Reservations Not Required

Brief Hiatus!

2010-02-20T05:14:00.003-06:00

I promise I haven't disappeared off the face of the earth! After Christmas I had big plans to redesign this blog and was excited to improve my photography with my new Nikon DSLR. However, shortly after the New Year we found out we are expecting our second child in September! Food has not been my friend the last few months and I've just slowly been able to get back in the kitchen. I have a strong aversion to raw meat and many cooking smells which makes cooking and blogging a bit difficult. Thank goodness my wonderful husband has been able to take over a lot of the cooking. I hope to be back soon!

Cauliflower Gratin

2009-12-28T08:15:00.003-06:00

I expected this dish to be good, but the extent to which is really wowed us was not expected. I can't say I have ever had better cauliflower than this. This dish was a nice change from my regular standby of serving a potato dish with prime rib. This dish is creamy and really rich on flavor. The cauliflower is deliciously tender and all the flavors nicely compliment one another.

Cauliflower Gratin

1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 cup freshly grated Gruyere, divided
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.

Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot in Paris, Clarkson Potter, 2004.

Christmas Dinner Menu

2009-12-28T08:10:00.008-06:00

There are no other words for this meal but spectacular. It was a perfect menu for Christmas day. The meal was elegant yet fairly simple to prepare thus allowing lots of time to play with new toys brought by Santa! I didn't prepare dessert with this menu since we got together later in the evening for dessert with family. I think a beautiful trifle would be the perfect ending for this menu.

Sunday Rib Roast with Horseradish Mustard Sauce
Green Bean Bundles
Cauliflower Gratin

Chocolate Mint Thumbprints

2009-12-26T07:49:00.003-06:00

This is a another new Christmas cookie I tried this year. It was a big hit at our Christmas Eve buffet. Next time I'm hoping to find the green Andes candies as was pictured in the recipe book. I also would probably cut them a bit smaller. I found it was easier to use my thumb to make the indention as opposed to the wooden spoon handle recommended in the recipe. I did add the green food color to this recipe, even though I'm not a fan of artificial dyes. I didn't want all of our cookies to be beige! I have found natural food color in Whole Foods, however, I find the color it renders tends to be really off and you would have to add quite a bit which can effect the liquid ratios in your recipe. These cookies would also be fun for St. Patrick's Day.

Chocolate Mint Thumbprints

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
2 egg yolks
16 drops green food coloring
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
3 tablespoons whipping cream
3 tablespoons butter
18 Andes mints, unwrapped, cut in half diagonally

1. Heat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and the powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in peppermint extract, egg yolks and food coloring until blended. On low speed, beat in flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. With your finger, press a deep well into center of each cookie.

4. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Reshape wells with finger. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely; about 15 minutes.

5. In medium microwaveable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, cream and 3 tablespoons butter on High 1 minute, whisking frequently until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Fill each well with about 1 teaspoon chocolate mixture; garnish with Andes mint piece. Let stand about 1 hour until chocolate is set.

Source: Adapted from Betty Crocker's Christmas Cookies, Dec./Jan. 2009.

Cherry Tea Cakes

2009-12-26T07:35:00.003-06:00

I loved all the new cookie recipes we tried this year but these were probably my very favorite. A really great butter cookie with a delicious almond cherry flavor. I used Tillan Farms maraschino cherries. They have no artificial colors, artificial flavors, sulfites or preservatives. I omitted the red food color from the recipe so mine did not have the pink hue as pictured in my recipe book. You can dip these or drizzle them with white chocolate but I think they are perfect as is.

Cherry Tea Cakes

1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons maraschino cherry liquid
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 or 4 drops red food color (omitted)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup drained maraschino cherries, chopped
1/2 cup white vanilla baking chips (omitted)

1. Heat oven to 350. In large bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter, cherry liquid, almond extract and food color with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. On low speed, beat in flour and salt. Stir in cherries.

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart.

3. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool 20 to 30 minutes.

4. In 1 quart resealable freezer plastic bag, place baking chips, seal bag. Microwave 35-50 seconds, squeezing chips in bag every 15 seconds, until chips are melted and smooth. Cut small tip from bottom corner of bag; drizzle melted chips over cookies.

Source: Betty Crocker's Christmas Cookies, Dec/Jan 2009.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T12:16:00.003-06:00

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve Menu

2009-12-25T12:15:00.004-06:00

We hosted a casual gathering for Christmas Eve. The scene was perfectly set with twinkling Christmas lights and beautiful blowing snow outside (a rarity in these parts!). To warm everyone up I had some mulled cider brewing. I think Williams Sonoma has the best mulled spice mix. I mix mine with organic apple juice that is not from concentrate. instead of cider I served the following menu buffet style.

Mulled Cider
Artichoke Bruschetta and Crackers
Mini Spanakopitas
Spiral Sliced Ham
Rolls/Rye Bread
Cranberry Conserve
Maple Orange Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Macaroni and Cheese
Mixed Green Salad with Herbs de Provence Dressing
Soft and Spicy Gingerbread Cookies
Chocolate Mint Thumbprints
Cherry Tea Cakes
Peppermint Bark
Praline Cheesecake

Gingerbread Cookies

2009-12-25T12:10:00.000-06:00

Gingerbread cookies are a new addition to my annual Christmas cookie baking list. Growing up, we always did lots of different types of cookies but our roll out cookies were always sugar cookies. I thought it would be fun to try a traditional gingerbread instead this year. This recipe, has shown up in several blogs I read. Given the popularity of the recipe, I knew this would be a good one. The dough was easy to mix and roll and the cookies had a perfect balance of spice. I also like that these cookies came out very tender. I have to give credit to my favorite helpers, my husband and son who rolled these out together and did a fantastic job.

Soft and Spicy Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. molasses
1 egg
4 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:
-In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.
-Stir in molasses and egg.
-Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; blend into the molasses mixture until smooth.
-Cover, and chill for at least one hour.
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line with parchment.
-On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness.
-Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.
-Place cookies 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
-Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm.
-Let cool for 10 minutes on pan.
-Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
-Frost or decorate when cool.

Source: Annie's Eats as adapted from Good Things Catered as originally adapted from Allrecipes.com.

Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Fig Relish and Acorn Squash with Butter Sauce

2009-12-17T07:04:00.004-06:00

I recently purchased Cooking Light's new cookbook, Fresh Food Fast. The idea behind the cookbook is the recipes are only 5 ingredients and take 15 minutes to prepare. I'm a big proponent of clean eating and cooking with fresh organic seasonal foods so a five ingredient approach is perfect for me. This book has come in handy during this busy holiday season. This pork tenderloin dish was really easy to make and I loved the combination of flavors. I'm a big fan of figs and they paired perfectly in this dish. As suggested I served this with a side of acorn squash with butter sauce. It was hard to believe this dish was so fast to make.

Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Onion-Fig Relish

1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spry
8 dried Mission figs
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 (8-ounce) container refrigerated prechopped onion (I used one red onion)

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Sprinkle pork evenly with salt and pepper; coat with cooking spray. Heat a medium sized cast iron skillet or other ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork; cook 4 minutes or until browned on all sides, turning occasionally.

3. While pork browns, coarsely chop figs. Combine vinegar, 2 tablespoons water and soy sauce in small bowl. When pork is browned, remove pan from heat. Add figs, onion, and vinegar mixture to pan, stirring to loosen brown bits.

4. Bake, uncovered at 425 for 15 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160. Stir onion mixture; cover pan loosely with foil. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Yields: 4 servings

Acorn Squash with Butter Sauce

1 acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Pierce squash several times with a sharp knife; place on paper towels in microwave oven. Microwave on High 1 minute. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Discard seeds and membrane. Cut each squash half lengthwise into 4 wedges. Pour 1/3 cup water into an 11x7 inch baking dish. Place squash, cut sides up, in pan. Cover with plastic wrap, turning back 1 corner to vent (do not allow plastic wrap to touch food). Microwave on High 10 minutes or until tender.

2. Place butter in a small microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave at High 20 seconds our until butter melts. Stir in syrup, nutmeg, and salt. Spoon sauce over squash wedges. Yield: 4 servings.

Barefoot Blogger's Bread Pudding

2009-12-10T05:11:00.003-06:00

I'll preface this post by saying I'm not a bread pudding fan. If given a choice of desserts it is probably the last one I would pick. My husband on the other hand loves bread pudding. So when I saw this months Barefoot Blogger pick from Peggy of Pantry Revisited, I knew at least one person in our house would be happy to eat this dessert if I made it. The recipe was very simple to assemble but be prepared, this recipe uses almost a whole carton of eggs! I thought the dish was good but didn't fit my idea of a traditional bread pudding. To me it was more like a french toast casserole. My husband thought it was good but said he prefers the traditional bread pudding. He also missed the hard sauce that usually accompanies a bread pudding. I would make this dish again but it would be part of a brunch buffet.

Croissant Bread Pudding

3 extra-large whole eggs
8 extra-large egg yolks
5 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 croissants, preferably stale, sliced horizontally
1 cup raisins (I used dried cranberries)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Set the custard mixture aside. Slice the croissants in half horizontally. In a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2-inch oval baking dish, distribute the bottoms of the sliced croissants, then add the raisins, then the tops of the croissants (brown side up), being sure the raisins are between the layers of croissants or they will burn while baking. Pour the custard over the croissants and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.

Place the pan in a larger one filled with 1-inch of hot water. Cover the larger pan with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn't touch the pudding. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Clarkson, Potter, 1999.

Sugar Topped Molasses Cookies

2009-12-07T06:08:00.000-06:00

I can't think of a better way to start off the holiday baking season than these cookies. I really like the nice punch of spice that distinguishes these cookies from ordinary gingerbread cookies. These cookies pair perfectly with hot chocolate or hot tea and the sugar coat adds a nice sparkle finish to the cookies.

Sugar Topped Molasses Cookies

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice pinch cracked or coarsely ground black pepper
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses (not blackstrap)

1 large egg

1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and pepper. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat for 2 minutes or so to blend, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg and beat for 1 minute more. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing until the flour and spices disappear. If some flour remains in the bottom of the bowl, to avoid over-beating the dough, mix in the last of the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula. You'll have a smooth, very soft dough.

Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Freeze for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The dough can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.) Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Put the sugar in a small bowl.

Working with one packet of dough at a time, divide it into 12 pieces, and roll each piece into a smooth ball between your palms. One by one, roll the balls around in the bowl of sugar , then place them on one of the baking sheets. Dip the bottom of a glass into the sugar and use it to press down on the cookies until they are between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the tops feel set to the touch. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, if the cookies have spread and are touching, use the edge of a metal spatula to separate them while they are still hot.

Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to room temperature. Repeat with the second batch of dough. Yield: about 24 fairly large cookies (I got a few more)

Storage: The cookies will keep for at least 1 week in the cookie jar. Wrapped airtight, they can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Source: Dorie Greenspan, Baking From My Home to Yours, Houghton Mifflin Harcour, 2006.

Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart

2009-12-02T07:05:00.000-06:00

All I can say about this dessert, is absolute show stopper! I was a bit skeptical about the banana in this dish but it really isn't a strong component and actually just serves to mellow the pumpkin flavor a bit. I loved the graham cracker crust with the pumpkin, for me a far better compliment than a traditional pie crust. This tart is not too sweet, not too heavy and the filling has the perfect velvet like texture. I know this dish will have a regular spot at our future Thanksgiving dinners.

Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart

For the crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (14 crackers)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

1/2 cup half-and-half
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 extra-large egg yolks
1 package (2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1 ripe banana, finely mashed
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

For the decoration:

1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Orange zest, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a bowl and mix well. Pour into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press evenly into the sides and then the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes and then cool to room temperature.

For the filling, heat the half-and-half, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until hot, about 5 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl, stir some of the hot pumpkin into the egg yolks to heat them, then pour the egg-pumpkin mixture back into the double boiler and stir well. Heat the mixture over the simmering water for another 4 to 5 minutes, until it begins to thicken, stirring constantly. You don't want the eggs to scramble. Remove from the heat.

Dissolve the gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Add the dissolved gelatin, banana, and orange zest to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Set aside to cool.

Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture and pour it into the cooled tart shell. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.

For the decoration, whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Pipe or spoon the whipped cream decoratively on the tart and sprinkle, if desired, with orange zest. Serve chilled.

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Family Style, Clarkson Potter, 2002.

Barefoot Blogger's November Recipes

2009-11-30T06:16:00.003-06:00

I'm finally catching up on my November posts for the Barefoot Bloggers. I have already made and previously posted both of the recipes chosen for this month.

Thanks to Lisa of Lime in the Coconut for picking the Company Pot Roast. Its a simple and comforting meal for a cold fall evening. It pairs nicely with Ina's Baked Potatoes with Yogurt and Sour Cream.

Thanks also to Suzie of Munch and Nibble for picking Ina's creme brulee recipe. Although, Suzie picked Ina's original version, I previously made Ina's Raspberry Creme Brulee which is the same basic formula with a few changes to spices and liquor. The raspberry creme brulee is one of my all time favorite desserts. For a classic creme brulee, this is my go to recipe.

Cranberry Fruit Conserve

2009-11-27T06:54:00.005-06:00

I have to admit for many years I was not a fan of whole berry cranberry sauce or fresh cranberry relish. When I host Thanksgiving I always serve both whole berry and jellied cranberry sauce since there always seems to be fans in both camps. This recipe has changed my opinion of whole berry sauce. Simple combination of flavors produces an fantastic result. The combination of citrus juices adds a wonderful depth of flavor. Ina recommends using this for day after Thanksgiving sandwiches and I can see why. I can't imagine finding another recipe I would like better than this one.

Cranberry Fruit Conserve

1 (12-ounce) bag of fresh cranberries, cleaned
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 orange, zest grated and juiced
1 lemon, zest grated and juiced
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Cook the cranberries, sugar, and 1 cup of water in a saucepan over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the skins pop open. Add the apple, zests, and juices and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the raisins and nuts. Let cool, and serve chilled.

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Parties, Clarkson Potter, 2002.

Triple Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

2009-11-27T06:27:00.004-06:00

I've been looking for a good stuffed mushroom recipe and this one is definitely a winner in that category. I think you could easily vary the cheeses in this recipe and even add sausage, bacon, or pancetta to make them truly over the top. These were a perfect starter for our Thanksgiving meal.

Triple Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

48 med. white mushrooms (2 lbs)
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. finely chopped green onions
Salt
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350. Using damp paper towel, wipe mushroom caps clean; remove and discard stems or save for another use. In colander squeeze liquid out of spinach until dry.

2. In large bowl, mix spinach, feta, cream cheese, green onions, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until well combined. Fill each mushroom with heaping teaspoon spinach mixture, tip with Parmesan.

3. Transfer to 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 jelly-roll pan; bake 20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and filling is golden brown.

Source: Paula Deen, Good Housekeeping Magazine, November 2009.

Thanksgiving Menu

2009-11-25T16:39:00.006-06:00

Here is the menu for our Thanksgiving feast. Recipes and reviews to follow!

Apple Cider

Triple Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Pastry Wrapped Raspberry Baked Brie (from Central Market)
Marinated Cheese
Mixed Nuts

Cape Cod Chopped Salad
Apple Cider Brined Turkey
Sausage and Herb Stuffing
Vanilla Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Marshmallow Topping
Mashed Potatoes
Cranberry Fruit Conserve
Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Cloverleaf Rolls

Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart
Pear Ginger Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream

All Sold Out Chicken Pot Pies

2009-11-17T06:02:00.004-06:00

Finally a recipe to blog! Seems like November is just flying by me at a warp speed. I made two absolutely delicious recipes this month and then forgot to get pictures of them. Otherwise, we have been enjoying several of our favorite meals that have already appeared here. I can't tell you how long I've had this recipe tagged to make. I've probably already mentioned in my blog that the Pastry Queen is one of my favorite cookbooks. Since purchasing that book several years ago I have added Rebecca Rather's additional books to my collection including her newest one, The Pastry Queen Parties. I had the opportunity to visit the Rather Sweet Bakery in Fredericksburg, Texas and I highly recommend it to anyone in the area. I also attended a cooking class hosted by Rebecca which was also fantastic. So with the weather turning cold and grey and this recipe popping up on several blogs I read I knew it was time to try it. Be warned, this is not a fast recipe to make. I estimate in preparation alone I spent well over an hour. I can say the time spent was well worth it. This was fantastic. Next time I will probably add some carrots as they are a requisite vegetable in a pot pie for me. I omitted the hot sauce to make it kid friendly. I also omitted the red bell pepper as it didn't seem right in a pot pie to me. I love the additional vegetable suggestions of turnips, asparagus and corn. I think any combination in this recipe would be great. This is comfort food at its very best. Now, if I had only made Rebecca's incredible recipe for Mexican chocolate cake to go with it!

