The Thin Line Between Genius and Insanity

Marriage Reteat Food

2012-02-02T20:23:00.004-06:00

Our Sunday School class had a marriage retreat last weekend, and I made coffee cake, chicken salad, and chocolate chip cookies.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9 or 10 inch springform pan. In a large bowl, combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in margarine or butter until the mixture forms coarse crumbles. Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture. To the remaining mixture, add baking soda, baking powder, salt, sour cream, 1 egg, and almond extract. Blend well. The batter will be very thick. Spread batter over bottom and 2 inches up sides of springform pan.

In the same bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 egg. Blend well, and pour over batter in the pan. Carefully drop spoonfuls of preserves evenly onto the cream cheese filling. Sprinkle the reserved crumbles evenly on top of the coffee cake. Sprinkle almonds evenly over crumbles. Bake for 45 -55 minutes, or until cream cheese filling is set, and the top is a deep golden brown. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove sides of pan. Serve warm or cold. Refrigerate leftovers.

My mom and I have been making this recipe for years. You can use any flavor of preserves you want, or none at all. You can also leave off the almonds if that is your druther. It is good stuff.

Chicken Salad
Chicken
1 celery stalk, diced
4 green onions, chopped
1 green apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 small container plain Greek yogurt
1/2 - 1 cup mayonnaise

Cook and dice chicken. I use the skin-on, bone-in kind, because during the winter, I can usually find it for 99 cents a pound, and well, that's cheap. I think the packages I buy are between 1 -2 pounds. I boil the chicken in a stock pot, and then save the broth for something later. Deskin and debone the chicken before chopping.

Mix in chopped apple, green onion and pecans. Mix the curry powder and pepper in with the yogurt, and then toss the yogurt mixture into the chicken mixture. Add mayonnaise until it is the amount of creamy you want. I just like mine creamy enough to stick together, so I use a scant 1/2 cup, but if you want it CREAMY, I would recommend closer to a full cup. You could also use more Greek yogurt and less mayo, but that does change the taste a bit.

The recipe for my chocolate chip cookies is already catalogued to the left, but I had taken a picture, so I included it. Brad loves big cookies, so I use the ice cream scoop to make them. They end up baking for 12-15 minutes.

Tonight in Dinner

2012-01-23T20:24:00.004-06:00

Chicken Sate
2-4 tablespoons Sate Seasoning
2 tablespoons water
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Soy Lime Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 thinly sliced shallots
2 teaspoons brown sugar
the juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Spicy Ginger Dipping Sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon water
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/3 cup hot sauce

Place Sate seasoning in a Ziploc bag with water, soy sauce, peanut oil, and rice vinegar. Mix well. Add chicken, and toss to coat. Seal bag and place in the refrigerator to marinate 2 hours to overnight.

Meanwhile, Mix all of the ingredients for the Soy Lime Dipping Sauce, and the ingredients for the Spicy Ginger Dipping Sauce in (separate) small bowls. Set aside until ready to use.

Heat a skillet on medium high heat. Place the chicken in the skillet (without the excess marinade) and saute on medium high heat until chicken is cooked through. Serve over rice and with dipping sauces.

Edamame Succotash
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 teaspoon (3 cloves) minced garlic
2 strips bacon, finely chopped
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
1/2 cup frozen corn
salt and pepper

Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until soft, about 2 minutes. Add bacon and cook until it begins to crisp, 5-8 minutes. Add edamame and corn and saute for 3-5 minutes until heated through. Season with freshly grated salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

I made these pumpkin cupcakes for Brad and I to take to work today. Brad took his. I wrapped mine up and proceeded to leave them sitting on the kitchen table. Oops. I guess my coworkers will get theirs tomorrow. Sadly, I didn't eat one because they are not on my diet, but they look divine!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
1 package spice cake mix
1 cup sour cream
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1/4 cup oil
3 eggs

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix together cake mix, sour cream, pumpkin, oil and eggs until well blended. Spoon 1/2 cup batter into each of 24 lined cupcake tins. Bake 20-22 minutes or until centers are set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.

Beat together cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and cinnamon with a hand mixer in a medium bowl until well blended. Gradually beat in sugar. Frost cupcakes generously.

New Years / This Week in Dinner

2012-01-21T11:51:00.003-06:00

...so, hopefully there will be frequent updates here for two reasons... 1) I have vowed not to work more than 60 hours in any given week and to spend the remaining time doing things I enjoy, (like cooking, writing, and writing about cooking), and 2) as many of you know in our continued efforts to make a baby, I am on a horrifically strict diet, so many of our old standby recipes are no longer acceptable, so I have been trying new recipes, most of which have been surprisingly successful.

Here's this week in dinner...

On Monday we had

Chinese Chicken and Rice Soup
4 large eggs
salt and pepper
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup diced rotisserie chicken, skin removed
4 cups baby spinach
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (white, brown, or wild)
1 small can water chestnuts, drained

In a large pot, bring chicken broth and water to a light boil. Whisk eggs and salt and pepper in a small bowl. With one hand, pour beaten eggs in a slow stream into boiling liquid, while gently stirring the liquid with the other hand. Add the green onions, sesame oil, soy sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, chicken, spinach, rice and water chestnuts. Cover partially and simmer until spinach wilts and everything is hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Makes about 6 meal sized servings)

We have had this several times, and it is very good, very filling, and very low in fat and calories, though it is a bit high in sodium. We have had it with instant rice, white rice, and wild rice, and a combination of wild rice and white rice is the best. The instant rice kind of disintegrates after the first day, which is not so appetizing. The wild rice is good, but makes it pretty chewy. It does add a nice texture, though, which is why I think a white/ wild rice combo would be best. Also, after the first day, the ingredients suck up the liquid, so if you plan to have leftovers (which we do, as we are 2 people) you might add some extra chicken broth. That said, though, we give this recipe 5 stars (on a scale of 1-5 stars). Brad actually *asks* for it.

On Tuesday we had

Indian Beef Stew
1 pound beef stew meat, cubed
1 tablespoon oil (I use peanut)
1 large onion, chopped into chunks
3 green zucchini, peeled and thinly sliced
2 medium eggplant, peeled and chunked into 1/2 inch (or so) cubes
3 medium tomatoes, sliced
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup water

Heat oil in large pan over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook until browned. Add the onion and continue to cook until soft. Arrange the zucchini over the meat and onions, then layer the eggplant over the zucchini. Sprinkle with garlic. Place tomatoes in a layer over garlic. Sprinkle salt, pepper, curry powder, and turmeric over the tomatoes. Gently pour water over the top, make sure to wet all of the spices. Cook on medium high heat for 30 minutes. Serve over rice. (Makes about 5 meal sized servings)

This was also very good. I was suspect about the serious lack of liquid required, and by the layering process, but it worked out really well. The zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes release a ton of liquid while they are cooking, and I am not sure what the purpose of layering the veggies is, but the product was good, so who am I to question. It turns out to be a thick, rich, flavorful meat and veggie cacophony of texture and flavor.

Brad was craving coffee cake, so that same night I made an apple coffee cake for him to take to work.

Apple Coffee Cake
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 apples - (3 of them peeled, cored and chopped, 3 of them peeled, cored and finely sliced)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix and instant pudding mix. Add the eggs, sour cream and oil, mix until well blended. Stir in chopped apples.

In a small bowl combine the sugar, cinnamon, pecans and sliced apples.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Place the sliced apple mixture on top of the batter. Pour remaining batter over apple layer.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. Cool for 1/2 hour before removing from pan to cool completely. Once cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

I did not taste it, but Brad says it was popular at work, so I think this recipe is a keeper.

On Wednesday, we had our monthly couples dinner. I made crab rangoon and egg rolls (the recipes for which are already catalogued on this site), beef bulgogi (recipe link to the left), sweet and spicy chicken, steamed rice, steamed green beans, roasted broccoli, and a chocolate cream pie for dessert. There were not very many leftovers at all... barely enough for my lunch the next day... a sign that the meal was delicious, I think.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 tablespoon Sriacha
salt and pepper to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 tablespoon peanut oil

Mix together brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and Sriacha in a small bowl.

Lightly salt and pepper the chicken strips.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken strips and brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve over rice.

Chocolate Cream Pie
18 Chocolate Graham Crackers
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups 2% milk
4 large egg yolks, whisked
3 ounces dark, high cocoa content, chocolate
1 tablespoon vanilla

1 cup heaving or whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Crush graham crackers into fine crumbs. (It should be 1 1/4 cups of crushed crumbs.) Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium bowl. Add cracker crumbs and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Mix until moistened. Firmly press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9 inch pie plate. Bake 10 minutes or until set. Allow to cool before adding filling.

In a 3 quart saucepan, which cornstarch, salt, and 1 cup sugar together. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly. Cook on medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, whisking constantly, until liquid is boiling and thickened. Remove saucepan from heat. Slowly pour egg yolks into milk mixture, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook mixture for about 5 minutes, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat. Add vanilla, chocolate, and 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir until melted and well incorporated.

Pour mixture into cooled crust, and spread evenly. Tightly wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Beat cream until thickened, gradually adding 2 tablespoons of sugar. Beat until soft peaks form. Remove plastic wrap. Spread whipped cream evenly over cooled pie. Slice and serve.

I did not realize it at the time, but effectively the base of this recipe is homemade pudding. It was delightful! In the future, I will probably just use a premade graham cracker crust, because I didn't find the crust to be so amazing as to warrant the expense and effort of making it homemade, but the homemade pudding part is TOTALLY worth the effort. This recipe is a keeper!

On Thursday, we had shrimp and cabbage stirfry over pineapple fried rice. It was a lot of prep work, but very delicious.

Shrimp and Cabbage Stir-Fry
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 pound Napa cabbage, sliced

Whisk egg white, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce in a medium bowl until frothy. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Refrigerate while preparing remaining ingredients.
Whisk hoisin sauce, vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons corn starch together. Whisk in chicken broth. Set aside.

Drain the shrimp. Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute white parts of green onion, ginger, and garlic for about 30 seconds. Add shrimp, and saute until almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add cabbage and green parts of green onion and saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Pour hoisin sauce mixture over shrimp and cabbage and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice.

Pineapple Fried Rice
2 cups cooked rice
1 whole pineapple
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Prepare the pineapple by peeling it, coring it, and cutting it into chunks.

Heat a small skillet. Pour beaten eggs into hot skillet and scramble. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat sesame oil until hot. Add cooked rice, peas, carrots, and scrambled eggs. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring 3 times so rice can get a golden brown crust. Add pineapple chunks, rice wine vinegar, pineapple juice, ginger, and lemon pepper. Sitr fry for an additional 5 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of pineapple juice or water if the rice seems too dry. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Brad says the fried rice would have been just as good without pineapple, but I think the pineapple is what made it delicious. Either way, though, it was good. You should try it.

Random Pictures

2011-07-02T21:58:00.029-05:00

While on my recent mini vacay to Nashville, my camera gave me a warning that I only had available space for 4 pictures. While I was frantically erasing photos, I discovered a bunch of food photos I was pretty sure I hadn't written about.

Banana Pudding
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups cold milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) container cool whip, thawed
4 bananas, sliced
1 package vanilla wafers

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in condensed milk, pudding mix, cold milk and vanilla until smooth. (Be careful. Beating milk can be messy.) Fold in 1/2 of the cool whip.

Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish with vanilla wafers. Arrange sliced bananas evenly over wafers. Spread with pudding mixture. Top with remaining whipped topping. Chill. For a little something extra, toast some coconut and sprinkle it on top.

Brad really likes Stromboli, so I make it for him periodically. My recipe isn't very exact, but I will share it anyway.

Stromboli

1 premade pizza crust, rolled into a thin rectangle (I buy the kind in the tube)

Thinly sliced deli ham (I buy the presliced in a tupperware package at Aldi)

Salami (8 slices)

Pepperoni (about 20 slices)

Provolone cheese (about 6 slices)

1 cup shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 egg yolk, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 F, and spray a large cookie sheet with Pam or the like.

Pat out the pizza dough. I put mine on top of one of those flimsy disposable cutting boards (that I don't dispose of until they break), and spread out the dough so it covers most all of the cutting board.

Evenly place two rows of the the provolone cheese on top of the dough, leaving the top end empty.

On top of the provolone and the empty space, layer 8 slices of salami. There should be an uncovered layer of provolone at the bottom, and a layer of salami with no provolone underneath.

Evenly layer ham over entire square, then evenly place pepperoni slices on top of ham.

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Mix garlic powder, oregano, parsley and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture over cheese.

Roll the stromboli like a jelly roll, beginning at the side with the provolone. Seal the dough together as best as you can. Place roll, seam side down, on a greased cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg yolk.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to sit 5 minutes before slicing.
Mongolian Beef

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons white sugar

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 pound beef flank steak, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon peanut oil

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Whisk together soy sauce, hoisin, sesame oil, sugar, garlic and red pepper flakes. Add sliced flank steak and refrigerate 1-8 hours.

Heat peanut oil in a large wok or skillet over medium high to high heat. Add green onions and cook for about 10 seconds before adding beef. (Try to leave as much of the marinade out of the pan as possible. If too much of the marinade is present, you will end up boiling the meat, which isn't nearly as tasty as browning it.) Cook and stir beef for about 5 minutes, or until it is no longer pink and is beginning to brown.

Serve over rice.

Whoopie Pies

1 egg

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup marshmallow creme or fluff

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 2 large cookie sheets and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In the measuring cup, mix together buttermilk and vanilla. In a large bowl, beat eggs and vegetable oil. Gradually add sugar until well mixed and pale yellow in color. Continue mixing and begin adding dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Drop tablespoon sized batter onto the cookie sheets, and bake. The cookies will spread out a lot, so leave plenty of room. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until tops spring back when touched. Remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool on wire racks.

In a medium bowl, combine all filling ingredients and beat until light and fluffy.

When cookies are cool, spread filling on the flat side of one cookie. Press the flat side of a second cookie into the filling to make a sandwich.

You don't need to refrigerate these, but I would recommend it if you aren't going to serve them right away. The bottom cookie got really soggy after about a day, but they were a HUGE hit when I made them for work.

Hamburger Pie (From Kraft Magazine)

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons steak sauce

1/2 cup hot water

2 cups baking mix (Jiffy/Bisquick/ Cheap off brand Aldi variety)

1 cup colby jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Brown ground beef and onions in a large skillet. Drain grease. Stir in corn, ketchup and steak sauce. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine hot water and baking mix. Stir until dough forms, and shape into a ball. Place on a lightly floured surface. Knead 5 times, or until smooth and no longer sticky. Roll into a 12 inch circle (It does not need to be a perfect circle), and transfer dough to a greased cookie sheet or pizza pan. Spoon meat mixture into the center of the dough, and spread to about 2 inches from the edge. Fold edges over meat mixture, leaving the center uncovered.

Bake 20 minutes in preheated oven. Top center with cheese and return to oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Slice into triangles, like pizza.

Curry Chicken Salad with Fruit

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cooked, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

1 golden delicious apple, peeled, cored, and diced

1/3 cup golden raisins (if you desire, which I generally don't)

1/3 cup seedless green grapes, halved (I think I used red in the picture, though)

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

3/4 cup mayonnaise (though I use 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt and 1/4 cup mayo)

In a small bowl, mix together pepper, curry powder and mayo.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, celery, green onions, apple, raisins, grapes and pecans. Toss with curry mixture. Serve on croissant or a bed of lettuce.

This is waffles, bacon, and hash brown casserole. The hash brown casserole recipe is archived to the left.

This is Death by Chocolate, and the recipe is archived to the left.

This is Pork Chops and Pierogies. Guess what? The recipe is archived to the left.

This is fruit salsa. I need to check on the status of this recipe.

These are goat cheese stuffed dates wrapped with bacon.

This is artichoke dip. I will provide the recipe at a later date. (Read: when I find it)

I don't remember what this is called, but I will look it up and let you know.

These are crab bites. They are divine.

I will finish typing in these recipes later. I have been working on this entry for like a week, now, and I just want to push "post," so I am going to do so.

Carne Asada Tacos

2011-07-02T18:55:00.003-05:00

Carne Asada Tacos
2 pounds flank or skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat
Olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
16 corn tortillas
Shredded lettuce
Chopped white onion
Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Marinade:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

Pico de Gallo:
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced
1 Serrano chile, minced
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

To make marinade, place garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and pepper into a food processor. Chop until ingredients are finely chopped and paste-like.

Place mixture in a storage container large enough to hold the beef. Add the lime and orange juices, vinegar and oil to the mixture and mix well. Place beef in container and marinate for 1-8 hours. (6-8 hours is ideal. After 8 hours, the citrus juices begin to break down the fibers in the meat, but it takes several hours for the flavors to really develop with the meat.)

To make Pico de Gallo, combine all ingredients. Toss thoroughly. Prepare at least 30 minutes before eating.

Brush the grates of an outdoor grill with olive oil (or spray with nonstick cooking spray BEFORE starting the fire). If using a gas grill, heat to medium-high. Remove beef from marinade. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill 7-10 minutes per side, depending on heat of grill and thickness of meat, until medium rare. Place steak on a cutting board and allow to rest 5 minutes.

Place the corn tortillas on the grill. Warm for about 30 seconds per side, until warm and pliable.

Thinly slice the beef at a diagonal across the grain. Place beef down the center of a corn tortilla. Top with lettuce, onion, cheese and Pico de Gallo. (I also added sour cream, because I love sour cream.)

I served this with a Rice-a-Roni rice pouch. The rice was nothing to write home about, but the meat was really delicious.

Lemon and Basil

2011-07-02T18:21:00.005-05:00

I bought a Basil plant at Trader Joe's because it was the same price as a bunch of fresh basil at the grocery store, and it regenerates. I figured even if I killed it quickly, which was likely, it would cost no more than if I had only bought enough for one recipe. I have managed to keep it alive for close to a month now, so I have been trying to incorporate lots of basil into our meals.

Grilled Chesapeake Bay Prawns with Lemon Horseradish Sauce (from the Penzey's spice catalog)

2 pounds jumbo prawns, in the shells or shelled and deveined

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons Chesapeake Bay Seasoning

1 cup tomato ketchup

1 small lemon, juiced and zested

2 heaping tablespoons prepared horseradish

4 shakes Tobasco sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt (preferably kosher or sea)

ground pepper

In a medium bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Add more horseradish to taste, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium high. Just before grilling, toss shrimp in oil and sprinkle with Chesapeake Bay Seasoning. Place shrimp on the grade directly over the heat and grill for 6-7 minutes, turning once, until all parts of the shrimp are the same opaque color. Serve immediately.

Some notes: As we all know, I am both a resident of a rural community, and cheap. Fresh jumbo prawns are unavailable, and frozen ones are not guaranteed. I ended up using medium sized shrimp because that is what I could find. Because they would fall through the grates of a grill, I threaded the shrimp on skewers and grilled that way. The shrimp are juicier if you grill them with the shells on, but the flavor of the seasoning is much stronger if you sprinkle it directly on the flesh. Also, Chesapeake Bay Seasoning is a Penzey's Spice, (penzeys.com) which is where I get all of my spices, but it is pretty equivalent to Old Bay seasoning, which is available at nearly all grocery stores.

Lemon-Basil Potatoes

16 baby new potatoes, halved

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh is always better!)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (preferably fresh)

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Place the potatoes, chicken stock, lemon, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain potatoes and place in a serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Add lemon zest and basil. Toss well.

I served this with fresh sugar snap peas, steamed in a Ziploc steamer bag and tossed with butter and salt and pepper.

Best. New. Recipe. EVER.

2011-07-02T17:12:00.004-05:00

I have been trying new recipes the last few weeks. I am trying to expand my repertoire during the summer when I have time to test new recipes so when school starts I have already tested them out. This chicken recipe was a little work, but it is soo good. The sweetness of the apricots combined with the saltiness of the goat cheese combined with the crunchiness of the Panko was like a little party in my mouth.

Goat Cheese, Apricot, and Sage-Stuffed Chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup fresh goat cheese
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (This is how chicken is standardly sold - in half breast portions)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup Panko crumbs or other toasted coarse bread crumbs
5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth

Soak dried apricots in very hot water for 20 minutes. Drain and slice apricots into 1/4 inch pieces.

In a medium pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sweat them out for 5 minutes. If they begin to brown, turn down the heat. You don't want them to brown. Turn the heat down to medium and add garlic. Add sage and salt and pepper and continue to cook until the onions are translucent. Add apricots and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Thoroughly mix in goat cheese and set aside.

Using any method that works for you, (I use my marble rolling pin, though I think they make a specific kitchen utensil for the purpose) pound chicken breasts until they are about 1/4 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread 1/4 cup of the apricot cheese mixture down the center of each chicken breast. Fold the short ends in, then roll one long side up to the other side. Tie the ends with string or stick them with toothpicks to secure. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture and then in the Panko.

In an ovenproof saute pan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium high heat. Place the chicken in the pan and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Then, put the entire pan in the oven and bake until the chicken is golden and firm when pressed, 10 - 15 minutes, depending on how thin you get the chicken.

USING AN OVEN MITT OR POTHOLDERS remove the pan from the oven. If you have an oven mitt or potholder with a slit in it, put it over the handle of the saucepan after removing to remind yourself that it is HOT! Otherwise, you will burn yourself like I did, and it will be painful.

Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate. Remove string or toothpicks from chicken. Loosely cover the plate with foil. Place the pan over medium high heat and deglaze with wine. Boil until reduced, about 2 minutes, and then add the chicken stock. Boil until reduced by half, 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat, and melt 1 tablespoon butter into the mixture. Drizzle chicken breasts with sauce before serving.

Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce
24 ounces (give or take a little) potato gnocchi (I bought mine at Aldi, but you can usually get it in the pasta aisle and/or frozen pasta section of a decent grocery store)
1/4 cup butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried sage (I used 1 tablespoon fresh sage, because I had it)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Over high heat, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi, and cook until they float to the surface, 2 to 3 minutes; drain.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook until the garlic has softened and is beginning to turn golden brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the sage and salt for a few seconds, then add the cooked gnocchi. Toss gently with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and the pepper. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese to serve.

I also made fresh green beans, which I steamed in a Ziploc steamer bag. I drizzled the sauce from the chicken recipe over the green beans, as well. Brad and I thought it was great. He took the leftovers in his lunch, and he said the chicken reheated pretty well.

Cookies!

2011-06-27T20:44:00.002-05:00

I love to bake, and while I could, at times, eat everything I bake, I really shouldn't. It works out okay, though, because no one normal turns down baked goods, so I can always bring them to work or send them to work with Brad. I usually send him treats every other week or so, but that dries up in April and May because of end of the year craziness. Now that it is summer, though, I don't go to work, so he gets all of the treats.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies
3 1/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, beat butter, shortening and sugars with an electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well incorporated. In a small bowl, combine salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and flour. Beat into wet ingredients until just incorporated. Stir in oats and pecans.

