Molli's in the Kitchen

Roasted Tomato Sauce/ Soup

2011-09-27T10:06:00.000-04:00

Again with a tomato recipe. I know, but when you have a counter full of tomatoes, you must use them. Especially before they become a breeding ground for fruit flies. Trust me. I got this recipe from a friend, who got it from Jen Lancaster. Ok, so not exactly magic, but magically delicious. Depending on what is added in, and how much it is blended it can be sauce or soup. I love how easy it is to make, as long as you have a few hours. Nice thing, it is not hands on for the whole time, which is something I appreciate.

This stores very well in the refrigerator or freezer.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasted Tomato Sauce/ Soup

Approx 4 lbs. tomatoes, halved, no need to seed
1 onion, chopped or sliced
Olive Oil

Salt and pepper

Sauce: Garlic cloves, fresh basil, Italian herbs

Soup: Herbs de Provence, garlic cloves, cream

Preheat oven to 300º.

For Sauce: Toss with olive oil (I do this right on the sheet pan) halved tomatoes, half head (or to taste) of garlic cloves, peeled, onion, fresh basil leaves (12-15). Arrange tomato cut side down. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

For Soup: Toss with olive oil (I do this right on the sheet pan) halved tomatoes, peeled garlic cloves (to taste depending on how garlicky you want your soup) and onion. Arrange tomatoes cut side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper generously and Herbs de Provence

Roast 1 hour at 300º and then turn down the oven to 250º and roast another hour.

Peel skins off tomatoes and discard. Dump the contents of the sheet pans into a large bowl. Depending on how thick/ thin you like your sauce, pour all/some/none of the juices from the pan. Using an immersion blender blend into chunky sauce or soup thickness of your liking.

If making soup, add cream before serving.

Ratatouille

2011-08-31T21:48:00.000-04:00

I love summer tomatoes. Funny thing is that when I was a kid, I HATED tomatoes. I didn't care where they came from or what they were in, I was NOT eating them, well, besides ketchup. Like we keep telling the boys, tastes change. We have 3 different varieties growing in our garden - San Marzano, Heirloom and Sweet 100s. We have gotten a couple of varieties from our CSA too. Needless to say, for the past couple of weeks, our counter has been a resting place for tomatoes. Fun Fact: Tomatoes should be stored on your counter vs. the refrigerator.

We have a handle on the Sweet 100s. The boys, especially C, love to help pick them. More end up in their stomach vs. the tub, but that is A-OK with me. They seriously taste like candy. It is so easy to pop a couple (okay, handful) in your mouth. With the rest of the tomatoes, I've made sauce and plan on making marinara. I may even try freezing a few whole.

When the boys heard us talking about Ratatouille, they thought we were talking about the movie. C even asked if they got the recipe from the movie. The first time I heard of Ratatouille was in college. I was working at the genetics clinic and we had an intern, Sarah, from England for the summer. She was staying with our lab director, also British. Sarah would eat lunch with us and one day she had leftover Ratatouille. I remember thinking it was so exotic and beyond my comfort zone to even think about eating something like that. Like we keep telling the boys, tastes change.

We got eggplant in our CSA box so I knew it was time for Ratatouille. It is the epitome of summer to me - tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, summer squash, and fresh herbs. Any ratatouille is going to take some time. There is a LOT of chopping. I do think this recipe goes a little faster because you puree the red peppers and the tomatoes. Again, it is a lot of work, but this is seriously the best Ratatouille I have ever had. It is totally worth the two hours of chopping, cooking and stirring. Before I go further, I have to say, sadly the boys weren't nearly as big of fans of this as Ray and I were.

This makes a huge batch - but then when you have four pounds of tomatoes as the base, two and a half pounds of zucchini/ summer squash and a pound and a half of eggplant, you have to expect it. As suggested, this is even better the next day. You will not be disappointed eating this right after it is made.

I got this recipe from an online friend and I will be forever grateful to her.

Weapons Grade Ratatouille

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2011-08-25T02:30:00.000-04:00

We all grew up eating the chocolate chip cookies from the back of Toll House Chocolate Chip bag. Does anyone else remember the commercial with the song - "Open up the yellow bag, let's make some cookies!" It's funny when I think back to making those cookies. I didn't preheat the oven. I just turned on the oven as I put the baking sheet in the oven. It never occurred to me why the first batch always seemed to take so much longer to bake, or that they were never as good as the other batches. It never crossed my mind to make another recipe for chocolate chip cookies other than what was on the bag.

I can't remember the last time I made the Toll House recipe. I do know the last time I did, I was disappointed. It just wasn't as good as I remembered. My fall back is Alton Brown #10 or the Alton Brown Chewy, but I get on these jags, where I want to try something new. That is where this recipe came into play. I got the Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe a while back but hadn't made anything from it. I saw Joann Chang on Sticky Bun Throwdown with Bobby Flay and when her book came out, I knew I wanted it. The book is nice because the measurements for the ingredients are listed by weight and volume. I love that - so much easier to have a bowl on the scale and dump in vs. all the measuring cups.

Here are the notes from an article in The Atlantic:

Like so many home bakers, the first time I made chocolate chip cookies I used the recipe from the back of the Toll House Chocolate Chip package. I was probably 10 years old and my mom watched over the process to make sure I didn't burn the house down. I didn't, and the cookies became a staple in the Chang household. Once I started baking professionally, I was in a world where no recipe was ever good enough—and the idea of baking chocolate chip cookies from the Toll House package was like suggesting to Bill that he read Software for Dummies—way too elementary. So I tested every other chocolate chip cookie recipe out there (or so it seemed). Every pastry chef and his/ her mother has a version of this cookie that is purported to be a vast improvement on the classic Toll House. Then, in 2000, I had to pick a final recipe for our chocolate chip cookie for Flour Bakery. You know what? There's a reason why everyone loves the Toll House cookie recipe: It makes an amazingly swell cookie.

So I used that recipe as my starting point, but I did make a few small adjustments to bring it from good to great. First I substituted some of the all-purpose flour with bread flour which gives additional heft to the final cookie and makes it chewy rather than flat and crispy. I stirred some chopped milk chocolate to the dough, which adds a nice caramelized note. The dough can be baked immediately after it's mixed, but for the best results, I always wait at least a day so the dough firms up in the fridge and all of the ingredients have a chance to get to know each other—this makes for a much better cookie, believe it or not. And finally, most importantly, use the best chocolate you can. This is the key to making this recipe shine. Thank you, Toll House for your recipe but ixnay on the Nestle Chips please. Use a high quality 62- to 75-percent cacao chocolate and you will taste the difference.

We all really loved these cookies. I did use Toll House chips, because it was what I had in the house. If I were selling these at a bakery I would use higher quality chocolate, but for Ray and the boys, Toll house is just fine. The cookies are big, sturdy and chewy. I trusted the recipe with the addition of milk chocolate. It really does add the caramelized note. So good! I also made smaller size cookies, using a 2 tablespoon scoop, baking about 11 minutes, and used them for homemade ice cream sandwiches. The cookies were slightly cooled. The combination of warm, gooey chocolate chips with the cool ice cream was fantastic! It was cute because H took one bite of his sandwich and said this recipe should go on the "keeper" list.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Flour Bakery+ Cafe

1 cup (2 sticks; 224 grams) unsalted butter
¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
¾ cup (175 grams) light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ¼ cup (175 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (160 grams) bread flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups (9 ounces; 250 grams) chopped semisweet chocolate
½ cup (2.5 ounces; 70 grams) finely chopped milk chocolate

If you're baking the cookies on the same day you prepare the batter, heat the oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the center of the oven.

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or mixing by hand with a wooden spoon), beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until mixture is light and fluffy, about five minutes. Stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle itself a few times; the sugar and butter love to collect here and stay unmixed. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract on medium speed until thoroughly combined, two to three minutes. Again scrape the bowl and the paddle to make sure the eggs are thoroughly incorporated.

Mix together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, baking soda and salt. Add both chocolates to the flour mix and toss to combine. Turn the mixer to low speed (or continue to use a wooden spoon if mixing by hand) and slowly blend the flour-chocolate mixture into the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until the flour and chocolate are totally incorporated and the dough is completely mixed.

For best results, scrape dough into a container and let rest in the refrigerator for a day before baking. The next day, heat the oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the center of the oven. Drop the dough in ¼-cup balls onto a baking sheet about two inches apart. Press dough balls down slightly with the palm of your hand. If the batter does not fit all on one tray drop cookies on a second baking sheet and bake when the first tray is finished. If you have only one sheet tray, bake one batch and then cool the tray by running it under cold water before baking a second batch. Bake until cookies are golden brown on the edges and slightly soft in the center, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days. The unbaked dough can be stored for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge.

*Molli's Note: These are better if you let the dough rest for a day, but were very good when the dough refrigerated for a couple of hours. I also use parchment paper on the baking sheet for easy removal/ clean-up.

Zucchini Brownies

2011-08-16T05:39:00.047-04:00

She's B-A-A-C-K!

I know, it has been a while. A girl starts getting into long-distance running, work gets in the way, the boys are into more activities - LIFE! I missed blogging, so here I am.

We got A LOT of zucchini in our last box from the CSA, not to mention that we have a hybrid summer squash growing in the garden. A neighbor friend posted this recipe and once I saw all that zucchini, I knew where to put it. Quick note, in ANY recipe that calls for zucchini, I sub summer squash if I need/ want to.

The boys helped make these brownies. I think if you asked them what their favorite part was during the process, it would be a tie between using the food processor to grate the zucchini and making/ frosting the brownies. We always do a little "quality control" when baking, so sampling the frosting was a must.

The batter for the brownies is a little different than usual, no eggs. It is also a little dry until you add in all the zucchini. Then it is the consistency of a traditional brownie batter.

They are quick to put together outside of the grating of the zucchini.The brownies are moist and fudgy. The frosting puts these over the top - rich and delicious.

The recipe is supposed to make 24. Not in this house.

Zucchini Brownies

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded zucchini

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour (I like baking spray with flour) a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when gently touched.
To make the frosting, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa and butter; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners' sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.

Beet Greens with Sweet Onions and Feta Cheese

2010-07-05T14:06:00.002-04:00

We belong to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). If you aren't familiar with a CSA, you pay for a share (full or half) to a local farmer before the season starts. Then you get a share of whatever the farm produces. I think it is one of the greatest things we have ever done. For one, I love beets. Two, my boys eat a variety of vegetables that I probably would not buy at the store, because I had never had them, like kohlrabi for example. Three, I love knowing WHERE and HOW our food was grown and WHEN it was picked, usually the morning of distribution day.

Anyway, back to my love of beets. When we first got beets in the CSA box, I was a little nervous. Way back, when it was just me and Ray, we tried fresh beets from a store. I roasted them and they had this taste that neither Ray nor I liked. Woodsy and gross. They were huge and who knows how long they had been there. Our farmers knew we were new to a CSA, so they gave us advice on how to prepare certain veggies and what we could use. When they told us we could eat the greens as well as the beet root, I was a little surprised. I had never heard of that. I was still leery of the beet itself, so I started looking for a recipe to use the greens. Later, I will share a recipe for the beet itself that is SO good! Thus began our love of beets.

I've made this a number of times. Ray and I prefer it with chard or beet greens. You can also use kale, escarole, mustard greens or collards. C even liked it, although he wouldn't admit it. As always, I put a portion of everything on their plates, with the family rule that you at least try one bite of everything on your plate. C took one bite, then kept going back until it was gone.

This recipe is quite easy to make. The hardest part is washing and stemming the greens. If you use young, tender greens you won't need to stem the greens. With beet greens, if the beets are big enough to pull from the ground, you need to stem the greens. To stem, hold the stem with one hand and using your pointer and thumb of the other hand, slide up the stem of the green. Once you do it, you'll see what I mean. You can do this part while caramelizing the onions. It is more chopping and sautéing than anything.

You could serve this over short pasta, but we like it by itself, sometimes with a hunk of crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Beet Greens with Sweet Onions and Feta Cheese
Adapted from The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups sliced sweet onion, such a Vidalia, I used one large
3 larges bunches fresh beet greens, stemmed if necessary and coarsely chopped (~12 cups)
salt, to taste
feta cheese, crumbled, up to 1 cup
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add the onions and sauté over high heat for about five minutes. Reduce heat to medium, cover the pan and let the onions cook until very tender, about 10 more minutes.

Add the beet greens in batches, sprinkling lightly with salt after each addition and turning them with tongs, bringing up the wilted ones from the bottom to the top of the pile.

