, water, and soy sauce, bring to a boil.

Stir the soup in a circular motion and slowly stream in the scrambled eggs. (I used a pourable measuring cup)

Step away from the pot and let the eggs cook (unstirred) for one to two minutes.

Add the spinach and meatballs to the pot and simmer until meatballs are heated through. Add sesame oil to taste, if using. Serve with soy sauce and additional sesame oil.

This is a simple and delicious soup that reminds me of a cross between Italian wedding and egg drop - hey, think I can get away with calling this an Italian-Chinese fusion dish? ;)

Curried Pumpkin Soup

2010-10-01T07:00:00.002-04:00

I'm in love with a new (to me) blog. Ezra Pound Cake. Rebecca is a fantastically funny writer, an occasional boozehound, and she cooks the yummiest things. I mean, the woman made me drool on my keyboard just reading about her Southern Comfort Carmel Apple Pie. One of the recipes I bookmarked (other than the pie and these luscious Kahlua lattes) was for a pumpkin soup. I love pumpkin, I love soup, and I REALLY love autumn dishes, so I was sure it would be a winner.

Last fall I was a victim of the pumpkin shortage and this year I was determined not to let it happen again. So I went to Wal-Mart last week planning to stock up and buy six big cans, only to find that...they were OUT. The two major grocery stores in my town...out. My pumpkin dreams were fading, but I refused to cross the soup off my meal plan for this week.

A mini miracle struck while visiting Andrew's grandparents, who live an hour and a half away.

Andrew and Grandpa hanging out at the marina

Grandma's close friend Amy (who shares both my name and my love of reading) had brought her a big can of pumpkin! I jumped up and down a little and wouldn't you know, Grandma gave it to me! She reassured me that since she knew she could get it in town, I could have this can. Hooray!

Grandma & Grandpa's adorable lab, Bear

Wouldn't you know, after that one act of kindness, it was like the angels started singing or something because while at the discount grocery store the next town over, I came across an entire endcap display of pumpkin! The clouds parted, a beam of radiant light shone down, and I snatched up four more cans.

The moral of the story is, I have tons of pumpkin now. No pumpkin shortage in this household!

This soup is flavorful, nutritious, and low in calories, coming in at just 230 calories per serving. Enjoy it for lunch or dinner totally guilt-free!

Curried Pumpkin Soup
adapted from Ezra Pound Cake
makes 6 servings

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
8 oz. mushrooms, diced
2 tbsp. AP flour
1 tsp. yellow curry powder
2 c. fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
1 c. water
15 oz. (1 small can) solid-pack pumpkin
12 oz. (1 can) evaporated milk
1 tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste

Once the broth comes to a boil, stir in all this stuff:

At this point, the soup looks like this:

You can serve as is and it will be delish. Andrew isn't a huge fan of mushrooms - it's the texture he objects to, not the taste.

Heat through, stirring well. Serve immediately or keep warm over the lowest heat setting.

A lovely accompaniment to this soup is a 95 calorie snack that we love - six little bruschetta toasts smeared with one wedge of Laughing Cow Light cheese.

You can top this soup with anything from dried bananas to slivered almonds to pumpernickel croutons. To be honest, you don't really need a topping - this soup is rich, creamy, velvety, and delicious all on its own.

Not Your Mama's Tuna Noodle Casserole

2010-09-28T20:57:00.000-04:00

I should preface this post by saying that as a child, I would never have eaten tuna noodle casserole. As an adult, I would most likely not bother to waste my calories on a tuna noodle casserole made from condensed soup - I really try to avoid the fat, sodium, and preservatives that compose this "pantry staple". I'd much rather make a simple bechamel in its place. Despite my reservations, when I came across this recipe about a year ago, I decided I had to try it. I've since made it a few times, much to our satisfaction.

Most recently, I recreated the recipe and calculated my own nutrition facts using the ingredients/measurements I was actually using. This recipe has just over 250 calories per serving, a nice savings over Eating Well's already super healthy 406 calories. This is a great option in the "creamy comfort food" category that doesn't wreak havoc with your nutrition. If you're not watching fat or calories as closely as Andrew and I are, you can add more cheese and/or breadcrumbs to the top but honestly, it doesn't need it.

Not Your Mama's Tuna Noodle Casserole
adapted from Eating Well
makes 4 servings

6 oz. no-yolk egg noodles
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 oz. mushrooms, diced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. dry white wine
3 tbsp. AP flour
1-1/2 c. skim milk
1 c. frozen peas
1 - 5 oz. can of tuna (white albacore packed in water), drained
1 wedge Laughing Cow Light cheese
1/4 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Cook egg noodles according to package directions, drain, and set aside. Lightly spray an 8"x8" baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms to the pan, add salt, and saute until onions are translucent, about five minutes.

Add the wine and cook until it has evaporated. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies, then add the milk and bring to a simmer. Stir sauce as it thickens.

Add the peas, tuna, and Laughing Cow cheese to the sauce and stir until cheese has melted.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and top with the mozzarella cheese. Broil for five minutes or until cheese is melted, browned, and bubbly.

Cut into quarters and serve with a nice green salad.

It's easy to get your lean protein and veggies when they're wrapped up in such a cozy dish. This is the perfect hot meal for a cool autumn day - easy to put together, warm, and comforting.

Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini

2010-09-27T07:30:00.000-04:00

I saw this recipe in Real Simple magazine and immediately wanted to try it. I'm not a huge fan of stuffed peppers, but the contents of this "stuffing" were right up my alley, so I figured I'd give it a try. One half was enough for me, but Andrew ate two. We repeated these numbers for lunch the next day, so three zucchini was the perfect amount for us. I omitted the sun-dried tomatoes called for in the original recipe because Andrew isn't a huge fan of them.

You could easily make up the "stuffing" the night before, then just halve, scoop, and stuff the zucchini for a super fast meal. Since the weather is turning cool here, I've got fall foods on my mind and I think this would be equally good with acorn squash.

Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini

adapted from Real Simple - September 2010

3 medium zucchini

1/2 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed

1/4 c. grated Asiago cheese

2 tbsp. pignoli (pine nuts)

2 tbsp. chopped sun-dried tomatoes

2 chopped green onions

Halve the zucchini lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and form the "bowl" for your stuffing. Place halves on a cookie sheet and set aside.

Brown the sausage in a large skillet. Drain grease and combine with remaining ingredients. I had reserved the scooped out zucchini and mixed it in at this point.

Roast at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until zucchini is fork tender. Serve with additional asiago, if desired.

Cuban Sandwiches

2010-09-16T22:16:00.000-04:00

We had our neighbors over for dinner last weekend and I opted to make a giant pork tenderloin. This thing was so big I had to kink it to fit in my biggest roasting pan!

While hanging out chatting at the dinner table, we got around to discussing what to do with all that leftover pork. Our neighbors are both originally from the Dominican Republic, andNelson has worked as a chef, so I really enjoy talking food with him. Nelson's suggestion for the leftover pork? Cubans! I've served Cuban sandwiches before working in restaurants, but had never tried one (not being a huge fan of sandwiches) and Andrew had never even heard of them.

I guess Nelson was a pretty good salesman...we drove to the store the next morning so we could eat them for lunch.

Cuban Sandwiches
makes 4 sandwiches

4 ciabatta rolls
4 slices leftover pork tenderloin
8 slices honey-baked ham
8 slices Swiss cheese
8 slices dill pickles
Dijon mustard

Halve and toast the rolls in the toaster oven or under the broiler.

Place the bottom half of each roll on a cookie sheet. Top with one slice Swiss cheese, mustard, 2 pickles, 2 slices of ham, and one piece of pork. Add another slice of cheese to the top.

Return sandwiches to the broiler or toaster oven just long enough to melt the cheese. Add top half of bun to each sandwich. Serve with additional mustard and pickles. Handcut potato chips wouldn't hurt.

These sandwiches are easy, filling, and delicious. A nice weekend lunch or quick weeknight dinner, Cubans are a little something different from boring old turkey or chicken salad. Enjoy!

Chocolate Strawberry Pavlova

2010-09-14T22:30:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for an impressive dessert that's a little something different, look no further. I have made one of Nigella's dessert recipes before, but wasn't 100% pleased with the results. This time, I could not have been happier. This Chocolate Strawberry Pavlova was rich and sweet, yet light and fruity. An amazing treat that works for any occasion.

I made this for my in-laws' tenth wedding anniversary. There were seven of us and we ended up with one giant piece left over - this would easily serve ten if you cut it properly.

Chocolate Strawberry Pavlova
adapted from Nigella Lawson

For the Meringue

6 large egg whites
2 c. superfine sugar (**see note**)
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

For the Topping

2 c. heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. superfine sugar
2 c. sliced strawberries
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate

**Please note: I don't have superfine sugar in my pantry and I wasn't about to buy any. You don't need to either. Put regular old granulated sugar in your food processor or blender and whir for about 30 seconds (until it's super fine).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line abaking sheet with parchment. Use a pencil to trace a 9-inch- cake tin on the paper. Flip the paper over so your meringue doesn't touch the pencil marks.

Beat the egg whites with a mixer untilsatiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a timeuntil the meringue is stiff and shiny.

Sift the cocoa into the bowl, then add the vinegar and chopped chocolate over the egg whites.

Gently fold everything with arubber spatula until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in.

Plop the meringue into the center of the parchment circle. Yummy!

Shape the meringue into a disc using a butterknife or offset spatula.

Lick the spatula clean. Mmmm hmmmm!

Place in the oven, and immediately turnthe temperature down to 300 degrees and cook for 60-75 minutes.

When it's ready, it should look crisp and dry on top,but when you prod the center you should feel the promise of squidginessbeneath your fingers.(This is word-for-word Nigella's direction - I love it!)

Open the oven door, turn off the oven, and let the meringue cool completely.

Move the meringue onto your serving plate.

Whip the cream and vanilla until soft peaks start to form. Add the sugar and whip to combine.

Spread the whipped cream on the meringue and top with the strawberries. My lovely sister-in-law Leah is allergic to strawberries, so I left a section of the pavlova free for her.

Use a vegetable peeler to shave curls of chocolate over the pavlova.

Happy Anniversary to two of my favorite people!

Cold Curry-Peanut Noodles

2010-09-03T08:31:00.000-04:00

It's Labor Day weekend here in the States, and for a lot of us, that means backyard barbeques, picnics, and camping. I thought I'd share a yummy side dish I made this summer. From the June 2010 issue of Food Network Magazine, Cold Curry-Peanut Noodles are a fantastic twist on tired old pasta salad. They're something different, yet not so out there that unadventurous eaters will be wary.

Cold Curry-Peanut Noodles

adapted from Food Network Magazine, June 2010

p. 104

12 oz. whole wheat spaghetti

2/3 c. crunchy peanut butter

1-2 tbsp. red curry paste

2 tsp. rice wine vinegar

juice of 1 lime

1/3 c. fresh parsley leaves

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, cut into thin strips

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, drain pasta, rinse under cool water. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the peanut butter, curry paste, vinegar, lime juice, parsley, 1/2 cup water, and 1 tsp. salt. Puree until smooth.

Toss the spaghetti, vegetables, and peanut sauce in a large bowl until well combined. Season with salt (you'll need it) and stir in some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary.

If serving immediately, transfer to serving bowl and top with red pepper flakes and fresh parsley. We brought this along with us as a camping side dish, so I packed it into an airtight container and into the cooler.

A lovely camping meal - cheeseburgers, chips, coleslaw, and this awesome pasta salad!

Those of you who know me are aware that I'm not much of a camper - I mostly do it to make my husband happy. I'm also not much of a fisherwoman, but every once in a while, I'll do that too, just to make Andrew happy.

As you can see in the picture below, this city girl in borrowed waders does not appreciate the moment being recorded for posterity!


We're not in NYC anymore, Toto!

Have a Happy Labor Day weekend!

Summer Wrap-Up

2010-08-25T17:45:00.000-04:00

I have been very neglectful of my blog this summer, which is too bad because I've been cooking lots of great stuff that's worthy of sharing!

In lieu of a new recipe today, I wanted to post some of my summertime favorites for your perusal.

Berry Pie

Seafood Linguine

Summer Pasta Salad

And a few more of my summertime favorites:

The Red Sox!

The Connecticut shore

Cocktails by the water

Hope you're enjoying the last of the warm weather!

HamJam 2010

2010-08-23T22:33:00.000-04:00

Great times were had by all at HamJam 2010, a fantastic party thrown by the amazing parents of my friend Kris. He and his wife Rachael invited Andrew and I up for the combo pig roast / jam sesh in Michigan, and we were so happy we were able to make it up there. I tagged this post "holidays" because HamJam is a day I'd be happy to celebrate every year!

It was so fun hanging out with all our new friends. Here are some shots of the day:


Rachael with her adorable son Dru


Andrew and I, ready to eat some more!

Party!!! Kris is in the foreground, wearing a green shirt and playing guitar

Now for some fabulous food!

The chefs preparing to do battle

Grandpa checking the sitch

So many sauce options! I went with the Voodoo Vinegar (far left)

My plate - tri-tip, pork sandwich, corn casserole, mac & cheese, cheesy potatoes, baked beans...hollerrr!

Andrew's plate - a lot more tri-tip, pork sammy, corn casserole, green bean casserole, baked beans

I didn't get pictures of dessert, but if I can get the secret recipe for Blueberry Delight and permission to publish, I wouldn't be surprised if that recipe goes viral in 2 hours. It's that amazing.