Other Pastry Queen Recipes:
Tropical Carrot Cake
Tuxedo Cake
Larger Than Life Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake

All Sold Out Chicken Pot Pies

Yield: 6 servings

FILLING
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 purchased cooked rotisserie chicken or 1 whole stewed chicken, cooled
8 ounces fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
1 (8-ounce) package frozen peas (optional)
CREAM SAUCE
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (optional) Dash of hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
CRUST
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter
3 cups all purpose flour
10 ounces chilled cream cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 large egg

To make the filling:
Melt the butter in a large sauté pan set over medium heat. Add the onion and potato; sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bell pepper, and mushrooms and sauté about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the crushed red pepper and add salt and pepper to taste.

While the vegetables are sauteing, skin the chicken, pull the meat off the bones and shred the meat or cut into bite-size pieces. Place the green beans in a microwave-safe bowl and add enough water to cover. Cover the dish and microwave on high power about 10 minutes, until the beans are tender. Drain thoroughly. Stir the beans, peas and chicken into the vegetable mixture. Set the filling aside.

To make the cream sauce:
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the chicken stock and cook the sauce over medium heat until it thickens to the consistency of a cream soup. Add the cream, hot pepper sauce, and salt and white pepper to taste. Pour the cream sauce over the chicken filling and stir to combine. Fill individual 1’/4-cup capacity oven-safe bowls three - quarters of the way to the top with the creamed chicken filling.

To make the crust:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut the butter into 16 pieces. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse the butter and flour until crumbly. Add the cream cheese, salt, and white pepper. Continue pulsing just until the dough forms a ball.

Set the dough on a flat surface dusted with flour. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Measure the diameter of the pot pie bowls—mine are about 4 inches across—and cut out dough rounds that are 1 1/2 inches larger in diameter. Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Lay the dough rounds on top of the pot pies, making sure the dough hangs evenly over each bowl. Brush the dough lightly with the beaten egg. Bake the pies for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Rather Sweet Variation

Pot pies lend themselves to all manner of vegetable additions, such as diced carrots, fresh corn kernels, diced turnips, sliced celery, cut-up asparagus spears, or sliced wild mushrooms. Just add them to the sauté mix and enjoy.

Tip:
My friend Suzie Humphreys Mayo is often on the road for work and likes to make sure her husband eats well while she’s away. She double wraps the pot pies in plastic wrap and pops them in the freezer. Her husband bakes them at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes and dinner is ready. (The pies will keep frozen for 2 to 3 weeks.) Miss Emily, the eighty- seven-year- old mother of another good friend, loves to have a stock of frozen pot pies in her freezer. I never put green beans in hers; she prefers peas.

Source: Rebecca Rather, The Pastry Queen, Ten Speed Press 2004.

Spiderweb Cupcakes

2009-11-01T06:05:00.004-06:00

I made these to take to our pre-trick-or-treating Halloween party. I was really happy with how they came out. To save time, I did use a boxed cake mix and pre-made frosting. The spiders are made from gum drops that have been rolled out. These were fun and easy to make.

Tortellini Sausage Soup

2009-10-28T09:09:00.003-05:00

Yes, another soup recipe! Its that time of year! This soup was an unplanned dinner. I found myself without anything defrosted and not knowing what to make for dinner. I looked in the pantry and found I had tortellini and was thinking of incorporating it in some sort of soup when I remembered this recipe from Our Best Bites. I just recently found this site and they have some really fantastic looking recipes. As luck would have it, I had almost everything I needed to make this tortellini sausage soup, including the sausage which is easy to defrost! This was a wonderfully hearty and filling soup. It was a unanimous hit in our house. It makes just enough for dinner and then some leftovers which is perfect. I didn't have zucchini so I added some organic frozen chopped spinach. I paired this with mozzarella grilled cheese sandwiches. It was a perfect dinner to lead in to watching Its the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown with our three year old.

Tortellini Sausage Soup

3 links Italian sausage
4 cloves pressed garlic
1 onion, diced
½ c. water
2 cans chicken broth
½ c. apple cider
1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. sliced carrots
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 medium zucchini, grated (great way to use your food processor if you have one) (I used organic frozen spinach instead)
8-10 oz. package cheese tortellini
2 Tbsp. dried parsley

If you're using link sausage, remove the casings and crumble into a large soup pot. To remove the casings, you can use a sharp knife to cut a slit down one side of the sausage and then peel back the casing. And just so you know, both Sara and I have tried taking pictures of this method and there is no G-rated way of posting those pictures...

Begin cooking sausage over medium heat, stirring frequently. If your sausage is pretty fatty, you'll want to drain it when it's about halfway cooked. Meanwhile, chop onions and garlic and add to the sausage. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is cooked. Your house will smell heavenly.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, juice, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, and basil. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add parsley and zucchini and simmer for another 15 minutes or so. Add the tortellini and cook until tender, and then serve with bread and freshly-grated Parmesan.
Source: Our Best Bites

Barefoot Blogger's-Cheddar Corn Chowder-

2009-10-27T06:53:00.003-05:00

Jill of My Next Life picked Ina's Cheddar Corn Chowder as the second Barefoot Blogger pick for October. I previously made and blogged about this recipe here. I did go ahead and remake the recipe since it was a great pick for the weather we are having. One thing I found that I hadn't remembered is that this soup really tastes better the second day so its a good one to make ahead. This time I also halved the recipe and I still had enough to eat for leftovers and freeze. This one hits the spot on a cold and rainy day. I recently watched Ina make a similar version that adds lobster. I'll have to try that one soon, sounds very decadent!

Barefoot Blogger's Blue Cheese Souffle

2009-10-24T16:09:00.004-05:00

I was happy to see that Summer of Sexy Apartment chose this recipe as one of the October Barefoot Blogger picks. I've made dessert souffles but never a savory souffle. My husband and I recently enjoyed a lovely dinner at a local souffle bistro. The only bad thing about a savory souffle for dinner is it leaves no room for a dessert souffle! This recipe seemed a fun way to try to recreate that meal at home. I don't find souffles terribly difficult to make, they just require patience and a gentle hand. This one puffed up beautifully and looked delicious. Be warned if you make this though, it needs to be served immediately. My souffle deflated less than 5 minutes after I took it out of the oven. Although, I am a blue cheese lover, the flavor was overwhelming to me in the recipe. I would consider making another cheese souffle but would likely use a milder cheese. A Gruyere or fontina would probably be a better choice.

Blue Cheese Souffle

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup scalded milk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
Pinch nutmeg
4 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
3 ounces good Roquefort cheese, chopped
5 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Butter the inside of an 8-cup souffle dish (7 1/2 inches in diameter and 3 1/4 inches deep) and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the hot milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the cayenne, and nutmeg. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, until smooth and thick.

Off the heat, while still hot, whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the Roquefort and the 1/4 cup of Parmesan and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Put the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, on medium speed for 1 minute, then finally on high speed until they form firm, glossy peaks.

Whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the cheese sauce to lighten and then fold in the rest. Pour into the souffle dish, then smooth the top. Draw a large circle on top with the spatula to help the souffle rise evenly, and place in the middle of the oven. Turn the temperature down to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (don't peek!) until puffed and brown. Serve immediately.

Source: Barefoot in Paris, Clarkson Potter, 2004.

White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondies

2009-10-22T11:18:00.003-05:00

When I purchased the Martha Stewart Cookies Cookbook, this was one of the first recipes that caught my eye. Now that we are enjoying lots of fall weather it seemed a perfect time to try this one. This recipe makes a lot so its a good one for a crowd. I served these at our weekly play date and they were a hit. I found the ends on mine were a little too crispy so I just cut those pieces off. These have a nice spicy gingerbread taste which is balanced nicely with the sweetness of the white chocolate. These are a perfect fall treat. They would be a fantastic finish for a dinner with a spicy bowl of chili or as a compliment to homemade hot chocolate.

White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondies

Makes about 4 dozen 2-inch squares

Vegetable-oil cooking spray
2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
10 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used white chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 17-by-12-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment cut to fit, and coat parchment. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
Beat butter and brown and granulated sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and yolk, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in white chocolate.
Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake until edges are golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 2-inch squares or desired shape. Blondies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Source: Martha Stewart's Cookies, Clarkson Potter, 2008.

Provencal Vegetable Soup

2009-10-19T10:57:00.003-05:00

I made this soup a few weeks ago on a cold and rainy day and it really hit the spot. I loved the addition of the saffron to the soup and the fresh tomato basil pistou adds a lovely brightness to the soup. To me it was an upscale version of the classic tomato vegetable soup. We really loved this one. I will definitely be making it again.

Provencal Vegetable Soup

2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 to 4 leeks)
3 cups 1/2-inch-diced unpeeled boiling potatoes (1 pound)
3 cups 1/2-inch-diced carrots (1 pound)
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 quarts homemade chicken stock or canned broth
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 pound haricots verts, ends removed and cut in 1/2
4 ounces spaghetti, broken in pieces
1 cup Pistou, recipe follows
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot, add the onions, and saute over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the leeks, potatoes, carrots, salt, and pepper and saute over medium heat for another 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and saffron, bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Add the haricots verts and spaghetti, bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 more minutes.

To serve, whisk 1/4 cup of the pistou into the hot soup, then season to taste. Depending on the saltiness of your chicken stock, you may need to add up to another tablespoon of salt. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and more pistou.

Pistou:

4 large garlic cloves

1/4 cup tomato paste

24 large basil leaves

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/2 cup good olive oil

Place the garlic, tomato paste, basil, and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and puree. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil down the feed tube to make a paste. Pack into a container, pour a film of olive oil on top, and close the lid.

Yield: 1 cup

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot in Paris, Clarkson Potter, 2005.

Creamy Pumpkin Custard wtih Golden Raisin Compote

2009-10-15T08:59:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love pumpkin. I was a bit worried when I found out there was a canned pumpkin shortage this year. I went to several area groceries and lo and behold there was no pumpkin to be found. I couldn't conceive of a fall without all my favorite pumpkin recipes and several new ones I want to try. Luckily, I happened upon a store with a healthy supply of canned pumpkin and my pantry is now well stocked! Yes, I bought 10 cans of pumpkin! I decided this recipe was a worthy source for one of my precious cans of pumpkin and it did not disappoint. Although labeled a custard, it was reminiscent of pumpkin cheesecake. This dessert is very rich and decadent. The golden raisin compote adds nice texture and flavor. The only change I would make next time is to add some candied pecans. I just couldn't help thinking a little crunch would have been a nice addition. This is the first recipe I have tried from the Dolce Italiano cookbook and if this recipe is any indication of how great the recipes are, I can't wait to try more. The perfect ending to a fabulous fall meal.

Creamy Pumpkin Custard wtih Golden Raisin Compote

Makes 6 servings

¼ cup granulated sugar, plus more for dusting the ramekins
2 pieces crystallized ginger (about 1 ounce), minced
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon yogurt or sour cream
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup canned pumpkin (straight up pumpkin, without the pumpkin pie spices)
Golden Raisin Compote (recipe follows), for garnish

Preheat the oven to 325 F and position a rack in the center. Grease six 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups with nonstick cooking spray, then coat the bottoms and sides with a light dusting of granulated sugar, shaking out the excess. Have ready a flat-bottomed roasting pan large enough to accommodate the ramekins with ¾ inch of space in between them.

Place the granulated sugar and crystallized ginger in the bowl of a food processor and process until the ginger is finely ground. Place the mixture in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and add the cream cheese and light brown sugar. Cream the ingredients together on medium speed until smooth and lump-free, about 2 minutes. Beat in the yogurt or sour cream, followed by the egg yolks, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and salt, then beat in the pumpkin puree until just combined.

Divide the mixture among the ramekins, filling them ¾ full and tapping each one once or twice on the counter to even the top. Place the ramekins in the roasting pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil, tenting it slightly so the foil does not touch the top of the ramekins.

Carefully place the pan in the oven and bake the custards for 25 minutes, then rotate the pan to ensure even baking. Bake them for another 15 minutes and then check for doneness; the custards should appear slightly puffy and their surfaces should be matte. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the custards to cool for 10 minutes, then remove them from the bain-marie and chill until firm, at least 4 hours.

To serve, run the tip of a knife around the edge of each custard and flip it on to a serving plate. Top each serving with a spoon full of golden raisin compote.

Golden Raisin Compote

Makes about 1 ½ cups

1 heaping cup of raisins
¾ cup juice from fresh oranges
¼ cup golden or dark rum
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Place the raisins, orange juice, rum, and sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Simmer until the raisins are soft and plump, then pour the liquid through a sieve and strain out the raisins and place them in a small bowl. Return the liquid to the pan and continue simmering until it is syrupy and reduced to about ½ cup. Remove the pan and from the heat and whisk in the butter. Combine the sauce with the raisins and cool to room temperature.

Source: Gina De Palma, Dolce Italiano, 2007.

Cooking Italy-Sliced Potatoes with Mushrooms

2009-10-14T07:10:00.000-05:00

This pick from the Cooking Italy group was the perfect accompaniment to the Pan Roasted Lamb with Juniper Berries I served as part of my dinner party menu. This dish would really go well with most meat dishes. I love how perfectly tender the potatoes came out. I had trouble finding dried porcini so I ended up using a dried mushroom mix which had porcini in it. This dish has lots of flavor and was fairly simple to assemble. I liked the technique for cooking the potatoes so much I would consider making it without the mushroom as well and possibly changing up the herb combinations to suit the dish I was making. I know others in the group had issues with the cooking time but mine cooked fine in the time specified in the recipe. I used Yukon gold potatoes so I'm not sure if that made the difference.

Sliced Potatoes Baked with Porcini and Fresh Cultivated Mushrooms, Riveria Style

A small packet or 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted
The filtered water from the mushroom soak
1 pound small new, waxy boiling potatoes
1/2 pound fresh, firm white button or cremini mushrooms
An oven to table baking dish no larger than 11 inches by 7 inches or its equivalent
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic chopped, very fine
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
Salt

1. Put the reconstituted mushrooms and their filtered water into a small saucepan, turn on the heat to medium high and cook until all the liquid has boiled away. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 400.

3. Peel the potatoes, wash them in cold water, and cut them in 1/4 inch slices.

4. Slice off and discard a think disk from the butt end of the fresh mushroom's stem without detaching the stem from the cap. Wash the mushrooms rapidly in cold running water, taking care no to let them soak. Pat gently, but thoroughly dry with a soft cloth towel. Cut them lengthwise into slices the same thickness as the potatoes, keeping the stems and caps together.

5. Choose a baking dish which all ingredients will fit without being stacked any higher than 1 1/2 inches. Put the olive oil, garlic, potatoes, the porcini and the sliced, fresh mushrooms, parsley and several grindings of pepper. Toss several times to mix the ingredients evenly, and level them off with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Place the dish on the uppermost rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then add salt, toss to distribute it well, return the dish to the oven and continue baking until the potatoes are tender, approximately another 15 minutes.

6. After taking the dish out of the oven. let it settle for a few minutes before bringing it to the table. If you find there is more oil in the dish than you would like, spoon away the excess before serving.
Source: Marcella Hazan, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1992.

Cooking Italy-Pan Roasted Lamb with Juniper Berries

2009-10-13T07:23:00.002-05:00

This was my first recipe from the new blogging group I joined, Cooking Italy. This recipe really took me out of my comfort zone. I have never cooked lamb and I've only eaten it once very recently. I had lamb chops at a Greek restaurant and was surprised at how much I liked it and how it really tasted much like steak. This recipe gave me another opportunity to use my new dutch oven and a jar of juniper berries I purchased awhile back. It really couldn't have been a simpler dish to make, throw all the ingredients in the pot and cook. I think I over cooked mine a bit. It was probably done closer to the three 2 1/2 to 3 hour mark. It was still delicious and tender although a little dry. This dish has rich depth of flavor and is definitely one I would make again. I couldn't find lamb shoulder but the butcher at Whole Foods helped me pick out bone-in lamb chops which he also cut into pieces as instructed by the recipe. Angela, the creator of Cooking Italy paired the lamb dish perfectly with Marcella's Sliced Potatoes Baked with Porcini and Fresh Cultivated Mushrooms, Riveria Style. A very rustic and earthy pairing and a perfect way to enjoy a fall dinner. Here is a link to my full dinner party menu.

