Amanda's Cookin'

Easy Cheddar Topped Potato Soup

Amanda — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:23:40 +0000

I am an avid potato fan and I love soups. So putting the two together is great for me. Not only do they make perfect lunches, but they freeze well and are great for chilly days. Soup can be simple or extremely elaborate, depending on your ingredient list. This particular potato soup is not only delicious, but it's fast, it's Read More »

Cherry Swirl Muffins

Amanda — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:32:35 +0000

Four batches of muffins. That's what it took to perfect this dreamy cherry muffin recipe. I'm really happy with the results of this last batch. You won't find any chunks of fruit in these, even though I love them that way. I can't get any of my kids or my husband to eat anything with chunky fruit, so these fruity Read More »

Crispy Roast Potatoes

Amanda — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:00:37 +0000

I am always looking for tasty potato recipes. Russets, Yukon Gold, baby reds, really doesn't matter. If it's a potato, I love it. So often the potato, or any side dish for that matter, is underrated and overlooked. Well this lovely dish, while it might take a few more minutes to prepare, is definitely impressive and will not go unnoticed. Read More »

Low Fat Carrot Cake

Amanda — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:10:10 +0000

Growing up carrot cake was not something that appealed to me. It wasn't until my thirties that I actually gave carrot cake a chance. Once I did, I was sold. Carrot cake is moist, delicious, and touched with spice. Topping it with cream cheese frosting is definitely a bonus. However, carrot cake can be just as fattening as chocolate or Read More »

Sugar Crusted Plum Muffins

Amanda — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:27:20 +0000

Muffins are one of my favorite grab and go type breakfasts. We have four teenagers in this house, so muffins are a big hit and are easy for them to take on the way to school in the morning. I have had plum cake, but never plum muffins, so when I found this cinnamon sugar crusted treat I knew it Read More »

Neapolitan Cheesecake

Amanda — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:39:49 +0000

Everyone in this house loves cheesecake. Neapolitan is a favorite ice cream flavor here too. So it only made sense to make this Neapolitan Cheesecake, knowing good and well it would be devoured leaving no leftovers to throw away. It's pretty too, don't you think? I love the layers, and no, there's no food coloring. The pink comes solely from Read More »

My Kitchen Favorites

Amanda — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:12:31 +0000

I often share with you things that make life in my kitchen a bit easier. Whether it be a gadget, an appliance or a tip I've picked up here or there. There are certain things that I "can't live without" (I'm sure I could, but definitely wouldn't want to!) that I've grown to love and depend on. Some of those Read More »

Poulet au Vin Blanc (Chicken in Vermouth)

Amanda — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:56:58 +0000

Coq au Vin, Poulet au Vin Blanc, or my version, Poulet au Vermouth. No matter how you pronounce it or the wine you use, this is an amazingly delicious way to cook chicken thighs. Traditionally bone-in chicken pieces are used as there's a lot of flavor to be had from the marrow, but I used boneless, skinless thighs and the Read More »

Curried Chicken, Peppers & Peas en Papillote

Amanda — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:09:10 +0000

En Papillote is French for "in parchment". Cooking in parchment paper is a time tested method that cooks and steams your food right inside the package, making for a fun presentation as well as easy clean up afterwards. I wanted something different for dinner and was thumbing through Dorie Greenspan's latest book, Around my French Table, when I found this Read More »

Top 10 Recipes of 2011

Amanda — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:52:39 +0000

2011 has been a great year for Amanda's Cookin'. 142 more posts since 2010, and hundreds more thank you's to hand out! This year was a fun one for me. At the end of the summer I was finally able to move the blog to WordPress. That also allowed me to provide you will a recipe index and better printable Read More »