The beautiful, fun-loving, incomparable Wollets

Kellie - whose amazing photographic talents I've spread liberally throughout this post!

We had such a wonderful weekend - Kris, Rachael, and their familieswere so welcoming and made us feel a part of the group. The food wasspectacular, the music was wonderful, and the company was even better. Happy HamJam!

Cape Cod

2010-08-05T10:26:00.000-04:00

Unlike many native New Englanders, I have never been a frequent visitor of Cape Cod. My family has a beach house on the Connecticut shore, so we spent our summers there. In fact, I had never been to the Cape until I started dating Andrew. He took me there for a weekend and we had a great time. Though my heart will always be at the Connecticut shore, I can see the appeal of the Cape. I mean, they have their own drink, and not only is it easy to make, it's delicious!

A Cape Cod (also called a "Cape Codder") is just equal parts vodka and cranberry juice. Pour it over ice and garnish with a lime. What a sweet summer drink!

We have been so busy this summer - we put a new roof on our house (did the whole thing ourselves!) and have been traveling almost every weekend. We got back from our annual trip to Acadia National Park in Maine on Sunday. Here are some shots from our vacation:

Finn sitting on my lap like the baby he is!

Me fishing at Otter Point

An incredible moonrise over Southwest Harbor.

To see more amazing vacation shots, check out my husband's blog here. Hope you're having an amazing summer! Cheers!

Nanaimo Bars

2010-07-06T09:38:00.001-04:00

Oh boy. Let me preface this post by saying that nanaimo bars (say it "nah-nee-moh") are completely addictive. If you're looking for a new no-bake treat, this is a surefire winner. I had all the ingredients on hand in my pantry, so when I found the recipe, I was eating Nanaimo Bars within a couple of hours!

These layered bars remind me a little bit of Brookies in that you mix the different layers separately and then combine. Also, both are very rich and chocolate-y. However, when judged by me, Nanaimo Bars would win the dessert contest anytime. They're slightly easier to make, don't require baking, keep in the fridge forever, and taste amazing. Try them!

I would suggest assembling and measuring all your ingredients ahead of time. You have time in between making each layer where the bars need to chill in the fridge, so prepping only the layer you're about to work on will be sufficient.

Nanaimo Bars
adapted from The Joy of Baking

bottom layer ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

middle layer ingredients
1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 tbsp. milk or cream (I used skim milk)
2 tbsp. vanilla pudding powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. powdered sugar

top layer ingredients
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1 tbsp. unsalted butter

bottom layer assembly
Grease a 9"x9" (I don't have one, so I used 8"x8") pan with cooking spray or butter.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the sugar and cocoa powder until incorporated completely.
Slowly stream the beaten egg into the mixture, stirring constantly.
Continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.
Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining "bottom layer ingredients".
Press the mixture into the greased pan with your fingers, then cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.

middle layer assembly
Using a KA or electric hand mixer, beat butter until creamy.
Add all other ingredients and beat until smooth.
If mixture is too thick to spread, add a tablespoon of milk/cream at a time until it reaches a thick yet spreadable consistency.
Spread over the bottom layer.
Cover and refrigerate at least thirty minutes.

top layer assembly
In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate and butter in thirty-second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
Pour over the middle layer and smooth.
Refrigerate until chocolate has set.

Cut into squares (I did 4x4, so got 16 2"x2" bars) with a sharp knife. I prefer to serve chilled straight out of the fridge, but you can also bring them to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!

Tabbouleh

2010-06-13T18:57:00.000-04:00

I've made a lot of new recipes lately, but finding time to blog has been difficult. There are so many delicious summer dishes I want to share with you!

Today, I'll pass on a fantastic recipe for tabbouleh. Tabbouleh is a Lebanese salad made with parsley and bulgur wheat. It bursts with simple, fresh flavors which change as the ingredients meld together. You can serve it as a condiment for simply grilled meats (try it on lamb kabobs - yum!), stuffed into pitas, or as a side dish.

If you are a backyard herb gardener, you'll love this use for all that beautiful flat-leaf parsley you're probably seeing now. Since I can't currently have an herb garden, I bought my parsley at West Side Market. The lovely lady at Judy's Oasis is always working when I stop by. She has sold me the most delicious treats, from kibbee to the irresistible feta-black olive dip, and when I asked for help making my own tabbouleh, she was happy to assist me. Her most important piece of advice: make sure the parsley is washed very well and that you dry it completely before chopping it and mixing the salad.

Tabbouleh
adapted from epicurious

3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. bulgur wheat
1 c. boiling water
3 bunches fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 small tomato, seeds removed, diced
4 green onions, sliced thinly
2 tbsp. lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

Place bulgur wheat in a small heat-proof bowl. Pour boiling water over the wheat. Stir in 1 tbsp. of olive oil and cover bowl with a lid or piece of plastic wrap. Let stand for 15 minutes, then stir with a fork to fluff and separate. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir with a large fork, taste for seasoning. You may wish to add more oil, lemon juice, salt, or pepper. I found that my tabbouleh required a bit more olive oil and a lot more salt.

Enjoy this delicious summery dish with the fresh parsley and tomatoes of the season!

Italian Drip Beef

2010-06-03T20:56:00.002-04:00

My friend Adriana passed around this recipe a few months ago after seeing it on The Pioneer Woman's website, and I saved it because it got rave reviews from everyone who tried it. I altered her original recipe a bit by adapting it for the slow cooker. If you are serving to picky kids or people who don't like spicy food, you will definitely want to reduce the amount of peperoncini you use.

I used a smaller roast since it's just the two of us. The shredded beef is fantastic on sandwiches. I think it would be just as good over mashed potatoes, rice, or orzo.

Italian Drip Beef

1 whole Beef Chuck Roast, 2.5 To 4 Pounds

1 can Beef Broth

2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning

1 teaspoon Salt

¼ cup Water

8 oz. Pepperoncini Peppers, With Juice

Buttered, Toasted Deli Rolls

Cheese (we used shredded mozzarella)

Combine all ingredients in bowl of slow cooker. Stir lightly to combine seasoning with the liquid.

Slow cook 6-8 hours on low or until meatis fork-tender and falling apart.

With two forks, completely shred all meat, leavingno large chunks behind. Serve immediately, or keep warm in the slow cooker.

You can make this the day before, then store in the refrigerator. Remove the hardened fat from the top before reheating.

Serve on buttered, toasted rolls. Top with cheese and melt under the broiler if desired. Serve with juices from the pot.

Homemade Pizza

2010-05-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been quite a hiatus. Chaos has reined in my household for the past month, and hopefully things are starting to calm down. I'd love to say I'll get back to consistent, frequent blogging right away, but I'm not positive that will be the case. For now, I'll do my best to continue sharing recipes with you. I really appreciate you sticking around and continuing to check back - thanks for reading!

Whenever Anna gives me a recipe, I know it's going to be delicious. (Remember her wild rice stuffed onions?) She posted the recipe for this homemade pizza dough on her old blog. I've made it twice now and I adore it. It's a major savings over ordering pizza out, and best of all, you can top it exactly the way you like it.

I opted to top ours with slices of fresh mozzarella, pancetta, caramelized onions, and fresh spinach. Delicious!

As Anna points out, if you don't have a mixer of some kind, the manual labor involved in this dough recipe is going to be excessive. You'll need a KA stand mixer or some other type of mixer with a dough hook.

Pizza Dough
from Anna

1 tsp. active dry yeast
2 tbsp. warm water +
2/3 c. water
1 c. AP flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
olive oil

In the bowl of the mixer, combine the yeast and warm water. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes - until the yeast has expanded (or "bloomed").

Add the additional water, both types of flour, and salt. Combine and knead using the dough hook attachment for ten minutes. While the dough is kneading, lightly oil a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Turn the dough out into the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place (I like my oven, turned off), and allow to rise for two hours.

Punch down the dough, then replace the wrap and allow to rise at least another two hours, up to overnight. (Place bowl in the refrigerator if allowing an overnight rise).

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and divide in half. Roll and stretch each half into whatever shape you'd like your pizza to be. I usually go with funky blob shapes, but if you want to go for a circle or square, have at it!

Top the dough with whatever you like. Last week, we did sausage, goat cheese, and thawed frozen spinach. The pictures show prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, carmelized onion, and fresh spinach. The pizza on the left is Andrew's and also has homemade tomato sauce on it.

Bake pizzas on the bottom rack of the 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until dough is browned and cheese is melted and bubbly.

This pizza dough recipe is easy, healthful, and delicious. If you've been reading TPF for a while, you may know that I haven't always been confident in my ability to bake with yeast. This is a great recipe to use if you feel the same way. Your mixer does a lot of the work, and the directions are straightforward and easy to follow, thanks to Anna.

The best thing about this pizza is that I always have the ingredients on hand. Flour and yeast are staples in my pantry, and the toppings can be as varied as your imagination can handle. I've always got some sort of cheese in the fridge and various veggies to use up. Add in whatever meat and herbs are on hand, and fantastic homemade pizza is a snap.

Peek Into My Pantry!

2010-04-16T16:54:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday! It has been a long week and I have been extremely negligent of TPF lately - my apologies! I am making Beef with Broccoli for dinner tonight - my version of the Chinese takeout classic, and a new favorite of ours.

As a fun Friday post, I thought I'd give you a peek into my pantry, seeing as how I just cleaned and reorganized it last night! I seem to always be able to throw a meal together using ingredients from my pantry and my freezer (hmm, a future post perhaps?) so maybe I can inspire you to stock up!

Let's start with the top half!

As you can see, the top shelf is unlabeled. All that's up there is a loaf of panettone, my KA food grinder, a cupcake tree, and a big box of Ramen noodles (hey, I like to eat them for lunch!).

The next shelf has my tea collection, plus Sweet & Low. I also have extra boxes of raisins, oatmeal, and pancake mixes. Behind all the food is an extra plastic pitcher and some plastic tumblers, and a plastic ketchup & mustard set.

Next you see my canned goods - most important to me are tuna, artichokes, tomato puree, and olives. Usually I have a box or two of chicken stock, and at the moment, I also have some Campbell's condensed soup - Andrew was sick last week, and we've got to have tomato soup on hand to go with his grilled cheese! I've also got tons of pasta - everything from egg noodles to rigatoni. There's also piccolini, lasagne, spaghetti, and bow ties.

That red "PopCorn!" cup is the bane of my existence - we use the scoop to get cat food and the cup to get water, and then carry it to the basement to feed the kitties. I always stick it in the cat food bin, and Andrew always puts it back on the shelf!

The fourth shelf has the usual backup baking supplies (flour, cornstarch, baking soda), plus some different baking stuff - raw nuts, anise seeds, and ladyfingers (for tiramisu!). The "911" Desserts are cake mixes, graham cracker crumbs, and instant pudding - always ready when I need to throw something together at the last minute! You can also see my popcorn stash - both microwave and the "real" kernels.

Also on the fourth shelf are my "most used baking pans" - two muffin tins, two baking sheets with Silpats, and a 13x9 pan. I keep two smaller baking sheets, a 6-cup muffin tin, an 8x8 pan, and a 13x9 in a kitchen drawer. If those are my "first string" pans, these are the "second string"!

The last shelf has random cleaning supplies off to the left - contractor-size trash bags, vacuum attachments, etc. In the middle is my "baking stuff" - from powdered sugar to chocolate chips, colored sprinkles to corn syrup. I always keep yeast, extra brown sugar, sweetened and unsweetened chocolate, unflavored gelatin, and parchment paper on hand.

Also, behold the Almighty Crock Pot! I love this thing, and use it all. the. time. As you know, having seen my slow cooker meals.

On the floor you can see the appliances I don't keep in the kitchen, including my waffle maker and blender. Off to the right, I store white and sweet potatoes. And in the middle, the bin of pet food - kitty food and doggy kibble.

My pantry is in my laundry room, and I've utilized one of the cabinets next to the dryer as storage. Here are more baking pans - on the top shelf there are two 8" cake pans, a 9" springform, and a 10" tart pan. The middle shelf holds two pie plates and a stainless steel mixing bowl. I also store paper goods here - cups, plates, napkins, and plasticware. Below the cabinet, you can see my beloved recycling bins.

So, that's it! Hopefully you enjoyed your little tour of my pantry. Next week, I'm hoping to share my homemade Spinach-Ricotta Ravioli and my friend Adriana's Italian Drip Beef Sandwiches.

Macaroni & Cheese, Take Two

2010-04-10T08:39:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I was putting together some freezer meals, including Meatballs Stroganoff. One of the other meals I made was Macaroni & Cheese. At the last minute, I opted to try a new Mac & Cheese recipe, so I wanted to share my notes on that with you, as compared to my old standby.

A shot of my "usual" recipe - a take on Alton Brown's mac & cheese, this one has three different cheddars and is topped with buttery breadcrumbs.

For comparison's sake, here is a photo of the finished version I made this time. This is adapted from the Pioneer Woman's Mac and Cheese.

Major differences between these two recipes - no breadcrumbs in the PW recipe. I topped the PW version with bacon instead, since I had it in my fridge. I used radiatore for this version, and I loved the way the cheese clung to every nook and cranny! Much better than elbows, in my opinion, and this shape is stout enough to stand up to cooking in the cheese sauce without getting floppy.