Pan Roasted Lamb with Juniper Berries

2 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into 3-4 inch pieces, with the bone in.
1 tablespoon chopped carrot
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped celery
1 cup dry white wine
2 garlic cloves, mashed lightly with a knife handle, the skin removed
A sprig of fresh rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons lightly crushed, juniper berries
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill

1. Choose a heavy-bottomed or enameled cast-iron pot that will contain all the ingredients. Put all the ingredients in to it, cover the pot, and turn the heat on to medium low. Turn the lamb pieces over about twice an hour.

2. After 2 hours, the ingredients should have shed a considerable amount of juice. Set the pot's cover on slightly ajar, and continue cooking at slightly higher heat. Turn the meat from time to time. Ager an hour and a half more, the lamb should feel tender when prodded with a fork. If there is still too much liquid in the pot, uncover, raise the heat and reduce it to a less runny consistency. Taste the meat and correct for salt.

3. Tip the pot and spoon off as much of the liquified lamb fat as you can. Transfer the entire contents of the pot to a warm platter and serve at once.

Source: Marcella Hazan, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1992.

Mixed Greens with Roasted Pears and Blue Cheese

2009-10-12T06:34:00.000-05:00

This may just be my new favorite salad! Classic Ina, this was so simple to make and yet so amazingly delicious. The pears smelled fabulous while baking. This dish is quintessential fall on a plate and makes a very elegant presentation. I substituted red wine for the port.

Mixed Greens with Roasted Pears and Blue Cheese

3 ripe but firm Anjou pears
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
3 ounces coarsely crumbled sharp blue cheese such as Stilton
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup apple cider
3 tablespoons port
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 cup good olive oil
6 ounces baby arugula
Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Peel the pears and slice them lengthwise into halves. With a small sharp paring knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling. Trim a small slice away from the rounded sides of each pear half so that they will sit in the baking dish without wobbling. Toss the pears with some lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly.

Gently toss the crumbled blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentation.

In the same small bowl, combine the apple cider, port, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture over and around the pears. Bake the pears, basting occasionally with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside until warm or at room temperature.

Just before serving, whisk together the olive oil, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl. Divide the arugula among 6 plates and top each with a pear half. Drizzle each pear with some of the basting liquid, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa at Home, Clarkson Potter, 2006.

Fall Dinner Party and New Blogging Group!

2009-10-10T08:22:00.015-05:00

Fall is my favorite time of year to throw dinner parties. I love putting together rustic meals using all the beautiful fall colors in the ingredients to inspire me! This menu came about largely due to the new blogging group I joined, Cooking Italy. The group is dedicated to cooking through Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. I've restrained myself from joining several other blogging groups but couldn't resist this one. Being half Italian I really love learning about Italian cooking and couldn't resist jumping at the opportunity to learn more traditional dishes and challenge myself with recipes that have a greater degree of difficulty. The picks for this month looked fabulous so I purchased the book and set about designing this menu using the lamb and potato dishes from the Cooking Italy group. I will be posting the recipes for this menu and reviews of these recipes over the next week.

Mixed Greens with Roasted Pears and Blue Cheese
Pan Roasted Lamb with Juniper Berries
Sliced Potatoes Baked with Porcini and Fresh Cultivated Mushrooms Riviera Style
Semolina Bread
Pumpkin Custards with Golden Raisin Compote

Classic Chicken Jambalaya

2009-10-07T08:29:00.007-05:00

We have been so busy the last week with all the birthday celebrations at our house. I think we are finally at a point of cake overload! My birthday and my son's birthday are only a few days apart which is fun but makes for a hectic week! I got this beautiful new dutch oven for my birthday and have been waiting to use it. More rainy cold weather here yesterday meant the perfect day to break it in. I've had this jambalaya recipe flagged for a while and it seemed fitting for my first recipe in the new pot and the gloomy weather. My husband loves Cajun food and is a big fan of my gumbo so I knew this would be right up his alley! Sure enough, he loved it! This recipe takes a bit of prep work with chopping and cooking on the stove but once you get it in the oven its good to go. I ended up with extra ham and thyme leftover from this recipe so I'm looking forward to making Emeril's creamy ham and potato pie in the next few days! I love it when a good plan for leftovers comes together!

Other Cajun Favorites:
Chicken Andouille Gumbo
Slow Cooker Red Beans with Andouille Sausage
King Cake

Classic Chicken Jambalaya

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

One 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Emeril's Original Essence (I used the cajun seasoning I already had)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 cup chopped onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound andouille sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 pound boneless smoked ham, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 cups rice
2 cups Chicken Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned whole tomatoes, drained and crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Emeril's Kick It Up! Red Pepper Sauce, or other hot sauce, plus more for serving
4 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons finely sliced green onions, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Season the chicken with 2 tablespoons Essence and the salt.
Heat the oil in a small Dutch oven or heavy lidded pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides, working in batches if necessary, 8 to 10 minutes per batch.
Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the celery, bell peppers, and onions and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the sausage and ham and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the rice, stir to blend, and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the Chicken Stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire, the remaining 1 teaspoon Essence, the pepper sauce, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir to combine and return the chicken to the pot, nestling the pieces in the rice mixture.
Cover the pot and bake until the chicken and rice are tender, about 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let stand, still covered, for 5 minutes. Garnish with the green onions and serve with hot sauce.

Source: Emeril Lagasse as Featured in Holiday Cooking with Top American Chefs.

Triple Tier Brownies

2009-09-29T08:31:00.000-05:00

These were really simple to make and very addictive! These are perfect for a fall picnic or tail gating. I used organic ingredients where I could. I also used my new favorite peanut butter, Earth Balance natural peanut butter with flax seed. You can't taste the flax seed and it doesn't effect the texture but you get all the wonderful benefits of the flax seeds. I'm not a big fan of canned frosting but I didn't have time to make my own to substitute. There is an organic canned frosting on the market but I used it once and thought it was only so so. You could also play around with this recipe and substitute different flavors of frosting or use cocoa krispies instead of rice krispies. I was thinking the addition of a marshmallow layer would also be great. To keep with the organic ingredients you can also use an organic rice cereal.

Triple Tier Brownies

1 package fudge brownie mix (13-inch x 9-inch pan size) (I used organic)
1 package (11-1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli)
1 cup peanut butter (I used Earth Balance Natural Peanut Butter with Flax Seeds)
3 cups crisp rice cereal
1 can (16 ounces) cream cheese frosting
1 cup salted peanuts, chopped (I omitted)

Directions:

Prepare and bake brownie mix according to package directions, using a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Cool on a wire rack.
In a large saucepan, combine chocolate chips and peanut butter. Cook over low heat for 4-5 minutes or until blended, stirring occasionally. Stir in cereal; set aside.
Spread frosting over brownies. Sprinkle with peanuts. Spread with peanut butter mixture. Chill for 30 minutes or until set before cutting. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: about 5 dozen.

Source: Taste of Home

Pepperoni and Mushroom Pizza

2009-09-27T17:52:00.000-05:00

I recently purchased Wolfgang Puck's cookbook, Pizza Pasta and More. I purchased the book more so for the fresh pasta recipes, however the pizzas looked great too. On a whim I decided to make this pepperoni and mushroom pizza this weekend. I made a few adaptions to the original recipe, my version appears below. I also used a store bought crust to save time. I used a crust I picked up in the freezer section of Central Market by Pizza Romana. It is a product from Italy and one of my favorite things beside the taste is that it only had four ingredients, no artificial ingredients or preservatives. This crust was every bit as good as homemade. I love making my own pizza crust but this one is definitely great to have on hand in a pinch. My husband enjoyed eating this pizza while watching football and we were blown away by how amazing it tasted. The layers of flavors created the best pizza we have ever had. I can't see ever ordering pizza again after having this one at home.

Pepperoni and Mushroom Pizza
As Adapted from Pizza, Pasta and More by Wolfgang Puck

2 tablespoons pesto
6 oz grated Italian cheese mix
1 Roma tomato, ends trimmed and cut into 7 slices
2 tablespoons Roasted Whole Garlic (recipe follows)
thin sliced-nitrate free pepperoni
1/4 cup Sauteed Wild Mushrooms (recipe follows)
1 Pizza Romana Pizza Crust

Roasted Garlic

4 whole heads of garlic, unpeeled
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 365. Arrange garlic heads in small roasting pan and toss with olive oil, coating them well. Roast until garlic is tender 50-60 minutes. When cool, cut the head in half, crosswise, with a serrated knife and remove the softened garlic pulp. Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate. Use as needed.

Sauteed Wild Mushrooms

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound baby bellas, cut into bite size pieces
1 large shallot, peeled and minced
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Over medium heat, saute the mushrooms until crisp tender. Stir int he shallot, garlic and parsley and cook 2-3 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Brush the inner circle of the pizza dough with the Pesto. Scatter the cheeses over the inner circle and arrange the slices of tomato over the cheese. Sprinkle the roasted garlic over the tomatoes and layer with the pepperoni and mushrooms. Bake until the pizza crust is nicely browned 10-15 minutes.

Barefoot Blogger's-Beatty's Chocolate Cake

2009-09-24T07:10:00.004-05:00

This week's Barefoot Blogger's pick by Mary of Passionate Perserverance is one of my all-time favorite Ina recipes and the best chocolate cake recipe I have ever found. The addition of the coffee to this cake really enhances the chocolate flavor and the buttermilk produces a very moist cake. I've made this cake several times to rave reviews since first discovering the recipe. I have also posted about this recipe twice! Here is my first post about this recipe. I like Ina's frosting but it can be a bit time intensive to make. One day in a pinch I paired this cake with this Chocolate Sourcream Frosting and I fell in love with the pairing. The sour cream added a nice richness and tang to the frosting and gives it that good old fashioned chocolate cake taste!

Double Chocolate Pudding

2009-09-20T09:08:00.004-05:00

This recipe redeems my Ina cake failure! Chocolate Pudding is one of my absolute favorite desserts. This pudding is rich, creamy and perfectly chocolate flavored, everything you would want a homemade pudding to be. This recipe easily goes with the most casual of meals to a fancy dinner party when served in a crystal footed dish. Simple, delicious, perfect! I served mine with homemade whipped cream on top. Sorry the whipped cream obscures the view of the pudding!

Double Chocolate Pudding

6 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons very good cocoa powder (I used green and black organic cocoa powder)
Pinch salt
2 cups milk
1-ounce very good semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions

Beat the egg yolks and sugar until light yellow and thick in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium-high speed. On low speed, add the cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan and, with the mixer on low, slowly pour the hot milk into the chocolate mixture. Combine well, then pour the mixture back into the pan.

Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon, until thickened. If the mixture begins to curdle, remove it from the heat and beat it vigorously with a wire whisk. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate, butter, vanilla, and heavy cream, and mix until the chocolate and butter are melted.

Pour into serving bowls. Place plastic wrap directly on the top of the pudding, and chill thoroughly.

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Parties, Clarkson Potter, 2001.

Sweet and Sour Brisket

2009-09-19T16:50:00.000-05:00

I am absolutely loving the rainy, cloudy fall weather we are having. After many of these cozy days, I had a distinct need to braise a piece of meat! I decided upon brisket and came up with this recipe after a quick food network search. This is the first Ellie Krieger recipe I have tried and I must say it was a resounding success. I omitted the raisins from this recipe and substituted a pinch of allspice for the whole allspice berry. I made a 1.5 lb brisket but did not change the sauce proportions or cooking time and it was a perfect ratio of sauce to meat and the brisket was fork tender. This recipe would easily be adaptable to a slow cooker. This is the perfect meal for a football watching party or just a cold rainy day. I served mine with butterscotch and black pepper baby carrots and garlic mashed potatoes. Add in Ina's homemade chocolate pudding for dessert and you have one fantastic meal!

Sweet and Sour Brisket

1 (3-pound) beef brisket, first-cut or flat-half cut, trimmed of any excess fat
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, cut in 1/2, then thinly sliced into 1/2 moons
3 cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
One 15- oz. can tomato sauce, preferably no salt added
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
3 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/3 cup raisins
5 black peppercorns
1 allspice berry

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Pat the brisket dry and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or braising pot. Sear the brisket until it is browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the brisket to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot and cook the onion, stirring a few times, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, broth, brown sugar, 1/3 cup of the vinegar, the raisins, peppercorns, and allspice and stir to combine well. Bring mixture to a boil, return brisket and any accumulated juices to the pot, spoon some of the tomato-vinegar mixture over the brisket, cover tightly, and transfer to the oven. Cook until the brisket is fork tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Remove the brisket from the oven, transfer the meat to a cutting board, and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes or, if serving later, cover and refrigerate the meat and sauce for several hours or overnight. When you are ready to serve, cut the meat against the grain into 1/4- inch thick slices. Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar into the warm sauce. Return the sliced brisket to the sauce until heated through, then serve.

Yield: 10 servings, serving size: 4-ounces brisket plus 3 tablespoons of sauce

Source: Ellie Krieger/Foodnetwork.com

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2009-09-19T16:43:00.004-05:00

These are very similar to my usual mashed potato recipe. I like the addition of the sour cream and the richness it gave to the dish. This is a perfect pairing for the rich gravy from the sweet and sour brisket.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

3 medium baking potatoes peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon (or more) whole milk, at room temperature or warmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, cook the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan.

Add the butter, sour cream and garlic. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or the back of a fork until the ingredients are blended. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the potatoes are the desired consistency. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.

Source: Paula Deen/Foodnetwork.com

Butterscotch and Black Pepper Baby Carrots

2009-09-19T15:50:00.004-05:00

This was a simple, easy and delicious way to prepare fresh baby carrots. A great weeknight side dish to have in your repertoire.

Butterscotch and Black Pepper Baby Carrots

2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound baby carrots, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

In a medium skillet, heat the butter, sugar, and salt over medium-high heat, stirring until smooth. Add the carrots and toss to coat. Cover and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender and glazed. Top with black pepper. Serve hot or warm.

Source: Paula Deen/Foodnetwork.com

Barefoot Bloggers-Birthday Sheet Cake

2009-09-10T14:53:00.004-05:00

The big birthday month in our house is October. We love cake though, so anytime is a good time to try a new cake recipe even if its too early to celebrate an actual birthday. I was somewhat hesitant about trying this month's Barefoot Blogger pick due to the really low ratings this recipe received on the Food Network site. Its rare for any Ina recipe to get less than 5 stars and even rarer for one to get as few stars as this recipe which received only 3 stars. After making this one, I concur with the thoughts on those that rated it low. There was really nothing exciting about the actual cake itself. I halved the recipe and adjusted the baking soda per the reviewers recommendations. I didn't have any problems with the actual baking of the cake but like I said its nothing anyone would rave about, mediocre at best. The frosting was easy enough to make but again very unexciting and not really sweet enough or creamy enough for my preferences. Not a recipe I would make again. The best part about this cake was how much fun my toddler had decorating it! If you want a stellar cake, the next Barefoot Blogger pick, Beatty's Chocolate Cake is a definite winner! Thanks to Susy of Everyday Gourmet for this pick, sorry I couldn't say I loved it. I guess even Ina has an off recipe, although before now I would not have guessed it!

Here is the link to the recipe, if anyone is interested. I'm not going to post the full recipe since its not one I would recommend or make again.

Crisp Skin Salmon with Fiery Asian Slaw

2009-09-04T08:16:00.005-05:00

This recipe was billed in the September 2009 issue of Cooking Light as a super fast meal and it lived up to the hype! I have long avoided coleslaw but recently I tried it again and discovered I really liked it. Since then I have been on a slaw kick. This slaw had great flavor and wasn't really that spicy, but had a nice bite. This was my first time using Sriracha and I can't wait to find more recipes to incorporate this sauce. My only compliant with this meal was I felt like it needed one more side to go with it but couldn't quite decide what a good match would be. Maybe a green vegetable or some bread. My husband gave this one rave reviews. If you need a quick weeknight meal, this one is perfect.

Crispy Skin Salmon with Fiery Asian Slaw

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (16-ounce) package cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salmon fillets evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add salmon to pan, skin side down; cook 4 minutes. Turn salmon over; cook 3 minutes. Add orange juice to pan; cook 30 seconds or until liquid almost evaporates and fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

2. While fish cooks, combine rice vinegar and next 5 ingredients (through honey) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, cilantro, and coleslaw; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sesame seeds. Serve salmon with slaw.

Source: Cooking Light, September 2009.

