What's for Dinner?

Beefy Baked Beans

2008-04-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

I should be embarrassed to admit I eat and cook this cookout favorite as a weeknight meal, but I do and I'm not. Maybe I should be embarrassed that I add ketchup, mustard and brown sugar to the mix, but I do and I'm not. Throw in some bacon and browned ground beef and this protein-packed side dish becomes the main attraction. Or is that a fatal attraction? Never you mind, it's good!

I don't ordinarily like baked beans all that much, but I first ate this concoction at a niece's 8th grade graduation party six years ago (Did you know they celebrate graduation of 8th grade these days? Apparently they do, and if they are serving Beefy Baked Beans -- I do too!) and it was true love ever after.

I'm not going to give you a full-out recipe this time. You can remember this one because there are no exact measurements.

First you need to brown some ground beef. About a pound will do, but no matter how much you use it will taste just fine. And while you are at it, throw in some bacon pieces. I only used two strips 'cause I'm dieting! More would have been much better, but two sufficed this time.

Add some chopped onion while your browning the meat (or meats, rather).

Drain well. 'Cause were dieting, remember?

Now you are going to mix in the rest of the ingredients.

And add a big ol' squirt of ketchup, too.

I let mine cook for at least thirty minutes. The gravy turns a pretty dark, rich color. I am sure the color has nothing to do with the dark brown sugar I added or the bacon or the... oh what difference does it make? You have to make something for dinner, why not make it taste good?

There is one more thing you need to round out your BB-Q inspired dinner. You must make Sara's Crunchy Cabbage Cole Slaw. I make myself a bowl of Beefy Baked Beans and slop a scoop of Sara's Crunchy Cabbage on top. Heaven. Make sure you get a little of each dish in every bite. Um-um-good! If you have the family cookbook Sara's recipe is on page 17. If you don't, I post it later.

And some people may like to add a drip or two of Bean-o on top, but I wouldn't know anything about that. Download a $1.00 off Bean-o coupon here.

Sara's Chicken Salad

2008-04-15T10:46:00.001-07:00

My sister, Sara, can throw together a mean chicken salad. It's really "springy" with grapes and pineapple and makes for a light and refreshing lunch. Her chicken salad has a lot of texture that makes it fun to eat - and unexpected. She puts a little curry and soy sauce in the dressing, but it is just enough to make you wonder what that flavor is, not enough to overwhelm you. I also like her chicken salad because it's a nice twist on the traditional chicken salad my mom used to make.

Don't get me wrong, I loved my mother's chicken salad. My mom took her chicken salad to the next level by grinding up the chicken. She used this scary looking "machine" (I use the word machine loosely -- it was 100% manual) that she kept on the top shelf in our laundry room storage (essentially this top shelf was our kitchen gadget graveyard). Maybe once a year she would get a ladder to reach this mysterious grinder (while all the odd-shaped and seldom used Tupperware containers fell on the floor around her) and she would make chicken salad. All those years as a kid, I would look up on that high, high shelf (probably 8 feet up) and see this inexplicable device. To make it even more chilling, when mom was grinding the chicken she would warn me sternly to stay back. She told me to keep my fingers away or the grinder would, in effect, maim me for life and leave me disfigured, disfingered and dissatisfied with my unopposable thumbs. I didn't like that grinder.

Today we have food processors which have proved to be safer on one's digits, but for some strange reason, I don't grind my chicken when I make chicken salad. Go figure!

The Dressing: Sara's chicken salad requires a little forethought. If you have three kids, you don't need to do any forethinking. If you have only yourself to feed and worry about, you should mix the dressing the night before you plan to make the salad. And then go get a pedicure or have your bikini line waxed or do whatever it is people without kids do these days.

Here my 4 year old is mixing the dressing. Don't tell my mildly neurotic husband, but I didn't make her wash her hands first. Hee hee. Jokes on him!

Slice your grapes, otherwise you'll never be able to keep them from falling out of your sandwich.

I like to slice my celery small. The four year old did wash her hands by this point. Her desire to help wasn't as fleeting as it usually is, so she lathered up and got right to work....after we looked for her apron under her bed, searched for a barrette to keep her hair back, cleaned a dirty knife because it was her size...

I used some fresh pineapple this time, but really, you don't need too. Sara uses a can of pineapple tidbits and after tasting my salad, I like her version better. Honestly, hers is waaaaay better.

Although I skipped a few photographic opportunities in the assembly process, this is the final product. Yummy, slightly sweet, slightly savory chicken salad on whole wheat Italian bread.

Sara's Chicken Salad

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Juice of ½ lemon

Combine all dressing ingredients and refrigerate overnight so the flavors marry (they have no fears of commitment and will never be unfaithful...awe...young love).

Chicken Salad:

3-4 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 can pineapple tidbits
1 can water chestnuts, drained & slivered
2 cups seedless grapes, halved
2 cups celery, sliced
1 4-oz. pack slivered almonds

Lightly toast almonds in a skillet on med-high heat. Watch and stir to prevent burning. Combine all ingredients and eat as a sandwich on fresh French bread or by itself over a bed of fresh baby greens.

If you wish to add salt, do so only on individual portions right before consumption. Adding it earlier will draw out the moisture and make for a soggy salad.

Sara,
This chicken salad really lacked compared to yours. Am I doing something wrong? All I can figure is that I am missing the most important ingredient of all - good company! We miss you and will think of you with every bite.
Love,
Your sister, Kristy

Baked Brie in Puff Pastry with Brown Sugar & Pecans

2008-04-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

In honor of my brother Greg turning 50 years old today I am posting two dishes I know he will love. The first is a dish I watched him devour the last time he was home (visiting). He didn't realize it was a "dip" and was to be eaten with slices of apple and pear. Instead he ate it like a main course. I can't say I blame him much. Since stumbling upon this Baked Brie in Puff Pastry with Brown Sugar & Pecans recipe in a magazine several years ago, I have enjoyed it often and have dreamed of how to make it into a main course.

The second recipe I am going to share was my dream actualized. I'll call it a Greg Special because I finally figured out how to make the above mentioned appetizer into a dish deserving to be called dinner (or at least lunch)!

Baked Brie in Puff Pastry with Brown Sugar & Pecans
originally from Southern Living magazine

¼ cup firmly packed Light Brown Sugar
¼ cup chopped pecans
1 T bourbon
½ (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff-pastry sheets, thawed
1 (13.2-ounce) round Brie
apple and pear slices (for dipping)

1. Stir together first three ingredients
2. Place puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface; roll out fold lines. Spread brown sugar and pecan mixture in a 5-inch circle in the middle. Place Brie round on top of sugar mixture. Fold in corners and rub seams tightly to prevent leaking. Turn upside down so the folded portion is on the bottom. Make sure Brie and sugar mixture in sealed to prevent leakage.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and cheese is melted.
4. Let cool 10 minutes.

Brie Quesadilla
otherwise know as A Greg Special

In a desperate attempt to feed my family I resorted to my usual Plan B (Or is it Plan C? Plan B is breakfast for dinner; this must be Plan C.), quesadillas. I made the kids the standard cheese & whatever-meat-I-can-find quesadilla. I customized the husband's version to include roasted red peppers, olives, mushrooms and fresh cilantro (fancy, I know). I made myself what I will forever call a "Greg Special" - a Brie, Sliced Granny Smith Apple, Pecan and Bacon Bits Quesadilla.

Place tortilla on flat griddle on med-high heat. Add grated (or thinly sliced) brie cheese, a few sprinkles of Real Bacon Bits, a few pieces of pecans and some slices of Granny Smith apple. Sprinkle more cheese on top so the next tortilla with stick well. Slap on top another tortilla shell (there, Paula, I said it Tortilla SHELL. Go ahead, correct me. I couldn't hold it back any longer.) Grill until tortilla is browning and flip. Brown the second side and eat as a main course if you are me or my 50-year-old brother.

And by the way, it was really good!
Happy Birthday, Greg.