Macaroni & Cheese, Version 2
adapted from The Pioneer Woman

1 lb. radiatore or your favorite pasta, cooked al dente
1/2 stick butter
1/4 c. AP flour
2-1/2 c. skim milk
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 egg, beaten
1 lb. cheddar, grated
1 c. mozzarella, grated
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Melt the butter in a large (I mean it, LARGE) saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the flour and mustard into the butter and cook the roux over medium-high heat for five minutes.

Pour in the milk and whisk to combine. Cook about five minutes, until very thick, then drop the heat to low.

In a small bowl, combine the beaten egg and 1/2 c. of the milk mixture. Whisk vigorously to avoid scrambling your egg. Pour mixture back into the sauce and stir until smooth.

Add cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir slowly until cheese has melted and sauce is completely combined. Add cooked pasta and stir to coat.

Pour into large greased baking dish (I used cooking spray), top with mozzarella and crumbled bacon, and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

This dish is a crowd-pleaser that's easy to put together - comfort food at its best!

Check it Out: Fat of the Land

2010-04-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

I've been following the blog Fat of the Land for a while now, and I'm a big fan. Langdon Cook is a modern-day forager who ties stories of his family in with gourmet recipes. I love his photography - it's a good mix of close-up food shots with fun family photos.

His first book, Fat of the Land: Adventures of a 21st Century Forager came out recently, and it's sure to be a great read. Check out his blog and his book for some great perspective on finding great food where you might not expect it!

Bouef Bourguignon

2010-04-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

By now, I'm sure you've seen the movie Julie & Julia. I saw it last summer in the theaters, watched it on pay-per-view with Ann, and got the DVD for Christmas. Though I've watched the movie several times, it wasn't until recently that I made an attempt at the showstopping star of the film - Julia's Bouef Bourguignon. The recipe is re-created everywhere on the internet, so I'll simply credit it to Julia herself.

I'm glad I tried this, but let me just say: it's a lot of work. This is a good dish to put together on a lazy Sunday when you have time to wander in and out of the kitchen, time to cook each part of the dish separately, time to check the oven and stir the pot and taste for seasonings. This is not a good dish to make the Friday of the Olympic opening ceremonies when you are working at home and taking your two 15 minute breaks plus your lunch break as your windows of opportunity to chop, saute, and stir. Luckily, I finish working around 4, so I had plenty of time to clean up the kitchen, set the table, and brush the flour out of my hair before the in-laws showed up. It's taken me quite a while to get around to blogging this dish; maybe because it took me so long to finally make it, I've likewise been procrastinating sharing it with you?

I tried not to be my usual substituting self and follow the recipe closely, but I did make a few small changes. Instead of chunk bacon, I cut strips of bacon into chunks. Instead of an herb bouquet, I just added the chopped herbs to the pot. Lastly, I doubled the amount of pearl onions - mostly because we love them and the bag I bought had over 40 onions in it. I don't think any of those changes had a major impact on the dish. I opted to serve over egg noodles and served fresh steamed broccoli as a side.

Boeuf Bourguignon
adapted from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"
by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck

One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (I used Burgundy)
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 teaspoon thyme
A crumbled bay leaf
18 to 24 white onions, small
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)
1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered

Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quartswater. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproofcasserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly.Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heatfat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at atime, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to thelardons.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beeflightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated ovenfor 4 minutes.

Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust).

Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat sothat liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done whena fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.

Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes,rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful notto break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.

Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet.

Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onionsare perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid hasevaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.

Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over highheat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it ishot enough, add mushrooms.

Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.
When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.

Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.

Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2,skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.

Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T20:45:00.000-04:00

The weather has been absolutely beautiful for the past week, so I put off making my Easter dessert until the last minute. I'm glad I did, because I ended up also making a birthday cake for Andrew's Aunt Sammy.

When I saw the recipe for Nigella's Fairy Cakes on "Once Upon a Plate", I knew I had to try them. My one issue with the recipe was that Mari didn't explain how to get the cupcakes flat and iced as perfectly as hers were. I winged it and they came out okay. Mari's icing must have been much thicker than mine, because my cupcakes soaked up a lot of the liquid and were not as perfectly smooth as hers were. The blue ones came out best, and they were all delicious, so no one really minded.

I added 3/4 cup cocoa powder to one batch of the Fairy Cake recipe and baked it in an 8" cake pan. Then, using an idea I saw on the back of the Easter M&M's bag, I cut the cake in half and turned it into a butterfly. I used Mari's easy buttercream recipe, tinted it pink, and decorated with sprinkles and M&M's. I used candied citrus peel as antennae. Sammy was really happy with her cake, and it tasted fantastic!

Berry Pie

2010-03-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

As spring approaches, berries can be found at the market for decent prices, and boy have I been taking advantage! Next week, I'll share my Blackberry Lime Sorbet, a delicious icy treat that is currently occupying space in my freezer. For now, let me share with you my adorable Berry Pies, made all the more fun by baking them in ramekins instead of a large pie plate. Of course, if you don't have ramekins or you'd prefer one large pie, this recipe will translate perfectly.

This was a complete experiment - I made up the recipe as I went along, and it turned out great!

Berry Pie
makes 1 large pie or 8 ramekin pies

2-1/2 c. strawberries
2-1/2 c. blackberries
scant 1/2 c. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. flour
1 tbsp. lemon juice
zest 1 lemon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pie crust, store-bought or homemade

As I've said before, I don't believe in bottom crusts for a lot of pies. If you want to make this as one large pie, a bottom crust would work, but in ramekins, I wouldn't recommend it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash the berries. Remove the tops of the strawberries and cut into quarters (you may have to cut them further if they are particularly large). Slice large blackberries in half, leave smaller ones whole.

In a large bowl, toss the berries with the flour. Add the sugar, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and zest, and salt, and stir to combine. Portion into ramekins (or dump into your pie plate). I used a fluted biscuit cutter to cut out and shape the tops, then slit a star shape into each one before pressing onto the ramekins. Sprinkle each pie with raw turbinado sugar.

Store pie(s) in refrigerator until ready to bake. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-20 minutes, just until tops brown.

Meatballs Stroganoff & Notes on Freezer Meals

2010-03-24T17:15:00.000-04:00

It's been a very busy week, as I've been trying to put together some freezer meals to bring to family. What's been saving my sanity is that I've been making a double recipe of each meal - we eat one for dinner and then I freeze the other portion. I've done two chicken pot pies (one for dinner tonight), and tomorrow will be a double batch of homemade macaroni and cheese.

I also made a lasagne this afternoon as a bonus freezer meal. Yum!

In the midst of all these classic comfort foods that I've made a million times, I wanted to try a new one. Something I'd never made, but that I couldn't mess up too badly, since I wanted to eat it for dinner and then give it away to other people. Man, did I hit the jackpot with this recipe!

Meatballs Stroganoff is an easy and delicious meal you can put together any night of the week. Make the meatballs in advance so you can pull them out of the freezer the day you're ready to make them - I made 3 pounds of meatballs, rolled them very small, and ended up with about 110 meatballs. If you don't have a tried and true meatball recipe, click here to borrow mine! The recipe below is NOT doubled - it's for a single batch of Stroganoff.

Meatballs Stroganoff
adapted from SparkPeople

1.5 lb. meatballs - about 50

2 tbsp. butter
2 small onions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz. beef broth
1 tbs. lemon juice
3 tbs. AP flour
8 oz. low-fat sour cream
16 oz. "no yolks" egg noodles - cooked and set aside

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onions and garlic, cook until translucent.

To the pan, add all but 3 tbsp. of the beef broth and the lemon juice and bring to a boil.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and the reserved broth until smooth.

Turn the heat down to low. Whisking vigorously, stream in the flour/broth mixture. Raise the heat back up and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Add the meatballs to the pan to heat them through. Cover saucepan and cook on medium heat for another five minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat off and let stand for a few minutes, then stir in the sour cream. Serve over the cooked egg noodles.

Look at all this creamy sauce!

Hello little meatballs!

All right, I'm done now.

This is a delicious, comforting meal that your family will thank you for. To give it as a freezer meal, I packed about 50 small meatballs into a plastic container, smothered them in the sauce, and froze it. The plastic container will be joined by a bag of egg noodles when I give it to someone else.

Snacks for Dinner - A Kid Friendly Version

2010-03-24T17:00:00.000-04:00

I love making snacks for dinner. Or appetizers for dinner. Basically you make a bunch of "picky" dishes and then eat a little of this, a little of that...until you're stuffed! Andrew and I were baby-sitting his cousins for a weekend, and we decided to do our own version of "snacks for dinner". I had to make things that were kid friendly and that I could find in their house, so that narrowed down my choices big time. But you know me, I love to sort through a fridge and pantry and see what I can come up with. I have to say, this time wasn't particularly inspired, and it certainly wasn't culinary genius, but it made the kids happy and was relatively well-balanced, so...that's good enough for me!

The photo above is Andrew's cousin Luke, waiting patiently for me to take a picture so he can dig in.

Luke told me he loves to cook, so I had him help me was and then carefully cut the vegetables for our little crudite platter. In the fridge, we found carrots, celery, half a red pepper, and two halves of cucumbers.

In the freezer, I found chicken tenders, cheesy garlic bread, and in the fridge, hot dogs. We cut everything up into pieces we could grab with our hands, though we did end up using forks.

Here's our spread! I added a bowl of pretzels and colorful bowls for the condiments. We also made a frozen pizza for the boys, since they eat like horses. :)

It may not have been the healthiest meal, but we worked with what we had to put it together, and everyone was happy with the results!

Caramelized Onion & Gorgonzola Risotto

2010-03-21T14:55:00.001-04:00

The original plan was gorgonzola polenta. That plan went out the window when we got home from grocery shopping and I realized I was out of polenta...oops! I had bought some fantastic cheese and was craving more, so I decided my carb-y side would have to include it. Hence this new risotto recipe was born. The caramelized onions add major flavor and their sweetness offsets the strong cheese beautifully.

At The Cheese Shop in West Side Market, I spent some time talking to Lisa, a veteran of the Cleveland food scene who started her career at Piccolo Mundo, working alongside many well-known Cleveland foodies, including Chef Michael Symon. Lisa told my sister and I some great stories about the restaurant scene in Cleveland over the past quarter century while she fed us samples of fantastic cheeses. We ended up choosing Buttermilk Blue. Though Lisa helped us choose it as the perfect complement to our polenta, it also worked beautifully in the risotto we ended up with.

Caramelized Onion & Gorgonzola Risotto
serves 4 as a side dish

1 tbsp. butter
2 medium or 1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. arborio rice
up to 1 tbsp. olive oil
1 c. white wine
3-4 c. chicken stock
1/3 c. gorgonzola (heap it in there!) plus more for the table
salt & pepper

You've seen my risotto technique a ton of times - I'll give you the basics here, but for step by step instructions and many other risotto recipes, click the "rice" tag.

In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a simmer. Turn heat to medium-low and allow to stay warm on a back burner.

In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add onions and stir to coat. Cook the onions until they are caramelized to a nice dark brown color - don't worry about black/brown bits sticking to the pan, we'll take care of those later. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes or so, then add the rice to the skillet.

Stir the rice, lightly toasting it in the pan. If it is sticking, add a bit of olive oil to keep it moving. Add the wine first, stirring to help the rice absorb the liquid. Continue adding liquid and stirring until rice is creamy and slightly al dente in the center.

Add gorgonzola to the pan, stirring to melt throughout the risotto. Plate and top with additional gorgonzola crumbles.

Top 10 Dinners

2010-03-20T21:12:00.000-04:00

As I learn how to program my website (and trust me, it's a slow process!), I'm attempting to bring you more recipes, better pictures, and tabs that help you navigate this blog.

Please click on my newly renovated tab, "Top 10 Dinners", and let me know what you think!

Tiramisu

2010-03-16T11:58:00.001-04:00

It's been quite a while since I did a post where I share step-by-step photo instructions. Tiramisu seemed like the perfect opportunity to remedy that fact. My sister Jenna is in town for a few days, and she wanted to cook together, so I planned several fun recipes for us to try. We spent a couple hours at West Side Market yesterday choosing the perfect ingredients, then got to work in the kitchen.

This tiramisu is absolutely delicious. Light and airy, it's neither soggy nor heavy as other versions can be. I skipped the brandy/liqueur, so there's no alcoholic bite either. I would recommend increasing the amount of espresso syrup used so that the tiramisu isn't dry - the recipe below reflects my changes.

Tiramisu
adapted from Heavenly Tiramisu

espresso syrup
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. strong espresso

mascarpone cream
1 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
16 oz. mascarpone cheese, softened

1/2 lb. savoiardi (ladyfingers) - about 28 cookies

cocoa powder

for the syrup

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in espresso. Pour into a shallow dish and set aside to cool.

for the mascarpone cream

Whip the cream until soft peaks begin to form, then with the mixer running, slowly add in the vanilla and sugar. Scrape whipped cream into a separate bowl, set aside.

Place the mascarpone cheese into the mixer and whip until light and fluffy. This will make it much easier to fold into the whipped cream.

See how light and fluffy it is? Much easier to work with than the original consistency, which is similar to cream cheese.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the whipped cheese. I like to add the cream in two batches so I can get it as fully incorporated as possible without losing all the air.

I love a good assembly line, and this is a great excuse to set one up. Set out a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Next to it, set your shallow container of espresso syrup, and next to that, a pile of ladyfingers.

Dip each ladyfinger in the espresso syrup, flip to coat the other side, then arrange in the baking dish.

Top the layer of ladyfingers with half the mascarpone cream.