When all the greens have wilted, stir in the cheese and cook for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle generously with black pepper.

Serve hot or warm.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

2010-04-04T07:12:00.000-04:00

I always like to make a little something special for breakfast on holidays. I think I have mentioned it before but it is that whole tradition associated with holiday thing with me.

The boys and I had a great time making this bread. The nice thing about making bread with the kids is that since the bread needs a couple rises, there are breaks that they can play and it doesn't seem like drudgery. My boys both love to measure and pour the ingredients. They love to turn on the mixer and give the dough some kneading. H especially loves to smell the ingedients and what we are making along the way. They both enjoyed rolling out the dough and patting the filling on. Really, I think they like making bread because it is so hands on.

This dough is really great to work with. It comes together really nicely. It also seemed easy to roll out. The hardest part for me was making sure it was the right measurements (8x16) before adding the filling and rolling up into a loaf shape.

This recipe had some tips that were different than any that I have seen for a swirl type of bread. They really helped though. The first was to use an egg wash vs. butter to help keep the bread from unravelling when slicing. Butter acts as a barrier between the pieces of rolled-up dough, preventing them from cohering, and giving you bread that "unravels" when you cut it. On the other hand, the protein in egg acts like glue, cementing the bread and filling together, and allowing much less (though still a bit) unraveling. The second is to blend the sugar, cinnamon and raisins until smooth. This well help the filling be more cohesive and moist as well as add a subtle flavor. I used a small food processor. Again, a small appliance that boys love to operate.

The filling makes this bread moist and the flavor is oh.so.good! Yum! This bread is also different, and better, than store-bought because of the topping.

The house smelled out of this world while it was baking!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread
King Arthur Flour
Dough
3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup potato flour
1/4 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup water

Filling
egg wash, made from 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins or currants
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Topping
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dough ingredients, mixing till the dough begins to come away from the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough with an electric mixer for 2 minutes; allow it to rest for 15 minutes, then continue kneading it for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until it's smooth. If you're kneading by hand, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface; knead it for 3 minutes; allow it to rest for 15 minutes, then continue kneading till smooth, an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set it aside to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours; it'll be puffy, if not doubled in bulk.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into a long, thin rectangle, about 16 x 8 inches. Brush the dough with some of the beaten egg, combine the filling ingredients, and pat them gently onto the dough. Beginning with a short edge, roll the dough into a log. Pinch the side seam and ends closed (to keep the filling from bubbling out), and place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap or a dough-rising cover, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 hour at room temperature, or until it's crowned about 1 inch over the rim of the pan.

In a small bowl or mini processor, combine the streusel ingredients, cutting in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. If you're using a mini processor, watch carefully; streusel will go from crumbly to a cohesive mass in just a second or so. Brush the loaf with some (or all) of the remaining beaten egg, and gently press on the streusel.

Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for about 45 minutes, tenting the loaf lightly with aluminum foil for the final 15 minutes or so if it appears to be browning too quickly. Remove the loaf from the oven, and after about 5 minutes, gently remove it from the pan. Some of the streusel will fall off, but you cal alleviate this by first loosening all around the edges of the loaf with a knife, then turning the pan on its side and gently pulling it away from the loaf. Streusel will continue to fall off as you maneuver the bread but you'll still be left with some nice, sweet topping.

Stroganoff-Style Spaghetti 'n' Meatballs

2010-03-31T02:15:00.000-04:00

This is a true 30-Minute Meal. I had to work late, yada, yada, yada, you know the story. I needed to get something on the table, and fast. Luckily, I remembered this recipe that I saw in a Taste of Home magazine while at my parents. I pulled it up on the computer and had dinner in about 20 minutes. We keep meatballs, turkey and/or beef, in the freezer for times like this. Since the meatballs are pre-cooked, this dish takes as long as it takes for water to boil and spaghetti to cook.

This recipe is great just because we keep these ingredients in the pantry/freezer and it was seriously quick.

The boys really liked this. C requested it be on the "Make Forever" list. It was also a nice change from red sauce spaghetti.

This dish isn't the most photogenic. I will add, there was a nice green veggie on the plate but that got eaten before I remembered to take a picture of the plate.

Stroganoff-Style Spaghetti 'n' Meatballs Recipe

Adapted from Taste of Home

1/2 pound uncooked spaghetti

1 package (12 ounces) frozen fully cooked Italian meatballs
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil (I used less)
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/4 cup 2% milk
1teaspoon beef base
1/8 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the meatballs, onion and garlic in oil for 4-5 minutes or until meatballs are browned. Stir in the soup, milk, beef base and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or until heated through.

Gradually stir in sour cream; heat through (do not boil). Drain spaghetti. Serve immediately with meatballs and sauce over spaghetti.

Green beans and garlic

2010-03-25T07:04:00.000-04:00

Green beans are one of my favorite vegetables. I love them pretty much any which way. These are one of those recipes that are SO simple yet impressive. They come together very quickly. If I am making them for company, I will have the ingredients measured out so it goes that much faster, down to the green beans already steamed.

If you aren't a wine person, you could easily use chicken or vegetable broth instead.

The boys are hit and miss with these. I think it is because of the wine. I need to take my own advice and just use broth. I don't always use the almonds either, but they really give a nice flavor and texture to the dish.

To toast almonds, I use the stove top method. I put them in a non-stick skillet over medium-heat, medium-high if I am not going to move a step away from the pan, and stir often until nicely browned. The nuts can go VERY quickly, so turn off the heat once they are browned to your liking. If you don't remove them from the pan immediately, they will cook some from the residual heat in the pan.

Garlicky Green Beans

1 lb fresh green beans -- cut into 3" pieces -- frozen works fine too

2 TBS butter

3 cloves garlic -- finely minced

1 tsp chicken bouillon granules (can crumble a cube)

1/4 cup white wine

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 - 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Steam or boil green beans for 4-5 minutes until crisp-tender.

In medium skillet over medium heat melt butter, add garlic, and saute for 2 minutes or until tender and fragant.

Add green beans, stir well to coat with the butter/garlic mixture, sprinkle chicken bouillon over beans and stir to mix, then saute another 3 minutes to desired doneness.

Turn heat up to medium high, then pour in the wine and let it sizzle and evaporate most of the alcohol. Lower heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and stir thoroughly. Top with toasted almonds. Serve immediately.

Turkey Gyros

2010-03-23T02:16:00.003-04:00

I am note-writer on my recipes. In cookbooks, yes cookbooks, computer print-offs, and with sticky notes on recipe cards. I like to have our rating, yes I rate recipes, but not always, if it was fast and easy, what we liked about it, and any changes. Whenever I see this recipe, I smile. What makes me smile is the note I made after C had them for the time. My note on the recipe says "C Devoured". Actually that was an understatement. He was probably around 18 mo or so and he just went crazy. I still smile thinking about it.

I got this recipe online a few years back. Ray and I always liked them. They are easy to make and the leftover meat freezes well. Now I purposely double the batch so there is plenty for the freezer, and we have a super easy dinner for later. I also got into the habit of making these for new moms. I give them a container of meat, a container of Cucumber Sauce, a package of pitas and sliced tomatoes. They can be eaten whenever.

It seems like a lot of ingredients, but really it is just ground turkey and onions with some seasonings added in. I make the Cucumber sauce first so the flavors have time to meld. I also taste before serving. Sometimes it needs a little extra sauce. Be sure to scrape all the seeds out of the cucumber as they can thin the sauce in a bad way. I use a spoon.

This meal can be on the table in less than 30 minutes.

We eat out Turkey Gyros with extra sauce.

Turkey Gyros

1 pound lean ground turkey

1/2 cup onion

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

4 pita breads - 7"

Cucumber Sauce

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt

1 cup sour cream, light

1 medium cucumber -- seeded and chopped

1/4 teaspoon dried dill

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 dash black pepper

In bowl combine all Cucumber Sauce ingredients, stir.

Mix all turkey ingredients in non stick skillet and brown.

Spoon hot meat mixture over pita and top with sauce

Lemon Chicken with Croutons

2010-03-15T06:15:00.033-04:00

Doesn't that look delicious? It is seriously the best roasted chicken I have ever had. BEST EVER. The ingredients are so simple but when combined together, it is a chicken to be reckoned with. In a recent episode, Ina updated the recipe a bit and told the story of how women have gotten proposed to, after making this chicken for their boyfriends. I know 3 males who go crazy for it every time I make it.

I got this recipe from Ina Garten's cookbook Barefoot in Paris.

The chicken is simply stuffed with a couple of lemons, after having the inside cavity salted and peppered. Then it is a rub with butter or olive oil, and more salt and pepper. You place it on top of a bed of sliced onions tossed with olive oil. Don't go too crazy with the olive oil but don't skimp either. Then the chicken is ready to roast.

The first time I tried it, I thought it was weird to have the chicken served over the croutons, but oh my! When you get the pan juices,onions and chicken on top - WOW! I use the bread that I make for sandwiches. It is a firm loaf and holds up well for this.

Outside of using olive oil for the butter for coating the skin of the chicken before roasting, I follow this recipe to a "T". It has turned out perfect and delicious every time. This recipe would be great for anyone who is afraid of roasting a whole chicken. You will not be disappointed.

Lemon Chicken with Croutons
Barefoot Contessa- Ina Garten

1 (4 to 5-pound) roasting chicken
1 large yellow onion, sliced
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, quartered
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 cups (3/4-inch) bread cubes (1 baguette or round boule)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Take the giblets out of the chicken and wash it inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers. Toss the onion with a little olive oil in a small roasting pan. Place the chicken on top and sprinkle the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper. Place the lemons inside the chicken. Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels, brush it with the melted butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

Roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Cover with foil and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. (The onions may burn, but the flavor is good.)

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until very hot. Lower the heat to medium-low and saute the bread cubes, tossing frequently, until nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add more olive oil, as needed, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the croutons on a serving platter. Slice the chicken and place it, plus all the pan juices, over the croutons. Sprinkle with salt and serve warm.

Cream of Carrot Soup

2010-03-10T07:12:00.000-05:00

Let me start out right now with an apology. I did not intend to go this long without a blog post. But, I am a working mother, so sometimes life gets in the way.

This is one of my family's all time favorite soup recipes. This soup is so good, that H requests it, a lot. We first tried the soup almost 4 years ago, when my sweet H was born. A neighbor gave us a pot of this as part of dinner she made us. We usually have all the ingredients in the refrigerator/ pantry, which is a plus.

This comes together in under an hour. It goes even faster when you use baby carrots and don't have to peel! I will sometimes throw in an extra handful of carrots just because. It doesn't throw anything off. You could also make this vegetarian and use vegetable broth. I prefer chicken broth because I think it has more flavor. I use milk, lately 2%, but you can go all out and use cream. I like to eat more than one bowl, and would feel WAY too guilty doing that, but you can.

I have a stick, or immersion blender, and use that vs. pouring it in batches into the blender. If you do pour by the batch into the blender, be very careful and don't fill the jar of the blender too full. That is an accident waiting to happen.

This makes a very large batch of soup. We usually have enough for everyone to have at least a bowl, remember I have two, and a large container for the freezer, and another container in the refrigerator.

The soup freezes very well.

Cream of Carrot Soup

4 tablespoons butter

2 onions -- chopped

12 carrots -- peeled and sliced (6 cups)

3 stalks celery ribs -- chopped (not too many or will taste bitter)

5 medium potatoes -- peeled and diced

10 cups chicken broth

1 cup whole milk -- or cream

salt and pepper -- to taste

Melt butter in large pot; add onion, carrots, and celery; then cook uncovered 10-15 min, stirring ocassionally. Add potatoes and stir until coated. Stir in broth and cook, partially covered, until potatoes are tender (about 20 min). Puree in blender in as many increments as necessary, with blender cautiously vented. Empty pureed portions into another large pot. When all pureed, stir in cream, add salt and pepper to taste, and reheat if necessary without boiling.

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Alton Brown's #10

2010-03-01T02:16:00.001-05:00

Everyone has their favorite recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies. Me, I have recipes I like for certain reasons. Yes, I have a couple that I go-to most often, but I can't say that I have the *one*. My friend Julie says her chocolate chip cookie recipe is the best. Now, I have not seen the recipe or tried a cookie (let me give the caveat right now that Julie is an excellent cookie baker. Every cookie I have had of hers, is excellent), but I know if it is cakey, I won't think it is the best. I like a chewy, chocolate chip cookie. I like it soft, not crunchy when I bite into it.