Dining Disasters

2008-04-08T06:25:00.000-07:00

Not all meals are blog worthy. This weekend I made a few questionable dishes that deserved to be swept under the rug. Remembering the subtitle at the top of this web page - "...culinary misadventures..." - I decided I should fess-up and tell it to ya straight!

My first misadventure was a dish that I had been dying to prepare from Cooking Light, April 2008 , Thai Noodle Salad with Sauteed Tofu. I thought it would be a spin-off of my favorite Thai dish, Pad Thai Pasta; it wasn't. Before you gross out and hit the Back button on your browser over the "sauteed tofu" portion of this salad, I need to tell you that the sauteed tofu was the only redeeming quality of the dish. I am a big fan of sauteed tofu, so before you turn your nose up, you really should give it a try. But not at my house and not with this recipe.

I was ready to make you a tofu believer with this salad. I took careful photos of the tofu preparation so that you would attempt the tofu at home.This is how you press the water out of your tofu.This is how you chop your tofu.This is how you dress your tofu salad.This is how you take a great big bite of your tofu and your Thai Noodle salad.

And this is where you "store" your salad after you take a great big bite.

Misadventure number two was Poppyseed Bread from a favorite local restaurant's cookbook. I have had their Poppyseed Bread on multiple occasions and it is quite delicious. Most everything they serve is delicious, especially their chicken salad and their bread pudding. Can you name that restaurant?

Like I have said before, I am not a baker. I guess this fact still holds true. I tried to substitute some whole wheat flour for some all purpose flour. Yuck. Big mistake. I won't do it again. I promise (until the next time).

"Why, " you ask, "if the bread tastes so bad, is there only a sliver left in the photo?" The answer, my friends, is elementary and I would think that by now you know me well enough to know what I did with the bread. No, I did not eat it all myself regardless of the foul taste (but that is a good guess). I told my kids it was "cake" and that if they could choke down their dinner they could have a slice for "dessert." They ate it and then they asked for seconds. It's a cruel trick, but much less wasteful than what I did with the noodle salad.

I will attempt the Poppyseed Bread again. If all goes well, I'll pass the recipe on to you!

Vegetable Lasagna

2008-04-02T17:12:00.000-07:00

Ever since I went to Bunco at my friend Missy's house six years ago I have been looking for a delicious White Vegetable Lasagna recipe. Her's was yummy and she claims to not remember which vegetable lasagna recipe she cooked that fun & fantastic evening before I had three blood hungry leeches hanging from my bosom. I have since tried a few different recipes, but I am usually left underwhelmed and hungry. Tonight's Vegetable Lasagna came from a free e-mail subscription of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food and I must announce that my hunt is over. I HIGHLY recommend this Freeze-Ahead Lasagna Primavera and since I can't mess with perfection, I'll give you the recipe just as Martha did...word-for-word.

Besides being packed with veggies, loaded with cheese, and easy to prepare, this dish uses uncooked lasagna noodles. That means one less pot to clean and one less step to take. Enough said. Amen. End of story. Or as my 4-year old Sass-Pot daughter would say: E. N.

And on a sad note, I gave back my sister her awesome camera with the macro lens. That means, until my sweet and thoughtful husband buys me the camera of my dreams, I am back to another borrowed camera that, although I am grateful for, doesn't flatter a novice photographer like myself. I will think of it as a opportunity to improve my skills as a picture-taker. You will think of it as an opportunity to look at some other blogs with better pictures. My husband will think of it as no dinner on the table until the goods are delivered (preferably by the UPS man)!

Below are the ingredients. You can see I use only the finest - GV brand.

This is my first layer. There was plenty of everything, unlike some recipes where you are stretching your ingredients to make sure you have enough for a second layer.

Ladies and gentlemen, Freeze-Ahead Lasagna Primavera!

Freeze-Ahead Lasagna Primavera from Everyday Food Email Newletter

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for foil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups whole milk
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas
1/2 pound carrots (4 to 5), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta (about 2 cups)
1 large egg
1 package (9 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles (12 to 16 noodles)
1 pound part-skim mozzarella, shredded
1 cup grated Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium; add flour and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes (do not let flour mixture darken); whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add spinach, peas, and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Set sauce aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper.
3. In the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of vegetable sauce. Layer noodles, half the remaining vegetable sauce, another noodles, half the ricotta mixture, half the mozzarella, and half the Parmesan; repeat.
4. Cover dish with lightly oiled aluminum foil, and place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, uncover, and bake until bubbling and browned, about 20 minutes more. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

To freeze: Prepare through step 3. Cover lasagna tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil; freeze up to 3 months.

To Bake From Frozen:Remove plastic wrap; cover baking dish with lightly oiled aluminum foil, and place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil, and bake until bubbling and browned, about 30 minutes more. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Lemon Squares, Lemon Bars or Lemon Shapes

2008-03-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

Ice Cream and pickles? None for me, thanks! I was never one with mean cravings while I was pregnant with my chil'rens. I have always heard about these crazed twinges moms-to-be get, but I never fell victim to any myself. Thank goodness. While pregnant with my third child, however, my appetite changed. I craved something, something sweet and tart and something I had only tasted maybe once before. I had a hankerin' I could not deny and it would not go away. I wanted Lemon Squares (or some may call them Lemon Bars, but at my house they are never square nor are they ever bars for that matter because I make them in an oval pan).

If you have read my blog before you know I avoid making desserts because I am prone to eating the entire pan all by myself. This must rum in my family (I mean run in my family) because I know of one sister (no names) that baked and ate an entire Eclair Cake while her husband was at work. She washed all the pots, pans and dishes so no evidence would be left behind. Smart gal because I have another sister that didn't cover her evidence as well. She ate almost all of a Grand Marnier Cake and left one tiny slither to be found by her kids. When her meek elementary-aged son came home from school and asked to have the last piece of cake she just about bit his head off for selfishly considering eating the last piece of cake. The nerve of him!

So you see, I get it honestly. I won't tell you what happened to all the Lemon Squares I made. You're smart, you figure it out.

Lemon Squares

(a.k.a. Lemon Bars or at my house "Lemon Shapes" because who really needs to be tied down to a specific shape)

When I make this recipe I half it, so in the photos of the final product you only see half of what the following recipe will produce.

Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting

1 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature

Filling:

4 eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

6 tablespoons all purpose flour

6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 to 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (optional)

Crust:

1. Combine the flours and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter to make a crumbly mixture.

2. Press the mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. It won't be pretty; it never is! Keep in mind that this crust will be covered with the lemon mixture, so beauty is as stomach tastes. I just made that up. Dang. Dip your fingers into a little flour to keep from sticking to the dough. Bake crust at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Watch the edges.

Filling:

3. While crust bakes, mix the eggs, granulated sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest. Pour over baked crust and bake for about 25 minutes longer. Watch the edges.

4. Let cool and cut into any shape your heart desires. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

5. Eat. Eat some more. Wash the pans and remove all evidence of a dessert being prepared. When your kids get home from school, hide the Lemon Squares and eat them in the laundry room alone while you complain about your miserable laundry-folding existence (the complaining keeps them at bay and they are less likely to catch you). Remember to wipe your mouth before exiting because kids get suspicious when they see the confectioners' sugar on your upper lip. But I would not know any of this from experience or anything.

These are the ingredients I used. You could skip the whole wheat flour and just use the all-purpose, but I am a healthy junk food-eater and I make desserts with fruit (lemon) and whole grain wheats.

The crust hardly looks crusty. It's actually a real mess so don't think you are doing it incorrectly because it won't stick together.

Just do your best. That's what my mom always told me about school when I was a kid. I am pretty sure I didn't actually do my best and I turned out o.k.. Your crust will too.

Rub your lemon to get the juices flowing before you squeeze it. My mother-in-law showed me a trick. She puts her lemons in the microwave for a few seconds to get their juices juicier. It's fruit foreplay.

Above is the filling before I poured it into the baked crust. It's runny now, but it thickens up in the oven.Tah-dah! Presenting Lemon Shapes. The unrecognizable shapes are in the rear and on the bottom; it's a photography trick. I read about it in the fancy photography guide.

