Four Foodies

Chicken Piccata

2009-03-07T20:37:00.003-06:00

Chicken Piccata is a great weeknight meal that is fresh, flavorful, healthy and simple deliciousness when you need to get something on the table in a hurry. I love to serve it with garlic mashed potatoes or a side of pasta. Need I say more?

Dirt Cake

2009-02-06T09:27:00.003-06:00

While I am well aware that this is not a mind-blowing idea; bear with me I am a Mom. A while back I volunteered to make a snack for Cammy's class since they were covering the letter "D". I thought over and over as to what to make since there are limited foods beginning with letter D. I figured either donuts or dirt cake would fit the bill nicely. After asking her teacher if she thought this was too messy and getting an okay, I went with dirt cakes. I figured the kids would have the most fun with this.

I was not wrong. I did not take a lot of time making these since I know kids are happy with nearly anything. Simply chocolate pudding, crushed Oreos, and gummy worms. I found little clear plastic cups at the grocery store which I figured would be perfect since kids like having their own individual-"I don't have to share" servings. Upon assembling them, I underestimated the amount of gummy worms and they looked pretty bare on their own.

Mind you, this was late at night and I was not thinking incredibly clearly and could not run out to the store. I combed over my pantry to see what I could throw together and the pickings were slim. So, I made sugar cookies and threw in an ungodly amount of red food coloring(parents that like to keep things natural, if you are reading this, sorry!) and made lady bug cookies. I know, I know you are asking "why not just frost them red?" I was out of confectioners sugar. Not one of my crowning moments. After making the dough, I thought of a zillion ways I probably could have done these better and with less coloring. But they were delicious and the kids loved them, so why not?

Honey Walnut Prawns

2009-02-03T09:31:00.004-06:00

I was first introduced to Honey Walnut Shrimp in Guam and immediately fell in love with the dish. Definitely not for the faint of heart; I could tell this was loaded with tons of ingredients I would regret eating. I was hesitant to even try to figure out how to make the dish.

However, one year and a move later; I found myself with a craving for it and of course I can not find it at any of the very-Americanized Chinese restaurants here. And, I am pretty sure this is not authentic Chinese. Either way it is tasty stuff and my instinct of not really wanting to know what was in it? It was correct.

I scoured this internet and came across this recipe. It eased my conscience a little since the shrimp was not deep fried, but still it's a once on a while treat only. I promise it is one you will not regret.

Vegetable Chili

2009-01-25T20:16:00.000-06:00

So weather in the negative digits usually calls for something warm and comforting. You will find us eating tons of soups and drinking coffee by the gallon these days. There is nothing like it on a cold day when you can not seem to get warm no matter how much you bundle up. You need something thick that sticks to your insides.

This chili recipe has been a constant in my family for the past four years we always seem to go back to it no matter what. Why? I am not sure but it is just perfect. Perfect texture, thickness, meatiness[despite no meat!?], and spice. It's super quick and there is nothing to disinfect afterwards[once again, no meat!]. Last time I made it I decided to go all out and make the designated Pico de Gallo and Guacamole as well. Totally worth it? Yes. I didn't think this chili could get any better.

Not really dreaming of a White Christmas...but it's nice I guess.

2009-01-18T11:15:00.005-06:00

Despite having the lack of motivation to blog this Winter, I am happy to say I am still cooking up a storm. Thankfully, I have not reached that point of laziness yet. You know how it is, I suppose sort of like exercise, you forget to do it one day and then next thing you know one day turns into one month...or one quarter of a year. I am also sad to say I have literally repeated this trend with the gym. Oops. Okay, but when the windchill gets down to negative 57(no exaggeration), can you blame me?! 25 degrees seems like Spring, honestly!

I find myself reaching for easier recipes during the week because Camden has school and we seem to be in go, go, go mode these days. However, our Christmas was amazingly relaxed[other than an asthma attack from Roman and Jason getting sick, but we'll ignore those downers because, they didn't seem to impact our spirits]. Jason was home - and OFF duty. Granted, he is currently on night shift so he was a bit groggy. Really it was great. I wanted to blog this before it got too late and I forgot.

We spent the day opening presents, had our typical Christmas morning breakfast(Biscuits and Gravy, anyone?), called our families, played with the kids, and then ended the evening with this amazing meal. I made a Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Sauce on the side - my first time ever and definitely WILL NOT be the last. I never knew beef could be so buttery! On the side we had fresh made Parker House rolls, a Citrus Holiday Salad(which was the second show-stopper of the evening), Scalloped Potatoes, and Corn Casserole. Yuuuu-my! Why can't it be Christmas everyday?

We ended the meal with this Port Cherry Trifle(not the exact title of the recipe), I ran across the recipe while randomly searching for something else and couldn't get it out of my mind. It was definitely worth every calorie!

sigh

2009-01-16T09:32:00.003-06:00

I have the Winter Blues. I am sorry for all the sporadic posting; I have not felt so inspired lately and with the sun going down at six each evening it is nearly impossible to take decent pictures. The blog is always in the back of my mind so I am trying to get some vision as to what I want to do with it. I will keep you posted.

A realistic snack

2008-10-16T13:59:00.008-05:00

I know every mother has grandiose plans for her life and children. Kids perfectly cleaned and groomed, no holes in jeans, skipping home on the way home from school, freshly baked cookies waiting in the oven with milk. But let's face it, in real life this is not the case.

Since the start of school I feel as though I have less time. We go through jeans like they are disposable and I can't see to find the bottom of my laundry pile. I really thought I'd honestly have more time now that Camden has started school, that she'd come home to all the housework down and some fresh snack waiting. In all honesty, most days I find myself reaching for fruit snacks, crackers, or carrot sticks. Any thing in my pantry ready and willing to help me out.

Like I have said previously, once a week I try to bake something. Not only for my babies, but to share with teachers, Jason's co-workers, and so forth. This week we made Magic Cookie Bars(you know from the back of the Carnation can) - which I hardly consider baking. They were satisfying and Camden had a blast making them. However, they were never photographed so you'll have to take my word for it.

Above is a snack that hardly qualifies as baking, cooking, or anything domestic. However, what kid would not flip for something sweet bathed in sprinkles? Camden will enjoy these when she gets home today and I hope to see her eyes light up.

This is barely a recipe, cut bananas in half, skewer(I was out of popsicle sticks, which I have found are way better than bamboo skewers. So you can do better than me.) and freeze. Melt chocolate in double boiler, I opted to add some peanut butter - for protein, you know. Roll in choice of toppings; I opted for toffee bits and sprinkles today. Place back in freezer until hardened.

Menu Planning Monday

2008-10-14T11:08:00.004-05:00

I know I am late in posting this; but do you ever have days when you just don't want to do anything? I fell like I was in that rut most of the weekend. Camden ended up getting the stomach flu and I just did not have motivation to cook, much less plan for a week of cooking. I kind of felt like laying down and whining myself - but don't tell my kids. Because, of course, Mom's never throw tantrums. I diverted from last week some because of an unplanned invite from our friends and Camden being sick.

Anyway, on to the meal planning; which I just finished an hour ago, sadly. I hope to do my shopping later this week.

Yesterday I made a simple Chicken Alfredo - nothing says lovin' like cream, pasta and cheese. Thankfully, Camden's appetite had returned.
Tuesday: Tuna Casserole from Rachael Ray's talk show
Wednesday: Bake Chicken and Acorn Squash, Rice Pilaf
Thursday: Bel Aria Chicken and Pasta, Bread
Friday: Pizza Night, of course.
Saturday: Mozzarella Eggplant Bake, Fettucine, Green Salad
Sunday: Tyler's Smothered Pork Chops, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Corn

Head on over to Menu Planning Monday for more menu planning inspiration, which I probably should have done earlier as well.

And now for a little torture...

2008-10-10T09:48:00.007-05:00

These bars are a fairly good reason not to get behind on blogging. I made these late summer when blueberries were just at the end of their season and still reasonably priced. The recipe caught my eye when I had some blueberries on the verge of mush. I had planned a park outing for the kids and a few other mothers and figured these would be perfect to tote along. They were just perfect. Not too messy, sweet, but a little tart from the lemon and creamy. My mouth is watering just thinking about them again. I am sorry to be posting these so late, but take my word when I say you NEED to make these next summer.

I love Fine Cooking magazine, which is where this recipe came from. Sadly, this is one of the few I have not subscribed to, but I plan to one day. $30 for a magazine subscription is hard to justify these days. For now, I have a wonderful Hub who surprises me with these when I'm having a bad day(He knows me well!).

In the meantime, I may experiment to see how they are with frozen berries later this winter when I am craving a little brightness. If I do; I promise to let you know before summertime.

Recipe may be found here.

Chocolate-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

2008-10-09T21:09:00.003-05:00

This October marks our first "Fall" in four years as well as our year anniversary in North Dakota. I do not count last year since we arrived at what seemed the brink of Winter. I forgot how beautiful Fall is with the leaves turning and the cool air. However, this morning brought in a chilling 34 degrees; so, I think Fall only lasts a few weeks here.

I find myself now craving soups, apples, pumpkin and anything along those lines. It is a nice familiar feeling I missed while living in Guam. However, I am not completely sold. I believe this year will be better and worse for a number of reasons and only time will tell.

I found myself baking less this past year since I had no one to share them with. I used to send them to Jason's work in Guam, but the clinic here is not an ideal place for food. Now that Camden is in school, I try to bake a snack for her weekly and send some to her teacher. It is nice to be able to share again!

These cookies just scream Fall to me and they are quite delicious. I discovered and made them for the first time last year after we were finally settled in. They have definitely become a seasonal fixture in this household. I love how simple and satisfying they are. They are almost more cake-like than cookie and not too sweet. Perfect for welcoming Fall! Try them, I hope you love them as much as we do.

Recipe may be found here.

Foolish me!

2008-10-06T08:21:00.004-05:00

It's funny that I thought AFTER Camden started school I would have more time. Obviously, you can tell it's her first school year. In some ways I felt as though my days are cut in half. We have a lot of changes on the horizon here in the Four Foodies household, so please bear with me as I think my blogging will continue to be sporadic. We will get into the swing of things somehow.

I still continue to meal plan - which is my saving grace; especially now that food prices are going so sky high. I find myself going to more and more old trusty recipes and experimenting less. Am I the only one? We are not hurting as much as some thankfully; so for the most part I am not complaining. Anyway, this is not meant to be a downer post.

I figured the best way to ease back into blogging would be to participate in Meal Plan Monday. I don't know why I have never done this before since I have been meal planning for six years and don't think I'd be able to set foot into a grocery store without a plan. I suppose it's the control freak in me. Either way, on to the week...

Monday: Massamam Curry, Jasmine Rice, and sliced mangoes[if we have people over I may make a second green or red curry]
Tuesday: Dinner at Church
Wednesday: Ravioli Soup, Bread
Thursday: Cheese Steak Subs, tater tots, fruit
Friday: Pizza Night
Saturday: Enchiladas, Spanish rice, refried beans, Flan

Sorry!

2008-08-06T10:04:00.002-05:00

I apologize for my extended absence. Most bloggers are inspired by summer produce and are cooking more than ever. I suppose summer here has had the opposite effect on me. Glad to see sunshine, we have been out and about, having tons of get-togethers, and enjoying our kids. With Camden starting school, I suppose I am getting pretty sentimental about the little time I have with her until she leaves me for six(eep!) hours a day.

I do promise to return, for those of you that still check for updates. I did not intend to take such a long break. I am still cooking, every night and loving every bit of it. But the blogging has not come as naturally, as my family has needed me more. I know(and hope!) you understand! I plan to be back once school and a regular routine starts again.

Strawberry Shortcakes

2008-04-22T10:47:00.002-05:00

If someone were to ask me what my absolute favorite dessert is I would probably reply Strawberry Shortcake. There is something classic about the combination of slightly sweet cake, strawberries and sweetened whipped cream - or if you prefer, ice cream. If it is on the menu, you can bet I'll order it. I always anxiously await strawberry season, not only for the delicious berries; but it also brings promises of Summer.

Growing up, we would sometimes use the dreaded store bought sponge cakes - you know the kind. But most times, my father preferred a simple pound cake with a scoop of Breyer's vanilla ice cream and macerated strawberries. I found this recipe in Everyday Food's May 2005 edition and have since preferred this when the need arises. I am not ~~plagued~~ tempted with a bunch of leftover pound cake once the berries run out. These shortcakes are biscuit-like, delicate, crumbly and just slightly sweet. Top with sweetened whipped cream and macerated berries. Perfection.

Recipe may be found here.

Greek Pasta Salad

2008-04-18T14:13:00.008-05:00

Now that Spring is well underway(finally!) we tend to go to the park late afternoon and do not get home until dinner time. Not to mention, it stays daylight outside until nearly 10 at night. So, our schedules are somewhat thrown off and of course, my kids do not want to go to bed because "it's still light outside, mommy!" There have been nights we eat dinner at 8 p.m.

There are also nights where I throw together something incredibly quick and fresh; like this salad. If your chicken is already cooked it takes just minutes. It is a perfect way to use up any leftover cooked chicken you may have lingering in the fridge. Quick cooking shrimp would also work as well. Either way, whatever your poison; it is easy and delicious. I served it with a side of simple roasted asparagus, but really, it is satisfying all on it's own.

Recipe may be found here.

Cherry Clafouti

2008-04-16T15:26:00.005-05:00

If I could pick any career to train for, with no strings attached(money, daycare, etc.) it would probably be a pastry chef. I really love the creativity in this profession. However, culinary school is the price of a small mortgage and I have babies to raise, for a few more years at least. Not that I am complaining - please don't get me wrong. I love my life right now, but a girl can dream, right? I have freedom in my kitchen to do whatever I please. So I am kind of like a pastry chef - only, with no demands on me, so it's better, right?

All that said, Gale Gand is my absolute favorite pastry chef. She is an absolute rock star. I love her whimsical playfulness and creativity. I have never eaten a Tru, but would love to one day. I hope to make a trip to Illinois just to do so.

For now, I do have the privilege of owning two of her cookbooks, which oddly, I have not blogged enough? I should use these more often. One of my top favorite baking books is Short + Sweet . Time and time again I have turned to this book when I needed an impressive and reliable dessert last minute. Pressed for time, but having the boss over? This is your book!

This clafouti was so easy to put together and tasted great! I have never made a clafouti before, but if this is any indication - I will be making this again. I really love fruity desserts. This batter reminds me of a crepe batter. You simply stir the ingredients together and let them sit for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the top with frozen cherries and bake! It really could not get any easier. I started this at 7 in the evening and was eating it by 9:30 PM. I can not wait to play around with different fruit options. Speaking of running short on time, I will have to post the recipe later; I need to get dinner started.

Updated to add recipe here.

Chicken Biryani

2008-04-15T08:04:00.003-05:00

Guam was a pretty culturally diverse place. Whatever you craved, typically, you could find a restaurant for - except Mexican. But really, there were no complaints there because we had so much to choose from. Moving to Guam was great because it forced us to get out of our comfort zone in so many ways and also introduced us to a plethora of foods. Many of which, are now favorites in our home. There was a little ethnic/Middle Eastern sort of restaurant located downtown that sadly, closed before we left there. This is not uncommon really though, as there was so many restaurants you really have to stand out in order to survive. I really thought this place had what it took, but, often, I am wrong(don't tell the Hub).

Anyway, it was there that I first had Chicken Biryani. I instantly fell in love with the dish. I am not sure why or what it was? Maybe the complexity of flavors. This is a chicken and rice dish - but not as we know it in America[Campbell's soup, anyone!?]. It has a mixture of spices - typically cinnamon, ginger, curry, as well as whatever else the particular cook deems and makes for a very warm, fragrant dish. Also thrown in are some raisins, to add a little sweetness, and cashews for crunch.

So, after the restaurant closed down, I unsuccessfully scoured the internet for a recipe that sounded right. Imagine my surprise, when many months and one move over the ocean later, I bumped into the following recipe and it sounded just about perfect.

This made for a really nice, not too complicated weeknight dinner. On the side, I served Orangette's Spiced Eggplant with Yogurt and Peas. Perfect!

Recipes may be found here and here.

Brownie Sundaes

2008-04-14T10:55:00.004-05:00

Sometimes, okay, let's be honest, most of the time a desire for something hits me and I can not get it off my mind until I have it. Brownies have plagued me for the past few weeks and I knew I would not be happy until I had some. Not just brownies, but brownies topped with ice cream, and maybe a little chocolate on top for good measure. So I finally broke down and went to the store for walnuts, which was the only ingredient coming between me and my craving.

Everyone has different ideas of what the perfect brownie contains. I like them fudgey, but slightly cakey with walnuts. The Hub, who I have mentioned in previous posts, had tendencies to be picky. Most of my marriage proclaiming he does not like nuts in brownies. He would not have it - not in his home. Well, just recently, he finally revealed to me, maybe he does like nuts in his brownies? But only walnuts, because apparently, he loves walnuts and really respects them as a nut. News to me. Maybe he could have shared this earlier. For years, I have been making nut-free brownies. Oh well, we can only move forward.

This recipe has been a tried and true that never seems to fail. I have tried countless recipes, but this one seems to be my favorite. Maybe because I can keep all ingredients in my pantry at all times for when such a craving hits. Or, maybe because they seem to have the right balance of cake and fudgeyness(I know, not a real word). This recipe comes from a Hershey's cook booklet that I have acquired along the way somehow and do not plan to give up.

Recipe can be found here.

Lemon Panna Cotta

2008-04-10T08:36:00.003-05:00

I can not remember the first place or time I had Panna Cotta. Maybe it was somewhere on Guam? Ah, yes... now I remember. It was Sam Choy's - a Hawaiian restaurant chain. Either way, Panna Cotta is definitely on my top 10 list of favorite desserts. How can you hate a silky smooth mixture that goes down perfectly with a heavier meal? It leaves you satisfied, but not over stuffed. I have always favored custards, puddings, and the like over cakes and heavier desserts.