Most often, I go back and forth between this cookie, Alton Brown's #10 and Alton Brown's The Chewy. While the cookies are similar, they are a little different too. In the directions for this cookie, there is no chilling time. I always add chilling time. Then again, I usually chill the cookie dough before baking regardless. I have friends who chill the dough 48-72 hours before baking, after making these cookies from Jacques Torres that was published in the New York Times. I have made them, and they were very good, but when I get a craving for chocolate chip cookies, I don't want to wait 2 or 3 days.

Back to the cookies at hand. These are rich, chewy, chocolatey. Alton Brown's #10 uses ingredients everyone has in their pantry. This recipe is from his book I'm Just Here for More Food: Food x Mixing + Heat = Baking. This recipe uses the muffin method, so you combine the dry, add them to the mixed wet, then stir in your add-ins. The cookies come together quickly.

I also take my cookies out on the earlier side so I can ensure they are chewy.

Chocolate Chip Cookie #10 from

I'm Just Here for More Food - Alton Brown

Mix and set aside:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Now mix together the wet ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Now add the dry to the wet and mix gently with a wooden spoon. Do not over mix!! While there is still some flour showing, add 2 cups chocolate chips and mix the rest of the way.

Bake 10-11 minutes or until golden at 375º.

Bourbon Glazed Pork Tenderloin

2010-02-26T05:07:00.001-05:00

Like a lot of things I make, I like to think that I have made them so many times that I have perfected them.

This pork is based off of Bourbon Glazed Salmon. I tweaked the recipe to have enough of the marinade to reserve some to use as a sauce. I also marinate the pork much longer than the salmon. Using the technique from another recipe, I tried cooking the pork in the marinade, vs. broiling it and the marinade has a more prounounced flavor. I also think the pork is jucier. Pulling it from the oven at 155 degrees and letting it sit for 10 minutes before slicing also helps with that.

I also learned a small trick when using the reserved marinade. Since it does have bourbon in it and the alcohol can have that raw taste, bring it to a boil to take the edge off.

This pork is easy enough for a weeknight, but also tastes special enough to serve to company. You can do the bulk of the work before your guests arrive and then pop it in the oven to cook when the time is right.

Bourbon-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup bourbon
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 - 2 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; reserve about 1 cup of marinade. Refrigerate. Add pork tenderloins to zip top bag. Seal bag, and marinate in refrigerator 2 -8 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Empty ziploc bag contents into a 11x3 baking dish, marinade and all, and bake for about 25 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 155 degrees. Let pork sit about 10 minutes before removing from baking dish and slicing.

Take reserved marinade and heat in a sauce pan until it starts to boil. Serve pork with a drizzle of sauce.

Candy Carrot Coins

2010-02-24T02:05:00.003-05:00

C & H both love carrots. They like them raw, roasted and cooked. These carrots have been on our rotation for years. They taste good and most importantly, the boys eat them right up. Actually, we all do.

I make these carrots quite often because they are always well recieved and they seem to make the dinner seem more special. And the boys gobble them up, did I say that already?

Using a bag of baby carrots and a microwave steam bag these come together in a snap. The longest prep step is slicing the carrots and keeping little hands from swiping the sliced carrots.

Candy Carrot Coins

Family Fun Fast Family Dinners

1 pound carrots
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon water

Peel, slice carrots. Cook until tender ( cover with water, microwave 6-7 minutes covered or steam etc.)

In small frying pan, melt the butter, sugar and water, and cook for 1 minute. Add carrot coins and toss to coat with the brown-sugar mixture. Cook on low for 3-4 minutes, or until the carrots are thoroughly glazed.

Makes 4 servings

Lemony Chicken Piccata

2010-02-22T07:08:00.000-05:00

It seems like everyone has a recipe or two that is their go-to when it is rolling on dinner time and have nothing planned. That is what Lemony Chicken Piccata is for us. It is easy and good. Most importantly it is pretty quick in the grand scheme of things.

I was watching Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa D'Arabian and got a great tip that makes this chicken even easier. Instead of pounding the chicken flat, which makes the chicken even in thickness, Melissa cut a thick chicken breast in half width-wise. I tried it the next time I made this recipe and it really did make the prep faster. It isn't as even as the pounding with a mallet, but when you are trying to get dinner on the table, it is fine. It is easier when the chicken breasts are slightly frozen.

I also used my trick of mixing the dredge ingredients (flour/salt/pepper/garlic powder) in a ziploc bag and adding the chicken. The clean up is so much faster and easier. Again, on a weeknight, it is all about getting good food on the table in a reasonable amount of time.

A fresh lemon is a requirement for this dish. No ifs, ands, or buts.

I apologize that the picture isn't the most appetizing. I am working on that.

Lemony Chicken Piccata

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon honey

Combine flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a ziploc bag.

Slice the chicken breasts in half, width-wise. You can also put the chicken breast between 2 sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet until they are about half of their original thickness. If you pound, you will need to cut the chicken in half as well.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the flour mixture in the ziploc bag. Shake off the excess flour and put in the skillet. Cook the chicken until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Flip the chicken and saute until lightly browned and cooked through, another 2-3 minutes.

When the chicken is cooked, remove to a plate. Depending on how many chicken pieces you have, you may have to do 2 batches. You may also have to add a little more oil to the pan.

Reduce the heat to low, and add the butter to melt. Once melted, remove from heat and add the honey and the juice of the lemon. Add any juices from the platter of chicken. Stir to combine and pour the sauce over the chicken. Serve.

Popovers

2010-02-17T05:28:00.025-05:00

I can't remember why I tried these popovers in the first place. It was most likely because I had never made or tried them. This recipe was also in a new cookbook and when I get a new cookbook, I like to try something right away. Whatever the reason, I am glad I did. We all love these popovers. They are buttery and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I do not like eggs in pretty much any form but I love the slightly eggy taste inside. Popovers are quite similar to eclairs or Pâte à choux.

The boys love to help when making these. They can do pretty much do all of it by themselves. They can crack the eggs, pour the milk and measure the salt and flour. They also love buttering the muffin tin. *HINT* When letting children crack eggs, have them crack each egg on the bottom of a bowl. Any mess is contained and if you need to pick out a piece of shell, it is much easier. Pour each egg into the mixing bowl after it is cracked.

Along the way, I have learned a couple things. Most importantly, Eggland's Best eggs do not work for whatever reason. I tried a couple times and each time ended up with a tin of hockey pucks. The popovers didn't rise. Secondly, using a blender makes this really easy. Add the eggs and milk to a blender. Mix. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and well blended. This makes for easy mixing and pouring.

The oven needs to be preheated, hot and ready to go when the popovers are put in to bake. When baking, DO NOT open the oven until the time is up.

We love these served with some butter and homemade strawberry jam.

Perfect Popovers

Mollie Katzen

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Brush the inside of 12 muffin cups with melted butter.

Break eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add milk and beat well. Add flour and salt; whisk in until well blended. Pour batter into each muffin cup; cups should be about half to two-thirds full.

Bake 30 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and prick with a fork to let steam escape. Serve immediately.

The BEST Chocolate Cake

2010-02-15T06:26:00.093-05:00

By now you know, I am all about tried-and-true recipes. Don't get me wrong, I love trying out new recipes like anyone else, but when I find one that becomes a tried-and-true, JACKPOT!

We had my parents over for my Mom's birthday and when I asked what flavor cake she would like, she said chocolate. Easy enough. Well, once I started going through my cookbooks, it became a little overwhelming. I like a challenge, but I had some time constraints and wouldn't be able to do something too time consuming,

I have read/ heard about the Black Magic Cake from Hershey's and once I saw the recipe I knew it would be the one I would try. Then I read the recipe from the back of the container of cocoa and the Perfectly Chocolate Cake was really similar. I decided to combine the two recipes and it is a winner.

This cake is very easy to make. The ingredients are found in most pantries. You don't need to melt, sift, or alternately pour. It can be done in one bowl and all you need is a hand mixer. Outside of measuring, this cake is just as fast and 100 times better than any box mix.

The frosting really sets off the cake and takes it to another level.

You have to try this cake, it is rich, moist, chocolately and DELICIOUS!

Molli's Chocolate Cake

Cake
2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup black coffee

Frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. (Batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Frosting: Cream butter. Stir in cocoa. Mix in vanilla. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed.

*sour milk - 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup

Banana Bread

2010-02-12T05:54:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, you come across a dud recipe. This time it came to me in the form of Banana Bread. The recipe sounded good. It came from a Penzey's catalog and the woman who sent it in raved about how good it is. But then again, if I were to submit my recipe to a catalog/magazine, I would rave too. It was a little different than other banana breads I usually make because it calls for buttermilk, which I happened to have in my refrigerator. I will be honest, it made the recipe more appealing.

It's not that the recipe is bad, but it is not worth repeating. We ate the bread, and the boys seemed to like it. We've had better is all. Ray and I thought it was lacking in the banana flavor. With most quick breads, it is better the next day. This bread was actually worse!

The recipe that follows is for a tried and true Banana Bread. It is adapted from Cooking Light. I have made it both ways in the little loaf pans and the big loaf. All depends on what you are in the mood for. The recipe is simple and the bread has a lot of flavor.

Mom's Banana Bread
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 2/3 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2 large egg whites
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine sugar and butter in a bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add banana, milk, sour cream, and egg whites; beat well, and set aside.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; stir well. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, beating until blended.
Spoon batter into 4 (5 x 2 1/2-inch) miniature loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Let cool completely on wire racks.
To make one 9-inch loaf, spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; bake at 350º for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Roasted Kale

2010-02-10T05:53:00.000-05:00

This recipe was posted on a cooking board I read. We've had Kale once or twice and it isn't our favorite. We like Beet Greens and Swiss Chard MUCH better. After reading everyone rave about how good this was, I thought, what the heck.

It was very easy to make. C and H had fun using the salad spinner to dry the Kale. That was really the most labor intensive part of the whole deal. It is a matter of tossing the Kale pieces with olive oil then a sprinkle of salt. Easy peasy. We all thought it was good. Ray and I thought it was better than the boys did.

The texture was crispy and the Kale almost melts in your mouth.

I used the curly variety, and would use a flat variety i.e. Dinosaur Kale next time. It would be easier to dry and I think it would be a little crispier.

This is a good way to try a new vegetable if you haven't tried Kale, or are not a fan.

Roasted Kale

I bunch Kale

Olive Oil

Salt

Tear up kale and remove the stems

Toss with a tablespoon of oil and a sprinkle of salt. Place on a baking rack set over a sheet pan and bake at 250°F for about 25 minutes, tossing about halfway through.

Don't oversalt.

Pumpkin Muffins/ Bread

2010-02-08T02:09:00.001-05:00

Ah, Snack Day. A big thing for a kindergartener. C knew he wanted pumpkin bread a LONG time ago. It is his turn about every 6-8 weeks. The only rules are that the snack be healthy and have no peanuts - funny how some parents can't seem to remember this! I didn't think his teacher would really appreciate me sending in a few loaves of bread, so I decided muffins, portioned and transporable, and told C to pick which muffin liner he wanted for his pumpkin muffins. Scooby Doo for those interested. I made a double batch so H also brought some into his preschool class for snack.

This bread is so good and so easy. I tweaked the recipe, substituting half of the AP flour with whole wheat just a little to make it a little healthier. I also added ground ginger. I didn't have any buttermilk and used sour milk instead. I made the sour milk before mixing any of the other ingredients. It is 1 tablespoon white vinegar into a 1 cup measure and the remainder of the cup milk. So, for this recipe 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons white vinegar and milk to the 1 2/3 cup. By the time I got to the part of adding the buttermilk, the milk was soured enough. Having 2 helpers also slows things down, in a good way of course.

Especially when using the wheat flour, this bread is better the next day. Of course, it is good when cooled too.

Depending on how much you fill the muffin liners, you will get between 24 and 30. I filled mine about 2/3 full and got 30. I forgot to take a picture of the ones I sent to school, so these were the ugly ones I kept home for us to eat. The boys loved having a few extra to eat with breakfast the next couple of mornings too. They really are delicious!

Pumpkin Muffins
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour OR whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups canned pumpkin purée
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 375ºF and put liners or grease two muffin tins. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, spices, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the pumpkin and sugars. Mix until well combined, and then add the eggs and oil. Mix until incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed. With the mixer on low, add the flour in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk, and mix until just combined.

Bake 19-20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.Transfer pans to wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and let cool completely.