The irony is that all the Lemon Shapes are now on my rear and on my bottom! I guess the tricks on me!

I love these things! They are so darn good.

I wish I could stop at three. Or five.

This Chicken Soup Can Beat Up Your Mom's Chicken Soup!

2008-03-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

You can't tell by just looking at the photo above, but there are a few "secret" ingredients in this Chicken Soup that make it extra special and extra delicious. You'll have to check the ingredient list to find out what they are or (even better)make it to taste the difference. P.S. Don't tell your mother, but I am pretty sure this Chicken Soup is better than hers. I can see the bumper sticker now: My chicken soup can beat up your mom's chicken soup!

Our house is full of sick puppies. The husband is recovering from (what I thought would be minor) surgery. In my attempt to nurse him back to health I worked myself sick and tired, but mostly sick. The baby has a severe ear infection that antibiotics aren't treating easily and in my attempt to soothe his cries at night I have rocked myself sick and tired, but mostly tired. And the other kids? They have the usual snotty noses, germy fingers and hacking coughs. This can only mean one thing for dinner tonight: Chicken Soup.

Normally I would cool my stock in the refrigerator overnight so that it wouldn't be so fatty, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Tonight we will sacrifice our long-term health and well-being for immediate health and gratification and thus artery-clogging-soup it is!

My Chicken Soup Can Beat Up Your Mom's Chicken Soup Chicken Soup

adapted from The Lady's Chicken Noodle Soup

Stock portion:

2 1/2 to 3-pound chicken, cut up (this particular time I used 6 thighs & 2 small breasts)

3 1/2 quarts water

1 onion, sliced in half with skin and all

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

3 cloves garlic, smashed

4 bay leaves

2 chicken bouillon cubes or 2 t. of bouillon granules

Salt and pepper

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soup portion:

2 cups sliced carrots

2 cups sliced celery

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup cooking sherry

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup heavy cream

salt & pepper

1. Add all of stock list's ingredients to a big soup pot. Bring to a boil then simmer until chicken is tender, about 35 minutes. Skim top throughout process to remove the scum that rises. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. When chicken has cooled enough to touch, but is still warm, pick the bones clean. Set chicken aside.

2. Remove and discard bay leaves, onion and garlic from stock. Pour stock through a strainer (I line my strainer with a cheesecloth) to remove small yuckity-yuck and to have a beautiful, clear stock.

At this point you have stock and can use it to make a million different things. I like to put mine in the refrigerator over night so I can skim off the fat and have Low-Fat Chicken Stock for this delicious, creamy chicken soup or for future dishes like PW's Chicken Spaghetti and Ashley's Cheesy Orzo and Creamy Asparagus Soup and Balsamic Glaze for my chicken thighs. Store stock in two-cup increments inside Ziplock freezer bags. They're the perfect size for all your chicken stock needs and they thaw quickly. Now back to the soup...

3. Bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 10 to 20 minutes. Add chicken, parsley, sherry, Parmesan and cream. Cook until warmed through (about 5 minutes). Taste soup and add salt and pepper as needed (it tends to be under salted at this point). Also check doneness of celery and carrots.

Enjoy!

Stock's ingredients (below): The Maggi product (with the yellow lid) is Chicken bouillon granules. A Colombian student recommended it to me a few years ago. I used to use Knorr, which I loved, but this stuff is found in the Hispanic section of the grocery and is cheaper than Knorr. Plus, I feel cultured using a product that is labeled in Spanish. Ironically, MSG is spelled the same in Spanish. Who knew?

By the way, do you know of a chicken base that doesn't contain MSG because all of a sudden I am feeling really guilty and bloated and head achey and...whoa...is this... is this an asthma attack I feel coming on?

And below are the soup's ingredients. Can you find the "secret" ingredients? Where's Waldo? I normally like using regular sized carrots, but the Easter Bunny ate all of ours. These little ones will have to do, but don't peel them like someone I know once did (I won't mention any names, but she makes Cheesy Orzo).

Throw these in for good measure. Sister Schubert's Yeast Rolls. I love yeast. In my rolls.

Below the stock is simmering. Bubble. Bubble. Bubble. I learned something new about simmering in last month's Bon Appetit magazine. When simmering the bubbles never break at the top. They are small and rise slowly, but don't bubble and break. Read more about simmering vs. boiling here or just go about your merry way and continue simmering the same way you have always simmered.

Strain the stock to get a pretty, clear stock.

Or don't strain it and just eat this yuckity-yuck scum. I'm sure it tastes delicious.

That's all of the cooking process pictures folks. Some friends showed up to visit the patient and I thought it would look funny if they saw me paying more photographic attention to our food than to our children. But the food never sasses me and always smiles pretty when I bring the camera out. Who can blame me?

But I was able to sneak this photo in when the visitors weren't looking. I pretended like I was aiming the camera at the kids, then did the ol' switch-a-roo technique. "Oh, kids. You are so cute the way you turn your noses up at the food I serve you. Here let me get your picture while you look disgusted and are stomping your feet and demanding macaroni and cheese. I love the way you do that!"

This soup is so good and if it weren't for it, I would never make Chicken Soup at all. I tend to think the Sherry and the Parmesan cheese (and the cream) are the secret ingredients, so please, whatever you do, DO NOT leave them out!

Roasted Asparagus & Creamy Roasted Asparagus Soup

2008-03-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and asparagus is in season. Hallelujah! (Do I hear angels singing on high?) One of my favorite ways to cook asparagus is to roast it. It is simple, fast and healthy. Roasting brings out the flavors while adding a slight sweetness. That is precisely what I did yesterday for Easter dinner .

It was delicious, but the leftovers? The leftovers were waaaaaaay better. How can that be you ask? It be because I took the leftovers and made Creamy Roasted Asparagus Soup today. Never again will I roast asparagus without making extra for soup leftovers for the next day.

Roasted Asparagus

1 pound asparagus, woody ends cut (if you plan on making two meals with this, you will need
at least 2 pounds of asparagus. Save the woody ends if you plan to make soup later)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Toss together all ingredients. Arrange asparagus on a roasting pan careful to not overlap stalks. Roast until asparagus is slightly softened and edges are starting to brown a bit, about 20 minutes.

Serve hot (or hide and "forget" to serve to your guests. Then use the asparagus tomorrow for Creamy Roasted Asparagus Soup).

Creamy Roasted Asparagus Soup
Adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

1 lb. roasted asparagus, (see recipe above)
woody ends you saved from the roasted asparagus
2 cups chicken broth
2 T. onion, chopped
1 cup cream
Salt & Pepper

1. Boil woody asparagus ends in two cups of water until ends become tender. Discard ends after boiling, but reserve 1 cup of the water.

2. Chop roasted asparagus reserving some of the tips for garnish later.

3. Add chicken stock and onion to the 1 cup of reserved water and bring to a boil. Add asparagus and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Puree soup mixture in a food processor or blender being careful while working with the hot liquid. Tip: cover blender or food processor with a dish towel in case of splattering.

5. Return to the pot and add the cream. Salt and pepper to taste. Heat through.

6. Serve with asparagus tips sprinkled on top.

~ You can use milk in lieu of cream, but I recommend the cream!

~ Read this article after you have eaten the asparagus, but before you go to the restroom. And don't call your doctor until you have read this. I have a friend who...well...maybe she wouldn't want to be outed on my blog, but she knows who she is. Let's just say she would have slept more peacefully had she read this after scarfing down her asparagus.

Le Sueur Pea Salad

2008-03-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday my friend Becky told me that while attempting to feed her 10 month old some Le Sueur Peas, she herself had eaten almost two jars, practically straight out of the can, without even heating them. I love Le Sueur Peas, but without heating them? Eeeks. Imagine my surprise when my sister, Sara, brought up cold LeSueur Peas only days after Becky had made her confession. Is God telling me something about cold peas?