Imagine to my delight, when I found not only is it good - it is also SO easy to make!? Really, there are no more steps than making Jello; maybe just a bit more measuring. It is perfect for a last minute dessert if you have guests coming over and do not know what to make. All you need to do is simply unmold and throw a few berries on top and voila! you have an easy impressive dessert.

I was rediscovering past issues of Cooking Light when making meal plans and came across a feature on citrus fruits. I do not know why I did not see this before; but, this time this recipe jumped out at me. It took no more than a few minutes to assemble and sat in the fridge while we ate. Afterwards, dessert was ready!

You can really taste the lemon in this, it has a pretty near perfect balance of sweet and tart. I am not entirely sure why the vanilla bean had to be added because I could not detect it. I may just substitute extract next time as to not waste precious beans. Typically, when I serve this to my family I do not fuss with the unmolding, etc. After all, it does not take much to please toddlers.

Recipe may be found here.

Lime and Honey Glazed Salmon with Warm Black Bean and Corn Salad

2008-04-08T11:23:00.002-05:00

Salmon is probably one of my favorite types of fish. While it is not as fresh as Guam, I can get an okay quality for an arm and a leg - which is better than none. As I have mentioned, we don't like meat much at all. Plus, fish is so healthy and my kids love it - so who am I to cut it out of our diet?

This recipe comes from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats. This is probably one of my favorite cookbooks of hers. Not all of the recipes have been winners and I often wonder if all were tested. However, there a many good tried and true recipes that make it worthwhile and indispensable in my home.

This recipe was kind of in between for me. It was great and all the flavors combined well. However, the glaze was not so much a glaze as a recipe. I had a rather large lime, so maybe I should have upped the honey a bit to thicken it. Something told me I should have while making it - but, I did not listen to myself. This meal comes together very quickly and is perfect for a weeknight. Fish is very quick cooking and there is little chopping required. You start the salad in one skillet and while that is working, simply sear the salmon until done. It also makes for easy clean up with just to pans to clean. It is actually a very pretty, colorful meal, plates nicely, and would be good for company. I will probably tweak the "glaze" a bit; but, overall, this recipe is a keeper.

Recipe can be found here.

Crab and Avocado "sandwiches" with Mango Coulis

2008-04-07T07:24:00.003-05:00

Don't you love when you see a recipe and are filled with enough confidence thinking "I can do that" and then it flops. This was not fully the case with this recipe, only partly so. Remember this is not a five star restaurant kitchen with [nearly]unlimited ingredients and funds. I only have one chance to make it right - if not, you eat as is or grab a bowl of cereal.

I have never made any of Cat Cora's recipes. I am familiar with her, mainly from Iron Chef America, and have caught old reruns of some of her older shows. Obviously, I am not about to attempt anything from Iron Chef. So when I found a copy of Cat Cora's Kitchen for $3, I was pretty excited.

Upon skimming through the book, the first thing that caught my eye were the Crab and Avocado Sandwiches, the picture was gorgeous. I knew I'd be making these very soon since our family loves crab cakes.

Everything was great, except I had trouble getting the crab cakes to stay together. I had 3 or 4 successes, then they turned into crab...hash? They tasted awesome though and I plan to try again. Typically, when I have made crab cakes in the past they have some sort of binder like egg, is this correct? Any suggestions to improve them next time? Either way, by the time I was finished, I really did not want to mess with slicing them in half to make a "sandwich".

Loaded with awesome fruits and veggies such as mango and avocado I figure this is a perfect entry for Cate's ARF/5-a-day event. I always plan to participate in this event, but seem to forget. I blame it on weekend brain. Go visit her site for other great recipes and occasional funny stories.

Recipe can be found here.

Chocolate Guinness Stout Cake

2008-04-04T15:48:00.003-05:00

Let me preface this by stating I am NOT a cake decorator. I would love to learn, but it has not been in the cards for me so far. So, I do the best I can. Sadly, I am so far behind that I made this a few weeks ago the day before St. Patrick's Day. Not even realizing I was doing so - it fit perfectly. Really, I was just wanting something rich and a way to use up some Guinness since I do not enjoy drinking it.

I have never had a Guinness cake before, but had seen various versions in cookbooks and while surfing the net. It sounded interesting, but I could never justify the expense. The Hub, however, decided it would be worth it. This makes for a very rich cake. It has slight coffee and almost, licorice-y undertones. While it was good, I do not see myself making this again. Please do not get me wrong, it was not a bad recipe, very good in fact. It just did not overly impress me; I believe it is more of a novelty. I also am not the hugest fan of chocolaty desserts. The Hub, however, is another story. He loved it.

Recipe can be found here.

I'm back!

2008-04-02T15:20:00.004-05:00

Well, we're finally out of our "funk" that lingered for so long. Our flu progressed into colds...it seems it never ends. It took me forever to get my appetite back and motivation to do anything more than lay around in my pajamas. The Hub has been on leave this week, so we're taking it easy. It has been nice. Spring is possibly pushing it's way through. We will have days of 40 degree weather - but then randomly, it will snow. What's with that?

I am starting to get the itch to pull out my grill and eat outdoors more. We are sick of heavy, comfort foods and ready for summer. Change is good. I'm sure you've also noticed I'm sporting a different look. Photoshop finally came in the mail! Go easy on me - I am still learning. It's pretty intimidating, but I am having fun. I have also decided to create a separate blog specifically for recipes only to reduce clutter on here; as well as allowing easier access if you want to find only a recipe. This is all, of course, a work in progress. So, please, bear with me!

Pictured above is a very simple, tasty salad that can be thrown together in minutes. I don't know why I overlooked this before. This is from Rachael Ray's book 30-Minute Get Real Meals. I believe this was the first book of her's I purchased. Sadly, I have not used it that much. This really stuck out to me as a fun twist on salad; and it sure was! Packed with tons of veggies, you can feel really good about eating this.

Recipe can be found here.

Ugh...

2008-03-27T07:29:00.002-05:00

I apologize for the length between posts lately. Camden and I have been hit by the flu and my appetite is just now returning. As a result, obviously, I am trying to muster up some motivation to cook and blog. I have been taking it easy with things like spaghetti, etc. So, nothing too horribly exciting for now. But, I will be back, hopefully tomorrow.

Ugh.

2008-03-20T07:48:00.001-05:00

We have been hit by the flu bug, so I'll be taking a short break this week.

2008-03-19T10:31:00.003-05:00

I believe this will be my last Ellie Krieger recipe for a little while. I have exhausted this book the past few months and have tried just about every recipe. I will definitely continue to cook some of the tried and true recipes I discovered. I made this crisp for dessert one evening. It was fantastic topped with some frozen yogurt. Warm, comforting recipes are exactly what I have craved for the past few very cold months. I love fruit crisp of any sort. It is perfect when you do not want to fuss with a pie.

I am so glad to see Spring time back again. I find myself wanting salads more and more and I'm totally getting the itch to grill. So, I doubt this recipe will be repeated for quite some time. New books have also arrived for me to cook my way through now. I wonder if I'll ever stop buying cookbooks?

On another note, Carla[not me!] at Chocolate Moosey awarded me with the following awards. She is too sweet and we happen to share a very great name. Thanks Carla! Am I supposed to pass this one to someone now?

A Light Lunch

2008-03-17T20:23:00.003-05:00

[We have a guest blogger today: The Hub]

I love eggs. From my head, down to my... you get the point. What's better than the gooey, barely cooked yolk of a chicken's egg oozing into your other food, providing a delectable sauce? Well, nothing - which is why I decided that it would go perfect with my sesame-crusted asparagus spears, & roasted mushrooms and garlic cloves. Seasoned with some crushed red pepper [and a few secrets from Penzey's], and then topped with freshly grated parmesan, this dish was a winner - even with our little ones.

[Mmm... I think I'll go make this now, since Carla bought white asparagus!]

Coconut Sandwich Cookies

2008-03-17T13:20:00.005-05:00

I married a man with no tastebuds. When I first married him, he professed to dislike a number of things. Many of which, I found out later, he never bothered to even try. He just claimed he did not like them to avoid pressure. In this ever expanding list of dislikes included coconut.

So strange, what is not to like about coconut? It's fairly sweet naturally, it's a fruit, and can be used for an amazing number of things besides being edible. I was amazed to see all of the things they could do with a coconut in Guam.

Of course, now, he has grown up some and enjoys a plethora of odd food items. Many of which, I at times, can not stomach(escargot, anyone?). I am so glad he gives things a try now.

I always know I can rely on Everyday Food to deliver something quick that highlights a few simple ingredients. I have yet to see a lengthy recipe in their pages. The other night I was wanting something sweet, quick, and different than chocolaty desserts. These sandwich cookies were just perfect for dessert the other night. They provided just the right amount of sweetness and one was very satisfying.

The dough does not spread as much as I had anticipated, so, next time I think I may reduce to amount of dough I use for each cookie. The coconut in the dough lent a little bit of chewiness and they stayed good for a few days in the refrigerator. I will be repeating this again since our whole family enjoyed them so much.

Coconut Sandwich Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (7 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Creamy Vanilla Filling (see below)

Preheat oven to 350, with racks set in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Place 1/2 cup coconut into a small bowl; set aside. Place remaining coconut in a food processor; pulse until coarsely ground. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter with sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and ground coconut; mix just until combined.

Drop dough by level tablespoons onto two baking sheets, 1 to 2 inches apart.(Next time I would probably try a little less than a tablespoon) Bake until lightly golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dividing evenly, spread filling on flat side of half the cookies; sandwich with remaining cookies. Roll edges in reserved coconut, and chill until ready to serve.

Creamy Vanilla Filling

Using an electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup (1 stick) room-temperature unsalted butter until light and fluffy. With mixer on medium, beat in 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down bowl as necessary. Add 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; increase speed to high, and beat until filling is light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Makes about 1 cup.

Balsamic Flank Steak with Polenta and Roasted Tomatoes

2008-03-13T13:08:00.004-05:00

I do not know if you are like me. I subscribe to a handful of magazines and look forward to the time of the month they arrive. It typically takes me a while to look through them and some I eagerly thumb through marking off recipe after recipe. Others, I put on the shelf and never look back. This was not the case with March's Everyday Food.

This has always been one of my favorite magazines; but recently, I had not been feeling it. March arrived and it had the feel of Spring, which I guess I have been needing in this cold weather. I instantly found recipe after recipe I wanted to prepare. As of now, I have prepared seven recipes out of the magazine-all winners, with four more planned. Which considering the size of this little magazine is pretty spectacular.

One of my favorite articles was a list of 50 no recipe meals. The Hub, which is true with most men, does not like to read directions. He sees a recipe as nothing but a list of directions for him to have to follow. He has a desire to cook, but on his own terms. This list was just perfect and filled with lots of great, quick, healthy ideas. We have decided we will choose a few for him to make so that he can have some dinner experience.

One of the meals I prepared this past week was the Balsamic Skirt Steak. It has been quite a while since we have had red meat in our home, so, I figured I'd toss things up a bit. I could not find skirt steak at the store, so went with flank steak. I discovered flank steak about two years ago thanks to one of Rachael Ray's recipes and it is one of my favorite cheap cuts of meat. It cooks quickly, requires minimal prep and tastes great. What is not to love?

This meal is definitely a winner. I made the recipe with no tweaks other than switching up the steak. The polenta did leave a little to be desired. I think next time I would amp up the flavor a bit. I don't think I salted it quite enough and I prefer polenta made with some milk à la Barefoot Contessa. The roasted tomatoes were a welcome relief to typically tasteless winter tomatoes.

The other great thing? It provided enough leftovers to throw together a great steak salad the next day for lunch.

Chocolate Mousse

2008-03-12T11:13:00.004-05:00

As a perfect follow up to a light meal like the salmon mentioned in the last post; I need something light, yet, sort of rich. A friend of mine had recommended Ellie's Dark Chocolate Mousse. She had described it as not too sweet, so it sounded perfect. I omitted the brandy since I would be serving this to my kids and used regular cocoa, since that was what I had in my pantry.

The Hub is a huge fan of chocolate; even more so than me, which is somewhat odd. I knew he would appreciate this. After our meal, I brought it out and of course everyone's eyes widened. I opted not to tell them what was in it until the tried it. The Hub loved it and once I told him it was made from tofu, he loved it even more. He commented that it was rich, which I found funny since I did not think it was. Camden, being a typical four year old, obviously loved it as well. What kid does not like anything slightly resembling chocolate pudding? She has never been intimidated by tofu, which she affectionately calls "to-food". Maybe because she spent most of her earlier years in an asian-influenced culture, for which I am thankful. Roman had stuffed himself silly with salmon - since that seems to be his favorite, and finished only half.

This was definitely a winner and will be repeated in my family. It was a cinch to throw together and is somewhat impressive visually. I think it would be perfect following a dinner party when you want something light and non-fussy.

Roasted Salmon with Shallot Grapefruit Sauce

2008-03-10T15:26:00.003-05:00

If someone were to ask me what I missed most about Guam; I probably wouldn't say the weather, although that would come to a close tie. I think it would have to be the fish. I used to be able to get a huge pound chunk of fresh tuna, salmon, etc. for around $10. Now, I know that sounds pricey, but it was FRESH! When I look back on that, then look at my "choices" here in the Midwest, I really ache for fresh good fish. Most people that know me well know I am not a huge fan of red meat or meat really. I prefer chicken, fish, seafood, or veggies. So, for me to not have access to seafood is somewhat detrimental. You see, before Guam, we lived on the Gulf Coast. But, the Hub is in the Air Force, maybe we should have gone with the Navy?

However, I suppose you make do with what you have. I found a fillet of wild salmon, frozen at the grocery store and decided I'd give it a try to see if it was palatable. And...it really was not.

Now, don't get me wrong, this was a very good recipe and I would LOVE to try it again with fresh salmon. I adored the sauce and everything about it. It is sooo pretty isn't it? But the fish, the actual star of the meal, well, the texture was just off. I am. so. spoiled. I guess you can't win them all. However, if you do happen to live somewhere remotely interesting and can get your hands on good salmon, I would highly recommend it!

Candy Bar Fudge

2008-03-07T07:29:00.004-06:00

Want a quick treat that does not require you to heat up your oven and totally satisfies any sugary craving you may have times ten? If so, then this fudge totally fits the bill.

Very rarely do I ever want a candy bar, but when I reach for one, it's usually a Snicker's. This reminded me very much of a Snicker's bar.

Last weekend, we had some friends over for pizza. We were running short on time and I needed something for dessert. This seemed perfect. The oven was tied up with the pizzas and whatever I made had to be quick. I threw this together in about 10 minutes and let it chill while we ate. I had originally cut them larger not wanting to look skimpy. However, the turned out to be way too rich, so I cut them smaller. Really, a small cube will do you. This is the type of treat you are going to want to package up and share. The recipe came from the classic Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and can be found here.

Copycat's

2008-03-05T11:21:00.004-06:00

Most people that know me know I tend to enjoy recipes, a little too much. I have a fairly large file of recipes on my computer that are copycat recipes from various restaurants. Why? I am not entirely sure, since I don't like many of these restaurants. I got to thinking about this the other day and cleaned up this file deleting those I knew I would NEVER use.

As I have mentioned before, we had a plethora of restaurants to choose from in Guam. Here...not so much. After spending days on end cooped up in a snowy home, you tend to get stir crazy. A few weekends ago, I had about reached my point. I had not left the house for five days, it was payday and I knew I NEEDED out. Where? It did not matter. So, we decided to bundle up the kids and head to Applebee's. I have not stepped foot in an Applebee's in almost three years. Sadly, most of the menu has not changed. I did not know what I wanted, I was just glad to be out. Finally, I settled on the Tequila Lime Chicken, now I believe it's called Fajita Chicken, or something like that. I don't know why but it tasted fantastic. The rice left a little to be desired, I honestly think it was Lipton's, you know those weird mixes you buy at the grocery store for 99 cents. I commented to the Hub that I probably could do this way better at home.

And so I did. And it was better, and I knew what was going in it. I can assure you, you will not see us at Applebee's again, unless I have had a severe case of cabin fever.

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

2008-03-04T13:37:00.003-06:00

Once again, another Ellie Krieger recipe is appearing in my kitchen. I have thoroughly enjoyed cooking my way through her book and have yet to find a dud. I was very interested in these pancakes after seeing the inclusion of buckwheat flour. I have never experimented with different types of flour. We really enjoy Japanese, soba noodles, which are also made with buckwheat. So, I figured it would be a safe assumption that we would enjoy these.

After scouring the city of Minot for buckwheat flour, I finally happened upon it at Marketplace Foods. In many ways I am very glad to be back in the states. However, at times, I feel like the midwest is more obscure than Guam ever was. Sometimes I have the most difficult time finding ingredients. For instance, last Christmas, my Mom wanted to make a coconut cake. We went to every store in this city looking for frozen coconut and not one store carried it. What is up with that? Thank goodness for the internet, I have placed more order's from Penzey's and other online stores since we moved here. Anyway, rant over - back to the pancakes.

We thoroughly enjoyed the flavor mixture of buckwheat and whole wheat flour. They made for a heavier, somewhat denser texture, but still remained somewhat fluffy. I had to use frozen blueberries unable to find fresh, which was not my first choice, but they did in a pinch. They filled us up for the morning and I did not find myself scouring for a snack before lunch time, which makes them a good choice when you need something more sustainable. While these do not have the certain special touch that the Pancakes with Strawberry sauce seemed to have; these were really great for when we want to change things up a bit on the weekend.

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes
from foodnetwork.com

Recipe By: Ellie Krieger
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup nonfat milk
1 tablespoon honey
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups blueberries, divided
1/2 cup real maple syrup

Directions:

In a large bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat together the buttermilk, non-fat milk, honey, eggs, and oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing only enough to combine them. Stir in 1 cup of berries.
Preheat a large nonstick griddle or skillet over a medium flame. Ladle the batter onto the skillet with a 1/4-cup measure. Flip the pancake when it is golden brown on the bottom and bubbles are forming on top, about 1 1/2 minutes. Cook the other side until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Serve topped with more blueberries and the maple syrup.