For Bread: Coat two 8.5″ × 4.5″ loaf pans with butter. Bake for about an hour, at 350º rotating the pans halfway through. A cake tester should come out clean. Cool the pans on a rack for ten minutes, remove the loaves from the pans, and cool completely.

Honey Oat Bread

2010-02-05T05:21:00.000-05:00

For whatever reason, I remembered this bread. I used to make it pretty often, then I forgot about it. I am glad I thought about it again. The boys, C and H, have gone crazy for it. They eat it as sandwiches for lunch and with peanut butter and honey for breakfast. It is very good toasted. That is how I have been eating it for breakfast.

Instead of making two loaves, I split the dough and made a loaf and bread and rolls. The boys also loved those. It probably helped that I whipped up a quick batch of honey butter ( 1/4 salted butter and 2-3 tablespoons honey).

This bread is a little more involved but it is oh so good. It is soft with a nice texture. The honey gives the bread a slight sweetness. The oats, a tender chew.

Take the time and try this bread.

Honey Oat Bread
Adapted from The Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookbook

2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup rolled oats
1 packet yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons
1/3 cup warm water
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 teaspoons salt
6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour

Pour boiling water over the oats in a large bowl and set aside to soak until all the water has been absorbed and the mixture is lukearm, stirring occasionally.

About 5 minutes before getting started with the bread, add the yeast to the warm water in a small bowl. Stir to combine and let sit about 3 minutes, until frothy.

Stir the honey, oil, and 2 teaspoons salt into the softened oats, then stir in the dissolved yeast mixture.

Using either a stand mixer with a dough hook or by hand, stir in 4 1/2 cups flour. Mix or knead (by hand)additional flour until a pliable but firm dough forms, one that is sticky but is stiffer than most white breads. The amount of flour will depend on the humidity and the brand of flour. Knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Grease a large bowl, gather the dough into a ball, place in the bowl and turn the dough so it is coater. Cover loosely and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Gently deflate the dough. Divide in half and shape into a loaf or rolls. Place the loaf or rolls into a greased pan. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

Once doubled, bake loaves at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Bake rolls at 375 degrees, 15-20 minutes.
Let loaves cool completely before slicing.

Sesame Stir-Fried Broccoli

2010-02-03T05:41:00.000-05:00

I mentioned before that broccoli is a vegetable the boys go crazy for, so I am always on the lookout for new recipes. I found a winner with this one. The boys gobbled this up and asked for seconds! Ray and I enjoyed it too.

It has asian flavors with garlic, ginger and sesame. The toasted sesame seeds give it that extra layer of flavor that sets it off. Make sure you really reduce the sauce to intensify the flavors. It is easy to just say good enough because it smells so good, but you will be rewarded with your patience.

This reheated well and will be on our rotation.

At this time, I will mention a pet-peave of mine. Yes, I am lazy, so 9 times out of 10, I google the recipe to see if someone has posted it. I found this recipe, but the poster did not give credit where credit is due. They changed the name of the recipe and the oils called for and called it their own. This recipe belongs to Jack Bishop, from his cookbook, Vegetables Every Day.

Sesame Stir-Fried Broccoli

Vegetables Every Day

1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 1/4 peanut oil
1 pound broccoli florets, rinsed, patted dry, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

Toast the sesame seeds by first heating a small, stick-free sauté pan on medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and jiggle the pan so they spread out in a single layer. Let them cook until lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes. Do not walk away from them while cooking, as once they start to brown they can easily burn. Once lightly toasted remove from heat and put into a small bowl, set aside.

Mix the stock, soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil together in a small bowl, set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil in a large, covered sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the broccoli florets, stir to coat the florets with the oil, Sauté for about a minute. Clear a space in the middle of the broccoli and add the ginger and garlic. Add a little more oil to the ginger and garlic (about a teaspoon) and sauté for half a minute, stirring just the garlic and ginger, until fragrant. Then stir the garlic and ginger in with the broccoli.

Add the chicken (or vegetable) stock mixture to the pan. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and cover. Let cook for 2-3 minutes, until broccoli is still firm, but can be pierced with a fork. Remove from heat. Remove broccoli with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Return pan to heat, increase heat to high and boil down the liquid until just a couple tablespoons remain. Turn off heat, return broccoli to the pan, add the toasted sesame seeds, toss with the liquid. Put into a serving bowl.

Serves 4.

Pork Bulgogi

2010-02-01T05:11:00.000-05:00

A friend was talking about Bulgogi and the next day, this came in my inbox from Everyday Food. Perfect timing! I have made something similar before so I knew we would like this.

I made a small error when making this. C does not like anything with too much spice. I don't know what I was thinking. Well, I do. I read the recipe before cooking and saw that the marinade was thrown out, so I thought no big deal, the crushed red pepper will be tossed out. WRONG! It stuck to the meat. I got most of it off, but after one bite the boys had a fit. We ended up rinsing C's off. H takes the heat better and ate it once the red pepper was off. I know for next time to cook their portion separate and to add the crushed red pepper to ours.

I doubled the recipe because I cannot remember ever buying a pork tenderloin that didn't wasn't at least two pounds.When I sliced the meat, it was partially frozen, and it sliced much easier. I sliced it very thin. I also did use the toasted sesame seeds and it really added a nice flavor to the dish. I served it over rice.

I am not a big leftovers person, but this was so good that Ray and I had it for leftovers.

Pork Bulgogi
Adapted from Everyday Food

6 small garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce, low sodium
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons ginger, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 pound pork tenderloin, very thinly sliced crosswise
1 large onion, cut into 12 wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine garlic cloves, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, crushed red pepper, ginger, and ground pepper.

Add pork tenderloin and onion wedges; marinate at least 10 minutes. I marinated about an hour.

In a 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. In batches, brown pork and onion, 3 to 5 minutes per batch. Discard marinade.

Return all pork and onion to skillet; cook until warm. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, if desired.

Rice Pudding

2010-01-29T05:17:00.002-05:00

There are some things your family does that you've done all your life, that it is normal to you. I will pass this oddity on to our boys. It wasn't until I was an adult that I found out that rice pudding is a dessert to most people. Not in my family. In my family, it is a side dish to meatloaf. Yes, meatloaf. I remember Ray thinking it was odd the first time he had it at my parent's house as part of meatloaf dinner. Now I think he cringes because it is sweet and it is part of the meal, not dessert. Although, the boys did like the meatloaf and scalloped potatoes so much that they ate like Albert (from Bread and Jam for Frances) and made it all come out even.

I love this recipe because of its history. My Mom got it from her Mom. I tell this to the boys when I make it for them. My Grandma made this, just like their Grandma makes it. She refers to her small gold casserole, and I know exactly what she is talking about. I *know* she uses the casserole for other things, but as a kid, I swore that was the rice pudding dish and that was all it was for. I will post the recipe as I got it from my Mom, who got it from her Mom.

Rice Pudding

4 cups milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup rice

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Spray casserole with Pam before putting in ingredients. This fits in my small gold casserole, 1 3/4 quart dish. Mix together right in baking dish. Dot with 1 tablespoon butter.

Bake 2 hours at 300 degrees. Stir occasionally if you are home.

Scalloped Potatoes

2010-01-27T05:17:00.000-05:00

Ray jokes that I have my "specs" (specifications) and I will admit I do, but to me, some foods just go together. They make each other taste better. I can't cook a meatloaf without having scalloped potatoes. It was how my mom always served it when I was growing up.

I remember my Grandma making these potatoes. I remember my Mom making this potatoes. The taste is the exact same when I make them. For whatever reason, when we were kids, my mom started calling these Scalloped Bo-Bos. My boys looked at me a little funny when I said what I was making. I had to explain about why. I think it helps that my Mom, Brother and I also say Vanil for vanilla. Don't ask me why. I can't even remember. I can hear both of them saying it if I close my eyes. I have gotten the boys saying Vanil. :)

Back to the food. With the help of a food processor, this is an easy dish to make. It is a matter of thinly slicing potatoes and onions and mixing with a few other ingredients. We only had some fingerling potatoes left from our CSA, so I used those versus going to the store. Since they were so small, I scrubbed them really good and didn't peel them.

These are good served warm, but they are also good cold out of the refrigerator.

I will share the recipe the way my mom gave it to me.

Scalloped Potatoes

Peel and slice about 8 potatoes and 2 onions. (medium size)

Mix together with about 1/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. I do it with my hands because that is the way my mother did it.

Put in 3 or 4 quart casserole sprayed with Pam. Cover with milk. Put 3 pats of butter on top. (~ 1 tablespoon)

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. If you are doing something at 300 degrees in the oven, you can do it at that temp for 2 hours, i.e. Rice Pudding.

Pioneer Woman's Meatloaf

2010-01-25T05:16:00.001-05:00

It isn't very often you take a bite of meatloaf and say WOW! Even more rare for your husband to take a bite and say WOW! This is a WOW! meatloaf. This meatloaf is just that good.

The only reason I even made this meatloaf was because I don't have the recipe for my Mom's meatloaf. She and my Dad were out of the country, (aboard the Queen Mary 2, on their way across the Atlantic on their way to Dubai!) so I couldn't call and get it from her. I will eventually, because that is a good meatloaf too. It was cold and gray, and we were craving some comfort food. So, I looked to my cookbooks. Yes, I prefer to page through a book versus looking online. Ray thinks I am crazy for that! I knew PW would not steer me wrong.

I adapted the recipe a bit. The original recipe called for 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped, fresh parsley and I am just not so sure of that in meatloaf. I also didn't feel comfortable substituting dried. I had everything else, which is another nice thing about this meatloaf. The meatloaf came together very easily.

I am not sure if I mentioned before that earlier this fall we purchased 1/4 of an organic, grass-fed cow. The meat is very lean. It is the beef I use in all of our cooking. So, even though I lined the bottom of broiler pan, I didn't need to because we didn't have a lot of grease. You probably would with anything else- well, maybe not ground sirloin. I would do it anyway just in case. I also used center-cut bacon, which is less fattier than regular bacon.

The tomato gravy is so good! It really makes the meatloaf, so don't skip it!

The cooking time in the cookbook was WAY off for my oven. I know my oven is heating to temperature, so I think PW has a super-powered oven. We ended up eating the meatloaf from the ends, then cooking it quite a bit longer. I adjusted the cook time in the recipe below.

The one thing I would do differently next time, is cook the meatloaf for 15-20 minutes without the tomato gravy on, to get the bacon crisped up a bit. The texture was a little off to me.

Meatloaf
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

1 cup milk
6 bread slices
2 pound ground beef
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon Lawry's season salt
Fresh ground black pepper
4 eggs, beaten
8 -12 thin bacon slices

Tomato Gravy:
1 1/2 cups ketchup
6 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Hot Sauce, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour the milk over the bread and let it soak in for several minutes.

Then, combine the ground beef, milk soaked bread, Parmesan cheese, salt, seasoned salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the beaten eggs.

With clean hands, mix the ingredients until combined.

Form into a loaf on a broiler pan.

Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking underneath.

To make the tomato gravy, pour the ketchup in a small mixing bowl, and add the brown sugar, dry mustard, and Tabasco. Stir until combined.

Pour one third of the tomato gravy over the meatloaf. Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another third of the gravy over top. Bake another 45 minutes.

Serve the remaining tomato gravy as a dipping sauce.

Chicken and Broccoli

2010-01-22T09:09:00.000-05:00

There is nothing better when you are sitting at the table and one of your boys say "We should put this on our list to make forever"!

The only reason I picked this recipe to make was that I had some grilled chicken to use up and couldn't think of anything to make off the top of my head. We also some broccoli that needed to be used up. Perfect!

While eating this, Ray and I both could see why kids would like this. It was a very simple flavor - with chicken and broccoli, served over rice. It is a solid dish that comes together quickly. It helps that we have a rice cooker so once I decided to make this, I got that started and didn't have to think about that. Having my chicken already cooked, this came together in about 15 minutes. So keep this in mind if you have leftover chicken or even turkey hanging around.

Chicken with Broccoli
Adapted from Cheap, Fast, Good

1 can (14 oz) chicken broth, divided
1 1/3 cups rice
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts -- or a couple cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup
16 oz broccoli, chopped, fresh or frozen (I used fresh)
cheddar cheese, shredded

Bring 3/4 cup chicken broth and 2 cups water to a boil. Add the rice, stir, and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Chop the onion and add to skillet. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Add to skillet. Season with black pepper. Stir often. Add the garlic to cooking chicken. If using pre-cooked chicken, add to skillet once onion is softened.