Repeat the process of dunking the ladyfingers and arranging them. Top with the remaining half of the mascarpone cream.

Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes in the top mascarpone layer.

Spoon the remaining espresso syrup into the holes so it can soak down into the dessert. Yum!

Smooth the top of the tiramisu so the holes no longer show. Look how pretty!

I was afraid that plastic wrap would destroy the smoothness of the top layer, so I used a larger baking dish as a cover. Refrigerate the tiramisu up to 24 hours before serving.

When you're ready to serve. slice into squares and sprinkle with cocoa powder. This is a fabulous dessert that comes together relatively easily. Though there are several steps, two people can put this together in no time with impressive (and delicious!) results.

Turkey Pot Pie

2010-03-15T22:44:00.003-04:00

I've presented several versions of pot pie before. In the past, they've always been a "cheater" version that uses canned/frozen ingredients, which is a departure from my usual style of fresh produce and "from scratch" sauces. The notion of a truly homemade pot pie has been on my mind for a while, and though this one is a step closer, I did still take some help from the store in the form of a refrigerated pie crust.

I don't believe in a bottom crust on pot pies. Maybe you like it - if so, more power to you. But in my opinion, the bottom crust is just a soggy, floppy mess. That's no way to treat good pastry! Plus, omitting the bottom crust makes me feel better about the fact that there's half a stick of butter in this pot pie. (Although, on second thought, half a stick of butter spread out over 6-8 servings of pie barely counts, right?)

Turkey Pot Pie
adapted from All Recipes

4 tbsp. butter
1 small onion, minced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 c. chicken stock
3 tbsp. dried parsley
1 scant tsp. oregano
1-1/2 c. cubed turkey
3 tbsp. flour
1/2 c. skim milk
salt & pepper
1 refrigerated pie crust

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large skillet, melt two tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent and carrots are slightly softened. Stir in the chicken stock and bring mixture to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until they are just fork tender.

In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter. Add the turkey and the flour. Pour in the milk and heat the mixture. Combine the turkey mixture with the vegetables in the large skillet. Cook until the sauce has thickened a bit.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart oven-safe dish.

Top with the piecrust. Slit holes in the top for ventilation. Place on a cookie sheet in case of spillover. This also makes moving the pie in and out of the oven much easier.

Place pie in the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Remove from oven and let stand 5-10 minutes. Slice and serve. We used bowls to catch all the delicious sauce!

I'm tagging this post for turkey and chicken because you could easily sub the latter into this recipe!

Baked Salmon with Roasted Peppers

2010-03-11T14:57:00.002-05:00

Hot on the heels of my "Fishing Fair" post, here's a recipe using a fish that is readily available from sustainable fisheries. Using this guide from the Monterrey Bay Aquarium, it's easy to look up the fish you're interested in and find out what the best choices are. For example, here's the salmon info.

SEAFOOD	RATING	MARKET NAMES	WHERE CAUGHT	HOW CAUGHT
Salmon		Coho, Sockeye, King, Pink, Red, Sake	Alaska	Wild-caught
Salmon		Coho, Silver Salmon	U.S.	Farmed in Tank Systems
Salmon		Coho, Sockeye, King, Pink, Red, Sake	Washington	Wild-caught
Salmon		Farmed Salmon, Atlantic Salmon, Sake	Worldwide	Farmed
Salmon Roe		Ikura, Roe	Alaska	Wild-caught

They also have an app you can download, which will come in handy when dining out or shopping at fish markets. My favorite fishmonger is Kate's Fish. They operate a stand at the West Side Market in Cleveland. I buy from them 3-4 times a month, and I'm always happy with my purchases. To me, the mark of a good fish market (besides cleanliness, fresh product, good prices, and decent service) is their willingness to talk to you about the food. Each item is displayed in the glass with a card next to it telling you what it is, where it's from, and whether it has been frozen already. I like to ask questions, and they are always willing to give me advice on storage and preparation, plus more information on how things were caught and transported.

On to the recipe! This meal is simple to put together, with delicious flavors that allow the salmon to shine. I opted to serve it alongside rice - I took all the little bags of leftover rice in my pantry (all long grain varieties) and cooked them all together. An interesting experiment, it also turned out pretty delicious.

Baked Salmon with Roasted Peppers

3 skin-on salmon fillets, 1/2 lb. each
olive oil
salt & pepper
Old Bay or other seafood seasoning of your choice
3 Bell peppers - I chose one each of red, yellow, and green

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Wash, halve, and core the peppers. Slice them into strips. Lay them on a baking sheet, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Put on the bottom rack of the oven.

On a smaller pan, lay out the salmon fillets. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. I sprinkled on enough Old Bay to give a light dusting. Put the salmon on the top rack of the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes, depending on thickness. The best way (for me) to tell when salmon is done is to break a corner off with a fork. If it's flaky but moist, it's perfect.

Remove the salmon from the oven and tent with foil. Move the peppers to the top rack and increase the oven heat to 400 degrees. Roast another 5-10 minutes, or until the edges start to blacken and peppers are softened but not limp.

Fishing Fair

2010-03-08T21:19:00.001-05:00

So my husband is a brilliant fisherman and a fantastic person. He also happens to be The Mad Trouter. He found The End of the Line, a film that reveals "the impact of overfishing on our oceans". They also have a website that will give you a ton of information on sustainable fisheries, including a restaurant guide and information on how you can help.

Here's a clip from the film, which Andrew and I ordered today:

I've mentioned Rick Moonen and his commitment to sustainable fisheries in the past. We've always ben supporters of the Bristol Bay conservation efforts, and now we're turning our attention to this greater issue. Andrew and I are in the process of making plans to give whatever aid we can to this cause. It's an issue that's not going anywhere, and it will affect all of us.

Please see End of the Line, check out Rick Moonen's website, and read up on Bristol Bay.

Throw Together Pasta: Version 3

2010-03-08T07:00:00.001-05:00

We do love our pasta around here, and I'm all about putting together meals with food we've already got on hand, even when we have house guests. My mom and aunt were visiting again, and last time, I made butternut squash risotto. To please my carb-loving relatives without being repetitive, I opted for a pasta dinner one night. I had pesto left over from the panini, so I opted to turn it into a sauce. I needed to use up some random veggies in my fridge, so I paired those with some frozen shrimp and the pesto cream, and TTP #3 was born.

Throw Together Pasta: Version 3
The Farmer's Market Version

1 lb. pasta (I used rigatoni)
1 bunch spinach, washed and trimmed
1 bunch asparagus, washed
1 lb. shrimp, cleaned and deveined
4-6 slices bacon
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. chicken stock
2/3 c. pesto, leftover
1/2 c. fat-free half & half
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water liberally, then add the pasta and cook al dente (according to package directions).

In the meantime, chop the bacon into 1" pieces. Cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove to a paper towel-covered plate using a slotted spoon. If you have an excessive amount of bacon grease, pour it out. I had less than a tablespoon, so I left it in the pan. Add the olive oil to the skillet. Once the oil is hot, in goes the diced onion and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent, being careful not to let the garlic brown.

Chop the asparagus into pieces about 2" long and add to the pan. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook two minutes, then add shrimp and spinach to the pan and cover. Once spinach has wilted, stir in cooked pasta.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together pesto and half & half. Pour over the pasta and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grated cheese - we like asiago!

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

2010-03-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

I really wanted to title this post "Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes"...but then I read it out loud and realized it sounds silly. (EDIT: I decided to name it that anyway) That's what these are though - delicious chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, topped with peanut butter cups!

It starts out with these cupcakes. Any chocolate cake or cupcakes will work, but I had half a batch of the chocolate cupcakes from World Nutella Day in my freezer. To thaw frozen cupcakes, just remove from freezer, take out of the gallon-size zip bag, and allow to thaw in the plastic wrap. (You did wrap them the way I taught you, right? Good.) These will thaw on the counter in less than half an hour.

While they thaw (or bake, if you're starting there), you can whip together this delicious Peanut Butter frosting!

Peanut Butter Frosting

from AllRecipes

1/4 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. crunchy peanut butter

1 tbsp. + 1-1/2 tsp. milk

1 c. confectioner's sugar

I opted for crunchy peanut butter because that's what I had on hand, and I ended up loving the texture! If you are planning to frost a cake with this, you'd probably want to use creamy to make spreading it easier.

In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and peanut butter. Slowly mix in the sugar, and as the mixture thickens, add the milk a little at a time. Beat in between additions of milk - you may find you need more or less, depending on your peanut butter. It will take about three minutes with the beater for this frosting to get nice and fluffy.

This will generously frost eight cupcakes.

To serve, I frosted the cupcakes, then sprinkled with chopped peanut butter cups. I took one peanut butter cup and cut it into quarters with a sharp knife. I stuck the quarters into the "back" of each cupcake. As you can see, I also had some mini cupcakes to decorate! This frosting is fantastic, and when combined with chocolate cupcakes and peanut butter cups, well...what's not to love?

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

2010-03-04T15:02:00.000-05:00

I had never made a roasted turkey breast before. Sure, I've cooked plenty of whole turkeys and chickens, but I'd never had the desire to make a turkey breast. That changed when I saw them on a BOGO sale at my local grocery store, and $18 later, I was the proud owner of two gigantic turkey breasts. I promptly stuck them in my chest freezer and told myself I'd make one "next weekend".

Three weeks later, I finally defrosted one and made it for Sunday dinner. I used Ina's recipe as a guide for temperature and timing. The leftovers from one turkey breast were easily enough to make aturkey pot pie plus a pot of turkey soup, with extra for Andrew'slunches.

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

adapted from Ina Garten

1 whole bone-in turkey breast (mine was about 8 pounds)

4 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp. dry mustard

1/3 c. fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried sage

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 c. white wine

Preheat the oven to 325. Place the turkey breast skin side up on a rack over a roasting pan (see photo). Combine everything but the wine in a small bowl. Use your fingers to loosed the skin from the meat, then spread about half of the mixture under the skin. Dump the cup of wine into the bottom of the roasting pan and stick it in the oven.

Roast for about 2 hours - Ina says the internal temp should be 165 degrees. Remove from the oven and tent with foil. Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes.

I make a simple gravy by pouring a little water over the contents of the bottom of the roasting pan, then using a whisk to loosen it up. Simmer a few minutes, then pour through a strainer. Return to the pan and thicken with cornstarch or flour, whisking vigorously, until the gravy is the consistency you desire. Serve with the turkey (and hopefully some mashies!) and everyone will be happy.

Buttermilk Invasion

2010-03-03T17:25:00.000-05:00

I am working on a post about roasting a turkey breast, but in the meantime, I wanted to fill you in on the current events in my kitchen. I found myself blessed with an abundance of buttermilk this week. Ann (my husband's wonderful stepmom) gave me almost a whole half gallon of the stuff on Sunday. So it was my job to find amazing ways to use it.

As it stands, here's the lineup:

Buttermilk Bathed Pork Chops
Buttermilk Chocolate Cake with Fudge Frosting
Buttermilk Scones (possibly with chocolate chips and/or chocolate glaze)

That's a whole lotta buttermilk kids. The only other time I can remember doing anything with the stuff was when I made that fabulous Buttermilk Quick Bread and when I made The Best Pancakes with Grandma.

Here's the quick bread for you to drool over while I get buttermilk-happy tonight!

Beef with Broccoli

2010-03-02T21:16:00.000-05:00

I've been in the mood for Asian food lately, and in the town where we live, there aren't a ton of choices. There are some great restaurants closer to Cleveland, but on a weeknight, that's not an option. Andrew and I adore Chinese takeout, but that's not particularly healthy or cost-effective. I found a great recipe for takeout-inspired Beef with Broccoli, and it was a huge hit with both Andrew and I.

Beef with Broccoli
adapted from Epicurious

1-1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 lb. beef tips
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. frozen broccoli
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1/3 c. water
2 c. cooked white rice

Place broccoli into a bowl and defrost in the microwave 2-4 minutes. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tbsp. vegetable oil until hot (but not smoking).

Meanwhile, put beef in a bowl and sprinkle the cornstarch, salt, and pepper over it. Toss to coat throughly.

Stir fry the beef, in batches if necessary, until cooked medium-well, about two minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add the broccoli and garlic, tossing over medium-high heat until broccoli is heated and garlic is golden brown.

Add the soy sauce and garlic to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the meat and any juices back to the pan and cook until sauce has thickened. I left mine over low with a cover on for about five minutes while I waited for the rice to finish cooking.

Serve over white rice. As a salt junkie, I used additional soy sauce as a condiment, and my spice-loving husband opted for sriracha.

If you're a fan of takeout Beef with Broccoli, I think you'll love this recipe. It's quick, easy, and doesn't use any crazy ingredients you may not have on hand. This is a great pick for a busy weeknight - you can make it in less time than it would take to order and wait for Chinese delivery.

Prosciutto & Spinach Panini with Pesto & Yogurt Cheese

2010-02-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

I love panini! Somehow, eating meat on bread becomes less of an issue for me when it's pressed, hot, and cheesy. Also little grammar lesson for you? Do not try to pluralize it as "paninis". It is already plural, kind of like "pizelle" or "moose".

These were simple panini - I made pesto, then smeared it on lovely fresh Pugliese bread, topped with prosciutto, fresh spinach, and yogurt cheese. Delicious! For any of you who want specifics - it was two pieces of prosciutto, maybe 1/3 cup spinach, two slices (about 1" x 4" x 1/4" thick) of yogurt cheese, and maybe 1/2 tbsp. pesto on each sandwich.