Changes

2008-03-03T07:33:00.003-06:00

I apologize for my extended absence. We had a rather crazy, yet relaxing week. The Hub was on leave, so we impulsively went out of town and have been living pretty leisurely. We also recently made the jump from PC to Mac; and let me tell you, I could not be happier. In addition, the Hub bought me a new camera, so I spent the week getting accustomed to my new toys. I still have a few pictures queued up from my older camera; and thankfully so, because the new one is really complicated. If anyone could offer any tips, I would be forever indebted.

Overall, this has been a really great week. We took things slow and easy, ate on our own clock, played with the kids, and slept in. These things do not typically happen in a family of four. But, like all good things - they must come to an end. Today, the Hub has returned to work and I sit alone sipping coffee, waiting for the kids to wake up.

Our time was nice while it lasted. However, we will have to be going back to our hurried lives - eating meals like above. This was a quick standby meal made before the Hub went on leave. Farfalle with crimini mushrooms, asparagus, and alfredo sauce. Nothing complicated, it speaks for itself and it tastes good.

Kitchen Sink Cookies

2008-02-25T11:54:00.004-06:00

Some days, you can just see it in your kids' eyes. They are inattentive and getting into all sorts of mischief. The other day was one of those particular days. I could see Camden was in need of some quality time; in addition, she was hungry for a snack. Hunger does not combine well with emotional neediness. Having a sick baby does not mesh well at times with older children, more than one child, or really, other individuals with needs. I am sure many of you Mom's can relate. So, after lunch I told her we would find something fun to do together while Roman napped.

When I see this look in her eyes I typically choose to color, paint, or bake with her. These are all idle activites we can do while chatting together and she can share whatever is on her heart. Lately, it has been the start of school. Camden will turn five this summer and is very excited to start school; she asks everyday if she can go.

When Everyday Food came in the mail last month, I saw this recipe on the next to last page. They had caught my eye for some particular reason. I was intrigued and decided I'd give them a try next time I wanted an easy baking project with Camden.

This recipe was just perfect with lots of ingredients for Camden to measure and throw in. It is very forgiving, allowing you to use whatever is in your pantry. I was afraid we'd be overwhelmed by all the ingredients since they had "everything but the kitchen sink", but they were just perfect together. They were not too sweet, or chocolatey, had a very clean flavor, you could actually taste the dough(and it was very good) and they remained chewy. I will keep these in mind for occasions when I need to throw something together quickly.

Kitchen Sink Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
1/2 cup raisins[I used raisins and craisins]
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat together butter, sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture just until combined.
With a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate chunks, raisins, pecans, and oats.
Drop 2-inch balls of dough, spaced 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Flatten dough balls slightly. Bake 12 to 16 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned, rotating sheets halfway through.
Cool 5 minutes on sheets; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

Southern Tiramisu

2008-02-20T11:27:00.005-06:00

It seems that between the bout of sickness in my house and all this snow, I am in need of comfort food. Banana pudding is one of those things my Dad always made us for dessert. In my home growing up; Mom was the cook and Dad was the baker. You would often find him whipping this up at seven in the evening and us awaiting impatiently for it to be finished. Seldomly, would we wait until it was properly cool and set. Most times, we would dig right in to the warm, gloppy mess, with the Cool Whip melting into a bubbly, watery, messy slime.

These days, I force myself to wait. I am an adult after all, or at least that is what I tell myself. I know most people frown upon Cool Whip; however, it just isn't the same with fresh whipped cream. Childhood memories seem to cast a spell over forever imprinting your tastebuds, no matter your age or dietary concerns.

I remember once hearing this referred to as Southern Tiramisu, which I believe, is properly fitting. I made this for a baby shower a few weeks ago in which someone told me it reminded her of her Mama's. It seems every southern home as some sort of variation on banana pudding. This is mine.

Banana Pudding

1 1/2 cans evaporated milk
1 large sized box Cook and Serve vanilla pudding
1 box Nilla wafers
4 bananas
Cool Whip

Cook pudding according to directions on package, using evaporated milk instead of regular milk.

In 2 qt. oval dish, cover bottom with a layer of Nilla wafers. Slice two bananas over wafers into another layer, covering. Pour half of the pudding over top. Repeat layers. Place in refrigerator to cool and set. Once cool, spread a layer of Cool Whip over top. Take a few extra cookies and crumble over top.

Comfort Food

2008-02-18T08:54:00.006-06:00

After the week we had, we were in definete need of something comforting. Well, at least I was and I plan the means. Not having failed me yet, I decided to try out Ellie's Oven Fried Chicken. Serve this along with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes and Butter lettuce wedges topped with ranch dressing and you've got yourself a very light comforting meal.

The chicken was really fantastic; it remained crisp and I did not miss the frying at all. Although next time I think I may bake it on a rack so the bottom crisps as well. The mashed potatoes were creamy and tasty, probably partly because I busted out my $10 wedge of parmigiano reggiano. And as always, the dressing was great. I really don't know why I ever bought dressing out of a bottle? It is so easy to whip up a dressing with whatever you have in the pantry. Each recipe really delivered and I will keep these in mind for when I am wanting something familiar.

This meal very much reminded me of my Mom. She grew up in a small town in North Carolina and always served us down home good cookin'. When she married my father, she did not know how to cook spaghetti and considered it exotic. It is funny how that was the mindset, considering the access we have to food and recipes now. She has strayed a bit and makes spaghetti and stir-fry, but still remains true to her roots since that is what they are accustomed to. So, this meal is for you Mom, thanks for eating my Minestrone when you came to visit!

Weekend Breakfast Blogging

2008-02-14T08:49:00.009-06:00

Once again, another recipe from my new favorite cookbook. I am posting these pancakes at a perfect time with Valentine's Day being today. This would be a perfect breakfast in bed for your significant other.

On Saturday's, I tend to slow things down and enjoy making a larger breakfast while we're all home. Camden likes to help sometimes, but most of the time opts for Saturday morning cartoons. This particular day she chose the cartoons.

These are very quick to mix together, but a little more special than everyday pancakes, making them perfect for the weekend. I felt good feeding these to my kids with ingredients such as whole wheat flour, honey, and lightly sweetened syrup. Camden really loved them and ate four, drawn in by the bright red strawberry sauce.

I made these last weekend while Roman still had no appetite. I am not normally the type of Mom to add junk to pry food in to her children. However, I felt pity on him and was hoping to cheer him up by making him a happy face pancake. He still would not eat.

The poor little guy just waved pitifully at his pancake saying "Hiii..." over and over until we took it away. I really bothers me to see him with a loss of an appetite, since he is my best eater. Thank goodness he is feeling much better now, with a full appetite.

These pancakes were very light and fluffy and healthy tasting - without sacrificing flavor. I am making this my entry for the Weekend Breakfast Blogging event.

Slowing Down

2008-02-13T09:04:00.005-06:00

If you remember, I had mentioned this Tomato Shrimp and Risotto I made the second night Roman was not feeling well. I honestly do not know WHAT I was thinking when I decided to make risotto, the slowest food on earth, when I had a sick baby. Call it insanity, or whatever you choose, but it was worth it. It was definetely well worth the work. It took about 1 1/2 hours when all was said and done, and why? I still can't recall. I used Cook's Illustrated version of risotto, which I will post when I get a chance. This was less stirring, which I thought would make it easier. It didn't. Shrimp was simply sauteed in olive oil; tomatoes and onions going in first to cook down, burst the tomatoes, throw in the shrimp, sprinkled with Tuscan Sunset from Penzey's and done. Well, sounds simple.

As of right now, we have found in addition to the stomach flu on Friday, ear infection, the cough Roman has was a result of RSV. How fun. The doctor seems to think Camden may have caught it as well. So, I am thinking for a while, posting(which ironically, just sped up) may slow down for a bit. I am going to try to keep it up, but no promises. I am going to be doing lots of non-fun, non-food related things. Albuterol, anyone? Yeah, makes me lose my appetite too. Not to mention; I'm so tired, when it comes to writing, my mind feels blank.

Last night's meal was really great, and normally, I would have loved blogging it. Roasted salmon, steamed veggies, and sweet potatoes. After a day at the doctors, a million phone calls, a trip downtown, we didn't eat until 8 PM. We were starving, so, the idea of a picture was quickly dismissed. I assure you, it was very good. I am afraid the next few days may be this way, but who knows? I could be surprised.

Camden's Cookies

2008-02-12T08:07:00.000-06:00

With a very Roman centered weekend, I felt rather badly for Camden. Always the little trooper understanding her brother is needier than her at times. She waits patiently for the storm to be over; watching movies, playing with her pet shop, while wanting to help her brother feel better. She loves to fetch him his juice, hug him and hold him - as long as he doesn't cough on her. The ever doting big sister.

She is my M&M lover. Ever since she was old enough to pick out a treat at the grocery store, it was always M&M's. Sometimes, she'll stray away to peanut M&M's or mini's, but most of the time it's just plain old M&M's.

When I saw these cookies on Kitchen Parade a while back, I knew they would be perfect for her and filed them away for such a weekend as this. Camden was delighted when she saw them and could not wait to finish dinner, despite it being Beef and Barley Soup. They were perfectly chewy cookies and weren't too sweet despite being topped with candy. However, to a four year old this is not important. She knows they are her cookies and that is all that matters.

The "First Meal"

2008-02-11T08:37:00.000-06:00

With Roman sick all weekend, I had been unable to do little more than wiping noses, administering medicine and cook for the rest of us. The beginning of my very long weekend started Friday with a sick baby, a blizzard warning and a frozen pizza. Saturday was shrimp with risotto, which I will blog later. Roman did little more than drink water all weekend, which concerned me because he never loses his appetite.

Yesterday afternoon, the Hub came home with Slow Melt Popsicles, these are great if you have toddlers by the way. Roman decided that these were okay to eat and slowly finished one off. Immediately, I saw a glimmer in his eye and what began the return of his appetite. He slept off and on all day, finally waking up for dinner.

I was actually able to cook with him napping so much, thankfully. I had planned to make Ellie Krieger's Beef and Barley soup, which was just perfect for the occasion. So, maybe this weekend wouldn't be such a bust after all.

(This was taken earlier[mid-cough] when I tried to get him to eat some yogurt. Pitiful, isn't he?)

This made for a very hearty meal needing nothing else to accompany it. The Hub raved, Camden gave it an "okay", and Roman? My previously, lifeless boy, ravished it picking out all the mushrooms and eating them first. Go figure, he is probably the only kid I know that loves mushrooms. I was glad to see his appetite back.

Carrot Cupcakes

2008-02-08T20:51:00.000-06:00

Ellie is back in my kitchen today and still has not let me down. This cookbook is definetely a keeper and I don't plan to let my copy go anytime soon.

I promised Camden we would make a snack together today not sure what I would make. I quickly looked through my pantry contents hoping to find some inspiration. I knew I wanted something baked, sweet and relatively easy for a four year old. I quickly thought of the two brown bananas sitting on the counter, but, we were not in the mood for anything banana, having had smoothies last night for snack. I figured I'd pop open Ellie's cookbook knowing she'd deliver something perfect for the occasion.

And there they were. I had carrots and half a package of cream cheese I needed to use up. The only thing I did not have was applesauce. Hmm...what to do? I had a can of pumpkin puree in the pantry, so I figured that would work.

I was honestly not sure about this recipe. The cookbook stated that you could use plain whole wheat flour instead of the pastry whole wheat, which I decided to do since that's what I had. I was almost sure that these would be very healthy, heavy, dense tasting cupcakes. They. weren't.

They were sweet, moist, light, and warm tasting from the spices with just the right balance of sweetness from the frosting. I was impressed. Still am. The pumpkin added a warmer, richer flavor. However, I have not tried these as originally intended with applesauce. I am anxious to see the difference. But, I really liked the pumpkin, so maybe I won't. I would imagine this probably altered the nutrition a little, but as I've mentioned before, I am not a calorie counter.

I made curry, now what do I do with my rice!?

2008-02-07T20:48:00.000-06:00

So, you just had Indian food and if you're like me you tend to make enough rice to feed an army. Leftover rice is great, but there is only so much you can do with it. I suppose it is a good thing rice is cheap.

On this particular night I had nothing sweet in the house and as usual, my sweet tooth kicked in. Not to mention is was a blustery North Dakota evening and I wanted something warm and comforting. This winter weather is not good for my hips!

However, not being one to waste, I decided to use my rice before it was past it's prime. And, it hit the spot. It is also very budget friendly using staples and the recipe is very forgiving.

Rice Pudding

2 cups leftover cooked white rice
3 cups milk (any kind, this time I used 1 cup vanilla soy and 2 cups regular)
1/2 cup sugar
small pinch salt
1/2 cup raisins(I used golden, because, that's what I had)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. orange zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine cooked rice, milk, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and stir in the vanilla, zest, and raisins. Cook until just about all of the milk is absorbed (about 30-45 minutes). Stir in cinnamon.
Divide rice pudding into individual serving dishes serve warm or chilled.
Makes 4-6 servings.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge

2008-02-06T09:11:00.000-06:00

I am not one to make resolutions each year, thinking it silly and knowing I will never follow through. However, one of my "resolutions" for the new year is to participate in more blogging events. I see various blog participating and it seems I never find out about them until after the deadline. Is there a secret club? Or am I just slow? Well, I am on top of the game this time I suppose. The theme for this month's Weekend Cookbook Challenge is Nigella Lawson.

Just like my slow discovery of The Pioneer Woman, I suppose I was slow to catch on to the gloriousness that is Nigella Lawson. I purchased Nigella Express last December and quickly fell in love with her writing. Shortly thereafter I purchased Feast read it through and put on the shelf forgetting about it until recently.

We are big lover's of Indian food which is unfortunate because there are no Indian restaurants in North Dakota. There really isn't much of anything, actually; but, that's another story.

We were quite spoiled in Guam with two Indian restaurants, our friends that turned us on to Indian and made it often, as well as a lovely couple from India that we got together with from time to time.

This particular curry was quite a bit of work for a weeknight, which is not something I typically say usually willing to undertake any recipe despite the day of the week. However, I chose to serve it with her Aloo Gobi as well. Between the two curries and making them simultaneously I set myself up.

Looking at the recipes, it looked like it'd be a breeze. Not so much. I also did not factor in cranky kids. In the end, I did get on the table, it took about 1 1/2 hours. I was proud to say I did not burn anything and it was well worth the work. However, next time I will save it for a Saturday when the Hub is home to help.

With a deadline of February 21, I knew I could make it well in time for the Cookbook Challenge. I can not wait to see what other bloggers have prepared.

The Food You Crave

2008-02-04T19:07:00.000-06:00

I suppose this is a cookbook review of sorts. I preordered The Food You Crave back in January after hearing about it's upcoming release. I was pretty excited to see a cookbook from Ellie Krieger since I enjoyed her show quite a bit back when we had Food Network still. She has a very pleasant demeanor and features a lot of really great healthy sounding recipes. I had tried a few, which I can't recall off the top of my head right now, and really enjoyed them.

Upon opening this book I was very excited by everything I saw and wanted to make at least 80% of the recipes. This book is jammed pack with tons of great recipes and beautiful pictures. It is hardback and seems very sturdy with nice thick semi-glossy pages. She includes tips throughout the book, but not so many that you are overwhelmed by the information.

Nutritional information is included for all recipes. Also included is what each recipe is an "Excellent source of"(i.e. calcium, fiber, vitamins, etc) as well as "Good source of". While I am not a calorie counter and probably never will be, this is great information to have since I have two young children and try provide a balanced diet.

Tonight, I prepared the Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce. I was not entirely sure how we would like it, even though we like most of the ingredients separately. Sometimes when you puree things together it tends to ruin it for me; I guess it's a texure thing. Well, I was very pleasantly surprised. It was the perfect balance of roasted red peppers and feta cheese. All the flavors blended together really nicely and nothing was too strong or off balance.

All the ingredients are pantry staples for me, making it easy to throw together when I am scrounging for something other than sandwiches. It took about 15 minutes to put together, making it perfect for weeknights.

Both of my kids gobbled it up, unaware they were eating red peppers. So, I would say this is winner. [The only change I made was to use plain pasta since that is what I had in the pantry.]

I also made the Aromatic Noodles with Lime Peanut Sauceand the Carrot, Green Apple, and Mint Salad on the side. This was also very easy and quick to put together. The noodles are really tasty, with the right balance of flavors once again. We are all big fans of peanut butter, so I knew we would like this. The kids gobbled this up with Miss "What's that green stuff?" not even questioning the veggies. [I could not find sugar snap peas so I left them out.]

The salad was nice as a side, but the Hub was not crazy about it and said he wouldn't want to eat it just alone. [I could not find mint at the store, so I omitted that and added a handful of raisins instead.]

I am really happy to have added this cookbook to my collection. I have many others planned for this week including: Whole-Wheat Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce, Over Fried Chicken, Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, Salmon Cakes with Ginger Sesame Sauce, and Beef and Barley Mushroom Soup.

Lazy Sunday afternoons

2008-02-03T19:17:00.000-06:00

I feel as though I am the last person to hear about this site. However, I suppose better late than never, right? Like most, I have quickly fallen in love with her writing. Oh, how I wish I were that creative. Maybe in another life.

Now cooking...I can do. So, I figure I can at least use her recipes and pretend I am as creative.

This one was so simple, even a four year old could make them. So, I enlisted the help of my daughter to assist. Really, partly because I didn't care to unwrap the candy. But also, the quality time is good for both of us and she's really interested in food already.