Drop tablespoon sized balls onto greased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes, or until browned and crispy. Store dough in refrigerator while cookies are baking. If the dough gets too warm, the cookies will spread out too much when baking. Cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Brad has nostalgic memories of oatmeal cookies his grandma made, but unfortunately, no one seems to have the recipe. These were my most recent attempt to recreate them. He says they have too much oatmeal. (My last attempt didn't have enough oats...) I found these to be really delicious. They are really crunchy, though, and the recipe makes A TON! (like 7 dozen)

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze (by Giada from foodnetwork.com)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15 oz) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoon lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest and beat until just combined. Stir in reserved dry ingredients.

Drop two tablespoons of dough per cookie 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes, until slightly golden around the edges. Let cookies cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before glazing.

Combine powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spread glaze over cooled cookies. Allow to harden for about 2 hours before storing in an airtight container.

Brad thought these were too tart. I thought they were really good, but not so good that I'd go buy ricotta to make them. I had an open container I needed to use up, and this was a nice alternative to my usual efforts to use up ricotta - generally calzones.

Girls Night Dinner

2011-06-25T15:03:00.005-05:00

Last night, a girlfriend came over for dinner. We had chicken tetrazzini, salad, and garlic cheese bread with peach cake for dessert.
My friend and I both thought the chicken tetrazzini was very delicious. Today, I reheated some leftovers for lunch, and Brad asked me if I liked it. I told him I thought it was really good. He said if he ordered it a restaurant, he'd be disappointed. I was crestfallen. I worked so hard on it, and I thought it was sooo good. Then I took a bite. It is DELICIOUS right out of the oven. It looses a lot in the storage/ reheating process. The pasta absorbs a lot of the liquid and the flavors, and the breadcrumb topping gets soggy. Brad described it as a casserole with cream of mushroom soup in it, and, after trying it reheated, I don't disagree.

... so I highly recommend this recipe IF you are going to be able to eat it all in the first sitting. The recipe makes a FULL 13x9 inch pan, so unless you are feeding a family of seven, or have teen aged sons, cutting the recipe in half is probably a good idea.

Chicken Tetrazzini
5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup flour
4 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups grated Italian Cheese Blend
12 ounces linguine
3/4 cup frozen peas1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (if desired, which I usually don't)
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs

Grease a 13x9 inch baking dish. Set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil over medium high heat in a deep large skillet. Combine 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and sprinkle over chicken breasts. Place in hot pan until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate to cool slightly. When cool, shred chicken or cut into bite sized pieces, and place in a large bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil to the same pan. Add mushrooms, and saute over medium high heat until the mushrooms release their juices and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and thyme, and saute until until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer the entire mixture into the bowl with the chicken.

Melt the final 3 tablespoons of butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk together. It will be clumpy. Whisk in the milk. Add cream, broth, nutmeg, and 1 3/4 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to high until the mixture boils. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir often. Add Italian cheese and stir.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until it is tender but still firm, about 9 minutes. Drain. Add linguine, peas, sauce, and parsley to the bowl with the mushrooms mixture and the chicken. Toss until the pasta is coated and the mixture is well blended.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Stir together the Parmesan cheese and the bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the pasta. Bake, uncovered, until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden brown, about 25 minutes.

For dessert, we had peach cake. We ate it warm, with vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Peach Cake
2/3 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
4 medium peaches, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 13x9 inch pan. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture alternating with the buttermilk, beating until smooth after each addition. Stir in the peaches by hand. Pour the batter into the pan. In a small bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the batter. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

The Camera Went AWOL

2011-06-25T08:15:00.002-05:00

I had just finished slaving over a hot stove and grill. I had plated my delicious meal of Asian Chicken, Rice Noodles with Sesame Peanut Sauce and Honey Cashew Green Beans. I had found and open corner of counter top where I could take the photo. The only thing missing... was the camera. We couldn't find it. Grr.

Grilled Asian Chicken
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pound chicken (I use boneless skinless chicken breast for just about everything, but you could really use any part of the chicken, with or without bones)

Whisk together all ingredients (except chicken - which is not whiskable, so I am not sure why I even felt the need to clarify that point). Add chicken, and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Cook chicken on a grill (medium heat if using a gas grill) until center is no longer pink, and juices run clear.

Noodles with Peanut Sauce
8 ounces spaghetti shaped noodles (I used rice noodles, but spaghetti or linguine would also work well)
2 tablespoons white onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon rice wine or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

In most grocery stores, in the fresh spice area, you can buy a tube of fresh ginger paste. This is generally what I get, because working with fresh ginger can sometimes be frustrating. For this recipe, though, I just threw the onion, garlic and fresh ginger in the food processor, and it chopped them all very nicely.

Heat sesame oil (which can be found in the "Asian" section of most grocery stores (even here in T-Roy) over medium heat (6 on my electric stove) until smoky. Add ginger, garlic, onions and red pepper flakes and cook until the onions become translucent and then brown. Be patient. A higher temperature will burn the ginger and garlic. Stir frequently. This process takes about 8 minutes.

Add the peanut butter, soy sauce, water, vinegar and brown sugar. Reduce heat to medium low (4 on my electric stove) and gently stir until the peanut butter melts. Continue to cook sauce, stirring frequently, on low (2 on my electric stove) while preparing the noodles.

Prepare the noodles. If you are using a semolina based pasta (spaghetti, for instance) you will need to boil the noodles. For rice noodles, you generally pour boiling water over them and allow them to soak. Either way, do it. Drain the noodles and stir the peanut sauce into them. The noodles are great warm or cold.

Cashew Green Beans
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cashews

Steam the green beans. I am personally a huge advocate (I think they should hire me to be a spokesperson) of the Ziploc Steamer Bags. You just prepare your veggies (trim and rinse) and place them in the bag. Zip it up and microwave for the amount of time listed on the bag for that particular veggie. I like my veggies crisp, so I ALWAYS reduce the cook time for 1/2 bag by about 30% regardless of how full the bag is. You can always add more time. You can not bring life back into limp broccoli, or in this case, green beans. You want them to remain crisp, because they are going to get a second cook.

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add honey and stir together. Toss cooked green beans in mixture, and saute for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle cashews on top, and serve.

This dish is sweet. The honey tastes like honey, but it is perfect with the spice of the chicken and the richness of the noodles.

Enjoy!

Fondue Feast!

2011-06-17T12:47:00.005-05:00

Last night the Cataldos enjoyed a delicious fondue feast with friends. I intended to take photos, but we were all starving and so the desire to eat eclipsed my mind and I totally forgot about pictures until we had already devoured the cheese course and were in the process of gorging ourselves on coq au vin.

We began with a traditional Swiss fondue.

Traditional Swiss Fondue
3 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 ounce cherry liqueur
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Dippers (various types of bread, green apples)

Mix cheese, flour and garlic in a bowl. In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat wine and lemon juice for until lightly boiling. Add half of the cheese and stir constantly until melted. Add the remaining cheese, and stir until melted. Stir in cherry liqueur. Add pepper and nutmeg and gently stir. Pour into a fondue pot and keep melty over low heat.

We continued with a coq au vin

Coq Au Vin
3 3/4 cups warm water
1 1/2 cups burgundy
3/4 cup thinly sliced button mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped carrot
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground pepper

Dippers, cubed (here's what I used...)
Salmon
Shrimp
Chicken Breast
Sirloin marinated in Teriyaki marinade
Beef tenderloin
Vegetables (red potatoes, button mushrooms, portobello mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash)

My fondue pot isn't small, but it isn't terribly large either. It also uses Sterno as its heat source, and we learned last time we had fondue night that the broth doesn't stay as hot as desired once the cooking begins. This time I put all of the ingredients in a crock pot. It definitely worked better, but it still had trouble keeping the broth as hot as we wanted. Regardless of the apparatus used, thread meat onto fondue fork and cook in pot until it reaches desired doneness. It does not take long at all for fish and seafood (2-3 minutes-ish), but chicken takes a bit longer (5 minutes-ish). Once cooked, dip meat and veggies into desired sauces.

Cocktail Sauce (Good for fish and shrimp - though I don't think anyone used it.)
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon lemon juice
hot pepper sauce to taste

Whisk ingredients together until blended. Cover and chill until serving.

Creamy Curry Sauce (This goes great with seafood and chicken, and we LOVE it, though it does have a bit of a kick)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup mango chutney (Major Grey's is great - AND you can get it at Kroger)
2 teaspoons minced red onion
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients together. Mix well. Cover and chill until serving, at least 2 hours.

Horseradish Sauce (This is really tasty with beef - but we didn't eat much of it)
1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 green onions, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients together. Mix well. Cover and chill until serving.

Green Goddess (Goes well with vegetables and is so good I consider it a food group)
3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup FINELY chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup FINELY chopped green onions
2 tablespoons minced white onion

Combine all ingredients together. Mix well. Cover and chill until serving.

Teriyaki Sauce (Goes well with anything. Especially delicious mixed with Gorgonzola Sauce)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
5 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/4 cup cold water

Mix all ingredients but cornstarch and 1/4 cup water together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir cornstarch into 1/4 cup water. When mixture boils, stir in cornstarch and water. Stir constantly until mixture thickens. Serve warm, or refrigerate until serving.

Gorgonzola Sauce (LOVE this one!)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1/2 tablespoon cherry brandy
1 tablespoon milk

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Finally, we ended with a milk chocolate raspberry fondue for dessert.

Milk Chocolate Raspberry Fondue
12 ounces milk chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons frangelico (raspberry liquor)

Dippers (what I used...)
Marshmallows
Fresh strawberries, bananas, and pineapple
Rice Krispies Treats
Pound cake
Cheesecake bites

Combine chocolate and cream in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring well each time, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in Frangelico. Transfer to fondue pot to keep warm.

A fun time was had by all!

Our First "I Have Time To Cook" Dinner

2011-06-14T16:24:00.006-05:00

Everyone who knows me knows I'm not a dumb girl, but if you *really* know me, you know I am technology stupid. I just missed the technology generation in both directions.

The kids just a little bit younger than me have no recollection of life before computers. We got our first computer when I was a sophomore in high school. Any time I needed to type anything in middle school, I did it at my dad's office. As a freshmen, I hand wrote my assignment and then my mom typed it. As a sophomore, though, the assignments got longer and the procrastination got fiercer, and my mom was no longer willing to type my assignments. So she bought a computer. I remember it was close to $1500, but it included Windows 95, which was brand spankin' new at the time. I could muddle my way through typing and spell checking an essay, but that was the extent of my abilities. If anything went wrong, I had to call in reinforcements.

The "kids" a little bit older than me managed to get through college and find jobs before computers infiltrated every aspect of life, so when computers were foisted on them, everyone learned together.

Me, though, I am in that generation where it is assumed that at some point I learned all about technology. The truth of the matter is, though, I still have a Walkman (one of those personal listening devices that requires 2 AA batteries and plays TAPES), my television has a tube in it, I have a collection of VHS movies I am not willing to part with but am too cheap to replace on DVD, and whenever anything electronic stops working properly, I unplug it, do a dance to the technology gods, plug it back in and hope for the best.

I mention all of this because it just took me 20 solid minutes to find the picture of tonight's dinner that I just uploaded onto my computer. (I bet you can't guess how many hours it took me how to figure out how to transfer pictures from my digital camera to my computer...)

One of the few aspects of summer that I love is that we eat well. I have time to plan, shop for, and prepare delicious meals that involve more prep work, cooking time or dishes than I am willing to dedicate during the school year.

Tonight, we had macadamia nut encrusted Mahi Mahi with a tropical fruit sauce over coconut rice. I was going to make sesame stir fried asparagus, as well, but it turns out my asparagus crossed the line from edible to gelatinous about 3 days ago. Instead, we had frozen green beans. It turned out okay, as the green beans were microwavable, which means they were cooked in a dishwasher safe dish, as opposed to the asparagus, which would have dirtied three additional dishes, plus measuring spoons.

Macadamia Nut Encrusted Mahi Mahi
1/2 cup crushed macadamia nuts
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
4 mahi mahi fillets

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup shallots, diced
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup pineapple, cubed
1/2 cup papaya, cubed
1/2 cup mango, cubed
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon corn starch in 1/4 cup fruit juice
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix bread crumbs and macadamia nuts. (I crushed my mac nuts in the food processor)

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.

Dip fish in egg and then in macadamia nut mixture (coat both sides) and saute in a skillet until brown, 3-4 minutes per side. Remove fish from skillet and place in baking dish. Set aside for about 10 minutes.

Add shallots to skillet and cook until translucent. (It took me about 20 seconds. No kidding.)

Stir in chicken broth, fruit, coconut and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer on medium-high heat for 15 minutes. At this point, put the fish in the oven for 15 minutes.

Fresh papaya is not something easily obtained in Lincoln County, MO, so I used fresh mango, but for the pineapple and papaya I used a jar of tropical fruit. I measured out 1 cup total of the tropical fruit (I think what I used had pineapple, papaya and passion fruit), as well as 1 mango. I used the juice from the canned fruit as my liquid for the cornstarch. It also adds a little sweetness to the sauce.

Mix the cornstarch into the liquid of your choice (fruit juice or water), and reduce heat to low. Continue to simmer until fish is cooked through. (Test with a fork if unsure... it should all be the same shade of white.)

Place fish on a bed of rice and spoon fruit sauce on top.

Coconut Rice
2 cups water
2 cups white rice (Jasmine if you can get it - see aforementioned note about Lincoln County)
1 tablespoon butter
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1/2 tablespoon sugar

Bring water, rice, and butter to a boil over medium high heat. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook until liquid is absorbed into rice, about 15 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and sugar. Continue to cook until coconut milk is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

*Note* The sauce never quite tasted right to me in the pan. I kept thinking it needed something. It did need something. The fish. The fish WITH the sauce was divine.

Enjoy! We certainly did.

What is wrong with my spacing?

2011-04-15T19:48:00.002-05:00

So, two posts ago, there are spaces I didn't want and in the last post, there aren't spaces I did want. Grr.

Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

1 (19.5) oz box brownie mix

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 can chocolate frosting

Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, beat brownie mix, melted butter, cream cheese, and egg until well blended. The dough will be thick and sticky.

In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar and peanut butter until well mixed.

Drop 1 tablespoon balls of dough 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. (The recipe says it should make 24 cookies, but I usually get more than that.) Press 1 teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture into the center of the chocolate dough.

Bake at 350F for 10 - 14 minutes or until edges are set. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Cool at least 30 minutes on cooling rack.

Spread a thin layer of frosting over peanut butter portion of each cooled cookie.

Alert the Media... I cooked TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW!

2011-04-13T22:16:00.011-05:00

A never ending, let's call it a challenge, in my marriage is scheduling. Neither Brad nor I work what anyone would consider a "9-5" job. Mine is closer than his though. I am required to be at school from 7:00 - 2:30, so I can run errands or make appointments in the afternoon, but in reality, I work, conservatively, about 80 hours per week when school is in session. Brad doesn't have to bring any work home, but he works from 3 am - 1 pm, Saturday - Tuesday, and frankly, that's not normal. Now, I'm hungry all of the time, but I like to eat dinner around 5:30. Unfortunately, though, I don't usually get home from work until roughly 5. And then, I have been going to water aerobics at 5, so I don't get home and changed until nearly 6:30. (If any students are reading this, I began the last sentence with "and" for rhetorical effect.) Brad goes to bed at 7, and rightfully so, does not want to eat dinner after he goes to bed, because that would be strange, and under the previously mentioned schedule, dinner won't be ready until 7:30 or 8. As a result, we eat a lot of grilled cheese. And frozen pizza. I try really hard to cook on nights that Brad doesn't have to go to bed before sunset, and yesterday and today, I actually succeeded in that effort. Yesterday for supper, we had pasta with an asiago cream sauce, salad, and bread sticks from Aldi (which are actually pretty good). Here is a photo of the salad, which contained romaine lettuce, cucumbers, provel cheese, (a local mixture of American, Swiss and Provolone cheeses... not really sure who thought that was a good idea. Brad hates it, but that's because he's from out of town) and homemade croutons. We are out of my favorite store bought dressing, Zia's, so I had Ranch, and Brad had Raspberry Vinaigrette. I know you are interested in our salad dressing choices, and that is why I share this information with you. Here is a picture of the Asiago Pasta and the Aldi breadsticks. They have the same consistency and basic flavor of crescent rolls in a tube, but overall, I would say worth the $1.84 investment.

Here is a photo of the ingredients that comprise tonight's fajitas.

... and here is a photo of the beef... right out of the skillet... see the steam!

And the final product - a tortilla sprinkled (loaded) with colby jack cheese, beef, sauteed onions, and a dollop (or two) of sour cream.

Beef Fajita Marinade

1 pound beef, thinly sliced 1/4 cup lime juice 1/3 cup water 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper In a large resealable plastic bag, or sealable container, mix together the lime juice, water, olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, salt, and liquid smoke flavoring. Stir in cayenne and black pepper. Place meat in the marinade, and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.

I use cheap flat beef. I am not sure what the cut is, but it is at Costco between the brisket and the chunks of eye of round. It looks like a giant lean steak. After marinating it overnight, I saute it in a very hot skillet with a little olive oil until it is cooked throughout. I also saute some onions and green peppers (separately, because I'm allergic to green peppers, but you could do them together). Then, I wrap them up and eat them. You can add whatever other fajita like ingredients you so desire, but really, if I have melted cheese and sour cream, I am a happy girl.

We Found the Cord! (Actually, I bought a new one...)

2011-04-02T17:41:00.008-05:00

Sopapilla Pie

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls

3/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup honey

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.

Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. (I have found that it works better to just flatten two triangles together in my hands, and then piece the four smaller rectangles together in the pan/ on top of the cream cheese.)

Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.

Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown and the center doesn't jiggle when you shake the pan a bit, between 30 and 40 minutes, depending on your oven.

Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.

There is absolutely NOTHING HEALTHY about this. It is sugar on top of fat on top of fat on top of sugar on top of fat on top of sugar. For this reason, I wouldn't recommend it every week, but it is SOOOO good. Take it to a church pot luck. Nobody cares about calories on a buffet.

Stir Fry!

2011-03-14T12:58:00.002-05:00

We lost the cord that lets us upload pictures from our digital camera to the computer, which is very sad for us. I have been remiss in updating my new recipes because I was looking for the cord and wanted to add pictures, but then I discovered I have a much wider viewership than I thought, and if I am not the only one using my blog for recipes, I would like to share my delicious new recipes, with or without pictures.

Because I am such a good wife, (laugh here!) I made my husband some stir fry so he wouldn't have to eat chili for the fifth meal in a row.

I did not try it, but it looked good, and Brad said it was yummy.

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
3 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch strips
1/4 cup sliced green onions
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon chile paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup chicken broth

Trim the broccoli, and cut into bite sized pieces. I only like the tree part, so I trim broccoli really high. Then, steam it. There are several ways to do this. My favorite way to steam veggies is using the new-ish Ziploc steamer bags. You can also put the broccoli in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, cover, and cook for about 5 five minutes. If you don't own a steamer, I highly recommend the steamer bags. I DO OWN a steamer, and I still use the Ziploc steamer bags.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the chicken, green onions, and garlic until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Stir the hoisin sauce, chile paste, and soy sauce into the skillet. Season with ginger, red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Stir in the chicken stock and simmer about 2 minutes. Mix in the steamed broccoli until coated with the sauce mixture.

Serve over rice.

New Year's Day

2011-01-08T11:48:00.003-06:00

The tradition of having my family over for soup on New Year's Day is still going strong, but thankfully, my mother has not continued her tradition of getting a speeding ticket in Moscow Mills, as she did the first New Year's she came out here for soup. This year, I made 5 soups, which we all decided was OVERKILL! However, 4 of them were delicious, and while I liked the other one pretty well, my grandma kept telling me how it was not her favorite, so I think I stopped liking it because of her influence. I also made 3 breads and two desserts. No pictures, because I am lazy, but delicious recipes...

Crab and Havarti Bisque with Dill
3 tablespoons butter
3 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs of celery, diced
3 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
4 tablespoons tomato paste
8 cups of lobster stock (if, like me, you cannot find this... I think vegetable broth is the best alternative)
1 cup sherry
1 pound crab meat
8 slices, or 1/2 pound, Havarti cheese
3 teaspoons dry mustard
2 cups heavy cream
6 dashes Worcestershire sauce
6 dashes Tabasco sauce
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes. Saute, stirring frequently for 10 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, stock, and sherry. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and simmer for 35-40 more minutes.

Remove from heat. Add the cheese and mustard. Let the cheese melt into the soup. Puree soup in the pot using a hand blender or working in batches with a regular blender until smooth. Return soup to stove. Add the crab, cream, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, dill, salt and pepper, and stir thoroughly.

Makes 10-12 servings.

Country Split Pea Soup with Bacon
3 tablespoons butter
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, sliced
8 large carrots, peeled and sliced
3 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 pound dried green split peas
10 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons dry sherry
5 dashes Tabasco sauce
12 slices bacon, cooked until crisp
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a 6-8 quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Saute for 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the split peas and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 1 hour, or until the split peas are soft and tender.

Remove from the stove. Add the sherry and Tabasco sauce. Puree the soup in the pot using a hand blender or working in batches with a regular blender until smooth. Add the bacon. Stir to combine thoroughly.

Both of these were DE-licious. I also made Beef Stew, (the recipe is already catalogued on this cite) Mushroom Soup, which I am not going to type out because it isn't as good as the others, and Potato Soup, which I can only explain how to make, but have never written down a recipe.

As far as bread, I made Parmesan garlic bread out of an Italian loaf, Corn Bread (the recipe is also already catalogued on this cite) and Beer bread.

Beer Bread
1 (12 fluid ounce can or bottle) beer
3 cups self-rising flour
3 tablespoons sugar

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and flour. Add beer and continue to mix. Batter will be sticky. Pour into a 9 x 5 inch greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees ) for 50 for 60 minutes. The top will be crunchy, but the insides will be soft. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.

For dessert, I made carrot cake and apple pie. The apple pie is already catalogued on this cite, but here's the carrot cake recipe. (It is divine!)

Carrot Cake

4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup apple sauce
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups grated carrots

1 cup pecans and 1 cup raisins (optional)

1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3-4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan or 3 eight inch round pans.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, apple sauce, pineapple, white and brown sugar and 3 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans and raisins, if you are adding them. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes for 9 x 13 inch pan or 25 minutes for 8 inch round pans, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually add sugar, and beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy and of the desired sweetness and consistency.
Frost the cooled cake. For a 9x13 inch cake, spread frosting on top. For 8 inch round cakes, place one layer of the cake on a cake platter or plate. Spread 1/3 of the icing on top of the layer. Place a second layer on top of the first iced layer. Spread 1/3 of the icing on top of this layer. Place the final layer on top. Spread the remaining 1/3 of the icing on top of the final layer. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Indian Night at The Cataldo's

2010-11-24T12:01:00.002-06:00

Chicken Tikki Masala
1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala (or if unavailable, ground cinnamon)
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, garam masala, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375. Place chicken a cookie sheet, and discard marinade. Bake 10 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and salt. Stir in tomato paste and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Some More Recipes With No Pictures

2010-11-24T11:32:00.003-06:00

Zucchini Bread
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Zucchini Brownies
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired (which I don't!)