After 5 to 6 minutes, or chicken is cooked, add the cream of chicken soup and the remaining 1 1/4 cups broth to the skillet. Stir until the soup is blended and the sauce is smooth. Add the broccoli to the pan. Cover and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Serve the chicken, broccoli and sauce over the rice. Sprinkle with cheese.

Crockpot Turkey with Cranberry Sauce

2010-01-20T05:42:00.001-05:00

I got this recipe years ago and it is a favorite. It is SO easy and relatively inexpensive. I stock up around Thanksgiving when they put the turkey breasts and cranberry sauce on sale. I have changed my method a little bit over the years. At first I just dumped the ingredients on the turkey breast. Now, I mix them together before putting them on the turkey breast. The hardest part, is getting the sauce packet out of the frozen turkey breast. But really, that isn't so bad in the grand scheme of things. This recipe does take a little planning in that it takes about 10 hours to cook. I have done it in about 9 hours, but someone needs to be around to change the heat setting a couple hours later.

Crockpot Turkey with Cranberry Sauce

1 frozen, bone-in turkey breast (4-7 pounds)

1 can cranberry sauce, I use jellied

1 packet onion soup mix

Place frozen nturkey breast in crockpot, with sauce pouch removed. Mix cranberry sauce and onion soup mix. Spoon over turkey breast. Cover and cook about 10 - 12 hours on low.

If using a smaller size turkey breast, i.e. a 4 pounder, it will be done faster than a 7 pounder. I have gotten into the habit of using a 7 pounder and will start it on high for 2 - 3 hours, then take it down to low, and cook total time 10 hours. I have a 6-Q round crockpot and 7 pounds is a large as I can go.

Oven Baked Beef Stew

2010-01-19T05:18:00.002-05:00

My friend Sandy shared this recipe. It is so, so good. It has become a Fall/Winter favorite. It is something I save for the weekends, because it takes a couple of hours to cook. It is started on the stove top and then moved to the oven.

The chopping doesn't take too long, and most of it can be done while the beef is browning. The flavor is well balanced. It doesn't seem to matter what type of beef you use - I've used an English Roast as well as the stew meat. It comes out delicious every time.

It has been about a year since I made this last. I knew the boys had forgotten it, Ray did too at first, but I knew they would love it once they tasted it again.I love being right. I was asked to put this on our list to make forever. The boys asked for seconds too!

This makes a large batch of stew. There was enough left over for a couple servings for lunch as well as a big bowl for the freezer for some harried weeknight we need something quick. The stew freezes and reheats well.

I had between a 1/4 and 1/2 bag of green beans and corn in the freezer, so I threw those in too. It normally doesn't look this corny.

Oven Baked Beef Stew

My friend Sandy

1 tablespoon. oil
2 pounds stew meat, cut in 1½" cubes
1/3 c. flour or 1/4 c. cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
2 teapsoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon marjoram
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
10 oz. beef broth
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cups cube peeled potatoes (I use closer to 3)
1 cup sliced celery
4 medium carrots, sliced (2 cups)
3 small onions, chopped
1/4 tsp. pepper
16 oz chopped green beans, frozen (optional)
16 oz corn, frozen (optional)

Preheat oven to 325º. Heat oil in 4 quart Dutch oven over medium. Brown beef cubes in oil.

Add flour, salt, garlic powder, marjoram and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, broth and wine; mix well. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add remaining ingredients, mix well.

Cover; bake for 2 hours or until meat is tender, stirring twice during baking. If using the corn and/or green beans, add to the dutch oven with an hour left in cooking. I always use both.

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

2010-01-18T05:16:00.002-05:00

I got this recipe e-mailed to me from Martha Stewart. It makes a small batch, and Ray likes Oatmeal Cookies, so I thought what the heck. Well, the boys weren't exactly excited for Oatmeal Raisin. I told them we could add some mini m&m's to half and then they were game. Hmm, wonder where they got that from!

These are definitely a healthier tasting cookie. Ray commented on it without knowing. These cookies are made with oil versus butter, which is makes them crispy, not chewy. We all liked them. The boys were happy to take them in their lunch. They are good, for a healthy cookie.

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1/2 cup dried raisins
1/4 - 1/2 mini m&m's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours and baking powder; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add flour mixture, and stir to combine; mix in oats and raisins.

Using two tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll into balls; place on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.

Cool 5 minutes on sheets, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 5 days.

One-Pan Whiskey-Flavored-Pork Chops

2010-01-15T05:41:00.002-05:00

I first came across this recipe back in January of 2001. We really enjoyed it. But, I don't repeat a lot of things. I like to cook, obviously, and enjoy making new recipes. So this got buried. The next time we had it was in 2004, when my mom was staying with us to help out right after C was born. Sadly, I think we have had this once or twice since then!

I saw some nice boneless pork chops at the grocery store and just picked them up to have on hand and pop them in the freezer. Then I remembered this recipe. (My print-off is in a stack of tried-and-trues in a drawer in the kitchen that I went through a number of times over the holidays, so I most likely saw it then.) I got them back to the fridge to thaw out.

I didn't exactly have all the ingredients in the house. We didn't have any fresh mushrooms but I did have some dried porcinis that I used instead. That was fine, but the fresh does taste better and I would recommend using those. I used the soaking water in place of the water to help oomph the mushroom flavor. I also had probably half cup of sour cream so I used all that I had. The recipe does taste better with the full amount.

The boys enjoyed these, as do Ray and I. They don't take a lot of hands-on time, but you do have to plan a ahead because they take an hour to bake. Don't let the half cup of whiskey scare you. The alcohol burns off.

One-Pan Whiskey-Flavored Pork Chops

Cooking Light, January 2001

2/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops, trimmed ( I use boneless most often)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1/2 cup whiskey

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.

Sprinkle pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; saute 5 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove pork from pan. Add onion and mushrooms to pan; saute for 3 minutes. Carefully add whiskey to pan; cook for 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir sour cream mixture into pan. Return pork to pan; spoon sauce over pork.

Wrap handle of skillet with foil. Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. Serve immediately.

Wilted Spinach with Garlic and Chiles

2010-01-13T05:40:00.000-05:00

I love spinach. It is something that I didn't really eat much of until I was an adult and cooking on my own.

This recipe comes together so quickly. It is also nice because you can easily remember the recipe without having to look it up and you can also tweak it to your tastes.

Since this recipe has crushed red pepper, I do add that after I have removed a portion for the boys. This is a lesson I have learned the hard way, and sadly, do not always remember. Remeber to decrease the amount of red pepper if you do this. Another lesson I have learned the hard way.

Wilted Spinach with Garlic and Chiles

Vegetables Every Day

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - I use less

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes or 1 small dried red chile, minced

2 1/2 pounds spinach, flat-leaf, washed and shaken dry

salt

Heat the oil in a deep stockpot. Add the garlic and hot red pepper flakes and saute over medium until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add the spinach leaves and stir to coat evenly with the oil. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Cover and cook; stirring occasionally, until the spinach is partially wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove the cover and cook another minute or two or until any liquid in the pot has evaporated. Adjust the seasonings and serve immediately.

Cranberry Catalina Chicken

2010-01-11T05:55:00.000-05:00

While I was helping out at C's Halloween party, his teacher mentioned to the parents helping out, the great leftovers she had for lunch. She told us about this recipe, that she had made the night before. She said it was so good and so easy. I knew it was something I had to make.

It took me a while to try it, but once I did, we were hooked. I have made it a couple times since then. It is something that we all enjoy, and best of all, easy to make. It takes 4 ingredients ( chicken, Catalina dressing, cranberry sauce and onion soup mix) and about an hour of your time.

We prefer the whole berry cranberry sauce to the jellied. I think it is a little too sweet with the jellied. I also use Fat Free Catalina with no problems. This recipe is also very flexible. I have used varying amounts of chicken, 1 - 1 1/2 pounds and could easily use 2 pounds. As long as the chicken is laying flat in the baking pan it is fine. There is plenty of sauce. This would probably be good with pork too.

Cranberry Catalina Chicken

1 - 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can (15 ounces) whole berry cranberry sauce, or jellied if you like

1 packet onion soup mix, I use Lipton

8 oz Catalina dressing, regular or Fat Free

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cranberry sauce, onion soup and Catalina dressing.

Put chicken in baking dish and pour dressing mixture over the top. Cover with foil.

Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes more.

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze

2010-01-08T05:52:00.000-05:00

We all love cinnamon rolls in this family. C & H especially. But really, what kid doesn't?

I go back and forth between this recipe and the Overnight Cinnamon Rolls. These rolls are not as rich but the glaze is. I really need to do a side-by-side comparison because it seems the one that is my favorite is the one I most recently made! On the plus side for these rolls, is that we will have one pan for breakfast and the other gets put in the freezer, with half the glaze, for another morning.

I have gotten into the habit of making these rolls to give as gifts to teachers and friends around the holidays. When I give these as a gift, I give them frozen and I also include a tub of the glaze. They have been well received and I include instructions on how to store, let them rise and baking.

The dough comes together easily. My boys love adding the ingredients to the mixer and then turning up the speed. I do it all in the stand mixer. The boys do love giving it a knead or two, so of course I let them. They love the smell of the dough and everything coming together.

I usually make these the night before we have them for breakfast. I follow the directions through placing the rolls in the pan and covering with plastic wrap. Then, I put the covered rolls in the fridge for a slow rise. The next morning, I pull them out for about half an hour to sit at room temperature while the oven heats up.

When I am giving them as a gift or putting a pan in the freezer, I usually let the rolls sit out, covered with plastic wrap, about 30- 45 minutes before covering with foil and putting them in the freezer. The night before the rolls will be eaten, I put them in the refrigerator to thaw/slow rise, about 8 - 10 hours. If using frozen glaze, pull that out and put that in the fridge as well. Again, let the rolls sit at room temperature about half an hour while the oven heats up.

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze

Adapted from Molly Wizenberg

Dough
1 cup 2% milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast
1 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Filling
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
Glaze
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dough
Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120°F to 130°F, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Replace paddle with dough hook. Add 2 1/2 cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Bring speed up to medium and knead for about 4 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Or, after a ball is formed in the mixer, turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. Form into ball.

Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

Filling
Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl.

Punch down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15x11-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over butter. Starting at 1 long side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, cut dough crosswise with thin sharp knife into 18 equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide).

Spray two 9-inch baking dishes with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack. Cool 10 minutes. Turn rolls right side up.

Glaze
Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2010-01-07T05:56:00.001-05:00

I have a quirk, in that I love the taste of buffalo tenders, boneless wings etc. but I do not like to eat wings. I know, weird. In loving all things "buffalo", I knew I would like this dip.

I served this as part of an appetizer spread. This was definitely a hit. I served celery sticks, tortilla chips and Fritos alongside.

Besides being delicious, this dip is great because it can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

There are A LOT of different versions out there. After reading reviews, I tweaked the recipe enough that I now have my own version. It was super easy to make. Leftovers also tasted just as good warmed up as the dip first dip from the oven.

Molli's Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 pound of chicken breast, poached and shredded

2 8-oz blocks cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup ranch dressing

1/2 cup blue cheese dressing

3/4 - 1 cup pepper sauce ( such as Frank's Red Hot)

6 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

4 oz blue cheese, crumbled (or use crumbles)

Preheat oven to 350º

Mix cream cheese, ranch and blue cheese dressings. Add Monterrey Jack and mix until well blended. I used my hand mixer.

In an 8x11 pan, spread half of the cream cheese mixture. Top with half of the shredded cheese. Top with half of the pepper sauce, depending on how hot you want the dip to be. Layer half of the blue cheese. Repeat all the layers.

Cover with foil and bake 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Serve with celery sticks, tortilla chips and/or corn chips.

Szechuan Green Beans with Ground Pork

2010-01-06T05:49:00.000-05:00

Everyone needs a few go-to recipes for a quick weeknight meal. This is one of those. It is tasty, easy and healthy! We all love it so much that I try to keep ground pork in the freezer so we can whip this up when we need a quick dinner. The rest of the ingredients we have in the pantry. This recipe doubles very easily and reheats well.

In the winter,we use frozen green beans, and during the summer months, we use fresh. Both are just as good.

Ray and I like the heat of the crushed red pepper, but the boys do not. We usually take out their servings then add in the pepper. We also added a little ground cayenne as well and that added a nice layer of heat.