I tend to turn into a lazy blob on Sunday afternoons after church. So, I take the Sabbath very seriously, as you can see. However, my sweet tooth never rests. And neither do the kids...*sigh*

All in all, this was really great to make. I plan to keep the ingredients on hand for when a sugar cravin' strikes. Camden was very proud of her accomplishment as well. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: "I'm going to put this on my website so everyone can see how great of a cook you are."
Camden: "No, how can everyone see? Only some can see, right?"
Me: "No, it will be up there and anyone that finds it on my blog will be able to see you helping me."
Camden: "Oh, okay. Well make sure you do that...so that not only one person can know, but everyone can know how great of a cook I am. Okay, Mom, okay?"

"Roll" out of bed and eat these...

2008-02-02T19:57:00.000-06:00

I apologize for the length of time between posts. I would offer up excuses; but really it's very lame[read:my camera battery died and I never got around to recharging it] and I wouldn't want to tar my reputation(Yeah, right). However, hopefully this post will redeem me.

For whatever reason at seven o'clock last night I got a hankerin' for something hot and baked. I don't know why I do these things to myself? My kitchen was spotless thanks to my wonderful Hub, kids were ready to get in bed. So, I suppose it was screamin' to me.

What else? Cinnamon rolls! I have wanted these for the past, well month really, but my laziness, guilt, and common sense got the better of me.

It was worth all the work. I'll clue in all(three) of you readers, the easiest way to slice them is with dental floss. I can't remember where I picked up this handy tip, but it makes me oh so happy. One less knife I have to wash. You know, because that's how I roll.

I just realized how corny that unintentional pun was.

Three hours later, they emerged from the oven. I apologize for the bad picture, but after that long, they weren't gonna sit too long for a photo shoot.

The best thing about this recipe is that it yields 24 rolls, on your hips as well. I was able to bake six for a snack, stick six in the fridge to rise overnight for breakfast this morning, then the last twelve? Well, into the freezer to freeze for the next time I get a cravin'. And that time, I won't have to do any work. Oh yeah...!

Basic Sweet Dough:
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/4 salt
1/2 c. butter
2 packages yeast
1/3 c. warm water
3 eggs, room temp
5 1/2 to 6 1/2 c. AP flour

Place milk, sugar, salt, and butter, in small saucepan. Heat over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to room temp.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in warm bowl. Add milk mixture, eggs, and 5 cups flour. Mix about 2 mins. with dough hook. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time and mix until dough clings to hook. At this point, I usually pull it out of the mixer and knead by hand.

Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover. Let rise about 1 hour or until doubled.

Turn dough onto floured surface and roll into 10x24 in. rectangle.

Now for the...

Filling:
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 butter, softened
1/4 c. AP flour
1 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. walnuts

Mix together until well blended. Spread mixture over dough. Roll dough tightly to form 24 inch roll and pinch seam to seal. Cut into 25 slices(about 1 inch).

Place in two greased 13x9 in. baking pans and let rise 45 to 60 minutes, or until doubled.

Bake at 350º for 20 to 25 mins.

Glaze:

1/3 c. evaporated milk
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Place milk and brown sugar in small saucepan. Cook over medium until it begins to boil, stirring constantly. Place milk mixture, powdered sugar, and vanilla in bowl and beat until cream.

Yields: 24

Chicken Fajita Tortilla Soup

2008-01-08T16:59:00.000-06:00

With all the excitement of Christmas and family visiting I have neglected this part of my life once again. After holiday burnout I have not been too motivated to cook. Does anyone else get like that after all the big holiday meals? I planned for fairly simple and familiar meals. After all, a family's still gotta eat.

This recipe is from Rachael Ray's newest cookbook Just in Time. I have to say, this is not my most favorite of hers. Many of the recipes are the same from previous with either a few extra ingredients or replaced with something like fire roasted tomatoes. I was not expecting much out of this recipe for some reason. But actually ended up really enjoying it.

This is supposed to be a 15 minute meal and it took about that minus kid distractions. You start by cooking chicken tenders in EVOO with coriander, thyme, salt and pepper. You can also substitute shrimp; if desired. However, that did not appeal to me. Add onion, bell peppers, and jalapeno, and cook until charred and still crisp. Add your usual stock and tomatoes and heat through. I opted to let it simmer a bit longer[which took it over 15 minutes, however, with kids, simmering soup is a relief in the kitchen]. Serve over tortillas with Pepper Jack cheese and top with avocado[in lime], scallions, and cilantro. Easy peasy and light tasting. This is something I will keep in mind for the future.

For dessert, I made Nigella's Sticky Toffee Sauce, which was fantastic. However, sadly, I do not have a picture. First dumb kitchen disaster of the year: I had it sealed up and ready to go into the refrigerator, the heat somehow built up[I think] and the tupperware popped open. Sticky Toffee Sauce....all...over...the kitchen. I was ready to kick myself. Think heavy cream, butter, corn syrup, brown sugar...all...over. Yes. However, it was worth it.

Apples

2007-12-19T10:41:00.001-06:00

I have mentioned before how nice it is to be back in the states for various reasons. Another being, apples. Apples in Guam were interesting....to say the least.

We have been enjoying apples these days as snacks, desserts, breakfast, in most any form.

This was an Apple Upside Down Cake from the September 2007 issue of Everyday Food. I am playing catch up since my magazines were backed up during the move. Some confusion with forwarding and the USPS, blah blah....not fun.

Either way, it was very good, a nice crumb, moist, maybe a little too sweet. I may reduce the amount of brown sugar next time.

You can find the recipe here on the Everyday Food site.

On Wednesdays and Fridays The Hub doesn't have to be into work until 9 AM giving us time for a little more than bagels or cereal for breakfast. This is a recipe I found while browsing the Cooking Light BB. I found it on Penzey's site as well, they altered the recipe to include nuts, so they could claim it as their own I guess. The recipe orginiates from the Quaker site I believe.

This is great when you want something that will sustain you a little longer as well as comforting, especially with the weather change. I think this would be easy to assemble the night before and bake the next morning.

Here is the recipe with my tweaks.

Baked Oatmeal

2 1/4 cups Quick cooking oats, uncooked
or 2 3/4 cups Old Fashioned oats, uncooked[I used Old Fashioned]
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup raisins or Craisins[I substitued a Gala apple]
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt -- optional
3 1/3 cups skim milk
4 egg whites -- lightly beaten
(or 1/2 cup egg substitute)[I just used 2 eggs, beaten]
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
fat free milk or nonfat yogurt and fruit -- optional

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In large bowl, combine oats, sugar, raisins, cinnamon and salt; mix well. In medium bowl, combine milk, egg whites, oil and vanilla; mix well. Add to dry ingredients; ix until well blended. Pour into baking dish.

Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until center is set and firm to the touch. Cool slightly.

Serve topped with milk or yogurt and fruit, if desired. Store leftover oatmeal tightly covered in refrigerator.

Our House

2007-12-11T21:12:00.000-06:00

With each move comes pros and cons, so you learn to count the pros and ignore the cons as best as you can. Despite the cold and snow, the base housing is a lot larger in North Dakota. Therefore, we have acquired a few new "family members" along the way.

My kitchen is much larger. However, I have linoleum...BUT my kitchen is larger. I now have a gas stove as well, so linoleum is a small sacrafice to pay. The Hub has finally put up my pot rack as well and I must say he did an exquisite job.

There was a random room next to my kitchen that was too big to be a closet, not big enough to be a room, so what was the natural choice? The Hub bought me some nice shelving and made a walk in pantry, OF COURSE! I am very thrilled with this and I think my food is happier as well.

In that room is also enough space for my cookbooks. So, they are shelved nicely and happily with my food. I actually have slowed down on my buying...which is good because I don't know if we would have space for another shelf. However, I do have a birthday and have already my eye on a few.

And lastly, this little guy followed us from California. How could I say no? There he was looking at me so I had no choice but to adopt him! I am very happy with him too. He has been a great addition to this family already contributing so much to our family in this negative 15º weather.

I'm back...

2007-12-11T20:57:00.000-06:00

I don't know if anyone actually checks my blog anymore, I apologize for my extended absence. A 20 hour plane ride, week long vacation in LA, CA, few weeks in temporary military housing, a bout of strep for Cammy, the flu for both my boys and I'm finally back! We have settled into our house and now I'm(almost) in the full swing of things. The Hub's schedule is a little more predictable now which has lead to large breakfasts every Saturday and dinner at a reasonable hour.

However, the cold is doing us in. Between sickness and general apathy from constant snow I am slowly adjusting. I have had natural cravings for comfort food and have rediscovered my love for the slow cooker. Gracing our table lately have been things like Beef Burgundy, Pot Roast, and of course soups.

I have taken a fondness to Mark Bittman's recipe for Minestrone topping with Parmigiano Reggiano and served with biscuits. Veggie soups are perfect since they warm you up, however, you don't have that heavy guilt you get when you eat something meaty.

It is nice to be back in the US and not have vegetables that have been shipped to a remote island and are on the verge of a moldy death by the time they reach the market. Little things like that...so I'm glad to be back.

Banana Fritters

2007-08-01T17:48:00.001-05:00

I have been a horrible blog owner lately, I know. Life has seemed to fly by, we are arranging to move, travel, etc. I can not believe we only have a few months left on our lovely island. I still am in a bit of denial. In a few months we'll be thrown into the snow and these fritters will be a cruel reminder of my time in paradise.

My friend ended up buying 8 lbs. of bananas and sharing them with me. After freezing half, I frantically began using the other half so they would not spoil. Simple, yet delicious, these satisified us for about a week. Midnight, breakfast, really good anytime of the day. But what deep fried item isn't?

I just cut the bananas and dipped them in egg; coated with a mixture of panko, cinnamon, and coconut. Fried in oil. Topped with coconut pineapple ice cream and a sprig of mint. complete perfection.

Black and White Angel Food Cake

2007-05-17T18:14:00.001-05:00

When I saw this on the cover on the April issue of Cooking Light it caught my eye immediately. For fairly obvious reasons I had to make it. I had Hershey's dark cocoa in my pantry waiting to be used, so this seemed perfect.

Now for the occasion? My friend Heather is leaving island in a month, this last Thursday was her last practice at church. Naturally, I wanted to send her off well. This was a perfect cake to make. Fairly easy, yet impressive(at least I thought so). However, next time if travelling I would probably put on the strawberries upon arrival. Naturally, they shifted and some fell inside the middle of the cake. Apparently carrying level means sideways to the Hub, haha.

Either way this still tasted great, the chocolate was a nice contrast to plain angel food and it went great with strawberries. I added about an extra tablespoon of cococa because the batter didn't look quite dark enough. The cream cheese glaze was perfect, but you can't go wrong with cream cheese. You can find the recipe here or in the April 2007 issue of Cooking Light.

Happy National Chocolate Chip Day

2007-05-15T17:45:00.001-05:00

This recipe actually seems befitting since I found out May 15th is National Chocolate Chip Day. I made these yeterday(which was the 15th here) because I was craving chocolate chip cookies. Who even created this holiday? Along with this holiday are many others I should probably keep in mind.

I had found semi-sweet baking chunks while grocery shopping and bought them with this in mind. These were made by Baker's and are so much better than chocolate chips.

I used Giada's recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies with Hazlenuts and didn't change a thing other than subbing the chunks for chips. These are perfect. Loaded with chocolate, toffee pieces, oatmeal, and hazlenuts they satisfy your sweet tooth and then some. You can find the recipe in her cookbook, Giada's Family Dinners[which I recommend!] or here.

Challah

2007-05-15T17:32:00.001-05:00

Lately I have been on a bread kick. These seem to come and go in spurts throughout my life. I haven't been so great at photographing lately, but, I've made Honey Oat bread from Bon Appetit, Cinnamon Swirl(a combination of recipes) and many others. I've also taken to Quick breads for breakfast time. Carbs are dangerous.

This was my first attempt at making Challan. Very good, a very rich bread, is the only way I can describe it. I had never had it before, but enjoyed it very much. The Hub finished it off in a day. Hopefully it'll last a little longer next time so I can make french toast or bread pudding with the leftovers. Although, I highly doubt it will happen.

Flank Steak

2007-05-15T17:26:00.001-05:00

I suppose my go to cookbook lately has been Great Food Fast. When making my meal plans for this past week, I seem to have moved on though. This was made a few nights a go and sadly I am just now getting to posting it.

It was a flank steak, which is a really great cut of meat if you know how to cook and slice it properly. My first few tries with it were less than sucessful, however I have gotten the hang of it. It is very affordable, which is perfect for a family.

My only gripe, if I were to have one is since the slices are so thin, it tends to go cold quickly. The night I made this, the Hub was home a bit later than expected and if he were to nuke it, it would've been cooked to much and unedible probably. It doesn't taste bad at room temperature, so he opted to do it that way. I think it's more of a mental hang up.

Overall, this was perfect for a weeknight fix; the marinade was a cinch to put together, throw it all in a ziploc bag, let sit for 30 minutes, throw it on the grill and in no time you have dinner.

On a side note, we finally found out or next assignment: North Dakota. Argh, who goes there? I am remaining positive despite all the negativity we have heard so far and am determined to make this just as great as anywhere. It's all in your attitude really. However, I must say, I'll miss my grill!!

Flanks Steak with Lime Marinade
1/3 c. fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 1/2 lbs. flank steak
vegetable oil, for grates
salt and pepper

In a resealable plastic bag, combine the lime juice, soy sauce, scallions, ginger, and red pepper. Add steak and seal bag(place in a dish to catch leaks); marinate the steak in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Heat grill to high; lightly oil the grates. Remove steak from marinade; let excess drip off; season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill; cover. Cook turning once, until meat has reached desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for mediium rare. Let steak rest for 10 minutes before slicing then.

Turkey Burgers

2007-05-01T19:09:00.001-05:00

IMG_5638, originally uploaded by slaggs.

Another recipe from Great Food Fast. These were the Favorite Turkey Burgers. Turned out perfect, they were moist and not too dry like burgers tend to be. The Gruyere lent a lot of flavor to the sometimes bland ground turkey, I will have to remember this in the future. Served on wheat rolls with lettuce and additional gruyere, these were a perfect lunch.

Also served were the Parmesan fries. These were a great baked alternative to fried fries. I was a bit skeptical at first, but they ended up browned and crisp and I really enjoyed the addition of the parmesan.

The Proof Is in the Pudding

2007-04-24T21:37:00.000-05:00

See? We still eat. A friend of mine recommended I buy Everyday Food's cookbook Great Food Fast. This has proven invaluable for the past few weeks with all the errands, sickness, and struggling to survive in general. Apparently, my cold was actually bronchitis and is still lingering, but it should clear up soon. I hope. Most of the recipes in this book can be prepped in under 30 minutes. I typically have the food prepped in under the prep time stated, which makes this book a definete winner to me. The recipes are simple, fast and require few ingredients which are easy to find at any supermarket. For whatever reason, I am not too fond of most Martha Stewart recipes I have seen, but this seems to be a winner.

Above is the Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Sauce. This came together quickly, required little attendance while cooking. This ended up being very moist and full of flavor. I'm typically not a fan of pork, however, I am quite fond of these little tenderloins. The mustard sauce was great as well, however, next time I think I would cut the recipe in half because I had quite a bit leftover.

This was served as suggested with a Mixed Green salad with Citrus Dressing. The dressing was very light tasting and just perfect. Over all a perfect meal when you want something not too heavy.

For dessert, I threw these together. I had bought some little tart shells at the grocery store, not knowing what would happen to them. I guess you could call these Coconut-Ginger Lime Macadamia Tarts. I had some french vanilla pudding, so I just whipped that up simply. If I had more time and milk, I probably would've made a pastry cream, however, this did well in a pinch. Mixed in a bit of toasted coconut and lime zest. Put some chopped candied ginger in the bottom of the tarts. Topped with the pudding mixture then some toasted macadamias, additional zest and a sliver of candied ginger. All together, these flavors worked perfect with little fuss. I should probably keep these tart shells on hand more often.

Do we even eat anymore?

2007-04-19T19:33:00.000-05:00

I apologize for my extended absense. No, I am not starving my family. I have just been preoccupied, see my reason below. I've been up to my ears in insurance papers, talking on the phone, trying to buy a new car, etc. while still battling a cold. I am pleased to say we have found another car and things with the insurance are about to come to a close. This has turned into a blessing in disguise since we really needed a larger car with two children. Thankfully, things are now settling down and I have had time to actually be in the kitchen and cook more than quesadillas and salads. Pictures and recipes to come in time...

Jamaican Banana Bread

2007-03-09T05:11:00.000-06:00

I had a friend to pop by earlier today on her way to work because I live close by. She called me last night to give me a head's up(a true friend!). I was able to have the house clean, kids settled and even was able to make a snack/breakfast. I had my eye on this for a while for whatever reason, in The Best of Cooking Light.

I was glad because I actually had bananas that hadn't been devoured by my nocturnal Hub. This was fantastic. I might up the amount of lime zest next time just because I really enjoyed the bit of tartness it added. That was fairly easily fixed by adding a touch more lime juice to the topping. It was just sweet enough without being overpowering, moist and crumbly. Just what I like in a Banana Bread.

I got the recipe off the archives on cookinglight.com. However, the recipe I had stated butter instead of margarine. I used better, just because of preferance and the recipe actually stated it. I also used regular cream cheese and I don't think the book said light. Odd, how they are different, huh?

Jamaican Banana Bread
From Cooking Light

Cooking spray
2 tablespoons stick margarine, softened
2 tablespoons tub light cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons dark rum or 1/4 teaspoon imitation rum extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons margarine
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons dark rum or 1/8 teaspoon imitation rum extract
2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
2 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 375°. Coat an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside.
Beat 2 tablespoons margarine and cheese at medium speed of a mixer; add 1 cup sugar, beating well. Add egg; beat well.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir well. Combine banana and next 5 ingredients (banana through vanilla); stir well. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition. Stir in 1/4 cup pecans and 1/4 cup coconut.

Pour batter into prepared pan; bake at 375° for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Let cool slightly on a wire rack.