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup margarine
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when gently touched.

To make the frosting, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners' sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.

Banana Pudding Cake
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant banana or vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup mashed bananas

2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 dash vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.

In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in eggs, water, oil and mashed banana. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in a preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

To make glaze: In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and of a drizzling consistency. When cake is cooled, drizzle icing over cake with a zigzag motion. Sprinkle chopped nuts over wet icing if desired.

Overnight French Toast Bake
1 loaf Italian or French
1 1/2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup fresh blueberries
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
3 tablespoons maple syrup

3/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon butter

Lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking dish. Arrange 2/3 the bread cubes in the dish. Beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla with a mixer until smooth. Spread evenly over bread cubes. Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes.

In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, remaining vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cover, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes, until center is firm and surface is lightly browned.

In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 cup blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Stir in the butter, and pour over the baked French toast.

No Pictures, But Lots of Great Recipes!

2010-11-24T09:24:00.002-06:00

I have made lots of really delicious food lately, but I have not posted any of the recipes because I have not been taking and/or uploading pictures. Because I use my blog as a keeper of recipes I like, I realized I should type them in so if nothing else, *I* have a record of them. So, if you are following along, I apologize for the lack of pictures, but the following recipes are all fantastic, and you should try them. I will try to be better about the photos in the future.

I will begin with last night's dinner.

Leslie's Amazingly Delicious Chicken Enchiladas (Recipe Courtesy of my dear friend Leslie)
5 cups cooked, diced chicken
4 cups shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
2 cans Old El Paso Green Chili Enchilada Sauce
1 can evaporated milk
10 tortillas

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Mix enchilada sauce and evaporated milk together in a large bowl. Dip one tortilla into liquid mixture to coat. Place 1/2 cup chicken and 1/4 cup cheese in the tortilla, and roll. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour remaining liquid over the enchiladas, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream, guacamole and black olives.

Spanish Rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 chopped onion
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies (such as rotel)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt

Heat oil in a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat. Saute rice, onion, and bell pepper until rice is browned and onions are tender.

Stir in water and tomatoes. Season with chili powder, cumin and salt. Cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.

Guacamole (My cousin Jamie's recipe... at least the way I remember it)
2 ripe avocados
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper (without seeds), chopped
zest and juice of one lime
salt to taste

Mash avocados with fork until well squashed (yes, that is a technical term). Add remaining ingredients and stir. Add more of any ingredients to taste.

Ultimate Caramel Pecan Pie
3 cups chopped Pecans, divided
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 pkg. (14 oz.) KRAFT Caramels
2/3 cup whipping cream, divided
1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, or 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix 2 cups chopped pecans with granulated sugar and butter; press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate. Bake 12 to 15 min. or until lightly browned. (If crust puffs up during baking, gently press down with back of spoon.) Cool completely.

Microwave caramels and 1/3 cup whipping cream in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2-1/2 to 3 minutes, or until caramels are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each minute. Pour into crust.

Chop remaining nuts; sprinkle over caramel layer.

Cook chocolate, remaining whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in saucepan on low heat just until chocolate is completely melted, stirring constantly. Pour over pie; spread to cover top of pie. Refrigerate 2 hours.

When trying to cut this pie, run a SHARP knife under HOT water. It will make it a lot easier. Also, 1/16 of the pie is the perfect sized slice. It is RICH!

Broccoli Salad!!!

2010-06-26T19:53:00.003-05:00

It was an ordinary Tuesday. Bratwurst night. On the menu, I had listed mac and cheese, and broccoli salad. I had never tried the broccoli salad recipe before, and feared I would not like it, but had high hopes. I wanted to like it. It was nice and cool for summer, healthy... I am trying to incorporate more side dishes into my repertoire, though, so I was giving it a shot. Who knew this broccoli salad would become my new favorite summer recipe? I have made it three times since my initial discovery. It is so good! (Also that night we had BBQ ed Brats and a box of mac 'n cheese from Aldi. The broccoli salad clearly stole the show, and, incidentally, took the most effort.)

Broccoli Salad

Sweet-Hot Pecans:
4 teaspoons sugar
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/2 cup pecan halves, broken into coarse pieces

Dressing:
2 (6 oz.) containers Orange yogurt
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Salad:
5 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 medium mangoes
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

Lightly spray a small skillet with cooking spray. Add sugar and pepper; mix well. Stir in pecans. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar mixture is melted and pecans are coated. Remove from heat. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, mix all dressing ingredients together until smooth.

Mix all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing and cooled pecans. Toss gently. Store in the refrigerator.

My New Favorite Spicy Dish

2010-06-19T13:44:00.003-05:00

Sadly, the restaurant Brad and I frequented for the most delicious hot wings and blue cheese dipping sauce went out of business. I wish we'd known they were in trouble, or we would've gladly visited the establishment daily. Unfortunately, though, now we have no outlet for our hot wing desires. I make a hot wing dip that is all the rage among my coworkers, but it has even less nutritional value than actual hot wings, and since you have to eat it with chips, it doesn't feel like dinner. Occassionally, I will grill some chicken breasts and coat them with Syberg's Wing Sauce (The BEST wing sauce, in my opinion ), but again, it just isn't the same. In my effort to satiate our hot wing desires, I created this recipe. Hot Wing Lasagna. It was REALLY delicious, but does not quell my lust for Seamus McDaniels's wings. Luckily, the Muny opens next week, and we will be across the street from the original location once per week where we can consume wings and blue cheese to our little hearts' desires just before sitting outside for three hours in the 80+ degree weather with 90% humidity!

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

1 package oven ready lasagna noodles

1 jar Alfredo sauce (I used the Priano brand from Aldi)

1 tablespoon olive or other vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (8 oz) package mushrooms
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1/2 -3/4 cup hot sauce, to taste (I used Frank's Red Hot)

2 cups ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 - 2 cups blue cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Add olive oil to a preheated skillet. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms and chicken. Saute until onions and mushrooms are limp, and chicken is thoroughly cooked. Add hot sauce. The mixture will be a bit liquidy.

In a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese and egg together.

Heat oven to 375 F.

Spray a 11 x 7 inch pan or an 8x8 inch pan with cooking spray. Pour a little less than half of the Alfredo sauce in the bottom of the pan, and spread evenly. Lay 3 lasagna noodles across the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/2 of the ricotta/ egg mixture over the noodles. Spread 1/2 of the chicken mixture over the ricotta. Sprinkle 1/2 of the blue cheese over the chicken mixture. Sprinkle 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese over the blue cheese. Layer 3 additional lasagna noodles over the mozzarella cheese, followed by the remaining ricotta mixture, the remaining chicken mixture, the remaining blue cheese, and 2/3 cup mozzarella. Layer 3 final lasagna noodles. Spread remaining Alfredo sauce evenly over the top of the noodles. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil, and bake in preheated over for 60 minutes. After 60 minutes, unwrap the lasagna. If the top appears dry, add a small amount (a tablespoon or two) of water or milk. Then, return lasagna, uncovered, to the oven for 10 minutes or until cheese on top is melted and bubbly. Enjoy! (I certainly did!)

If I were to make this in a 13X7 inch pan, I would obviously use more lasagna noodles, but I think I would adjust in the following manner: 2 jars Alfredo sauce, 4 garlic cloves, 2 packages of mushrooms, 1 -1/2 cups hot sauce, 4 chicken breasts, 4 cups mozzarella and 2 cups blue cheese. I would not add any more ricotta, egg, or onion. You can also leave the blue cheese out altogether if you do not care for blue cheese. I, however LOVE blue cheese.

This delicious cobbler was super easy to make. I used 2 cups strawberries and 1/2 cup each of blackberries and raspberries, but you could also use blueberries, apples, peaches, or nectarines.

Triple Berry Cobbler

3 cups mixed berries
4 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon sugar

Prepare an 8 or 9 inch pan by spraying with cooking spray.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt. Add milk; whisk to form a smooth batter. Pour batter into pan, then scatter fruit over batter. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Bake until batter browns and fruit bubbles, 50 to 60 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Shish Kababs and Fruit Salad... Yummy Yummy...

2010-06-19T12:52:00.004-05:00

The photo below makes me think I need to create a staging area for my photos. You can tell by the junk in the background I had just made my quarterly trip to Wal-Mart for razors and Q-Tips and carpet cleaner, and all that stuff you wonder how the cavemen lived without.

On this evening, I had eaten supper with my parents at a delicious restaurant called Gulf Shores, but I had promised Brad I'd cook him dinner, so at eleven at night, I am outside, by soft glow of the streetlight and the light emanating from the open garage door behind me, trying to grill shish kabobs. I honestly do not know how they turned out, because I didn't eat any of them, but Brad ate what I gave him, and then took the leftovers for lunch for three days, so I am guessing they were yummy.

Bacon-Wrapped Marinated Chicken Shish Kabobs (From Allrecipes)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
10 large mushrooms, cut in half
2 green onions, minced
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
1/2 pound sliced thick cut bacon, cut in half
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained

In a large bowl, mix the soy sauce, cider vinegar, honey, canola oil, and green onions. Place the mushrooms and chicken into the mixture, and stir to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.

Preheat grill for high heat.

Wrap the chicken chunks with bacon, and thread onto skewers so that the bacon is secured. Alternate with mushroom halves and pineapple chunks.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Arrange skewers on the prepared grill. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, brushing occasionally with remaining soy sauce mixture, until bacon is crisp and chicken juices run clear.

With this, I also made a Noodle-Roni Pasta Pouch of Terryaki Noodles, and a light and delicious fresh fruit salad.

Fruited Jicama Salad
Dressing:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

Salad:
1 cup peeled jicama strips
1 medium apple, unpeeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 (8 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained

In a small container with a tight fitting lid, shake all dressing ingredients together. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix all salad ingredients. Pour dressing over salad; toss lightly to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

This was a nice, fresh, light treat. The dressing prevents the apples from browning, so the salad stays delicious for about 3 days. 1 cup of peeled jicama strips is about 1/3 of the jicama, though, so I would recommend looking up other jicama recipes as not to waste the remainder of the ... vegetable. I think it is a vegetable. We are going to go with vegetable.

Ribs!

2010-06-11T12:59:00.003-05:00

I have perfected my dry rub. So far, I have only used it on ribs, but I think it would be good on Chicken and Pork, as well. The following recipe makes enough rub for 4 slabs of ribs.

Adrienne's Dry Rub for Ribs

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup seasoned salt
2 tablespoons finely ground pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Place all ingredients in ziplock bag or a container with a lid. Shake to mix well. Generously rub on both sides of full racks of ribs. (The moisture of the meat will mix with the rub, so when you are finished, it will no longer look "dry.")

Allow ribs to sit while preparing the grill. Heat a gas grill to medium. When grill is hot, begin cooking ribs. Place one rack of ribs in the center of main grill rack. Cook for 5 minutes, meatiest side down. Then, move the ribs to the far side of the top grill rack, meatiest side up. Repeat for the remaining racks of ribs. Angle the ribs on the top grill shelf so the meatiest sides are facing out and they are stacked, one in front of the other at an angle. Turn off the heat of the burner directly below the ribs. Turn the other burner to low. Close the grill lid. In 30 minutes, move the position of the ribs. Flip each rack over, so the side closet to the flame is now farthest away from the flame, with the meatiest side still facing forward, and the rack that was in the front is now in the back. Continue to flip every 30 minutes until the outsides are crispy and the meat is tender. (approximately 3 1/2 hours for baby back ribs, 5 hours for spare ribs). Slice into smaller chunks and serve.

I served it with roasted potatoes and garlic. Brad doesn't like potatoes, and he loved these so much, he asked for them two days in a row.

Roasted New Potatoes and Garlic (From Pioneer Woman)

20 whole Small To Medium New Potatoes
5 whole Heads Of Garlic
⅓ to 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
⅓ to 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
Kosher Salt To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste

Quarter new potatoes and set on a large rimmed baking sheet. Lop off the very top of each garlic head and arrange throughout the potatoes. Drizzle olive oil over the tops of the garlic and all over potatoes; do the same with the wine.

Generously season the potatoes and garlic with salt and pepper. Toss potatoes to coat. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes until nice and golden.

I'm Back!

2010-06-11T12:57:00.003-05:00

I don't know if anyone still reads this, especially because I had pretty much abandoned my blog for about a year, but I am back, now. It was a rough school year, but now it is summer, and I am going to try new recipes and cook for my husband. I have some new recipes and a few photos to post, so stay tuned!

Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Summer Gone?

2009-07-29T00:01:00.000-05:00

Oh where... oh where could it be?

Every year, my summer seems to play out in much the same manner. Right after Easter, when there are no more non weekend days off until the end of the school year, I start daydreaming about summer. I imagine the productive days and the relaxing evenings. I think of all of the organizing I will get done around the house, all of the fabulous meals I will make, the projects I will finish, the daily trips to the gym to work-out... And then the end of the school year comes, and I spend about a week *not* doing any of those things because I need time to decompress... And then suddenly it is the fourth of July, and I think, "I need to get on it... Summer is half over..." and then it is August and I have achieved nothing... And now I need to get ready to go back to work, convinced NEXT winter I will be able to park in my garage... really, I will...

Here is how this summer has played out thus far...

May 29: The kids' last day of school
June 1: My last day of school
June 2: My future in-laws arrive
June 3-5: folding programs, making cookies, finishing touches for wedding, doing laundry, packing, preparing the house for our 2 week absence.
June 6: 4 pm My wedding, followed by the reception
June 7: leave for honeymoon at 6:15 am (not optimal, I know... long story...)
June 8-16: Honeymoon
June 17-21: Doing laundry, dealing with mail, writing Thank-you notes
June 22: My 30th birthday
June 24 - July 15: Teaching summer school (Gotta pay for that honeymoon somehow!)
July 20 - 24: Summer Institute to teach AP English (Fabulous information ... 3 hours of commuting per day and lots of homework...)
July 24: Board a plane to Houston to visit family
July 27: Board a plane to meet up with husband in Ft. Lauderdale for a mini trip

... and so here I am... July 28, wondering where my summer has gone. It has not been bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it has been busy, and it has been work intensive, and I go back to work on August 10. As I have never taught ANY of the three courses I am teaching next year, I should probably figure out what is going on with that, and so again I say... NEXT winter I will be able to park in my garage... Really. I will...

Fourth Of July

2009-07-16T14:33:00.008-05:00

I desperately wanted someone to invite us to a BBQ for the fourth of July. I really wanted a grilled brat. Normally, we have several invitations, and this year... none. It was supposed to rain, so my aunt wasn't having anything. My friends were all busy or out of town. My mom offered to throw something together for us, and while I greatly appreciated it, she lives about an hour away, and Brad had to work at 4:30 am the next day. At about 8:30 on July 3, one of Brad's buddies called and invited us to come watch the fireworks from his front porch. We declined because Brad had to work at 4:30 am the next day. I asked him to call back, though, and tell him that I would bring all of the sides if he would BBQ me a brat. He declared he was up to the challenge. He grilled me a brat, and in exchange, I made baked beans, potato salad, marinated tomatoes and mushrooms, deviled eggs, Sangria and fruit pizza. It worked out well for all parties involved, I think. Why didn't we just barbecue our own brats, you ask? Our grill is currently buried in the garage. Grr.

Baked Beans
6 slices bacon, cut into one inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large can baked beans (I used Bush's Original, because that is what was on sale at Wal-Mart)

Pour can of baked beans into a slow cooker, set to medium or high (depending on what choices you have) heat. Add brown sugar, stir, and cover.

Place the bacon pieces in a skillet over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. When bacon is browned and crispy, remove from the grease using a slotted spoon and stir it into the baked bean mixture. Add onions to the skillet with bacon grease, (turn down to medium heat) stirring frequently. When they are lightly browned, remove them from the grease using a slotted spoon, and stir them into the bean mixture. Heat baked beans in the slow cooker for 2 - 12 hours. (The longer they cook, the "smokier" they taste, but they are still really good after 2 hours.)

Byrdhouse Marinated Tomatoes and Mushrooms (from allrecipes.com)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, vegetable oil, sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl; add the tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and basil; toss until evenly coated. Cover and chill in refrigerator at least 3 hours. Stir before serving.

The flavor of this dish was really good, but the texture of the experience weirded me out a bit. Next time I make it, I am going to use it to dress a lettuce salad. It would add the dressing, and the tomatoes and mushrooms and green onions, which I would add anyway. I think it will be AMAZING.

Sweet Potato Salad
2 red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/3 cup sliced green onion

Heat a large pot of well salted water to boil. When barely boiling, place the red potatoes in the pot, and bring back to boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 2 minutes. Add sweet potatoes; return to a boil. Cook 8-10 minutes longer or until potatoes are fork-tender.

In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Drain potatoes; add to vinegar mixture and stir gently to coat. Cool.

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and milk. Stir in the celery and onion. Gently stir into cooled potato mixture. Cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

I don't have anything resembling a deviled egg recipe you could follow, so I will just show you the picture. I put mayo, Dijon mustard and pickle relish in them, but I just sort of eye the amounts.

Sangria
1 bottle dry red wine
1 tablespoon sugar
Juice of 1 large orange
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 large orange, sliced thin crosswise
1 large lemon, sliced thin crosswise
2 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks

8 oz. cold club soda

Slice fruit and place it at the bottom of pitcher. Pour juice from lemon and orange over fruit. Sprinkle sugar on top. Pour wine over the entire mixture, and gently stir to mix the flavors. Cover, and refrigerate over night. Just before drinking, add the club soda, and stir gently.

Brad got into the fruit pizza before I could take a photo, which I think in and of itself is a testament to how incredibly delicious this dessert is.

Fruit Pizza

1 (18 ounce) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups fresh fruit (I used strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, but any fruit that doesn't brown easily works great. In the past I've also used raspberries, kiwi and peaches.)

1/2 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 F. Arrange cookie dough on greased pizza pan, and press dough flat into pan, no closer than about 1/2 inch from the side of the pan. (The dough will expand upon baking. Don't push it all the way to the edges, or it will bake over.) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, stir together cream cheese, whipped topping and vanilla. Spread over cooled crust. Then, add gently press fruit into mixture. Chill in refrigerator until ready to apply sauce.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, salt, corn starch, orange juice, lemon juice and water. Cook and stir over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat, and add grated orange rind. Allow to cool for 10 - 15 minutes. Spoon over fruit. Chill for two hours, then cut into wedges and serve.

Friday Night's Ode to the Irish

2009-07-05T12:02:00.008-05:00

Friday night I made the first really nice dinner I have cooked since Brad and I got home from our honeymoon two weeks ago. It began with...

Pears with Cashel Blue Cream and Walnuts
4 oz. cream cheese
3 oz. Cashel Blue Cheese (I used whatever they sell at Aldi, and it was still delicious)
2 Tablespoons light cream
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
6 ripe pears
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Mixed salad greens
6 cherry tomatoes
salt and pepper

Dressing:
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
generous pinch of sugar
4 tablespoons olive oil

Mix cream cheese and blue cheese together in a small mixing bowl with a generous grinding of black pepper (1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon). Add cream, and stir. Add 1/4 cup chopped walnuts and incorporate well. Cover and chill until needed.

Peel and halve pears and scoop out the core. Place them in a bowl of water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to prevent them from browning. To make dressing, whisk all dressing ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange a bed of lettuce on each of six salad plates. Place one tomato on each salad plate and sprinkle with remaining walnuts.

Drain pears well, and pat dry with a paper towel. Dip the pears halves in the dressing, and then set in the middle of the salad greens, hollowed side up. Divide the blue cheese mixture into sixths, and scoop it into the pears. Spoon dressing over the salads and serve.

Next, we had...

Pan Fried Gaelic Steaks
4 (8-12 oz) sirloin steaks
1 teaspoon oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup Irish Whiskey
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper

Dry the steaks with paper towels and season with pepper. Heat a heavy pan over high heat. When it is very hot, add oil and butter. When the butter is bubbling, add the steaks one at a time. Lower heat to medium. Thicker steaks will require more cooking time than thinner ones. Turn over half way through cooking time: for rare cook 3-4 minute, for medium cook 4-5 minutes, for well cook 5-6 minutes. To confirm, press gently in the center of the meat. If it is soft, it is rare. When there is some resistance, but the meat underneath feels soft, it is medium, and when it feels firm it is well done. (I bought my steaks at Costco, so they were about 2 inches thick. It took about 7 minutes per side to get them medium rare... I also cheat and use a meat thermometer to check the temperature.)

When steaks are properly prepared, remove them from the stove, place them on a plate, and loosely cover with foil to keep warm. Remove any excess fat drippings from the skillet. Saute garlic for about a minute. Add whiskey and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any sediment from cooking the steaks. Allow the liquid to reduce a little, then add the cream. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until mixture thickens a bit. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve next to or over the steaks.

Accompanied by...

Potato Cakes
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled (I used 3 large)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
salt

Boil potatoes in a large pot of water until tender, then drain well and mash. Salt well, the mix in the butter and allow to cool a bit.

Knead the flour (or as much as is needed to create a pliable dough). Roll to about 1/2 inch thick, and cut into triangles (or the shape of your choice, I suppose...)

Heat a griddle or heavy frying pan over low heat. Melt a small amount of butter in the pan. Cook the potato cakes for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Serve with butter or sugar.

This entire meal was fabulous. This was the first nice meal I made after Brad and I returned from our honeymoon, and it was SOO good. I would highly recommend any or all of these recipes.

Week 1 - Wednesday

2009-07-05T11:52:00.002-05:00

Cilantro-Lime Pork Roll-Ups with Caramelized Onions

2 teaspoons grated lime peel
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless pork loin chops or tenderloin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 small onions thinly sliced
1 (16 oz.) can fat free refried beans
1 (11.5 oz) package flour tortillas for burritos (8 tortillas)
2 cups finely shredded pepper Jack or Monterrey Jack cheese
1 to 1/2 cups chunky salsa
1 (8 oz) container sour cream

In a large resealable Ziploc bag, mix lime peel, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon oil. Add pork; seal bag and turn to coat with lime marinade. Refrigerate 30 minutes to 2 hours.

In a medium - large sized skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onions; cook 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions turn golden brown. Remove onions from skillet; keep warm.

Heat oven to 375 F. Remove pork from marinade; drain pork on paper towels to remove excess moisture. Discard Marinade.

In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 5 - 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink in the center. Remove skillet from heat; set aside.
Spray a 13 x 9 inch pan with non stick cooking spray.

To assemble, spoon t tablespoons beans down center of each tortilla. Top with pork, onions and cheese. Roll up tortillas; place seam sides down in baking dish.

Bake uncovered 18 - 24 minutes or until edges of tortillas are golden brown. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

These were really quite delicious. There are a couple of changes I will make when I make them again, and I WILL make them again. First, I am going to leave out the beans. The flavor of the beans doesn't quite go with the rest of the dish, I don't think. (I also don't love beans. If you are a lover of beans, I am sure you will enjoy them immensely.)

Second, I will either double the recipe, or use smaller tortillas. I guess I used tortillas that were too big, because the recipe only made 4 roll ups for me. I cut them in half and had 8 smaller ones, which is really all we needed, but If I needed 8 large tortillas worth of roll-ups, doubling the filling would be in order.