Country Hashed Browns

2009-09-02T14:13:00.006-05:00

I'm a big fan of home style potatoes. Although the recipe calls these hashed browns, these are much more reminiscent of the home fried potatoes I grew up eating in North Carolina and absolutely loved. This dish doesn't take much work and has so much flavor. This will definitely be appearing on future brunch buffets at our house! I used the recipe from Ina's Family Style cookbook, however, I recently watched an episode where Ina made these and added ham. If you were serving these for brunch and wanted to make it even heartier that would be a great addition.

Country Hashed Browns

Serves: 4 to 6

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and 1/2-inch diced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons minced scallions, white and green parts

Melt the butter in a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan. Add the potatoes, onions, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally with a flat spatula, until the potatoes are evenly browned and cooked through. (Allow the potatoes to cook for 5 minutes before turning.) Turn off the heat and add the parsley, scallions and ham. Reheat on top of the stove or over a hot charcoal grill.

Cook's Note:You can peel and dice the potatoes early and keep them in the refrigerator in a bowl of cold water. Drain them and dry them well with paper towels before frying.

Barefoot Contessa Family Style, Clarkson Potter, 2002.

Creme Brulee French Toast

2009-09-02T14:02:00.006-05:00

Every now and then the idea of breakfast for dinner just hits the spot. This week was one of those weeks. I have been making this recipe for several years now. I first discovered this wonderful dish on the Whole Foods breakfast bar. I visited Whole Foods on many occasions just for this particular dish! I really wanted to make this one at home and was lucky enough to come across the recipe. Now, I can have this any day of the week without leaving the house! I love this recipe compared to other french toast casserole recipes because it doesn't have to sit overnight so you can decide to make it on a whim. The sweet caramel sauce on the bottom caramelizes beautifully and when combined with the sweetened orange vanilla custard produces a delicious breakfast casserole. I highly recommend using Whole Food's Challah to make this as it really makes the dish. I served this dish along with Maple Roasted Bacon and Country Hash Browns. This menu would be perfect for a Sunday brunch or just a fun weeknight dinner.

Crème Brulee French Toast

Makes 1 (9x9 inch) casserole

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

3 Tablespoons maple syrup

12 (1-1/2 inch slices challah bread)

6 eggs

1 cup half and half or whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup sugar

Strawberries and whipped cream for serving.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x9 baking dish.

In a saucepan, melt butter with brown sugar and maple syrup just until the mixture begins to boil and brown, like caramel. Pour into baking dish.

Trim off crusts from bread and arrange evenly over the caramel. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, vanilla, salt, orange juice and sugar. Pour over bread.

Let bread soak up liquid for 5 to 10 minutes. Bake for 35 minutes. Cut into square or slices and serve with strawberries and whipped cream.

Source: Whole Foods

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

2009-08-27T09:31:00.006-05:00

I'm a huge fan of Giada's baked pasta recipes. Three of Giada's recipes, Penne with Roasted Vegetables, Beef and Cheese Manicotti, and Lasagna Rolls are in my dinner and entertaining rotations quite regularly. Last night, I tried this stuffed shell recipe. Overall, I liked this dish but think a few changes are necessary. I would double the sauce recipe. Once the recipe baked there just wasn't much sauce left in the pan. The sauce has a delicious smokiness from the pancetta which was one of the highlights of the dish. I would also add a bit more crushed red pepper as it didn't have as much bite as I hoped. I wasn't a fan of the ground turkey in the filling. I thought it was a bit bland. Next time, I will use ground beef or Italian sausage. I liked the addition of all the fresh herbs in the filling and the artichokes were a great combination with the smokey tomato sauce. With the changes described above this recipe will easily be another baked pasta favorite. Also, of note there is a discrepancy in cooking times between the cookbook and the food network recipe. The cookbook time is 350 which is what I used. The food network site states 400 degrees.

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

1 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells (recommended: Barilla)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 (8 to 10-ounce) package frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

5 cups Arrabbiata Sauce, recipe follows

1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (about 5 ounces)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of Arrabbiata sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tablespoons. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full, about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata Sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 day and up to 1 month.

To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 60 minutes (20 minutes if shells are unfrozen.)

Arrabbiata Sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 cups jarred or fresh marinara sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use.

Yield: approximately 6 cups

Source: Giada de Laurentis, Everyday Pasta, Clarkson Potter, 2007.

Strawberry Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

2009-08-24T11:20:00.007-05:00

I love making the best use of local in season ingredients. Strawberries are at the peak of their season right now and perfect for a summer dessert. I wanted something quick so I used a boxed organic cake mix and made this homemade strawberry frosting to top it. This frosting took very little effort to make. I love how the strawberries turned the frosting a beautiful pink color. Bonus, you can have pink frosting with no artificial colors! Also, if you use organic ingredients as I did, you have pure organic frosting! So much better than the canned stuff! This frosting was light and creamy and had a nice hint of strawberry flavor without being overpowering. This paired with your favorite yellow cake or cupcake recipe is a winning combination. I will definitely be making this frosting again.

Strawberry Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 (16 oz) package powdered sugar
1/2 cup of fresh strawberries, chopped (I used organic)

Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.

Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with strawberries, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition.

Source: Honey and Jam.

Saucy Barbecue Ribs

2009-08-19T08:24:00.003-05:00

As my toddler would say, these ribs were scrumptious! This was another slow cooker recipe I was initially a little hesitant about. Most of the sauce ingredients are far different from my homemade barbecue sauce recipe. However, there was no need to worry, the flavor in these was great and after cooking all day, the meat was falling off the bones. This recipe was very easy to put together, less than 10 minutes. I served this with a side of coleslaw, steamed corn on the cob and dutch oven peach cobbler. This was a wonderful meal to come home to and very little work involved at all. I love my other oven baked rib recipes but this recipe easily holds its own with the oven baked ones. I didn't get a picture of this one the other night. I intended to get one yesterday at lunch, but my husband took all the leftovers for lunch!! I promise more recipes and pictures soon, today though, I'm still recovering from the Paul McCartney concert last night. We were 15 rows back on the floor. Great show and great seats! Now, if only I had this meal in my slow cooker for tonight!

Saucy Barbecue Ribs

4 pounds country-style pork ribs, trimmed
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup apple butter
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoons steak sauce
1 teaspoon course ground pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Cut ribs apart; sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt evenly over ribs and set aside.

Stir together remaining 1 teaspoon salt, chopped onion, and remaining 9 ingredients until blended. Pour half of mixture into 5 or 6 quart slow cooker. Place ribs in slow cooker; pour remaining mixture over ribs.

Cover and cook on Hight 6 to 7 hours. Makes 6-8 servings.

Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler

2009-08-19T07:22:00.003-05:00

As I was planning our menu for this week, I decided to try ribs in my slow cooker. To go along with our barbecue dinner, I wanted an easy dessert. I remembered a Paula Deen recipe for Lady and Son's peach cobbler that I have made several times. When I looked up the recipe in my saved folder, I had apparently saved another dutch oven peach cobbler from Paula Deen. I had all the ingredients for this recipe and it was similar to the other recipe so I went ahead and made this one. My husband and I both really liked this recipe. It equally ties with the other recipe though in both flavor and ease of preparation. It just depends which you are in the mood for! We liked the light fluffy texture of the topping. The cinnamon sugar also adds a nice flavor compliment to the peaches, berries and topping. Both of these cobblers are great easy weeknight desserts. I only wish I had had time to make the homemade vanilla ice cream I had planned to have alongside this recipe!

Favorite Cobblers and Crisps:
Lady and Son's Peach Cobbler
Apple Pear Crisp
Blueberry Raspberry Pecan Crisp
Peach Blueberry Crumble
Slow Cooker Apple Crisp

Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

2 (16-ounce) cans sliced peaches in heavy or light syrup, or in fruit juice, your choice
1 pint fresh blueberries, optional
1/2 cup baking mix (recommended: Bisquick)
1/3 cup sugar
Ground cinnamon

Topping:

2 1/4 cups baking mix (recommended: Bisquick)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
Cinnamon sugar (1/4 cup sugar combined with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; store in an empty spice shaker jar; shake well before each use)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a Dutch oven with vegetable oil cooking spray

Drain 1 can of the peaches. Combine both cans of peaches, including the juice from the undrained can, the blueberries, if using, the baking mix, sugar, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Place this mixture into the Dutch oven.

To make the topping: Combine the biscuit mix, sugar, butter, and milk in a resealable plastic bag. Drop bits of dough, using your fingers, on top of the peaches. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Place the Dutch oven into the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crusty.

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Casserole

2009-08-18T08:19:00.005-05:00

These last few weeks I have been making good use of my slow cooker. We have had afternoon swim lessons which prevent me from making dinner. I decided this was the perfect opportunity to try some new recipes in the slow cooker and build my recipe file. I was suspect at this recipe and worried that I would end up with a pot of dried spaghetti with sauce. Luckily, this was not the case. When I opened the slow cooker, I had a wonderful and delicious perfectly baked spaghetti casserole. My only complaint about this recipe is that it takes a little stove prep time ahead, about 20 minutes. I always think the beauty of the slow cooker is just tossing in the ingredients and setting it to work. A note about the cheese sauce, don't worry if its really thick and not spreadable it is supposed to be that way. I was concerned because sauce to me connotes something you can pour. This "sauce" ends up making a lasagna type filling for this dish rather than a cheese sauce. Overall, a great recipe and my first pasta dish in the crock pot.

Slow Cooker Favorites:
Pork Chops with Apples and Sauerkraut
Tortilla Soup
Tex Mex Chicken and Beans

Spaghetti Casserole

1 1/2 pounds ground round
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (26 oz) jar tomato and basil pasta sauce (I used Newman's Own)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti, broken into pieces
3 cups (12 oz) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese

Cook ground round and onion in large skillet, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain meat, and return to skillet. Stir pasta sauce into beef mixture.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in milk; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly 8 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and pepper.

Spoon one-third of meat mixture into lightly greased 5 quart slow cooker. Spread half of broken spaghetti over meat, pour half of white sauce over noodles, and sprinkle with 1 cup Cheddar cheese. Repeat layers once. Spread remaining meat mixture over cheese. Top with remaining 1 cup Cheddar cheese.

Cover and cook on Low 4 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve with Parmesan cheese. Makes 6-8 servings.

Source: Southern Living Slow-Cooker Cookbook, Oxmoor House, 2006.

Make Ahead Dinner Party

2009-08-15T18:40:00.001-05:00

What do they say about the best made plans? Well, as luck would have it, I planned to have my in-laws over for dinner on Friday. When the original plan was made I planned to be home all day and had a menu all planned. Then, my little one had a make up swim class which of course got scheduled for Friday afternoon at exactly the time I would need to be home preparing dinner. So, I scrapped the original dinner plan and came up with this one that I could make ahead. I'm sorry I don't have any pictures but I really was in a hurry to get this on the table once I got home! Everything in this menu can be made ahead. The pasta takes 25 minutes to bake once prepared. The cakes are perfect because they are meant to be served warm. You can make them ahead and then plan accordingly and back them 15 minutes before serving. This menu worked great for me and allowed me to serve a delicious dinner on a tight schedule.

Mixed Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
Penne with Roasted Vegetables
Gooey Chocolate Cakes with Fig Ice Cream

Insalata Misto (Mixed Salad)

2009-08-15T16:09:00.000-05:00

This salad took me only a few minutes to prepare while my pasta was baking. The dressing can easily be made ahead. The dressing turns a brillant green color and is a nice colorful addition to a spring or summer table. The flavor on the dressing really shined through but was not overpowering. This recipe is a great way to enjoy all of the health benefits fresh basil offers and have a tasty dressing. I also liked shaving the vegetables for this salad. It makes an ordinary salad look a little fancier.

Insalata Misto (Mixed Salad)

1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 cups arugula
4 cups bite-size pieces radicchio, from 1 (10-ounce) head
1 carrot, peeled
1 hothouse cucumber, peeled

Blend the basil, vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil.

Place the arugula and radicchio in a wide shallow bowl. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrot over the salad. Shave the cucumber into a medium bowl. Pat the cucumber shavings with paper towels to absorb the excess moisture. Add the cucumbers to the salad.

Do-Ahead Tip: The vinaigrette and salad can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate. Whisk the dressing to blend before using.

Toss the salad with enough dressing to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve.

Source: Giada de Laurentis, Everyday Pasta, Clarkson Potter, 2007.

Fig Ice Cream

2009-08-15T16:08:00.001-05:00

I love fresh figs and it seems there appearance is always so fleeting. I found some Texas figs at our local market and decided this ice cream would be a fun recipe to try with them. My figs were not the beautiful purple of the mission figs so my ice cream was a tan color rather than purple as shown in the picture of the Perfect Scoop. I also thought my ice cream yield on this recipe was much less than other recipes I have made. I thought the fig flavor in this recipe was really nice. I probably wouldn't want to sit for a bowl of this alone, it needs a compliment. It paired really well with the gooey chocolate cakes.

Fresh Fig Ice Cream

2 lbs fresh figs (about 20)
1/2 cup of water 1 lemon, preferably unsprayed
3/4 cup of sugar
1 cup of heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon of freshly squeezed, lemon juice, or more to taste

Remove the hard stem ends from the figs, then cut each fig into 8 pieces. Put the figs in a medium, non reactive sauce pan with the water, and zest the lemon directly into the saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8-10

minutes until the figs are tender.

Remove the lid, add the sugar and continue to cook until it reaches a jam-like consistency. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Blend together with cream and lemon juice, chill in the fridge and then put in your ice cream maker per the manufacturer's instructions.

Source: Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas and Sweet Accompaniments, Ten Speed Press, May 1, 2007.

Gooey Chocolate Cakes

2009-08-15T16:07:00.001-05:00

Another sure fire hit from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours. This is the perfect make ahead dessert for a dinner party. I prepped the cakes in the afternoon and then refrigerated. After dinner, I tossed these in the oven for 13 minutes and we had a delicious warm dessert. I followed Dorie's hint of using disposable muffin pans and these popped right out of the pan and there was no mess to clean up! It really amazed me how this dessert came out exactly like the restaurant version with perfect molten centers. This is a great dessert for impressing your dinner party guests. They will think you made something really complicated when in fact these were very easy to make.

Gooey Chocolate Cakes

1/3 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used green and black organic)
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, (I used Ghiradelli)
4 ounces, coarsely chopped
1 ounce, very finely chopped
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
6 tablespoons sugar

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter (or spray-its easier) 6 cups of a regular size muffin pan, preferably a disposable aluminum foil pan, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Put the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt together.

Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, put the coarsely chopped chocolate and butter in the bowl and stir occasionally over the simmering water just until they are melted-you don't want them to get so hot that the butter separates. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks until homogeneous. Add the sugar and whisk until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and, still using the whisk, stir (don't beat) them into the eggs. Little by little, and using a light hand, stir in the melted chocolate and butter. Divide the batter evenly amount he muffin cups and sprinkle the finely chopped chocolate over the batter.

Bake the cakes for 13 minutes. Transfer them, still on the baking sheet, to a rack to cool for 3 minutes. (There is no way to test that these cakes are properly baked, because the inside remains liquid.)

Line a cutting board with a silicone baking mat or parchment or wax paper, and, after the 3 minute rest, unmold the cakes onto the board. Use a wide metal spatula to lift the cakes onto dessert plates.

Source: Baking From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.

Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Apples and Sauerkraut

2009-08-11T13:43:00.004-05:00

My husband and I have decided if we are going to be eating out we only want to eat at local independent restaurants. We are sick of the glutton of chain restaurants in our area and the mediocre food they serve. This past weekend as part of our exploration, we tried a local German restaurant. We were blown away by how terrific the food was and can't wait to go back and try another meal and a beer sampler! I love happening upon great finds like this. Since our local quest began we have already found three new favorites this restaurant included! Its amazing what great places there are if you take the time to look. I 'll be the first to admit I have never been a fan of red cabbage or sauerkraut but the red cabbage served at the restaurant was so delicious I couldn't stop eating it! Inspired by that wonderful meal and a busy schedule that required the use of our slow cooker, I chose this recipe. Admittedly, this is not really an August recipe but better for winter/fall, nonetheless it hit the spot! I will definitely be making this one again. The recipe recommends a variation using pork spareribs and I think I will go that route next time. The only other change I would make to the recipe, is to make sure the meat is on the bottom of the slow cooker. My pork chops got a bit dried out when placed on top of all the vegetables as directed by the recipe. Otherwise, the flavors were great, the sauerkraut was very tender and best of all this slow cooker recipe didn't use any processed ingredients.