Combine brown sugar and 2 teaspoons each margarine, lime juice, and rum in a saucepan; bring to a simmer. Cook 1 minute; stir constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons each pecans and coconut; spoon over loaf.

Yield: 16 servings

Salmon with Dijon Dill Mayo

2007-03-03T23:00:00.000-06:00

I have been craving fish for whatever reason lately. You'd think living on an island fish would be accesible and cheap. Not really. The other night I happened upon some Ahi tuna at the Commissary and picked it up for dinner. I had a picture, but I don't know what happened to it. Maybe it was so good the computer ate it? It was good, I marinated it in some soy sauce, vegetable oil, lime zest and juice, and ginger; coated it with sesame seeds and seared it. I like my tuna medium, so I left it just like that. Yum! Served with Saffron Rice and Curry Steamed Veggies, it was perfect.

Last night, I went to the store and they had salmon fillets. Picked those up, while not too pricey($9/lb.), still more than I wish to pay, especially since it was just enough for two and a child. Coated with a mixture of mayo, dill, lemon, shallots, and dijon mustard and broiled until cooked, it was perfect. The recipe came from Dave Lieberman's book and was fantastic. This will be repeated. I served it alongside some Pea Rice Pilaf and a simple green salad with balsamic vinagrette. Perfection. Just what I needed.

Salmon Fillets with Dijon Dill Mayo

2 tbsp. mayo
few sprigs fresh dill, leaves picked
1/2 shallot, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 tsp. grainy mustard
salt and pepper
Four 6 to 7 oz. salmon fillets

Set top rack of oven about 5 in. from broiler and preheat for about 15 minutes.

Stir mayo, dill, shallot, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper together in small bowl. Coat meat side of salmon fillets with mixture and place on an aluminum-foil lined baking sheet.

Broil salmon until coating is deep golden brown, even a little black in spots, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off broiler and keep oven door closed until salmon is cooked the way you like it. Serve immediately.

Roasted Veggie Soup

2007-02-27T04:54:00.000-06:00

After having pasta last night, then leftovers for lunch and being out in the hot sun today, I wasn't up to cooking much of anything. I know, soup is a weird thing to want after being in the hot sun. However, salad wasn't an option because I wasn't going to run to the grocery store since I have to go in a couple of days for my big shopping trip. If produce kept longer here, I'd keep lettuce stocked. But it doesn't, so I don't.

I knew I had leftover bits of produce that needed to be used, so I went to work. I just sort of threw this together as I went with not much of a plan, just a general idea. It hit the spot perfectly, the Hub loved it, so did the kiddos so I'd say a job well done. I will keep this in the back of my mind in the future as it's a perfect way to use random veggies up.

I know this is pushing it a bit, however, I will submit this to Soup's On as well. Thanks to Alanna for hosting this event. Soup is one of my favorite foods so I am anxious to try out other blogger's recipes.

Roasted Veggie Soup

1 lb. carrots, sliced
1 bulb fennel, sliced
1/2 white onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves
1/2 red onion, sliced
7 c. water
5 tsp. Better than Bouillon
salt and pepper
half and half, if desired

Place vegetables on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast at 450º for 20 to 30 minutes. Heat water and Better than Bouillon in a pan until hot. Add roasted veggies to water mixture and here is where you would get your immersion blender, if you have one, or, if like me, puree in batches in blender until smooth. Season to taste and serve with a half and half if desired.

Thai Barbecue Chicken with Asian Slaw

2007-02-23T16:41:00.000-06:00

This was the chicken that was forgotten. I forgot to marinate it, finally marinated it, and forgot it until two days later. Thanks to Mommy Brain. All the better though, because the flavors had longer to marinate. This was reallly good, but I really like Thai food a lot. My best friend sent me an Allrecipes
cookbook, actually four of them for Christmas. I was really excited since they are packed with recipes.

Obviously, this wasn't authentic Thai, but it was marinated in traditional Thai flavors: curry, turmeric, cilantro roots(or stems), ginger, garlic, and fish sauce. Before grilling(or in my case, broiling) you are supposed to brush with coconut milk, but I forgot. It is also supposed to be basted in remaining marinade, once again, I forgot. The chicken was still really moist and full of flavor. I honestly don't know how much of a difference it would've made. I will give it try again though because we really enjoyed this. This is the recipe if you are interested.

On side, served with was an Asian Slaw which we really enjoyed quite a bit. Instead of a typical dressing, it was dressed with rice vinegar, vegetable oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, ginger and garlic. The Hubs claims he doesn't like slaw, but I don't believe him. This is something I will definetely repeat as well.

Rosemary, Parmigiano, and Pine Nut Breaded Chicken Cutlets with Fennel Slaw

2007-02-23T16:37:00.000-06:00

What do you do when you forgot to marinate your chicken overnight for dinner? My answer was to just delay the meal until later and swap it out. I had originally planned to make this for lunch when my friend came over. This was much better suited anyway because it doesn't take a lot to bread chicken, fry it and chop some veggies and dress them.

These were good, tasted like your typical breaded chicken, this time in breadcrumbs(I used panko), parmigiano-reggiano, crushed red pepper, garlic, pine nuts, and lemon zest. I couldn't really taste to pine nuts and they are a bit pricey so that was a let down. The slaw was pretty good for a change with fennel, red bell pepper, carrots, red onion, and parsley. Overall, a perfect go to meal, and once again, just a method more than actual recipe.

Pear Upside-Down Spice Cake

2007-02-19T19:58:00.000-06:00

I recently subscribed to Cooking Light after picking up a copy at the store and really enjoying it. I had a few of their cookbooks, but never really read the magazine before. Odd, I guess. After seeing this picture in the magazine I knew at least, I would enjoy it. The Hubs would still be questionable.

I really like the idea of upside down cakes and variations for some reason. I don't think I've ever done anything with pears other than peeling, slicing and eating them. So, this was rather exciting for me.

This was perfect since my pears weren't very ripe and needed to be cooked or baked in order to acquire some taste. The only tweak I did was use the old sour milk substitution for the buttermilk. Why? Because buttermilk is sold frozen here and many times is very past the expiration date so it's kind of scary. I have the powdered buttermilk but haven't always had success with it for some reason.

The cake was spectacular. Perfect for fall, if we had that season here. This will be repeated. It was dense, moist and had just the right amount of spice to it. The Hub thought it was apple and liked it better once I informed him that it was in fact pear. Even Camden liked it, so I think I'll keep this on file.

Pear Upside-Down Spice Cake
From cookinglight.com

Cake:
3 cups sliced peeled Bosc pears (about 3 pears)
Cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk

Glaze:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare cake, arrange pear slices spokelike in bottom of a 9-inch cake pan coated with cooking spray, working from the center of the pan to the edge.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 7 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a bowl.

Combine granulated sugar and 5 tablespoons butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Add flour mixture and 3/4 cup buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon batter over pears; spread evenly.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula; invert cake onto plate. Let rest 2 minutes; remove pan.

To prepare glaze, combine 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon water, and juice in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until butter melts. Stir in brown sugar; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons buttermilk. Let stand 2 minutes; pour glaze evenly over cake.

Yield: 12 servings

Cream of Asparagus Soup

2007-02-19T19:56:00.000-06:00

One of my gripes about asparagus is the fact that you have to trim it. I look at the pile of what could be consumed and it upsets me. Asparagus happens to be rather pricey overseas, I don't know how much it is in the States, however at $5-$6 a bunch I really hate to throw away those ends. I always have good intentions of saving them too, but forget and throw them down the garbage disposal. Not this time!

I saved the ends and put them in a bag for when I was wanting something other than sandwiches or leftovers for lunch. Today was the perfect day. It's not much to look at, but I assure you, it was packed with flavor.

The other day while browsing the soup aisle in the Commissary. I came across a new jar that was not there at my previous trip. I have heard about this from various blogs and decided to give it a try rather than buying the cans/cartons of chicken stock. At $3, it's a bargain since you only use 1 tsp. to equal 1 can of stock and it goes very far. Not to mention, the flavor is uncomparable.

I haven't ever participated in a blogging event before, but have always been interested. So, this sounds like a perfect way to get my feet wet. I am contributing this to Soup's On! at A Veggie Venture.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Trimmed ends from one bunch of asparagus, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
2 tbsp. butter, halved
salt and pepper
4 c. water
3 tsp. Better than Bouillon
3/4 c. half and half
1 tbsp. flour
nutmeg

Saute onion and asparagus ends in 1 tbsp. butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Once onion is softened, add water and Better than Bouillon, bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes, or until tender. Once asparagus is tender puree in blender until to desired consistency. Strain vegetable mixture in a sieve. In pan, melt 1 tsp. butter, add flour, salt, and pepper, to taste. Cook for a minute or two. Add half and half, heat through, grate in a bit of nutmeg to taste. Add strained vegetable mixture into pan and heat through.

Beef and Broccoli

2007-02-18T21:06:00.000-06:00

I don't know why I ever really enjoyed take out. Many Chinese-American favorites are pretty easy to recreate at home. The added benefit is being able to make it healthier and tweak to desired taste.

This is super quick to throw together and leaves you with only a few dishes. My kind of meal on a weeknight.

Broccoli Beef
1/4 c. flour
1 can beef broth
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 lb. boneless round steak, sliced
1 tsp. chopped ginger root
3 cloves garlic, sliced
4 c. broccoli, chopped

In small bowl, combine flour, broth, sugar and soy sauce. Stir until sugar and flour are dissolved.

In a wok or large skillet over hight heat, cook beef, stirring constantly until browned. Stir in broth mixture, ginger, garlic, and broccoli. Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Simmer 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

Cream Sauced Pasta and Vegetables

2007-02-18T21:04:00.001-06:00

As a newlywed anything that was not thrown into a casserole dish seemed somewhat fancy. Well not anything, but you get the idea. So, you can imagine, when I first made this recipe I thought I had hit the jackpot as did the Hub. Looking at it now, it is so simple. Back then, I used garlic powder in place of garlic cloves because I had this irrational fear of fresh garlic. I honestly thought it would manifest itself and take over the flavor of my food. It is funny to think about that now because we typically add extra garlic to a recipe. I think I also substituted zucchini for the asparagus because the Hub had an aversion to it after being fed canned asparagus his whole life.

This is perfect during the summer; or in our case, all year round, when you are not wanting something lighter and fresh veggies are at their peak.

Cream-Sauced Pasta with Vegetables
1 box penne, or other short pasta
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/4 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed, and cut into 2 in. pieces
1 medium yellow squash, halved lengthwise, then sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. heavy cream
4 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Cook pasta according to directions, drain. Keep pasta warm. While pasta cooks, in large skillet cook onion and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until nearly tender, stirring occasionally. Add asparagus, squash, salt, and pepper to skillet. Cook about 5 minutes more or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Add vegetables to pasta. Add cream to skillet; bring to boiling. Boil gently until reduced to 3/4 cup. To serve, pour cream over pasta and vegetables; toss gently to coat. Stir in tomato.

Pancakes

2007-02-16T18:16:00.000-06:00

Breakfast for dinner, a lifesaver for nights when you don't feel like cooking. I am not a fan of normal pancakes with just white flour. Something about wheat makes it seem a more practical choice for dinner. I adapted this recipe from The Joy of Cooking. Served with butter and whatever you wish to top it with(syrup, jam, peanut butter, etc.) and they are perfect. Only two bowls, a griddle, whisk, spatula and you've got a very quick clean up.

Whole Grain Pancakes
adapted from Joy of Cooking

1 c. sifted all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1. c whole wheat flour
1/4-1/2 c. wheat germ
2 tbsp. honey
1 egg
2 c. buttermilk
2 tbsp. butter

Sift flour with salt, baking powder, and baking soda in bowl. Stir in wheat flour and wheat germ. Combine and beat honey, egg, buttermilk, and butter and whisk into dry ingredients. Cook on hot griddle until bubbles form on top, then flip and cook until done.

Valentine's Day

2007-02-16T17:37:00.000-06:00

We don't really do Valentine's Day. Somewhere in the past two years we decided it kind of ridiculous when nearly everyday is(and should be) Valentine's Day. However, I like to use any excuse to cook something special and out of the ordinary. We're not big red meat eaters, however, every once in a while we'll crave a steak.

This is on such instance. The store had some Black Angus tenderloins on sale and they looked good so I took them home not knowing what I'd do with them. I simply salt and peppered them, seared, then poured in a bit of balsamic vinegar and red cooking wine(which I know discredits me to some cooks, however, we don't drink so...), reduced to a sauce. Very easy and tasty.

I served them with Creamy Orzo which made for a low stress easy meal. I am glad I decided not to overdo it this year especially since the Hub was too groggy from being on night shift to really enjoy it.

Also, our toaster oven had sort of bit the dust, so The Hub triumphantly threw it out a few weeks ago. I say "triumphantly" because he LOVES to throw things away. I think it's an illness. Anyway, so Happy Valentine's Day to me!!! He bought me a Rival countertop Convection oven yesterday. SO fun! I had my eye on the Cuisinart, but when it got down to it, I couldn't see any difference other than the fact the Cuisinart cost a lot more and was digital/electronic. Anyway, I am happy.

Beef Sandwiches with Au Jus

2007-02-16T17:23:00.000-06:00

These are really easy when you don't feel like cooking. Well, they are supposed to be easy if you live somewhere where the power is consistent. You throw a chuck roast in the slow cooker with cider vinegar, ground cloves, onion, garlic, and I believe that's it. Set it to go all day until tender and falling apart. Shred it and serve it on rolls. Sounds easy, right? NO! I had this for a day I didn't particularly feel like cooking and wanted little mess and stress.

Of course it didn't happen this way. The day I decide to use my Crockpot, which isn't often, and it seems everytime I use it I am reminded WHY I don't use it. I plug it in, good to go. I'm happy, ready to fill my house with the aroma of beef and onions all day. Thirty minutes later, my power goes off!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Not wanting to let this go to waste, I called my friend Marie and asked if I could plug it in her house. She said yes, so I had to get in the car, load up the kids, load up the crockpot and take it over there. Tacky, I know, but I was really hungry.

Anyhow, it worked out in the end. Served with fruit salad, and french fries. The fries are super easy and so much better than frozen. Cut potatoes into 1/4 in. strips, toss with vegetable oil, cayenne, sugar, salt and pepper and bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Nice and normally easy.

What a day....

2007-02-09T04:02:00.000-06:00

I didn't go to bed until 1:30 last night but as usual, woke up with the kiddos at 7 AM. Not so much fun. The Hubs arrived home from work shortly after I woke up and got cereal for him and Camden.

I was wanting something a bit more substantial. The other day I had my friend over for brunch and made a veggie fritatta, coffee cake, and chai tea. I also served some fresh fruit. In my haste to run to the store and cook I forgot to take pictures. Oh well.

I had some mushrooms left over from last nights(or tne night before?) dinner. So I decided to make yet another fritatta this morning. This one contained onion, potatoes and mushrooms. Just exactly what I needed and held me off until lunch time. These are super easy to make. Really an open faced omelet. I never mentioned that the Hubs bought me a set of Calphalon One pots and pans[and a rack for them!], the 10 piece set. I am really loving these. They are definetely the best pots I have ever owned and I don't see myself ever buying another set. Anyway, I say all this to say that they a great since you start the fritatta on the stove top and end in the oven. These are oven safe and my previous set was not.

Dinner was quick and easy, thank goodness because I wasn't feeling too much like cooking after lack of sleep and dealing with a rather emotional baby all day. We had Chicken Tenders with honey mustard sauce and a Spicy Chopped Salad. The recipe was in Rachael Ray's 365:No Repeats. It really isn't much of a recipe at all and as usual I didn't really adhere to it. I substituted panko for the plain breadcrumbs because I like their crunch better. This is more of a method of cooking, or whatever, and since I've done this before, didn't bother to read the recipe.

I did make the salad however, which was nice. As I have said before; growing up, salad was always iceberg, carrots, cheddar(cut into chunks), and ranch dressing. This salad had watercress, dill, parsley, cucumber, supposed to have radish, but the store was out so I used red onion. Very good. The suggested dressing was EVOO and balsamic vinegar. However, I used some of the honey mustard(equal parts mayo and mustard with 3 tbsp. honey) and made it into a dressing with a splash of vinegar and EVOO.

The Hub LOVED my Chai that I made for brunch a few days ago. I knew he wanted me to make it again but didn't ask not knowing if it was time consuming or not. I decided to make some after dinner while he and Camden watched a movie. Very easy, in a pot put 2 qts. of water, a 3 in. piece of ginger, sliced, 1 cinnamon stick, star anise, 2 cardamom pods(crushed), 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 cup of honey(sweeten to taste, really). Bring to a boil and let simmer for 20 minutes. After it simmers add 1/3 cup of black tea and let boil for a minute. Stir in 1/2 cup milk(or soy milk, your choice) and strain in a sieve or, I used my super cool Bodum Teapot press from the Hub. He has learned bring me gifts like that daily and he totally will benefit.

Curried Chicken Pot Pie

2007-02-08T04:45:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that I used to not like the taste of curry. Being a newlywed I tried my Aunt's recipe for Chicken Divan which called for a teaspoon(a measly teaspoon) of curry powder and found it weird for whatever reason. These days I can't get enough of it Thai mostly, but also Indian.

That said, Chicken Pot Pie was one of my favorite foods growing up. Mostly raised on frozen Swanson pies with an occasional pie at a friends' house.

When I saw this recipe in The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook, I knew I had to give it a try. I mean, come on, it was combining two of my favorite things. An old comfort food and a new comfort food.

I wasn't crazy about the crust and found the method rather odd. I will probably just use a regular recipe for a pie crust from now on even though it would detract from the lightness of the recipe. I am not one to diet anyway. Instead of rolling it out and placing over, I cut it into hearts with a cookie cutter just to amuse myself.