I gave you some pesto advic e a while ago, but I thought I'd add a more detailed "recipe". I put that in quotes because I'm pretty flexible when I make pesto - you never know what it will be like texturally, and you will most likely have to add and subtract quantities in order to get the perfect consistency for your recipe.

My favorite thing about pesto is its versatility. It works great as a spread on sandwiches, a topping for grilled meat, to brush on kabobs, and of course, as a pasta sauce. It's nice to make pesto in big batches, then freeze it for later use. You can use up your summer basil and enjoy it all year round. At this time of year, if basil is super expensive, you can use part basil and sub other herbs in for the rest of the quantity. Flat leaf parsley is my go-to substitute, but you can experiment with other mild herbs too.

Pesto!

1 c. fresh basil leaves, packed
1/4 c. pignoli (pine nuts) or walnuts
2 cloves garlic, peeled
salt & pepper
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients except olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Process until mixture stops moving (mine typically gets stuck to the sides once it's been minced). Scrape down the sides, then while running the food processor, stream olive oil in through the feed tube. Stop, scrape down the sides, and taste the pesto. Depending on its consistency, you may want to add more basil and nuts (to thicken it) or more olive oil (to thin it out). Remember to season it to taste with salt and pepper. The pesto I made this time was very thick - I wanted it to spread nicely on sandwiches and not be watery at all. When I turned it into a pesto cream for pasta later in the week, I thinned it out with milk and a bit of heavy cream.

Store pesto for a couple days in food storage containers as pictured above, or ladle into ice cube trays and freeze. Store the frozen cubes in a zip-top bag. Each cube is 2 tablespoons of pesto - the perfect amount for four panini or one bowl of pasta.

Check it out!

2010-02-24T13:29:00.000-05:00

You may remember this review I wrote about Aha Sushi, in Gurnee, Illinois. Well, they've posted a link to my blog review on their website! Pretty cool, right?

Click here to check out Aha Sushi's main page.

Banana Chocolate Chunk Waffles

2010-02-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid, my mom required me to eat breakfast every day before leaving for school. It's a habit I've pretty much kept up, and it's rare that I skip the morning meal. On Valentine's Day, I wanted to make something out of the ordinary for breakfast. Since our weekend breakfasts typically involve bacon, eggs, and toast, I thought waffles would fit the bill.

I have this Cuisinart waffle maker, and the recipe I'll share with you came with it. If you already have a Cuisinart waffle maker, you've got this recipe, but if you don't...well yay! You can make Banana Chocolate Chunk Waffles too!

Banana Chocolate Chunk Waffles
adapted from Cuisinart

2 c. AP flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2/3 c. skim milk
1 medium banana, mashed
6 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 c. chocolate, chopped into small chunks

Combine all ingredients. Preheat your waffle maker and cook the waffles according to manufacturer instructions.

I found that I needed to grease my waffle maker between each waffle. I also needed to keep the waffles cooking for a bit longer than the red and green lights told me to. In the end though, I ended up with 9 delicious waffles (one more than Cuisinart said I'd get!). We ate one each, and I froze the rest in a gallon-size zip-top bag with a piece of wax paper between each waffle. When you want to eat them, you can just put them into the toaster oven straight from the freezer, just like an Eggo. Only a million times better!

Lamb Stew

2010-02-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

I love making soups, but Andrew and I were getting tired of all my old standbys. I hit Google, and before I knew it, decided to make lamb stew. From there, I decided to seek out a recipe that let me make a savory stew in my slow cooker, and behold, I found one! I did make some changes, because the recipe on A Crock Cook seemed like it could use some tweaking. I would definitely recommend the changes I made!

I had a LOT of mashed potatoes left over from a previous meal, and this stew was perfect served over them - so hearty, warm, and satisfying. Of course, only Andrew ate his that way. Me, being the Queen of Divided Plates, enjoyed one bowl of buttered mashies and one bowl of lamb stew. In my defense, it was still delicious!

Lamb Stew
adapted from A Crock Cook

2 lbs. lamb stewing pieces
1/2 c. AP flour
1 tbsp. ground coriander seed
1 tbsp. sweet paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
28 oz. chicken stock
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 c. plain yogurt
2 c. packed spinach

leftover mashed potatoes, cooked egg noodles, or whatever carb you want to serve your stew over

Flour the lamb pieces. The smart way to do this would be in a plastic zip-top bag. The Amy way to do this would be to toss them around on a paper plate with flour on it, eventually knocking the plate and some lamb pieces on the floor and all over yourself.

Clean that mess up. Now, brown the lamb pieces in batches in a little olive oil over medium-high heat. Remove to a plate as the pieces finish cooking.

In the slow cooker, combine all ingredients except the yogurt and spinach. Cook on low 8-10 hours. In the last 30 minutes to an hour of cooking, stir in the yogurt and the spinach.

To serve, spoon warmed mashed potatoes into a bowl.

Ladle the lamb stew over the potatoes and serve.

This stew is a warm, hearty meal. Being able to cook it in a crock makes it a super simple choice for weeknight dinners. It's something a little different than beef stew with carrots or chicken noodle soup. I adore soups and stews, and I'll continue to seek out new and interesting recipes and share them with you.

Fish Chowder

2010-02-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

It took me a while to find a soup that was "different" enough to get me out of my current soup rut, yet still make both Andrew and I happy. While I was searching around on the Crockpot Lady's blog, I found what I was looking for. This fish chowder is easy to put together, cooks in the crockpot, and tastes delicious. I purchased the "sale fish" that day - tilapia fillets - and used frozen shrimp, so the cost wasn't prohibitive. Hearty and satisfying without being too bad for you, this would be a great meal for Fridays during Lent or any day of the year.

Fish Chowder
adapted from Crockpot 365

1 lb. white fish, cut into 2" cubes
3 c. chicken broth
3 Idaho potatoes, cubed
1-1/2 c. frozen corn
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large carrots, cut into half moons
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste

2 c. frozen shrimp
1 c. heavy cream

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. I left the skins on the potatoes, which seemed heartier - exactly what I was going for. You could easily cut up all the veggies the night before, place in the stoneware insert, cover with the broth, and store in the fridge overnight. In the morning, add the fish and put the insert into the slow cooker. Reserve the final two ingredients (shrimp & cream) for later.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours. About half an hour before you're ready to serve, stir in the cream and shrimp and turn the slow cooker to high. Serve garnished with fresh parsley and grated cheese, if you like.

The Ugliest Cake Ever

2010-02-16T17:00:00.000-05:00

It started out innocently enough. I decided at the last minute that I wanted to bake my husband a birthday cake. No big deal, right? Well, then some stipulations were made. I had just made a chocolate-peanut butter dessert three days ago, so I wanted to avoid that combo, which happens to be Andrew's favorite. It had to be cake (I don't know why!) so I didn't make gingerbread men (his second favorite). And it had to be something I had in my pantry, since it was snowing like crazy and I didn't want to go to the store, and it was already the day of his birthday when I decided to make the cake. Let's just say...all these stipulations? They're the stuff disasters are made of.

I had a Triple Fudge cake mix, so I decided to start there. After searching around on the Betty Crocker website for a while, I found this recipe. A layer of cake, then fudge, then more cake? Yes please! The only difference I made was that I forgot to reserve one cup of the crumbly cake mix, instead mixing it all together with the applesauce and eggs. This worked out okay, though if I had created the crumbly layer, I wouldn't have tried to make a layered cake, and none of the following would have happened.

I cut the cake in half while it was still in the 13x9. My intention was to stack it on a cake stand and make a square layered cake. When I put the first half on the cake stand, it was a little too large, and it broke. For some inexplicable reason, I tried the other half, and wouldn't you know, being the same size as the first half, it broke too. So there I was with four broken pieces of a cake that I had just made.

After some consideration, I opted to cut the two larger pieces into circles, and the two smaller pieces into half circles. I stacked the three circles on top of one another, then made this icing and poured it over the top. It was delicious...but ugly. Like, really ugly. This is definitely the most hideous cake I have ever made.

I will totally understand if one of you submits this to Cake Wrecks. Luckily, the cake was delicious, the frosting was yummy, and we ate almost all of it. I saved the off-cuts from the circles for snacking! Anyway, the reason I showed you all this cake is because I promised when I started this blog I would share my disasters. There haven't been too many lately, save for putting my fingers through the electric mixer, but this was too horrifying not to share!

Happy Birthday Andrew!

Happy Friday!

2010-02-12T10:19:00.000-05:00

I've never done a "wrap-up" post, but I thought I'd give it a try. Today is Friday, two days before Valentine's Day, four days before my husband's birthday, five days before my birthday, and seven days before my mommy comes to visit! Lots of exciting things happening in the next week for us!

I will try to post regularly over the next week - I have a lot of delicious things to share, from panini to pasta, plus a fish chowder that will knock your socks off!

In the meantime, here's what I'm up to. Tonight, we'll be watching the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics. I love the Olympics - the athleticism, the national pride, watching the whole world come together on the Olympic stage - it's certainly an eventful two weeks! I think it's pretty neat that the symbol you see above is Ilaanaq - the Inuit word for friend. For dinner tonight, I'm attempting Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon - wish me luck!

On Valentine's Day, Andrew and I always spend the evening at home. Rather than fighting the crowds and paying inflated restaurant prices, we make a nice meal and cuddle on the couch with a glass of wine. Last year, I made a beautiful spread for Valentine's Day, and I'm planning something similar this year. I typically don't set the table with candles and centerpieces, but for V-Day, I'll make an exception.

For dinner I'll be making Chicken Piccata and Garbage Bag Caesar Salad. Not too fancy, but definitely delicious!

Earlier in the week, I made these fantastic Banana Carrot Walnut Muffins again, and they are just as good as I remembered them. This is a great way to use up old bananas (or old carrots!) before they go bad. Last time I made these, I mentioned that the muffins could have been bigger. This time, I made a double batch and filled the muffin cups much higher. I got a total of 22 big muffins from the double batch, when last time, I got 18 very small muffins from the single batch. The good news is, one muffin is definitely enough for breakfast. The bad news is, Andrew really likes these and has eaten 3 muffins a day since I made them. Time to throw the rest in the freezer!

Hope you enjoyed this little synopsis of my week! I'll do my best to post more delicious recipes and marginally decent photos as soon as I can. Happy Valentine's Day!

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Pizza

2010-02-11T16:11:00.000-05:00

I love pizza. I always have. But here's the thing: I don't like sauce on my pizza. Nowadays, that's no big deal, since there are so many "gourmet" varieties of white pizza out there. As a kid, it was a nightmare. I would come home hungry from every childhood birthday party, the roller skating rink, and Girl Scout meetings. If the pizza wasn't too "saucy", I could pull off the cheese and pepperoni with a fork and eat that. But it wasn't the same as getting to eat a pizza that I really liked.

Working at a pizza place throughout high school and college, I got to experiment A LOT with various toppings, and came up with some crazy combinations. (pepperoni, eggplant, and ricotta, anyone?) I still like to experiment with white pizza toppings, and Andrew is pretty tolerant of that. When I can't be bothered to make crust, I use whole-wheat Boboli breads. (I talked about Boboli a while ago)

For this pizza, I make a low-fat Spinach-Artichoke-Chicken dip, then spread it liberally on a whole-wheat crust. See, I bolded the parts that tell you how good this is for you!

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Pizza
adapted from this dip recipe on Epicurious

2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese (I use Neufchatel)
2 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 c. fat-free sour cream
1/3 c. low-fat mayo
1/4 c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 can marinated artichokes, rinsed and chopped
10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (use paper towels in a colander)
1 c. cooked chicken, chopped
2 prepared whole-wheat pizza crusts

Preheat oven to temperature indicated on prepared pizza crust package. Make sure spinach is as dry as possible so that the juices don't mess with your mixture.

Combine all ingredients (except crust of course!) in a medium-sized bowl. Spread on the crust, leaving 1-2" perimeter around the edge. Bake according to directions on pizza crust. I think mine is typically 10-15 minutes at 400-425 degrees. Just keep an eye on it to make sure it is heating through and the top is browning (if you want it to!)

Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting

2010-02-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

So, World Nutella Day is today, February 5, and in order to assist you in celebrating this illustrious holiday, I present to you a slammin' chocolate cupcake recipe from my friend Samantha (who brought us this and this) and an AMAZING Nutella frosting. If you've never had Nutella, stop reading this, go to the store, and report back once you've bought some. I'll wait.

Got it? Good. Let's move on.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Start with one box of chocolate cake mix.

Using the measurements on the cake mix box as your guide, make the following changes:

-Replace the oil with melted butter
-Replace the water with chocolate milk
-Add one box instant chocolate pudding.

Line muffin pans with paper liners, fill, and bake according to box directions. I was able to get 16 large and 12 mini muffins out of this recipe. When they are finished baking, remove to racks to cool.

In the meantime, prepare your frosting and learn more about World Nutella Day from its creators - here and here.

Nutella Frosting
from The Unrepentant Carbivore

1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. Nutella
5 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. heavy cream

Combine first five ingredients in the bowl of your KA mixer (or use a handheld electric mixer) and beat until ingredients are fully combined and mixture is fluffy. Add the cream and beat until it is fully incorporated and the batter is "light and smooth".

Frost the cupcakes and immediately bring at least a dozen to the neighbor's house, as I did. Otherwise, you will end up eating them all, and nobody wants to get sick on World Nutella Day, right?