Szechuan Green Beans with Ground Pork

Adapted from: Cooking Light 4-06

1/2 pound lean ground pork
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 teaspoon peanut oil
12- 16 oz cut green beans, steamed
2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic (generous)
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce (generous)
2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and next 3 ingredients; cook 3 minutes or until pork loses its pink color, stirring to crumble.

Add green beans to pan.

Add garlic, hoisin and next 3 ingredients to pan. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Serve over rice.

Cheesy Potato Casserole

2010-01-05T05:54:00.001-05:00

I love a good, cheesy potato casserole. This recipe comes together quickly, because there isn't much prep work involved. Other than finely dicing an onion, it is an assembly. The onion gives a nice background flavor. I used seasoned salt in place of regular.

I am sure you could use low fat ingredients (soup, sour cream, cheese, less butter).

I mixed up the potatoes in the morning and baked them just before serving at dinner. They also reheat very well.

Cheesy Potato Casserole

1- 2 lb bag frozen diced hash brown potatoes
1/2 cup butter
1 onion
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
salt (seasoned) and pepper, to taste
1 pint sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup

Preheat oven to 350º

Microwave potatoes for 5- 7 minutes to thaw.

Finely dice onion and put in a 9x13 pan. Slice butter and add to pan. Microwave butter and onion until butter is melted.

Add the soup, sour cream,cheese, seasoned salt and pepper to the butter and onions. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add in potatoes, mix gently to not smash the potatoes.

Bake at 350º for 45- 60 minutes.

The Spiced Life Family Sweet Rolls

2010-01-04T05:52:00.002-05:00

Laura, from The Spiced Life, posted about her family sweet rolls after Thanksgiving. They are similar to the roll recipe that I use, so I had to try them. If you click the link, Laura wrote a very nice post about the family tradition, how they roll them etc.

These rolls are excellent. The dough was very easy to make. I followed Laura's suggestion and used mostly buttermilk and a little half-and-half. I also used about 11 cups of flour. I used my stand mixer to bring everything together. It was filled to the brim!

I had a small operator error. I used a sheet pan for the rolls and as you can see by the picture, I had a pan FULL of rolls. The rolls around the edges were fine, but the ones in the middle needed a bit more time to bake. Next time, and there will be a next time, I will use a sheet pan and a half sheet pan so there is more space for the rolls to keep their shape and bake up better. I will also try Laura's shaping method. She did tell me it wouldn't hurt to just roll the dough into balls and bake them off.

The Spiced Life Family Sweet Rolls
Laura's mom's grandma (goes back at least to the 1920's)

2 cups scalded milk (or buttermilk--I use a splash of cream and then top off with buttermilk)
1 cup unsalted butter
2 t salt
1 cup sugar
3 scant T dry active dry yeast (or 2 packages)
1 cup lukewarm water (100 - 120 F)
6 well beaten large eggs
10-12 cups flour (less for moister roll; can sub a little white whole wheat flour if desired)

Begin heating the milk or buttermilk on the stove in a small saucepan. In a large mixing bowl, place the butter, salt and sugar. When the dairy is bubbling around the edges and thoroughly hot, pour it over the butter/sugar. Set aside for the butter to melt and the mixture to cool (for the first time recently it did not melt the butter--if this happens, place in the microwave for 30 second increments).

In the meantime, stir the yeast into the lukewarm water. Set aside to get foamy.

When the butter mixture is cool enough to insert your finger into it comfortably, add the eggs and mix thoroughly. Then add the foamy yeast/water. Mix again. Add 2 cups of flour and beat thoroughly for 2 minutes. The dough with be lumpy at first, which is fine. Then finish adding the flour, 1 cup at a time and mixing to completely incorporate in between each cupful. The dough will begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl, but otherwise will remain quite moist and sticky. If you are not sure how much flour to start with, I recommend 11 cups--next time you can adjust to preference.

Cover the mixing bowl with a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise. Every time the dough threatens to rise over the edges of the bowl, i.e., it has about doubled, punch it back down. About an hour before you want to serve the rolls, clean a large workspace and generously dust it with flour. Grab a handful of dough (it will be sticky), place it on the counter, generously dust the top with flour, and roll it out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Using a sharp knife, slice a pie wedge shaped piece out of it (you do NOT need to be particular about this) and roll it, starting at the wide edge, into a rustic butterhorn. Place it on a greased cookie sheet. How close you place the rolls is up to you. I like them to rise into one another, because I like the soft, fluffy middles the best. My sister would prefer they be spaced apart to get more crust. When you have filled a pan, cover it with a damp or floured towel (either will work) and set aside to rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

20 minutes in, preheat an oven to 375 F. You can do one tray in the center, or 2 trays in top and bottom thirds, rotating halfway through. Bake for 17-22 minutes, until browned. Serve as hot as possible.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man.

- Benjamin Franklin

New York Style Cheesecake

2009-12-31T05:50:00.000-05:00

Cheesecake is one of those desserts that most people really enjoy but don't make themselves. It is also really nice to have a solid recipe in your repertoire. This cheesecake has been a hit every time I have made it. It rivals any cheesecake that I have had in a restaurant.

I make it in a square springform pan because it is a 9-inch pan. My round springform pans are 8 1/2-inch, 9 1/2-inch and 10 inch. I prefer my cheesecake to be thick so the first time I made this, I made it in the 8 1/2-inch pan and didn't use all the filling. I also cooked it a bit longer than stated in this recipe. If you make it in a bigger pan, you should start checking the cheesecake a little earlier.

Some things that have helped me along the way.

Cream cheese should be at room temperture when you make the filling. Let it sit out about 1 1/2 hours prior to mixing.

Use a water bath to prevent cracking. The filling is can get overcooked and a water bath will protect it from the direct heat.

To avoid condensation on the surface of the cheesecake, let it cool completely, then cover the pan (not the cake) with a paper towel and an inverted plate.

To slice the cheesecake neatly, dip a knife in hot water and wipe dry before cutting.

New York Style Cheesecake

Adapted from Everyday Food

Crust
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (if using salted, omit salt below)
14 graham crackers ( 3-by-5 inch)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Filling
2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-by-3-inch springform pan. In a food processor, pulse graham crackers until fine crumbs form; add melted butter, sugar, and salt, and pulse to combine. Press crumb mixture into bottom and about 1-inch up the side of the pan. Bake until set, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool. Reduce oven to 325 degrees.

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy, scraping down the side of the bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in lemon juice, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl after eacj addition. Bean in sour cream.

Wrap bottom half of the pan in foil. Pour in filling; place in roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up to side of springform. Bake until just set in center, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove pan from water; let cool 20 minutes. Run a pairing knife around edge; let cool completely. Cover; chill overnight before serving.

Split Pea Soup

2009-12-30T05:56:00.000-05:00

There is something about homemade Split Pea Soup. It just tastes so good. The critical ingredient is a ham bone when making the soup. It is the benefit of hosting and having ham for dinner. This soup has few ingredients but is full of flavor. I did remove most of the ham from the bone before adding it to the soup. I set it aside to add back to the soup for the final stage. I also blended the soup with my stick blender as I wanted it on the thicker side.

This soup tastes great the next day. It is a little thicker, but that is to be expected.

Split Pea Soup

16 oz dried split peas

8 cups water

1 ham bone

1 cup finely diced celery

1 onion, diced ( I used a large onion)

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1 1/2 cup diced carrots

salt and pepper to taste

Combine peas through pepper in a large dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove ham bone from soup, remove any meat and dice. Add ham and carrots to soup. If you have any additional ham add that too. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove lid and simmer until thickened to your liking. Salt and pepper to taste.

Jam Thumbprints

2009-12-29T05:48:00.000-05:00

There are some sources for recipes that I trust. Ina Garten, or the Barefoot Contessa, is one of them. She is like my mom, in that I know if she gives me the recipe, it will be good. These Jam Thumbprint cookies are SO easy and SO good. I love the short ingredient list, the chewy cookie and the taste. My sister tried one for the first time this year and she had to restrain herself.

The cookie itself is a shortbread. The dough is rolled into balls, then rolled in an egg wash, then coconut. I have tried the cookies with and without the coconut and they are just not as good without the coconut. When comparing the with versus without, the cookie with the coconut had a better texture.The coconut isn't a big flavor in the end cookie. Even if you are not a coconut fan, you have to try these. Ray is not the biggest fan of coconut but he goes crazy for them.

I have tried apricot, raspberry and a mixed berry jam and prefer the berry flavor. I also make my cookies a little smaller than the orginal recipe. Again, just my preference.

The dough can be doubled easily, which is nice if you are in need of a lot of cookies. If you have the dough made and chilled, you can really crank these out. I made a double batch and had them finished in a little over 2 hours.

Jam Thumbprints
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Raspberry and/or apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. (If you have a scale they should each weigh .7 ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 18 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

2009-12-28T18:17:00.001-05:00

As I have said before, I seem to only make some foods around certain holidays. Peanut Butter Blossoms are another one that I only make around Christmas. I don't know why. There isn't anything Christmas-y about them and they are super easy. If I see these on cookie trays, I gravitate to them. I am a fan of the peanut butter and chocolate combination.

My two helpers had a ball making these with me. They helped count out the kisses and unwrap them. They may have eaten a couple in the process too! They also liked rolling the peanut butter balls in sugar before baking. My favorite time to eat these is after the cookie itself has cooled and the Hershey Kiss is set yet still melty on the inside.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Hershey

48 Hershey's Kisses

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar

Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

About 4 dozen cookies.

Buckeyes

2009-12-21T07:03:00.005-05:00

Buckeyes are another candy that I associate with the holidays. It was such a big production. Then again, my mom did most of her holiday baking in one day. I remember sneaking down to the basement to snitch one (or two!) from the freezer. I wasn't the only one. One year my sister made them mid-year just make them and we thought it was such a big treat. Growing up, we all loved them, and now Ray and the boys love them too. Like fudge, I started making these when I was in college. They were a big production then too. Now, not so much.

I cranked these out like it was nothing. I always, always, always use my stand mixer. The bowl has a 6 quart capacity and just barely holds everything in when it is mixing it up. Yes, I could halve the batch, but really, you may as well go for broke when making these. Everybody loves them. I think it helped that I used a cookie scoop that holds about a tablespoon. I just had to give the balls a light roll. I put the balls on a waxed paper lined baking sheet and popped them in the fridge to chill. After I finished all the peanut butter balls, I started dipping. I put the chocolate covered peanut butter balls back on the waxed paper lined baking sheet. C even helped me dip some.

Since it is cool outside, I set these on a shelf in the garage while I finished the rest of the batch. When the chocolate was set, I put them in an airtight container, with wax paper between the rows. I store these either in the refrigerator or freezer. I was done in less than 2 hours!

Using my tablespoon sized scoop, I got 181 Buckeyes. I probably would have had a few more but for the sake of quality control, we had to try the peanut butter mixture before we dipped it in chocolate.

My product testers said they aren't good, they're awesome! Santa loves to stop by our house, because these are always out for him on Christmas Eve.

Buckeyes

1 pound butter (must use butter), room temperature
3 pounds powdered sugar
2 pounds peanut butter
3 tablespoons vanilla
21- 24 ounces milk chocolate
1 bar Gulf wax

Mix butter, powdered sugar, peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Roll into balls.

Melt chocolate and wax over double boiler.

Dip peanut butter balls into chocolate, leaving a bald spot of peanut butter to resemble a buckeye. Set on wax paper until chocolate is set.

Broccoli and Wonderful Peanut Sauce

2009-12-18T06:02:00.002-05:00

For whatever reason, my boys have always loved broccoli. When C was little he used to pretend he was a lemur when he was eating his broccoli. The boys especially love broccoli when it is served with this peanut sauce. It is a fight over who gets the last piece! This sauce is that good. It is quick to whip up - literally 2 minutes if you have the hot water ready. I usually steam the broccoli and serve the peanut sauce warm or room temperature. We will set some aside for the boys before adding the cayenne. It adds a nice heat layer. I also use less water so the sauce is a little thicker. It is my preference. I also will make the sauce to serve or chicken or pork tenderloin. It is also good with pasta, chicken, sugar snap peas(or peas), and a little red bell pepper.

Broccoli and Wonderful Peanut Sauce
Mollie Katzen- The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without

1 1/2 pounds broccoli -- 1 large bunch
1 cup good peanut butter (I use Jif)
1 cup hot water
2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 to 4 tablespoons light colored honey
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
3 to 4 tablespoons finely minced cilantro (optional) (I don't use)
cayenne to taste
salt to taste if peanut butter is unsalted

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, trim and discard the tough stem of the broccoli and slice the rest lengthwise into 6 to 8 spears.

