Linguine with White Clam Sauce

Source:  All You Magazine

1 lb linguini
1/3 c olive oil
2 T butter
6 anchovy fillets from a tin
4 cloves of garlic minced
finely grated lemon zest and the juice of one lemon
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 t oregano
3 T white wine
1/3 c chopped parsley
3 6.5 oz can of clams drained, liquid reserved


Bring pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook linguine -- 2 minutes short of al dente.  Warm oil and butter in large pan.  Add anchovies, garlic, red pepper.  Cook stirring until anchovies melt.  Add lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, wine, half of chopped parsley and clam juice.  Bring to boil, and cook, stirring until slightly thickens, about 7 minutes.  Add clams, cook 1 minute.  Toss sauce with pasta and remaining parsley.

I really like clams with pasta.  I was excited to see this recipe b/c it didn't have any cream in it.  Not that I don't love me a good cream sauce, but the this created the illusion of healthy, although there is a fair amount butter and oil in the sauce.  Plus it's a one pot dinner (well plus the pasta pot).  Not to mention, I'll have leftovers for work.

The sauce takes a little while to put together but you are developing a complex flavor so it's worth the 10 minutes it takes.


This is a rockstar recipe.  The sauce is complex, rich and silky -- with the briny flavor of the anchovies, little added freshness from the lemon zest and parsley.  I can't say enough good things about it.  I would highly recommend trying this dish if you like seafood.  Its flavor is excellent and surprisingly complex while using relatively few, inexpensive and ordinary ingredients. Rockstar.

Quinoa with Shrimp

source:  All You magazine


1small onion
12 large shrimp
2 T olive oil
1 1/4 c quinoa
salt and pepper
12 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1 t grated lemon zest
2 T fresh lemon juice

Warm oil in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened -- 3-5 minutes.  Add quinoa, cook, stirring 1 minute.  Add 2 1/4 c water and 1/2 t salt to pan. Turn heat to high, bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low and cook until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes, stirring in shrimp during final 5 minutes.  Lift cover after 15 minutes and check that shrimp is cooked through and most of liquid has been absorbed.  If not, cook 1 minute or 2 longer.  Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 10 minutes.  Stir in parsley, lemon zest and juice.  Season with salt and pepper.


So I officially suck.  I missed almost an entire month of recipes.  I hope I get a pass b/c it was Thanksgiving, I had major busy season at work, and at home too.  I just could not get it together to write, post, take pictures.  Maybe all of you will take my word for it that for the most part I did cook, and even tried new recipes.

Even now, you'll note my choice of a super simple recipe.  My hope was that it was going to be something quick, easy, with healthy ingredients, and something that I can take leftovers from to work.  I've notices that weeks of eating off a food truck is not good for my wallet or my health.

So, the recipe was super easy to make.  There was nothing more complicated than chopping up the onion and taking care not to burn the quinoa.  Look, this is not a gourmet dinner, so make sure you use the lemon juice and the fresh parsley to add some flavor (and some much needed color) to this dish.  I also used my home based stock to cook the quinoa instead of water to punch up the flavor.

This is a good dish.  Tastes comforting, healthy, protein packed.  A really nice changeup between holidays known for their elaborate and heavy meals.  It's light, you can feel good about eating it, kids like it -- a real winner when you are looking for something quick and easy..

Steamed Savory Halibut

Source:  Good Housekeeping Magazine

4 6 oz halibut or cod fillets
pinch of cayenne
pinch of salt
1 lb plum tomatoes chopped
1/2 c green olives thinly sliced
1 T Champagne vinegar
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 T olive oil
1 small shallot chopped
1.5 c corn kernels
1 T fresh mint leaves
2 T fresh chives

Fill saucepot with water -- put seasoned (salt/cayenne) fish  fillets in steamer basket and steam for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, olives, lemon juice, vinegar, oil and 1/4 t salt.  Set aside.  In skillet heat 1 T oil, add shallot and cook for minute.  Add corn and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Transfer to bowl with tomato mixture.  Serve fish on top of tomato corn mixture.

Today is Sunday, and we had no particular plans, so it seemed like a good time to try a recipe that required a little bit of attention.  It's been a while since I've made fish, and it just sounded fabulous.

A couple of ingredient notes:  I couldn't find Champagne vinegar at my regular grocery store.  I ended up using red wine vinegar -- using the rationale that it should be an alcohol based vinegar ?  Also, the recipe says cod or halibut.  For all that's holy, don't buy halibut.  RIDICULOUSLY expensive.   Use the cod, and you'll have a much more user friendly repeatable recipe.

This is not a complicated dish to make.  Just some chopping, steaming and sauteeing.  The flavor combination is lovely.  The "salad" is fresh, acidic, briny and crunchy, which pairs very well with the mellow flavor of the fish.  I used dill instead of the mint and chives -- that's what I had at home, and after a summer of free fresh herbs (granted, from the neighbor's yard -- thanks Andy) -- I still have trouble coughing up $2-3 for a tiny package of herbs.  But the dill worked well.  Also, I think I oversteamed the fish -- it flaked apart and was a little dry.

Nevertheless if you are trying to introduce more fish into your diet -- this is excellent.  Just use cod.  Really.

Almond Crunch

Source:  Giada DeLaurentis

1/3 c slivered almonds  (toasted)

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c water

Spread almonds on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.  In a small saucepan heat sugar and water until sugar is dissolved.  Continue cooking for 6-8 minutes, until mixture is golden brown.  Pour over almonds.  Let cool.  Break into pieces.

This is one of the simplest recipes ever.  If you are like me, and have a  variety of nuts on hand at all times -- then you can make this recipe in like 10 minutes, anytime.  It's quick, simple and delicious.  There are just a few things to pay attention to, and you can have a delectable treat.

I am having a rough week, and another rough one is coming up at work.  I really needed to find a recipe that was super simple.  I had neither the time nor the energy to do anything complicated.  At the same time, I didn't want to miss a week.  So although Giada labeled this recipe a "garnish", I thought it was worth a try.

As I mentioned -- super simple.  Do not skip the extra step of roasting the almonds.  It adds a depth of flavor that takes this candy to the next level.  The only other thing I would suggest is to be super careful with the sugar.  Keep watching it while it's cooking.  There is something magical when water and sugar all of a sudden starts to smell like caramel, and looking golden and beautiful.  However, it can go from that to burnt and bitter in a minute, so be careful.  Also, hot sugar burns like nothing else, so do be careful when pouring.

It's a glorious recipe -- see pictures below.  It's sweet and crunchy and nutty.  It looks pretty.  If you don't like hard sugar sticking in you teeth - this recipe is not for you.  Otherwise, make it and enjoy.

This is the color of the caramel when it's ready --maybe I could have let it go 30 second longer, but I wanted make sure it didn't burn.

And now you are done.

Delicious treat is ready!

Isn't it beautiful?

Roasted Tomato-Garlic Soup

Source: Orzo Box

Pesto Sauce:
2 c fresh basil leaves
1/4 c pine nuts
3 garlic cloves
1/2 t salt
1/3 c olive oil

Soup:
1 jar Roasted-Garlic & Onion pasta sauce
3 c chicken broth
2 T olive oil
1/2 t fresh rosemary chopped
1/2 T fresh thyme chopped
1/2 c orzo

Place basil, pine nuts, garlic and salt in a blender.  Gradually add oil and process until mixture is thickened.

Combine pasta sauce, broth, oil, and spices in a pot.  Bring to boil.  Stir in orzo.  cook for 9 minutes.

Serve soup with a dollop of pesto.