Lemon Cheesecake Cheese Ball

2010-02-04T07:10:00.001-05:00

Everybody makes mistakes in the kitchen. Maybe you've doubled a recipe but forget to double the sugar, and can't figure out why your cookies aren't quite right. Perhaps you've started the blender before you put the top on and ended up with butternut squash puree all over your kitchen. But...have you ever put your fingers through a hand mixer?

I was rushing to get this dessert put together to bring to my in-laws' house. I was trying to get the cheese ball combined, the strawberries washed, find some cookies, pack it all up, and do my hair all at the same time. I wasn't paying attention. And my hand mixer snatched my spatula - and my hand - and ran it all through the whirring beaters. Can we say OUCH? As if it wasn't bad enough that three of my fingers were now bruised and bleeding (luckily not into the mixing bowl), cream cheese was everywhere. Ev.ery.where. After wiping cream cheese off every knife in my knife block, the food processor, my shirt, the counter, wall, floor, and sink, and bandaging my hand...I still had to finish the dessert. Darn.

I packed everything up to bring to Ann and Vern's house and finish assembling it there.

Despite its disastrous beginnings, this cheese ball is quite good. As we were eating this, we were thinking of a million other combinations that would be delicious - mix in chocolate chips and roll in crushed Oreos, sub in orange juice and zest and roll in dark chocolate shavings, and on and on. You could really do anything with this base recipe, and it would make a great dessert at a shower, brunch, or cocktail party.

Lemon Cheesecake Cheese Ball
from Annie's Eats

10 oz. cream cheese
2-1/2 tbsp. sugar
zest of 1 large lemon
4 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
graham cracker crumbs

Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add lemon zest and juice, beat to combine.

Dump mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap. Carefully roll into a ball, making sure it is completely covered in plastic.

Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Reshape the ball if necessary, then remove from plastic wrap. Roll the ball in graham cracker crumbs (I think I used about 1/3 cup). Serve with fruit, cookies, and whatever else you'd like!

We ate a delicious dinner of lamb, two potato gratin, fresh bread, and salad, prepared by Ann!

Then we ate this delicious cheese ball, which I opted to serve with sliced green apples, fresh strawberries, and gingersnaps.

Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars

2010-02-03T16:00:00.000-05:00

Have you ever made a dessert so sinfully delicious that you knew you couldn't be trusted around it? In a four hour span, I found this recipe, made the treats, cut them up, ate four, and packed the majority onto a plate to send to work with Andrew the next day. I kept almost two dozen of these little guys, and I think Andrew ate maybe two. So yeah. Let's just say it's a good thing I've been at the gym four days a week, because these babies are irresistible!

You can get the full recipe here. It's a lot of steps, but honestly, I didn't find it much more complicated than making chocolate chip cookies, and the extra effort is SO worth it. I do want to tell you about some of the small things I did a little differently.

This recipe calls for old-fashioned rolled oats, but all I had was quick-cooking oats. Guess what? It turned out FINE. Good to know, right? Also, I like raisins, don't get me wrong...but they just don't belong in these bars! I omitted them.

Lastly, it's recommended to eat these bars chilled, or even frozen. Um, why? They are SO good at room temperature! Obviously, feel free to chill to your heart's content, if you so desire. I'm just saying, these are perfectly fantastic hacked right off of this big hunk about 5 minutes after you heft it out of the pan.

Also, I cut this into WAY more than 32 pieces...they are so rich, and I personally prefer to eat four tiny ones than two big ones. Maybe that's just me?

Anyway, this is a fun recipe! It's definitely not fancy, but it's a nice change from chocolate chip cookies or brownies, and would be a great treat to bring to a Super Bowl party this weekend!

Wild Rice Stuffed Onions

2010-02-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

The recipe for these wild rice stuffed onions was passed to me by my friend Anna the last time I was complaining that I was bored of my usual side dishes. I've made them twice since I got my hands on this recipe, and everyone who has tried them adores them!

After cooking the rice with a mirepoix (that classic combo of carrots, celery, and onions), you stuff partly-cooked, hollowed out onions with the rice mixture, then bake in the oven. Served in its onion shell, this side dish is pretty enough to grace a holiday dinner table, but easy enough to serve on a weeknight when you've got some extra time.

Wild Rice Stuffed Onions
makes 6 servings

6 large onions (Spanish or Vidalia work well)
1-1/2 c. long grain wild rice
3 c. water
2 tbsp. butter
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
dried sage & dried thyme
poultry seasoning
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

Slice a very small piece off the "bottom" of the onion - that would be the end with the stringy roots. This will make the onion sit flat in its baking dish. Slice off a slightly larger piece of the top (the part that comes to a papery point). Remove the skin from the top piece and set it aside. Remove the skin from the onion. Repeat this with all six onions.

Using a knife, make a conical cut into the middle of the onion. Be careful not to cut too far into it, as you want to preserve the sides and bottom as a shell. You will want at least two rings of onion to remain so that it stays sturdy enough to hold the rice. Remove the cone, then use a spoon to core the onion, taking care to leave at least 1/2" at the bottom. Chop the onion that you removed from the cores, set aside.

Combine water and rice, bring to a boil. Drop the heat to a simmer, stir, and cover the rice for approximately 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, place the onions (without their tops) in a lightly greased baking dish. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove the onions and drop the oven heat to 375 degrees.

While onions are baking and rice is cooking, heat the butter in a very large skillet over medium high heat. Add the carrots, celery, and about 1/2 cup of the chopped onion. Reserve the remaining onion for another use. Season with herbs, poultry seasoning, and salt and pepper.

When the rice is cooked, add it to the skillet. Stir to combine the rice with the vegetables, then remove pan from the heat.

Using a large spoon, stuff the onions with the vegetable-rice mixture. Mound up the tops slightly.

Place the reserved "tops" onto the onions and place them back in the oven (now at 375 degrees) for about 20 minutes.

I think these would be really good filled with stuffing for Thanksgiving, or with orzo in pesto sauce...the possibilities are endless! Thanks again to Anna for such a beautiful recipe!

Ham, Brie, & Green Apple Panini with Homemade Potato Chips

2010-01-26T11:15:00.001-05:00

While Andrew and I were saving for our wedding, I got a waitressing job to help out with expenses. I ended up meeting some amazing people and eating some fantastic food. The Grill was a really great restaurant with a focus on good food and community service. It was a small converted diner that focused on local foods, homemade everything, and bringing people together. They even donated a percentage of their profits to a different community-based organization each month. I was devastated when The Grill went out of business - my heart went out to the owners, and as the weeks went by after it closed, I started to realize how much I would miss the people, and of course, the amazing food.

The Cheddar Bacon Mashed Potatoes I shared with you were a favorite at The Grill, and this panini is another one. I used to love to put in my order for a Ham, Brie, & Green Apple Panini at the end of my shift, then sit at the counter with my sandwich and a pile of sweet potato fries or homemade potato chips. I attempted to recreate that panini, and I think I did a darn good job. Please ignore the fact that I have a red apple in my photos - certain husbands were not listening when I said "you can eat all the fruit you want, just leave me one green apple." So anyway, pretend it's green if you want.

Ham, Brie, & Green Apple Panini

8 slices crusty, chewy Italian bread

1 cooked ham steak

1 Granny Smith apple

8 oz. brie cheese

2 tbsp. butter

Cut the ham to fit pieces of bread. Press between paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible. Slice the brie and the apple. I prefer to leave the skin on the apple, but of course, do whatever makes you happy.

Butter one side of two pieces Italian bread. Place the first slice, butter side down, on a hot panini press. Top with ham, apple, and cheese. Place second slice of bread, butter side up, on top of the sandwich. Close the press and press down hard to "smush" the sandwich and get that classic panini shape.

You can easily cook two sandwiches at a time, on the press. If you don't have one, you can use a grill pan on the stove - just put a heavy pan with a can in it on top of the sandwiches to press the sandwich.

I served these with an amazing new discovery - Microwave Potato Chips! These chips are easy to make and unbelievably delicious. I don't keep potato chips in the house anymore, so it was a nice treat to be able to make just enough for us to eat, with none leftover to tempt me during the day!

These chips get amazingly crispy and take on a "kettle-cooked" flavor. We opted to make salt and pepper chips, which were delicious, but you try adding vinegar instead of pepper if you like.

Microwave Potato Chips
adapted from Eating Well

1 large Idaho potato, unpeeled, scrubbed
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Use a mandolin or a very sharp knife to slice the potato into 1/8" thick rounds.

Toss to coat in the olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Spread the chips in one layer on a large microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high 2-3 minutes. Chips should be starting to brown. Turn them over, the microwave on high 2-4 minutes. Keep an eye on them - once they burn, they are pretty gross. You may need to repeat this process to get the chips the color/texture you want. Once they are done, remove to a serving bowl/plate and repeat the process with the remaining potato slices.

Chicago

2010-01-25T22:12:00.000-05:00

Andrew and I took an amazing trip to Chicago last weekend to visit our friend Dan. We spent the weekend with Dan, his super nice roommate Phil, and Phil's awesome girlfriend Jess, and were sometimes joined by Dan and Phil's friend Brian. I had never been to Chicago, and I loved the experience - we walked everywhere, drank way too much, and of course, ate our faces off.

I've got a lot of food to show you, so settle in. :)

We landed at O'Hare at 8:30 on Friday night. We headed for dinner at Penny's Noodle Shop around 10 pm - we are lots of late dinners that weekend, which suits us perfectly. Six of us ate together, but we apparently aren't very creative - we only ended up trying three menu items, as some of us ordered the same things as one another.

Jess and I had the Pad Thai, which was delicious.

Phil opted for the Thai Ravioli - homemade shrimp and pork dumplings - which looked amazing.

Dan, Andrew, and Brian all ordered the Sliced Beef, a noodle dish with soy, peanuts, and veggies.

Saturday night, the six of us who had dinner together on Friday night again got together to eat Peking duck at Sun Wah Bar-B-Que. Sun-Wah doesn't have a website, but the Chicago Reader called it the "Best Bang for Your Buck" in Chicago.

We opted for the multi-course Peking duck dinner. For the six of us, we opted to get one duck and supplement it with sides. Here's a photo of Laura (our chef and co-owner of the restaurant) carving the duck tableside.

I think I saw her take at least twenty ducks to task while we were eating. She was amazing!

We got a beautiful plate of duck...

...plus egg rolls, bok choy, steamed rolls for duck sandwiches, fresh veggies...

...duck fried rice, duck soup, chow fun, hot tea, and fortune cookies for dessert.

I'm full again just thinking about it.

On Sunday, Dan took Andrew and I to Pho 777 for brunch. You may think pho (a Vietnamese soup made with noodles and a fragrant broth) is a weird dish to eat as your first meal of the day, but if you're at all hungover, try it. You'll thank me. And really, you should be thanking Dan, because it was his advice.

A picture from our train stop.

We were seated in a semi-private back room, which was perfect, because we were able to slurp our pho and I was able to take photos! The condiments that come with pho are truly amazing. The red bottle is sriracha sauce, next to it is hoisin, then two types of soy sauce. Across the front of the condiment tray are various chili sauces. The plate in front has bean sprouts, jalapenos, and two types of basil.

We opted for an appetizer of spring rolls - each one had three large shrimp in it, was wrapped in rice paper, and was served with a peanut sauce.

Below is my pho - lots of basil, torn up to release the flavor, delicious noodles, thin slices of beef that were still cooking when they hit the table. The combination of spice and steam are a great remedy for a headache (or your sinuses!) and it tastes fantastic too.

After brunch, Dan took us to a Thai grocery store. I had a blast browsing the aisles, but I didn't want to draw too much attention to myself by taking pictures. I did photograph the haul I brought home though. Check it out!

From the top left clockwise, I got a box of jasmine tea bags, a marble mortar and pestle, a box of loose green tea, a bag of star anise, a packet of seasoning for rice/veggies, and a pound of ground white pepper. I paid $15 cash for all that stuff! If I had access to this store all the time, you can bet I'd be shopping there often!

Next, we headed into downtown Chicago. We wandered up and down the famed Michigan Avenue - a shopping mecca. We checked out some of the historic buildings, walked all over the place, and had a pretty fantastic day.

Light peeking through the buildings over the Chicago River.

Sunshine on the Wrigley Building.

We met up with Phil and Jess for some drinks - Mother Hubbard's was a fun sports bar where we ate chips, watched football, and drank beer. They had some fun sports trivia worksheets that Jess and I tried valiantly to fill out while the boys gave half-hearted answers. Here's our group.

For dinner on Sunday night, Dan took Andrew and I to Tango Sur. If you're still with me at this point in what may be my longest post ever, let me tell you something. If you ever go to Chicago, any part of Chicago (and it's a sprawling city), you MUST somehow get yourself to Tango Sur for dinner. Though the card I grabbed from the restaurant listed a website, I'm having a tough time finding it online. You can check out this info instead.

Basically, Tango Sur is a small, dark, super-romantic Argentine steakhouse. You must show up in person to put your name in, and the doorman will call your cell phone in an hour. Or two. Or longer. Yes, people wait that long for a hunk of beef. The picture doesn't do it justice, but after an hour of waiting for our phone call (we were seated at 9:45 on a Sunday night) and another hour of waiting for our entree, here is the main event:

Giant, right? We brought home leftovers.

All in all, we had a fantastic time in Chicago. I met some fun people, got to know others better, and of course, Andrew and I got to spend quality time with Dan. What a great city to live, work, play, and EAT in!