Yum!!!! This is a meal all in one really but for some reason, I always feel like I have to have some side dish to merit food a meal. So I served a Berry jello salad which was good and gave a refreshing break to the hot pot pie.

Curried-Chicken Potpie

Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons ice water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Filling:
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 cups diced peeled baking potato (about 12 ounces)
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds skinned, boned chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
Cooking spray

To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine 1/4 cup flour, water, and vinegar in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk until well-blended to create a slurry. Set aside. Combine 3/4 cup flour and salt in a large bowl, and cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add slurry to flour mixture, and toss with a fork until moist. Press the mixture gently into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with additional plastic wrap. Chill 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare filling, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add curry; cook 2 minutes. Add potato, onion, bell pepper, garlic, and chicken; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add broth and next 5 ingredients (broth through black pepper); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir in cornstarch mixture and cream cheese; cook 1 minute or until cream cheese is melted.

Spoon the filling into a round 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Roll the crust into an 11-inch circle, and place over mixture. Cut 6 slits in top of the dough to allow steam to escape. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly around the edges. Let stand 10 minutes.

Note: You can also make this in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. When you prepare the crust, press the dough into a 6 x 4-inch rectangle, and chill. Roll dough into an 11 x 7-inch rectangle and place over the filling.

Yield: 6 servings

Trying to catch up....on life

2007-02-04T04:44:00.000-06:00

Here are a few I guess, note worthy meals we have had the past week or so. I have done well just to get these on the table.

Dinner tonight was White Chicken Chili from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. This is probably one of the first(if not the first) cookbook I ever bought. It has always had pretty much fail safe recipes that I know I can count on. The Hub is a big fan of White Chili, so I figured this would be perfect for my much hectic life. You see, a pretty easy throw together meal though, right? Lazy housewife, throws together cans of beans and simmers till done. Thats what I thought.

However, the store no longer carries white beans, so yesterday was spent soaking beans and cooking them and preparing dessert. However, it did allow me to rest today, so I guess I still won? Served with cornbread (I just use the recipe on the container of cornmeal) this makes a very filling meal.

Being a bit of a glutton for punishment, I couldn't just make only chili and cornbread and call it quits. I had to do something else. But what? We often go to a buffet at the Guam Reef Hotel for dinner when we are craving seafood and they always have flan on their dessert bar. The Hub always gets it when he goes there. So, I decided to try my hand at making it.

This came from Cooking Light's Complete Cookbook and was super easy. I had a bit of trouble with the caramel part only because I didn't listen to my gut instinct. My head and experience told me not to add water to the sugar, however, the recipe did, so I listened. WRONG! At least I will know next time. I made it in a pie plate instead of the suggested rammekins and was very pleased with the results. Plus, being low calorie, how was I to complain?

Beef and Chicken Fajitas from Young and Hungryby Dave Lieberman. These were fantastic, quick to throw together, and easy. I plan to pass this recipe on to the Hub as one of "his specialties." We at thesed two days in a row and did not get tired of them. This makes a LOT! So be forewarned, have company of be prepared to eat these for a while.

I believe these were called Herb and Parmesan Chicken Tenders. They were in Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals 2 book and were fantastic. I wasn't crazy about the tomato sauce served over the spaghetti so I think I would either tweak or omit next time. The chicken was excellent though.

The next day I took the chicken from the night before and made subs out of it. Heated over in the oven and put on a whole wheat sub roll with ham, honey mustard, lettuce, and cheese. It was a somewhat knock off of a Chicken Cordon Bleu sub.

And last, Everything Lo Mein from Rachael Ray's Express Lane Meals. This is a standby meal for when I am stumped as what to make. It is so much better than take out and a cinch to throw together. I omit the pork and just use chicken because we are not big pork fans.

And, that's it! Hopefully I can get into a better blogging rhythm soon.

I know there has been a major lack of posting lately. I haven't had a chance to blog, much less breathe.

It started out with an eye infection. I know, infection is probably a word that should not be mentioned on a food blog. Bear with me since I have had to "bear" with it for a week. I thought it was just my contacts, apparently not, seeing as how my poor son started to exhibit symptoms. Trip to the doc, antibiotic cream, okay, good to go. But no, two days later, after it clears up, the fevers start in. We treat the fever, after 4 days, it doesn't go away, so I schedule appointment. Now what? He's got an ear infection. Not to mention he also had to get his shots as well. So this has been three trips to the doctor and one dentist trip for me. Does it ever end?

I am glad to say Roman is feelin better and is finally letting Mommy breathe! He's very snuggly when sick, which is fun, just not when there are things to be done.

But I digress. Here is the menu for the next couple of weeks. I honestly can't remember when it was planned?

Thursday: Honey Chicken over Snow Pea Rice
Friday: Everything Lo Mein
Saturday: White Chili with Cornbread and Flan
Sunday: Veggie Thai Curry with Jasmine Rice
Monday: Jerk Chicken with Banana Fried Rice
Tuesday: Pizza, yay!
Wednesday: Curried Chicken Pot Pie with Berry Salad

Thursday: Baked Flounder with Couscous and Steamed Broccoli
Friday: Chicken Fingers with Spicy Chopped Salad
Saturday: Enchiladas with Mexican Rice, Lime Chili Buttered Corn and Tres Leches Cake
Sunday: Pizza
Monday: Shredded Beef Sandwiches with Sage Oven Fries and Fruit Salad
Tuesday: Pepper Liime Chicken with Steamed Rice and Fruit Salad
Wednesday: Steak(preparation undecided) with Creamy Orzo, Carrots, and Chocolate Souffle

Family Food

2007-01-23T19:17:00.000-06:00

The following are family friendly menus, not only for Mom, but also for kids. Well, at least mine. Meals I can throw together fast when I don't feel like cooking and Camden actually likes. They aren't pretty, but they're good!

This is a Pampered Chef recipe. A family sized burrito, sounds gross right? That's what I thought at first, but it's actually really good. Burrito size tortillas arranged on a baking stone and filled with chicken, salsa, garlic, onion, and bean dip then topped with cheese and plum tomatoes. A cinch to assemble especially if you have leftover chicken. It is served with an avocado lime sauce, which makes it even better.

Pesto and cheese pizza by the Hub.

Pineapple and Cappacola pizza also by the Hub. He's so sweet, isn't he?

Last is Shrimp Stir Fry. No recipe for this, just whatever veggies I happen to have on hand or seem fresh in the store that day. Served with jasmine rice, I buy this stuff by 10 lb. bags and we go through it like water. Like I said easy, no hassle food.

Noodle Bowls with Baked Crab Spring Rolls

2007-01-19T19:47:00.000-06:00

Feeling rather uninspired last time I made my grocery list(I guess it can show, if you look at my menu plans) I stumbled upon this recipe. I bought this book probably a good year or so ago and am just now really getting into actually using it. Sad, huh? On my kitchen table sits two new books I have to crack open. I don't think I would dare ever count how many cookbooks I have.

This recipe was okay, nothing spectacular. I actually had pretty high hopes for it, maybe that is why it let me down. The noodle bowls were good, edible, bland honestly. I found that adding some ginger to the broth and soy sauce made them better.

The spring rolls were okay, the filling was a bit too soggy. Next time(if there is) I would cut back on the soy sauce or drain them, or something, ANYTHING. The first tore right through the phyllo. And really making spring rolls with the actual wrappers isn't any harder.

So yeah, I would say this was mediocre, I probably won't be making this again. If you'd like the recipe, leave a comment, I'll be glad to post.

Bake and Cook....

2007-01-18T16:50:00.000-06:00

I have read many bloggers raving about this book. Having a love of baking, I knew I had to check it out. I ordered it a few weeks ago and received the book in the mail. I still have yet to look through the entire thing, it is HUGE! I think I am about half way. Yesterday I was looking for something fun to do with Camden and decided upon the Kids' Thumbprints, they are perfect because she could do the poking, which would be fun for her and stress free for me(ideally). She loves to help, which is endearing.

These were fantastic, I loved the crunch from the peanuts and gooeyness[is that a word?] from the jam. We had fun making these and even more fun eating them afterwards.

Dinner was a Potato, Spinach and Tomato Soup and Panini's from Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals 2 cookbook. This soup was good, however I have made something like this before without a recipe. It was enjoyable though since I am a huge soup fan and love dipping sandwiches in soup.

The panini's were good, I made a lot of substitutions. They were supposed to contain prosciutto, however I substituted cappacola. I also smeared the bread with a little pesto.

I got caught up in the cookies and my garden and completely forgot I was supposed to make bread for dinner that evening. So, I could either try to go buy some(no!) or find a fast recipe. Something told me to go to Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. And there it was, Quick Yeast Bread. This made a really pretty loaf actually. Of course it didn't taste as good as bread that has had time to properly rise, however, in a pinch, it was still a lot better than store bought. Easy, fresh bread in an hour and a half, you can't beat that. I had intentions to snap a picture, however, in my haste to get dinner on the table in time for the Hubs to eat with us, I forgot.

The Hubs came home hungry and had informed me he didn't eat at all last night, so he was starving. Ready to grab a bowl of cereal, I informed him I was making muffins. Of course, he didn't want to wait. These were thrown together very quickly, only requiring a few measuring spoons, a measuring cup, a whisk, and bowl.

They came of course from Dorie Greenspan's book. These were the Coffee-Break Muffins. Very good, I used coffee from yesterday that I had stuck in the fridge with intentions of making these. I believe it was a chocolate flavored coffee. I substituted instant coffee for the espresso powder because I can't seem to find that on island. Other than that, we were good to go. Upon biting into them, the first thing that hit me was a nice, browned crust; revealing inside a moist crumb. They did not taste too strong of coffee, just had nice undertones and were sweet, almost caramel, but not too sweet. Perfect for int he morning. The Hubs informed me these were well worth the wait. They paired perfectly with coffee. Camden liked them as well despite her disdain for coffee. So, another winner!!

Thursday: Potato, Spinach and Tomato Soup and Paninis
Friday: Noodle Bowls with Baked Crab Spring Rolls
Saturday: Winter Veggie Stew with Potato and Cheddar Pancakes
Sunday: Family Sized Baked Burrito with Mexican Rice
Monday: Pizza
Tuesday: Chicken Tikka Masala with Rice
Wednesday: Shrimp Stir Fry

Thursday: Fajitas with Mexican Rice and Corn on the cob
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: Honey Mustard Barbecue Chicken
Sunday: French Toast with Eggs or Frittata
Monday: Italian Sausage Calzone
Tuesday: Red Beans and Rice
Wednesday: Herb and Cheese Chicken Tenders

Who knew three lemons could go so far?

2007-01-10T19:15:00.000-06:00

I have been so tired lately that I haven't even had a chance(or motivation really) to recharge my camera battery, much less, blog. This week has seriously flown by, is it Thursday already!? Earlier we did a deep deep New Year's cleaning to our house and I tackled tons of projects that have been sticking their dirty little tongues out at me. We've had church and Hub is on night shift, so I hardly see him. Then, don't even mention the full load of laundry that seems to appear everyday.

I don't even care to have a maid as long as I only had someone to do the dishes and laundry. I could do everything else. Dishes even, I don't know why I loathe laundry so much. My best friend and I always joked we'd swap since she liked laundry and hated dishes. Too bad she's in California now.

As I sit here multi tasking; eating lunch, watching to clock in preparation to wake up the Hubs for work and trying to blog I just want to collapse. We are eating macaroni and cheese, from the box, and carrots with ranch. Camden just took a bite out of each carrot, aren't three year olds the weirdest? All I want to do is curl on the couch[IN SILENCE!] with a cup of coffee and look at my newest cookbook. A luxury I haven't seem to have had all week. Ah well, here is the week so far. Well bits and pieces at least.

I'm not even going to attempt to remember what day any of this was made. I made a lemon curd in preparation for a meal later. This was a lot easier than I anticipated it being, much like most of the things I finally get around to making. Three lemons, egg, butter, and I believe something else, but so simple and so satisfying. I have used this in numerous ways as you will see below. It is also very good on toast.

A mock roast chicken from Rachael Ray's cookbook, which one, I can't remember. It was served with pesto mashed potatoes and a salad of endive, romaine, walnuts, blue cheese and vinagrette. Very good, reminded me a lot of kabobs, so I am thinking of just skewering this with veggiest next time.

I had phyllo leftover from an earlier meal so I decided to make it into shells and bake it in a mini muffin pan. I filled it with a layer of ground toasted almonds then the lemon curd. Good and so easy.

A Ravioli Veggie "Lasagna" also from a Rachael Ray book, don't you love those 30 Minute Meals? I have lately. Seems all the time I have. This was good, but I don't know that I'll make it again. Plain lasagna is just as easy and much better. I mean, you spend 30 minutes on a meal and how much harder is it to put a lasgana in the oven for another 30 mintues and forget about it until it's ready? The lemon curd was used in the recipe for the dressing on this salad; lemon curd, olive oil, chives, was that all? I think so!

Paula Deen had made some tassies with lemon curd in them on a show that Food Network has since rerun more times than I care to count. I decided this as another fun way to use some more curd, so I did so. They were okay, however the phyllo shells were easier and tasted better.

And last, Shrimp Taco's with Lime Cilantro Crema and Pinto Bean Salad from Cooking Light's December issue. None of the fish really excited me at the store, so I decided to try these with shrimp. I am glad I did! They were very easy to assemble, only took me about 30 minutes for the whole meal.

Oh, and I mentioned that I thought I needed a new knife sharpener, turns out mine is working just fine. First casualty with my Santoku, I cut off the tip of my middle finger, Ouch! My Hub being a medic was of course, the first to hear about it. Being on night shift, he was peacefully snuggled in his bed and I rush into there, flip the lights on and start crying "I sliced my finger off!!!!!!" I guess, I don't deal with wounds well? Here he was half asleep and said he was looking for a finger hanging off or something.

Anyway, the taco's were good, and I had TONS of shrimp leftover, so the next day for lunch I made a shrimp stir fry, which was dare I say...better than the tacos.

Dinner the other night was a pizza, which I also love, because you get this blank palette of dough and the possibility is as far as your imagination will allow. I made a pizza with Caramelized onions, blue cheese, walnuts, and spinach drizzled lightly with honey and olive oil. Too bad my camera was dead, so you can just imagine.

As always, if you would like any of the recipes, leave a comment.

Grilled Swordfish Steaks with Mango Salsa

2007-01-05T19:02:00.000-06:00

You know those no brainer recipes that you really know you could've come up with yourself? Well this is definetely one of them. I won't even bother typing out the recipe because it is so much of a no brainer.

You simply throw together a mango salsa(mango, red bell pepper, chives, ginger, cucumber, lime zest and juice), grill some swordfish steaks drizzled with lime juice and zest, EVOO, salt and pepper. Then done!

On the side was couscous, cooked by box directions with some golden raisins and curry powder, after cooking throw in scallions, shredded carrots, sliced almonds, and chopped oranges. That's it! You're done, dinner is ready.

This is one of those nights when night shift really killed me. I know The Hub would've loved this had it not been breakfast time for him, however, in his state of grogginess he was a little less than thrilled. Where's the motivation to cook? Oh well. I guess at least I enjoyed it?

On a side note, I need a better knife sharpener, my knife seems rather dull already. Any suggestions on a good one?

Grilled Chicken Greek Salads

2007-01-05T18:43:00.000-06:00

I frantically tried to get this together on Thursday evening as the Hub was on his way out to practice. With many setbacks that I can't seem to remember, the one that sticks out the most was dumping the majority of my walnuts on the floor. This was not fun.

However, in the end, I reaped the benefits. This was very good and easy, I was just having an off day. Ever have one of those? You simply assemble to salad, grill the chicken and wrap it in pitas.

The Spanakopita, Sorta was easy as well, saute onions, add in the spinach and other ingredients then wrap in phyllo(fillo) dough and bake. Very good!

Dessert was a take on Baklava, which turned out fantastic. It was very filling, I could only eat about half. However, I really liked it and it was a nice quick fix.

There were a lot of leftovers, this was way more than four servings. I was able to send some off with The Hub for my friend.

Recipes are below, they came from Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals 2 book. I made a few changes as well, my notes are in brackets.

Greek Grilled Chicken And Vegetable Salad With Pita Bread

1 1/3 pounds chicken breast tenders - (to 1 1/2)
Coarse salt -- to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste
8 pita breads
1 ripe lemon -- zested and juiced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano
3 garlic cloves -- chopped
2 Romaine lettuce hearts -- chopped[I only used one and had plenty]
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives -- coarsely chopped
8 ounces feta cheese -- crumbled
2 vine ripe tomatoes -- seeded, diced
1/3 seedless or English cucumber -- diced
1/2 red onion -- chopped[omitted because I forgot to get one from the store]
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves -- chopped[also omitted]

Preheat grill pan over high heat. Place chicken in shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Wrap pita breads in foil. Place in warm oven and heat until dinner is served.

Combine lemon zest, juice and vinegar in a bowl and whisk in oil. Add oregano, garlic and whisk again to combine into dressing. Pour half the dressing over chicken tenders. Turn tenders in dressing to coat.

Combine remaining salad ingredients in a bowl. Pour remaining dressing over salad and toss well. The salad should be very lightly dressed. Season salad with salt and pepper and transfer to a large serving platter.

Grill tenders 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer hot tenders to the salad lined serving platter. Remove pitas from oven and unwrap. Cut pitas in half and arrange around the edge of platter.

To serve, each person can pile grilled chicken and veggies into pita halves, wrap up on either side and enjoy! 4 servings.

Spanikopita, Sorta

1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion -- finely chopped
1 package frozen chopped spinach - (10 oz) -- defrosted, and
squeezed dry
Coarse salt -- to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground or freshly-grated nutmeg
4 ounces feta with black pepper or plain feta -- crumbled tiny bits
1 egg -- beaten
3 tablespoons sour cream[I substituted yogurt]
4 sheets phyllo pastry dough - (13" by 17") -- defrosted
3 tablespoons melted butter

Place oven rack in center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

Preheat a small pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add oil and onion and saute 5 minutes. Place onion in a bowl. Add chopped dry, defrosted spinach and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add feta to the bowl and combine it with spinach. Add beaten egg and sour cream to the bowl and combine with cheese, spinach and onion.