Simmer the broccoli for 2 minutes, if you like your vegetables tender-crisp, and 3 minutes of you prefer them more tender. Drain in a colander, then run the broccoli under cold running water to cool. Drain thoroughly, then dry the broccoli, first by shaking it emphatically, then by patting it with paper towels. The broccoli will keep, stored in a zip-style plastic bag, for several days.

Place peanut butter in a bowl, add hot water and stir patiently with a fork or whisk until smooth.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover tightly and chill.

Bring to room temperature before serving with lightly steamed broccoli or other vegetables as a dip.

Makes 2 cups sauce; serves 8 generously.

Four Step Chicken

2009-12-17T07:00:00.004-05:00

I loved watching this past season of Next Food Network Star. After the first episode, I knew I wanted Melissa D'Arabian to win. She was the person I could relate to the most and I liked her personality. On the finale, she demonstrated this chicken. Watching her, I thought, I could do that, and I did. I can whip this up on a weeknight and it is so good. A bonus is that EVERYONE likes it. This recipe is based on what Melissa presented on the finale, close to what is on Food Network.

Four Step Chicken
Adapted from Melissa D'Arabian Next Food Network Star

1 pound chicken breasts, you can use more
heaping 1/4 cup of flour
salt
pepper
1 onion - sliced
olive oil
1 cup total of (chicken broth and/or white wine and/or lemon juice) -- I use all 3 (1/2 c broth, 1/4 c. white wine, 1/4 c. lemon juice)
1 tablespoon butter

1. Put flour, salt and pepper in a Ziploc bag. Shake to mix. Pound chicken breast to an equal thickness and add to bag. Shake to mix. I have 2 little helpers for this.

2. Heat olive oil in pan. Saute chicken until golden brown on each side. Remove chicken and let rest on plate.

3. Add onion and saute in pan until translucent. Add more oil if necessary. Add liquid, scraping bottom of the pan to pick up any of the fond. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid to about half.

4. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Pour over chicken and serve.

Pancakes!

2009-12-16T06:14:00.061-05:00

My boys LOVE pancakes, especially when I add m&m's. I use the mini of course. In the past, I used Bisquick or other mix, as a helper in getting my pancakes on the table fast. Not anymore. This tastes better and I like knowing the ingredients in the food I make for my family. These pancakes are so light and fluffy too!

This mix is a cinch. I did it in batches in the food processor then put everything in the food processor for one final mix. I store this in the refrigertor to help it last longer. If you want, you can substitute half of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat or white whole wheat. The mix will need to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer though. This mix can be stored about 1 month at room temperature, 3 months in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

Quick Mix Pancake Mix
King Arthur Flour Bakers Companion

9 cups (2 pounds, 6 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
5 tablespoons (2 3/8 ounces) baking powder
5 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup dried buttermilk powder
3/4 cup dry milk
1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1 1/2 (9 3/4 ounces) vegetable shortening

Measure all dry ingredients into a large bowl, whisking them together to blend. An easy way to do this is put a third of the flour mixture in the food processor with a third of the shortening. Pulse to blend. It should look like fine crumbs. Store mixture in an airtight container. Shake mix well to fluff up before using it. It will compact as it sits.

Quick Mix Pancakes
One dozen 3-inch pancakes

1 - 11/4 cups ( 8 to 10 ounces) water or milk, depending on how thick you like your pancakes
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups (9 ounces) Quick Mix

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the water or milk, egg, and vanilla. Mix the liquid into the Quick Mix and stir gently until just a few small lumps remain. The lumps will disappear as the pancakes cook. Heat a griddle over medium high. Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop batter onto griddle. Turn pancakes when the bubbles on the surface remain open. Continue to cook until pancakes are done, depending on thickness, 30 to 60 seconds

Layered Bean Dip

2009-12-15T07:48:00.000-05:00

Tis the season for appetizers, fa la la la la, la la la la. This recipe is one of those that you look at the ingredients and it doesn't look like anything special, but once it is all together, is great. This recipe is another easy and flexible recipe. You can modify it for your tastes. I have been using Pepperjack cheese and refried beans with diced green chiles to add some extra kick. I prefer this closer to room temperature vs. hot out of the oven.

This bean dip also travels well. It can be made ahead and either heated at your destination or heated in your oven and toted in a pyrex portable type thing.

Layered Bean Dip

Adapted from Cooking Light - 9/2001

1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 cup bottled salsa
1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine beans; spread in an 8-inch square baking dish. Spread sour cream over beans; top with salsa and cheese. Cover; bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes or until bubbly. Serve warm.

Baked Ziti

2009-12-14T07:31:00.028-05:00

As you have probably guessed, I like recipes that are easy. This one is just that - and flexible to boot! Even better. I have been making this baked ziti recipe for a long time now. When it was just Ray and me, I would make this in two 8x8 pans and pop one in the freezer for later. I usually have the ingredients on hand or can make do with what is in the house without sacrificing the taste. I don't always make it with the sausage. Sometimes I use all ground beef. I have also used diced, leftover beef roast in the place of the ground beef and sausage. If I don't have provolone, I will use Italian blend and/or mozzarella.

Baked Ziti

Epicurious

1 pound uncooked ziti
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
2 26-oz jars pasta sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese -- sliced
1 1/2 cups light sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese -- shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese -- grated

Preheat oven to 350.
Cook pasta until barely al dente (will cook further in oven).
Combine the beef and sausage and brown in a skillet. Add the sauce and simmer until pasta is finished.
In a 9x13 pan coated with cooking spray, spread half of the ziti.
Layer the provolone cheese on the ziti, then spread the sour cream over the cheese.
Ladle half of the sauce mixture over the sour cream.
Spread the remaining half of the ziti in the pan.
Cover with remaiining sauce, top with the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes. Let the pan sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Mint Chocolate Delights

2009-12-10T06:30:00.003-05:00

I saw these baking chips when I was tooling through the holiday candies and food gifts at Target. Mint and dark chocolate, can't go wrong. The recipe on the back of the bag looked good too.

I whipped these cookies up in a few minutes. The cookie is chocolate and complements the chips nicely. It is a really good chocolately base. The dark chocolate chips get very melty while the mint chips mostly retain their shape. These were good warm from the oven and cool. Even Ray, who isn't much of a mint/ chocolate combo person liked these.

These aren't the most beautiful cookies. If I were putting these on a cookie platter, or taking them somewhere, I would hold back some of the mint chips to top the cookies with so people would have a visual of what the cookies will taste like.

Mint Chocolate Delights
Nestle

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House Dark Chocolate and Mint Morsels

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by well-rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Bourbon Glazed Salmon

2009-12-09T05:57:00.004-05:00

We try to have fish at least once a week - namely salmon. It is what we all prefer when it comes to fish. This is a recipe from Cooking Light. It was first published in September 2001. Ray and I loved it then and we still love it now. It is easy to prepare and tastes great. I do marinate it longer than the recommended 30 minutes, about an hour. I usually cut the marinade in half and do four fillets. Or, you can make the full batch and set some aside before adding the meat. Boil down the reserved marinade, and spoon over the fish before serving. I usually put aluminum foil in between the top and bottom pieces of my broiler pan. It makes clean up much easier.

The marinade is also great on pork tenderloin.When I use it with pork, I marinate 6-8 hours.

I served the salmon with some sauteed spinach with garlic and garlic roasted red skin potatoes.

Bourbon-Glazed Salmon
Cooking Light

1 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
Cooking spray

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add salmon fillets. Seal bag, and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning bag once. Remove fillets from bag; discard marinade.

Preheat broiler.

Place fillets on broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 11 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Boy oh Boy!

2009-12-08T06:15:00.003-05:00

Like most kids, my boys LOVE to decorate cookies. They also have a ball decorating gingerbread houses. We started the tradition 4 years ago when C was just 18 months old. I have always bought the kits, trains or houses, and we decorate. The upside is that it is very easy to assemble and the only prep work is getting the candies into bowls for easy access. The downside, well, the gingerbread is not exactly tasty. The boys asked for a house to decorate and Ray and I thought of something better. We'd make our own cookies for the boys to decorate.

This is my favorite recipe for gingerbread cut-outs. The dough is easy to work with and most importantly, tastes good. What is interesting to me is that Martha Stewart has changed her recipe online. This recipe is from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook. She changed it a bit in Martha Stewart's Cookies - a tweak in the flour. The recipe online has baking powder and black pepper added. There is also less molasses. I haven't tried the online recipe and probably never will. I love this one too much.

I made the dough the night before we made the cookies. It makes things easier with the boys to have one less step to wait. This recipe also is short a little flour knowing it will pick up some when rolling out the dough. I used a 5-inch cutter and got about 2 dozen cookies. We decorated with a simple royal icing.

I poked a hole with a skewer in some so we can hang them on the tree. For the sake of science, we will try a cookie after we take the tree down to see how they taste. They can't be any worse than the kits!

Gingerbread Boys
Adapted from Martha Stewar

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoons ground cloves
1 large egg
3/4 cup unsulfured molasses

Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder into a large bowl. Set aside.

Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in spices and salt, then eggs and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Divide dough into thirds; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 1/4-inch thick. Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

Bake cookies until crisp but not dark, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

Christmas Tree Martini

2009-12-07T06:00:00.002-05:00

Ahh, the holidays. With all the fun, there is stress, or is it the other way around? Either way, I have a tasty drink to share.

Since my siblings and I all have children and we are settled in our houses, we've decided to take turns hosting the extended family ( 10 adults, 9 kids) for Christmas.This year, it is my turn. When I was thinking about food and drinks, I realized it would be easier to have one "signature" cocktail and beer and wine. I started trying out different drink recipes and I think I have found it. It isn't too strong yet has oomph enough to it. It isn't too sweet either. I think it will go over quite well. I know my dad will try it, and probably not like it, but we are buying beer for him. I am sure my mom, sisters and sister in law will love it.

I plan to make a pitcher of these, then all the adults will need to do is shake in the cocktail shaker and add a drop of grenadine.

Christmas Tree Martini

serves 2

2 oz melon liqueur
2 oz coconut rum
2 oz pineapple juice
2 oz sweet and sour mix
4 drops grenadine syrup

Shake all the incredients but the grenadine over ice in a cocktail shaker; strain into a glass; then add a drop of cherry grenadine to the bottom; and serve! It should be green on top and red on the bottom

Oh Fudge!

2009-12-04T03:33:00.003-05:00

As long as I can remember, there has been fudge around Christmastime. My mom always made it and once I got old enough I helped, then started making it. I made it for Ray the first Valentine's Day we were together - February 1999. They say a way to a man's heart is his stomach and well, here we are 8+ years and 2 kids later. Just saying.

This fudge is a Fantasy Fudge - made with marshmallow cream. The folklore (there are very few reliable historical references for fudge) goes something like this... "A candy company named "See's Candy" made a fortune selling a wonderfully rich and fluffy fudge. It contained a "secret" ingredient known only by those who made it. The secret ingredient turned out to be marshmallows or what is now used called Marshmallow Creme available in the grocery store."

Anna, over at Cookie Madness, did some back-to-back fudge making. I wanted to make Alton Brown's recipe but we didn't have any half and half in the house. I tried a traditional fudge but it just wasn't very good. Cloyingly sweet and it did not have a rich chocolate taste. This recipe makes a fudge that is what you expect from fudge.

I use salted butter, because I don't know where my mom got the recipe from and she always made it with salted butter. I am a firm believer in adding a little salt to sweets, it helps to enhance the flavor.

I also used a candy thermometer when I made this. The recipe has vague instructions, and I know from experience that a roiling boil to one person is not the same as a rolling boil to someone else. Back in college, my friend and I learned the hard way. This time, it took me about 15 minutes to get to soft ball stage 235º - 240º degrees. It is easier with the thermometer, but if you don't have one, a roiling boil is when the mixture is bubbling like crazy and sputtering across the whole pan.

Tub of Fudge

1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick)
1 Large can Evaporated Milk ( 12 oz)
4 1/2 cup sugar

Over low heat, combine and then bring to a boil over medium heat. Bring to soft ball stage or let boil for about 15 minutes. Volume of liquid will decrease.

While the above is boiling, combine in a large bowl:

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
7 oz marshmallow cream
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

After sugar mixture has reached soft ball, pour over chips and marshmallow cream. Stir until chips have melted and the mixture has blended and began to cool. The recipe from my mom says stir until fudge has lost its sheen.