First let me say, not all canned peas are created equal. The only canned peas I eat are Le Sueur Peas. In fact, Le Sueur Peas are so good that Paula Deen's Green Pea recipe from her Celebrates! cookbook consists of two cans of Le Sueur Peas and a half stick of butter. That's it. Right there on page 70. The cookbook retails for $26.00 and the best pea recipe she can come up with is a can of Le Sueur Peas. So if you think you don't like green peas, try Le Sueur Peas.

Now back to our cold peas. How timely this all came about the week before Easter because the cold pea recipe Sara shared with me contains something we have plenty of this time of year. What's oval and hard-boiled and is hidden on Easter morning? Easter eggs.

Cold Le Sueur Pea & Easter Egg Salad

Courtesy of Sara (adapted from Paula Deen)

1 can Le Sueur Peas

1 hard boiled egg, chopped

1 T. mayonaisse

1 T. grated onion

Salt & Pepper

Drain the peas very well. Mix all ingredients. Serve at room temperature or cold.

I used two cans of peas and these other fancy ingredients.

And a little grated onion jus.

And there you have it. Not the prettiest picture, but my tummy didn't mind.

Kid Tested, Mother Approved Chicken Nuggets

2008-03-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

Chicken Nuggets are so unphotogenic. They could never make it on a cat walk or in Hollywood or in New York for that matter. What these nuggets lack in beauty, they make up for in taste and nutrition! Don't take my word for it, try them.

Sometimes a mother just wants to be loved. Instead of making my children my own personal taste-testing guinea pigs, tonight I made them what they want...chicken nuggets. There was no mutiny at the table. There were no tears. There was just lip smackin', finger-lickin' and wild begging for seconds. Alas, a harmonious dinner table!

Are you ready for the shocker? These chicken nuggets are good. They're so good, I think I may actually bake them for myself when my nest is empty and chil'ren are all grown (if I make it that long, God help me). Not only are they good, they are good for you. By adding some unexpected ingredients into the breading, they taste yummier than your standard chicken nugget and they have some nutritional value.

Tomorrow, I'm having leftovers for lunch Shhh! Don't tell the kids.

My recipe is a compilation of various recipes I have used in the past, but with an emphasis on Jessica Seinfeld's chicken nuggets from her book Deceptively Delicious.

Baked Chicken Nuggets with Lite Honey Mustard Dip

(or baked chicken breast for grown-ups)

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into 1" to 1 1/2" pieces

1 cup buttermilk,

1 T. hot sauce (Tabasco or the like)

1 cup bread crumbs or panko crumbs

1/2 cup flaxseed meal

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 t. paprika

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. salt

1 egg

1/2 cup broccoli puree (optional)

1/4 cup dijon mustard

2 T. lite mayo

2 T. honey

1. Mix buttermilk and hot sauce in one gallon Ziplock bag. Add chicken and marinate overnight in refrigerator or at room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Mix bread crumbs & next 5 ingredients (through salt). Set aside.

3. Beat egg and broccoli puree in small bowl.

4. Dip chicken nuggets into egg mixture and then into crumb mixture until completely coated.

5. Arrange chicken on large cookie sheet or two 9x13 pans being careful to not crowd chicken.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

7. While baking, mix mustard, honey and mayo for a yummy dipping sauce.

Serve on paper plates, with paper napkins and with the T.V. on. You will be nominated for mother-of-the-year! (We don't really eat dinner with the T.V. on... that would defeat the purpose of all this cooking I do to make my family sit down and talk to me.)

This is powdered buttermilk. It is good to have on hand and lasts a long time. Don't just buy it for the chicken nugget recipe, make these pancakes with it.

The kids asked that I take a picture of their plates after they ate. I guess they are proud and since an empty plate is usually praised around here, why not take a picture? They must really be confused when they see me taking pictures of their dinner before we eat.

This is the honey mustard dip. Loooove it! Sweet and tangy. It is for the adults because the kids just use ketchup. Go figure.

Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes with Bananas and Whipped Cream

2008-03-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

Ashley emailed me asking what kind of pancakes I fix for my kids. Unfortunately for their health, they got hooked on old-fashioned, enriched white flour, Bisquick pancakes before I started being sneaky and "fortifying" their meals. But I do have a recipe that I prefer over the Bisquick. I use a whole wheat flour and cornmeal mixture. I love the texture the cornmeal adds (the vary texture my kids despise).

If you try these pancakes and like them you can mix a big batch of the dry ingredients and store in a gallon Ziplock bag in the refrigerator (dried Buttermilk must be refrigerated after opening - I learned this the hard way). In the mornings you can add the wet ingredients to the premixed dry ingredients and have a pretty quick breakfast.

Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes with Bananas and Whipped Cream

adapted from Gourmet magazine, May 2006

dry ingredients:

1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour

1/3 cup cornmeal

6 tablespoons dried powdered buttermilk (cultured buttermilk blend)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

wet ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water

2 large eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

nonstick spray

topping:

chopped pecans

banana slices

whipped cream

1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, then add water, eggs, and oil and whisk until smooth. Let stand 5 minutes (batter will thicken). If batter is too thick to pour easily, thin with additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

2. Heat skillet to med- high heat. Spray skillet with nonstick spray. Pour batter onto hot skillet to form 3- to 3 1/2-inch rounds. Sprinkle tops with chopped pecans. Cook until bubbles appear on surface. Flip pancakes and cook until undersides are golden.

Serve with warm syrup, banana slices and whipped cream.

This is dried buttermilk. Find it in the baking section of the grocery store. It is good for marinating baked chicken, too. Although the name suggests it is bad for you, it actually has less fat than milk. So butter this!

The whole-wheat flour makes these pancakes really pretty and golden.

I got this HUGE measuring bowl for Christmas. It has a spout and a lid. I can store unused batter in the fridge. I love it!

Turn pancakes when bubbles form on top and begin to pop. You want the bottoms to be brown and the edges to be set. You may have to turn your heat down if the outsides are browning before the insides are cooked through.

The perfect bite: whipped cream, banana, pancake, real maple syrup and more whipped cream.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

2008-03-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get tired of the same ol' stuffing, night after night after night? Although I think you could stuff a bell pepper with just about anything and it would be good, tonight I stuffed ours with a ground pork/ground beef mixture and used a wild rice mix instead of white rice. If there were no children around here I would have used a spicy ground pork, but since I was bracing myself for the mutiny that has become a dinner ritual, I just used mild. In the past I have used this recipe Dad's Stuffed Bell Peppers and substituted leftover baked chicken for the ground beef; it was a light, yet filling dish. Tonight I switched things up again because you should never get bored with your stuffer.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

4 large peppers, halved lengthwise and insides removed

1/2 pound ground pork, mild or spicy
3/4 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup lite sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice mix (You can substitute brown rice. I added a teaspoon of beef
bouillon granules to the rice water)
1/2 cup ketchup
2 shakes Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water

1. Saute pork, beef, onion and garlic until meat is cooked and onions are transparent. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder. Drain fat.

2. Add rice, tomatoes, oregano, sour cream and cheese. Mix well. Stuff into peppers.

3. Combine ketchup, Worcestershire and water in small bowl. Mix and pour over filled peppers.

4. Place peppers in oven pan and add about 1/4 cup of water to the baking dish, cover dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5 -10 more minutes.

Notes: Since the wild rice mix doesn't absorb juices as easily as white rice, if you can make the filling the night before the flavors have a better chance of blending. I wonder if you could put the filling ingredients in the crock pot in the morning and stuff the peppers right before dinner? Hummm? Maybe next time.

Above, peppers begging to be stuffed.

This is my way of trying to stop the revolt before it begins. Since I do not believe in fixing kids their own separate "kid meal", this is my way of... well... it's my way of... of fixing them their own separate meal without admitting it! They get stuffed peppers minus the peppers and minus the onions plus cheese on top. And I think I will stick to my original plan and say that I will NOT fix my kids their own separate meals from now on because as doctored-up as their version was, they still pitched fits! So my first platform was correct: Never fix kids their own special kid-meal.