Restaurant Review: Aha Sushi

2010-01-21T12:24:00.000-05:00

During our trip to Chicago, I had the opportunity to meet up with some friends of mine, Rachael and Kris, who just had a baby in December. It was so fun to hang out with them, meet the baby, and of course, EAT! They took me to Aha Sushi in Gurnee, Illinois. The food was fantastic and the service was superb.

First up, the appetizers! We shared two orders of "Canon Balls" - crab meat, scallions, and cream cheese, deep fried and drizzled with blackberry sauce. Can I just say, I could have eaten both plates by myself - these are like little balls of heaven!

We also shared an order of the Chef's Special that day - Bulgogi Rolls. Slices of bulgogi (a Korean barbecued beef) wrapped sushi-style with veggies, rice, and nori. Delicious!

I opted for my favorite - a spicy tuna roll - then asked the waiter for a recommendation on the second roll. He suggested his favorite, the Gurnee roll, a combination of crab meat, tempura crunch, cucumber, masago, and special sauce. I loved them both! In the photo below, the Gurnee roll is on the left, the spicy tuna roll on the right.

Kris's parents were out to lunch with us, and his mom opted for the Chicago Roll - a combination of cooked shrimp, crab meat, avocado, masago, cucumber, tempura crunch, and special sauce, with a drizzle of unagi sauce.

As a non-raw fish eater, Rachael chose the Beef Udon, which looked really good! She had a ton leftover to take home with her.

Kris and his father both got the same thing - the Sushi & Sashimi Combo. It was a beautiful array of food!

I didn't get a picture of our dessert, but if you go to Aha Sushi's website, you can see it in the slideshow on the main page. Basically, it was ice cream wrapped in a shell of crushed rice. The texture of the shell was really odd - Rachael and I were not big fans. Everyone at the table got one, half of us chose mango, half got strawberry. Kris's dad skipped dessert due to his ulterior motive - unchallenged baby-holding time! Luckily, we went back to Rachael and Kris's house and I got to hold the baby for a while too. What a cutie, huh?

All in all, we had a great experience at Aha Sushi and I would definitely eat there again anytime I get to visit Gurnee.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Andouille and Spinach

2010-01-21T10:38:00.000-05:00

Pictures don't do this soup justice. Smoky andouille sausage, crisp cauliflower florets, and vibrant fresh spinach combine in this rich, velvety soup that's easy enough to throw together on a weeknight. The bonus? It's not half bad for you!

While I was telling my mom about this soup, we got to talking about the origins of andouille. The recipe says you can also use chorizo, which has Spanish origins, but I was only able to find the andouille. My firmest recollection was that andouille was a "New Orleans thing" often used in Cajun cooking - gumbo, jambalaya, etouffee. As it turns out, I was partially right - andouille has French origins and is now most closely associated with Louisiana and Cajun-style cooking. It's a spiced, heavily-smoked pork sausage, and you can probably find it in your local grocery store.

I opted to thinly slice the andouille on a diagonal in order to maximize the surface area. I like a nice char on sausages, especially when they're only one component of a dish. It's an easy way to build flavor. What's nice about this recipe is, you get so much flavor from the sausage, onions, and cauliflower, plus the richness from the pureed potato and cauliflower mixture, that you don't need to add any butter or cream to get a creamy, hearty soup.

If you're going to make this recipe and you want to follow Sara Moulton's original, you can click through to the link. However, I would still suggest that you read through my recipe - dear Sara leaves a few helpful hints out, and I might be able to save you some time (and dishes to wash).

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Andouille and Spinach

adapted from Sara Moulton

2 tbsp. olive oil
12 oz. andouille sausage, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium head cauliflower
1 medium Idaho potato
3 c. chicken broth
3 c. water
1 bunch spinach, rinsed, dried, thinly sliced
salt, pepper, paprika

Peel potato and slice thinly. Wash cauliflower, then cut off two cups of florets. Chop the rest of the cauliflower into small pieces. Set vegetables aside.

In a large stockpot (use a stockpot! not a "saucepan" as Sara suggests, unless you have one that's at least 3 quarts, in which case, you can use that), so anyway, in the stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the sausage and brown, tossing to char it evenly. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. Add the onions to the oil. Cook until onions are tender and caramelized.

To the pot, add broth, water, chopped cauliflower (reserve the florets), and potato. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-high heat and simmer for at least five minutes, or until vegetables are extremely tender.

Transfer to blender in three batches. I poured one third from the soup pot into the blender, pureed it, then poured into a 4-cup measuring cup. Then I poured the second third into the blender pureed it, and poured into the measuring cup (which put me way over the 4-cup line but didn't overflow the cup). I put the last third into the blender, emptied the measuring cup into the pot, then measured the last third and poured that into the pot. I had about nine cups of pureed soup, due to the extra liquid in my version of the recipe (which, trust me, you'll need).

Stir reserved cauliflower florets into puree and simmer until tender (I did the 4 minutes suggested, which was a bit short, I'd add another couple minutes to that time). Stir in chorizo and spinach, add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish bowls of soup with a sprinkling of paprika.

This is a healthy, hearty soup that will please everyone in your family. The cauliflower sweetens as it cooks, imparting a mild flavor to the puree. The color from the ribbons of spinach, the smoky andouille, and the bright paprika make this soup pleasing to the eye as well as the palate. Add this to next week's meal plan - you won't be disappointed!

Cajun Salmon Caesar Salad

2010-01-19T14:01:00.001-05:00

When I worked in Cleveland, various people in the office would order lunch every day. Once in a while, I'd order something, but for the most part, I brought my lunch every day. Some of the more common take-out haunts didn't appeal to me, which was good, because it made it that much easier to resist the temptation of ordering something! There was one restaurant that I always had to order from, and I always got the same thing: a Cajun Salmon Caesar Salad from The Calla Club.

Andrew's uncle was the first one to turn me on to this salad, which isn't really even on the menu. They offer a Caesar Salad, and you can add salmon to it if you choose. Dave always ordered the salmon with Cajun seasoning, and let me tell you, Dave knows his food. He would never steer me wrong.

The only problem with The Calla Club is that it's about 30 minutes away from me now. It's not in a convenient location, and the times I am in the area, it's usually to go out to dinner somewhere else. My solution? Make Cajun Salmon Caesar Salad at home!

Cajun Salmon Caesar Salad
based on The Calla Club's version

2 pieces of salmon, about 1/2 lb. each
1/4 c. blackened seasoning*
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large head romaine lettuce
1/2 c. shaved parmesan cheese
1 c. garlic croutons
Caesar dressing, to taste
salt & pepper

If salmon comes with skin on, carefully remove it with a sharp knife.

My salmon looked like the letter P laying on its side - one end was very thick, the other end was very thin. I opted to fold over the flat side, break a toothpick so it would be hidden within the fish, and secure the fold. This way, my salmon had a nice shape and was able to cook evenly. Once cooked, you can remove the toothpick before serving, or just let everyone know it is in there.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle blackened seasoning on one side of the salmon and lay that side down in the pan. Place it carefully and do not move it. While salmon is cooking, sprinkle the upturned side with blackening seasoning. Repeat with second piece of salmon. Turn after 3-4 minutes, then cook second side for another 3-4 minutes. The salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

While the salmon is cooking, cut or tear the romaine into bite-sized pieces. Wash thoroughly and either pat dry with paper towels or spin in a salad spinner. Toss together cheese, dressing, salt, pepper, and lettuce. Allow to sit until salmon is ready. Toss croutons into salad, serve with salmon.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blackened Seasoning*

My container of blackened seasoning is the "Market District" brand from Giant Eagle. You can make your own using the same ingredients: paprika, salt, garlic, pepper, onion, cayenne, and thyme. Depending on your love for spice, you can of course adjust the pepper and cayenne, sub in smoked paprika, or make any number of changes. If you're striving for low-sodium, you can just omit the salt.

Orange-Infused Roasted Green Beans

2010-01-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

I was looking for something a little different to do with the fresh green beans I found at West Side Market last weekend, so I started searching my favorite recipe sites. On Delish.com, I found what I was looking for: a simple recipe that only called for ingredients I already had on hand. Andrew and I both really liked these roasted green beans. The citrus combined with the spice from the red pepper flakes was an interesting juxtaposition of flavor, and definitely something different than our usual steamed green beans.

Orange-Infused Roasted Green Beans
from Delish.com

1 lb. green beans, washed and trimmed
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
zest of 1 orange
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 tsp. red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine vegetables and oil on the baking sheet - toss to combine. Add salt, pepper, and zest and use tongs to toss to coat.

Roast 10-12 minutes, until beans are tender with a slight char.

I roasted the full 15 minutes the original recipe calls for, and I was rewarded with some blackened beans. I'd cut back by a few minutes and check them around 10 minutes next time!

Restaurant Review: B Spot

2010-01-15T12:12:00.000-05:00

I'm a big fan of Michael Symon - you may know him as the first winner of The Next Iron Chef, but he was a well-known and well-loved member of the Cleveland food scene long before his Food Network fame. His restaurants Lola and Lolita revitalized downtown Cleveland, with the new Lola setting the stage for 4th Street to evolve into a hub of the city's nightlife. Since Andrew and I currently live about 20 minutes outside of Cleveland, we have personally enjoyed 4th Street's vibrant atmosphere and have also had the pleasure of eating at Lola.

Recently, I enjoyed Michael Symon's newest restaurant - B Spot - a burger joint with a twist. Check out their menu to get the full concept. This was a fun place for a girls lunch - Ann, Auntie Judy, and I enjoyed a welcome respite from shopping to refuel with some fantastic food.

All the food is a la carte - you order your burger separately from your sides - which worked out great for us, as we could barely finish what we ordered as it was! Ann, a mushroom lover, opted for the "Shroomage" - a burger piled with portabellas, blue cheese, caramelized onions, and more! Auntie Judy chose the very safe yet very delicious "Cheeseburger", and I opted for a Cleveland favorite - the "Chili & Cheese Brat". I'm usually not one for bratwurst, especially piled with stuff, but for some reason, this really appealed to me that day. Of course, I skipped the roll, as meat on bread is still a no-no for me in most situations. As it was, I couldn't finish the brat, so I can't imagine what would have happened if I tried to eat the bun!

We opted to share two sides - the "Lola Fries" and the simple "Chips". Let me tell you, the parmesan fondue that came with those chips? I could roll around in it and lick it off myself. It's that good. Seriously. The picture above somehow manages to capture all the food we ate - my brat is in front, the sides are in the middle, "Shroomage" is off to the left, and the Cheeseburger is in the background.

The piece de resistance of this meal was by far the Bad **s Shakes. Ann drove, and she insisted that Judy and I could get a little tipsy since, after all, it was already 2 in the afternoon and we didn't have to drive anywhere, so why not? She didn't have to twist our arms too hard - we both got one! Auntie Judy opted for the Chocolate Banana Marshmallow Shake with Dark Rum. It tasted like those bananas you wrap in foil with chocolate chips and marshmallows, then stick in the campfire, only WAY better! We even got that little "char" taste, because the marshmallows were torched so they were toasty. See?

I opted for the extremely enticing Vanilla Bean Apple Pie Bacon Shakewith Bourbon. That's right people. Vanilla Bean + Apple Pie + BACON. I swear, that milkshake gave me super powers. (Maybe that was thebourbon?)

B-Spot is a fun place to go for lunch - the decor is awesome, the food is fantastic, the service was good, and it's a nice way to experience Mike Symon's vision without paying big bucks at one of his other restarants.

Rice Pudding

2010-01-13T13:13:00.000-05:00

This photo didn't come out that great, but rice pudding is so creamy and so...uncolorful...that it was tough to get a good picture! What I love about this recipe is that you most likely have all the ingredients in your house - you'll just need to make your husband stop at the store for all that half-and-half! The original recipe uses whole milk, so I subbed a combination of fat free half-and-half and skim milk. The results were perfect - a creamy, delicious dessert with a lot less fat!

I adore rice pudding, love risotto, and cook rice frequently, but for some reason I had never made my own rice pudding before. I'm glad I tried it - this recipe was a nice change from chocolate at a time of year when people want warm, homey comfort food. I brought this to my in-laws house for dinner along with some poached pears I had left over from Christmas.

Ann and I opted to eat it warm, Andrew and his father wanted it cold. Not sure what this weird boy/girl divergence is all about, but to each their own.

Rice Pudding
adapted from Simply Recipes

4 c. fat free half-and-half
1 c. skim milk
2/3 c. uncooked short-grain white rice
pinch salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 c. raisins (optional)

Combine rice, half-and-half, milk, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Drop the heat to low and simmer 20-25 minutes, until rice is tender. Keep an eye on the rice, stirring often, or it will stick to the bottom of the pan.

Combine eggs and brown sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Slowly stir in one tablespoon of the rice mixture at a time (totaling about half a cup) to temper the eggs.

Add the egg mixture to the saucepan, reduce heat to low, and stir for about ten minutes. Do not allow the mixture to return to a boil.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and raisins, if using. Serve immediately or chill and serve cold. Serves 4-6.

Baked Stuffed Pork Chops with Grainy Mustard Mashed Potatoes

2010-01-13T12:21:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to use up the contents of my chest freezer - I find that things fall to the bottom and linger there forever, so I have to make a concentrated effort to prevent that from happening. One of the items that had been languishing in the freezer for a couple months was a package of stuffed pork chops. There were two chops, stuffed with what looked like Stove-Top (Andrew's favorite!) so I figured I'd make them for Sunday dinner last week.