On a large work surface, place 1 sheet of phyllo. Paint half of the sheet with a little melted butter, paying extra attention to your perimeter. Fold sheet in half. Pile 1/4 of your spinach mixture into a log shape, working 2 inches from bottom and each side. Tuck bottom up and fold both sides in, then roll and wrap upwards until you reach the edge of the dough sheet. Each pastry will resemble an egg roll. Paint the seam and the ends of the roll with butter and set roll seam-side down on a cookie sheet. Repeat and make 4 rolls. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly golden all over and serve. 4 servings.

Bakla-Squares And Ice Cream

3 sheets phyllo dough
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup finely-chopped walnuts
1 pint vanilla bean ice cream
Honey -- for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Top with a layer of phyllo and brush or using a spritz bottle, spray with butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon and cover the sheet of pastry 1/3 cup sugar. Repeat with 2 more layers of pastry, then top with the finely chopped walnuts.

Cut pastry into 3-inch squares with sharp paring knife. Cover the pastry with another sheet of parchment paper and another cookie sheet. Place pastry in hot oven and bake 15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm squares of pastry with ice cream and a drizzle of honey. 4 servings.

Mushroom Lovers' French Bread Pizza

2007-01-03T17:52:00.000-06:00

When I saw this recipe I knew it was calling the Hub's name. He really loves mushrooms, a lot. Funny as he hated them when he was a kid. He still does not like them in spaghetti sauce. However, he loves them any other way. Portobellos and shiitakes are his favorite, so basically the most expensive. I dread the day if and when he ever gets his hand on a truffle.

These were actually very good and throw together quickly. Probably too, under 30 minutes. They would be a very good lunch. However, eating a fourth of a loaf of french bread I can imagine isn't that figure friendly, but at least I hollowed it out, right!? So it doesn't cound because it was hardly even there. Either way, I'll make these again!

On the side, I served a salad of butter lettuce and raddichio with a simple, I guess you'd call Creamy Honey Dijon Vinagrette? I don't know, I just threw stuff together until it tasted good!

Mushroom Lovers' French Bread Pizzas
from Rachael Ray's Express Lane Meals

8 large Portobello caps
1 lb. button mushrooms, stems trimmed
1/2 lb. shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded
3 tbsp. EVOO
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 bay leaf
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 c. dry white wine
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1-24 in. loaf of crusty French bread
3 c. shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Preheat the broiler.

Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp towel and slice them. Heat the EVOO and butter in deep skillet over medium heat. When the butter melts into the oil, add the bay leaf, garlic, and sliced mushrooms. Cook until the mushroomsare dark and tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and add the wine, stirring the skillet with a spoon to deglaze. Shake the pan and add the Worcestershire and thyme. Turn off heat.

Split loaf first lengthwise and then across. Pull out and discard a bit of the soft insides. Toast the bread lightly under the broiler then fill each section of bread evenly with mushrooms. Top liberally with the cheese. Return bread sections to the broiler until cheese browns and bubbles then remove the pizzas from oven and serve. 4 servings.

Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks, Oh my!

2007-01-03T00:14:00.000-06:00

Lately it has been hard to find time to blog. True to consistency, our internet was off for a day and a half. Apparently, there was a big power surge leaving the whole island without internet. No biggie, I caught up on some reading and other stuff. It seems there is not enough time during the day to accomplish everything.

I have started going to the gym recently in hopes of losing my last few baby pounds and just be healthier in general. I am also hoping to start a bit of a garden, the weather here is perfect for gardening. It seems like the projects are building up.

New Years Day our friends invited us over for dinner. Their house is one of our favorite places to go as they are both fabulous cooks specializing in Thai and Indian foods. They made a beef curry which was really good. They toned the spice down a bit[because there were other guests], so it could have been a bit spicier. Still, it was fantastic.

After mowing the lawn and cleaning my house I realized I only had an hour until time to go to their house. I wanted to take a dessert or something to share, but didn't know what I could do in under an hour!?! I settled on some Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies from a Penzey's catalog. They were perfect and were ready just in time. I was a bit worried only to find out her husband's favorite cookies are peanut butter and chocolate chip.

This morning, as usual around pay day in my home was grocery shopping day. I will post the menu later. I knew I needed to eat something before I left, but didn't know since supplies were somewhat low and honestly, I wasn't feeling too motivated. Breakfast is a neglected meal in our home often, which is lame because I LOVE cooking breakfast foods. I think the buzzkill is the dishes first thing in the morning.

The Hub decided to get in the kitchen for me and spoil me. So he made me an omelet. I can't remember what he put in it because I didn't watch him, however, I can tell you it was good. So, off to the grocery store I went happy and fat.

The produce section looked like it had been attacked over the weekend so I was unable to find a couple of items I needed. If they did have the items, it was either scary, moldy, or both. So I did what I could.

I bought some greens for a salad since I have been craving that lately. I don't know how considering half my cart was produce, but I spent a lot of money!? I think it was the seafood. Ahh well. I guess we'll eat good?

Upon arriving home and getting the groceries all put away I had little motivation once again to cook. So, wanting to use the greens up before they went bad I made a salad. The Hub had bought me a pomegranate a few days ago, so I had that left and decided to put it in top of my salad. So, above is butter lettuce, raddichio, pomegranate, and buttermilk blue cheese with a raspberry vinagrette. Yum! and just perfect.

With such a light lunch I belly screaming at me around 3 PM and crepes sounded particularly good for whatever reason. So, while watching Food Network, I put together the batter and let it sit and went to sit back down and watch more TV. I couldn't wait any longer so I pulled it out and went to work. I had a really good pan for crepes(an 8 in. nonstick skillet), but it died, RIP; so I had to use a 10 in. skillet. I want my small pan back, or even better, an actual crepe pan. Anyhow, once getting the amount of batter right and I went to down and made crepes.

The first one never turns out right, for whatever reason, so I just sprinkled it with cinnamon sugar and ate it while cooking the rest. I forced myself to only eat one after that since they probably aren't the most healthy, especially considering the way I prepared mine. I had bought some dulce de leche ice cream at the store, so decided that the best filling and drizzled it with chocolate syrup. Perfect and happy I stayed, well, at least until dinner time.

Barefoot Contessa's Chicken Stew

2007-01-02T23:59:00.000-06:00

The day I made this happened to be the perfect weather for this type of food. Thick, hearty, comfort food. Fairly rare for living on a tropical island, we had a dreary rainy day. Typically when it rains it remains warm and sunny still. So this is welcomed from time to time. This recipe is rather time consuming mind you, but very worth it. Rich and full of flavor and definetely, not low in fat; like most of Ina Garten's recipes.

Biscuits are really easy to make and I honestly don't know why I don't make them more often. These were particulary good with the addition of parsley and the non typical half and half. After rolling the dough out and cutting the biscuits, the scraps were calling to me so I used my mini cookie cutters on the remainders.

Camden really loved this as she typically prefers plainer fare. I made a few substitutions which are noted below.

Chicken Stew with Biscuits

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups medium-diced carrots (4 carrots), blanched for 2 minutes
1 10-ounce package frozen peas (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions [I used celery]
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
For the biscuits:
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash[I used a bit of half and half]

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley. Mix well. Place the stew in a 10 x 13 x 2-inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the biscuits. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Add the half-and-half and combine on low speed. Mix in the parsley. Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and, with a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out twelve circles with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter.

Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top of the filling. Brush them with egg wash, and return the dish to the oven. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are brown and the stew is bubbly.

Note: To make in advance, refrigerate the chicken stew and biscuits separately. Bake the stew for 25 minutes, then place the biscuits on top, and bake for another 30 minutes, until done.

Yet another Improv Pizza

2006-12-31T01:44:00.000-06:00

We never really seem to plan pizzas. I typically keep staples on hand to always have available whenever pizza is craved or I am just feeling lazy. Forget Domino's, it's so much better to just make pizza. We can control the amount of cheese, sauce, etc.

Last night was such a night that I did not feel like cooking so I bestowed the honor upon The Hub. I made the crust and set to work in the kitchen tossing the dough. We look in the pantry only to find there is no tomato sauce or tomatoes in the fridge. What do we do!?
"Oil and cheese?"
Me, less than thrilled about the proposal abliges only because the Commmissary was closed[stupid hours]. Not completely willing to take this sort of defeat I search the kitchen. We had ground turkey, a quarter of a bell pepper, as always, onions, corn, a can of Rotel and black beans.
"How about Mexican pizza?"
And off we set. We will be doing this again! This was actually very good.

Now what do we do with the second crust? Dessert pizza! I slathered it with a mixture of cream cheese, confectioners sugar, vanilla, orange zest, and strawberry preserves. Topped with blueberries, mandarin oranges, apples, cinnamon, a touch of brown sugar on the apples, honey and cinnamon sugar on the edge of the crust and YUM! Dessert was made.

Easy Weeknight Meals

2006-12-29T19:21:00.000-06:00

Not only am I a bit burnt out from all the cooking with the holiday season; to top it off, the Hub is now on night shift. Cooking for a 3 year old isn't exactly the most thrilling of things since she would be happy with cereal, sandwiches, or macaroni and cheese. As I sit here, Camden is asking if she can dip her peanut butter sandwich in her ranch dressing. Oh my! The great thing about having children is the fact that you are working with a blank palette and they have no preconceived notions regarding food. However, a 5 star restaurant for them is McDonald's.

The Hub typically wakes up at dinner time, tries to eat, but is too groggy and ends up taking leftovers to work. So while he does get to eat it, it's not the most motivating because not everything tastes good reheated. Maybe I'll do a strict soup diet for the next few months. Isn't there a cabbage soup diet that helps you lose weight??

Also with that motivation has affected my blogging. After getting the kiddos in bed I just want to sleep myself.

The other night was perfect for the mood described above. A simple put together meal that Camden of course loved. Chicken Fingers with Steamed Broccoli and Cauliflower and Roasted Carrots. There isn't much to this at all, the recipe for the chicken fingers was in a Food Network book that I bought many months ago and forgot about until my friend Heather came over and pulled it out. Very simple, no recipe really; panko breadcrumbs, lemon zest, and salt. On side was an apricot dipping sauce which consisted of apricot preserves, soy sauce, ketchup, ginger, and lemon juice. Hello, how easy can you get? Just fry them, or bake, whichever method you prefer. Panko breadcrumbs are great though if you have never used them, crisper than regular. As far as the sides, they are pretty self explanatory.

Last night I made Ginger-Soy Chicken by Rachael Ray. This is a super easy recipe and nice when you want to simply throw something together. I served over rice instead of the suggested iceberg lettuce, used boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded thinly for the cutlets, and threw in some snow peas because they were calling to me to be used.

This was very tasty with just the right amount of heat and packed with all sorts of yummy strong flavors.

Ginger-Soy chicken on Shredded Lettuce
from Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/4 lb. chicken breast cutlets, cut into thin strips
salt and pepper
2-in. piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
6 scallions, cut into 2 in. lengths, then cut lengthwise into matchsticks
1/4 c. tamari
3 tbsp. honey
1 head of iceberg lettuce, core removed, shredded

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add vegetable oil. It should smoke up a bit. Add chicken and season with a little salt and lots of black pepper. Stir-fry for a minute to sear the meat at the edges, then add the ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 mins. more. Add scallions and stir fry for another minute, then add the tamari and honey to form a sauce and glaze the chicken. Remove pan from heat. Cover a platter with shredded lettuce, top with chicken, and serve. 4 servings.

Christmas-Come and Gone

2006-12-26T18:39:00.000-06:00

Once again, another Christmas. All this preparation and time leading up to probably the second biggest food day of the year and then it's over in the blink of an eye. Being a fairly young family(est. 2002) we are currently trying to figure out our family traditions and what they will be. The Hub's family opened presents Christmas Eve, we opened Christmas Day...we had a big dinner Christmas Day. Of course, my father being a pastor, we always had tons of sweets as well, so we ate ourselves silly into a sugar induced coma. Now, I have to bake all my own. I know, I have it hard. The Hub's family, I guess never ate anything but macaroni and cheese[I obviously know this is not true] because he never seems to talk about food or any memory accompanying it.

For me, Christmas morning breakfast always consisted of biscuits and gravy(something the Hub grew up hating), fried eggs, sausage, fruit cocktail, and oyster stew. A tradition I carry on. I did not do fruit this year because with just three of us, things do not get finshed really. I can not find oysters on island, so there goes the stew(which is greatly missed). It was always only my Dad and me eating it. The Hub refers to it as fishy milk.

I will have to probe the Hub for memories so I can incorporate them into our holiday meals.

Anyway, for our family we read this Christmas story on Christmas Eve and remember Jesus. We had a Christmas Eve meal and invited over friends. Family was greatly missed this year as it was our third year without them.

I haven't had time to blog, so here is Christmas and the surrounding days all in one post.

As you can guess, I was not feeling like cooking the most because a lot of time had been spent prepping for Christmas Eve and day, or party hopping. The day before Christmas Eve I made a simple Shrimp Curry and sent off the rest to The Hub and is co-worker. This was just a red curry with shrimp, straw mushrooms, baby corn over Jasmine Rice. Curries are so great when you don't really feel like doing much, because chopping the veggies seems to be the most time consuming part of it.

For Christmas Eve, we went to church in the morning and rushed home so I could start my preparations for dinner that night. I roasted two chickens[I was all turkeyed out], made Cranberry Pecan stuffing from Rachael Ray's December issue, Twice Baked Potato Casserole from Paula Deen's celebrations, and corn casserole(one of those southern recipes that seem to emerge in 9 out of 10 church cookbooks). We also had a few other things that friends of mine brought, I forgot to take pictures and with all the food I have eaten, I can't remember.

For dessert, I made a Toffee Caramel Cheesecake from epicurious.com. This was spectacular. I will make it again. My water bath leaked in a bit so my crust was soggy in one spot, but that did not really detract from the taste, gingersnaps are hard anyway.

I was a bit nervous because I have never made caramel from scratch before and after reading reviews and hearing people's complaints/trouble I almost bought a jar and took the road more travelled. However, I decided to brave it out and made the sauce. Let me just say, not so hard and sooooo much better. I am proud to say I jumped that hurdle and landed on my feet! Not to mention I had a lot left over, so I will be topping ice cream with it.

I also made a Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle from Paula Deen. This was good and super easy to assemble.

Christmas morning, I didn't realize the Hub took pictures of my gifts, but he did! So here they are. I got a Wusthof Classic Santoku knife, a Cuisinart Santoku from my sweet sister, some new Corelle dishes, a Calphalon 7 qt. sauteuse[which is massive], and a bamboo chopping board from Williams Sonoma. You can't tell in the picture, but there are two metal prep bowls that slide from underneath. It is beautiful! Now I just need to find some mineral oil on island to treat it properly.

"I'm glad my parents aren't cannibals."
Just to give you an idea of how massive this pan was. I look forward to using it!

Biscuits and gravy, sausage, and fried eggs for breakfast. Not pretty, but oh so yummy and comforting!

This was lunch, we ate breakfast around 7 AM and at 1 PM I realized I was hungry. So in an attempt to find something to eat, I made soup with the leftover chicken and stuffing, the recipe came from Rachael Ray. It was good and just what I needed to assemble quick. Not pretty, but when you're stomach is on the verge of attacking the rest of your body you just wanna eat!

Christmas night we went to our friends home, they were having a Christmas party. Her husband make jerk wings(which were some of the best I have had), potato salad, Jamaican rice, a spinach artichoke tart, a quiche, they had tons of different kinds of cookies and sweets, tres leches cake, and fresh coconuts that he broke up and stuck straws in. It was tons of fun.

And last night in my exhaustion I made Dutch Farmer's Cheese Soup from Bon Appetit. This was very good and just what I needed, a quick chop and drop recipe. I had some purple potatoes that I had bought with no specific plan, but they intrigued me. I have had them once before at Firefly, a locally owned bistro, in soup form.

This is what the inside of the potato looks like raw.

Upon cooking, they turn kind of lavendar-gray. They don't taste any different than regular potatoes, so I suppose the novelty is just the color. The soup was great though, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, onion. After cooking, you slice up gouda cheese and french bread and lay them over the soup and broil until golden.

Here is the final picture. Filling and comforting.

Alongside the soup, I served broccoli salad, also one of those southern recipes. I often wonder the origin of these? Anyway, very good and a cinch to make. Broccoli, red onion, crumbled bacon, cheddar, and golden raisins with a dressing made from mayo, sugar, and vinegar. Yum!

Pumpkin Polenta with Italian Sausage and Fennel

2006-12-19T22:19:00.000-06:00

Now that I have overcome polenta I want to make it all the time. It was mainly a fear I guess of not using the right thing because here they don't sell anything that says "Polenta" on the box. This was good, but wasn't outstanding. I liked the idea definetely and it was very pretty and would be seasonal, especially if made in October. While we are not the healthiest of eaters, we tend to be a lot healthier than we used to be. We both grew up in the South, which isn't known to be the picture of health, but man, can they cook.

The Italian sausage was just too much for me and after a few bites I was left craving a salad. I definetely liked the fennel a lot, which I had never used before, and will use again. But I just was not crazy about this. However, if you like heavy foods(which we tend to shy away from living on an island) or are craving hearty stick to your ribs sort of food and like sausage, this would probably be for you.

Pumpkin Polenta with Italian Sausage and Fennel
from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats
2 tbsp. EVOO
1 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 c. chicken stock
2 tbsp. butter
1 can pumpkin puree
1 c. quick-cooking or instant polenta
1 large fennel bulb, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 c. dry white wine[I used chicken stock]
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
salt and pepper
1 c. Pecorino cheese
1/4 c. fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-igh heat. Brown sausage in 1 tbsp. of EVOO in a skillet and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. Place pan back on stove. Add another tablespoon of EVOO, sliced onions, and the fennel. Saute over moderate heat until tender but now brown. Add wine to the skillet and add the sausage back. Cook the wine away, a mintue or so.