Past Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes:

Chili Chicken Tacos
Sausage and Black Bean Soup
Barbecued Beef or Pork
Braised Chicken and Stuffing

Apple Crisp

Pork Chops with Apples and Sauerkraut

4 pork sirloin chops, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 16 oz can sauerkraut, drained (I used a refrigerated sauerkraut I picked up at our natural grocer)
2 small cooking apples, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice (I used natural apple juice)
1/4 cup catsup
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed (I substituted thyme)

1. In a large skillet brown pork chops on both sides in hot oil.

2. In 3 1/2 or 4 quart crockery cooker place potatoes, carrots, onion, browned pork chops, sauerkraut and apples. In a bowl combine apple cider or apple juice, catsup, and caraway seed; pour over apples.

3. Cover; cook on low heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours. Garnish with snipped fresh parsley if desired. Makes 4 servings.
Source: Better Homes and Gardens, Crockery Cookbook, Meridith Corporation, 1994.

Honey Peach Ice Cream

2009-08-06T15:30:00.005-05:00

Finally, some homemade food at our house! Since I have an official ice cream taste tester, my 2 1/2 year old, I'm getting lots of opportunities to try new ice cream recipes this summer. By the time this recipe is posted, my tester will likely have finished this batch! Based on the quantities of ice cream being consumed at our house summer will not likely be the end of our ice cream making extravaganza. I already have some fall ice cream recipes flagged to try. Since Dorie's blueberry sour cream ice cream was such a big hit, I decided to try the honey peach ice cream also from Baking from My Home to Yours. This recipe did not disappoint. This one was a little more involved than the last, since it involved making a custard first. The peach flavor was very pronounced in this recipe and enhanced nicely by the sweetness from the honey. I opted not to dice the remaining peaches and add them at the end, instead keeping this one smooth and creamy! I also substituted vanilla bean paste for the vanilla extract. So, if you have any great ice cream recipes, feel free to pass them on to our house! Our ice cream maker is churning quite a bit!

Honey Peach Ice Cream

4 large ripe peaches (about 2 pounds), peeled and pitted
1/4 cup honey
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used vanilla bean paste)

Coarsely chop half the peaches into 1/2 inch chunks and toss them into a small saucepan. Add the honey and bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until the peaches are soft but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a blender or food processor and whir to puree. (Alternatively; use a hand blender.) Set the peach puree aside while you make the custard.

Bring the milk and cream to a boil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar together until very well blended and just slightly thickened. Still whisking, drizzle in about one third of the hot liquid-this will temper, or warm, the eggs so they don't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining liquid. Pour the custard back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring without stopping, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon; if you run your finger down the bowl of the spoon, the custard should not run into the track. The custard should reach at least 170 degrees F, but no more than 180 degrees F, on an instant read thermometer. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the custard into a 2 quart glass measuring cup or clean heatproof bowl. Stir in the vanilla and the peach puree.

Refrigerate the custard until chilled before churning it into ice cream. Scrape the chilled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. While the ice cream is churning, finely dice the remaining 2 peaches, then, just before the ice cream is thickened and ready, add the peaches and churn to blend. Pack the ice cream into a container and freezer for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop.

Source: Baking From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.

Kitchen Reopening!

2009-08-02T10:26:00.002-05:00

There was no cooking in this kitchen last week. We were enjoying a fabulous Florida vacation! Happy to be back in my kitchen but missing my ocean view of the beach!

Barefoot Blogger's Peach Blueberry Crumble

2009-07-23T06:15:00.000-05:00

This was the second Barefoot Blogger pick for July. I actually made this to take to a 4th of July cookout. It was a huge hit. I'm a big fan of Ina's recipe for Apple Pear Crisp. Somehow with as many times as I have flipped through my Ina cookbook's I never really noticed this Peach Blueberry Crumble. I'm so glad I was forced to notice this one. It was just as delicious as the apple pear version. I now have two perfect seasonal fruit dessert recipes. This is the perfect accompaniment to a barbecue dinner or a casual dinner party. If you bring this one to someones house they will thank you! The only change I recommend is if you don't do individual servings, double the crumble topping. It looked like I had enough topping when I put it on but after baking it was very sparse. The crumble is really yummy so you want to have lots of it on there! I used in season Texas peaches for my crumble. I know my husband will be requesting this one again! I'm also looking forward to serving this in individual servings as Ina suggested and pairing with a homemade ice cream. Thanks to Aggie of Aggie's Kitchen for picking this one. My picture of this recipe does not do it justice!

Peach Blueberry Crumble

For the fruit

2 lbs firm, ripe peaches (6-8 peaches)
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fresh blueberries (1/2 pint)

For the Crumble

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 lb (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until their skins peel off easily. Place them immediately in cold water. Peel the peaches, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the blueberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into ramekins or custard cups.

For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it’s in big crumbles, then sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and back for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature. If you want to make these early, store the unbaked crumbles int he refrigerator and bake before dinner. Serves 5 to 6.

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa At Home, Clarkson Potter, 2006.

Zucchini Bread

2009-07-22T07:53:00.003-05:00

Just when I had some leftover zucchini I needed to use up, this recipe for zucchini bread appeared on Cooking This and That. I knew this recipe would be great since Colleen and I seem to like the same recipes. Several times we have made or commented about liking the same recipe. It was a random but funny coincidence. This recipe lived up to my expectations. I made one large loaf instead of the two, cooking mine about fifteen minutes longer. This bread was moist, had just the right amount of sweetness and I like to think was healthy because of the zucchini! My husband commented that he couldn't stop eating it.! Definitely a keeper recipe at our house. Also, as recommended by Colleen, you must serve this warm with cream cheese!

Zucchini Bread
from Jo's Kitchen
Makes 2 loaves

3 eggs
1 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups raw, peeled, grated zucchini (2 small zucchini)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 loaf pans. (9 x 5 pans are fine too, your loaves will just be a little shorter.)

Beat eggs in a large bowl with electric mixer until foamy. Add oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in zucchini.

Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add into zucchini mixture and beat on low until combined.

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Run a butter knife around the edge of the loaves, cool for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Cooking This and That.

Barefoot Blogger's Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes

2009-07-20T08:32:00.003-05:00

I was really excited about this months Barefoot Blogger's picks. They were absolutely perfect for summer and both took advantage of in season produce. The first recipe was Ina's Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes. This dish took about 15 minutes total to prepare and could be served warm or cold. I chose to serve it cold. This dish has great Mediterranean flavors. The saltiness of the olives and capers balanced quite nicely with the flavors of the fresh ripe tomatoes. The mozzarella was basically a blank canvas to soak up all these wonderful flavors. I would recommend making this dish a day ahead to really allow the flavors to meld. I'm not a huge fan of most pasta salads found at pot lucks. They are often bland and slathered in salad dressing. Not an inviting dish to me. This pasta salad though had lots of flavor from the homemade sun dried tomato dressing. This dressing wasn't over powering but enhanced the dish. The dressing would be great for salad also. Thanks to Cat of Delta Whiskey for this great pick. I now have two go to recipes for pasta salad. My other favorite is this Pasta, Pesto and Peas recipe, also from Ina.
Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes

1/2 pound fusilli (spirals) pasta
Kosher salt
Olive oil
1 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-diced
3/4 cup good black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and diced
1 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-diced
6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

For the dressing:

5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1 garlic clove, diced
1 teaspoon capers, drained
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup packed basil leaves, julienned

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Boil for 12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.

Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and basil, and toss well.

Source: Barefoot Contessa Family Style, Clarkson Potter 2002.

Here is a recent shot of my Aerogarden. I'm hoping next time I make this recipe to harvest my own basil. I can't believe how fast its growing!

Yoplait Delights Product Review

2009-07-19T14:56:00.008-05:00

I was offered the opportunity to review Yoplait's new line of yogurt, Yoplait Delights Parfaits. In full disclosure, in exchange for my participation in the review, we were given the HD Mino Flip video camera. We were asked to use the video camera in our review of the product. I think you will find my review of this product honest and truthful and of the quality you would expect from this blog. I would never accept review of a product if I was not allowed to be honest and truthful about it in my review.

In completion of our review, we sampled the chocolate raspberry and lemon torte varieties of this yogurt. Each package contains 4 4-0z cups. Each cup is 100 calories. The Yoplait Delights are made with lowfat yogurt, have 1% milkfat, vitamins A&D added, and contain live and active cultures.

If you have been a long time reader of this blog, you will probably notice the recipes featured in this blog strive to use only natural products and generally lean toward organic when possible. We do not buy products containing artificial flavors or sweeteners. In reviewing this yogurt, I was torn about how to do the review, since it contains artificial flavors and is artificially sweetened with sucrolose. Had I been aware of this prior to accepting this review, I would not have agreed to do the review due to my bias against these ingredients.

My husband sampled both flavors and said that he liked the yogurt and thought it was good for a snack. He did not find the sucralose to be as obvious as some other artificial sweeteners such as aspartame. I liked the creativity of the flavor combinations combined with the fact that it was a 100 calorie product. The lemon torte flavor has a beautiful layer of cream on top reminiscent of lemon meringue pie. The chocolate raspberry reminded me more of a pudding than yogurt. I however, was disappointed they could not find a way to create a product like this without the artificial flavors. I found both varieties of this yogurt to have an overly sweet aftertaste indicative of an artificially sweetened product but agree with my husband it did not have the same chemical after taste as those products sweetened with asparatame. Also, as I understand sucralose is the main ingredient in Splenda. I think if you are looking for a low calorie product and don't mind artificial sweeteners you will likely enjoy this product. I often buy one of my favorite organic yogurts which has chocolate on the bottom and I have to say this product just did not compare for me. I cannot personally recommend this product due to the addition of the artificial ingredients. I do, appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback on this product and hope to provide more reviews in the future.

I absolutely love the new HD video flip. Its so convenient to just toss in a purse or back pack. I'm excited that now I will always have a video camera handy to capture those treasured moments. The simplicity of use also cannot be beat. The instruction manual was one small sheet. Perfect for someone like me who would never read a long and complicated instruction manual. I apologize in advance for our bland video. This explains why my husband and I are not in advertising or other fields requiring entertainment production! Our best videos include our toddler but we were not comfortable putting that out on the web.

Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

2009-07-18T08:11:00.002-05:00

I have an ice cream loving toddler in my house. I really think ice cream has become one of his daily food groups! So, what better idea on a hot summer day than for the toddler and I to make our own homemade ice cream. We were originally going to make a honey peach ice cream but some how I grabbed nectarines instead of peaches. So, onto plan B, this blueberry ice cream. This was simple to make as far as ice cream goes. No custard to cook. Although this is an ice cream recipe, the addition of the sour cream adds a tang that could allow this dish to pass for a frozen yogurt. My husband likened the flavors to a berries and cream. We are looking forward to more ice cream creations. This one will no doubt be gone before the weekend is over! Someone remind me though, why I made a toddler purple ice cream!!

Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

1 cup blueberries - fresh or frozen (if frozen, thaw and drain)
1/3 cup sugar (or more to taste)
pinch of salt
grated zest and juice of 1/4 lemon (or lime as you prefer) or more juice to taste
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sour cream

Put the blueberries, sugar, salt and lemon zest and juice into a medium nonreactive saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture boils and the berries pop and soften, about 3 minutes.

Turn the berries into a blender and whir until you have a fairly homogeneous puree, about one minute. (It will never be completely smooth, and that's just fine.) Add the heavy cream and sour cream and pulse just to blend. Taste and, if you'd like, add a squirt more lemon juice or a tiny bit more sugar.

Pour the custard into a bowl and refrigerate until it is chilled before churning it into ice cream.

Scrape the chilled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pack the ice cream into a container and freeze for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop.

Source: Baking From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan.

Herbed Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2009-07-14T08:00:00.005-05:00

I needed some quick dinner inspiration so I consulted my well worn copy of The Lady and Son's cookbook. This recipe sounded great and I only needed to purchase the feta to make it as I had everything else on hand. We really liked this recipe. This would be great entree for a casual dinner party. The dish is pretty simple to prepare and makes an elegant presentation, especially if you tie it with the leeks as suggested by Paula Deen. I skipped that step since it was just a week night dinner for us. I think next time I might subsitute chicken broth for the melted butter just to make it a bit healthier. I served this with a Near East rice pilaf mix and a strawberry spinach salad.

Herbed Stuffed Chicken Breasts

4 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts (approximately 5-7 oz each)
One 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
3 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried sweet basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon House Seasoning
4 slices bacon
1 leek, optional
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Wash and pound each chicken breast flat. Lay chicken breast on cookie sheet and spread it with cream cheese, followed by 1/4 of the feta cheese. Mix together basil, oregano and House Seasoning and sprinkle with chicken. Roll up each breast and wrap with a slice of bacon. At this time, if desired, you can tie up each rolled chicken breast with the green top of the leek. Place chicken breasts in a casserole dish and pour melted butter all over. Cover casserole dish with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover dish and increase temperature to 350 degrees. Continue to bake, allowing the bacon to brown, for 15-20 minutes. Or you could place dish under broiler for a few minutes to brown. Serve over rice with pan juices poured on top.

Source: The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook, Random House, 1997.

Oven Roasted Ribs

2009-07-10T06:55:00.003-05:00

This recipe was so fantastically easy and so delicious that I had to post it! I hated posting without a picture but these were gone in a flash before I even had a chance to get a picture. That is how good these are! If you decide to make these, be sure to plan ahead for at least a 4 hour marinade. I marinated mine overnight. These can be eaten as is or served with barbecue sauce. This recipe has tied for first place with our favorite Memphis style rib recipe. The cooking method for each is the same and both recipes yield a moist and tender rib. Both also use a dry rub, which in my opinion produces the tastiest ribs. The Memphis style ribs have a good savory flavor which is enhanced by the chili powder, paprika and oregano. In contrast, these ribs are also perfectly seasoned and have a slightly smokey garlicky taste to them. With either recipe I recommend using this barbecue sauce. There are worse things than having two killer rib recipes. The hardest part will be deciding which one to make next time! For a quick summer dinner, I served these with steamed corn on the cob and coleslaw.

The Lady's Oven Roasted Ribs

One 5-pound slab pork ribs
4 teaspoons liquid smoke
2 teaspoons House Seasoning (I mixed garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper)
2 teaspoons seasoned salt

Wash ribs and drain. Rub each side with liquid smoke, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and seasoned salt. Refrigerate fro 4-24 hours. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roast uncovered for 1 1/2 hours.

Source: The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook, Random House, 1997.

Tomato Pie

2009-07-07T07:00:00.004-05:00

Each week I look forward to the Wednesday edition of our local newspaper which contains the food section. Although increasingly smaller than in years past, the food section usually has an interesting article or two and I have found some great recipes over the years. A few weeks ago they ran an article on summer tomatoes and I found this recipe for tomato pie. I have never made nor had tomato pie but it sounded like a perfect way to use up those beautifully ripe and fragrant in season tomatoes. I have since learned tomato pie is a genuinely southern staple. This recipe is so easy to make and a winner for both my husband and myself. I know I've found a good one when it is requested that I add it to our rotation! The best way I can think to describe this is--BLT in a pie shell! This recipe is great for a weeknight dinner or a casual lunch or brunch.

Tomato Pie

1	unbaked (9-inch) pie crust (I used a Wholly Wholesome organic pie shell)

1	(6-ounce) package loose-leaf baby spinach (I used organic mixed greens)

6	ripe Jacksonville or other local tomatoes, sliced horizontally

1	large sweet onion, chopped

12	strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used a nitrate, preservative free bacon)

½	cup mayonnaise

2	cups shredded mozzarella (I used a mix of 4 cheeses with cheddar and Monterrey jack)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake the crust for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove crust and increase oven to 400 F.

In the partially baked crust, layer 1/2 of the spinach, 1/2 of the tomatoes, 1/2 of the onions and 1/2 of the crumbled bacon. Repeat with a second layer.

In a small bowl, thoroughly blend mayonnaise and mozzarella. Spread on top of the pie. Bake 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Dallas Morning News, June 30, 2009.

Salmon with Puff Pastry and Pesto

2009-06-30T07:28:00.003-05:00

I've had this recipe on my list of recipes to try for some time and finally got around to making it last night. This recipe was as delicious and wonderful as I had hoped it would be. This would be a perfect dish for easy entertaining. The dish plates beautifully and takes virtually no time or effort to make. Your guests however, will think you spent a lot of time on this one. I served mine with a lemon and spinach couscous and sauteed green beans with tomatoes. This one is a keeper!

Salmon with Puff Pastry and Pesto

Ingredients

4 pieces of purchased puff pastry, each cut to be just larger than a piece of salmon
4 (4 to 6-ounce) pieces salmon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup purchased pesto
2 tomatoes, sliced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

On a foil-lined baking sheet, place the 4 pieces of puff pastry. Also place the 4 pieces of salmon, being careful to make sure they are not touching. Sprinkle each piece of salmon with 1 tablespoon of the sliced almonds. Bake for 10 minutes.