I am on a tomato soup kick.  Which is weird because I don't like tomato soup.  My daughter, whoever, seems to love it, and it's such a nice substantial soup option for dinner.  This recipe also particularly appealed to me because it involved little more than dumping things in a pot.  I also like the fact that depending on what kind of pasta sauce you use, you get a little different result each time.  Finally, I was hoping that the fresh pesto garnish would perk up the otherwise "premade" taste.

Easy peasy weeknight dinner.

It tastes like you would expect -- a think tomato soup seasoned a lot like pasta sauce.  If you need a quick pantry meal, this is a solid option.  The real bright note -- the pesto sauce.  As far as I am concerned, all tomato soup should be served with pesto.  The grassy punch of the pesto is the perfect complement to the somewhat bland acidity of the tomato soup.  Delicious, and adds an unexpected burst of flavor.

Garden Tomato & Basil Soup

Source:  Lay contest -- "Tomato Basil Chip"  recreation

1 T canola oil
1.5 c diced onion
3 T fresh garlic minced
4 cups of red tomatoes chopped
2 14 oz cans of vegetable stock
1/2 c tomato paste
3 T chopped basil


Heat oil, saute onion.  Add garlic.  Add tomatoes, vegetable broth and tomato paste.  Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for 15-20 minutes until tomatoes are soft.  Remove soup from heat, add chopped basil.  Puree soup in food processor.  Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

It's officially soup season.  You appreciate a bowl of warm soup, and love the smell of simmering soup wafting through the house. Plus, soup makes great leftovers and has the beginnings of a simple weeknight dinner.  However, I don't like tomatoes.  Or tomato soup.  And this is definitely not tomato season anymore.

The soup is easy to make -- a little bit of chopping, and the disastrous mess of pureeing hot soup without an immersion blender aside.  With that said, it is a nice twist on a regular tomato soup -- the basil is very distinct.  The little specks of green look pretty in the red soup, and you can definitely taste the basil flavor.  So for those of you that like tomato soup -- give this version a try for sure.  For me -- I continue to not like tomato soup....

Hamburger Stroganoff

Source:  Market Pantry Egg Noodle package

5 c dried extra wide egg noodles
4 T butter divided
2 T fresh parsley chopped (optional)
1 lb ground beef
1 onion chopped
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1/4 c flour
1 can beef broth
3/4 c sour cream
2 t Dijon mustard

Cook pasta, per package directions, drain and toss with two tablespoons of butter and parsley.  Meanwhile in a large skillet over medium-high heat , cook ground beef and onions until beef is tender and onions are cooked.  Drain.  Set aside.  In the same skillet, melt remaining two tablespoons of butter. Add mushrooms, cook and stir for about 4 minutes or until tender.  Sprinkle flour over mushrooms, mix well.  Add cooked beef and onion mixture; mix well.  Add broth.  Stir in well.  Bring to boil; cook about 4 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Reduce heat to low. Stir in sour cream and mustard.   Heat gently, until warmed through.

This is not a fancy recipe.  I had another one picked out for this week's entry -- egg souffle with smoked gouda and spinach.  That recipe was filled with more interesting ingredients, the added drama of making a souffle -- much more worthy of a blogpost.  But then reality happened -- a busy weekend, a sick kid, Fall definitely knocking on the door -- and at the end of the day, I just wanted a simple comforting dinner, with no risk of not turning out well, with something that gives me leftovers to take to work.  Enter Hamburger Stroganoff.

I omitted the butter from this recipe entirely.  I didn't think the noodles needed coating, and I sauteed the mushrooms in the fat rendered from the hamburger  (grass fed organic beef, thank you very much).  Would that 4 tablespoons of butter have added an extra dimension to this dish -- absolutely.  However, to me that was not worth the added fat and calories.  The dish is still plenty rich.  Also, do not fear if the sauce appears thin -- it will thicken up significantly.  Finally, season aggressively -- this dish begs for salt and pepper.

All in all, a nice workhouse of a meal.  Something that you can put together on a weeknight, yet involves only fresh ingredients.  Definitely will add to the repertoire.

Smoky Shrimp & Zucchini Soft Tacos

Source:  Schnucks circular

1 1/4 shrimp, deveined and cut in half
3 zucchini -- cut lengthwise in half, then sliced
1 sweet onion, cut in half and sliced
2 T oil
1.5 t oregano
1/2 t salt
1.5 t chipotle sauce
1 8 oz container of sour cream
1 package of flour or corn tortillas
optional:  avocado, lime, cilantro

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In large bowl, toss shrimp with zucchini, onion, oil, oregano, and salt.  Spread evenly in two large baking pans.  Bake 20-25 minutes until zucchini is tender and browned.

Warm tortillas.  Mix chipotle sauce in with sour cream.  Serve tortillas with shrimp and top with sour cream.

I still get zucchini each week in my CSA box.  I spent all summer trying to keep up with the zucchini bounty.  I made endless versions of zucchini fries, zucchini fritters, zucchini bread.  Gave some away, froze some -- and the zucchini kept on coming.  I am running out of ideas and steam.  Then, I came upon this recipe and thought here is something different.  This is a whole new idea both on tacos, and on zucchini.

Easy to put together.  I would highly recommend trying to get as much moisture out of the shrimp as possible, and taking care not to overcrowd the baking sheets -- all this to roast, rather than steam the ingredients.

So this is a delicious and unique twist on tacos -- and splendid if you want to use up some zucchini.  The lovely roasted slightly crispy parts are delightful.  I didn't add chipotle sauce to my sour cream (my 3 year old doesn't like spicy things), but I think a little kick to the sauce would be great.  I think the lime juice and cilantro would also be nice addition.  Definitely give this recipe a try.

Buttermilk biscuits

Source:  Buttermilk carton

2 c flour sifted
1 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1/3 t sea salt
10 T unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
2/3 c chilled buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add butter and blend with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. I used my pastry blender.  Gradually add buttermilk, mix with fork until large, most clumps form.  Shape dough into a ball and roll out on a surface well dusted with flour.  Cut into 3 inch rounds.  Place biscuits one inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment.  I used a pizza stone -- no parchment. Bake biscuits approximately 20 minutes, until lightly browned.

I love a good biscuit.  Never made one before.  I'd always been scared off by the rolling, the mixing, the over mixing.  But it was time to take a chance.  I was invited for soup to a friend's house and I thought --let's try it.  I looked at several recipes, and i am prepared to try several , but my first attempt is a buttermilk  one, because I love the texture buttermilk gives baked goods, and was hoping it would be more forgiving.

I tried to follow the recipe exactly.  I  cut in the butter thoroughly.  I tried not to overmix once I added the buttermilk.  I rolled it out, cut it out, and baked them.  That's when trouble started.  The biscuits would not rise.  They stayed pretty much the same size as when I put them in the oven.  They kind of looked like hockeypucks.  :(  The good news is that they tasted delicious.  Exactly the way biscuits are supposed to taste.  I am not sure what happened -- maybe the baking powder wasn't fresh, maybe I rolled out the biscuits too thin.

We enjoyed them with the salad and soup for dinner -- Certainly not biscuits that you can split in half, and slather with butter.  But delicious taste.  The quest continues, I might even try this recipe again with a brand new box of baking powder.