Finally, I did not think it needed salsa or sour cream at all, and that is saying quite a lot because I am addicted to sour cream. It is a food group for me. I put it on anything with melted cheese... except pizza, but that is only because I didn't think of it until now.... Maybe I'll try that. Anyway, I scooped the sour cream out of the container and onto my plate because by golly it called for sour cream, so I was going to use it. It didn't need sour cream. It was so delicious just by itself, that I didn't use ANY sour cream after the initial bite. In case you haven't been paying attention up to this point... The Cilantro Lime Pork Roll-Ups with Caramelized Onions are DYNAMITE!

Note: Brad and I ate the leftovers on Friday for lunch. I sprinkled a little extra jack cheese on top and microwaved until melted. Then, I topped the hot roll-ups with a dollop of sour cream and some chunky salsa. It was dynamite this way, as well.

Day 1 of The Cookbook Challenge

2009-07-03T11:44:00.009-05:00

Okay, so I would really like to post my recipes daily, but I am teaching this pesky summer school class and between teaching it and planning for it, and taking my requisite daily nap in the summer, I don't seem to have as much time as I would like.

On Sunday, I made sloppy joes from the church cookbook, onions straws from Pioneer Woman's website and a Creamy Mojito Pie from the Bake-off Cookbook.

Sloppy Joes
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon vinegar

Cook and drain ground beef. Combine ketchup, water, lemon juice, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Stir until all ingredients are combined. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in meat.

The recipe as written also called for a teaspoon of salt. I added it, and found it to be overkill, so I am leaving it out of the recipe here. I also simmered the sauce for closer to 30 minutes, and then simmered the meat in the sauce for probably close to 30 minutes, too - not because it needed it, but because I was preparing the onion straws during that time period. I had not had sloppy joes in years, and these were delicious.

Here is the link to the onion straws recipe on Pioneer Woman's website...

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/03/onion-strings-oh-yeah-baby/

I followed her recipe exactly. These were work intensive, but really good.

I also made a dipping sauce for the onion straws, which was REALLY YUMMY.

Dipping Sauce for Onion Straws

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoons cream-style horseradish sauce
1/3 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pinch ground black pepper
1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use.

The pie LOOKED and SMELLED delicious. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try any. I made it for Brad because he has recently become obsessed with the Mojito. He never ate any of it though, and so it sat, unloved, in my fridge for two days. I decided to give it a better life than I could provide and pawned it off on one of my friends. She said it has so far been a big hit among her family.

Creamy Mojito Pie
Crust:
1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box

Filling:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup whole or 2% milk
1 (4 serving size) box vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 cup frozen (thawed) limeade concentrate
1 1/2 teaspoons rum extract

Topping:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon mint extract

Heat oven to 450F. Make pie crust as directed on box for One-Crust Baked Shell using a 9-inch glass pie plate. Bake 10 - 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely on a cooling rack, about 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on low speed until creamy. Add remaining filling ingredients; beat on low speed about 30 seconds or until blended. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until thickened and creamy.

Spoon filling evenly into pie crust; refrigerate while making topping.

In same bowl, beat topping ingredients on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Spread topping evenly over filling. Refrigerate 1 hour or until set.

On Monday and Tuesday, I ate leftover sloppy joes for lunch and dinner. On Wednesday night I made Cilantro-Lime Pork Roll-Ups with Caramelized Onions from the Bake-Off cookbook. I was unable to take a picture because I could not get my camera to recognize the new memory card I put in there. I still can't, but I figured out how to use the internal memory it has, so I have pictures of last night's dinner.

Everyone Needs A Challenge...

2009-07-02T22:56:00.002-05:00

Last summer began the "Clean out My Freezer and Pantry Challenge of 2008." As you recall, I only bought fresh produce and dairy for just over 3 months as I used up my canned goods and deep freeze items which had reached survivalist proportions. We are not just talking surviving a hurricane or a earthquake... we are talking full on End of Days Nuclear Proliferation survivalist here. (Hence the three months of buying neither meat nor pantry items...)

I got that mess under control. My freezer is full again, but that has more to do with logistics. I live in Podunk middle of nowhere rural Missouri, so I tend to buy meat in bulk at Costco and freeze it. I have, however, made sure I don't have too much of any one item. I have *some* ground beef. I have *some* chicken. I have *a* brisket.

This summer, I have decided to tackle my cookbook collection. Cookbooks take up 15 - 20% of the shelf space in my library. Some of them are well loved and some of them have never been utilized. This summer, I am going to choose 5 cookbooks at random each week, and am going to try to make as many recipes as possible from those five cookbooks that week. If I come across a cookbook that has NOTHING I have any desire to make, it gets the boot. I will find it a home with someone who will appreciate it more than I will. Here is a photo of the cookbooks I chose this week.

This week, I grabbed the Sweet Serendipity cookbook as one of my original 5. The only recipes in this cookbook are fancy desserts. I have NO REASON to make a fancy dessert this week. I decided, though, that since I've used it before and will use it again, it doesn't get the boot. I just grabbed another cookbook instead, and will utilize Sweet Serendipity next time I need a fancy dessert. Stay tuned for pictures and recipes of this exciting new challenge.

Smoky Mountain Chipotle Chicken

2009-05-09T11:55:00.007-05:00

Smoky Mountain Chipotle Chicken

1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, grated
1/4 cup bourbon
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons seasoned salt
1 red onion, sliced thickly
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 slices provolone cheese

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in the bourbon, and simmer for 4 minutes.

Pour in the cider vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, minced chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes. Pour sauce into a bowl, and refrigerate until no longer hot, about 30 minutes.

Season chicken breasts with seasoned salt, and place into a shallow glass dish. Pour all but 1 cup of the cooled sauce over the chicken breasts, and turn to coat. Refrigerate remaining sauce.

Cover the chicken and refrigerate 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Leaving a thick coat of marinade sauce on the chicken, move it to a baking dish. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and juices run clear.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat in a small skillet. Add onion, and saute about 5 minutes, or until onion begins to get soft.

Remove chicken from oven. Place red onion rings on top of chicken, and a slice of provolone cheese on top of onions. Return to oven for no more than 5 minutes to allow cheese to melt.

Creamed Corn
1 ½ tablespoons butter
1½ tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups fresh or frozen whole kernel corn

Melt butter in heavy saucepan; add flour and salt, stirring to blend. Slowly add whipping cream, stirring constantly until thickened. Add sugar and corn, heat thoroughly. For Au Gratin, place corn in a 9 or 10 inch shallow casserole dish; sprinkle with ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and brown under broiler.

This is a lovely picture of the whole meal. I think the mystery product in the lower right hand corner is instant mashed potatoes. I would never serve them to guests, but I have been rocking out the instant mashed potatoes lately. They are SO EASY, and since I slather them with butter and sour cream anyway, you can't hardly tell they are instant.

Orange Beef

2009-05-09T11:40:00.005-05:00

Orange Beef

1 1/2 pounds beef top sirloin, thinly sliced
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 cup long grain rice
2 cups water
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons orange zest
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
8 broccoli florets, lightly steamed or blanched
1/4 cup vegetable, peanut or olive oil

Lay beef strips out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Allow to dry in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, rice vinegar, orange juice concentrate, salt and soy sauce. Set aside.

Meanwhile, combine rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Add more water at the end if necessary.

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Toss dried beef in cornstarch to coat. Fry in the hot oil in small batches until crispy and golden brown; set aside. Drain all of the oil except about 1 tablespoon.

Add orange zest, ginger and garlic to the remaining oil, and cook briefly until fragrant. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok, bring to a boil, and cook until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Add beef, and heat through, stirring to coat. Serve immediately over steamed rice, and garnish with broccoli.

Dinner with Javier (The Crazy Peruvian Houseguest)

2009-05-09T10:40:00.008-05:00

Pan Seared Tilapia with Boursin

tilapia Fillets

lemon juice

1 cup bread crumbs

boursin cheese

olive oil

Place bread crumbs on plate or in a pie plate. Heat olive oil (about 1 tablespoon per fillet) in a large skillet on medium high heat. Lightly brush both sides of each piece of fish with lemon juice. Then, place press fish into bread crumbs. Flip fish over to coat the other side with crumbs, and place the fish in the skillet. Repeat with any remaining fish. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness of fish. The fish should be uniform in color, and flake when tested with a fork.

When fish is cooked, remove skillet from heat. Add Boursin cheese to the top, and serve.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size florets (about 8 cups)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper on a baking sheet; sprinkle with the salt and thyme and toss again. Roast until golden and tender, about 20 minutes.

Sauteed Garlic Spinach

1 1/2 pounds baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Lemon
Sea or kosher salt, optional

In a very large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, but NOT browned. Add the spinach, the salt, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, cover the pot, and cook it for 2 minutes. Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring until all the spinach is wilted. Using a slotted spoon, lift the spinach to a serving bowl and top with the butter, a squeeze of lemon, and a pinch of sea or kosher salt.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fry shape

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher or sea salt

Pepper

Preheat oven to 425 F. Place sweet potato fries on a baking sheet. Evenly drizzle olive oil over fries, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.

Moons over My Hammy

2009-03-31T19:38:00.006-05:00

Technically Mondays are Brad's night to cook. Brad ACTUALLY cooks about 1 out of every 10 Mondays. Two Mondays ago he made Chicken Picatta. It was delicious. It is disturbing that we stock all of the ingredients one needs to make Chicken Picatta, but we do. Last Monday I think he had frozen pizza. I was dining at the delicious Emperor's Palace for family Girl's Night. Yesterday was a prime example of what normally happens on Monday, though...

Sometime on Sunday, I receive a text inquiring as to what I want for supper the following night. Sometimes I suggest something, sometimes I mention a particular product that needs to be used, sometimes I say something utterly brilliant and helpful, like "dunno." Around 3 pm on Monday, I usually get this text: "I am uninspired." When I arrive home 1-6 hours later, depending on what I have going on, either *I* cook something, or we go out. How did this play out this week? On Sunday afternoon, I got a text. "What do you want me to make you for dinner tomorrow?" I responded, "Biscuits and gravy, because I already have the sausage thawed." At 2 pm on Monday, I got a text. "You might have to help me make the gravy." My response. "You don't know how to make gravy?" Wait for it... Wait for it... "Not if it isn't premade."

I guess I am making dinner.

I didn't feel good, though. I got home and just wanted to lounge on the sofa. I did, too, successfully. I kept saying I would make dinner, but I didn't, and I didn't. Then, a Denny's commercial came on TV. The Original Grand Slam breakfast for $3.99. "Do you want to go to Denny's?" Brad asked, "I'll drive." SOLD.

Unfortunately, though, the $3.99 Grand Slam is only available Monday - Friday, 6 am - 4 pm. I got the Moons Over My Hammy.... mostly because I like to say Moons Over My Hammy. Brad got the Lumberjack Breakfast. I ate his pancakes.

Brad might not ever cook on "his night," but I'm not perfect either. This first photo is of my entertainment center. Notice the matching Christmas Ornament Trees on either side of the candle holder? Yeah. I forgot to take them down when I finally took down my Christmas decorations the first week in FEBRUARY. Now, almost April, the ornament trees remain firmly planted atop the entertainment center. I figure I'll take them down before my in-laws get here for my wedding... in June. Hopefully by that point we will also have removed the dead Christmas tree from the side of the house. I am sure my neighbors have called into some morning radio show to complain about us.

We still needed to use the sausage, though, so we had biscuits and gravy tonight.

Biscuits
2 1/4 cup Bisquick baking mix
2/3 cup 2% milk

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Mix together mix and milk until thoroughly combined. Spread 1/2 cup Bisquick on a clean dry surface. Place dough in the middle. Knead dough 20 times. Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut biscuits out of dough. Place biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until golden brown. (This recipe is also on the side of the box. You really don't need me to tell you what it is...)

Sausage Gravy

1 pound sausage

1/4 cup flour

2 cups 2% milk

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet on medium heat, saute sausage until cooked throughout. Crumble. Add flour, and stir until sausage and flour are combined. Add milk. Increase heat to medium-high. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook over medium high heat until sauce thickens. Reduce heat to low until ready to serve.

Hash Brown Casserole

1 medium onion, chopped

Olive oil

1 stick butter or margarine

1 cup sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

2 pounds frozen hash browns, thawed

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a small skillet on medium heat, saute onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until onion begins to brown. Meanwhile, melt butter or margarine in a large bowl. Stir in sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, pepper, salts and cheddar cheese. Add onions. Add hash browns and mix well.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread mixture into pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Here is a picture of the biscuits and gravy, along with hash brown casserole, and some mediocre scrambled eggs. How does one make a mediocre scrambled egg? Beats me. I did what I always do, but this time they seemed bland. Also, it is a good darned thing my plates are colorful, because that is the most "yellow" meal ever. It needs something green, or perhaps orange.

Chicken Tetrazzini

2009-03-29T16:04:00.002-05:00

Chicken Tetrazzini

5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk, room temperature
1 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 ounces linguine
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 cups grated cheese (mozzarella, provel, provolone or some combination therein)
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Generously spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a deep large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until pale golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly. Coarsely shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil to the same pan. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms become pale golden, about 12 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chicken.

Melt 3 more tablespoons butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, cream, broth, nutmeg, remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase the heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add 2 cups of cheese.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Drain. Add the linguine peas, and parsley to the chicken mixture. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Pour sauce over mixture. Stir a bit so sauce coats the the mixture and is blended.

Stir the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the pasta. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes.

Today's Chocolate Cake

2009-03-25T18:39:00.005-05:00

Amazing Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Mousse Filling and Ganache Frosting

Cake
1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water

Filling

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced

1/3 cup strawberry preserves

Ganache Frosting

1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

6 tablespoons butter (DO NOT USE MARGARINE)

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease and flour 3 8 inch cake pans.

In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Pour equal portions of batter into each cake pan.

Bake according to cake mix package directions for 8 inch cake pans, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least 20 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack. Cool thoroughly before assembling.

In a medium sized bowl, combine sliced strawberries and preserves. Fold to combine.

In a large bowl, beat whipping cream, gradually adding powdered sugar, until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold strawberry mixture into whipped cream. Cover and Refrigerate until needed.

Place one layer of cake in the center of a serving platter. Place 1/2 of the mousse mixture in the center of the cake. and spread evenly to within 1/4 inch of the edge of the cake. (The weight of the remaining pieces will push the mousse out to the edges.) Gently place the second layer of cake on top of the mousse. Repeat step with the strawberry mousse. Gently add the final layer of cake on top. Refrigerate at least an hour before icing cake.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add all ganache ingredients together. Stir constantly until ingredients are melted and smooth. Allow to cool about 20 minutes. Place saucepan in the refrigerator to cool an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To frost, spread ganache evenly on the top and sides of cake. Return to refrigerator for at least one hour before serving. Ganache will harden up and retain the moisture of the cake.

Enjoy!

Seafood Night!

2009-03-25T18:24:00.004-05:00

So it turns out I don't love the little scallops. I really enjoy the big ones, but the little ones, not so much. Dinner on this particular evening had a seafood theme. I made Near East Rice Pilaf rice box and roasted broccoli to accompany the following two recipes.

Scallops Scampi
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon-style mustard
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 pound scallops, rinsed and dried. (Peeled, deveined raw shrimp would also work nicely)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley. When the butter melts completely, remove from heat.

Arrange scallops in a shallow baking dish. Pour the butter mixture over the scallops.
Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the scallops are opaque.

Baked Dijon Salmon
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
4 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together butter, mustard, and honey. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley.

Brush each salmon fillet lightly with honey mustard mixture, and sprinkle the tops of the fillets with the bread crumb mixture.

Bake salmon 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until it flakes easily with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with a wedge of lemon.

2009-03-25T17:13:00.002-05:00

I got out pork chops to make Pork Chops and Pierogies, a new favorite of ours, but I didn't make it and didn't make it, and then I didn't want it. Instead, I made this delicious stir fry experience, but I cannot for the life of me find the recipe. I know there were scrambled eggs in there, and fried garlic chips, and I think some mushrooms... I am still searching. It was GOOD!... Good Grief.... It has been 10 minutes, and I am still looking. Where could I have possibly gotten this recipe? Well, I give up. I can't find it. I remember it well, because it was really delicious and really easy, but I had to keep moving ingredients in and out of the pan. Fry the garlic, then remove. Cook the eggs, then remove, etc. At any rate, it was delicious and I served it with roasted broccoli. When I find the recipe, I will send it your way.

Below is a picture of a delicious salad. It is red leaf lettuce with chicken, peas, mushrooms, cucumbers, provel cheese, homemade croutons and some Zia's Sweet Italian Dressing. Yum!

I'm behind... again.

2009-03-25T16:48:00.004-05:00

I have been a grading fool lately, which means I have not branched out in the cooking department. I figure it will get really redundant if the title for multiple posts is "Grilled Cheese... It's What's For Dinner, though it is. I am taking this opportunity to catch up on some recipes for some pictures I have taken of meals, and then, I am going to write about the delicious cake I made today for my luncheon with the girls!

Penne with Tomato Sauce and Sausage

1 (16 ounce) package penne
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 (14 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
1 small can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or 3 teaspoons dried Parsley

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.

Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage and pepper flakes until sausage is evenly brown. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, cream, and salt. Simmer until mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir cooked pasta into sauce, and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley.

*This was really delicious, though I thought it needed to be a bit more wet. In the future, I will probably either use a bit less pasta, or create half again as much sauce. Brad thought it was great, and though he is awesome and eats anything I put in front of him with out complaint, I really do think he thought it was great the way it was. I am a saucy girl. I like lots of sauce. *

I also just remembered that if I add another picture now, it will be at the very top of this document, thus giving me a headache trying to format everything, so I am just moving on to a new post.... I'll be back!

Slacker? Yes, But Not in the Way You Think...

2009-02-25T23:20:00.010-06:00

It isn't that I have been lazy about posting... It is that I have been lazy about COOKING. Partly, this is due to the fact that we purchased a Honeybaked Ham on President's Day, and ate it in some form or another for about 3 dinners.

Monday night (President's Day), we had Honeybaked ham, roasted vegetables and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. My mom started roasting the vegetables this way a year or two ago, and MAN are they good! On that particular day, I made carrots and broccoli.

Roasted Vegetables
Fresh Vegetables
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place vegetables on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle sparingly with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (I always use freshly milled/grated/ground... whatever it is you do when you start out with chunks and turn the thingy so flakes of salt and pepper come out on your food...) Bake vegetables about 20 minutes, or until cooked to desired texture. It takes about 20 minutes for broccoli. Carrots and other dense veggies take a bit longer. I put the carrots in for 8 minutes, then pulled them out and added the broccoli, and cooked for an additional 20 minutes.

In addition to roasted vegetables, we also had roasted garlic mashed potatoes. The link to the recipe is to the left. Here is a photo of the entire meal.

For Brad's lesson this week, I made Cheesecake filled Red Velvet Cupcakes. They were AMAZING! For whatever reason, the pictures do not do them justice, but they were

DE-LICIOUS.

Cheesecake Filled Cupcakes
1 cake mix, prepared per the

package directions
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,

softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins (24 muffins)

with cupcake liners.

Prepare cake mix per the package directions. (I used red velvet cake this time, which was amazingly good. I would definitely recommend red velvet or some form of chocolate as the best options, because they will not get overpowered by the cream cheese filling. )

In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour about 1/3 cup batter into each cupcake liner. Add or subtract a bit if you run out or end up with too much. Drop 2 tablespoons cream cheese mixture into the center of the cake batter. Again, add or subtract a bit if you run out or end up with too much.

Bake cupcakes per the cake mix package directions for cupcakes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before icing.

Cream Cheese Icing (Yet another recipe that won't make any sense to you if you don't already have a clue about what I am describing... You can always depend on me for that!)

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

4-6 cups powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine cream cheese and butter. Add 4 cups powdered sugar, and stir until well combined. Add more powdered sugar if necessary, until icing is the desired consistency and sweetness.

Spread a generous amount of icing on each cup cake.

My Boys!

2009-02-15T23:31:00.003-06:00

Okay, so my dog looks a little possessed in this photo, but really, he is a very sweet, loving puppy.

Grilled Cheese... It's What's For Dinner...

2009-02-15T19:28:00.007-06:00

This post could also aptly be titled... Motivation... It's What I Lack...

Brad and I went out of town this past weekend, and as a result, I didn't cook much the previous week. Other than sheer laziness and a lack of motivation, I have no excuse for this week.
Monday, we arrived in sunny St. Louis around 3 pm from our adventures in Pennsylvania.
Because we could, we drove further into the city (away from our home beyond where the sidewalk ends) to eat at my favorite restaurant, Pho Grand. I had my usual, #2303, tofu with coconut curry. Yum!

Tuesday was a busy, busy day for us. I taught all day, then Brad had his flight lesson, then we worked the Speech Meet for one of my colleagues. We didn't get finished until 8-ish, so we went to Ruby Tuesday for supper. I am so used to using our restaurant.com coupons that I feel like if we are spending $40 for dinner, it should be way better than Ruby Tuesday. I had some butterflied, fried shrimp and the salad bar, and Brad had some sort of seafood experience and the salad bar. It was okay (though I'll admit better than what I made for supper tonight).
Wednesday, I made... um... grilled cheese? I had to work the concession stand for NHS, and then I went to the grocery store afterwards. When I got home, I prepared myself a delicious grilled cheese.

Thursday, I made... um... grilled cheese? I planned on leaving work early on Thursday, (meaning before 5) but in the end, I stayed a lot later. I am pretty sure I had grilled cheese. Did I make anything for Brad? Signs point to no.

Friday night, I made Summer Squash Enchiladas (picture above... recipe link to the left...). Normally, I use mushrooms and zucchini and yellow squash, but I only had zucchini, so that is all that was in them. They were pretty good, but the flavor lacked the complexity they sometimes have. On the other hand, the lack of mushrooms made the vegetable mixture firmer, so that was good.

On Thursday, I pirated a recipe from a friend...

Cookie Dough Cupcakes
1 box cake mix (I used yellow)
1/2 recipe cookie dough (I made chocolate chip)
1 tub icing (I used chocolate fudge)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Roll cookie dough into 1 inch balls and freeze until firm.

Prepare cake mix using package directions.

Line 24 muffin tins with liners. Fill half full with cake mix. Push a cookie ball into the center of each cupcake.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes. Frost cupcakes.

The true joy of this recipe, other than its ease, is that it is very versatile. You can use pretty much any flavor cake mix, many different types of cookie, and any flavor of icing. They were really good.

I got the deep frier out on Monday to make crab rangoon (recipe to the left!) Because it is such a pain, I usually go fry crazy for about a week every time I get the frier out, then scrub it and put it away, where it gets ignored for about 6 months until I get it out again. Last night we had the last of the crab rangoon, some frozen breaded shrimp I bought, and some premade hush puppies I bought. (I worked hard on our Valentine's Day meal!)