To serve, place each piece of puff pastry on a plate. Top each puff pastry with 1 tablespoon of pesto. Top the pesto with 2 slices of tomatoes each. Top the tomatoes with the salmon and serve.

Source: Giada de Laurentis, Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites, Clarkson Potter, 2008.

Barefoot Blogger's Gazpacho

2009-06-28T19:04:00.005-05:00

I've never had Gazpacho before so I wasn't really sure what to expect from this recipe. Honestly, I hate to say it, but I didn't love this one. My husband liked it but said he would want it in a smaller appetizer type serving if we had it again. . Me on the other hand, I really wasn't loving the cold soup or the texture. The flavors were fine and I can't really say it didn't taste good. It was also really easy to make. I wish I had halved the recipe because this one makes a lot. I'm contemplating add some jalapeno and cilantro and processing it in the food processor to turn it into salsa. Probably not what Ina was contemplating! Thanks to Meryl at My Bit of Earth for picking this one. It was definitely one I wouldn't have tried on my own and seemed a perfect summer pick with the ingredients and simplicity. Don't forget to check and see what the other Barefoot Blogger's thought of this one.

Gazpacho

1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
4 plum tomatoes
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

Source: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Clarkson Potter, 1999.

One Lovely Blog Award

2009-06-28T10:28:00.005-05:00

Thanks to Amy at Skinny Food by Amy for awarding my blog the One Lovely Blog Award! Its always fun to get recognized by other bloggers!

These are the rules:
1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I would like to pass this award on to some of my new favorite blogs:
Tide and Thyme
Vintage Victuals
I Pray to Feta
Taste and See

Coconut Layer Cake

2009-06-26T08:30:00.000-05:00

This was a very involved cake recipe but well worth the effort. Definitely a show stopping cake! Having three layers it is also a very large cake. It has a beautiful coconut flavor. The cake is very delicate and the addition of the rum brushed on the layers keeps it really moist. I would definitely make this cake again. The only thing I would do differently is to assemble the cake the day it is made. I originally planned on doing that, however, the recipe recommended chilling the coconut filling first. I decided to make all of the components and assemble the next day. I ended up having to reheat the coconut filling because it was not spreadable and I also had to reheat the frosting over simmering water as it had completely hardened. The day I made the cake and components everything was the perfect consistency. The refrigeration only hampered the process for me. Despite those challenges, we had one delicious and decadent cake. Also, as my with all my coconut recipes, I used Let's Do Organic finely shredded unsweetened coconut. I just love the texture of this coconut, it does not have the stringy, gritty texture of regular coconut. The recipe called for sweetened coconut, however there was enough sugar in this cake that the unsweetened coconut didn't make a difference. I used coconut rum but didn't find the rum flavor very pronounced. I do think it enhanced the coconut flavor in the cake and was part of the reason the cake was so moist.

Coconut Layer Cake

Nonstick cooking spray

4 1/2 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting the pans

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

11 ounces (2 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups coconut milk, unsweetened (see Notes)

7 egg whites (9 ounces) (reserve 4 yolks for the filling)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup Cruzan coconut rum (see Notes) (optional)

Coconut Cream Filling (recipe follows)

Coconut Frosting (recipe follows)

3 cups coconut, sweetened, flaked, toasted, for garnish

Cooking Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three 10-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Cut three circles of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the cake pans. Line the bottom of the pans with the parchment, then grease the parchment with nonstick cooking spray, and then lightly dust the parchment and the sides of the pans with flour.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a large bowl.

In a standing electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on low speed until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, whisk the coconut milk, egg whites, and vanilla together. With the electric mixer still on low speed, begin alternately adding the liquid and the dry ingredients to the creamed butter in three stages, beginning with the liquid and mixing well after each addition (to minimize mess when adding flour, add just a bit at a time). Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Tap the pans lightly on the counter to eliminate any air bubbles, and place them in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pans and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn them out onto wire cooling racks to cool completely. Brush the cooled layers with the coconut rum, if desired.

To assemble the cake, place a cooled cake layer, bottom side up, on a serving plate, and spoon 3/4 cup of the coconut filling onto the middle of the layer. Spread the filling evenly to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Repeat with the second layer and another 3/4 cup of filling. Stack the two filled layers on top of one another, and top with the final cake layer, top side up. Lightly frost the top and sides of the cake with some of the coconut frosting (this is called a crumb coating), and refrigerate the cake for 10 minutes. Then generously frost it again. Press the toasted coconut into the frosting on the top and sides of the cake. (This cake will keep for 2 days at room temperature.)

Coconut cream filling

1 cup coconut, sweetened and flaked

4 egg yolks (reserve the whites for the cake batter)

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk (see Notes)

3/4 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake it, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. The color should range from dark brown to light. Set the toasted coconut aside.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Then whisk in the butter, coconut milk, milk, and vanilla. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a heat-resistant rubber spatula or whisk, until thickened, taking care not to let it get so hot that the yolks scramble, about 10 minutes. The pastry cream will have a pudding-like consistency. Transfer it to a clean metal bowl set over an ice bath.

When the pastry cream has cooled, stir in the toasted coconut. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to overnight. (It works best when chilled overnight.)

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Coconut frosting

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

8 cups confectioners' sugar, plus up to 1 cup more if needed

3/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup Cruzan coconut rum (see Notes) or milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place a small saucepan of water on the stove and heat to a simmer. Place the butter in the bowl of a standing electric mixer, and position the bowl on top of the saucepan. Once the butter has melted, remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the 8 cups confectioners' sugar and the milk, rum, and salt. Place the bowl back on top of the simmering water and cook for 3 minutes, whisking occasionally (be sure not to cook longer than 3 minutes or the frosting will become grainy). Fit the electric mixer with the whisk attachment, and attach the bowl of frosting. Add the vanilla and whisk on medium speed for 15 minutes, or until cool.

Transfer the frosting to a container, cover it with plastic wrap, and set it aside until ready to use. Whisk it again right before frosting the cake. If the frosting seems too thin, whisk in up to 1 more cup of confectioners' sugar.

Yield: 5 cups

Source: Emeril Lagasse, adapted from Emeril at the Grill, HarperStudio Publishers, New York, 2009.

Summer Berry Pie

2009-06-25T08:14:00.006-05:00

Most recently I purchased the cookbook Baking Illustrated. I was really impressed with the detailed illustrations in the book. These illustrations provide especially useful when taking on complicated baking projects. I also enjoy reading the science and method behind the recipe's development. I knew I wanted to make a pie to go along with our Father's Day menu. I had seen this recipe recommended on a few blogs including Sara's blog, the Piggly Wiggly. I showed the picture in the book to my husband and gave him a couple of other options. He quickly nixed the others and said, "definitely that one!" This pie is really easy to make. Another plus, you don't have to roll out a pie crust and its a no bake recipe. I used cinnamon graham crackers since I already had them on hand. This pie got rave reviews from everyone. The mix of pureed fruit with whole fruit melds nicely in the pie and gives it a great taste and texture. My only quibble with this recipe, is that it is really messy to serve. Since we were already having a coconut layer cake that was rich, I opted not to serve whipped cream on the side with this as recommended .

Summer Berry Pie

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

9 graham crackers, broken into rough pieces

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm

For the Berry Filling:

2 cups fresh raspberries (about 9 ounces)

2 cups fresh blackberries (about 11 ounces)

2 cups fresh blueberries (about 10 ounces)

1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons red currant jelly

For the Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream (cold)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

FOR THE CRUST:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees F.

In food processor, process graham crackers until evenly fine, about 30 seconds (you should have 1 cup crumbs). Add sugar and pulse to combine. Continue to pulse while adding warm melted butter in steady stream; pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer crumbs to 9-inch glass pie plate; form crust using
1/2-cup dry measuring cup. Bake crust until fragrant and beginning to brown, 15 to 18 minutes; transfer to wire rack and cool completely while making filling.

FOR THE FILLING:
Combine berries in large colander and gently rinse (taking care not to bruise them); spread berries on paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet and gently pat dry with additional paper towels.

In food processor, puree 2 1/2 cups mixed berries until smooth and fully pureed, about
1 minute. Strain puree through mesh strainer into small nonreactive saucepan, scraping and pressing on seeds to extract as much puree as possible (you should have 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups). Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in small bowl to combine, then whisk mixture into puree. Bring puree to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon; when mixture reaches a boil and is thickened to consistency of pudding, remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, and set aside to cool slightly.

While puree is cooling, place remaining berries in medium bowl. Heat jelly in second small saucepan over low heat until fully melted; drizzle melted jelly over berries and toss gently to coat. Pour slightly cooled puree into cooled pie shell; top with fresh berries. Loosely cover pie with plastic wrap; refrigerate until chilled and puree has set, about 3 hours (or up to 1 day).

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:
Just before serving, beat cream, sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium; continue beating until beaters leave trail, about 30 seconds longer. Increase speed to high; continue beating until cream is smooth, thick, nearly doubled in volume, and forms soft peaks, about 30 to 60 seconds.

Cut pie into wedges and serve with whipped cream.

Source: Baking Illustrated, America's Test Kitchen, March 2004.

Emeril's Slow Cooked Bam-B-Q Baked Beans

2009-06-24T08:16:00.001-05:00

I'm a bit on the fence about this recipe. Don't get me wrong, these beans were really good and everyone enjoyed them. I think my issue is just a matter of personal preference. My favorite baked beans growing up and to make to this day are brown sugar baked beans. Mine are mostly sweet with a little bit of tang from the addition of some mustard and garlic powder. I actually start mine by doctoring a pre-made can of baked beans. This was my first time making baked beans from scratch. These beans had molasses and brown sugar in them. Additionally, I used a brown sugar barbecue sauce. Despite those ingredients, these beans were still more savory than sweet. To me, the mustard was the most prominent flavor. It was fun learning to make my own beans from scratch and I would definitely use this recipe as a starting point. I think next time, however, I would add less mustard and increase the browned sugar. I probably would also make my own sweet barbecue sauce and add that instead of the prepared barbecue sauce. I think my homemade sauce has many of the ingredients I like in my baked beans and is sweeter than the store bought. Be prepared if you decide to make this recipe, the cooking time is approximately 4 hours and 45 minutes.

Emeril's Slow Cooked Bam-B-Q Baked Beans

4 slices bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pound dried navy beans, rinsed and picked over
1 cup brewed coffee
1/2 cup Emeril's Kicked Up Bam-B-Q Barbecue Sauce or your favorite (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory and Brown Sugar)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Creole mustard or other whole-grain brown mustard
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon red hot sauce
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 cups water
2 teaspoons salt

1. Preheat the oven to 300.

2. In a heavy cast-iron Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium high heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, 4-6 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring until it is softened and lightly caramelized, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme, and cook for 1 minute longer. Then add the beans, coffee, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard, molasses, hot sauce, and pepper, and stir to combine well. Add the water and salt, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and bake for 2 hours, undisturbed.

3. Remove the pot from the oven, and stir the beans. Re-cover, the pot and continue to bake until the beans are tender, about 1 hour longer.

4. When the beans are tender, remove the cover from the pot and continue baking until the liquid has reduced to a thick, sauce like consistancy and the beans are thick and flavorful, 1-1/14 hours. Remove the pot from the oven, and remove the time sprigs. Adjust the seasoning if necessary, and serve the beans either hot or warm. Makes 6 servings.

Source: Emeril Lagasse, adapted from Emeril at the Grill, HarperStudio Publishers, New York, 2009.

Chipotle Deviled Eggs

2009-06-23T07:40:00.000-05:00

This recipe comes from Emeril's newest cookbook, Emeril at the Grill. I just purchased this book and used it in my menu planning for our Father's Day barbecue. My husband loves deviled eggs, somehow I only found this out a year ago! He also loves spicy food so I figured these would be a perfect combination. It was a bit of a pain to press the egg yolks through the fine-mesh sieve. I'm undecided as to whether that step was really necessary to the process. I didn't pipe the filling into the eggs as I wasn't sure how that would work with the bits of jalapeno and chipolte chile. I was a bit worried these would be too spicy but they were not. They had just a little bit of a kick after each bite but not over the top blazing heat. I really liked this recipe as it was a nice change from the traditional deviled egg. These are definitely a great addition to a barbecue or party. As an aside, I often hear people asking how to easily get the peels off deviled eggs. My secret is that I steam the eggs in my vegetable steamer and then immediately put them in an ice bath. All of my eggs peel perfectly every time. Also, a note as to ingredients, I could not find Emeril's Southwest Essence so I made my own using a recipe I found online. I halved the recipe and had a ton left over. The recipe is included below. Also, I intended to sprinkle my eggs with paprika and planned on using my favorite, Penzey's Smoked Paprika. However, I used a lot of paprika making the dry rub for the ribs and the Essence and I ran out of both the regular and the smoked!

Chipotle Deviled Eggs

12 hard boiled large eggs, peeled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons, finely minced pickled jalapenos, drained
2 tablespoons finely chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon Emeril's Southwest Essence spice blend
Pinch of salt, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon hot smoked paprika, such as Pimenton de la Vera, for garnish

Emerils Southwest Essence:

2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Yield: 1/2 cup

1. Slice the eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove the yolks. Set the whites aside. Press the yolks through a fine-mesh sieve into a mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, jalapenos, chipotle in adobo, Southwest Essence, and salt to taste. Stir to blend well. Spoon the mixture into the hollowed egg whites (or alternatively, pipe with a pastry bag). Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

2. Just before serving, sprinkle the paprika over the deviled eggs. (If the paprika is added to early, it will stain the eggs).

Source: Emeril Lagasse, adapted from Emeril at the Grill, HarperStudio Publishers, New York, 2009.

Father's Day Menu

2009-06-22T07:20:00.008-05:00

We had a wonderful Father's Day celebration with family yesterday. Our two and a half year old provides the best entertainment any party could ask for! Its so nice to have family close by so we can all celebrate together. For the menu, my husband requested ribs so I put together a barbecue menu using some tried and true recipes and added a few new ones to the mix. All in all the meal was fabulous and I will be posting the recipes this week. Here is the menu:

Chipotle Deviled Eggs
Memphis Style Ribs
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
Emeril's Slow Cooked Bam-B-Q Baked Beans
My Mom's Famous Potato Salad
My Mother-in-Law's Gorgeously Styled Fruit Plate
Coconut Layer Cake
Summer Berry Pie

Father's Day 2008:
Italian Grill
Cherry Pie

Cherry Turnovers with Cream Cheese Crust

2009-06-18T10:33:00.003-05:00

I'm not much of a pie baker or eater. I much prefer cake. However, when these popped up on Tastespotting as seen in Recipe Girl's blog, I was inspired. I love the free form nature of this dessert much better than preparing a whole pie. The crust was absolutely delicious. I wasn't completely sold on the filling but I think you could use any filling your like. The filling wasn't quite sweet enough for my taste and that may have just been a difference in how tart the cherries were. Cherries are just coming into the store here, so sweeter ones may be forthcoming. My husband asked as I served these, "is this like a McDonald's pie?" After eating one he discovered they were definitely not a McDonald's pie, they were much better!

FRESH CHERRY TURNOVERS

CREAM CHEESE CRUST:
1½ cups (7½ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp granulated white sugar
pinch of salt
1 stick (4 ounces) cold, unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
8 ounce package of cold cream cheese, roughly cut into tablespoons

CHERRY FILLING:
2½ cups pitted & halved fresh cherries (about ¾ lb.)
2 Tbs white granulated sugar
1 Tbs finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs cornstarch
¼ tsp salt

EGG WASH:
1 large egg yolk
2 Tbs milk or cream

TOP:
coarse grain sugar

1. Prepare crust: Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 10 seconds to blend. Add the cold butter pieces and process for just a few seconds, until the mixture looks like crumbs. Add the cream cheese and pulse quickly about 25 times (or until a clump of dough has formed). Turn the clump of dough onto waxed paper and knead gently 2 to 3 times to bring dough together. Flatten into a 7-inch square. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 days).

2. Prepare filling: Mix cherries with sugar, lemon zest & juice, cornstarch and salt; set aside until ready to fill the turnovers.

3. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.. Roll into a square that is roughly 15×15. At this point, you can decide if you’d like to make round or square-shaped turnovers. If you make round (half-moon shape) turnovers, you can simply use the top of a 6-inch diameter bowl as your cutter. If you’d rather make square (triangle-shape) turnovers, use a chef’s knife to trim a 15-inch square. Mark 5-inch increments along all sides of the dough & with the ruler as a guide, cut the dough into nine 5-inch squares. Re-roll scraps as necessary.

4. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

5. Assemble Turnovers: Place cut-out dough onto prepared baking sheets. On each square or circle, use a knife to lightly mark a line showing the halfway mark (make sure it’s just a line indentation & not cut all the way through). Spoon a couple of Tablespoonfuls of the cherries onto each “half”- keeping it on one side of the dividing line and leaving about a ¼-inch border along the edge. Brush edges on the fruit side of the turnover with egg wash (egg & milk whisked together). Carefully fold the other side over the fruit and use the tines of a fork to press the edges together and seal them. Move baking sheets to refrigerator and chill for about 20 minutes. Adjust racks in oven to top and bottom thirds of the oven, and preheat oven to 375°F.

6. Bake Turnovers: Brush the tops of the turnovers with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Use the tip of a paring knife to carefully cut three slits in the top of each turnover to allow steam to escape during baking. Bake turnovers on bottom and top third racks for 15 minutes. Then rotate the sheets and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Yield: About 9

Source: Recipegirl.com as adapted from The Art and Soul of Baking

Barefoot Blogger's Curried Couscous

2009-06-16T07:34:00.005-05:00

I was really happy with both recipe picks for this months Barefoot Blogger's challenge. Both screamed summer and easy! This first pick was most assuredly a winner. Despite, a little prep work chopping the vegetables, this dish came together in about 15 minutes. I loved the punch of flavors in this dish. Don't be scared of the curry, it really wasn't overpowering it just imparts a nice savoriness to the dish. This is a great healthy side dish due to the addition of the raw vegetables, raisins, yogurt and spices. I served this alongside soy and tamarind glazed grilled chicken breasts but I think it would also be a perfect accompaniment for fish. Some of the other Barefoot Bloggers made their own variations adding tomatoes, sugar snap peas and pine nuts . All of which would be wonderful in this dish. This is another versatile Ina dish. I look forward to making this one again. I made it even healthier by using organic whole wheat couscous. Thanks to Ellyn at Recipe Collector and Tester for starting the summer right with this recipe. Stay tuned for Ina's Gazpacho next week.

Curried Couscous

1 1/2 cups couscous (organic whole wheat)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup small-diced carrots
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
1/4 cup blanched, sliced almonds (I omitted)
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup small-diced red onion

Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water and pour over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous, and mix well with a fork. Add the carrots, parsley, currants, almonds, scallions, and red onions, mix well, and season to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Source: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Clarkson Potter, 1999.

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

2009-06-14T08:52:00.007-05:00

Seems every week I see a new blog post for another home cook making bagels. Deb's post on Smitten Kitchen was my original inspiration for this project. I have made a couple of recipes from her blog and all have been stellar. Honestly, before seeing these posts I never really considered making bagels at home or even thought that was really possible. I took on this task with some trepidation. After all, the recipe was 2 pages long! I worked step by step methodically through the recipe with a few challenges along the way. I actually started this recipe a few weeks ago and had to scrap it and start over. See my tips in red below to avoid such catastrophes! In the end, however, I am proud to say I ended up with 14 beautiful and delicious bagels. My fresh baked bagels straight out of the oven were far better in taste and texture than any I have purchased. I also love knowing exactly what went into them. I look forward to trying this again and perhaps with some other flavors like jalapeno cheddar or sesame seed. I'm also considering investing in an electronic scale to help perfect the measurements in this and other bread baking projects. I'm really excited about having completed this project. It marks off another project on a list of cooking/baking challenges that I would like to complete in the coming year. I definitely recommend this project. It takes some time and patience and possibly some trouble shooting but the end result is definitely worth it.

Past Smitten Kitchen Recipes:
Gramercy Tavern Gingerbread
Blueberry Pancakes

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen as adapted from the Bread Baker's Apprentice

Yield: 12 super large, 16 regularly large or 24 miniature bagels

Sponge
1 teaspoon instant yeast
4 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
2 1/2 cups water, room temperature

Dough
1 teaspoon instant yeast
3 3/4 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour (I used King Arthur's Bread Flour)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (I highly recommend Vietnamese Cinnamon)
5 tablespoons sugar
2 3/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons malt powder or 1 tablespoon dark or light malt syrup, honey, or brown sugar (I used brown sugar)
2 cups loosely packed raisins, rinsed with warm water to remove surfact sugar, acid, and natural wild yeast (I used organic raisins)

To Finish
1 tablespoon baking soda
Cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting (I used organic cornmeal)
Melted butter for brushing (optional)
Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling (optional)

1. Day one: To make the sponge, stir the yeast into the flour in a 4-quart mixing bowl. Add the water, whisking or stirring only until it forms a smooth, sticky batter (like pancake batter). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the mixture becomes very foamy and bubbly. It should swell to nearly double in size and collapse when the bowl is tapped on the countertop. I had some issues with this part of the process. My dough did not double in size even after two hours. In an effort to assist the dough, I turned my oven on to 200 degrees and then immediately turned it off. I put the bread in the warm oven and the dough did become foamy and bubbly and double in size as the recipe describes.

2. To make the dough, in the same mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer), (I suggest covering the bowl of the mixer with a towel to prevent flour from flying everywhere) add the additional yeast to the sponge and stir. Then add 3 cups of the flour, cinnamon, sugar, salt salt and malt. Stir (or mix on low speed with the dough hook) until the ingredients for a ball, slowly working in the remaining 3/4 cup flour to stiffen the dough. In the last two minutes of mixing, add the raisins. (I ended up adding a bit of flour with them, as mine were still wet and made the dough a little sticky.) Also, if doing this step in the stand mixer, keep close tabs on your mixer. This dough is very stiff and I did smell some burning of the motor so I immediately stopped the mixer. I also had some issues with getting the raisins to stick to the dough. I'm not sure if the flour helped or hurt the process. I did eventually get them to stick by pressing them and hand kneading them into the dough.

3. Transfer the dough to the counter and knead for at least 10 minutes (or for 6 minutes by machine). The dough should be firm, stiffer than French bread dough, but still pliable and smooth. There should be no raw flour - all ingredients should be hydrated. The dough should 77 to 71°F. If the dough seems to dry and rips, add a few drops of water and continue kneading. If the dough seems tacky or sticky, add more flour to achieve the stiffness required. The kneaded dough should feel satiny and pliable but not be tacky.

4. Immediately divide the dough into 12 (4 1/2 ounce) pieces for super sized bagels, 16 (3.375 ounce) regular-sized bagels, or 24 (2.25 ounce) perfectly smaller bagels. Form the pieces into rolls. At this step, it would be particularly helpful to have an electronic kitchen scale. I tried to divide the dough as evenly as possible. I ended up with 14 bagels and they were the perfect size for us.

5. Cover the rolls with a damp towel and allow them to rest for approximately 20 minutes.

6. Line 2 sheet pans with baking parchment and mist lightly with spray oil. Poke a hole in a ball of bagel dough and gently rotate your thumb around the inside of the hole to widen it to approximately 2 1/2 inches in diameter for a supersized bagel, two inches for a large one or just slightly more than one inch for a miniature. The dough should be as evenly stretched as possible (try to avoid thick and thin spots.)

7. Place each of the shaped pieces two inches apart on the pans. Mist the bagels very lightly with the spray oil and slip each pan into a food-grade plastic bag, or cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the pans sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

8. Check to see if the bagels are ready to be retarded in the refrigerator by using the “float test”. Fill a small bowl with cool or room-temperature water. The bagels are ready to be retarded when they float within 10 seconds of being dropped into the water. Take one bagel and test it. If it floats, immediately return the tester bagel to the pan, pat it dry, cover the pan, and place it in the refrigerator overnight (it can stay in the refrigerator for up to 2 days). If the bagel does not float. Return it to the pan and continue to proof the dough at room temperature, checking back every 10 to 20 minutes or so until a tester floats. The time needed to accomplish the float will vary, depending on the ambient temperature and the stiffness of the dough.

9. The following day (or when you are ready to bake the bagels, see head notes), preheat the oven to 500°F with the two racks set in the middle of the oven. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (the wider the pot the better), and add the baking soda. Have a slotted spoon or skimmer nearby.

10. Remove the bagels from the refrigerator and gently drop them into the water, boiling only as many as comfortably fit (they should float within 10 seconds). After 1 minute, flip them over rand boil for another minute. If you like very chewy bagels, you can extend the boiling to 2 minutes per side. While the bagels are boiling, sprinkle the same parchment-lined sheet pans with cornmeal or semolina flour. (If you decide to replace the paper, be sure to spray the new paper lightly with spray oil to prevent the bagels from sticking to the surface.)

11. When all the bagels have been boiled, place the pans on two middle shelves in the oven. Bake for approximately five minutes, then rotate the pans, switching shelves and giving the pans a 180-degree rotation. (If you are baking only one pan, keep it on the center shelf but still rotate 180 degrees.) After the rotation, lower the oven setting to 450°F and continue baking for about 5 minutes, or until the bagels turn light golden brown. You may bake them darker if you prefer. (I found I needed to cook these about 5 minutes longer to get the desired brownness).

12. Remove the pans from the oven and let the bagels cool on a rack for 15 minutes or longer before serving. Optionally, when they come out of the oven and are still hot, you can brush the tops with the melted butter and dip them in cinnamon sugar to create a cinnamon-sugar crust, if desired. I didn't try the cinnamon sugar step but I definitely want to try it next time I make them.

World Peace Cookies

2009-06-09T09:55:00.000-05:00

The cookies are totally capable of inspiring world peace! They are also capable of destroying the peaceful nature of your house if you don't make enough of them! These are amazingly delicious. My husband summed it up best when he described the salty afterbite as equivalent to the taste sensation of eating chocolate covered pretzels. These have a deep rich chocolatey flavor that is enhanced with the salty afterbite. Words cannot describe how good these are. These are best eaten with a glass of milk because they are rich. As usual Dorie's instructions were spot on and these cookies came out perfectly as described. This is my second cookie success from Dorie's book. The first with my pumpkin version of Dorie's Granola Grabbers. This gives me hope that I might become a good cookie baker after all! This makes my cookie loving husband very happy!

World Peace Cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used organic flour)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Green and Black Organic Cocoa Powder)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar (I used pure cane sugar)
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (I used gray salt)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used organic vanilla extract)
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or a generous 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips (I used organic chocolate chips)

Makes about 36 cookies.

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.

Turn off the mixer. Pour in the flour, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Take a peek — if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of times more; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough — for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added, and don’t be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it in half. Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you’ve frozen the dough, you needn’t defrost it before baking — just slice the logs into cookies and bake the cookies 1 minute longer.)

GETTING READY TO BAKE: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Working with a sharp thin knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick. (The rounds are likely to crack as you’re cutting them — don’t be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie.) Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes — they won’t look done, nor will they be firm, but that’s just the way they should be. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are only just warm, at which point you can serve them or let them reach room temperature.

SERVING: The cookies can be eaten when they are warm or at room temperature — I prefer them at room temperature, when the textural difference between the crumbly cookie and the chocolate bits is greatest — and are best suited to cold milk or hot coffee.

STORING: Packed airtight, cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days; they can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Source: Baking From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan.

Black Bean, Avocado and Chicken Wraps

2009-06-06T11:15:00.003-05:00

I don't know that I really consider this a recipe, but I do know I liked it enough that I plan on making this many times over the summer with different variations. The original inspiration for this dish came from the May/June 2009 issue of Clean Eating magazine. I added several more ingredients to my wrap as indicated below in red.

Black Bean, Avocado & Chicken Wrap

1/4 cup avocado, mashed with fork
1/4 cup salsa (I used Muir Glen organic cilantro salsa)
2 oz roasted or baked chicken breast, chopped (I used chicken tenders that I roasted in the oven)
1/4 cup low sodium canned black beans, drained rinsed and lightly mashed with a fork (I left mine whole)
1/2 cup organic canned corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime
2 small (6 inch) whole wheat flour tortillas

Mix salsa with mashed avocados. Scoop avocado mixture onto center of tortilla. Add layer of beans, corn, chicken and cilantro. Squeeze fresh lime juice on top. Tightly roll to enclose filling.

Adapted from Cleaning Eating May/June 2009.

BLT Pasta

2009-06-06T07:40:00.000-05:00

The original name for this dish was too long for me so I renamed it BLT pasta. I think its a much more fitting name! This has to be my new favorite quick and easy weeknight dinner. As I've mentioned before, I have a habit of buying cooking publications at the grocery store. My most recent addition is a Weight Watchers publication, called 5 Ingredient, 15 minute recipes. What attracted me to this publication is that it had easy recipes that looked flavorful and most did not require processed products that I would find objectionable. The fact that the recipes are healthy calorie wise was only an added bonus. This recipe was actually the cover recipe on the book and it was the original enticement for me to buy this publication. I'm looking forward to trying several more recipes from this book.

Bacon and Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo Pasta (or BLT Pasta)

8 ounces uncooked multigrain penne
1 10 ounce package refrigerated light Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, packed without oil and cut in julienne strips (I chopped and added 2 fresh tomatoes)
10 sliced precooked bacon (I used my regular nitrate free bacon I buy at Whole Foods)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat, drain and keep warm.

2. While pasta cooks, combine Alfredo sauce and tomatoes in a saucepan. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, 6-8 minutes or until thoroughly heated and tomatoes are juicy and plump. While sauce cooks, microwave bacon according to package directions. Crumble bacon and set aside.

3. Combine cooked pasta and Alfredo sauce mixture in large serving bowl. Top with crumbled bacon, basil and black pepper.

Weight Watchers Five Ingredient, 15 Minute Recipes, Summer 2009.

Salmon Roasted in Cilantro Salsa with Quinoa Sopa Seca

2009-06-04T14:34:00.004-05:00

My husband and I absolutely love cilantro. When I saw this recipe in the March/April 2009 issue of Clean Eating I knew we had to try it. This dish was full of flavor. I roasted the pepper over the gas burner on my stove and it turned out perfect. I had a few moments when I wondered if I might set the house on fire, but luckily all ended well with the pepper being the only thing roasted. The accompanying sauce has a nice fresh flavor with a punch of heat from the poblano and a nice tartness that balances the dish. As suggested in the magazine I served this with the quinoa sopa seca. Overall, it was a delicious, healthy dish. I made a smaller portion of fish than the recipe called for so I had a little bit too much sauce on the dish. The sauce has a lot of flavor and a little goes a long way.

Salmon Roasted in Cilantro Sauce
1 poblano pepper
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 green onions, sliced
1 cup packed fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp canola oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 18 0z salmon fillet skinned

Preheat oven to 350.

Roast pepper by laying it directly on a gas burner or beneath a broiler, turning with tongs as needed, until charred and blackened all over. Place in a bag and let steam until cool to the touch. Under running water, rub off blackened skin. Pat pepper dry with paper towel, then slit open. Scrape out seeds and interior ribs and pull off stem. Cut pepper into thin strips. In a blender, combine pepper strips, lime juice, onions, cilantro, oil and salt, puree.

Place salmon in a baking dish just large enough to fit fillet. Pour cilantro salsa from blender over salmon turning fish to coat both sides. Baked, uncovered until fish is cooked to your liking in the center, 20-25 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. To serve, slice fillet into pieces and spoon salsa from pan over each portion.

Quinoa Sopa Seca

1 tbsp olive oil
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup quinoa
Pinch sea salt
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

In a medium saute pan with a lid, warm oil over medium high heat. Add onions and pepper and cook, stirring until soft, about 5 minutes. Add oregano and garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in quinoa, then pour in 2 cups water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and grains show opaque lines around the edges, about 12 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in peas and tomatoes. Cover pan again and let stand until vegetables are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Source: Clean Eating Magazine, March/April 2009.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

2009-05-31T09:19:00.006-05:00

We had some friends over for a casual cookout this past weekend. For our menu, we served: chips and salsa cruda, guacamole, cowboy burgers (purchased from our local natural grocer), steamed corn on the cob, cantaloupe and these ice cream sandwiches. The menu was fairly simple which meant I had more time to spend visiting with friends. The easy menu also left me time to make these ice cream sandwiches. These were really great. The only thing I would recommend is to allow them a little thaw time before serving. The cookies were really hard right out of the freezer. This recipe is great because there are so many possibilities and variations. This is the perfect recipe to enjoy for the summer.