Autumn Pork Supper

Source:  Schnucks recipe contest grand prize winner

1 cabbage, coarsely chopped
2 T butter
2 cloves garlic
1 onion coarsely chopped
2 apples cored and cut into eights
6 loin chops
3 T oil
1/2 c apple juice
2 T brandy
1 bay leaf
2 T breadcrumbs
2 T parmesan chees
1/2 cup heated cream

Bring two inches of water to boil in a large pot.  Cook cabbage about 3 minutes and drain.  In a large skillet, melt butter.  Saute onion and garlic over low heat, stirring until translucent.  Add apples and cabbage and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir another 3 minutes.  Set aside in a bowl.  Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.   In the same skillet used for the cabbage and apples, heat the oil.  When hot, add the pork chops and brown for a few minutes on each side.  Remove and set aside.  Add cider and brandy to deglaze pan.  Boil rapidly and reduce liquid by half.  Pour this liquid over the apple cabbage mixture.   Preheat oven to 350 F.  Use a covered heavy oven safe dish.  Spread 1/3 of the apple cabbage mixture, then layer 3 chops, then another third of the apple cabbage mixture, then a second layer of chops. Finish with a layer of apple cabbage mixture.  Lay bay leaf on top and sprinkle on breadcrumbs and cheese.  Pour heated cream over all.  Bake covered for 35 minutes.  Remove cover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.


Today the first day of Fall.  This recipe screamed Fall.  And not just b/c of the name of it.  I love pork chops, I love cabbage and apples, this just sounded like a perfect Sunday dinner on a Fall day.

I am not going to lie -- there are several steps and layers to this recipe.  I am always particularly aggrieved when multiple pots and pans need to be used for a recipe such as this one.  Chopping a cabbage is no fun.  And it was not fun or easy to get the steaming hot heavy cast iron Dutch oven out of the lower rack of the lower oven.

With all that said -- spectacular dish for company.  There is something super comforting about the big cast iron Dutch oven with the delicious smell of porkchops, cabbage and apples mixed together. The taste is exactly what you'd expect from this traditional flavor combo.  The cream adds a touch of richness to the sauce.  There is a surprising amount of liquid -- but that's perfect to keep everything nice and moist.  Don't be afraid to season aggressively, this dish can take it.  Would be good with boiled potatoes or crusty bread to soak up the liquid and add a starchy element.  A perfect Fall meal.

Pasta with Roasted Tomato- Meat Sauce

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

1 pint cherry tomatoes
8 oz uncooked spaghetti
2 t unsalted butter
9 oz ground pork
1 T minced garlic
1/2 t salt
1/2 t crushed red pepper (I omitted this b/c I didn't think my 3 year old could handle the heat)
3 canned anchovy fillets, drained and chopped (I use tubed anchovy paste -- keeps better and is less messy -- so I just used a nice big squirt)
1/4 dry sherry
1.5 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 c fresh basil (I omitted this., b/c ....well, b/c I was too lazy to walk down to my neighbor's yard, and pick some)


Put tomatoes on cookie sheet and roast at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Melt butter in large skillet.  Add pork, garlic, salt, pepper and anchovies.  Cook 4 minutes or until pork is browned, stirring to crumble.  Add sherry to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.  Add tomatoes and vinegar; cook 2 minutes or until tomatoes release their juices and sauce is slightly thickened.
Combine pasta and sauce in a large bowl, toss to coat.  Sprinkle with basil.


I was looking for a quick and easy recipe.  The fact that it's "healthy", didn't hurt either.  And I am always on the hunt for recipes where the leftovers make for a good and portable lunch the next day.  And then, my daughter LOVES "noodles", so I knew this would be a hit.

This recipe is a little work, and there are a few unusual flavor twists.  But well worth it.  You can tell just from the recipe that the seasoning is fairly aggressive, and the recipe takes advantage of every trick to impart flavor without fat and salt.  (think -- roasted tomatoes to make sauce).  And it's absolutely dynamite.  Juicy, flavorful, rich tasting sauce.  I highly recommend this one.

And one quick closing note on the issue of anchovies.  I know most people don't like them.  I don't like them.  People on Food Network always say:  "it doesn't tasty fishy, it just deepens the flavor of the dish.  Sounds stupid -- maybe.  But absolutely true.  So don't skip this ingredient.  It'll add much to your dish.

Merry Cherry Plum Berry Tart

Source: Pillsbury Pie Crust

Crust and  Topping

2 refrigerated pie crusts
1/4 c chopped almonds
3 T turbinado sugar (I used regular sugar, and it turned out fine)

Filling

1/2 c dried cherries
1/2 c dried cranberries
3/4 c Amaretto
1 1/4 c fresh blueberries (I couldnt' find fresh blueberries, and used frozen ones thawed -- I made sure I let them drain well after thawing not to make the filling too wet)
2 plums cut into pieces
1/5 T cornstarch

White Amaretto Truffle Sauce

1/3 c white vanilla baking chips (I've seen recipes calling for vanilla baking chips, and haven't been able to find it in the grocery stores -- so I used white chocolate chips -- maybe that's wrong, but that's how I roll)
1/2 x whipping cream
2 T Amaretto

Heat oven 425.
Let 1 pie crust stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to soften.  Unroll  crust onto 9 inch tart pan.  Lightly press crust into fluted sides. Cut of excess crust on top of pan.  Prick bottom and sides of crust with fork.  Bake for 10 minutes.

In saucepan heat cranberries, cherries and Amaretto for 5 minutes.  Add blueberries and plums.  Cook for another 15 minutes.  Stir in cornstarch.  Pour into parbaked pie crust.

Remove remaining pie crust from refrigerator.  Chop into small pieces, adding almonds and sugar to make crumblike topping.  Sprinkle over pie.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Cool for 15 minutes.

Place baking chips in medium bowl.  Heat cream over medium heat.  Just before boiling, remove from heat and pour over baking chips.  Stir until chips are melted. Add Amaretto.  Refrigerate for 1 hour, and stir every 15 minutes.


Yes, I am back to making desserts.  I love desserts.  Tarts are so elegant.  The weather has started to cool down, so you just want to make a pie.  Plums are fresh and delicious, cherries and dried cranberries are always lovely -- I had almonds and Amaretto at home -- come on, who wouldn't want to make this pie. Oh,  and I am crust impaired, so I use premade crusts in all my pies.  And the rolled up refrigerated pie crusts are so good these days, I don't think you can tell the difference.

This is not a very technical dessert -- which for me is a good thing. The only special equipment is a tart tin, which I happen to have.  I suppose it would work in a pie pan as well.   I wish I would have put my pie weights in the crust, so it wouldn't have puffed up at all.  The filling starts at very liquid but never fear, once you cook it per the recipe, it turns dry and jammy -- which is necessary so the crust doesn't get soggy.

The finished pie -- yes, I know, I should have covered the edges with foil so they don't burn.  I was so worried that the bottom of the pie would be soggy, that I didn't think to cover up the edges.. :(

I forgot to take a picture of the pie sliced.  It was definitely overbaked -- Like I said, in my quest to make sure that the bottom doesn't get soggy, I overbaked it.

The flavors were great -- a less burnt crust would have been great, and it would have benefitted from the filling being a little more moist, but the taste was good, and paired really nice with the toasted almonds in the topping.  I wasn't overly impressed with the sauce -- tasted very alcoholic.  I would experiment with a different sauce -- the tart definitely needs the moisture.  Maybe even with half the alcohol it would have been better.  All in all, i think with a little tweaking, this has the potential of being a really delicious dessert.

Tiramisu Bowl

Source: Jell-O

8 oz cream cheese - softened
3 c cold milk
2 pkg (3.4 oz each) Vanilla Instant Pudding
8 o.z CoolWhip - thawed
48 Nilla Wafers
1/2 c brewed coffee
2 squares of semi sweet chocolate -- grated
1 c fresh raspberries

Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy.  Gradually beat in milk and pudding mixes.  Stir in 2 c CoolWhip.

Line trifle bowl with 24 wafers, drizzle with 1/4 c coffee.