This evening, I made buffalo chicken fingers. They were mediocre. I think they needed to be battered, and the frozen, and then fried. The first batch, I laid the chicken pieces onto the little basket and the batter dripped through and then cooked, so the chicken pieces had to be surgically removed from the fry basket. The remaining rounds, I just lightly dropped them into the oil, with the basket already lowered. That helped, but not much. They tasted okay, but there are quite a few leftovers, and sadly I think we are going to feed them to the Lincoln County garbage dump. Fried food isn't good the next day. For supper, we also had some frozen sweet potato fries (from the freezer... from Trader Joes... baked!), and mixed vegetables.

Buffalo Chicken Fingers
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut longways into 4 strips each
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups light beer
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup flour

1 bottle wing sauce (I used Sybergs... a local favorite)

Heat oil in frier to 375 F. Mix flour, salt and paprika together. Whisk beer into the mixture until well incorporated. Dredge chicken pieces through flour, and then coat with batter. Gently lay battered chicken in the hot oil. Cook for about 3 minutes, then flip over. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Toss in buffalo sauce before serving.

This Week in Dinner...

2009-01-30T20:52:00.006-06:00

On Sunday night, I made a calamitous Beef Brisket. It was bad. It was very, very bad. I threw it away bad, and I don't do that. I don't remember what I had for supper on Monday, but I am sure it involved cheese. Tuesday night, I made Pasta Bake and Italian Bread from a tube. Wednesday night, I made BBQ ribs, and then I augmented the ribs on Thursday night by adding a box of Kraft Shells and Cheese from the pantry.

I just spent a considerable amount of time creating links for all of my recipes. I have previously posted the Pasta Bake recipe, so in order to get it, you need just click on "Pasta Bake" to the left. The link will take you to the post with the recipe. You might have to scroll down a bit, but it will be there. (Thanks, Luis, for the tutorial!)

BBQ Ribs - Slow Cooker Style

2-3 pounds pork spare ribs

1 large bottle BBQ sauce

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Trim the ribs of any excess fat, and cut into portions containing 4-5 ribs. Place the ribs in a large stock pot, and fill the pot with enough water to cover the ribs. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cayenne. Bring water to a boil, and then allow to boil for 30 minutes on medium high heat.

Pour 1/2 of the BBQ sauce into crock pot, and turn to low. When ribs are finished boiling, place them in the crock pot, and cover with the remaining BBQ sauce. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

What does a person do with pounds of apples?

2009-01-28T19:24:00.006-06:00

Make apple stuff, apparently. I bought a bag of apples for $1 during one of the grocery stores' big "Lots of Stuff is $1" sale with the express intention of making an apple pie. Then, I bought another bag of apples a week later. I have no excuse or explanation for that one. When I finally sat down the other day to prepare my pie (s), I realized I had a handful of apples I had originally purchased to eat, as well. I had planned to make one apple pie, so I did. This is the only apple pie recipe I use, because it always turns out delicious, and I prefer the crumb topping to two pie crusts.

Apple Pie
1 (9 inch) pie crust
6 cups apples, cored, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons tapioca

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare pie plate with crust. Mix together apples, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour and tapioca. Mix well. Pour mixture into crust. In the same bowl, mix together brown sugar and flour. Cut the butter into the mixture until coarse crumbs form. Gently press the strudel mixture evenly onto the apple mixture. Bake in the preheated oven 25 - 35 minutes or until golden brown.

I still had 12 cups worth of sliced apples, though. I wanted to make some apple bread to freeze, but all of the recipes I could find called for butter, not oil. I like to substitute half or more of the oil with applesauce because it makes it lower in fat, but it doesn't work as well with butter. My brother found the recipe for an apple cake he wanted, but it called for caramel, and I didn't have any, and have been snowed in for several days, so that wasn't an option. I ended up making a second apple pie and tossing it in the freezer (precooked).

I also made an apple-cranberry crisp. This was great, because it used up some of the cranberries in the freezer, too!

Apple Cranberry Crisp
6 cups apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3/4 cup cranberries
1/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray an 8 inch square baking dish with non stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together apples, cranberries, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place evenly into baking dish. In the same bowl, combine oats, flour and brown sugar. With a fork, mix in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until topping is golden brown, and apples are tender.

The Pesky Pork Loin I Procrastinated...

2009-01-27T11:25:00.004-06:00

I got a pork tenderloin out on Wednesday night, but it was not defrosted enough by Thursday to marinade it. On Thursday night, I was too tired to deal with it, so I finally got around to marinating in on Friday night. I made it Saturday morning, and then packed it in Brad's lunch Saturday and Sunday. (I also ate it myself for dinner Saturday night!) I served this delicious pork loin with a box of Stove Top Pork Stuffing from the survivalist cabinet.

Marinated Pork Tenderloin
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons sherry (I use whatever white wine I have available, or chicken broth)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pinch garlic powder
2 (3/4 pound) pork tenderloins

Place soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry, dried onion, cinnamon, olive oil, and a touch of garlic powder in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal, and shake to mix. Place pork in bag with marinade, seal, and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours. (I usually stick it in the marinade the night before I want to make it for supper.)

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place marinated tenderloins in dish. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until thermometer stuck in the middle of the pork reads 160 degrees F.

Allow to sit for a few minutes before slicing.

Baking!

2009-01-24T12:23:00.006-06:00

Thursday night everyone I know was having a bad day. My day was fine, but my empathy coffers were running over because I was really feeling it for my friends and family. As such, I made some pumpkin cookies as a pick-me-up for those who needed one. The recipe for these delicious and highly sought after treats can be found on the Friday, November 14 post (Pumpkin Cookies with Penuche).

Wednesday night, I made a blackberry pie. It was pretty good. Blackberries, have seeds, though, and I feel like there is a little something extra (and unwanted) if my dessert involves seeds. Also, I think I needed many more blackberries than I had, as each bite of pie featured about equal parts crust and fruit middle. However, given that I had pie crusts I needed to use and blackberries I needed to use, I would consider this a successful endeavor.

Blackberry Pie

2 pie crusts (Once again... I used Betty Crocker)
3-4 cups fresh blackberries (I only used about 2 1/2 cups... NOT ENOUGH!)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons tapioca
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons cinnamon/sugar mixture

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Fit bottom pie crust into a 9 inch circular pie plate. Mix blackberries, sugar, cornstarch, tapioca, lemon juice and cinnamon. Pour mixture into pie crust. Set second pie crust on top of fruit mixture. Seal crust edges together, and then sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over top of pie. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

I Feel Like Chicken Tonight...

2009-01-21T19:30:00.003-06:00

...Like Chicken Tonight

Baked Chicken with Mushroom Sauce (from my Mediterranean Flavors cookbook, modified)

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper

3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
Combine mushrooms and garlic and allow to sit together for a few minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Pat chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste. Place on baking sheets, and bake in oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until juices are clear.
Meanwhile, heat butter and red pepper flakes in a large skillet on high heat until the butter is melted and sizzling, about 1 minute. Add the mushroom mixture and cook until the mushrooms are limp and have released their juices, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the wine and boil until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes. Add the cream, chicken stock, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in the cream cheese and cook until it has completely melted. Continue to cook over high heat until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat, and add Parmesan and Swiss cheeses, stirring until completely melted.
Serve sauce warm over chicken breasts.

Tonight for supper, I also prepared a box of Near East rice pilaf (from the survivalist cupboard) and some frozen green beans. It was really delicious, and there are enough leftovers for Brad and I both to take some for lunch tomorrow.

In other news, Brad and I went out for supper last night (it was his night to cook...) I had concession stand duty for NHS. I had two kids signed up to work, so I was just going to get them started and then leave. Unfortunately, though, one of the kids had to work (even though she signed up for concession stand duty MONTHS ago). Fortunately, though, as I was being informed of this, another kid volunteered to come work, so I was back to the original plan. Upon arriving at the concession stand, though, the kid who was originally scheduled to work said she needed to leave an hour and a half early because she had a lot of homework. As I am the adult in the student/teacher relationship, I of course stayed and worked the concession stand all evening with a girl who hadn't even planned on doing the duty at all...

...So Brad and I did not get to dinner until close to 9 pm. We went to a delicious restaurant called McGurks in O'Fallon. We've been there before, and we really like it because they have coupons on Restaurant.com. The coupon is for $25 off the purchase of $40 or more. Last night we ordered an AMAZING appetizer, which consisted of scallops baked in a garlic Parmesan cream sauce with smoked bacon, mushrooms and asparagus. YUM! I got an order of fish and chips, minus the chips plus mashed potatoes (didn't want all the fried chips in addition to the fried fish), and Brad ordered the "grande" size beef tenderloin with Cabernet sauce, Gorgonzola mashed potatoes and fresh steamed green beans and carrots, PLUS a glass of wine. Our total after the coupon? $24. It was marvelous. It was also nice to have a lovely date.

Introducing... Pictures!

2009-01-18T18:24:00.019-06:00

Coffee Cake with Fruit Preserves
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup cold butter
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup fruit preserves/jam/jelly (I used
seedless blackberry jam)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1 cup for topping. To the remaining crumb mixture, add the sour cream, baking powder, baking soda, egg and extract; beat until blended. Press onto the bottom and 2 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar and egg. Spoon into prepared crust. Top with preserves. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until filling is set and crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of the pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. Cool for 1-1/2 hours before slicing. Store in the refrigerator.

Nuts about Cookies!
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups mixed nuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix together butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in baking soda and flour. Add nuts and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center is set. Remove from sheet immediately and allow to cool on racks.

I made the coffee cake for my riveting professional development meeting at work on Friday, and the cookies for Brad to take to work on Saturday. Deliciousness all around!

The Contents of My Freezer

2009-01-17T12:09:00.003-06:00

Any of you who have been around since the beginning know I began this blog because I needed to clean out my freezer and pantry, and was recording for posterity the manner in which I attempted that task. It is time to start over, because, once again, my freezer and pantry have reached survivalist capacity, and frankly that isn't a group of individuals with whom I want to be associated.

Last time Katie requested a list of the contents of my freezer so she could keep up on the progress as I posted recipes. I actually made a comprehensive list of what is in my freezer (and organized my freezer at the time), so Katie... this one's for you.

The Contents of My Deep Freezer
2 slabs pork ribs
3 pork tenderloin
5 portions (2-3 servings each) pork tenderloin chops
2 pounds bacon
3 tubes of Jimmy Dean sausage... two regular, one maple flavored
4 Italian sausage links
4 apple cinnamon sausage links (from our trip to Swiss Meats in Hermann, MO last Christmas)
1 package bratwurst

1 whole chicken
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
5 portions (serves 2-3) boneless skinless chicken breast

1 beef brisket
4 (1 pound portions) ground beef
2 hamburgers (From Omaha Steaks)
2 New York strip steaks
1 Polish Sausage Link
1 eye of round roast
1 large sirloin tip
2 chuck roasts

1 (3 pound) box Panko encrusted Tilapia
1 (2 pound) box shrimp scampi
3/4 pound raw, tail on shrimp
2 salmon steaks
1 fresh salmon fillet, frozen
1 pound fresh tilapia, frozen
5 jumbo scallops

2 pounds Butternut Squash Ravioli
2 pounds Brie and Garlic Ravioli
1 pound toasted cheese ravioli
1 pound cheese tortellini

1 Red Baron 5 cheese frozen pizza
1 Palermo Hearth Italian frozen pizza
1 Palermo Greek frozen pizza
1 California Pizza Kitchen BBQ chicken pizza for one
2 small boxes pizza rolls
1 box fried shrimp
1 small box TGIFriday's hot wings
1 large box potato boats
1 box Spanikopita appetizers

1 package Voila Chicken 3 Cheese Chicken meal
1 package Contessa Mongolian Beef
1 package Trader Joe's BBQ Chicken Terriyaki
6 pounds (yes POUNDS) pierogies
1 Marie Calendars individual chicken pot pie

2 packages Trader Joe's frozen naan
1 box Texas toast
1 package yeast rolls
3 packages English Muffins
1 box Pizza Amore Cinnamon sticks

2 boxes Betty crocker whole grain waffles
12 Jimmy Dean Sausage, eggs and cheese croissants
1 Bob Evans pouch sausage gravy

1 (2 pound) bag hash browns
1 bag crinkle cut french fries
2 bags sweet potato fries

11 bags frozen vegetables
4 small boxes frozen vegetables
at least 3 pounds frozen cranberries

2 pie crusts
3 (8 ounce) containers cool whip... 1 regular, 2 light
4 pounds butter

I am just one person.... This CANNOT be normal!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T15:17:00.005-06:00

For the third consecutive year, I have had my family over for lunch on New Year's Day. This year, my grandma and my aunt Jan and my cousin Jessie came as well. I love having people over, but because I live an hour away from everyone, I don't get visitors as often as I would like. We had a fantastic time, though, and here is what we ate...

Beef Barley Soup (From my New England Soup Factory Cookbook, modified)
3 pounds stew beef, cut into bite sized pieces (I buy it already cut up... from Aldi of all places)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
12 cups water
2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sized red onion, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
3 portabella mushrooms, diced
1 (8 oz.) package sliced mushrooms, baby portabella or button
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 pound pearl barley (the only kind I could find was quick cooking, and it worked fine)
1 bottle burgundy or other fruity red wine
1 can tomato paste
5 (14 oz.) cans beef broth
2 bay leaves
5 generous dashes Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Place beef, vinegar, water and salt in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Drain. If not using right away, be sure to cover so the meat does not dry out.

Over medium-high heat, in a large stockpot, combine olive oil, garlic, onion, mushrooms, celery and carrots. Saute for 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cooked beef, barley, wine, tomato paste, stock, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring every 15 minutes or so for at least 1 1/2 hours (The longer it simmers the more the water cooks off and leaves just the delicious flavor.) Remove from heat. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Add the Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.

*I actually made this last night, and reheated it, so I think by the time all was said and done, it probably simmered close to hours. It was a hit, though!

Potato, Bacon, and Chive Soup with Horseradish (From my New England Soup Factory Cookbook)
3 tablespoons butter
5 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 large red onion, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, sliced
8 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 cup sour cream
2 cups half and half, light cream, heavy cream, 2% milk, or some combination therein
4 tablespoons bottled minced white horseradish
4 generous dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes Tobasco sauce
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium high heat. Add garlic, red onion and celery. Saute for 7 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir to coat with the butter and vegetables. Add chicken broth, onion powder and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are soft and tender, 30 - 35 minutes. (Be careful not to let all of the liquid cook out, or you will have a burnt mess...) When potatoes are soft, remove pot from heat.

Puree the potatoes. There are several ways to do this, depending on how many dishes you want to dirty and what kind of equipment you have.
1. Use an immersion blender. This is ideal, but I don't actually know anyone who has one.
2. Mash the mixture together with a potato masher -- this will get the job done, but will be the lumpiest option
3. Use a hand mixer. Be careful not to scratch up your nonstick pans, though
4. Place portions of the mixture in a blender, and blend until smooth

Add sour cream, milk product of choice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce and Tobasco sauce. Mix well. Return pot to stove. Add salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 additional minutes. Garnish each serving with bacon, green onions, and sour cream, if desired.

I totally forgot to serve the green onions today, and no one complained! Otherwise, this was a big hit, as well.

Chicken with Wild Rice Soup
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
3 cooked, boneless chicken breast halves, shredded
1 package Uncle Ben's Original flavor quick cooking long grain and wild rice box

1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups heavy cream, light cream, half and half, or 2% milk, or some combination therein

In a medium pot over medium heat, combine broth, water and chicken. Bring just to boiling, then stir in rice, reserving seasoning packet. Cover and allow to cook on low for 20 minutes or so.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Saute for 7 minutes. Stir in contents of seasoning packet until mixture is bubbly. Reduce heat to low, then stir in flour, salt and pepper. Stir in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes.

Pour rice mixture into cream mixture, and stir until well incorporated. Cook over medium heat until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. If it gets too thick, add milk or chicken broth to thin it out.

Rosemary Bread *My description of how to make this bread won't do you a whole lot of good if you don't already know how to make yeast bread... If you have questions, let me know.
1 cup warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
about 2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Pour warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water, and allow to sit for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together oil, margarine and sugar. Pour in yeast mixture, and stir gently. Add flour to mixture gradually, until a sticky ball forms. On a well floured surface and with floured hands, knead the heck out of the dough. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and rosemary over the dough, and continue to knead until spices are incorporated throughout the loaf. Drizzle olive oil in the bowl, and coat the ball of dough. Cover bowl and put in a warm place for one hour. Punch down dough, and allow to rise for another hour. Shape dough, and place on a greased cookie sheet. coat the top of the loaf with olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake at 375 F until golden brown and crusty... about 25 minutes.

Cherry Pie
2 pie crusts... I used the Pillsbury kind, but if you want to make one from scratch, don't let me stop you...
2 (16 ounce) cans tart cherries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Line a pie plate with first crust.

Drain cherries, reserving 1/4 cup juice. Mix cherries, juice, sugar, tapioca, extract, and salt; pour into the crust. Dot with butter. Top with second crust. Make sure to seal the edges of the crust tightly.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 55-60 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle with sugar.

Thanksgiving... Yes, I am that far behind!

2008-12-29T14:43:00.002-06:00

For Thanksgiving, Brad had to work. I made a pumpkin roll for him and the other poor schmucks who had to be there while the rest of us were enjoying food and family.

Pumpkin Roll
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch jelly roll pan or cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in pumpkin puree, eggs, and lemon juice. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Spread the mixture evenly. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Lay a damp linen towel on the counter, sprinkle it with confectioner's sugar, and turn the cake onto the towel. Carefully roll the towel up (lengthwise) with the cake in it. Place the cake-in-towel on a cooling rack and let it cool for 20 minutes.

Make the icing: In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese, butter, vanilla, with a wooden spoon or electric mixer.

When the cake has cooled 20 minutes, unroll it and spread icing onto it. Immediately re-roll (not in the towel this time), and wrap it with plastic wrap. Keep the cake refrigerated. Cut the cake in slices just before serving.

This was really good. I didn't have a linen towel, because frankly, who does? I used one of the kitchen towels with no fuzz. It worked pretty well. I ate the leftovers, and enjoyed every minute of it.

My contribution to the family Thanksgiving was crab bites, salad, mashed potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, salad, chocolate cheesecake and pecan pie.

Crab Bites
2 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (6 ounce) can crab meat, drained
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease 18 mini muffin pans.

Divide rolls in half and press into the prepared pans. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, crab, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, green onions and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon 1 teaspoon of mixture into tarts.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light brown.

Sweet Potato Casserole (Old family recipe -- from grandma Bach)
5 large sweet potatoes, cubed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon HOT water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Put sweet potatoes in a large saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash.

n a large bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla. Add a scoopful of potatoes to the mixture. Stir well. Add this entire mixtures into the mashed sweet potatoes. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In medium bowl, mix the cinnamon, sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Add hot water. Drop mixture evenly over the top of the sweet potatoes.

Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown.

I have learned after years and years and years of preparing this that it is best to put it in a dish that is at least 1/2 an inch deeper than you need it to be. Otherwise, in the baking process it spills over, and there is almost nothing worse burnt to the racks of your oven than the sugary goodness of sweet potato casserole.

Mashed Potatoes (old family recipe -- from Grandma Mary)
1 5 pound bag of potatoes, peeled, cut into cubes
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
milk
salt
pepper

Place peeled, chopped potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover potatoes with water, and boil until fully cooked. Drain water immediately. Place butter in saucepan and allow to melt. Mash potatoes and butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and sour cream. Continue to mash, if needed. Otherwise, stir until fully melted and incorporated. Add milk to make potatoes desired consistency. (I never add more than 1/4 of a cup.) Add salt and pepper to taste.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes (recipe mostly by Pioneer Woman)
6 heads garlic
olive oil
salt pepper

1 5 pound bag of potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 - 1 cup (milk, half and half or cream)
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F. Generously oil the bottom of a baking dish. Cut the tops off of the heads of garlic to expose the garlic. Generously pour olive oil over the tops of the garlic heads. Sprinkle with kosher salt and a fresh ground pepper. Cover with foil, and bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow garlic to cool for a few minutes. Then, squeeze garlic "meat" out of heads.

While garlic is roasting, place peeled and chopped potatoes into a large saucepan. Cover potatoes with water and boil until thoroughly cooked. Drain potatoes. Add butter and sour cream, and mash until smooth. Stir in milk to achieve desired consistency. Add roasted garlic, and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

These are really good, but the longer they sit, the more potent the garlic flavor becomes. Warning: If making these the day before (as I do for Thanksgiving) use LESS garlic than you would if you are serving them the same day.

Chocolate Cheesecake
1 8 or 9 inch pre-made graham cracker crust
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place cream cheese and sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until just incorporated. Stir in vanilla and melted chocolate chips. Pour into crust, and bake for 30 -40 minutes, or until center is firmly set. Cool. Refrigerate 8 hours before serving.

Pecan Pie
1 unbaked pie crust
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy, and stir in melted butter. Stir in the brown sugar, white sugar and the flour; mix well. Lastly, add the milk, vanilla and nuts.

Pour into an unbaked 9-in pie shell. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until done.

I really enjoy THIS particular recipe, because it tastes more like a pecan pie than a corn syrup pie with pecans on top. It is really yummy, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

From the Beginning...

2008-12-29T14:36:00.002-06:00

I have been a major slacker with the recipes, lately, though I have been updating the "Keep me Accountable" page so I would at least remember what I made in order to post the recipes. I will start with the beginning and work my way to the present time, ending with a writing inspired by my friend Eric, which will include the phrase "greased slide to hell." Without a lot of fan fare, I began buying groceries for the pantry and freezer around the beginning of November, and in no time, they were both packed again, so in honor of Katie, I will, once again, take stock of everything I have, and then cease purchasing items for stock, and only buy fresh food and staples as I run out of them.

Hold Me Accountable!

2008-12-08T23:39:00.006-06:00

I cooked almost every night last week, and my slacker self has not updated. I still haven't posted the Thanksgiving recipes, though that post is almost finished, just not posted. Just so I have a reminder when I finally stop slacking...

Last Monday: Beef Bulgoga/ Chocolate chip pie for lesson dessert
Last Tuesday: Salmon
Last Wednesday: Seafood Pasta
Last Friday: Chicken Caesar Squares
Saturday: Don't remember, but did the Holiday Baking
Sunday: Chicken Sandwiches and Sweet Potato Fries

Monday 12/8 Take-out subs
Tues 12/9 Pork
Wednesday 12/10 chicken dumplings
Thursday 12/11 nothing of consequence
Friday 12/12 Pot Roast
Saturday 12/13 Christmas date
Sunday 12/14 Mushroom pizza with fresh mozzarella

Monday 12/15 swiss fondue
Tuesday 12/16 Pasta with sun dried tomato cream sauce
Wednesday 12/17 Quiche Lorraine
Thursday 12/18 Polish sausage and mashed potatoes
Friday 12/19 nothin'
Saturday 12/20 Chicken with Garlic Sauce, brussel spouts, squash, couscous
Sunday 12/21 appies and dessert for grandma's party... rye dip, crab bites, lemon cake, chocolate cake
Monday 12/22 Lasagna for friends
Tuesday 12/23 Mushroom and Cheddar Soup
Wednesday/Thursday... Christmas/ didn't cook
Friday 12/26: crab bites, sweet and sour coctail weiners, beef bulgoga, rice, roasted vegetables, bananas foster

Saturday 12/27... ran errands with mom and had Chinese Food
Sunday 12/28...
Monday 12/29... Crazy Peruvian came over... pierogies and pork chops, roasted carrots, greenbeans, bananas foster
Tuesday 12/30... Date Day!
Wednesday 12/31...