Frozen Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches

1 pound chocolate chip cookie dough (recommended: Nestle Toll House)
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon peanut or vegetable oil
2 1 1/2 ounces) chocolate-toffee candy bars, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (recommended: Skor) (I used a Heath bar)
2 medium bananas, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 pint vanilla or banana ice cream, softened (I used organic mint chocolate chip)

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Form the cookie dough into 12 equal-sized balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Cool for 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, toss together the chocolate chips and oil. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Spread the melted chocolate on top of 6 of the cooled cookies. Place on a parchment or waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the chocolate-toffee candy pieces on top of the melted chocolate. Place the remaining cookies, flat-side-up, on the same baking sheet. Arrange the banana slices in a single layer on the flat side of the remaining cookies. Freeze all the cookies for 45 to 60 minutes until the chocolate has set and the banana slices are frozen.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop about 1/3 cup softened ice cream on top of the frozen bananas. Place a chocolate covered cookie on top and gently press to form a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining ice cream and cookies. Freeze for 3 to 4 hours until firm.

Source: Giada de Laurentis, Foodnetwork.com.

Salsa Cruda

2009-05-31T09:10:00.002-05:00

I've been making this recipe since I was in college. Its really easy to make and so much fresher tasting than a jarred salsa. This salsa doesn't have any jalapenos in it so there is no heat in this recipe. You could easily add a jalapeno if you want some heat. This is the perfect recipe to enjoy on a warm summer evening with friends.

Salsa Cruda

4 large tomatoes, finely chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 small bunch cilantro, minced

juice of 2-3 limes

salt and pepper to taste

Combine tomatoes, onions and cilantro. Stir in lime juice, season with salt and pepper. Tastes best the day made.

Source: Martha Stewart's Healthy Quick Cook, Clarkson Potter, 1997.

Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables

2009-05-29T07:54:00.002-05:00

This was the first recipe I saw when I was flipping through the June issue of Everyday Food. I immediately knew I was going to try this one and I'm glad I did. This took me less than 30 minutes to make start to finish. The sauce is really not made of complex ingredients but has a great depth of flavor that makes it seem like you really went out of your way to make a homemade sauce. I loved the fresh vegetables in this. I will definitely be making this again.

Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 zucchini or summer squash, or one of each (about 2 pounds total), quartered and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
coarse salt and pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 package (15-16 ounces) frozen gnocchi (I couldn't find frozen, I used a regular package from the grocery store shelf)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add squash and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until squash is crisp tender, 4-5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally until juicy, about 2 minutes.

2. Meanwhile in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook gnocchi according to package instructions. Reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid, drain gnocchi and transfer to skillet. Toss gnocchi adding enough cooking liquid to create a sauce. Remove from heat and stir in basil, cheese, butter and lemon juice.

Source: Everyday Food, June 2008.

Rice Pudding with the Quickest Strawberry Jam

2009-05-21T07:55:00.000-05:00

I saw Jaime Oliver make this dessert on his show several months back and immediately saved it. Jaime is a really fun chef to watch cook. I think his kitchen and set up is one of the most interesting on the food network. Seems like he is cooking in a shack in his backyard! I loved the idea of elevating rice pudding to an elegant dessert and thought the presentation was very pretty. Unfortunately because its white, it doesn't lend to photographing all that well. This was really good. The contrast of textures of the soft pudding, strawberries and crispy meringues went very well together. I think next time I would add some chopped strawberries to the top as well. This recipe could easily be made with blueberries or raspberries. I also would make a couple flavor changes to bump it up a notch. I would add vanilla bean paste to the rice pudding while cooking and possibly some orange or lemon zest. Overall, a great recipe to put your own spin on.

Creamy Rice Pudding with the Quickest Strawberry Jam

For the jam:

2 pounds strawberries, hulled, washed and drained
1/2 cup sugar

For the rice pudding:

5 cups organic whole milk
7 ounces medium-grain rice
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
2 ounces store-bought meringues, crumbled( I used lemon meringues)
Optional: a few wild strawberries, to serve

Place the strawberries in a wide, stainless steel pan and sprinkle the sugar over the top. Scrunch the strawberries up with your hands, really pushing them between your fingers to pulp them up - the mixture will start to look like jam at this point. You want all the sugar to dissolve in the strawberry juice before you put the pan on the heat and bring it to the boil. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes on a medium heat, and every 5 minutes or so come back to your jam to skim off the foam. Don't worry if it's still a bit liquid - it needs to be so you can swirl it into your rice pudding. Remove the pan from the heat and put aside. There you have it - beautiful, quintessential strawberry jam!

Meanwhile, place the milk, rice and vanilla sugar in a deep saucepan. Bring to a medium simmer and put on the lid. Cook for half an hour, stirring occasionally, until the rice pudding is thick, creamy, oozy and moist. If it ends up being a bit too thick, you can thin it down by adding a little more milk.

To serve, divide the rice pudding between your bowls. Spoon over a big dollop of your beautiful strawberry jam, then slowly swirl it in so it marbles and ripples through the rice pudding. Sprinkle over the meringue pieces and scatter with a few wild strawberries, if you like.

Source: Jaime Oliver, Jaime at Home.

The Best Whole Baked Carrots

2009-05-19T18:25:00.000-05:00

This is another Jaime Oliver recipe. This one couldn't have been any easier to prepare and had a great presentation. This is a perfect side dish for roast chicken. The only thing I would do differently next time is peel the carrots. I would prefer my carrots be just a tad softer and thought leaving the skin on gave them a slightly tough exterior. Otherwise, these carrots caramelize beautifully which brings out the wonderful natural sweetness of the carrot.

The Best Whole Baked Carrots

• 750g/1lb 10oz young bunched carrots, different colours if possible, washed and scrubbed
• olive oil
• herb or red wine vinegar
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed

Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Toss your carrots with a good glug of olive oil, a splash of vinegar, salt and pepper, the thyme sprigs and the garlic cloves. Place in a roasting tray or earthenware dish, cover tightly with tinfoil and cook for 30 to 40 minutes until just tender. Remove the foil and cook for a further 10 minutes until the carrots have browned and caramelized nicely.

Source: Jaime Oliver, Cook with Jaime, Hyperion 2007.

Vegetable Tian

2009-05-18T07:30:00.002-05:00

I served this dish as part of my menu of Chicken in Milk, The Best Whole Baked Carrots, and Rice Pudding with Quick Strawberry Jam. The whole menu was delicious and well liked but his recipe was the show stopper. When I say show stopper, I mean there was NONE left! My husband ate several servings. This says a lot for an adamant squash hater. This is one of Ina's stunning recipes that is so simple in its ingredients and preparation but delivers with amazing complexity of flavor and perfection of cooking technique. We liked this recipe so much I made it again this week!

Vegetable Tian

Good olive oil
2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound medium round potatoes, unpeeled
3/4 pound zucchini
1 1/4 pounds medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs
2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.

Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for another 30 minutes until browned. Serve warm.

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot in Paris, Clarkson Potter, 2004.

Chicken in Milk

2009-05-16T08:00:00.003-05:00

We had my in-laws over this past week for a belated Mother's Day celebration. My in-laws are very willing subjects and are always up to try whatever I'm making. Having them over is the perfect opportunity to try out new recipes! Jaime Oliver's chicken in milk recipe has been popping up all over the web in the last few weeks. The recipe was touted by many as the only chicken recipe you need. I was a bit hesitant about pouring milk over my chicken, fearing a curdled chicken mess! I decided to conquer my fear and forge ahead. This chicken was very easy to prepare, making this ideal for weeknight entertaining. The chicken was perfectly moist and delicious and had a very nice flavor. The cinnamon, sage, milk combination was very reminiscent of Asian dishes I have had. Everyone really liked the chicken. I'm more of a traditionalist so this doesn't replace my two favorite roast chicken recipes (see links below). I would definitely make this again. I think it would be absolutely fabulous to prepare the chicken this way to use the meat in Asian dishes or a chicken salad. To round out the meal I served this with Jaime Oliver's recipe for the best whole baked carrots, Ina's vegetable tian and Jaime's rice pudding with quick strawberry jam.

My Favorite Traditional Roast Chicken Recipes:
Garlic and Citrus Roast Chicken
Lemon Chicken with Croutons

Chicken in Milk

• 1 x 1.5k/ 3½lb organic chicken
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 115g/4oz or ½ a pack of butter
• olive oil
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1 good handful of fresh sage, leaves picked
• zest of 2 lemons
• 10 cloves of garlic, skin left on
• 565ml/1 pint milk

A slightly odd, but really fantastic combination that must be tried.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5, and find a snug-fitting pot for the chicken. Season it generously all over, and fry it in the butter and a little olive oil, turning the chicken to get an even colour all over, until golden. Remove from the heat, put the chicken on a plate, and throw away the oil and butter left in the pot. This will leave you with tasty sticky goodness at the bottom of the pan which will give you a lovely caramelly flavour later on.

Put your chicken back in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, and cook in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. Baste with the cooking juice when you remember. The lemon zest will sort of split the milk, making a sauce which is absolutely fantastic.

To serve, pull the meat off the bones and divide it on to your plates. Spoon over plenty of juice and the little curds. Serve with wilted spinach or greens and some mashed potato.

Source: Jaime Oliver, Happy Days with the Naked Chef, Hyperion 2002.

Barefoot Bloggers-"Salmon" Salad

2009-05-14T08:53:00.004-05:00

This month's first Barefoot Blogger pick dealt me a little bit of a challenge. I like tuna , but I don't eat it because of the high mercury content. Also, if I were going to prepare it, it would have to be cooked all the way through which was not the intent of the original recipe. I eat sushi occasionally but only in very high end restaurants where I now the safety and quality is assured. I thought of taking the option of making a previously missed recipe. However, that didn't seem fair to Kate who picked this recipe and defeated the purpose of joining the group to branch out and try new and unfamiliar recipes. So, I decided to participate and make this recipe with grilled salmon. I'm really glad I did because it was a wonderful beginning of summer meal. The dressing would work just as well on other salads or even as a marinade. I could easily see making this same salad with chicken, shrimp or even tofu. I omitted the avocado because my husband doesn't eat it but next time I make it I will add it for me! Instead I served this over a bed of organic mixed greens with herbs. My husband said he definitely would want to have this one again. I have a feeling this is going to be a regular for us through the summer. What better way to spend a breezy evening eating dining al fresco and watching our favorite toddler run around the back yard! Thanks again to Kate of Warm Olives and Cool Cocktails, this was a great pick and exposed me to a recipe I probably would have passed on my own. Also, for those looking, I found the wasabi powder at Whole Foods.

Grilled Tuna Salad

2 pounds very fresh tuna steak, cut 1-inch thick (I used 1 lb salmon that I grilled until cooked through)
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black, plus extra for sprinkling
2 limes, zest grated
1 teaspoon wasabi powder (found at Whole Foods)
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (3 limes)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
10 dashes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
1 to 2 ripe Hass avocados, medium diced (I omitted)
1/4 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)
1/4 cup red onion, small diced
I served mine over organic mixed greens with herbs

Brush the tuna steaks with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the tuna steaks in a very hot saute pan and cook for only 1 minute on each side. Set aside on a platter.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, lime zest, wasabi, lime juice, soy sauce and hot sauce. Add the avocados to the vinaigrette.

Cut the tuna in chunks and place it in a large bowl. Add the scallions and red onion and mix well. Pour the vinaigrette mixture over the tuna and carefully mix.

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa at Home, Clarkson Potter, 2006.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

2009-05-08T07:26:00.005-05:00

This cake is my new favorite lemon cake recipe. It is really an exceptional cake. It is moist, delicious and really flavorful. This recipe would be perfect for a Mother's day brunch, a picnic or just to drop to a friend. This recipe is extremely versatile, you could take the base recipe and use different flavors of yogurt such as coconut, blueberry or lime. You could also switch up the citrus and use lime, grapefruit, or even tangerine zest and juice to change the flavors of the cake. I made two changes to the recipe. I used vanilla yogurt and I substituted coconut oil for the vegetable oil. The coconut oil really added a nice hint of coconut to the cake. Sorry no picture. I had one on my computer and now I can't find it. I'll add it if I can locate it! This was too awesome of a recipe not to share, even without a picture.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (I used Stonyfield Farms vanilla yogurt)
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa At Home, Clarkson Potter, 2006.

Oven Fried Chicken

2009-05-05T07:43:00.003-05:00

I've seen many oven baked fried chicken recipes floating around and was skeptical that any would be more than breaded baked chicken. Good? Yes. Exciting? No. In any way comparable to real fried chicken? Highly unlikely. I'm very biased when it comes to fried chicken. My Mom makes the very best. So last night I attempted this recipe but did not hold high expectations. Oh how very wrong I was! The chicken was moist and flavorful and the coating was crunchy enough to evoke memories of real fried chicken. This one is a keeper and its low fat!

Oven Baked Fried Chicken

Serves 4

1 whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces, wings reserved for another use (I just used breasts)
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 garlic clove, minced
coarse salt and ground pepper
6 slices whole-wheat bread
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

Using a paper towel to grip, remove skin from chicken. In a large bowl, toss chicken with buttermilk, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and teaspoon pepper. Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to overnight).
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor, pulse bread until coarse crumbs form. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and toss with oil. Bake crumbs until golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes, tossing twice. Transfer to a large bowl. Set a wire rack over sheet.
Working with one piece at a time, lift chicken from buttermilk mixture (letting excess drip off) and dredge in breadcrumbs, pressing firmly to adhere. Transfer chicken to rack.
Bake, without turning, until cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes, tenting with foil if browning too quickly.

Helpful Hint: Baking the chicken on a wire rack keeps the bottom of the pieces from becoming soggy. For spicier chicken, add a few shakes of hot sauce to the buttermilk.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food, May 2009.

Chocolate Covered Oreo Cookie Cake

2009-05-03T07:47:00.007-05:00

I absolutely love this cake. I could eat the filling all by itself but the goodness is only compounded when you add chocolate cake! If you don't want to use cake mix, I highly recommend this chocolate cake recipe for the base. As much as I love this recipe, I made several ingredient changes in order to make it a less processed end product. To take the processed ingredients out of this recipe I recommend using an organic cake mix or making the chocolate cake. I substituted Tru Whip for the Cool Whip. Tru Whip is an all natural whipped topping. Tru Whip can be found at Whole Foods or any natural grocer. I find it comparable in taste to Cool Whip, if not better because it does not have a weird artificial taste to it. I also substituted Country Choice Organic Sandwich Cremes. If you can't find those Newman-O's are another good choice. The only other change I would make next time is to use a chocolate ganache recipe or chocolate frosting on top as opposed to the melted chocolate. The melted chocolate hardened on top of the cake once refrigerated, making it difficult to serve/eat without leaving it at room temperature. Now I think I need this cake pan just for this recipe!

Chocolate Covered Oreo Cookie Cake

1 pkg. (2-layer size) devil's food chocolate cake mix

4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (I used TruWhip)

12 OREO Cookies, coarsely crushed (I used Country Choice Organic Sandwich Cremes)

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

PREPARE cake batter and bake in 2 (9-inch) round pans as directed on package. Cool cakes in pans 10 min. Invert cakes onto wire racks; gently remove pans. Cool cakes completely.

MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Cool 5 min.

MEANWHILE, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gently stir in COOL WHIP and crushed cookies. Stack cake layers on plate, spreading cream cheese mixture between layers. Spread top with chocolate glaze; let stand until firm. Keep refrigerated.

Source: Adapted from Kraftfoods.com.

Sparkling Cranberry Raspberry Lemonade

2009-05-01T07:14:00.006-05:00

I hosted a luncheon for our weekly play date this week. I chose to start things off with this pretty pink lemonade recipe. This recipe straddles the line between lemonade and punch. I really liked the mix of flavors and the little bit of sparkle it gets from the lemon lime soda. I could not find frozen raspberry juice but did find frozen cranberry raspberry juice. The combination worked great and I think I liked it better than I would have the plain raspberry. Sorry for the slightly blurry picture. I was rushing to take pictures before everyone arrived.

Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade

1 package (10 oz) frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
1 can (12 oz) frozen pink lemonade concentrated, thawed
1 can (11 1/2 oz) frozen raspberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed (I used Langer's frozen cranberry raspberry juice concentrate)
6 cups water
2 cans (12 oz each) lemon lime carbonated beverage
1/2 lemon thinly sliced

Into 1 ice-cube tray, carefully spoon raspberries with syrup. Add enough water to just cover raspberries. Freeze about 3 hours or until firm.

In a large glass or plastic container, mix lemonade concentrate, raspberry juice concentrate and water. Refrigerate until serving.

Just before serving, stir carbonated beverage into lemonade mixture. Serve over ice, garnish with lemon slices.

Source: Betty Crocker, Summer Favorites, Summer 2007.