Top with half the pudding mixture and half of the chocolate.  Repeat layers, starting with wafers.

Top with remaining CoolWhip and raspberries.  Refrigerate 2 hours.

I needed a recipe to take to  a Labor Day party.  People generally expect me to bring dessert, and it's been so hot, that I really didn't want to be baking anything.  Tiramisu is also my favorite dessert, so this recipe seemed an ideal choice.

Now, before everyone gets all upset, I am fully aware that this is not a tiramisu recipe per se.  The use of Nilla wafers , CoolWhip and cream cheese instead of lady fingers and mascarpone cheese is enough to rile up most traditionalist.  I thought the name was a little misleading -- "American Tiramisu" might be more appropriate.  Nevertheless, I had high hopes for these combination of flavors, and the ease of preparation.  (The most challenging part is finding enough room in the fridge!).

i ended up making 3 layers -- the bowl I picked was fairly big, and I didn't want the dessert to look skimpy.  I also was very conservative with the "custard" layer at first, so I had enough to have three layers.  And I was happy to use up the entire box of Nilla wafers (no need to have that temptation around the house, right).

So here is what it looks like:

I thought it looked really good, quite spectacular for a party.  I have to say, I was a bit disappointed in the taste -- it was a little one note, just sweet.  Maybe b/c I didn't use quite as much coffee as the recipe called for (there were kids at the party, and I didn't want them to taste bitter coffee taste) -- but it was just sweet, and that's it.  So it's a recipe that needs a little tweaking -- bit of a disappointment.

Creamy Grilling Sauce

Source:  Hellman's Mayo

1 c mayonnaise
2 T snipped oil packed sun dried tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 t dried basil

Mix ingredients together.  Brush half the sauce onto 4 chicken breast halves, burgers or steaks.  (I used chicken breasts).  Grill or broil meat.  Serve with remaining sauce.

So you say this is not much of a recipe?  Give me a break guys, I trying to ease back into things.  I have also been getting a big box of vegetables each week from my CSA, so I constantly need ways to make chicken breasts to go with all the produce I am trying to use every day.

Obviously, this was a very easy meal to put together.  The fattiness of the mayo made the sauce melt during the grilling, keeping the chicken breast moist.  The little chunks of garlic and sundried tomatoes in the sauce caramelized nicely.  Made for a messy grill pan though.

This was a good meal.  A nice "pantry meal" -- you'd have all these ingredients in your house, and does jazz up a traditional grilled chicken breast.  I did not care for the leftover sauce put on the chicken -- that overwhelming uncooked mayo flavor was just overwhelming, so I would suggest put all the sauce on the meat during grilling, let that raw mayo flavor melt/cook off, and you'll have a delicious and easy meal.

Fried Green Tomatillos

Source:  Sunny Anderson

1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c Greek yogurt
1/4/ c honey
hot sauce to taste

6 green tomatillos
1 c flour
1 c buttermilk
salt
pepper
1 c plain breadcrumbs
1c cornmeal
garlic powder
chili powder
fresh thyme

Sauce:  mix all ingredients together.

Tomatillos:  Slice tomatillos 1/2 " thick.  Lay them on a plate and season both sides with salt.  Let rest 10 minutes.  Pat dry with papertowels.
Combine flour and pinch of salt in a shallow dish.  Pour buttermilk into second shallow dish.  In third shallow dish, add breadcrumbs, cornmeal, garlic powder, salt, chili powder and salt.  Dredge tomatillo slices in flour.  Shake off excess.  Dip slices in buttermilk, then press both sides in cornmeal mixture.
Pour enough oil into a large saute pan to coat the bottom.  Heat over medium heat until oil begins to shimmer.  Fry coated tomatillo slices in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan, 2-3 minutes on each sides.

ingredient note:  You can get tomatillos at most grocery stores.  They sort of look like green tomatoes.  But.  As all of us who have ever watched Food Network know,  tomatillos are not related to tomatoes.  In fact, they are related to gooseberries.  They look pretty neat with their papery husks.  I found my tomatillos slightly sticky inside the husk.

 This is what a tomatillo looks like.  Pretty cool looking, huh?

And this is what they look like slice.  See, not related to the tomato.

Ever since I saw the movie Fried Green Tomatoes, I've been intrigued by recipes of this sort.  My dislike for tomatoes has stopped me every making it before. The fact that this recipe uses tomatillos (which look like freaky alien berries) just clinched it for me. I had to try it!

The recipe is fairly straightforward.  I always make a disaster with breading -- my fingertips end up wearing little dough"covers", there is flour everywhere -- it's a mess.  Also, I my ratio of cornmeal to breadcrumbs was 1 to 3 (third of a cup of cornmeal to one cup of breadcrumbs) -- instead of half and half.  I don't care for the texture of a cornmeal crust, so I wanted to downplay that.  The whole frying is always a disaster for me too -- the smell of oil, hot oil blah blah blah  (would be so much easier with a deep fryer, but I refuse to get that kind of temptation into my home).  So the recipe makes a mess.

The crust is crispy and flaky and perfect.  Once you bite into these you'll never doubt again that the tomatillos are related to gooseberries.  They are extremely tart.  The dipping sauce is PERFECT for this.  I thought that the 1/4 c of honey was an overkill -- you need every bit of sweetness.  And the heavy creaminess of the sauce is also great to balance out the acidity of the tomatillos.

And below is a picture of my daughter enjoying them:

Banana Mini-Chip Muffins

Source: Splenda

2 c flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/4 c butter softened
1/2 c Splenda sugar blend
1/3 c Splenda Brown sugar blend
1 t vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas mashed
1 large egg
12 oz package of semi- sweet chocolate mini chips

Preheat oven to 350

Spray 48 mini muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray (or line them with muffin cups -- as I did).  Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Combine butter, sugar blend and brown sugar blend and vanilla in large bowl.  Beat until creamy.  Beat in bananas and egg.  Gradually mix in flour mixture.  Stir in morsels.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Bake 15-30 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes in pan; cool on wire rack completely.

Yes.  My oven is back.  So I am back to baking, baking, baking.  YEAH!!!   I am not a huge artificial sweetener fan.  I am aware of all the studies etc. that state that they are actually worse for you then regular sugar.  But mostly, I am a believer in just eating natural foods, with as little processed and artificial components as possible.  With that said, I was drawn to this recipe -- the little choco-banana muffins sounded delicious.  If I could figure out how to substitute sugar for the Splenda bled, I would have.  I was worried that it might change the texture or taste of the recipe as it was clearly formulated with Splenda in mind.

Obviously, easy to make -- just throw things in a mixer.  I used regular chocolate chips -- mostly b/c I didn't pay attention to the recipe calling for mini-chips.  It turned out fine.  The recipe says it makes 48 mini muffins -- for me, it made 61, and I didn't underfill my muffin cups.

These are tasty little two bite muffins -- the banana taste is very pronounced, with the chocolate chips providing creamy little bitter-sweet surprises.  A solid option for using up mushy overripe bananas.

Ultimate Party Wings

Source:  Oceanspray Cranberry Jelly

1 12 oz bottle of chili sauce
1 can of jellied cranberry sauce
24 chicken wing drummettes

Over medium heat cook chili sauce and cranberry sauce until smooth and bubbly.

Heat oven to 375.  Place chicken drummettes on baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Brush with 2/3 of sauce.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Turn drummettes over, brush other side with remaining sauce and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes.

I finally got my new stove today, including 2(!!!) fully functioning ovens.   I was eager to try it out.  I didn't have the patience to make anything elaborate.  I wanted to make something right away.