Here are a few other pepper recipes you may like to try:
Paula Deen's Stuffed Red Peppers (comes with a side of butter and a Krispy Kreme glaze)

Sweet Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

Smoke Roasted Stuffed Bell Peppers

Top Chef Tonite

2008-03-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

A new season of Top Chef begins tonight on Bravo. It begins at 9:00pm central time. If you don't catch it this week they will probably play it again next week before they play the newest episode. I really like this show and if you like reality tv or cooking you will too.

Basil(less) Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce

2008-03-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

I want to expand my culinary repertoire. I really, really do. Despite a few obstacles - dirty diapers, loads of laundry, no groceries, lack of willing taste-testers, hair that needs washing - last night I was able to get one step closer to actualizing this dream of mine. I printed this recipe a month ago and have looked it over several times, but the list of ingredients contains things I've never knowingly eaten or purchased. What the hey is cardamom? Will I even like it? And what does coriander taste like? If it tastes like black licorice I'm screwed. Is this Indian food? Honestly, I don't know, but I think it may be Indian. You tell me. Please. You tell me, is this Indian food?

So to make a short story long, cardamom spice costs $10 at Wal-mart. That means it is now an optional ingredient. I opted to leave it out since I have no idea what it will taste like and since I play the lottery each week and never win I figure my luck ain't so good. The basil was wilted and black at Wal-mart, Even though it is important enough to be listed in the recipe title, it is now optional, too. I skipped the Worcestershire for two reasons: (1) I don't love it and (2) if this is an Indian dish, I doubt Indians use Worcestershire (unless they live in Texas).

I doubled the amount of meat that was called for in the original recipe. I wanted the new flavors, but I wanted them less condensed. The end result was pretty good.

Basil(less) Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce
adapted from Elise Bauer's version at Simply Recipes

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon tumeric

2 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs (you can use breasts, but the thighs are more flavorful)

1 large red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
2 Tbsp olive oil or grapeseed oil

1 14-oz can coconut milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger

1. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, ground coriander, cumin, ground cloves, cinnamon, ground cardamom, black pepper, chili powder, and tumeric. Set aside.

2. Rinse chicken, pat dry. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Put into a bowl and sprinkle the spice mix over all the pieces. Coat well and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

3. Add 1 Tbsp oil to large skillet and heat on medium high heat. Add one half of the chicken pieces, spreading them out on the pan so they are not crowded. Brown for a few minutes on each side. When the chicken pieces are cooked through, and no pink remains, remove from pan, add to the bowl with the onions. Cook the second batch of chicken pieces the same way. Remove from pan, set aside. Use the same pan for the next step.

4. In same skillet heat 1 Tbsp oil on medium high heat. Add the onions and jalapeños and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Remove the onions, peppers and garlic from the pan and put into a medium sized bowl. Set aside and add to chicken.

5. Add the coconut milk, minus a couple tablespoons, to the skillet. In a small bowl, mix the remaining coconut with the corn starch to dissolve the corn starch. Add the corn starch mixture back to the skillet with the coconut milk. Cook on medium heat and scrape pan for crusty brown bits leftover from chicken. Stir till thick and bubbly. Mix in the Worcestershire sauce. Add chicken mixture, basil, and ginger. Cook 2 minutes more to cook through.

I served mine with Jasmine Rice and sugar snap peas. The Jasmine rice is so yummy.

(above) I cooked the chicken in 4 batches.

This is right before I took it off the heat to serve.

Confession: After I bought the ingredients for the Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce, I reread the recipe. Where the heck is the curry in this ingredient list? Oh good gravy, what have I got myself into? I did a little research (i.e.: I read the ingredient list on the curry powder jar) and apparently we are making homemade curry. I guess that makes this a really fancy recipe. Maybe the curry powder would have been easier and tasted just as good? Maybe not. Who knows!

Did I mention that this meal was good? It was. It was good when I ate it with the family last night, it was better when I ate it for lunch today. Alone. Without interruption. In silence.

** This is not a kid friendly meal.

Wanted: Room Mother - must bake

2008-03-09T19:14:00.000-07:00

I think I have mentioned before that I don't bake. It is more or less a defense mechanism that I have self-imposed to keep me from eating every last bite of what I create. I lack self control when there is no one else around to judge pigginess. In college I started baking what I call "fake cakes". My mom gave me this cookbook for dorm dwellers (I wish I still had that book...it taught me how to make fried rice using a hot plate). The "fake cake" was derived from some recipe I found it this pseudo cookbook. I don't remember the recipe exactly, but it had a yellow cake mix, a can of peaches and a stick of butter...I think? As a college student I tried to make this cake as cheaply as possible and resorted to Jiffy muffin mixes for $0.33. I convinced myself this "fake cake" was healthy because it had peaches in it and was a muffin not a cake.

Can you believe that still to this day I mix up "fake cakes" and try to feed them to my family? Now I kick them up a notch and add things that are healthy. I add pecans and flax meal for a crumble topping. I skip the butter completely and - get this - I still buy the Jiffy muffin mix. These cakes suck. They are hardly edible, especially without any butter. They are horrible. My husband, who already has an adversion to sweets, calls them "jacked-up cakes". And now the 6 year old is requesting I bake "jacked-up cake" because he doesn't know there is anything better out there (and he calls it by name - Jacked-up Cake). The 4 year old ain't fallin' for it. She has turned her nose up to the dessert (?) and would rather be sent to her bedroom for the evening than take a taste of Jacked-Up Cake. Note: Jacked-Up Cake is now a proper noun and thus capitalized.

I accidently jacked-up some cupcakes I was baking for the 6 year old's birthday snack at school. I was never asked to be the room mother for his kindergarten class and I guess I've held a little resentment. This was my time to shine, to deliver, to show those kindergartners just what I was made of. See what you missed out on? I am the mother of all room mothers! I can bake a bad-ass cup cake! Eat my dust!

Armed with one box of "Confetti Cake" mix and a stack of ice cream cones I set out to face the ones for which I so desperately longed for their approval. This is what I made.

Not being a natural baker I wasn't sure that this was the outcome for which I was looking. Do all ice cream cone cupcakes look like these? I guessed not.

Time was short. The baby was waking up from nap. I had only 4 more cones and no more cake mix. Soon the 6 year old would be home from school and he would be confronted by the ugly, fallen, raw-in-the-middle birthday cupcakes. And the truth would be out and everyone would know - I would have been a terrible room mother! Help, Calgon, take me away!

I swallowed hard. I reminded myself that these were just kids. What do they know about baking? What do they know about cupcakes? All they care about is the icing anyways. Wait a second. All they care about is the icing. Thank the Lord. Salvation at last! All they care about is the icing.

Quickly I iced the cupcakes with the store-bought tub of cream cheese icing. I pulled out all the sprinkles we had in the house, all the food coloring, all the left over Valentine's day candy, anything that would put a glimmer in a kindergartner's eye.

The bus was pulling up and I ran out to greet the boy. I revved him up by telling him he was going to decorate the cupcakes with all the fancy sprinkles and candy I've been hiding above the refrigerator. He couldn't wait to dig in. And he did a beautiful job hiding all my mistakes.

Now I remember what I had forgotten:I may not have been chosen to be the room's mom, but on that particular afternoon if my son was given the choice as to whom the perfect mother was, it was me! And that is way better than mothering a room!

Krispy Kreme for lunch?

2008-03-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

Apparently Paula Deen is trying to kill-off her fan base one-by-one. If her Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding wasn't enough to send us all into cardiac arrest, how about this "Brunch Burger"? Although I will never attempt to make this little breakfast delight, I must admit I think it would taste rather delicious. I love mixing flavors -- and fatty with sugary with smoky would definitely apply here. But for the purpose of saving face I will denounce (and reject, in case Hillary Clinton is reading) this burger. I will stay on my strict calorie-counting diet and stick to the All American Burger at Scenic 90 Cafe for now.