Our Recent Dinners

2008-11-29T12:49:00.003-06:00

I made a big pot of Potato Soup on Sunday, and ate it for lunch, dinner, and an evening snack. The whole point of making it was so I would have something to take for lunch on Monday and Tuesday, but I was so sick of it by the time it came to Monday morning that I ended up buying my lunch both days instead. I thought I had the baked potato soup recipe posted somewhere already, but I cannot find it. If you really want the baked potato soup recipe, leave me a message and I will post it. Otherwise, I will just wait until NEXT time I make it.

For supper on Monday, after Brad's lesson, we went to Outback Steakhouse. It was delicious.

Tuesday night we took chili to a friend's house and hung out with them before we all went to a church function.

Fabulously Thick and Yummy Chili
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 (46 fluid ounce) can tomato juice
1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup chili powder

Place ground beef and onions in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and crumble. Add tomato juice, tomato sauce, beans, cayenne pepper, sugar, oregano, ground black pepper, salt, cumin and chili powder. Turn heat to high until boiling, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. (If using a slow cooker, set on low, add ingredients, and cook for 8 to 10 hours.)

I know 1/4 cup of chili powder *seems* like a lot, but the chili is not overly spicy. It has really good flavor and a bit of a kick, but it doesn't burn the taste buds. In addition to the chili, I also made corn bread.

Corn Bread
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8.5 ounce) package corn bread mix
3 Tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom and sides of a square baking pan.

Stir all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes.

I took a pumpkin cheesecake to the church function, but that recipe is in the previous post, so I am not going to take up space with it here.

Wednesday night I made Indian Butter Chicken. It was SOOO GOOOD. I am a pretty decent cook, and I was shocked that I made something that tasted sooo good. Interestingly enough, I had all of these ingredients already in my fridge and was able to make it without a trip to the store. I used the Penzey's (penzeys.com) Garam Masala and Tandoori Seasoning. I served this with Basmati Rice and green beans.

Indian Butter Chicken (aptly named!) From Allrecipes.com
1 cup butter, divided
1 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garam masala

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons tandoori masala

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook slowly until the onion caramelizes to a dark brown, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat along with the tomato sauce, heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and garam masala. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then stir in caramelized onions.

While the sauce is simmering, toss cubed chicken breast with vegetable oil until coated, then season with tandoori masala and spread out onto a baking sheet. Bake chicken in preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 12 minutes. Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes before serving.

I am off to make some dinner for Brad, but when I get back, I will tell you all about my Thanksgiving, and the sides I prepared.

Baking Extravaganza

2008-11-14T23:13:00.003-06:00

I have done quite a lot of baking over the last few weeks. Brad is getting flight tutoring from one of my colleagues on Mondays, so I make a baked good for them each week. In addition, I had bananas going bad, I sent baked goods as part of my cooking club gift exchange, and one of my friends had a birthday.

Gooey Butter Cake
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Mix cake mix, melted butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 eggs with a spoon. Pat into a 9 X 13 inch pan.

Mix cream cheese, 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla with an electric mixer. Slowly beat in 3 3/4 cups confectioner's sugar. Pour over cake layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar over cake. Return to oven for 20-25 minutes.

Banana Sour Cream Cake (from the Kraft Foods Magazine)
1 (18.25 oz.) package yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup ripe bananas (about 3 - though I used 5)
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup oil
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup Walnuts, finely chopped (I skipped this. Almost no one at work likes nuts)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat cake mix, eggs, bananas, sour cream and oil with mixer on low until moistened, scraping bottom of bowl often. Beat on medium for 2 minutes.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 13x9 inch pan. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake completely in pan on wire rack.

Beat cream cheese and butter with mixer on medium until blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition.

Remove cake from pan. Cut cake in half lengthwise (so you end up with two 6 1/2 x 9 inch rectangles).

Place once half of the cake top-side down, on a plate. spread frosting over the top. Top with remaining cake half, top-side up. Frost top and sides. Press nuts onto sides. Refrigerate.

Pumpkin Cookies with Penuche Frosting (OLD family recipe)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons margarine or butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, beat sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 cup margarine until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, vanilla and egg; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Stir in nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 F for 10 - 12 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Immediately remove from cookie sheets; cool.

In a medium saucepan, combine 3 tablespoons margarine and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat 1 minute or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Cool 10 minutes. Add milk; beat until smooth. Beat in enough powdered sugar until desired spreading consistency. Frost cooled cookies. Allow frosting to set before storing.

Makes 5 dozen cookies.

Pumpkin Cheesecake
1 8 or 9 inch pre-made graham cracker crust
2 (8 oz.) bricks cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350F. Beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated. Stir in vanilla, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well. Pour into crust. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until center is set (does not jiggle). Cool two hours. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours before serving.

Chocolate, Chocolate, CHOCOLATE Cake
1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food, chocolate, chocolate fudge, milk dark chocolate cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and Flour a 12 cup bundt pan.

Mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into bundt pan. It will be very, very thick.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan for one hour. Then, turn cake out onto a plate. Drizzle with icing or dust with powdered sugar.

November WAS GOING TO BE eat at home month...

2008-11-12T19:23:00.002-06:00

I have been grading like it is going out of style. When I finally left work on Monday at 6, I didn't want to make the pork I had gotten out to defrost, so I made pigs in a blanket. Yes, you read that correctly, pigs in a blanket. I wanted something really fast. Alas, I had neither tater tots, nor baked beans (In fact, I had to send Brad to the store on his way home from his flight lesson to pick up hot dogs and American cheese). What delicacy did I serve with this treat? Kraft Mac'n Cheese. It was a very trailer park dinner.

Pigs in a Blanket
1 package bun length hot dogs
8 pieces American cheese
2 cans crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 375F. Cut hot dogs in half. Divide each piece of cheese in half diagonally to create triangle shaped pieces of cheese. Unroll crescent rolls. For each sandwich: Place a piece of cheese on top of the crescent roll with the long side of the triangle of cheese along the long side of the crescent roll. Place a hot dog half along the bottom edge of the concoction. Roll. Tuck sides of crescent rolls into the middle. Place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches away from the rest of them. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crescent rolls are golden brown.

Kraft Mac'n Cheese
1 box Kraft Mac'n cheese
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup milk

Bring a medium sized saucepan 2/3 full of water to a boil. Tear open top of package. Pull out envelope of bright orange powdered cheesy goodness. Pour noodles into boiling water. Allow to cook, about 8 minutes. Drain water from noodles. Add butter, milk and contents of the envelope of bright orange powdered cheesy goodness. Stir until dissolved. Add noodles, and stir until well mixed. If you are feeling spunky, add a bit more milk and a couple of slices of American Cheese, to enhance the processed cheese taste.

It turns out the pork chops I got out to defrost had barely defrosted in the 24 hours since I removed them from the deep freeze, so I couldn't have made them anyway. I figured I'd make them on Tuesday.

Tuesday afternoon, I had a kid in my room making stuff up. I also had to leave sub plans for today's meeting, which was actually really productive and useful. When I finally left school around 5, I had to go to the grocery store to pick up food for lunches, because I exhausted my creative prowess last week when I failed to pick up lunch food at the grocery store. By the time I finished at the grocery, I was tired and didn't want to make dinner, so I stopped at KFC and got a bucket of chicken. I figured that since the pork chops hadn't even been defrosted when I checked on Monday, they would live another day.

So Wednesday... This is the part where normally I would say I was tired and didn't want to cook, so I stopped at Mr. Goodcents on my way home, or made a grilled cheese sandwich. But!!!! I didn't. I made the pork chops, and they were darned good!

Pork Chops and Pierogies (from allrecipes.com, modified)
1 package (about 12) frozen pierogies
2 (3/4 inch) thick pork loin chops
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
1 Golden Delicious apple, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar

Brink a medium sized saucepan 2/3 full of water to a boil. Place pierogies in boiling water, and cook until they float to the top. Drain. Meanwhile, sprinkle pork chops with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In a large skillet, cook chops in 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat until juices run clear, about 20 minutes; remove and keep warm.

In the same skillet, saute onion in remaining butter for 3 minutes. Add apple; saute until almost tender. Stir in the sugar, vinegar, and remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add pork chops and pierogies to skillet; stir to coat.

I served this with frozen peas. It was quite tasty. I was a little apprehensive about the sugar, but it was actually really, really good.

I just typed the following recipe as a friend was IMing it to me. I will leave it here, so I can find it again tomorrow when I want it.

Bulgogi (Recipe from my friend Kelly)
1 pound beef tenderloin
1 teaspoon sesame seeds toasted
3 scallions chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons water
3-4 tablespoons sugar
3-4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Thinly slice beef, and place in a baggie with the marinade. Marinate over night. Stir fry beef. Serve with rice.

November Will Be Eat at Home Month...

2008-11-09T11:23:00.002-06:00

One of the most depressing days of my adult life was when I divided my annual salary by the number of hours I actually work and realized I would make more working the same number of hours at my local Wal-Mart. I had a similar feeling last night when I went through this month's expenses and realized we spent $400 or more on groceries this month, and I have only cooked about once per week. Hmmm. I need to cook more. I haven't been throwing that much away, so what is happening? I need to keep better track.

This week...

Monday... Brad's parents left in the morning. We had Monterrey Chicken for supper, with a Taco Rice pouch and some corn.

Monterrey Chicken
1/2 cup butter, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (8 oz.) package sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly grease a medium baking dish.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, mushrooms and garlic. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in 2 tablespoons flour, chicken stock, celery salt, white pepper and white wine. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened and well blended, about 10 minutes.

Mix 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese into the thickened sauce mixture, and stir until melted.

In a shallow medium bowl, mix 1 cup flour with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken breast halves in the flour mixture to coat. Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned on all sides. Arrange breast halves in the prepared baking dish, and cover with the sauce.

Top chicken breast halves with remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Tuesday... Election Day. I made snacks to munch on all day while we watched the election coverage. We also watched "A Series of Unfortunate Events." It was pretty good. I made taco dip, little wieners, chicken curry puffs and crab bites.

Taco Dip
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1 (8 oz.) package sour cream
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 (8oz.) package cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, Colby jack... whatever you want or have...)

Mix cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning together. Spread onto a plate or platter. Top with cheese. Let set in refrigerator at least one hour before serving. Serve with corn chips.

Little Wieners
See recipe in "Does Anyone Know CPR" post

Crab Bites
2 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (6 ounce) can crab meat, drained
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch paprika

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray mini muffing pan with cooking spray.
Divide rolls in half and press into the prepared mini muffin pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, crab, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, green onions and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon 1 teaspoon of mixture onto dough and sprinkle with paprika.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light brown.

Curry Chicken Puffs
Puffs:
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

Filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (8 oz. package) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups chopped chicken
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon sweet curry powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Bring water and butter to a boil over medium high heat. Add flour and alt and reduce heat to low. Stir vigorously until a ball forms. Remove from heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Drop by tablespoons full onto a wet, but ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 25 minutes or until set and lightly browned.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon sweet curry powder. fry chicken pieces in the mixture until thoroughly cooked. Cool slightly. Combine cream cheese, milk, salt, sweet curry powder and pepper until creamy. Stir into chicken mixture, and heat until warm throughout.

Remove the tops of the puffs, and place 1 teaspoon of filling on top of bottom. Place top on top of filling. Bake at 375F for 5 minutes.

Wednesday I fell asleep before I could make anything for dinner. Thursday I had... what did I have? I think I had leftover appetizers from election night.

Friday, I made pasta bake. It is delicious, but it makes A TON!

Pasta Bake
1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
8 slices (8 ounces total) provolone cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 cans spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes. Mix sauce mixture in with the noodles and stir well.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour 1/2 of the remaining spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the pan. Spread. Place 1/3 of the pasta mixture on top of that. Evenly place the provolone cheese over the pasta. Spread the sour cream over the provolone. On top of the sour cream, add 1/3 of the pasta mix. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the pasta. Spread the pasta over the mozzarella. Pour the remaining spaghetti sauce over the top of the final layer of pasta. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Saturday night, Brad heated up an UNO's frozen pizza that we bought last week at Aldi, and I had beef stew at my mom's.

I am not sure what I am cooking tonight, but since I have a refrigerator full of food, I am most certainly going to be cooking something.

Recent Recipes

2008-11-03T15:03:00.002-06:00

The last few weeks have been rough at work... lots and lots and lots and lots of grading... concession stand duty... football game gate worker duty... Cappies duty... and then there is that whole having a life outside of work thing... I haven't cooked much, but I have made a few deliciosities. Beginning most recently...

For supper with Brad's 'rents, we had pot roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, glazed carrots, and some rocky road brownies that were largely ignored.

Pot Roast with Gravy (my recipe)
2 pounds chuck roast, trimmed of fat
1/2 cup beef broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 packets dry french onion soup mix
sliced mushrooms (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 beef bullion cubes
4 tablespoons corn starch
water

Set crock pot on low. Put beef broth, mushroom soup and dry onion soup mix in the bottom of a 4 quart crock pot. Stir. Put beef in crock pot and spoon some of the soup mixture on top. Pack mushrooms on top of beef mixture, almost to the top of the crock pot. Place lid on top, and cook on low for at least 7 hours. Stir occasionally if able.

Carefully remove the beef from the crock pot. Pour the remaining liquid in a large saucepan. Turn burner to low heat. Place two bullion cubes in liquid. Mix the cornstarch with 1/2-1 cup of water, depending on how much liquid you already have. Pour the cornstarchy water slowly into the liquid, and stir well. Repeat with more cornstarchy liquid until gravy is desired consistency.

Mashed Potatoes (grandma's recipe)
1 5 lb bag of potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1 (16 0z.) container sour cream
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place chopped potatoes in a large saucepan. Add water until potatoes are thoroughly covered with water. Sprinkle salt on top. Turn heat on high until boiling. Turn heat to medium and allow to cook until potatoes are tender. (I stick a fork in to test.)

Drain potatoes in a colander. Return saucepan to heat, and add butter, cream cheese and sour cream. Stir until melted and well blended. Add potatoes to mix, and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Add milk bit by bit to desired consistency if they are too thick for your taste. If you think they are too thin, they will thicken up as the cool off...)

Glazed Carrots (my recipe)
1 (8 oz.) bag baby carrots
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Place baby carrots in a small saucepan. Add enough water to thoroughly cover the carrots. Turn heat to medium-high. Cook carrots until al dente. Drain. Add butter, brown sugar and cinnamon to saucepan. Stir until mixed well. Return carrots to saucepan. Toss with glaze.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mallow Bars (From the Kraft Food and Family Magazine)
1 package devil's food cake mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2/3 cup cold milk, divided
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 (7 oz. jar) Marshmallow creme
1/2 cup salted peanuts
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350F. Mix dry cake mix, butter and 1/3 cup milk until blended; press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until center is almost set; cool 3 minutes.

Mix peanut butter and remaining milk; spread onto crust. Top with spoonfuls of marshmallow creme and remaining cake mixture. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate chips. Press gently into cake mixture.

Bake 18 minutes or just until center is set. Cool before cutting into bars.

Cheesecake!

2008-11-03T13:26:00.002-06:00

The in-laws were in town this weekend. I will write more about that in a few minutes, here, but for now...

The Perfect Cheesecake (any flavor)
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 8 or 9 inch graham cracker crust

Preheat oven to 350F.

Put cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl. Mix with electric mixer on medium until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, blending just until well incorporated. Mix in vanilla and any other additions (see below). Pour into graham cracker crust. Bake in preheated oven for 30 - 35 minutes, or until middle of cake is set. Remove from oven, and let cool about 30 minutes on counter before covering and continuing to cool in the refrigerator. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

*The joy of this cheesecake is you can add anything to it to make a different kind of cheesecake.
Add 1/4 cup for liquids
1/2 - 1 cup for solids

Some examples...
1/4 cup Amaretto, Bailey's, Kahlua
1/4 cup lemon juice, lime juice, key lime juice (+ 1-2 teaspoons zest)
1/4 cup jam or jelly, swirled in or stirred in
1/4 cup caramel or fudge, swirled in
3/4 cup whole cranberries
1 cup chocolate chips, whole or melted
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup chocolate chip cookie dough pieces
1 cup crushed oreos

This Week in Dinner...

2008-10-16T17:21:00.002-05:00

Due to my complete inability to say no, I said yes on Monday to a colleague who needed a chaperone. He had an outside choreographer coming in to help with this year's musical, and he had a meeting he had to go to before the session was over. He needed an employee present so she was just a "visitor" instead of a "chaperone." The paperwork is different. We'll set aside that I think he found this woman at the Joseph Stalin School of Dance, and fast forward to dinner, which I picked up from Mr. Goodcents on the way home from school at nearly 7:30.

On Tuesday, Brad and I went to our awesome new gym and worked out. I introduced him to the joy and wonderment of the Ancient Roman Torture Machine, my affectionate name for the Precor Elliptical.

I had an eye of round steak that I got out of the freezer. I was going to use it to make pot roast, but I was out of dry onion soup mix. Instead, I used it to make some very delicious stir fry.

Beef Stir Fry
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup plum sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into thin 2-inch strips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup snow peas, edges trimmed
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup bean sprouts
5 green onions, chopped
1 small onion, sliced
3 cloves chopped garlic

Hot cooked rice

In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Stir in the plum sauce, ginger, soy sauce and pepper flakes; set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry beef in oil until no longer pink; remove and keep warm.
In the same pan, stir-fry the mushrooms, carrots, onions and garlic until tender. Add the snow peas. Return beef to the pan.

Whisk the plum sauce mixture; stir into skillet. Cook and stir until slightly thickened. Stir in peanuts. Serve over rice.

How do you spell spoiled? BRA*D

2008-10-14T19:01:00.002-05:00

I had NHS concession stand duty on Thursday evening, so for the second time in a row I did not get home from work until close to 9 pm. I was leaving on Friday morning to go to my cousin's wedding in Atlanta, and all I really needed to do was move the load of laundry from the washer to the dryer. The sticking point, though, was that there were dry clothes already in the dryer. I knew I had to do something with those. I just didn't have the energy to fold them and put them away, and I was feeling guilty about just throwing them on the bed. So, I threw myself on the bed and played on the computer, while intermittently writing the vocabulary test for my honors juniors. I didn't prepare myself dinner. I didn't pack my suitcase. I didn't grade. I was LAZY! Then Brad calls at 10:00 pm to say he's really in the mood for calzones. Of course he is. The late night dining options in the thriving metropolis that is Troy, Missouri include... Sonic. No Calzones. Hardees. No Calzones. Mc Donalds. No Calzones.

Guess who is making Calzones? That'd be me.

Calzones (made entirely from ingredients I had around the house...)
1 refrigerator pizza crust (Like Pillsbury)
1 container ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese
12 slices prosciutto
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Mix ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and Italian seasoning together.

Divide pizza crust into 6 equal pieces. Roll the first piece out on a floured surface using a floured rolling pin. Roll until very thin. Put 1/6 of the ricotta mixture in the middle. Place two pieces of prosciutto on top, followed by a slice of fresh mozzarella. Fold the dough over. Roll the edges, then press with a fork to seal. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400F or until crust is nicely browned. Serve with spaghetti sauce for dipping.

The Problem is...

2008-10-10T22:59:00.003-05:00

Education is a particularly hot topic right now because of the impending election and Bush's tragically unsuccessful "No Child Left Behind" Program. Add in Jamie Lee Curtis's commercial featuring the forlorn child reluctantly hoisting up the flags of countries with better education systems than ours, and you have disgruntled Americans of all ages up in arms about the state of the education system.

"I believe that every child deserves an education that allows them to reach their full potential," Curtis states, but what does that mean?

I obviously don't have the answer to the question, because if I did I would have put it to good use, but here are my observations after being both a student and a teacher in the public school system...

Not EVERYONE can be successful, and a major attitude adjustment is needed for even the majority of students to be successful. One reason why "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) was doomed to failure before it began was because it called for 100% proficiency in math and science, English and social studies. In Missouri, it does not account for immigrants who are not proficient in basic English communication, and therefore certainly not able to write an essay to a community leader persuading them to do something. It does not make concessions for the profoundly autistic, or the mentally retarded. There is no conceivable way EVERY student, regardless of race, creed, color, socioeconomic class or innate talent can be proficient in English and Math.

And that, Ms. Curtis, is why other countries are outperforming us in Math. It isn't because Japan's smartest kid is smarter than our smartest kid; it is that Japan's numbers don't include every teenager in the country. Germany's numbers don't include every teenager in the country. China's numbers don't include every teenager in the country. It is easy to say we are being outperformed in Math by these countries when their scores are higher, but it is important to look at why their scores are higher. Only the elite in Germany go to what we refer to as "High School." Many, many German teenagers go to a sort of technical school to learn a trade. In China, only urban students go to "High School" and not all of them at that. The United States has had compulsory secondary education since the 50's, wherein every minor is REQUIRED to attend school until they are 16 years old, and therefore EVERY student gets tested. So yes, Germany's elite are outperforming our total population in math. Of course they are. China's wealthy, urban elite are outperforming our total population in math. Of course they are. They should be. I would certainly hope the the average score on a standardized math test in a country where only the best and the brightest take it would be high. I would hope their scores would be higher than those from a country where the valedictorian and the kid with an IQ of 85 take the same test.

I am okay with that. I relish in the knowledge that I live in a country where everyone gets a free public education. I will put our geniuses up against Asia's geniuses any day of the week and twice on Sundays. Why don't I see commercials that celebrate the public education system, rather than criticize it? It has problems. I will fully admit that there is a discrepancy in the quality of public education depending on district. I will fully admit that there is way too much political motivation in the public schools. I will admit that there are teachers who should no longer be teaching. I will admit that school has gotten too easy. I will admit that grades are inflated. I will admit that some parents have made school too easy for their kids And this, friends, is why Canada is kicking our butts in butts in Math.

If a student gets suspended (OSS) for fighting, or vandalizing, or bringing a weapon to school, I still have to provide him with his homework assignments and accept them for full credit. Doesn't that keep it from being a deterrent and instead make it a vacation. They get to sleep in, not sit through class, hang out at home AND make up their work for full credit.

I have a student whose mother writes all of his essays, and when I try to point out to her that her son's in class writing in NO WAY compares to his out of class writing, she yells at me, telling me in class writing assignments aren't fair because the kids have no time to prepare and revise. I am not talking about the out of class essay being a little better organized. It has words in it the student can't identify. He doesn't even read the essay to know what it is about.