So here is this recipe.  A riff on the chili sauce /grape jelly meatball party favorite.  And I love chicken wings.

Easy to make.

Pretty tasty.  Although if I were to make it again, I would bake the wings at a higher temperature first to get a nice crust on them.  Or at the end turn the temperature up to get some caramelization on the wings.

All in all -- good, but nothing special.

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

Source:  McCormick

1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 pkg vanilla instant pudding mix
1 c canned pumpkin
1/4 c oil
1/4 c water
3 eggs
1.5 t ground cinnamon
1 t cloves
1 t vanilla extract

Beat all ingredients together.  Spoon batter into 24 muffin cups.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

There is a cream cheese frosting recipe that goes with this, but I am not a frosting fan so I didn't make it.  It also gave me an excuse of calling these pumpkin muffins and pretending that they were healthy :)

I am still having issues with my oven, but this morning it turned on by some miracle, so I decided to take the opportunity to bake something.  I also came upon my frozen pumpkin puree in the freezer.  Last year I roasted a few pumpkins, and froze the roasted puree -- so I use that instead canned pumpkin.  And, just read last week's post re: cake mixes and puddings in dessert recipes.

This recipe could not be easier.  Just dump everything in the mixer, and scoop into the muffin cups.  Bake.  Ready.

Delicious.  Easy.  Not super unique, not super creative, but simple, easy to make and tasty.  Very light yet velvety texture.  Distinct pumpkin flavor with subtle notes of the spices.  Would be perfect addition to a Thanksgiving  breakfast, or a Fall brunch.

Pineapple Banana Hummingbird Mini Loaves

Source:  Pineapple can

1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 pkg vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
4 eggs
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, drained, 1 cup liquid reserved
2 medium bananas well mashed
1/2 c chopped pecans
1 t cinnamon

Preheat 350 F

Combine cakes mix, dry instant pudding, cinnamon, reserved pineapple juice, eggs and oil for two minutes. or until blended.  Add crushed pineapple,  bananas and nuts, mix until just blended.
Pour prepared batter into 5 mini loaf pans sprayed with nonstick spray.
Bake 40 miutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely.

I know my posts have been spotty lately.  And there really haven't been many dessert recipes, despite my self proclaimed fondness for them.  Blame some hecticness in my personal life, but mostly, blame my oven.  It's been having issues ....such as not turning on, or turning on intermittently.  It's hard to bake that way.  Nevertheless, I took another shot at it today.

I am always looking for recipes using standard cake mixes.  Things that jazz them up, and make them seem/taste like real home made desserts.  As a side note, really, how hard is it to throw together the dry mix of a cake batter ....so why we think it's such a time saver??  But I did have high hopes that the pudding would give the cake a rich and velvety texture.  I also had some ripe, very ripe bananas and was excited to find a recipe other than a banana bread to use them in.  I was picking my daughter up from her grandparents today, and thought it would be nice to take a little something for them, and this dessert looked perfect for it.  Finally, who doesn't like anything baked in a mini loaf pan.  I mean how cute are they??  And, surely, there cannot be many calories in such a teeny tiny little slice,  right?  So you can have 2, 3......

So obviously, this was a ridiculously easy recipe to put together. You just dump everything in the mixer, and then you throw it in the oven.  Could not be simpler.

Mine took just a little bit longer than 40 minutes to bake - -but then again, I have issues with my oven.

So this is very good.  Distinct banana flavor but not as pronounces and one tone as in a regular banana bread.  Has a lovely rich texture (most likely from the vanilla pudding), and the occasional bite of pineapple provides little bursts of freshness and tartness.  Excellent variation on a standard banana bread, would be nice addition to a brunch.

Pork and Lemongrass Meatballs in Lettuce Cups

Source:  Bon Appetit Magazine

Meatballs:
1 lb ground pork
1 lemongrass stalk
1/4 c chopped shallots
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
2 T fish sauce
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 T vegetable oil
1 t sugar
1/2 t ground white pepper

Dipping Sauce:
1 lemongrass stalk
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1/4 c fish sauce
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T grated carrot
4 t brown sugar
2 t minced Thai chiles


2 T vegetable oil
1 head butter lettuce leaves
1 small Persian cucumber (confession: I don't know what a Persian cucumber is.  I used an English cucumber.  I think that was a good choice -- a regular cucumber would have too much liquid to work in this recipe.)

Chill pork in freezer while making lemongrass paste.  Obviously, I didn't have to mess with this using the lemongrass from a tube.  So I just put the pork in the freezer for like 10 -15 minutes.  It's less greasy that way, and easier to work with.  Combine all the ingredient for the meatballs in a food processor with the exception of the pork.  Pulse until paste forms.  Add the pork -- pulse until just blended. Please, don't turn it on and let it rip -- it'll turn into a gummy mushy liquidy paste that will never become meatball "material".  Form 24 meatballs.  Put them on a baking sheet.  Cover;  chill at least one hour or up to one day.  I actually left the meatballs in the fridge for 2 days, and day turned out great.

Make lemongrass past from other lemongrass stalk.  Add lime juice, fish sauce, cilantro, sugar and chile to bowl, whisk until sugar dissolves.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add meatballs, brown until cooked through, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes.

To assemble:  take lettuce leaf, place meatball in it, garnish with cucumber and drizzle with dipping sauce.

By now most of you know that I am drawn to recipes that have either an unfamiliar ingredient, or a new technique or both.  Lemongrass is something I have never worked with before.  I've always thought it would be an interesting ingredient to work with.  I've seen people on TV just whacking on it like no ones business.

Also, who doesn't like lettuce wraps, right?  And finally, meatballs -- little bite size meatballs?  Delicious and fun, right?  And the perfect summer meal with fresh crunch lettuce leaves.

My grocery store did not carry lemongrass.  I guess I should have looked at Whole Foods, or an Asian grocery store.  But, the grocery store did have  already minced lemongrass in a tube. Look, I know it's not like a fresh one, but at least they had the ingredient, and I figured that way at least I won't be randomly chopping at some woody lemongrass stalks.

I didn't have any trouble finding fish sauce.  In fact, I already had it at home, used it in some previous recipe.  I think it tastes like soy sauce with a slight fishy undertone.

I also prepared the meatballs on Sunday, and let them chill overnight so that I could prepare them for dinner on Monday.  Most of the time consuming work of chopping, pulsing, rolling ... most of that I got done on Sunday when I had more time to cook.  And I will tell you, I didn't actually cook the meatballs until Wednesday night b/c that's when I I had time.

It wasn't heard to make.  At all.  Just a little focus to get everything mixed, chopped, prepped.  The meatballs ROCKED.  So flavorful, so delicious.  Actually, this same recipe meatball would work with pasta and sauce as well.  I think the fact that there were no breadcrumbs or eggs in it made the meatballs richer and more flavorful, and the fish sauce and lemongrass just punches up the flavor like nothing else.

The dipping sauce is absolutely fabulous -- they say that Thai food expertly combines all major tastes in one bite -- that's definitely true of this dipping sauce -- it's sour from the lime juice and lemongrass (and I went a little nuts with the lemongrass b/c I had trouble measuring it);  very salty and savory from the fish sauce, and sweet b/c of the brown sugar (BTW, I know it sounds like a lot of sugar -- the sauce needs every bit of it).  The cilantro add a little something something, and the carrots are mellow and add a delicious crunch.  I omitted the Thai chiles b/c I was afraid that it would be too hot for my three year old daughter -- I think the sauce would have benefitted from the sauce, and at the end of the day, I just served the meatballs "naked" to my daughter, so I definitely wish  there was a bit of heat in the sauce.