Portobello Pasta

2008-03-06T16:58:00.000-08:00

I just ate THE most delicious dinner and it was conceived out of pure dinner desperation. Those desperate dinners amazingly turn out to be some of my most memorable dishes. Tonight's creation proved no different. Here's what I was working with. I had portobollo mushrooms hiding in the crisper drawer under a bag of Romain lettuce hearts and they were turning darker by the minute. I had the obligatory pantry staple, pasta; it's ol' faithful on a dark and lonely night. I had fresh thyme in my purse. Yes, I did say I had fresh thyme in my purse. Isn't that where everybody keeps their fresh thyme? I stole it from the backyard kitchen garden of Skopelos on the Bay yesterday. And besides, I like to keep thyme on my side. Hardy har har! I had some heavy cream that was about to expire, but still smelled fine. So here's the recipe of the most delicious made-up, thrown-together dinner I may have ever made.

Thyme's on my Side Portobello Pasta
adapted from...oh wait...I don't have to give anyone else credit...it's my recipe!

16 oz. pasta
1 onion, diced
6 oz. portobello mushroom caps, roughly chopped (add more if you like, I'm going to)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
fresh thyme (about a teaspoon)
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
salt & pepper
1 T. sherry cooking wine (this is the secret ingredient...you need it! Yummy!)
1/4 c to 1/3 c. heavy cream

1. Boil pasta as per directions on package. Make sure you salt your water well. It should taste like the Gulf of Mexico and if you haven't tasted the Gulf of Mexico lately, you should! Drain and set aside.

2. Heat oil and butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, mushrooms, garlic and thyme. Let onions brown and soften. Add sherry, let it reduce. Add cream, salt and pepper and let it reduce.

3. Combine mushroom mixture with drained pasta and toss. Serve with salad and crusty French loaf. Garnish with a little thyme on the side.

Here are a few pics to help you visualize the preparation.

This is why you shouldn't dice garlic and take photographs while holding a small child on your hip. Lucky for him, he still has 9 digits left! Shew! Close call.

Stolen thyme (above)

Slightly creamy, but not overdone. Just right!

My first helping of Thyme's on My Side Portobello Pasta. At this point I had no idea what I was in for, but after that first bite...it was all over!

Cook's Note: Don't forget the sherry cooking wine. It makes all the difference!

Spinach-Asiago Gratins

2008-03-04T17:11:00.000-08:00

I've been dying to get some individual "bake & serve" ramekins so that I can make personal dishes. I found some for a good price and now I am ready to individualize dinner side-dishes for the rest of my life. Tonight I made individual Spinach-Asiago Cheese Gratins. Here's the skinney on the gratin!

Spinach-Asiago Gratins
adapted from Cooking Light magazine

1 T. butter
1 c. sweet onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 10-oz. frozen spinach
1 1/2 T. all-purpose flour
1 cup 1% milk
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
dash nutmeg
1/2 c. fresh asiago cheese, grated
1/4 c. parmesean cheese, grated
1/4 c. bread crumbs

1. Cook Spinach in microwave using directions on box (it's not necessary to cook until completely done, just get the chill off). Drain spinach well. Use a cheesecloth to wring out the water or drain in a sieve and use a spatula to push the water out.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter in pan and add onion and garlic. Saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add the spinach stirring to combine with onions and garlic. Remove pan from heat

3. Place flour in a small bowl and gradually add milk. Stir with a whisk until combined. Mix flour mixture into spinach mixture; add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Add cheeses. Mix.

4. Divide mixture into 4-6 individual ramekins (or one small pie plate will do just fine). Sprinkle bread crumbs over gratins.

5. Broil about 1 minute until tops begin to brown.

This is how I always drain my frozen spinach. I put a small amount in a cheese cloth and squeeze. It is much easier when you use two hands and aren't trying to take a photograph.

Reason # 1001 to Hate Wal-mart: If you are looking for cheese cloth at Wal-mart, please know that they hide it. It is not with the kitchen gadgets, like a rational person may think. It is with...the fabric, as in the material you use to sew dresses, etc.. I guess since it has the word cloth in its name they think it belongs in the sewing department.

Pot Stickers

2008-03-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

This evening our visitors have left our home to visit the home of someone else. I have been dying to make something interesting and add something new to my cooking repertoire and since the audience was gone, I had plenty of room to make a fool of myself alone in the kitchen. So tonight for my eating pleasure and my children's disgust I made Pot Stickers.

I have always enjoyed eating Pot Stickers - the kind you get in the frozen food section of Wal-Mart have suited me well. Oddly enough it wasn't until I actually made them tonight that I figured out just why they are called Pot Stickers. Indeed, they do stick to the pot and the crisp bottoms make them all the tastier!

Many of these ingredients are also used in my Steak & Portobellos with Sweet Soy Ginger Sauce so if you have them on hand you may as well make both recipes...eventually...before the ingredients go bad...within a year or two.

Pot Stickers
Potstickers:
1 cup bok choy, finely chopped (in my case, sort of finely chopped)
1/3 green onions, chopped
1 T. low sodium soy sauce
1 t. salt
2 t. fresh ginger, minced (in my case, sort of fresh ginger)
1 t. grated lemon rind
1 t. dark sesame oil
1/2 pound pork sausage

24-36 wonton wrappers
3-4 T. vegetable oil
1-1 1/2 cups water

Sauce:
5 T. seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 c. low sodium soy sauce
1 T. honey

Combine bok choy and next 7 ingredients (through the sausage) and mix well.

Take one wonton wrapper and moisten edges by lightly brushing with water. Spoon 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons pork mixture into center of wrapper. Bring 2 opposite ends together and pinch to seal. Then bring remaining ends together to seal and pinch all 4 edges together. Set aside and continue.

Heat 1 T. oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Careful to not crowd pan, fill with pot stickers. Cook 2 minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water to pan, cover and cook 4 minutes. Uncover and cook 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates.

Repeat procedure until all pot stickers are cooked and the house smells like a Chinese restaurant.

Prepare sauce by mixing ingrediants and serve alongside the delicious Pot Stickers.

Balsamic Glazed Chicken Thighs (or Breasts)

2008-02-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

Balsamic Glazed Chicken Thighs (or Breasts)

1 1/2 T. vegetable oil
1/2 stick butter
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
3 T. balsamic vinegar
1 c. red wine (or substitute chicken stock)
1 T. capers
1/4 c. kalamata olives, pitted
salt and pepper
parsley for garnish

Heat oil and butter over high. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet careful not to crowd pan. Sear each side until the chicken is golden, about 1 minute per side. Remove to baking dish.

Add the onion and garlic to pan, until the onions are soft. Add the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, red wine (or stock if you are substituting), capers, olives and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Bring to a slow simmer for 10 minutes.

Pour the balsamic glaze over the chicken and place in a 350° preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the chicken has just cooked through. Remove from the oven, garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve.

Shepherd’s Pie

2008-02-19T07:21:00.000-08:00

Shepherd’s Pie
Adapted from Fanner Farmer’s Famous Dish

3+ cups (1 lb) ground beef 1 cup beef broth
1-2 lg. garlic cloves salt
1 onion, diced 4-5 medium red potatoes (w/ skin)
4 –8 T. butter (divided) 1 bag peas & carrots, frozen
4 T. flour 2+ cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Cut potatoes into quarters, cover w/ cold, salted water and boil gently for 15-20 minutes. Drain. Taste for salt. Add pepper & more salt if necessary and 2-4 T. butter. Mash. Set aside.

2. While potatoes are boiling preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Cook peas & carrots in microwave according to package directions. Drain and add salt/pepper. Set aside.

4. Brown beef with garlic and onion. Set aside.

5. In same pan you used for browning beef melt 4T. butter and stir in flour. Cook for a few minutes over medium heat until smooth and blended (must cook to gewt rid of flour taste). Slowly add beef broth. Cook at least 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add beef mixture. Salt and pepper as needed.

6. Layer to edges meat mixture evenly in 1 ½ quart casserole dish. Spread peas & carrots over meat. Spread mashed potatoes on top. Add cheese. Bake for 35-45 minutes until cheese is beautifully brown.

Note: I usually divide this into two smaller casserole dishes and freeze one for later. To recook frozen Shep. Pie just thaw 24 hours in refrigerator bake 45-ish minutes at 350.