I have a student who does no work all semester. He gets a progress report that says he has an F, and a quarter grade that says he has an F. I email his mom to tell her every time he is missing a big assignment. And then, when wrestling season begins, he comes in crying (literally crying) because he can't participate if he doesn't get his grade up. Then I am ordered by my principal to allow him to make up his work because he is an all state wrestler.

These are extreme examples, but then you get advances in education like multiple intelligences and differentiated instruction. These are efforts to allow EVERYONE to enjoy school based on their preferences or skill. And suddenly everyone can "do" school, and the kid that takes Calculus has the same grade point average as the kid who took a math class that featured Sudoku.

Where do you draw the line? Is school for everyone or should it be school like? Is it okay to leave a few people behind for the sake of the "greater good?" I don't have the answer to these questions, but I do know this: You can't have it both ways. Either school is school with lectures and text books and essays and tests, or school is for everyone with collective learning activities and recess. School is hard and we excel but leave a few people behind, or school is not and we fall behind as a nation, but bring everyone with us.

Does Anyone Know CPR? Part II

2008-10-07T22:56:00.005-05:00

In addition to the crab Rangoon, egg rolls, and jalapeno poppers, I also fried pickles and cookie dough, and would have fried mozzarella cheese, but we were full.

Fried Dill Pickles
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup cornmeal
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (32 ounce) jar dill pickle slices

In a large bowl, combine eggs, 1/4 cup of the flour, buttermilk, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, seasoning salt and garlic powder.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, 2 cups flour, salt and 3/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Preheat oil in a deep fryer or pot to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C).

Dip drained pickles into milk mixture and then dredge them in the flour mixture, then back in the milk mixture, and back in the flour mixture. Deep fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with Ranch dressing or marinara sauce.

* I drained the pickles first, then put them on paper towels for about an hour to try to absorb as much of the liquid as possible before dropping them into a vat of bubbly oil.*

My two crock pot appetizers were Chicken Wing Dip and Little Smokies

Chicken Wing Dip
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup pepper sauce, such as Franks® Red Hot®
1 cup Ranch-style salad dressing
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Put all ingredients into a crock pot. Cook on high until cheeses are melted and ingredients are well incorporated. Turn to low to keep warm. Serve with tortilla chips.

Little Smokies
1 package little smokies
1 bottle barbecue sauce

Place all ingredients into a crock pot. Cook on high until hot dogs are thoroughly cooked. Turn to low to keep warm.

I bet y'all are impressed with that recipe. I bet you wouldn't have figured that one out on your own, and are fantastically glad I posted it for you!

I also made fried cookie dough. Brad finds it "disgusting" (exact words), but our friends like it, so I made it.

Fried Cookie Dough
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 pasteurized eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
Egg Roll Wrappers

In a large bowl, beat together margarine or butter and sugars until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla, and mix well. Blend in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.

Place about 1/4 cup of dough in the center of the wrapper. Fold edge over to create a tube. Fold sides in, then finish rolling. Fry until golden brown. Serve with ice cream toppings, such as caramel and hot fudge.

Does Anyone Know CPR?

2008-10-06T23:17:00.003-05:00

I get my deep fryer out about once every 9 months or so, and usually because I am craving really good crab Rangoon. Then, I fry to my heart's content... or until the oil gets nasty... I scrub the fryer. It sits on my kitchen table for about a month because I am too lazy to drag it to its home in the basement. Eventually it does end up in the basement, where it stays for 8 months until I repeat the aforementioned process.

On Saturday, I had some friends over to eat fried food and play games... in that order. Here's what I made...

Adrienne's Rockin' Crab Rangoon
2 (8 oz) pkgs. cream cheese
1 (8 oz) pkg. imitation crab, chopped
4 cloves crushed garlic
4 green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 package wanton wrappers

Mix the first six ingredients together. Put one teaspoon mixture in the center of a wanton wrapper. Dip your finger in water, and trace it around the perimeter of the wanton wrapper. Fold one corner diagonally across . Pinch to close. Then, fold the remaining two corners up to this corner. Fry at 350 F until golden brown. Serve with sweet and sour sauce and spicy mustard.

Eggs Rolls

1 package pre-shredded slaw mix
1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts
4 green onions, chopped
1 cup shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
black pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten
cornstarch
20 egg roll wrappers

Mix together cabbage, sprouts, and onion. Stir in shrimp, soy sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper. Pour beaten egg into a skillet placed over medium heat; cook until done. Remove from skillet, cool, and chop finely. Stir egg into cabbage mixture. Sprinkle top with cornstarch, mix, and allow to sit 10 minutes.

Place 2 or 3 tablespoons of the shrimp mixture into the center of an egg roll skin. Dip your finger in water, then trace the perimeter of the wrapper. Fold the egg roll skin from the bottom over the mixture, making a tight tube of the shrimp mixture. Fold corners in from the sides; then, roll the rest of the way. Repeat with remaining egg roll wrappers.

Fry at 350 F or until golden brown. Serve with sweet and sour sauce and hot mustard.

Jalapeno Popper Spread
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
2 ounces canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chiles and jalapeno peppers.

At this point, you can toss this in a crock pot to warm it up, bake it in the oven at 350 F until it is bubbly, or microwave it, if the thought of microwaved mayo doesn't gross you out.

As per my friend Amber's suggestion, I wrapped it in wanton wrappers and fried like crab Rangoon. (See aforementioned crab Rangoon recipe for specifics...) I actually didn't have one, but it got rave reviews from my friends. I served this with Ranch Dressing (Ken's... to be exact.)

At this point, I'm sure you are wondering what else I could have possibly fried. You will have to continue to wonder, because I have to go to sleep. BUT, I will update tomorrow with the rest of the fried items, as well as the two crock pot appetizers I served... Do you think I had too much food for 4 people???

"Our" Visitor...

2008-10-02T17:16:00.003-05:00

I did a lot of cooking this week for various reasons. First, "we" had company. I put "we" in quotes, because I really had almost no interaction with the visitor. He hung out in the office and played Microsoft Flight Simulator for 2 solid days. Due to this, though, I was a good little cooker. On Monday, I made corn chowder, garlic bread, and peach cobbler.

Cheddar-Corn Chowder
1 pound uncooked bacon, diced
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 medium red potatoes, diced into 3/4 inch cubes
6 cups chicken stock or broth
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 (16 oz.) cans whole kernel corn, drained
2 (16 oz.) creamed corn
1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups heavy cream
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
2 bunches scallions, sliced

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until brown and crispy. Remove bacon from skillet, and allow to drain on paper towels.

Place 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease in a stockpot. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the drippings and saute for 5 minutes. Add potatoes, stock, cayenne pepper, and coriander. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 35 minutes. Add the corn, cheese, and cream. Simmer additional 7 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Stir in the scallions and crispy bacon pieces.

Enjoy!

I've made this several times, and have loved it every time. I used 2% milk instead of cream this time because I am trying to cut back (see earlier post). It was a bit thinner, but just as tasty. I served it with garlic bread, and we had peach cobbler for dessert. (The peach cobbler recipe is posted around July 19... I made it for my mom's birthday.)

On Tuesday, I made baked Tilapia, scallops, green beans, and rice pilaf.

Baked Tilapia
4 tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place fillets in dish.

Mix lemon juice, butter, garlic and parsley. Pour mixture over fish.

Bake fish in preheated oven until fish is white, and flakes with a fork, about 30 minutes.

Baked Scallops
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 pound large sea scallops

Preheat oven to 450 F. Mix butter, mustard, lemon juice, garlic and parsley together.

Place scallops in a baking dish. Pour butter mixture over scallops. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until scallops are opaque and cooked throughout.

I served this meal with fresh green beans, prepared in the Ziploc steamer bag, and a box of rice pilaf, prepared per the package directions. It was delicious.

On Behalf of Fat Girls Everywhere...

2008-09-30T22:56:00.003-05:00

When I was in college we read an article called, "Unpacking the White Knapsack," and it was about all of the aspects "white" Americans take for granted. In it, she makes a list of various assumptions white, upper middle class, heterosexual Americans can make. Some of them are...

"I am never asked to speak for all people of my racial group."
"I can choose bandages in "flesh" color and have them more or less match my skin."
"I can expect figurative language and imagery in all of the arts to testify to my experience of race."

This is what went through my mind today while standing outside of the drama room listening to 20 teenagers repeatedly sing the same bars from "Thoroughly Modern Millie" as my crazy coworker paid me what she thoroughly felt was a compliment.

So... I was walking back to my classroom, minding my own business, when a my crazy coworker made the ever so obvious statement, "You're still here?" Because I am tired, I will update this story later with several tangents about previous encounters I've had with this woman.

"It makes me so happy to see you and (insert name of other colleague here)." I was thoroughly confused, because I don't know her very well, but I have almost nothing in common with this other colleague, and I am very rarely in the same room with her.

"My husband has this daughter who is very fat," she began, "and he is worried that she will never amount to anything." Okay, I am thinking...

"But you have a job, and are successful and are getting married. You found a man who loves you, so there is hope for her, too." This is the point where my jaw drops. Am I really having this conversation? Did she really just tell me that she has hope for her fat step daughter because I am a successful individual? Perhaps I misunderstood. That's a big NO folks. I understood perfectly.

She continues... "You are such a good role model for these twiggy girls. They need to interact with people who are different from them and realize there is more to life than being skinny." Hmm. This is the point, I think, where I might have teared up, if I had enough respect for this woman to care about what she was saying..." She must have noticed the expression on my face, though, because then she launched into a five minute diatribe about how this is a compliment. After all, her favorite aunt probably weighed 600 hundred pounds, and she was the neatest woman ever. She kept telling me not to be offended. I finally just walked away. How does a person respond to that?

First of all, who walks up to a person and says that??? Second of all, I might be a little overweight, but not debilitating so, and I have certainly, in my life, overcome adversity FAR greater than finding a man who loves me for my wit, charm, intelligence and beauty.

So with that, I speak on behalf of all of the fat girls out there...
You are capable of being educated, professional, successful adults.
Men (Or women... I don't judge) will find you attractive for your beauty, inside and out.
Busybody coworkers will find ways, subtle or not, to point out your imperfections, despite the fact that they are at least two pants sizes overweight themselves, are married, and have the same job you do...

G'night!

Chicken Caesar Squares

2008-09-27T22:03:00.002-05:00

Chicken Caesar Squares

2 cups cooked chicken breast, cubed
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons Caesar dressing (I use Newman's Own Creamy Caesar)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon minced garlic
t teaspoon lemon juice
1 8 oz. can crescent rolls

Heat oven to 375F. In a medium sized bowl, mix all filling ingredients until well combined.

Unroll dough. Separate into 4 rectangles. Press perforations together to make four rectangles. Press to be about 4 x 6 inches. Add 1/4 of filling to each rectangle, and gently fold edges over the filling. Seal well. Place on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 16-21 minutes or until golden brown.

My Recent Baking Endeavours

2008-09-13T22:18:00.003-05:00

I have done a bit of baking in the last month, and I will share those recipes now. The freezer is getting to be slim pickens, which is good, but now I just have a bunch of really odd stuff that requires advanced planning to make sure I have the fresh ingredients necessary. On the top shelf (the meat shelf), I still have 4 (2 person) servings of boneless skinless chicken breast, and about that many pork tenderloin chops, a pork tenderloin, 3 nice NY strip steaks, a slab of ribs, some Italian Sausage, at least 2 pounds of hamburger, a whole chicken, a brisket, another eye of round roast (very pretty, but not as yummy as other cuts of beef), some Italian sausage...

I also still have at least 3 different types of pasta, one of which is squash ravioli and one is some sort of fancy brie ravioli. These are those niche items I need to prepare for in order to serve well. For instance, the brie ravioli would be great with a nice green salad, some crusty bread and perhaps a mushroom sauce, but I have to plan ahead to have any of those ingredients. I still have at least all of one enormous package of pierogies. I still have some salmon, cod (Brad's contribution, a frozen pizza, the Costco chicken pot pie, a bag of Mongolian Beef that Brad found to be "okay," a bag of scallops, some shrimp, frozen veggies and random meals I've frozen for Brad's lunch, as well as a lasagna I made last time I made lasagna. So, I started this escapade on July1, and now, 2 1/2 months later, I still have not purchased anything but fresh fruits and veggies, dairy and produce. Well, and a couple of maintenance items, like mayo and soy sauce, but only because I was out and needed it... I wasn't stock piling.

The Pantry is still full too. I am pathetic. I will not be able to grocery shop until Christmas at the rate I am going.

Tonight I made "Death By Chocolate," which frankly, sounds like a great way to die. I used a cake mix, a box of pudding, a jar of hot fudge, and an open bag of toffee chips. I eliminated major supplies with this one!

Death By Chocolate
1 chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate, because that is what I had...)
1 jar hot fudge
6 Heath or Score bars, chopped
1 large package vanilla pudding
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1 16 oz. container cool whip
1 chocolate bar

Prepare cake mix using package directions. Bake in a 13 x 9 inch pan. (Sometimes, if I am feeling spunky, I substitute 1/2 of the water for Kahlua) Allow to cool completely, then slice into very small pieces (like 1 inch squares).

Mix pudding and milk. Stir well, and let sit 5 minutes to set. Add all but 1 1/2 cups of the cool whip to the pudding and mix well. Heat hot fudge until it is drizzleable.

In a pretty glass bowl, put down a layer of cake. Drizzle 1/3 of the hot fudge on top of the cake. Sprinkle 1/3 of the crushed candy on top. Add 1/3 of the pudding mixture. Add another layer of cake, a little less than half of the remaining mixture. Drizzle the rest of the hot fudge on top of the cake, then sprinkle the remaining candy pieces. Spread the remaining pudding mixture on top of the candy pieces. Make a final layer of cake on top of the pudding mixture. Top with the reserved cool whip. Decorate the top of the dessert with shavings from the chocolate bar.

Make one day in advance. It takes about a day for everything to meld together and taste like more than just the individual parts.

This is really really yummy, and very impressive despite the easy preparation. Also, it used multiple pantry ingredient, so it is a red banner recipe!

Recently, I also made some cookies, which I am going to call Nuts about Cookies, because I made up the recipe entirely by myself, and therefore can call it whatever I want. I made these because Brad called at 8 pm and requested a treat to take to work the next day. Bringing in treats increases his street cred at work, so I like to help with that.

Nuts About Cookies
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups mixed nuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix together butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in baking soda and flour. Add nuts and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center is set. Remove from sheet immediately and allow to cool on racks.

Awhile ago, I had bananas going bad, so I made chocolate banana bread.

Chocolate Banana Bread
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup white sugar
4 eggs
6 bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup lite sour cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, cream together margarine, applesauce, sugar and eggs. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking soda and cocoa; mix well. Blend in sour cream and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean.

This was very yummy, and a bit different than the usual banana bread. I made two loafs and froze one. It still tasted delectable out of the freezer!

How do you spell success?

2008-09-12T19:38:00.002-05:00

So, if everyone else thought the dinner was good, but I didn't care for it, was it a successful meal? Brad is sick, and he requested comfort food. Comfort food for him is apparently Salisbury Steak, though when I need comfort I turn to crab Rangoon. I knew when he requested it that I wasn't going to love it. I figured I'd like it enough to eat it for a meal. I was wrong. I am not a picky eater. Ask anyone. There are a handful of things I would choose not to eat if given the choice, but can if someone puts it in front of me and says, "here's dinner." I figured it'd be like that, but no. The last few bites were hard to get down.

Brad, however, who has a decent palate, thought it was delicious and exactly what he remembered his grandmother making. In case you want to test it out... (Ringing Endorsement, eh... Well, it wasn't poorly made. I just didn't care for it.)

Salisbury Steak
1 pound lean ground beef
1 egg
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 pound baby portabello mushrooms, sliced
2 small onions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons flour
1 (14 oz.) can beef broth
2 beef bullion cubes
1 1/4 cup milk

Combine ground beef, egg, garlic, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning in a bowl. Mix well. Make into 4 patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Cook in a skillet for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet.

In the same skillet, on medium heat, melt butter. Add mushrooms and onions and saute until onions are translucent and mushrooms release their juice. Add flour and stir until well incorporated. Add beef broth, milk and bullion cubes. Cook on medium for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until mixture thickens. Add patties back into sauce. Cover will sauce. Turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

I served tonight's... experience... with fresh green beans made in a Ziploc Steamer bag and egg noodles.

I used up the egg noodles from the pantry, and a pound of ground beef from the freezer.

Mushroom White Cheddar Soup

2008-09-08T18:25:00.002-05:00

It rained and rained and rained and rained and rained on Thursday. I love soup, so I took this opporunity to make my first batch of the cool season. I served it with Crescent Rolls (the kind in the tube - baked per the package directions.

Mushroom White Cheddar Soup
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 pounds fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 tablespoon Penzey's Shallot Pepper Seasoning
2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
3 cups 2% milk
3 cups sharp white cheddar cheese

On medium high heat, melt butter in large pot. Add garlic and onion and saute until soft and translucent. Add mushrooms, and saute until they release their juices, stirring periodically. Add flour, black pepper, seasoned salt and Shallot Pepper Seasoning and stir until incorporated. Add chicken broth, and stir well. When soup begins to thicken, pour in milk, and stir well. Turn heat to medium. Add cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Season with additional salt and pepper , if desired. Yummo!

Tuesday and Wednesday

2008-09-04T18:23:00.003-05:00

School has begun and I am officially lazy in the kitchen. It is important to note that I am also lazy in the posting, so even when I DO cook, it takes me a while to actually share this information. I didn't fall asleep last night until 2:30, and I woke up around 6:30 (which is the time I should leave my house!) My classroom is a trailer, which is less than beneficial for several reasons. 1. God does not like trailers. If ever there were a tornado, my students and I would not make it to the building. We would be carried off in a twister, and if we are lucky, we might land in colorful land complete with flying monkeys and little people singing about lollipops. More likely, though, we'd land somewhere really inconvenient, like the middle of the highway, or the river. 2. On days like today when it rains ALL DAY LONG, I get wet a lot. My hair has yet to dry today. I left for school with wet hair (see aforementioned note regarding oversleeping). I walked through the rain from my car to my trailer. Then, I had to open the door for my students between classes. Then, I had to lug a box full of recently copied materials, as well as 50 copies of The Scarlet Letter through the rain. Then, I had to open the door for my students between classes. Then, I had to walk in the rain to lunch. Then, I had to open the door for my students between classes. Then, I had to open the door for my students between classes. Then, I had to walk into the building to distribute various pieces of paper to various offices. Then, I walked to my car. Then I walked from my car. My hair is still wet. I smell like mildew. I had a good day. No, really I did. Just a bad hair day...

Last night for supper, I used up supplies. In fact, all I did was use supplies. I made an Asian Gourmet (from Aldi) box of yellow curry rice. I added about 1/3 of a bag of frozen peas to the rice. I sauteed some chicken breast with onions in a little bit of oil, and then added a Trader Joe's bottle of Yellow Thai Curry sauce. It was delcious, and nutritious. AND... It used up freezer and pantry supplies.

Tuesday night, I made some sort of port reduction with mushrooms sauce for beef. It was pretty yummy, but I would've done it differently if I had it to do over again. I served it with some fresh sugar snap peas, and a box of rice pilaf (from the cupboard).

Beef with Shitaaki Mushrooms and Port Wine Reduction

Beef (I used two large NY strip steaks I had defrosted and needed to use)

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped.
2 cups shitaaki mushrooms, sliced
1 can beef broth
1 bottle mid grade Port
2 Tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Heat olive oil in a large pan. Saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent. Add Bottle of port, and boil on medium for 30 minutes. Add beef broth, jam, Worcestershire sauce and mushrooms and boil for an additional 30 minutes. Sauce should be reduced significantly.

Meanwhile, cook the steaks on the grill or under the broiler to desired doneness. Serve the warm sauce over the beef.

Thinning out the Supplies: Not a Gourmet Endeavour

2008-08-29T20:42:00.002-05:00

My dog has gotten spunky lately. He is getting more and more brave about jumping up to places he is not allowed to be to get into stuff he is not allowed to get into. Last Sunday, it happened to be the chicken breast that I had removed from the refrigerator and placed on the counter prior to its preparation. I came into my room to print off the recipe, and when I returned to the living room, there were my perfectly defrosted chicken breasts, mauled and strewn throughout the (carpeted) living room. He knew he was in trouble. He put his eyes down and walked immediately to his crate. What really stinks about the situation is that I spent more than a little time planning this meal, finding the recipe, finding sides... I don't remember what we had instead. Probably Sonic.

Monday, Brad went out of town. I ordered pizza from Papa Johns.

Tuesday, Brad was still out of town. I stopped by the grocery store on my way home to purchase more grapes and picked up some pre-made chicken salad, which I had for supper in the form of a sandwich.

Wednesday, I ate leftover Pizza. (This is the part where we all think, wow... I didn't realize she was such a bachelor.)

Thursday, Brad came home and wanted something home cooked, he had been dining out at all of his favorite restaurants for the past three days. Poor guy. We had Tilapia Parmesan, Green Beans and a tube of Italian Bread.

Tilapia Parmesan
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia filets

Preheat broiler. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Mix together all ingredients but Tilapia.

Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and broil 2-3 additional minutes. (More for thick fillets) Cover fish with Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork.

As previously mentioned, we also had frozen green beans, and I baked a tube of Italian bread. I gotta admit, other than shape, I couldn't tell a difference between it and the tube of French loaf, but for $2 and fresh bread in 20 minutes, I am not going to complain.

This meal used Tilapia from the freezer and green beans from the freezer. Woo Hoo. It was also tasty, but If I did it again, I would make 1/2 as much sauce and just baste the fish with it. If you actually like the taste of fish, the sauce totally overpowers it. If you are trying to disguise fish for a picky eater, it is perfect.

Back to School Cookies

2008-08-29T18:08:00.002-05:00

I keep forgetting to mention that I did make cookies the day before school started.

Brad's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop 1/4 cup dough onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Remove when the middle is set and the edges are brown. If they are nice and evenly brown in the oven, they are overcooked.

Slacker!

2008-08-27T21:23:00.004-05:00

Okay folks (both of you)... I know I have been remiss on the updates, but school started 2 1/2 weeks ago, and well, I've been busy. A) Busy and therefore not posting and B)Busy and therefore not cooking. Because it has been close to two weeks since an update, I will make a little sketch here to remind myself what I did when, and then will come back and add stories and updates. I'm going backwards...

Today...(8/27)
Hamburger Helper

8/26
Orange Chicken

8/25
BLTs

8/24
Dinner at Mom's... I brought blueberry pie

8/23 Taco Bell... Attack of the bacon...

8/22 Spaghetti and bread/ Nut Cookies

8/21 Thursday Parmesan Tilapia and herb rice pouch/ Chocolate Banana Bread

Wednesday, 8/20 Brad out of town...Pizza
Tuesday 8/19 Brad out of town... scrounge
Monday 8/18 Brad out of town... Pizza

Sunday 8/17 ... tragic chicken mishap... don't remember what we had

From the Request Line...