I won't lie -- it's a big mess trying to eat this dish.  But it is very delicious, and well worth the time it takes to make it, and the stains on your shirt :)  And I am going to keep that meatball recipe and use it for my regular meatballs.

Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes

So today's post and this week's experiment is not so much a recipe, but trying a brand new ingredient;  JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES.

This is what these guys look like.  I couldn't find them at Schnucks, and had to go to Whole Foods to get them.  They are also known as sunchokes.  I actually looked it up, and it appears that the name has nothing to do with the city of Jerusalem.  The name came b/c it sounds similar to the word "sunflower" in Italian.  Which is in turn relevant, b/c the flower of this plant looks a lot like a sunflower.  Also, this is a plant native to the Americas.

I decided to roast these little guys, which is pretty much my treatment of choice of all vegetables.  Toss with some olive oil, put on a sheet pan, and roast at 450 degrees for about 30-40 minutes.  By the way, I just washed them, scrubbed them clean and roasted them whole with the peel left intact.  Toss with some salt and pepper and you are done.

This is what they look like after you roast them, cut in half.  They look like potatoes, really.  

My three year old daughter gobbled them up at a speed usually reserved for chicken nuggets and French fries.

It takes very much like potatoes, with a little less starchiness -- the texture wasn't quite and smooth and velvety as a potato -- it was similar to maybe a turnip or celery root.  And the taste was just a touch nuttier than potatoes.  All in all delicious.  

Sunchokes are significantly more expensive than potatoes, and while the taste is very similar, unless sunchokes are nutritionally superior to potatoes, I will probably not purchase them very often.  

Oriental Marinated Asparagus

Source -- Label on the bunch of asparagus I bought.

1 bunch green asparagus
1/4 c seasoned rice wine vinegar (I just used plain white rice wine vinegar)
1 T sesame oil
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
sliced pimentos
toasted sesame seeds

Boil asparagus for 2-5 minutes.  Mix vinegar and sesame oil.  Add asparagus and water chestnuts.  Let it sit in the fridge for about an hour.  Garnish with pimento and sesame seeds.

I love green asparagus.  It's one of my favorite vegetables.  I especially love it early in the season when they are thinner and more tender.  I invariably toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast them in the oven, or maybe grill them.  I have found though, that the back of the asparagus labels have some pretty neat recipes that are different.  I made a delicious cream of asparagus soup from there before.  So when I saw this marinated asparagus recipe, I was intrigued, and decided to try it.

I did not enjoy the acidic taste of the asparagus.  I guess I should have gotten a clue since that's what a marinade is.  I think I like preparations that play up the natural sweetness of the asparagus.

So is this dish easy to prepare?  Yes.  Healthy?  Yes.  Different?  Yes.  Pretty?  Yes.  Delicious?  Not really.

Moroccan Rub

Source:  Real Simple Magazine

1 T sweet paprika
2 t ground ginger
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t cloves
1.5 t kosher salt
1/2 black pepper

The last few recipes I tried from Real Simple have been kind of bland, but I figured, how can you go bland with a spice rub, right?  So I made this rub -- added a little extra paprika.  OK, almost twice as much.  But, I am from Hungary, and we get a little excited when it comes to using paprika -- come on, it smells so good and looks so pretty!!

I used the rub on boneless skinless chicken breasts, b/c that's what I had at home.  I was concerned that the rub wouldn't do much to flavor the larger pieces of meat, so I was very generous with it, and rubbed copious amounts onto the chicken.  Then I grilled the chicken breasts.

The flavor was definitely very unique.  You got the strong notes of ginger, with the hint of cinnamon, which is definitely very exotic.  Moroccan?  I think I went overboard with the amount of spice rub I used, and they burned a touch -- which made them a little bitter.  I don't know that this will become a regular in my repertoire, but it was definitely a different variation on the ubiquitous grilled chicken breast.

Grilled Steak with Ginger Mushroom Broth and Radish and Orange Salad

Source:  winning dish on Hell's Kitchen

3 T grated fresh ginger
1 clove minced garlic
1 t sesame oil
4 cups chicken broth (I used my homemade vegetable broth)
1/3 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup enoki mushrooms, sliced thin
1.5 c sliced rainbow chard
5-6 radishes sliced thin
1 orange peeled and sectioned
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1/8 t Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
1.5 lb grilled flank steak, sliced thin


In a large pot, saute ginger and garlic in sesame oil for 2 minutes.  Add broth and soy sauce.  SImmer for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and add mushrooms and chard.
Combine radishes and orange sections, vinegar, oil and mustard.  Season with salt and pepper.

To serve:  Pour broth into a bowl.  Top with steak and radish orange mixture.


I had to try this recipe.  It sounded so weird, and so different.  All the elements -- I love, so I thought why not try it.  It was pretty easy to make.  The broth simmering on the stove smelled divine.

This is a fantastic dish.  Fantastic.  I'll be honest -- if you are not willing to suspend preconceived notions on how a dish is supposed to be -- don't try it.  But if you are up for a delicious and unique twist on an Asian noodle bowl -- this is it.  The elements work perfectly together. Alone, the broth is overly salty.  But add thin slices of the grilled beef and it's delicious.  The chard is a little bitter, which is nicely balanced with the sweetness of the orange, and the radishes are a welcome fresh texture.  Fantastic dish -- MAKE IT.

Flaxseed Muffins

This week's post is going to be a little bit different.  The flaxseed muffins were a complete failure.  I am not even going to put the recipe here, b/c, well, it was just bad.  I don't even think that there is a way to salvage it, or tweak it.  The recipe is chock full of good things for you -- flaxseed meal, oat bran, shredded carrots, grated apples, raisins, pecans -- I was excited to come up with a healthy breakfast muffin.  BTW, the recipe also didn't have any fat in it - -other than what is in the nuts, eggs and milk.  So, off I went baking these muffins.  I had to specially find oat bran at the store (think gluten free section).  I already have flaxseed meal in my freezer b/c I like to sneak it into my daughter's yogurt.  So, the muffins are super healthy, and they taste exactly like that -- super healthy -- you can "feel" all the fiber you are eating, the moisture is the "fake" moisture coming from the carrots and apples and not the silkiness that comes from fat, they are not sweet, and they don't have much flavor despite generous addition of cinnamon and vanilla.  So. I remain on the hunt for a healthy and tasty breakfast treat, and won't make these again unless I have taste for "cardboard muffins."

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

Source:  Dannon Yogurt container

2 T canola oil
1 large sweet onion sliced
2 t ground cumin
3 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed (I didn't bother peeling the potatoes -- you don't even notice the peels once you've pureed the soup)
1.5 qt chicken broth
1 3/4 c plain yogurt
2 T chopped parsley or cilantro  (I used parsley)
1/4 c pumpkin seed

In a soup heat oil, add onion and cumin.  Sautee for 3-4 minutes.  Add potatoes and chicken broth and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes.   Puree soup with 1.5 c yogurt and parsley.  Serve soup with a dollop of sour cream, and toasted pumpkin seeds.

You ask -- why do a hot creamy soup right when the weather finally got warm?  There is no reason other than I like soup, and this looked incredibly intriguing.  Let me just say up front that I find the combination of cumin and sweet potato heavenly.  The soup simmering away smelled incredibly delicious.  It was fairly easy and straightforward. The pureeing of hot soup in batches is a bit of a pain -- those of you with an immersion blender probably would have a much easier time with this recipe.