Recipe Index

2008-02-18T10:16:00.000-08:00

I will continually update this list so that it is easier to find recipes you may be needing.

Salads
Mixed Green & Toasted Walnut Salad with a Vanilla-Pear Vinaigrette
Le Sueur Pea Salad

Soups

Creamy Roasted Asparagus Soup

Chicken Soup

Main Dishes

Beef:
Steak & Portobellos with Sweet Soy Ginger Sauce
Shepherd's Pie
Beef Carnitas
Stuffed Bell Peppers

Pork:
Apple Cranberry Pork Pinwheels
Pot Stickers
Stuffed Bell Peppers

Chicken:
Chicken Cream Cheese Enchiladas
Roasted Chicken Legs with Carmalized Onion Reduction
Balsamic Glazed Chicken Thighs
Basil(less) Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce
Kid Tested Mother Approved Chicken Nuggets

Pasta:
Portobello Pasta

Vegetable Lasagna/Freeze-Ahead Lasagna Primavera

Side Dishes

Ashley's Cheesy Orzo

Roasted Asparagus

Desserts

Sour Cream Breakfast Cake

Lemon Squares

Breakfast

Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes with Bananas & Whipped Cream

Steak & Portobellos with Sweet Soy Ginger Sauce

2008-02-17T19:01:00.000-08:00

We had a change of menu this past week with Valentine's Day and all the hoopla around the "holiday" (if you can call it that). For my gift to my husband I made him the meal he's asked me to make for the past 7 years. It is a meal I have avoided at all costs. It is a meal I know I'm not qualified to cook, steam, roll or present. For my Valentine I attempted the meal I knew I should not -- I made sushi. I will spare you the details and spare you the recipe. In the future, God-willing and the kids-behaving, I will make sushi again and describe it for you. Until then, make Steak & Portobellos with Sweet Soy Ginger Sauce.

This is a nice switch from the regular meat and potatoes standby; however, it is not for the faint of heart...I mean faint of pallet. The sauce is very bold and will kick-up the flavor a few notches. If you like foods with an Asian flare, this is a meal for you.

Appearing for the very first time, my very own food photography. Tah-Daah! I think the photo is pretty good considering the entire family was sitting there waiting to eat while I arranged food. Except the four-year old, she wasn't waiting to eat, she was waiting to throw a dinner tantrum proclaiming her distaste for mashed potatoes and meat. Apparently she doesn't consider hot dogs to be meat. And now that I think about it, she is probably right. Are hot dogs meat?

Steak & Portobellos with Sweet Soy Ginger Sauce

Adapted from Isabel Cruz's recipe in Cooking Light Magazine

2-3 portobello mushroom caps (more would suit me fine - I could skip the steak completely)

1 lb. boneless beef shoulder steak (I often use those really thin slices of beef - I don't know the official name)

Olive oil

S&P

Sesame Seeds for garnish

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1/4 c. chopped green onions (with green stems)

1/4 c. soy (I use low sodium)

1 t. fresh, peeled, chopped ginger (original recipe calls for more, add more if you like)

1 T. brown sugar

1 T. dark sesame oil

1 T. honey dash nutmeg

1 clove garlic, minced

1. Prepare sauce by combining all 8 ingredients in food processor until smooth. Set aside.

2. Remove gills from under portobellos (use a spoon) and slice caps.

3. Heat a nonsick pan over mediun-high heat. Coat with olive oil. Salt and pepper steak. Add steak and cook on each side until browned. Remove from pan. If using beef shoulder, slice diagonally. If using a thinner cut theres no need to slice it.

4. Toss mushrooms with a few tablespoons of soy mixture; add to pan. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from pan.

5. Return steak to pan and cook to desired doneness.

6. Plate steak and mushrooms together. Drizzle with remaining soy mixture.

Serving Note: I usually serve over jasmine rice, but tonight I will serve it with my
lower-fat version of Pioneer Woman's Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes. I will make extra mashed potatoes for Shepherd's Pie later this week.

Kid Friendly Adaptation: Don't drizzle their sizzle (you know...their meat...don't drizzle any sauce over it)! The sauce is waaaay too much for the kiddies. And when I made the garlic roasted mashed potatoes, I set aside a bowl full of regualr mashed tators sans roasted garlic.

Apple Cranberry Pork Pinwheels

2008-02-17T18:33:00.000-08:00

Do you need an impressive dinner that will wow your husband's boss, make an "outlaw" an inlaw or trick the disapproving mothers in the Mom's Club into thinking you belong in their exclusive snotty organization? If so, visit Martha Stewart's blog; I'm sure she has a ton of ideas for you.

If you need something that tastes really good, looks respectable and pleases YOU deeply, look no further. This is a tried and true recipe that I added to my dinner rotation a few months ago. In the future I plan on stuffing this CENTER CUT pork loin with some other ingredients, but for now, this chutney filling is oh so good. It has a little sweetness and a little sourness; just like me!

I serve the Apple Cranberry Pork Pinwheels with baked sweet potatoes and a small salad. You serve it however you like, but please, do yourself a favor and just serve it.

Apple Cranberry Pork Pinwheels
This recipe is my adaptation of Elise Bauer’s adaptation of a Cook’s Illustrated Recipe (basically it’s a third party recipe)

Chutney Filling

1 cup orange juice or apple juice

1/2 cup cider vinegar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 Tbsp onion, grated

1 1/2 cups dried apples (I call this the fruit of my loin)

1/2 cup dried cranberries (this is the fruit of my loin too)

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

½ t. ground mustard (or a few squirts of yellow mustard will work)

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

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Pork Roast

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 1/2 pound boneless center-cut pork loin roast (short and wide - about 7-8 inches long and 4-5 inches wide). I don’t know my cuts of meat, but I think this “center cut” part is important because I have twice NOT purchased the “center cut” version and twice been very disappointed because it is two small pieces of pork wrapped together to look like one big one and thus making it impossible to make this beautiful dish beautiful. So buy the CENTER CUT pork roast.

1. Put the small children down for a nap, as you are about to handle raw meat. You never know what they will do while you have salmonella hands from wrangling raw pork. My luck is someone will snort a Cheerio up his/her nose and need some sort of medical attention while I stand there, hands held up in the air, and say, “I have raw meat hands, honey. You are going to have to take care of it alone. Just blow your nose. Blow. Come on now, blow harder. Dang it, I am about fed up with you. Would you just give it a good blow already!” Note: The coaxing it takes to get kids in bed is the most challenging part of this recipe. Put the pork roast in the freezer for 30 minutes to make it easier to cut.

2. Bring all the filling ingredients to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until apples are very soft, about 20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the liquid. Use a rubber spatula to press against the apple mixture in the sieve to extract as much liquid out as possible. Pulse apple mixture in food processor, about fifteen 1-second pulses (or just chop it up small like I do). Set aside. Since I usually start dinner when the baby is napping around 2:00, I stop here and finish reduction right before I serve dinner. So skip to step 3 for now and come back to step 2 when the roast is almost ready to serve. Return liquid to saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside and reserve this liquid for use as a glaze.

3. You will be "double-butterflying" the pork roast. Lay the roast down, fat side up. Insert the knife into the roast 1/2-inch horizontally from the bottom of the roast, along the long side of the roast. Make a long cut along the bottom of the roast, stopping 1/2 inch before the edge of the roast. Click here to see Elise’s demonstration double-butterflying. You can also see her version of this recipe, but I must say it is lacking because nowhere does she mention putting her kids down for naps, salmonella hands or cheerios in one’s nose. I feel that my minor changes have made all the difference in the final outcome of the dish.

4. Season the inside of the roast well with salt and pepper. Spread out the filling on the roast, leaving a 1/2-inch border from the edges. Starting with the short side of the roast, roll it up very tightly. Secure with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals. Season the outside of the roast generously with salt and pepper. Since Wal-mart is hiding the kitchen twine these days I got creative recently. I made aluminum foil “ropes” and wrapped a few around the loin. Granted they aren’t as pretty as twine, but they worked.