2008-08-22T21:25:00.003-05:00

Summer Squash Enchiladas

1 medium chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups chopped zucchini or yellow summer squash
1 4 oz. can diced green chili peppers
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8 7-8 inch flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes

Cook onion and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet just until tender. Stir in squash, cook 3-5 minutes until just tender. Stir in half of chili peppers, 1 teaspoon of chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir one more minute. Remove from heat. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan melt butter. Stir in flour, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook and stir about 1 minute. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until thick. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup of cheese until melted. Add the rest of the chili peppers. Stir 1/2 cup of cheese sauce into squash mixture.

Spoon 1/3 cup squash mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up. Place tortillas in a lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over tortillas. Cover and bake at 400 F for 25 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and the tomatoes.

RESERVATIONS = What I Made For Dinner This Week

2008-08-17T13:02:00.002-05:00

No Joke. Last night was the first night I'd cooked in a week. Don't believe me?

Last Friday Night, August 8, I made breakfast for dinner. We had french toast, which used up some leftover french bread we had, bacon (from the freezer) and scrambled eggs. The recipes for these items are posted on Thursday, July 17.

Last Saturday Night, August 9, as per a request from my darling fiance, Brad, we had pigs in a blanket.

Pigs in a Blanket
8 bun length all beef hot dogs, cut in half
4 pieces American Cheese, folded in half on the diagonal
2 packages crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 375F. Place one triangle of cheese in the triangle end of the crescent roll. Place a hot dog half at the wide end of the crescent roll, and roll up. Put on a large cookie sheet. Repeat 15 times. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown.

I served this particular delicacy with Ore Ida onion rings, baked in the oven per the package directions.

Last Sunday Night, August 10, I ordered Papa John's Pizza. One of the fund raisers I bought from a kid last year is a discount card, and on it is buy one get one free large pizzas from Papa John's.

This past Monday, August 11, was my first day back to school. We had Chinese Buffet for supper.

Tuesday was the day before the official "First Day of School." We went to a very yummy restaurant in Wentzville called West Allen Grill. They have nightly specials, which are delicious and very inexpensive. Tuesday night is Porterhouse Steak night, which include a porterhouse steak, a salad and a side for the low, low price of $13.99. Wednesday is Ribs and Thursday is Prime Rib. All are delicious.

Wednesday, the first day of school, was EXHAUSTING. I actually fell asleep at the stoplight on my way home. I realized I was in dire need of a nap, so when I got home, around 6, I set my alarm clock for 7. This was an unreasonable expectation, so I reset it for 7:30. I woke up to Brad at 11, very upset because I hadn't called or answered the phone for several hours and he thought something was wrong. I woke up for about 2 hours... long enough to make us both a grilled cheese sandwich and a can of tomato soup, do a few chores. I went back to sleep around 1. I did, however, use some supplies, as the can of tomato soup was from the cupboard. Do I need to post the recipe for grilled cheese? Really? There are whole cookbooks devoted to grilled cheese, so I guess perhaps I should.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich (as I made it on Wednesday)
2 pieces cheap wheat bread
margarine
2 pieces American cheese
1 piece Swiss cheese

Turn stove to medium. Lightly butter one side of each piece of bread. Place the buttered side of one piece of bread face down in the skillet. Layer cheese on top. Place the other slice of bread on top, buttered side face up. Cook until first side is golden brown. Flip. Cook until other side is golden brown and cheese is melty.

As for the soup, I made it on the stove top per the package directions.

Thursday, August 13, Brad brought home Sonic from work. We each had a popcorn chicken, and I had a mixed root beer float.

Friday, August 14, Brad brought home Taco Bell. I fell asleep minutes before he walked in the door, so I had my Taco Bell reheated the next day.

... which leads us to Saturday's Pot Roast...

I have two Eye of Round Roasts of approximately 2 pounds each in the freezer. I have no idea what one does with an Eye of Round Roast, but it looked really good when I bought it. After doing careful research, I realized it is a crock pot cut of meat.

Pot Roast
2 lb. Eye of Round
1 envelope dry french onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Place all three ingredients in the crock pot. Cover. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-12 hours. (I cooked on low).

This recipe makes its own gravy. The meat was pretty tender because it had cooked all day, but I think I still prefer my usual cut of meat for pot roast, which is chuck roast. I just trim the fat off and toss it in the crock pot with the same ingredients listed here. I think it is even more tender and delicious.

I served the pot roast with some instant mashed potatoes from the pantry and a tube of french bread. It is a whole loaf of french bread squished into a tube, like biscuits and crescent rolls, etc. They are in the refrigerated section at the grocery store.

I used the roast from the freezer and the potatoes from the cupboard. (And I cooked for the first time in a week. Tonight, I think we are having chicken enchiladas -- though that depends on if I go to the store to get tortillas... Either way, I have chicken defrosting.)

From the Request Line...

2008-08-11T01:03:00.002-05:00

Seafood Fettuccine
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped green onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled
1 pound sea scallops
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 pound lump crab meat, shell pieces removed
3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
8 cups hot cooked fettuccine (about 1 lb. uncooked pasta)

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; saute 1 minute or until tender. Add shrimp and scallops; saute 3 minutes or until done. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Add half-and-half, salt, pepper and crab meat; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly (do not boil). Gradually sprinkle cheese over seafood mixture, stirring constantly; cook one minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat. Combine pasta and seafood mixture in a large bowl. (Initially, it looks kind of runny. After standing for a few minutes, the pasta will absorb a lot of the liquid).

...all to not waste...

2008-08-08T00:28:00.002-05:00

Have you ever wanted really badly not to waste some sort of food item, only to use a lot more ingredients and realize it actually would've been cheaper in the long run to let the original ingredient go bad? I first learned this with canned pumpkin. My favorite pumpkin cookie recipe requires 1 cup of packed canned pumpkin. A can of pumpkin has just under 2 cups in it. What does one do with 1/2 can of pumpkin? I don't know either, so I double the recipe to avoid throwing away a perfectly good can of pumpkin. Instead of wasting 1/2 can of a $.99 can of pumpkin (or worse yet, SAVING it, only to have it get lost in the fridge and resurface months later as a science experiment), I use twice as much flour and sugar and oil to create well over 100 pumpkin cookies. Even teachers won't eat 100 pumpkin cookies before they get stale, so if I have to throw any away, I've now wasted ALL of the ingredients and my time.

Enter the head of broccoli. I bought a head of broccoli at the grocery store last week, and knew I needed to use it up. I wanted to use it in a main course, because it would take us a week to eat that much broccoli as a side dish. What main courses include broccoli? Beef and Broccoli. Yum! (out of soy sauce). Stir fry - Yum! (out of soy sauce) Broccoli cheese soup - Yum. (the heat index today was close to 100) Broccoli casserole... includes cream of mushroom soup and Velveeta cheese. Also, as an extra added bonus, most recipes actually call for frozen broccoli rather than fresh. That just contains too many processed ingredients for me. I found a recipe for lemon broccoli risotto. It was tasty, don't get me wrong. It was darned tasty, even. But check out how many other ingredients I used NOT to let $2.50 worth of broccoli go to waste...

Broccoli and Lemon Risotto
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 large sweet onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup dry white wine (I used Yellow Tail Chardonnay)
4 cans chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups cooked broccoli florets
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until translucent. Add lemon juice, wine and 1 can chicken broth. Let simmer on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until rice absorbs most of the liquid. Add another can of chicken broth. Repeat this step twice more. When most of the liquid has been absorbed from the last can of chicken broth, add the cream, cheese, broccoli and salt and pepper. Stir well. Let simmer another 5 minutes before serving.

I used arborio and chicken broth out of the pantry, and the broccoli didn't go to waste, but in an effort to not waste produce, I chopped onions and garlic, and spent 45 minutes making a rice dish that also included relatively expensive ingredients such as cream and Parmesan cheese. But gosh darn it, I used that broccoli... My grandmother would be so proud.

White Queso Dip

2008-08-07T01:20:00.003-05:00

My friend Laura got me hooked on the white queso dip served at all the local Mexican restaurants. As I don't love Mexican food, and therefore don't thoroughly enjoy eating at Mexican restaurants, I have been trying to emulate the dip. Tonight's experiment proved to be another dissimilar, albeit tasty, attempt.

Mexican Queso Dip
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons flour
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 4 oz. can diced chilies , drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 oz. Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
1/2 cup heavy cream

Melt butter. Saute onions in butter until translucent. Add flour and stir for about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, chilies and salt, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cheese and stir until melted. Pour in cream, and stir vigorously for 2 minutes.

Serve warm with Tostidos...

It was good. It used a can of tomatoes and a can of chilies from the pantry. It was nothing like the kind they serve at El Maguey (Pronounced correctly, I think, is El Ma' Gway, but a girl I went to grad school with pronounced it El Ma' Gooey and so every time I think of that place I think El Ma Gooey'. What is funny about the situation is she actually thought that was how you pronounced it...) Mine was a lot thicker than theirs and less spicy. It was also kind of pink, and the kind at the restaurant is not pink, but rather white. I think next time I will leave out the flour and the tomatoes, and perhaps add some cumin and maybe some chili powder. Also, it lacked garlic. All food needs garlic. Unless it has chocolate in it -- that would be a bit weird.

Date Night Dinner

2008-08-06T02:07:00.002-05:00

I have really been loving the Chesapeake Bay Seasoning from Penzey's (http://www.penzeys.com/). According to the container, it is a mix of paprika, salt, mustard, celery, ancho, black pepper, red pepper, dill, caraway, allspice, horseradish, cardamom, thyme, ginger, bay, mace, cinnamon, savory and cloves. I have found that overdoing it makes the dish too salty, but I have been rubbing it on seafood lately, and it is very, very good.

For supper tonight, we had shrimpcargo, salmon, Au gratin potatoes, stuffed zucchini, fresh tomato and mozzarella salad, garlic bread and peanut butter pie.

Shrimpcargo (Recipe from my friend Amber... published at allrecipes.com)
1/4 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 peeled and deveined large shrimp (21 to 25 per lb)
6 mushrooms, stems removed
2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat the butter and garlic in a skillet over medium heat until the butter begins to bubble. Stir in the shrimp, and cook until they just turn pink, about 3 minutes.

Divide the cheese evenly and stuff into the mushroom caps. Drizzle a spoonful of the butter/garlic mixture into each mushroom, on top of the cheese. Place one shrimp on top of each mushroom cap. Drizzle any remaining butter mixture over the top of the mushrooms.
Bake in the preheated oven until the mushrooms are tender and the cheese is golden and bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve with bread to mop up any remaining garlic butter goodness.

For the salmon, I just rubbed it with the Chesapeake Bay Seasoning and baked it in the oven until it flaked, about 20 minutes. I also made a dill sauce. The recipe for that is posted on July 31 under "Post Boating Meal." The fresh tomato salad and garlic bread recipes have also been posted previously.

Au Gratin Potatoes (or as Brad says, "Old Rotten Potatoes")
5 medium sized potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 small onions, thinly sliced
1 cup sharp cheddar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, in
seasoned salt
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a square baking dish with cooking spray. Put down a layer of potatoes. Spread 1/2 of onions over potatoes and 1/2 of cheese over onions. Sprinkle lightly with seasoned salt. Put down another layer of potatoes. Spread the remaining onions and cheese over potatoes. Sprinkle lightly with seasoned salt. Cover with another layer of potatoes. Pour milk evenly over the top layer of potatoes. Sprinkle salt and pepper generously. Evenly space pieces of butter over the top. Cover with foil and bake for about 1 hour. Stick a fork in the middle after about an hour. When the potatoes feel like the texture you would enjoy eating, they are finished. You can also cover them with saran wrap and cook them in the microwave. I begin by cooking in 7 minute increments. As it gets closer to done, I decrease the time.

Stuffed Zucchini
1 medium zucchini
1 8 oz. package fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup white wine (I used Yellow Tail Chardonnay)
1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup 6 cheese Italian blend

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Cut ends off of zucchini, and then cut in half horizontally once and the vertically once, to get 4 pieces.

Cut or scoop pulp out of the center of the zucchini. Set shells aside. Chop pulp. In a nonstick skillet, saute the zucchini pulp, mushrooms and onion in butter for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Add wine. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. Stir in salt and pepper, breadcrumbs and cheese. Stir until mixed well. Stuff 1/4 of the stuffing mixture into each shell. Place in a baking dish, and bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on desired doneness of zucchini.

Peanut butter Pie (from allrecipes.com, modified)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 (8 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
4 Reeses Peanut Butter Cups candies (2 packages containing two each)
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

Beat together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Mix in peanut butter. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

Spoon into graham cracker pie shell. Chop candy and sprinkle over the top of pie. Cover and freeze until firm. Store in freezer.

Dinner was really yummy, and used lots of ingredients I had on hand. When I ran to the store, the only items I needed to buy were 6 whole button mushrooms, tomatoes, french bread and cool whip. I bought the zucchini at the grocery store last week after boating, and I had sliced mushrooms in the fridge that needed badly to be used. I opened the package of fresh mozzarella a few days ago, so it was getting near the end of its life. I despise throwing away food, yet I seem to always have something go bad. I was pretty proud of how I used exactly the ingredients I needed to use.

As for the challenge, I used salmon and shrimp from the freezer and peanut butter and pie crust from the pantry. Somehow it seemed like I used more ingredients than that when I was cooking...

It was very very tasty.

Saturday Night Pork

2008-08-05T21:27:00.003-05:00

I have not been remiss in updating so much as there really hasn't been much progress. Saturday, I made a pork tenderloin, which I will discuss later. On Sunday, I went to my parents house, and my mom and brother BBQ ed. Monday, we went out pre Muny.

Saturday, I ate pork tenderloin at 2 in the morning. Why? Because Brad was at work until close to 1 am, and didn't get home until 2. When he did get home, he was famished. I was famished as well, because I couldn't decide what to eat. I had the four bites of leftover chicken around noon, but that didn't fill me up for very long. I had a package of creamy chicken Ramen Noodles around 6. Once again, not sure where the Ramen Noodles came from, but I have been eating them nonetheless.

Pork Tenderloin (from allrecipes.com)

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons white wine
1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced onion (or about 1/2 of a small onion, chopped)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pinch garlic powder
2 (3/4 pound) pork tenderloins

DIRECTIONS
Place soy sauce, brown sugar, wine, dried onion, cinnamon, olive oil, and a touch of garlic powder in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal, and shake to mix. Place pork in bag with marinade, seal, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray. Place the tenderloins in the pan, so they are not touching each other. Bake for 30 - 45 minutes or until cooked completely. (165 F in the center, or until when you cut it open in the center it is all the same color and looks like something you want to eat... whichever method you prefer...) Slice into medallions and serve.

I also made some frozen peas (cooked in the microwave) and some instant mashed potatoes (prepared per the box directions). This meal used boucoup (sp?) freezer and pantry ingredients. The tenderloin and peas were in the freezer, and the instant mashed potatoes were in the pantry. I used to NEVER NEVER NEVER buy instant mashed potatoes, but I went through a phase where all I wanted to eat were potatoes, but I didn't want to expend the time or calories involved in making homemade. My friend Sarah said Betty Crocker made some decent instant, and I have to agree. Don't get me wrong, they are still instant, but they aren't bad. I doctor them up with cheese and sour cream and I'm none the wiser. (Actually, I am because I make the potatoes, but still... you get the point....)

On Sunday, I went to my 'rents, where my bro BBQ ed. He is an awesome BBQ er. He made stuffed burgers. As best as I could tell, as I was playing with my nephew while he was cooking, he made the burgers with the usual seasonings, then he made really really thin patties. Actually, I think my mom made the patties. Either way, he put some grilled onions and bacon and white cheddar cheese in the middle, then molded another patty on top and grilled. Yum! He also made me shells and cheese, which I LOVE. It was a delightful meal... and I didn't have to cook because I brought home a burger and some mac and cheese.

I contributed dessert to the meal, which is usually my contribution. This week, I brought an ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery. It had a layer of yellow cake, followed by a layer of cheesecake ice cream. Repeat. Then, there was a layer of raspberry puree around the outside of the cake, followed by a layer of raspberry frosting. On top, were frozen raspberries. There is still a piece in the freezer. I'm not sure why I have not eaten it yet. Hmm. Now I am going to be thinking about that one lonely piece of ice cream cake in the freezer. It is still in its original container, so it is taking up a lot of space. Tomorrow is trash day, so I could eat the cake today and put the big plastic, non recyclable container in the garbage. Will power. Will power. Will power.

Monday we were going to go to the Brasilian restaurant with my 'rents (restaurant.com coupon). I checked the web site to see if they were open on Monday, and it said they were open 7 days per week. We got there, and they were closed. Jerks. We went to an Italian restaurant instead. It was pretty good, though I spilled my full glass of ice water on the table. While klutzy, I demonstrated great skill in my spill, as I managed to avoid spilling it in the bread basket, on the appetizers or on myself or my family. It was a four napkin spill, though, as it took everyone's napkin to get it cleaned up.

After supper, we went to this season's final Muny performance... Fiddler on The Roof. Act I was fantastic. I'm sure Act II would've been good, too, but it was so flipping hot. We left after the PoPos broke up the wedding. Upon arriving back at the car, we were both drenched in sweat. (Yummy!) The intermission didn't even start until 10 pm, which means if we had stayed the entire time, we would've been exhausted and dripping in sweat. (again, Yummy!)

The Muny this year was great, and this last show was the only truly miserably hot day.

What did I do wrong?

2008-08-02T13:21:00.002-05:00

The options are endless, but clearly I did something wrong because last night's dinner didn't wow me. It woed me. Here's what I did...

Chicken Satay Marinade/ Sauce
2 chicken breasts, cut into strips

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
6 tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Penzey's sweet curry powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
4 cloves garlic, crushed

I mixed all of the marinade ingredients together, added the chicken and let it marinade in the fridge for about 2 hours. Then, I just dumped the whole combination into a heated skillet, and sauteed for about 15 minutes until the chicken was cooked thoroughly and the sauce thickened.

I served it over jasmine rice with steamed green beans.

It was hot and spicy, but without a lot of complex flavor so maybe I would leave out the hot sauce in order to only have the curry flavor, or maybe I could leave it in and add another tablespoon of brown sugar. Perhaps I should have just used it as a marinade and made a different sauce...

I just ate the leftovers, and it was really good today, so maybe it just needs to mature. Hmmm.

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, Yummmmmmy

2008-08-01T00:04:00.003-05:00

For lunch today, I had Ramen Noodles. Feel free to wonder why I had Ramen Noodles in the pantry. I will wonder, as well. For the first time ever in my life, I was craving Spaghetti-Ohs. As I'm not sure I've ever even had a Spaghetti-Oh, I was pretty confident I didn't have any in the pantry, but I checked anyway, just in case. There was a very slim possibility that I moved some from Brad's apartment, but I doubted it. I did check, though, just in case. Alas, no Spaghetti-Oh's, but there was Ramen. I haven't had Ramen since college. I remember making it in my hot pot in the dorm. Ahh... the memories.

For supper, we had Mustard Chicken, Rice-a-Roni and Sugar Snap Peas. I used lots of the "stash" for this.

Mustard Chicken (from allrecipes.com - prep modified a bit)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup spicy brown mustard

1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray a shallow baking dish with cooking spray.

Cut the chicken into strips and place them in a dish. In a separate shallow dish, mix bread crumbs, Parmesan and paprika.

Coat chicken pieces with mustard, then transfer to crumb mixture. Coat well with crumbs.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Gently place coated chicken in skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes per side.

Remove chicken and place in prepared baking dish.

Mix butter, lemon juice, water and paprika together and pour over chicken. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, or so.

This dish used chicken, from the freezer.

I also made a box of Parmesan Rice (from the pantry) per the package directions, and some sugar snap peas in a Ziploc steamer bag with a bit of butter, salt and pepper.

I have been trying to incorporate lots of vegetables into our diet, so I give us huge portions of veggies and smaller portions of everything else. It has been working pretty well so far.

I would highly recommend everything I made today, even the Rice-a-Roni rice box. It was quite good.

Outings!

2008-07-31T15:59:00.004-05:00

My day was jam packed with events. In an effort to start acclimating myself to actually waking up and going to work again, I am trying to get up earlier (than 11, which is my current wake-up time...) Yesterday I set the alarm for 7:45. I got up around 10. There are two ways to look at this situation. You could say I failed, as I got out of bed over two hours after my alarm clock went off, or you can say I was successful because I still woke up an hour earlier than I usually do. If I am trying to start waking up earlier, clearly I achieved that goal.

I had a lunch date with my college roommate and her newborn, and then a dinner date with one of my HS friends. Both outings were fun. As far as the actual food is concerned, lunch was eh, but dinner was excellent. There were only two tables at the restaurant where we ate lunch, and it took a really long time to get anything. We waited for a long time to order, and then to get food. Our food came out at nowhere near the same time. Jen was almost finished with her pizza before my sandwich came out. (She even waited, until I realized that is what she was doing and told her to eat, so be sure to add on the several minutes she waited to the total delivery time.) It is an Italian restaurant and I ordered mac and cheese as a side with my sandwich. It was Kraft Mac 'n Cheese, from a box. We were always out of water. I would be a lot more sympathetic if it were busy, or if it looked as though we came in right after a busy spell, but it wasn't and we didn't. Grr.

For dinner, I went to a Japanese Sushi place. I have gotten really into the restaurant.com. If you create an account, which is free, they will periodically send you coupons to get certificates at an even more discounted rate, like $25 certificates for $3.We like it because we save money, but it also forces us to try new places. I had said coupon for the Sushi place, so that is where Grace and I went. I don't like the raw fish aspect of sushi, but I like everything else they have there... It isn't that I am opposed to eating raw fish, as I eat my meat practically raw, but the texture of it weirds me out. I don't like smoked salmon for the same reason. I love salmon, but the texture of smoked salmon, even when I slather it with cream cheese and capers and sandwich it between two sides of bagel, still makes me cringe.

We had some shrimp, and soft shell crab rolls, some dragon rolls, and some Philly rolls, some tempura and some crab cakes. Yum. All for the bargain basement price of $35 after coupon.

For supper for Brad, I used up some freezer supplies. I made pierogies and sausages. The sausages were from a meat market (http://www.swissmeats.com/) we visited when we took our mini trip to Hermann after Christmas. This particular package of sausage was a garlic herb chicken sausage. I defrosted the sausages in the microwave, then put them in a hot skillet. I poured 1/2 cup water into the skillet and covered it. When all of the water evaporated out, I uncovered the skillet, and browned the sausages on each side.

Pierogies...(I am slowly going through not one, but two huge boxes from Costco that I have. I bought one, not realizing I already had one. Oops)

Pierogies
1 large or 2 small onions, sliced like an orange
1 1/2 Tablespoon butter

Bring an appropriate sized saucepan of water to a full boil. Drop desired number of frozen pierogies into the water. Like tortellini, once they are floating on top of the water, they are done. This takes anywhere from 4-8 minutes depending on how many pierogies you are making much surface area you have in your pot.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion slices. Saute on medium for about 2 minutes. Add pierogies and saute until browned and crispy on the outside.

This was good, not too difficult, didn't dirty too many dishes, AND used up freezer items.

Tonight I see some sort of salad in our future - nice green salad with veggies and homemade croutons. Yummmm...

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