The soup is delicious.  Creamy, sweet with a bit of heat from the cumin, and the salty crunch of the pumpkin seeds is the perfect garnish.  Be aggressive with the seasonings -- salt and cumin, the soup can take it.  Also, fair warning, this makes a HUGE batch of soup, making it perfect for company. Also, very healthy -- I used fat free yogurt, and my home made vegetable broth -- so low fat, no preservatives, beta carotene from the sweet potatoes, probiotics, calcium from the yogurt - -a delicious, healthy and different meal.  Would be perfect with a grilled cheese sandwich in the winter.

Mexicali Cube Steaks

source:  Schnucks circular

4 cube steaks (1-1/4 lb)
1/2 c flour
1 t salt
1/2 t ground pepper
2 T oil
2 green peppers, sliced
1 large onion sliced
15.5 oz chunky salsa


Place cube steaks in large zip-loc plastic bag, add flour, salt and pepper.  Seal bag, then shake to coat steaks with flour mixture.  In nonstick skillet, heat oil.  Remove steaks from flour mixture, shaking off excess.  Don't discard flour.  Cook steaks 2 minutes on each side or until browned.
Meanwhile, in slow cooker bowl, toss bell peppers and onion with remaining flour mixture in bag.  Stir in salsa.   Place stakes over onion mixture.  Cover and cook 7-9 hours on slow.  Serve over rice.


This seemed an appropriate recipe after Cinco de Mayo.  And, we can repeat my little rant from last week's post about the virtues of slow cooker cooking.  You have to be a little organized for this recipe unless you have 20 minutes in the morning to do the chopping and searing of the steaks.  I did that the night before, and had everything to just put together in the slow cooker in the morning before I left for work.  Oh, and I had some leftover diced tomatoes, so I threw them in the crockpot too.

Sure enough, there was a heavenly smell when I got home for work.  Smelled like someone was cooking for me all day, and smell of onions, tomatoes and peppers cooking together evoked childhood memories.

The meat was a little dry, the sauce tasted great -- I used a medium salsa, so there was a little heat in the sauce.  This a good workhorse of a meal -- easy to put together, ready by the time your get home.

Baked Spinach and Mushroom Rigatoni

Source:  Real Simple Magazine

28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
2 T olive oil
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 lb rigatoni
1 red onion sliced (I chopped mine -- b/c I didn't read the directions carefully).
1 lb mixed mushrooms trimmed and sliced (I used baby portobella, shiitake and enochi mushrooms)
2 10 oz packages of spinach thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
15 oz container of ricotta
8 oz mozzarella cheese

Break up the tomatoes and their juices in a medium bowl with your hands.  Be careful, with my first enthusiastic squeeze, I managed to squirt tomato juice all over myself, my daughter and the kitchen floor.  Add the garlic, oil, 3/4 t salt and 1/2 t pepper.  In a separate bowl (and pick a really nice big bowl), combine the uncooked rigatoni, onion and mushrooms.

Spread a third of the tomato mixture in the bottom of a 4 to 6 quart of slow cooker.  Top with half of the pasta mixture, half the spinach, a third of the tomato mixture, half the ricotta and half the mozzarella.  Repeat.

Cover and cook on high until the pasta is tender, 3.5 to 4 hours.

Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

I picked this recipe b/c I love slow cooker recipes -- it is so nice to come home at the end of a long day to a house that smells delicious and it feels like someone spent all day making you dinner.  They are also nice on a lazy Sunday like today, b/c it just feels so homey.  It's great in the winter b/c you can make soups, stews etc.  They are great in the summer b/c you don't have to slave over a hot stove or oven.  They are great.  Why, I ask myself, then, do I have one of those cheesy old slowcookers that have the designs on the outside and are tall and narrow?  Why don't I have one of those sleek new steel models with the lids that lock in place?  Why?  I don't have the answer to that, other than I don't think about slow cookers other than on the few occasions that I use them.  But there is a great gift idea should someone want to get me a birthday/Christmas present :)

I am having an attention deficit sort of day.  I failed to follow the recipe in several respects.  I completely messed up the layering sequence, for one.  In the end, I just randomly put things in the crockpot.  I also didn't realize until about 5 minutes after I turned it on, that I completely omitted the mozzarella cheese.

Another note on the recipe -- it makes a lot.  I am not sure what size my crockpot is -- it's the standard old school slow cooker -- it is overstuffed with the amount of stuff this recipe makes.  However, as you start cooking and the mushrooms shrink -- the space issue improves greatly.

OK, so no picture of this dish -- it is just not that pretty -- it's pasta and a bunch of stuff -- there was just no pretty way to dish it up.  By the way, for serving, I put some of the mozzarella cheese I left out on top of my pasta.

This is a solid, hearty vegetarian dish -- perfect for a weeknight.  I would recommend solid seasoning with salt and pepper as there are a lot of mellow flavors going on in the dish.  And I would also highly recommend using a mixture of interesting mushrooms -- the texture of the mushrooms are key in this dish, and lets face it, button mushrooms don't have much of a texture or flavor.  So splurge on some good mushrooms, your dish will thank you.

Cucumber and Radish Salad

Source:  Bon Appetit Magazine

3/4 c sliced almonds -- toasted
1 small shallot finely chopped
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
1.5 lb English cucumber cut into 1/2" pieces
1 bunch radishes, trimmed, cut into thin wedges
2 c flat leaf parsley leaves chopped

Whisk shallot, oil and vinegar in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add cucumbers, radishes, parsley and almonds, toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.

It was high time I tried something healthy.  Spring is coming, and I felt like we needed a fresh and vegetable based side dish.

Obviously, this is a very easy dish to make.  I love cucumbers and radishes -- so I knew I would like this combo.  Radishes are an early spring food for me.  When I was little, it was very exciting when the little fresh radishes became available.  My mom would slice them really thin, and it was delicious on sandwiches, or on a fresh roll with just butter and salt.  These days, I like to dip them in sea salt and eat them.  I enjoy the tender little radishes first out in the season, and this salad seemed like the perfect dish for that.

The salad is fresh, light, crunchy and delicious.  The sliced almonds provide an unexpected and different texture in an otherwise crunch salad.  All the main ingredients are up front and center -- so only make this if you like cucumbers, parsley and radishes.  Also, be sure to use plenty of salt and pepper -- it really brings the flavors together.

Roasted Pork Belly

Source:  Bon Appetit Magazine


I skipped two weeks.  I can assure you guys that I did try more than two recipes during that hiatus, but with Easter and everything else, things were just a little a hectic, so I didn't have time to blog, take pictures etc.  And frankly, the recipes I tried weren't all that great.  So no harm no foul -- hopefully no more hiatus either.

Now for the Roasted Pork Belly

3 lb pork belly, skin removed, fat intact
2 T fresh thyme
2 T sugar
2 T kosher salt
2 t black pepper
1 medium onion, sliced into 1/2 inch rings
1 c dry white wine

Using a sharp knife, score pork belly fat in a crosshatch pattern at about 3/4" intervals, taking care not to cut into the meat.

Mix thyme, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Rub thyme mixture on both sides of pork.  place pork in a large resealable plastic bag, and seal bag, chill at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 250.  Arrange onion in bottom of large heavy pot with a lid.  Rinse pork, and place fat side up on top of onion, add wine.

This is the pork right after you put it in the put -- not very appetizing, right?

Cover pot, place in oven and braise pork, basing occasionally, until fork-tender 2.5-3 hours.  increase oven temperature to 400.  Uncover pot, and cook until meat is very tender and fat is crisp and golden brown, about 1 hour longer.

This is the pork belly after a couple of hours of braising -- lots more liquid (fat?)  -- and still not looking very good.  I kept going b/c it smelled good, and b/c frankly, there was not much else to do.

And, the finished product -- much better, right?  And something you'd actually want to have for dinner.