Pour into an 8x8 pan lined with waxed paper. I also give it a light spray with non-stick spray. Let cool completely and cut.

This can be stored at room temperture but I usually freeze it so there is some left to give away.

Seared Steak with Brussels Sprouts and Almonds

2009-12-03T03:34:00.001-05:00

Dinner is a success at our house when everyone eats what is on their plate and doesn't complain. With this meal, we were *this close*. The boys are pretty good about trying new things but they have their moments. They like brussels sprouts roasted and sautéed with pancetta or bacon so I thought this was a no-brainer. They ate a couple bites. There was a small snafu with the steak, so the sprouts weren't hot when we sat down at the table. I think they would have liked them if they were warm. Ray and I both loved them and we'll cook them this way again. The second time is usually the charm for the boys.

Funny thing - I could not even look at brussels sprouts when I was pregnant with both of the boys. I remember when I was about 6 weeks along with C, I made Ray take them out of the crisper because just seeing them in there made me sick. I knew better to not even buy them when I was pregnant with H.

The steak was simply seared. We like Montreal Steak Seasoning, so I used that in place of salt and pepper. It was simple and good. It is also nice because it only needs one pan for both parts of the recipe. I did the majority of the slicing while the steak was cooking. I toasted the almonds before I started, a couple of minutes in a saute pan over medium heat until golden. I sadly know from experience the toasting can go very quickly to a burn.

This will be on our rotation for fast, easy and good.

Seared Steak with Brussels Sprouts and Almonds
Adapted from Everyday Food

1 flank steak (1 1/2 pounds) cut into 4 pieces - I used one piece less than a pound
1 -2 tablespoons butter - I used 1
1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Season steak. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add steak and cook until medium rare, 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate to rest.

Reduce heat to medium and melt butter. Add brussels sprouts and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in almonds and lemon juice. Serve steak with brussels sprouts.

Applesauce Spice Bars

2009-12-02T03:22:00.007-05:00

I was making this for company, and Ray was a little hesitant that I make a new recipe for his brother and wife! This cake just isn't photogenic, so I searched online. There are a lot reviews online. This was a recipe chosen among a large group of bloggers who all make a recipe every Tuesday (Tuesdays with Dorie) from the cookbook, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

These bars are cake-like. They are so easy to make and very good. It isn't the most beautiful dessert but it is something you keep nipping bites from. This is a nice recipe when you need a quick, tasty dessert. The bars/ cake come together in one pan. The only hard work of the recipe is chopping the apple. I did a small dice and wouldn't change that.

I did follow the suggestions of the other bloggers, and just kept my bars in the pan, instead of turning them out. I also waited about an hour to let the cake cool before making and pouring the glaze. Some folks doubled the glaze but I think that would have been overkill.

Applesauce Spice Bars
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan Baking: From my House to Yours

For the Bars
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon applejack, brandy or dark rum (optional)
1 baking apple, such as Rome or Cortland, peeled, cored and finely diced or chopped
1/2 cup plump, moist raisins (dark and/or golden) I used both and soaked in some rum while I was preparing the bars. I drained the raisins before adding them to the cake batter.

For the Glaze
2-1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Butter a 9-x-13 inch baking pan, and dust the inside of the pan with flour. Tap out the excess. I used Crisco for baking.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir with a whisk until it is melted and the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.

Still working in the saucepan, whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing until they are well blended. Add the applesauce, vanilla and applejack, if you are using it, and whisk until the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is once again smooth. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently stir in the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear, then mix in the apple and raisins. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until the cake just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the baking pan to a rack and let the cake cool.

In a small saucepan, whisk together the cream, sugar, butter and corn syrup. Put the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to the boil, whisking frequently. Adjust the heat so that the glaze simmers, and cook, whisking frequently, for 5 minutes. Using a long metal icing spatula and pour the hot glaze over the cake, using the spatula to spread it evenly over the cooled cake. Let the cake cool to room temperature before you cut it.

Kept in a covered container, the bars will be fine for about 3 days at room temperature. Because of the glaze, they cannot be frozen.

Cut the cake into 32 bars, each about 2-1/4 x 1-1/2 inches.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

2009-12-01T03:49:00.008-05:00

Ray and the boys LOVE cinnamon rolls for breakfast. These rolls are great because you make them the night before, so all you have to do is bake them the morning of. The recipe, from Alton Brown, is fussy, but worth every step. If I am rushed for time or a little busy, I will throw all the ingredients in my bread machine and make the dough in there. They turn out fine either way. The rolls are rich and the icing is just that, not a frosting. The two are a perfect compliment.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2006
Ingredients
Dough:
4 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 large whole egg, room temperature
2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted, approximately 6 tablespoons
6 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
20 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 cups, plus additional for dusting
1 package instant dry yeast, approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Vegetable oil or cooking spray

Filling:
8 ounces light brown sugar, approximately 1 cup packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
3/4-ounce unsalted butter, melted, approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons, cooled

Icing:
2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened, approximately 1/4 cup
3 tablespoons milk
5 1/2 ounces powdered sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups

Directions

For the dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. Add approximately 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with a dough hook. Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough, add more flour if necessary; the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. Knead on low speed 5 minutes more or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover and let double in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Set aside until ready to use.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the 3/4-ounce of melted butter, leaving 1/2-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness. Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1 1/2-inch rolls; yielding 12 rolls. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours.

Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and place in an oven that is turned off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3-full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy; approximately 30 minutes. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350º F.

When the oven is ready, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, or until the internal temperature reaches 190º F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 30 minutes.

While the rolls are cooling slightly, make the icing by whisking the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Casserole

2009-11-30T03:45:00.005-05:00

I love sweet potatoes. It is one of those things that has to be at my holiday table. I have a tried and true but it has a streusel topping that has nuts. C has a sensitivity to tree nuts and I wanted him to eat it and not worry about the nuts this recipe just has nuts in the topping with can be put on part. This recipe made a self-proclaimed sweet potato hater ask for seconds - yay!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Potatoes:
4 pounds sweet potatoes
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
Cooking spray

Topping:
3/4 cup miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chilled butter, cut into pieces
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Preheat oven to 425º. Wash sweet potatoes and pierce with a fork On a foil lined baking sheet, bake sweet potatoes for about an hour. Turn once while baking. Depending on the size of your potatoes, start checking about 45 minutes. They are done when a fork or knife is inserted easily.

Let cool.

Peel potaotes, and place into a large bowl. You should be able to do this with your hands. Add evaporated milk, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and vanilla. Beat with a mixer until smooth. Add eggs; beat well. Scrape mixture into an 11x7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Sprinkle marshmallows over top of casserole. Combine topping ingredients, flour through salt, in a small bowl. Cut butter in with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in pecans and sprinkle over potato mixture and marshmallows. Bake at 375º for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

I sprinkled the pecans on half the casserole, then sprinkle the remaining topping over the whole casserole.

You can also bake this in a 13x9-inch casserole and double the topping ingredients.

To toast the nuts: put nuts in a small pan over medium heat. Stir frequently, being careful not to let the nuts burn. The nuts will get a nice brown color and smell nutty.

Easy Dinner Rolls

2009-11-29T03:24:00.000-05:00

These rolls have become a stand-by for me. They are easy to make and are a favorite with everyone. The dough is sinilar to a brioche with eggs, butter and sugar. The dough is made ahead, which is very convient. There is also no kneading This is a good recipe for someone who is afraid of baking with yeast.

Easy Dinner Rolls

1 cup warm water (105º F to 115º F)
2 packages active dry yeast or 5 teaspoons if using bulk
1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
melted butter (optional)

Combine yeast and warm water in a large bowl. (The water should be warm enough to stick your hand in and be comfortable). Let the mixture stand until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Stir in sugar, butter, eggs and salt. Beat in flour 1 cup at a time until dough is too stiff to mix. Dough should be pulling from the edge of the bowl. Some flour may not be needed. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 4 days.

Grease a 9x13 pan. Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth round ball. Place balls in even rows in the prepared pan. Cover and let dough balls rise until double in volume, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375º F. Bake until rolls are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Brush warm rolls with melted butter, if desired. Break rolls apart to serve.

Best Turkey and Turkey Gravy

2009-11-28T09:20:00.001-05:00

I will aplogize right now for not having any pictures. We were all ready to eat Thanksgiving dinner and really, sliced turkey with some gravy isn't exactly that exciting. The whole, roasted turkey did look great though.

Anyway, this year I made the best gravy I have ever made in my life. I am so excited as gravy has been a challenge for me - until now. I've tried the make-ahead where you roast turkey wings etc., make stock, the whole nine yards. To me, it was not worth the trouble. I've tried random recipes and methods. This recipe was easy and tasted so good. I am sure it was also because of the juices from the turkey too - which I brine and is the only way I will make turkey. It is the best turkey, period. It is a little extra work but the end result is worth it - moist, juicy, flavorful turkey.

Brined Turkey
Adapted from Alton Brown

1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon chicken broth or stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon ice water
1 turkey - I used a 16 pounder

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stock pot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and rerigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Early the on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey, breast side down in brine, cover and refrigerate in a cool area (like a garage or basement) overnight (or as little as six hours). Turn turkey over once (I don't always do this).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Remove bird from the brine and rinse inside and out with cold water Discard brine. Place bird on roasting rack, coated with oil or nonstick spray, inside a low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Tuck back wings and coat liberally with canola oil.

I then roast on the lowest rack of the oven until the thickest part of the breast reaches 161 degrees. At about 2/3 of the way through roasting, lightly shield the breast with aluminum foil. Let turkey rest 30 minutes before carving.

Classic Turkey Gravy

Drippings from 1 roasted turkey
1 to 1 1/2 cups turkey or chicken stock or broth
4 to 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste

Pour turkey drippings into a 2-cup measuring cup or fat separator. Skim the fat reserving 2 tablespoons. Add enough broth/stock to measure 2 cups.

In the roasting pan, add the reserved fat from drippings and 1/4 cup flour. Stir to combine. You may need to add a couple more flour. Stir until the fat and flour is smooth and most of the fond is combined.

Transfer this to a saucepan. Over medium heat, gradually whisk in the drippings mixture. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!

2009-11-25T07:37:00.006-05:00

Since it is only a half day for C today, and his day for snack, I wanted to do something fun. I got permission from his teacher to make something sweet. Sweets are only to be brought in for birthdays. I have seen cakeballs all over and wanted to give them a try. They are easy-peasy and yummy too. I used a boxed cake mix and canned frosting - hey I know my audience - kindergarteners! I made them to look like turkeys - well tried. I think they look pretty cute for my first time at something like this. I think the kids will like them. Moms, don't worry, I am sending in some goldfish crackers too.

Cake Balls

1 box cake mix - 18.25 oz

1 can frosting - I used about 3/4 of the can

Candy Melts/ Chocolate Coating

Bake cake as directed on box. Let cool for about 30 minutes. In a large bowl, using two forks, crumble the cake. I did this in large chunks. Stir in about half a can of frosting. I microwaved it about 30 seconds. Stir cake/ frosting until it sticks together, adding more frosting as needed.

After mixed, refrigerate cake/frosting mix for a couple of hours.

Using a cookie scoop/melon baller/ hands, roll into balls. I froze mine overnight, but they really just need to be chilled.

Dip into melted candy melts. Voila! Cake Balls.

Friends, don't be surprised if you see some variation of these on my cookie platters this year.

Chicken with Artichokes and Spaghetti

2009-11-24T07:30:00.042-05:00

I am always on the lookout for a quick, tasty and easy dinner to make on weeknights. This fit the bill. The ingredients are pantry staples, which is nice. From start to finish, it took about 25 minutes to make, which I think is fantastic. Ray and I both liked it, so it will go to the keeper pile.

Chicken with Artichokes and Spaghetti
Adapted from Everyday Food

Kosher Salt and Ground Pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, pounded thin and cut into large chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts, packed in water, rinsed, drained and quartered.
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
8 ounces spaghetti

Place a large pot of salted water to boil.

Put flour, salt and pepper in a ziploc bag. Add chicken. Shake. My boys love to help at this step. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Shake excess flour off chicken. Cook chicken in batches, adding remaining oil as needed, until golden; 1 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to dish.

Add pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente; drain.

Add broth to skillet, and bring to a boil; cook until reduced by half. Add artichokes, capers and the chicken with any juices. Gently swirl to combine, and bring just to a boil. Remove skillet from heat.

Serve chicken and sauce over pasta.