I started out by searing the chops in my cast iron skillet. I drizzled a little olive oil, then went 3-4 minutes on each side over medium-high heat.

I opted to make this meal as simple as possible, so I added some small yellow onions that had been quartered and one bunch of asparagus, washed and trimmed, to the pan. I added two frozen cubes (4 tbsp.) of chicken stock to the pan and put it in the oven for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Once it was done, I let it cool for a few minutes, then served with Grainy Mustard Mashed Potatoes.

Grainy Mustard Mashed Potatoes
adapted from Tyler Florence

4 large baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 c. skim milk
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried chopped bay leaves
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. grainy mustard
salt & pepper

Combine potatoes, milk, thyme, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Be careful not to raise the heat too high, as this will scorch the milk. Boil for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Add olive oil, butter, and mustard to the pot.

Beat with an electric mixer until potatoes are fluffy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I halved Tyler's recipe so it would serve 2-3 people instead of 4-6. Honestly, Andrew and I each ate a heaping serving, I ate one serving for lunch the next day, and I froze two large servings for another time. So I really got more like 5 servings out of this "half" recipe. The mustard mashies went well with the pork and were a welcome change from plain mashed potatoes.

This simple Sunday dinner was a delicious meal to end one week and start a new one. I can't believe we're almost halfway through January already - I hope your 2010 is off to a great start!

Chicken Piccata

2010-01-10T14:00:00.000-05:00

Chicken Piccata is an Italian restaurant staple. A buttery, lemony sauce with capers, a thin piece of chicken, served with pasta...what could be bad about that? The problem for me is, most restaurants use way too much lemon in their Chicken Piccata. I'm not a fan of lemon in food, mostly because people tend to overuse it, overwhelming their dishes with tartness.

Have I turned you off of the idea of Chicken Piccata yet? I hope not, because done right, this dish is a delicious meal to serve the next time you have guests for dinner. I used Giada's recipe, but dialed back the lemon juice just a hair. My version below shows my changes. I purchased "chicken breast filets" at my farmer's market - already butterflied, cut in half, and pounded thin. Talk about eliminating the legwork! Of course, you pay extra to have the work done for you, but the way I see it, I paid about $10 for meat that fed 4 people with 2 servings of leftovers. So $10 / 6 servings = $1.67 per serving. Not bad, huh?

Chicken Piccata
adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied, cut in half, pounded thin
2/3 c. AP flour, for dredging
salt & pepper
8 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. lemon juice
2/3 c. chicken stock
1/4 c. brined capers, rinsed
1/3 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1 lb. capellini pasta
garlic powder
Italian seasoning

Set oven to "warm" or "100 degree" setting.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, coating both sides, then shaking off excess flour.

In a large saucepan, melt 2 tbsp. of butter with 3 tbsp. olive oil. When butter is sizzling, add two pieces of chicken to the pan. I was only able to cook one piece at a time, so I sauteed two chicken breasts in this time. Cook the chicken 3 minutes on each side, then remove to an oven-proof serving plate and put in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the second piece if necessary.

Add 2 tbsp. of butter and 2 tbsp. of olive oil. When butter is sizzling, add two piece of chicken to pan (or one at a time again, if necessary). Cook chicken for three minutes on each side, remove to serving plate and keep warm in the oven.

Add the lemon juice, stock, and capers to the pan to deglaze. Scrape up all the yummy brown bits with a wooden spoon, then add 2 tbsp. butter and whisk vigorously.

In the meantime, boil a large pot of water over high heat. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt. Cook capellini according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Add butter, stir to coat. Season to taste with garlic powder and Italian seasoning.

Make a "bed" of pasta on a plate. Top with chicken and spoon sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh parsley.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things!

2010-01-09T23:50:00.000-05:00

Julie Andrews might have been happy with doorbells and sleighbells and schnitzel with noodles, but me, I like food. And things having to do with food. I got a bunch of great foodie Christmas gifts this year, some that I asked for, some that were surprises, and I wanted to share my haul with the blogosphere.

A staple in my family is panettone, an Italian bread/cake that's made with dried fruits. If you buy it in the grocery store or at a department store, you often pay upwards of $8 a loaf for it. But if you buy it at the Christmas Tree Shops, you can get it for half that price...which of course, means you can get two!

My sister Jenna picked out a beautiful granite cutting board for Andrew and I. It's found a place of honor next to the stove, and I love that I can quickly chop ingredients, rest a hot pot or a dirty spoon, or toss a steaming hot noodle on it to cool quickly.

Andrew got me two awesome Silpats, fresh from France (well, via Amazon)! I am so excited to use them for baking - talk about a great gift! Nonnie found Madagascar vanilla beans - I was on the last one of my stash, so that was perfect timing!

Here's a collection of some of my other favorite gifts. The white bottle with the yellow label is Lemon Verbena Sugar from the Village Herb Shop. I'm looking forward to making sugar cookies with lemon zest and this sugar in them. The gold labeled bottle (sorry about that crazy reflection, by the way!) is full of whole nutmegs that Nonnie and my mom found for my stocking. You can see those vanilla bean vials again - hey, I'm pretty psyched about them, you can't blame me for posting two photos, can you?

The "herb-savor" is a great product that I spotted in Real Simple magazine. You can buy it from prepara - Ann got one for me and one for herself because she thought it was so cool. She was right - it rocks! It's an upright container that fits into a base which has a water well. You change out the water the way you would with fresh flowers, and it keeps your herbs fresh, watered, and protected. I've been storing flat leaf parsley in it; so far we're at seven days, and it still looks as fresh as the day I brought it home.

Though this isn't truly a "foodie" gift, I was thrilled to receive these stacking bins from SunCast (looks like Home Depot has the best price right now). I love that you can open each bin while they're stacked on top of one another, and the bright primary colors are cheerful and fun. Ann got these for us and we put them to use immediately. Our town doesn't do pick-up recycling, but having grown up in the Northeast, recycling is a no-brainer for us. We save our recyclables and bring them to a recycling center every few weeks, so this is a great way to keep them organized.

Since this post is titled "My Favorite Things", I feel the need to add a couple pet photos.

Finn reminds you to bundle up - we do live in the Snow Belt, after all!

And Evin says, "take these ornaments down, it's JANUARY!"

Did you get foodie gifts for the holidays? What was your favorite new "toy"? Anything still on your wish list?

Tortellini Soup with Sausage & Escarole

2010-01-08T11:20:00.001-05:00

This soup has so many delicious Italian ingredients - cheese tortellini, spicy sausage, escarole - that you know it's going to be fantastic! What I like best about this is that it comes together in half an hour and it doesn't require any long simmering times. This comforting soup is something different from your old standards, but after one bowlful, you'll want to add it to your regular winter meal rotation.

If you can't find fresh escarole, you could substitute fresh spinach in this recipe. The original recipe doesn't contain sausage, so if you were to omit that and swap in vegetable broth for the chicken broth, you could make this a vegetarian meal. If I only have half the liquid as chicken stock, I supplement with water. No matter what small changes you make, Tortellini Soup with Sausage & Escarole is a hearty, savory soup that will please your whole family.

Tortellini Soup with Sausage & Escarole
adapted from examiner.com

1 lb. bulk ground spicy Italian sausage
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 c. white wine
8 c. chicken stock
2 lb. cheese tortellini
1 head escarole, washed and chopped
pecorino romano cheese (optional)

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the Italian sausage and cook over medium high heat, breaking up large clumps, until sausage is cooked through.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine - the liquid will steam a bit and pull up all the brown bits stuck to the pan (ie. the flavor!) - and allow to simmer and reduce for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, cover, and bring to a boil.

Once stock is boiling, add tortellini and escarole. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes, or until tortellini is heated through. If you like, serve with a sprinkling of pecorino romano cheese.

Spicy Shrimp & Rice

2010-01-04T11:26:00.001-05:00

This is one of those meals that, if I don't feel like cooking, Andrew can put together in 20 minutes. If you don't care for spice, you can skip the red pepper all together - garlicky shrimp is a close runner-up to spicy garlicky shrimp! I always keep a bag of shrimp in the freezer - they are a versatile, quick-thawing way to incorporate protein on nights that you forgot to thaw the meat, were too lazy to plan a meal, or had a recipe go awry.

Spicy Shrimp & Rice

20 medium frozen shrimp - thawed and peeled

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

olive oil

paprika

red pepper flakes

Heat olive oil over medium high heat.

Lightly saute onions and garlic in butter and olive oil.

Add red pepper flakes, paprika, salt, and pepper. I used a pinch of flakes, about 1 tbsp of paprika, and salt and pepper to taste - but tailor this to your personal likes. Add shrimp, toss to coat, and heat through.

Though I'm typically not one for processed foods, I like to serve this over packaged Cajun-style rice with a salad on the side. It makes for a super easy dinner that's delicious yet still relatively healthy.

New Year, New Look!

2009-12-31T10:18:00.002-05:00

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

2009-12-30T15:16:00.000-05:00

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!

2009-12-25T07:00:00.002-05:00

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

Restaurant Review: Grace

2009-12-23T13:31:00.001-05:00

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 thebuilding's history - the pulpit has been repurposed as the hostessstation, an upstairs bar takes the place of the organ, and the altarhas been removed to make way for an open-air kitchen. This combinationof church and state feels a little sacrilege, but in a most deliciousway.

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"

2009-12-18T15:59:00.000-05:00

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

2009-12-18T14:46:00.000-05:00

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

2009-12-13T21:07:00.000-05:00

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

2009-12-08T09:38:00.001-05:00

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

2009-12-03T14:41:00.000-05:00

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!

2009-12-01T13:44:00.000-05:00

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

2009-11-29T15:25:00.001-05:00

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

2009-11-28T07:00:00.009-05:00

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

2009-11-25T16:02:00.001-05:00

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

2009-11-25T12:40:00.000-05:00

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

2009-11-18T17:56:00.000-05:00

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

2009-11-18T17:04:00.000-05:00

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.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Garlic Rolls

2009-11-17T13:50:00.001-05:00

Recently I talked about comfort foods - how they make us feel warm and happy, safe and loved. Pretty much all soups fall under comfort food for me. The king of the comfort soups though, has got to be Chicken Noodle.

When I roast a chicken, I almost always use the leftovers to make a big pot of chicken stock. I freeze the stock in ice cube trays, then store the cubes in a zip-top bag, so that anytime I need a little chicken stock, I have it at hand. Each ice cube is equivalent to two tablespoons of stock when thawed. I also freeze it in gallon size zip-top bags. I write the item's name and the date on a bag, ladle about 8 cups of stock in the bag, then compress to remove all excess air. I lay the bag flat in my freezer so it will freeze into a thin "brick". Then I "file" the bricks in the chest freezer in our garage. Everything from butternut squash bisque to tomato sauce gets frozen this way.

Since the weather has been colder for a while now, I've roasted several chickens and made stock a few times. I had plenty of frozen stock, so instead of freezing the latest batch, I stored it in the fridge in an old milk carton.

I don't really use a recipe when I make Chicken Noodle Soup, so each batch is a bit different from the last. The recipe below is my best approximation of my most recent creation, which was extremely flavorful and packed with delicious herbs and vegetables.

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1/2 c. carrots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 slices bacon, chopped

1 tbsp. dried parsley

1 tsp. dried tarragon

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 c. cooked chicken, shredded

8 c. chicken stock

egg noodles

Start by cooking the bacon in a large soup pot. If it is extremely fatty, pour out some of the grease - you just want one or two tablespoons to remain.

Add onion and carrots to the pot. Feel free to add the traditional celery as well - Andrew and I don't care for celery, so I usually skip it. Allow them to caramelize in the bacon fat for a few minutes, then add the dried herbs. Salt and pepper generously. Add the garlic to the pan and stir to incorporate it.

Add the chicken and the stock to the pot. Use a long handled wooden spoon to scrape all the brown bits up off the bottom of the pot (this is called "deglazing" the pan).

Cover and simmer at least an hour, longer if you like. About fifteen minutes prior to serving, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the egg noodles. Drain and set aside.

DO NOT add them to the soup pot. If you do, your leftover soup will be full of bloated, soggy noodle bits. Store soup and noodles separately until you are ready to eat them.

When you're ready to serve, have each person put the cooked egg noodles in their bowl.

You may prefer to use rice, dumplings, cheese tortellini, or, you may wish to copy Andrew's brilliant idea - stuffing!

Ladle hot soup over the starch of choice and serve with warm garlic toast.

Chicken Soup with Stuffing

Chicken Soup with Noodles

What goes better with soup than a delicious piece of bread? I found these beautiful crusty rolls at the store, and imagine my surprise when I read the package - these are "Calabria Breads". How fantastic! My Nonnie's family is Calabrese, and I have never seen a bread named for that region, so I was a little geeked to see that.

Warm Garlic Toasts

2 crusty rolls
olive oil
one clove garlic, peeled

Slice the rolls in half and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Broil the rolls until they are toasted to your liking. Remove from the oven and immediately rub with your raw garlic clove.

The garlic will melt into the breads, imparting deliciously subtle garlic flavor. These rolls are the perfect accompaniment to soups, stews, and pasta dishes.

I have been making lots of soups this fall, and I will try to share more of them with you as soon as I can. In the meantime, make yourself a big bowl of Chicken Noodle and cuddle up on the couch!

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