So I picked this recipe b/c , well, I've heard about pork belly before, but never used it.  It is supposed to be a delicacy (although not a lean protein, to say the least), used in Asian cuisine a lot.  This recipe looked fairly simple (although time consuming), so I thought I'd give it a try.

I have read other people having problems sourcing the pork belly.  People on line were suggestion Asian markets or grocery stores.  I had no problem finding pork belly at Whole Foods -- $7 per pound. Not cheap, but also not terribly extravagant.

So pork belly is a very fatty cut of meat -- in fact, I think bacon comes from pork belly.

This was very easy to make.  All it took was patience.  And the smell of the pork, onion and wine in the oven while gently braising -- it was very pleasant.

The dish is good.  Incredibly rich, salty -- but very tasty.  With the time, health effects and cost involved -- I would probably not make this dish very often.

Shiitake Mushroom and Potato Enchiladas

Source:  Real Simple Magazine

1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms

2 T olive oil

1 white onion chopped

1 large russet potato --peeled and diced into quarter inch pieces

1 c frozen corn, thawed

2 c shredded cheese

14 oz can of green enchilada sauce

8 corn tortillas warmed

fresh cilantro for serving

Heat oven to 400 F.  Combine the mushrooms and 2 c boiling water in a small bowl, and let sit until softened, 20 to 30 minutes.   Remove the mushrooms and chop, reserve the soaking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and potato and cook, tossing often, until the potato begins to soften, 6-8 minutes.  Add the corn, 1 cup of the soaking liquid, 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper.  Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until the potatoes are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 6-8 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl, and stir in 1 cup of the cheese.

Spread 1/2 c of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Dividing evenly, roll up the mushroom mixture in the tortillas and place seam-side down the the dish.  Top with the remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted, 12- 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with the cilantro.

I chose this recipe, well, b/c it sounded really good.

This was a fairly easy recipe to make.  There was some chopping involved, but that's par for the course.  The filling took a bit longer to cook than the recipe indicated.  Also, the green enchilada sauce came in a 10 ounce can -- so I used salsa verde to make up the 14 ounces.  In fact, I probably used a little extra, b/c I only had a few spoonfuls left in the jar.  Word to the wise - don't skip the step of warming up the tortillas -- they crack if you try to fold them up cold.  After I filled the 8 tortillas as the recipe suggested, I had enough filling left over to fill 3-4 more (but I didn't have room left in the pan) -- so keep that in mind when planning.

It's a delicious dish, and a slightly different twist on your standard Mexican fare.  The shiitake are savory and very umami, while the corn adds little bursts of sweetness.  The mellowness and earthiness of the filling is nicely balanced out the slight zing of the enchilada sauce.  Delicious, highly recommend.

Kwik Krumb Raisin Bars

Source: Pillsbury The Complete Book of Baking

Filling:
2.5 c raisins
1 c water
1 c applesauce
1 t lemon sauce
1.4 t cinnamon

Base and Topping:
2 c rolled oats
1 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c coconut
3/4 c butter

In a saucepan, bring raisins and water to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Drain.  Stir in applesauce, lemon juice and cinnamon.  Set aside.  Heat oven to 350.  In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar and coconut.  Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Reserve 2.5 c of crumb mixture for topping.  Press remaining crumb mixture firmly in bottom of ungreased 13x9 inch pan.  Spread evenly with filing.  Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture; press lightly.  Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes or until light golden brown.  Cool completely.  Cut into bars.

Another dessert.  Shocking, I know.  I am taking dinner tonight to some friends who recently had a baby.  So naturally, I had to make a dessert.  I thought this recipe looked versatile enough that after dessert tonight, they might have it from breakfast with coffee etc.  Plus, today is just an absolutely yucky day -- cold, rainy, gray.  Being that it's the middle of March, this might be the last really good day to make a "wintery" dessert.  In addition, I had all the ingredients at home, so it was an easy decision.  I did forget that one of my friends does not like coconut, so I really hope it won't come out very coconutty.

This was an easy dessert to make.  And it had that warm, homey feel to it that I had hoped it would. The simmering raisins smelled great, and I love the smell or raisins and apples together.  You have to bake it for a long time (and btw, mine took closer to 45 minutes to get golden brown) -- so everything gets nice and warm and smelling good.

The end result is delicious.  Highly recommend.  Even the coconut hater friend enjoyed it and had two pieces.  So go ahead, try this!

Chocolate Hazelnut Macarons

Source:  Good Housekeeping Magazine

1 c. hazelnuts toasted
1 c. sugar (I reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup -- see below)
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa (I used special dark cocoa)
1 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped ( I used semi sweet chocolate)
1/2 t salt
2 egg whites
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.  In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse hazelnuts with sugar, cocoa, chocolate, and salt until ground.  Because I didn't use unsweetened cocoa and chocolate and cocoa, I reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup.  Also, instead of sugar and vanilla extract, I used my special homemade vanilla sugar.  Add egg whites and vanilla, process until well blended.  Mixture will be tacky. I would say it looks like mud.
Drop batter by rounded teaspoons, 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.  Bake 10 minutes or until tops look dry.  Cool completely on cookie sheet on wire rack.

First a little ingredient note -- hazelnuts.  I grew up in Europe, where if you bake with nuts ... you are most likely using hazelnuts.  It's by far the most common nut used in cooking and baking (and I am using the term "nut" loosely, without regard to its actual botanical designation).  I grew up eating hazelnut pastries, cookies, chocolates, and I love hazelnuts.  They are delicious.  They are a little expensive, but nuts are generally not cheap, and it's well worth it.  In the raw form, hazelnuts have a papery peel, kind of like peanuts and almonds.  They taste delicious, crunchy and slightly grassy -- yeah, sounds weird, but true.

However, the true flavor of hazelnuts really shines after you toast them.  You can see hazelnuts in their raw form on the right, and toasted on the left.  After you toast them on a cookie sheet, 350 F for 15 degrees, take the (admittedly hot) hazelnuts and rub the papery skin right off. In addition to the texture being more pleasant without the skin, the taste deepens, mellows ...and turns into that delicious and unmistakenly hazelnutty taste.


Moving on from the hazelnuts.  Macarons -- the American version -- macaroons, is a dense, sweet coconut dessert.  Very delicious.  The French Macaron -- is a light cookie made with egg-whites and ground almonds, and some flavorings.  Two cookies are usually sandwiched together with a variety of fillings to make an delicious, light and airy and not overly sweet concoction.  I love macarons.  Possibly my favorite dessert.  They are crunchy, look gorgeous, come in a variety of flavors -- what's not to love.  Always thought they were hard to make, so when I saw this recipe, and it looked pretty easy to make, without whipping a meringue, piping complicated shapes ..... well, I jumped at the chance to try it.  The fact that there was chocolate involved didn't hurt matters either.

Very easy to make.  You just throw a bunch of stuff in the food processor.  Can I just tell you that when you open the food processor after pulsing everything together, the smell is heavenly -- chocolate and hazelnut is a fantastic combination  (as the makers and lovers of Nutella well know).  Makes sure you use parchment paper on your cookie sheet.  As there is very little fat in these (only what's in the hazelnut) they will stick to the pan like no one's business.

So these are not French macarons.  At all.  But they are very delicious cookies.  They are light and crispy -- yet very rich from the dark chocolate and the hazelnuts.  You think after you take the first bite -- wow, these are nothing, I can scarf down the whole pan in an hour.  Yet after the second cookie, you are strangely full.  Please don't let their pedestrian appearance fool you.  These are delicate, dark and rich cookies.  Not macarons, but a delectable treat nevertheless.