5. Place roast on a rack in a roasting pan, put in 350 degree preheated oven, on the middle rack. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes, until the internal temperature of the roast is 160 degrees.

6. When roast is almost ready, return to step 2 and reduce your glaze.

7. Brush roast with half of the glaze and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove the roast from the oven or grill. Place it on a cutting board. Tent it with foil to rest and keep warm for 15 minutes before slicing.

8. Slice into 1/2-inch wide pieces, removing the cooking twine (or aluminum foil home made ropes) as you cut the roast. Serve with remaining glaze.

Serves 6-8 normal people (or 2 ravenous adults)

And one last note: Pat slow smoked the pork roast with some wood chips a few weeks ago . The memory make me speechless. Umm Umm Good! Man, that guy sure knows how to please a woman!

Kid Note: They like the meat, but the looks of the chutney discourages them. Maybe if you put the pinwheel on a stick and call it a lollipop they'll eat it? But probably not.

The Whole Enchilada

2008-02-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

I know this isn't really Mexican food. I am sure it isn't even close. But it makes a decent meal that my kids like and my husband loves. We aren't from Mexico so we don't really care if it is authentic. In fact, I buy my margaritas premade from a bottle too. Shameful? Maybe. Really yummy and potent? Definitely! Actually, if I were you, I'd skip the recipe below and just have the margarita for dinner.

Cream Cheese & Chicken Enchiladas

Adapted from Paula Deen Celebrates!

4 cups chicken, chopped

One 8 oz. package (1/3 less fat) cream cheese

One 10.75 oz. can cream of chicken soup

One 4 oz. can diced green chilies, with juice (use two cans if you like a mild kick)

One 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

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10 (approximately) tortilla shells, 7-inch diameters

One 10 oz. can enchilada sauce

2-3 cups shredded cheese (I use Fiesta Blend, use what you like)

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Garnish:

3 green onions, chopped (include the pretty green tops too)

chopped cilantro

shredded lettuce

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pour a little enchilada sauce on bottom of 13x9 pan to prevent sticking.

2. Combine first 5 ingredients and scoop 3/4 of mixture into each tortilla shell. Roll shell and place enchiladas side by side in dish.

3. Pour remaining sauce over entire dish of enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese.

4. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes.

5. Sprinke tops with lettuce, cilantro and green onions and serve.

Note some changes to the original recipe:

~ I only use one can of green chilies because of the kids, but if I was making it for myself I'd...well...I'd probably just go to a real Mexican joint and forget about this pseudo-Mexican-home-cooked-bologna. Or I'd stick to the original recipe and use 2 cans of green chilies plus add some jalapenos and habaneras for good measure.

~ The original recipe calls for 6 cups of cheese. Yes, I said SIX cups of cheese. Do you think that was that a type-o in the cookbook I used? I am sure it is delicious that way, but I like my ass to fit on this chair while I pound out this delicious blog entry. I sprinkle maybe 2 cups of shredded cheese over the top. It's enough to cover the whole enchilada (and then some).

~ And don't forget the most important ingredient to this meal. See below.

Roasted Chicken Legs with Caramelized Onion Sauce

2008-02-11T07:40:00.000-08:00

Roasted Chicken Legs with Caramelized Onion Sauce

1. Melt only a 1/2 stick butter (for about 20 legs) and mix in 1 Tablespoon of Paula Deen's House Seasoning (House Seasoning: 1 cup salt 1/4 cup black pepper 1/4 cup garlic powder Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months).

2. Cut the skin off the legs (to eliminate some fat) and place legs on broiler pan, brush with butter mixture and sprinkle more seasoning on top of the legs. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

3. Pull out legs and rebrush tops with butter. Broil for about 10 minutes until brown.

4. Pull out legs again, flip them over and brush bottoms with butter and sprinkle with seasoning and broil for 10 more minutes.

While the legs were acookin', start Ashley's Caramelized Onion mixture from this delicious recipe she published on her blog. Follow her directions (sans chicken), and add about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of chicken broth in step 2, then reduce. Turned off heat and set aside.

When the chicken legs are out of the oven, put about 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 legs into the caramelized onion mixture and heat through. Set aside the rest of the chicken legs you baked for a future meal (in our case, we are making Chicken Enchiladas tonight and possibly Chicken Pot Pie another night).

Ashley's Cheesy Orzo Recipe

Make it! It is awesome and a HUGE kid hit! I have to admit I burn the bottom every time, but I am blaming it on my electric range (I prefer gas). I am going to start adding stuff to it. I think it would be good with some frozen green peas mixed in and maybe some mushrooms.

Mixed Green & Toasted Walnut Salad with a Vanilla-Pear Vinaigrette
Adapted from Cooking Light magazine (December 2005).

I made 1/2 this dressing recipe and still had entirely too much.

Vanilla-Pear Vinaigrette
1 (15-ounce) can pear halves in juice, undrained
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Real Bacon Bits and a dash of ground red pepper

1. Drain pears, reserving 1/3 cup pear juice.
2. Combine pears, juice, vinegar, and remaining ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.

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1 cup vertically sliced red onion
2 (10-ounce) packages Mediterranean-style salad
2/3 cup Vanilla-Pear Vinaigrette
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

To prepare salad, combine onion and lettuce mix in a large bowl. Add Vanilla-Pear Vinaigrette, and toss well. Sprinkle with walnuts.

I am not a baker. I do not bake, nor do I make dessert on a regular basis. But this cake is easy, fast and fortified with pecans for good health. I first made this recipe on Christmas morning, 2007, and the hubby loved it. He does not usually eat dessert and does not have a sweet tooth. So for him to rave over it...it is worth making again.

Fake Birthday Cake (aka: Sour Cream Cinnamon Breakfast Cake)I got this recipe off some lady's blog. She said it came from The Bridge Street Inn Bed and Breakfast in Charlevoix, Michigan.

4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup oil
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup chopped pecans

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1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T cinnamon

1. Beat eggs until fluffy. Add sugar and beat again. Blend in cake mix, sour cream, oil and nuts.

2. Pour 1/2 batter into greased bunt pan.

3. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over batter. Swirl lightly with a knife.

4. Pour remaining batter on top.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.Tonight we are having Cream Cheese & Chicken Enchiladas. They are so easy! I'll be back with that recipe later!

Beef Carnitas

2008-02-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

Beef Carnitas (the Non-Latina, Busy Soccer Mom Version)

Beef Chuck Roast
Goya Adobo Seasoning (look on Latin food isle or you could probably use garlic powder, s & p)
1 medium onion, halved
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 jalapeno pepper
2 cups chicken broth
14 oz. can tomatoes
Cilantro (a hand full of fresh or maybe just a teaspoon of dried)
Shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend and some mozzarella)
Sour Cream
Guacamole (I usually make my own, but I highly recommend the brand Wholly Guacamole. Find it in the produce section at Wal-mart. It is actually as good as my homemade version and probably cheaper)
Salsa

1. Season the roast well with Adobo powder. Top, bottom, & sides! Shake it. Shake it. Shake it, Momma.

2. Put first 8 ingredients into crock pot. Turn on low and go about your business.

3. When ready to eat use a strainer to retrieve the chuck roast and shred it into smaller pieces. Also retrieve some tomatoes (dice them up) and some onion slices. Place on a warm flour tortilla, top with cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salsa and more fresh cilantro.

4. Enjoy the easy and filling meal.

My kids loved this. When I told them we were having beef for dinner they made ugly faces, their heads began to spin and high-pitched siren sounds came out their mouths. Then I changed the name from beef to burritos. The terrible noises stopped, but by the looks on their faces they still were not convinced. Then I let them assemble their own (mainly meat and cheese) and hid the tomatoes and onions out of their peripheral vision. Suddenly it was manna from God. My daughter informed me she wanted it for breakfast tomorrow morning only tomorrow she wants it to be flat (i.e.: a quesadilla), with just cheese and pickles. I guess that means she liked the Beef Carnitas. I hope you do too.