In large saucepan, bring chicken stock and butter to boil and stir in the punpkin. Add the polenta and stir until it masses, about 2 mintues. Remove from heat and add thyme, salt and pepper, nutmeg, and cheese. Adjust seasonings, if needed. Top polenta with sausage and fennel and garnish with parsley. 4 servings.

Summarized Update

2006-12-17T17:21:00.000-06:00

Is summarized a word? Probably not, but it's kind of fun. I haven't updated in a long while because the holidays have been keeping me busy. Between shopping, cooking, baking, cleaning house and tending to two small children, I haven't found any time to get on the computer. So, here are a few things from the previous week.

Spanish Saffron: Many times I have passed by this on the spice aisle, picked it up and put it back. At $7 a bottle I did not know if I could justify it. I finally made the leap, yay! So now I can make recipes I have previously skipped over because I didn't know if it would taste okay sans saffron.

I brought it home and opened it up only to dump a quarter of the contents on the counter and some of the floor. Of course, just like me, this is why I don't allow myself anything expensive[mainly clothes]. So here I was picking it up off the counter strand by strand. Luckily the Hub was still in bed so he couldn't laugh his head off and only got to hear about it.

Nutmeg, FRESH!: I have been scouring the island for this unable to find it and keep forgetting to order it from Penzey's. My friend Heather had informed me she got some from her friend Terri. So I talked to Terri and asked her if and where she bought it on island. She informed me, her friend ships it to her, but she'd be glad to give me some as a Christmas gift. Yay!

Greek Lemon Orzo Soup from Everyday with Rachael Ray, December. This reminded me a bit of Egg Drop soup with a lemony flavor. It was very nice for a light lunch.

Shrimp risotto from epicurious.com. Very good, this was my first try at actual risotto and I must say it's very easy. I will be making this again despite achy knees!

Wild Cream of Mushroom Noodle Bake from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats. Very good and filling. The Hub is a huge fan of mushrooms so naturally he enjoyed it. A cinch to make and only took 30 minutes.

Cider Chicken with Smashed Potatoes and Watercress and Cucumber Salad. OH MY, the chicken was so good, I loved the flavor of the cider on it, it turned out very moist and full of flavor. We loved the sauce, it was great spooned over the smashed potatoes. The salad was good, however, I think I added a tad too much vinegar to the dressing. I will make this again!

And last, my Christmas goodies. I spent all day Saturday with these. Orange Cinnamon biscotti, Peppermint Bark, Praline Cookies, Pine Bark, and I also made more of those Cranberry White Chocolate cookies(not pictured). Yum!!! These are very bad to keep around. Luckily, we have lots of friends.

And, as usual, if you would like any of the recipes leave a comment and I will post.

Fapas?: Random Small Foods

2006-12-13T04:47:00.000-06:00

I don't really know what to call this particular meal/menu so I went with Fapas(Fake Tapas). These were a bunch of little foods that I put together and we snacked on for dinner. Was a lot of fun to have a few different options. Growing up for some odd reason, I always remembered enjoying the meals of random stuff. I guess because it was like a buffet and I like choices.

Chickpea dip before processing from Rachael Ray's Get Togethers.

Post-process[sounds gross, huh?] We enjoyed it, I served it with baked spinach pita chips to dip. Which were just some pitas drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper and baked. The dip was simply chickpeas, roasted red peppers, lemon juice, rosemary, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Most of which you can see in the previous picture.

Spinach Artichoke Wreath from Pampered Chef's All the Best. I loved this, but I love just about anything with spinach and artichokes. These are always my go to meals when I don't know what to fix as they are satisfying and super easy to assemble.

And last but not least, Rosemary Polenta from Barefoot Contessa Family Style. I've always been fascinated by polenta but haven't made it for whatever reason. I guess I was somewhat scared, but it is actually one of the easiest things I have ever made. I will definetely add this to my rotation of sides. In Guam potatoes do not keep well and every once in a while I get tired of rice, so I am always looking for other things to make. This was perfect. It was a bit spicy(but not too much) from the crushed red peppers and garlicy. Yum!! If you would like any of the recipes, please comment and I will post.

Big Beef Burgers with Caramelized Shallots on Grilled Bread with Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

2006-12-12T03:30:00.000-06:00

I got a new Calphalon grill pan a few weeks ago and had yet to use it, so this seemed perfect.

These sounded really really good to me for whatever reason. And it let me down(well some). Look at the title, super long. I think there were just too many strong flavors in the recipe. I had to substitute some, as usual; I couldn't find sherry vinegar, or a good bread. So I used balsamic vinegar and sourdough. Other than that, everything was according to recipe. I used watercress for the greens which was surprisingly fresh.

But I mean, look at the ingredients, goat cheese, vinegar, both very strong and I don't think the sourdough helped. I had originally planned to make my own bread, but got lazy last minute. If I were to make this again I think I would make my own bread(as originally planned) and not use vinegar in the shallots. I think that would make these a bit better.

Big Bistro Burgers with Caramelized Shallots on Grilled Bread with Beet and Goat Cheese Salad[Whew!]
from Rachael Ray's 365:No Repeats

5 tbsp. EVOO, plus some for drizzling
4 large shallots, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
4 tbsp. sherry vinegar
2 lb. ground sirloin
2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. grill seasoning
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
4 thick slices crusty country-style bread
1-8 1/4 oz. can sliced beets, drained and cut into sticks
6 c. frisse, arugula, watercress, or baby spinach
1 c. crumbled goat cheese

Preheat a grill pan or grill to high.

Preheat a small skillet over medium-high heat wth 2 tbsp. of EVOO. Add the shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until lightly brown. Add 2 tbsp. of the sherry vinegar and continue to cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and reserve.

While the shallots are getting brown, in a large bowl, combine the beef, thyme, Worcestershire, grill seasoning, and Dijon mustard. Divide the meat into 4 portions. Form large patties about 1 1/4 in. Coat the beef patties with a good drizzle of EVOO. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium rare, 7 to 8 minutes per side for medium well to well.

Drizzle of brush EVOO onto both sides of the bread slices, season with salt and pepper, and add to the grill. Cook until well marked on both sides, remove from the grill, and wrap in foil to keep warm. In a bowl, combine the beets and greens and drizzle with remaining 3 tbsp. of EVOO, and a little salt and pepper. Toss to coat; add the crumbled goat cheese and toss to distribute.

To serve, divide the grilled bread among 4 serving plates. Top bread with beet and goat cheese salad, letting it overflow onto the plates. Transfer the burgers to the top of the salad and then pile each burger with some of the caramelized shallots. Attack youor big bistro burger with a fork and knife, please. This is a bistro! 4 servings.

Dutch Babies

2006-12-11T20:53:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted in a few days because I haven't really coooked. Sunday we attended our churches Christmas Banquet at the Top of the Mar, the Navy bases club. On Monday we had pizza and our camera was dead from taking pictures at the banquet. This brings us to today, Tuesday. I should charge my battery as it's on it's last dying leg. You know how when you let your dead battery sit for a while, somehow(I still don't understand how) it'll work up just enough energy to maybe snap a few shots.

I was not in the mood for leftover pizza for lunch today and had a craving for something rather carby. I had seen somewhere a few days back a recipe for Dutch Babies or German pancakes, whichever you call them. These are great, they are a cinch to make. They are kind of a cross between a souffle and a crepe and are traditionally served with lemon wedges and powdered sugar and cooked in a cast iron skillet. I served mine with a dusting of powdered sugar and blueberry syrup because I wanted something sweet. Upon scouring many blogs and different places on the internet I have found many variations for these; some people will put apples on the bottom before baking, some people do pie filling, applesauce, cinnamon and sugar, and apparently a while back Cooking Light had a recipe topped with zucchini, onions, cheese. Seems anything goes!

I settled on this recipe from Smitten Kitchen which seemed best because she used cake pans and I don't own an iron skillet. I am not sure if my oven is too hot or what because these were done in about 15 minutes. I should have switched my oven to 350 a lot sooner. Or maybe the recipe is just a little bit off. I don't know what to think. I also omitted the salt because I didn't see it when mixing these, I'll blame it on my sleepiness. Either way, they tasted just fine to me. So I am thinking it can be omitted always.

German Pancakes

4 eggs
1 T sugar
½ t salt
2/3 cup sifted flour
2/3 cup milk
2 T soft butter

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter well 2 9” cake pans. Put eggs in blender container, cover and process at ‘stir’ until light yellow in color. Push ‘mix’ button, remove cover and add remaining ingredients; process until smooth. Pour into prepared pans and bake 20 minutes; then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 10 minutes. Slide onto hot plates. Serve with lemon slices, powdered sugar and butter if you follow recipes to the letter, raspberry syrup if you’re my mom or maple syrup and fresh berries if you’re us.

Yield 2 9” pancakes.

Aussie Meat Pies, Made Quick

2006-12-09T06:04:00.000-06:00

I don't know if I'll ever make every single recipe in this book because there are so many and I recently seemed to have rediscovered it. I have enjoyed the easy and quickness of her recipes lately for some reason. They are just so practical. This came from Rachael Ray's 365:No Repeats.

These are her take on an Australian meat pie which is a hand sized pot pie typically filled with minced meat and gravy[per wikipedia]. I think I will have to try to find a genuine recipe for these and give it a go. Any recommendations??

These were very good, very much like a souped up Sloppy Joe. The Hub does not care for Sloppy Joes and actually liked these. The filling was very good and had a great flavor, not too sweet, or too tomatoey. I have been loving me some puff pastry lately as well! This stuff is so great and versatile, don't know why I never used it before. I served it with some simple roasted red potatoes. I really love roasting veggies. I will make this again as it was a winner with my 3 year old as well.

Penne with Butternut Squash, Fresh Chorizo, and Thyme

2006-12-09T05:52:00.000-06:00

I have especially enjoyed cooking with squashes this holiday season. I had never done this before in the past mainly because they intimidated me merely for the fact that I did not have a nice sharp chef's knife to slice and prep them with. I no longer have that excuse and have[somewhat] overcome my fear. Butternut I can do, Acorn still scares me mainly because it is so unstable[not flat]. Oddly enough, I have a strong desire to keep all 10 fingers. Any suggestions on easy ways to slice and prep these would be greatly appreciated!

I found this recipe in Dave's Dinners and decided it would just the bill for a pasta dish this week. I really liked the squash and the spice from the chorizo. I had to sub dried thyme for fresh because the store was out. I could tell somewhat of a difference because Dave Lieberman really likes to maximze few flavors and bring them out, so when you lack an ingredient, many times you can tell it. However, I would recommend this! If you'd like me to post the recipe, please comment.

Ginger-Lime Chicken with String Beans and Wasabi Smashed Potatoes

2006-12-09T05:43:00.000-06:00

I did not post the recipe for this the other night mainly because I did not feel like typing and didn't have a lot of time. I was telling my best friend about this today and told her I would post the recipe, so here it is.

Ginger-Lime Chicken with String Beans and Wasabi Smashed Potatoes
from Rachael Ray's 365:No Repeats

2-in. piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
zest and juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp. tamari
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
coarse black pepper
4-6 oz. skinless bonless chicken breast halves
2 to 2 1/4 lb. baby Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in half
1/2 c. milk
1 to 1 1/2 tbsp. prepared wasabi paste
5 tbsp. butter
coarse salt
1 medium onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/4 lb. string beans, trimmed of stem ends
1 1/2 c. chicken stock

In a shallow dish, combine the giner, lime juice(make sure you remove zest first!), tamari, 2 tbsp. of the vegetable oil, and pepper. Add chicken breasts and toss to coat in the mixture; let marinate for about 5 minutes. fill a large sauce pot with water; add the potatoes, place over high heat, and bring up to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain and return potatoes to hot pot. Smash the potatoes with a masher and combine with the milk, wasabi, and 3 tbsp. of butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.

While the potatoes are cooking, preheat a nonstick skillet over med-high heat, add the marinated chicken, and cook on both sides for 5 to 6 mintues, or until cooked through. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Return the skillet to the heat with the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil(once around the pan), add the onions and garlic, and cook for 3 mintues. Add the string beans, toss to distribute, add the chicken stock, and bring up to a simmer. Cook for 3 to 4 mintues, or until the beans are tender. Turn the heat off and add the lime zest and remaining 2 tbsp. of butter, stirring until butter has melted completely.

Divide string beans and the sauce among 4 serving plates. Slice chicken on an angle and place atop the beans, then spoon a big helping of smashed potatoes alongside. 4 servings.

Ginger-Lime Chicken with String Beans and Wasabi Smashed Potatoes

2006-12-07T05:15:00.000-06:00

I was really excited about this recipe for some reason, not sure why, just was. It just really appealed to me and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed it a lot. I used chicken tenders[as usual] in place of the chicken breast halves. They don't sell Yukon Gold potatoes here so I substituted red potatoes. It all turned out very good. I really liked the sauce that developed from making the green beans. It was very rich and full of flavor. On top of the flavors for the sauce, it had the browned bits from the chicken. Yum!! I will defintely be making it again. I believe it took me 40 minutes which is not bad. Very satisfying!

Christmas Party

2006-12-06T19:01:00.000-06:00

Last night we had a Christmas party for the worship team at our church. It was a lot of fun, we had a gift exchange and of course; lots of food. I made the food below and The Hub made a couple of pizzas. I forgot to get a picture of those because of the hustle and bustle, but they were typical pizzas, he made a veggie and a pepperoni. They were super good and went fast.

This was a Crimini Mushroom Spread from the December Issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. It was very good, but I am a fan of mushrooms, if you aren't; obviously I would not recommend it.

These Holiday Cheese "Truffles" were from Kraft. They were really just individual cheese balls but were good whatever you want to call them. They were cream cheese and cheddar seasoned. One half was made with roasted red peppers and the other with scallions. I rolled them in paprika, parsley, walnuts, and sesame seeds. They were actually a big hit!

Crudite with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus; recipe by Rachael Ray.

Spinach Artichoke Dip from Everyday with Rachael Ray. This was good, but I have had better.

Baked Crab Rangoon.

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting; recipe by Paula Deen. These were the best recipe I have found so far for Pumpkin Bars. They were very very moist.

Peppermint Meringue Kisses from Everyday with Rachael Ray's December issue. I had never had meringues before, these were very good and were a huge hit!

Mint Chocolate Chip Brownies.

All the food laid out buffet style. I love my kitchen, it is so spacious!

The Hub made a garnish/centerpiece, I was quite proud of him!

I would say the party went well and the food was really good if I do say so myself, and everyone was talking about it. So, I am glad we were able to do it. If you would like any of the recipes please comment and I will post.

Moo Shu Stoup and Napa Cabbage Salad

2006-12-06T18:52:00.000-06:00

This soup recipe was from Everyday with Rachael Ray's October issue. The recipe was okay, actually good, just not for my taste. I couldn't place what it was that I didn't like about it, but it just wasn't for me; maybe the consistency? I did not serve it with the pita chips because I just chose not to. I probably won't make this again, but it wasn't bad or horrible. Hey, you win some and you lose some....

This salad was very good, I got the recipe from allrecipes.com. I was looking for some way to use up the rest of the napa cabbage and this was perfect. The dressing was very good, slightly sweet and salty from the soy sauce.

Moo Shu Stoup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (eyeball it), plus more for drizzling
One 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated or minced
2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (a couple of generous handfuls)
2 cups fresh bean sprouts (a couple of generous handfuls)
6 cups chicken broth
1 pound ground chicken or pork
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs (eyeball it)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (available in the Asian food aisle)
2 teaspoons lime zest (eyeball it)
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/2 head Napa cabbage, shredded (about 7 cups)
6 scallions, cut into 3-inch lengths, then sliced lengthwise
Plain pita chips, such as Stacy's brand

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, mushrooms and bean sprouts and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broth, cover and bring to a boil.

In a large bowl, using a fork, combine the ground chicken with the egg yolks, bread crumbs, garlic, hoisin sauce, lime zest and pepper. Drizzle the chicken mixture with a little oil and roll about 1 tablespoon in your hands, forming a dumpling; repeat with the remaining mixture to make about 30 dumplings. Drop the dumplings into the simmering broth and cook thoroughly, about 10 minutes. Stir the cabbage and scallions into the mushroom broth and cook for 3 minutes. Serve the stoup in shallow bowls and top with pita chips. 4 servings.

Oh, Baby!

2006-12-03T17:57:00.000-06:00

What is that below? I know it looks rather unappetizing, however, if you were 5 months old you would be devouring it. With Cammy, I fed her jar after jar of Gerber(or whatever brand) baby food. Back then we couldn't afford all the many gadgets we have now[food processor!] so I was pretty much left to rely on jars.

This time around, I have gadgets, so I decided I would make Roman's food. I really love this method because I know what is going in his body and it's so much cheaper and economical. Typically, I steam this food and puree it using the steaming liquid so he does not lose nutrients until it's to the right consistency. So easy, fast, and better for baby. Afterward, I just freeze in ice cube trays and pop them out and voila! One single serving for him, all I have to do is thaw or nuke and it's ready.

So far he has had store bought rice cereal. He didn't like it and I can't say that I blame him. My best friend and I both agree that it tastes very similar to what you would imagine wet toilet paper tasting like. So, it's a no brainer that I would cook for him just like any other member of my family. I have made three veggies and so far, he has accepted all three[all of course introduced a week apart, not at once]. I really like the idea of preparing his food and controlling what goes in it, plus it just makes sense.

Green Beans

Sweet potatoes

...and Butternut squash.

Thanks mom for caring!

Anyone else out there make their own baby food? Ideas/suggestions? Please comment!