Chop. Stir. Mix.

Sweet and Savory Pumpkin Cauliflower Soup with Cinnamon Sugar Croutons

2009-10-26T16:53:00.005-04:00

This is the inspiration for this recipe:

My daughter loves this book and we read it every night. The other night she asked me if we could make pumpkin soup, and since I couldn't think of a good reason why not, I said sure. I thought for a few days about how I would make this soup and then bought the ingredients on my last shopping trip.

It's very easy and can be made very healthy (use olive oil instead of butter and skim milk instead of whole). And it's fall so of course pumpkin stuff is all the rage, yes?

What you need:

Soup
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 stick of butter
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced onion
3 cups chopped cauliflower
3/4 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp herbs de province
1/2 tsp dried mustard
4 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock (5 if you like it thinner)
3 cups of whole milk (4 if you like it thinner)
1 large can (29 oz) of pumpkin

Croutons
1/2 stick butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar

What you do:
1) Saute the onion, celery, and chopped cauliflower in the 1/2 stick butter until soft.
2) Add in thyme, sage, herbs de province, ground mustard and salt
3) Simmer for 10-15 minutes on LOW stirring often.

4) Add in the chicken/vegetable broth
6) Simmer for another 10 minutes.
7) Add in the canned pumpkin, all spice, and cinnamon. Simmer another 10 minutes.

8) Add in the milk and then blend using an immersion blender. (Worst case, if you don't have one of these, you can blend the soup in batches)

9) Simmer for another 10 minutes or so to let the flavors meld.

To make the croutons:
1) Get a loaf of bread of your choice and cut a 6-inch piece.
2) Soften 1/2 stick of butter, and add cinnamon and sugar and mix.

3) Spread onto bread, cut into cubes, and bake low on 250 for 20-30 minutes until crunchy and crouton-y. Yes, crouton-y IS a word, spellcheck.

Voila!

*Sorry these pictures kind of suck. I had my camera on the wrong setting and didn't even notice until I was done.

Pumpkin Nectarine Muffins with Maple/Clover Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-10-09T13:01:00.005-04:00

I'm dead.

Really. This is my ghost typing. I made these muffins and this frosting completely from scratch, completely of my own recipe, and then I died.

My daughter loves the pumpkin muffins they have seasonally at Dunkin Donuts and I've been getting her one or two a week. Her and her baby brother (and the floor) (and the dog) share them and they're all happy. But then I realized 1) I was spending way too much money on something I can make myself and 2) They can't possibly NOT be filled with chemicals and processed stuff.

So today when she asked to stop at DD, I instead said we were going to the foodstore to buy pumpkin and that we'd bake our own together. THEN, because I'm a self-proclaimed reduced-produce whore, I saw a package of six nectarines for $0.50! I HAD to have them. But they were super-ripe as all the food on this section is so you need to cook/eat them that day. I had no intention of making anything with nectarine and there was no way my little family could eat them in one day.

I had a thought: What if I somehow used them with my pumpkin muffins I had intended on making? And this recipe was bred. You're welcome.

What you need:

For the wet muffin mixture:
(You only need 2 1/2 c. of pumpkin mixture. You may have more depending on the size of your nectarines, so make sure not to use too much.)

2 c. can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
3 very ripe nectarines (I suppose you could use peaches as well)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (this is a combination you can buy that has cinnamon, clove, nutmeg)
1/4 c. sweet white wine (or applejuice)

For the rest of the muffin:
1 stick softened butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. white sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

For the frosting:
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese (room temp)
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 stick butter (softened)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. real maple syrup (OR 1/2 tsp. maple extract)
2 large tbsp natural clover honey (we use local organic)

What you do:

-Peel and chop up the nectarines:

(Please note that I made a double batch, so it looks like more than you'll have)

-Place in pot with white wine, brown sugar, and vanilla. Cook covered on low, stirring/mashing for around 10 minutes, until reduced. It should look like this:

-Let cool for a few minutes, then add in pumpkin and spices:

-In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and set aside.

-In a mixing bowl, beat softened butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in eggs and beat another 3 minutes.

-Alternate adding in flour mixture with wet pumpkin mixture. You only need 2 1/2 c. of pumpkin mixture. You may have more depending on the size of your nectarines, so make sure not to use too much.

-Pour into lined muffin cups (this is so much easier for clean up)

-Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until passes the toothpick test.

-To make the frosting, simply beat all ingredients together on high for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

-Frost cupcakes and dash with cinnamon if desired.
(Note: Personally, I do not frost all of these muffins at once. Cream cheese frosting should be refridgerated when not being eaten soon and I don't like cold muffins. So I keep the frosting in the container and frost the muffins as needed.)

-Let your biggest critic try.

-Get approval

-Try a piece yourself, die, come back as a ghost and immortalize recipe on the internet.

Now if I could only find someone to clean my KitchAid, I'd be set. Ugh

Pot Luck Dinners: Bringing them back.

2009-09-24T08:09:00.000-04:00

I want to plan a Pot Luck dinner. I think we should bring them back. I love them. I love the idea of everyone coming together to have dinner. I love that everyone brings something and it's likely there favorite thing and then you all get to enjoy a dinner of your favorite things.

What is the ideal way to host one of these dinners though? I'm thinking that I'll pick a day and make up a little invitation that will say:

I'm making pulled pork sandwiches for Saturday night - join us and bring a dish to pass.

BYOB. Water and Iced Tea will be available.

So if you were invited to my Pot Luck what would you bring?

Orzo Salad

2009-09-20T19:31:00.001-04:00

My mother in law makes this Orzo salad that is so delicious that I beg her to make it whenever she asks "Can I bring anything?".

What you need for the base:

1 small eggplant, peeled and diced (you can use zucchini or squash too)

2 colorful peppers diced

1 red onion peeled and diced

1/2 a package of frozen corn

2 cloves minced garlic

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 lb Orzo

What you need for the dressing:

2 Lemons (squeezed)

1/3 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon kosker salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper.

Toppings:

1/4 cup pignolis

3/4 lb diced (not crumbled) feta

Diced Chicken or Sliced Steak or Tofu

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss eggplant, peppers, corn, onion, garlic and olive oil with the salt and pepper on a large baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes. Stir it up once.

Cook the Orzo until tender.

In a large bowl mix the roasted goodness and the Orzo. Add the dressing (which I mix before and make extra because it's a delicious light salad topper) and chill. Before serving mix in the nuts and the feta.

I love to have this as a side one night, and then I mix in some chicken or grill some sliced steak and have it on top for lunch or the next nights dinner.

You will hide the bowl behind all of the apple juice in your fridge so that no one asks to take some home. And if they find it. You'll fake sneeze on it while dishing it up. You will go to any means necessary to keep this within your possession.

Great for pot luck dinners.

Crockpot Sweet and Savory Beef Stew

2009-09-17T19:53:00.003-04:00

You know what's awesome on a crisp autumn day? Stew. Steaming fresh from the crockpot.

I saw this recipe in Eating Well magazine but it was not a crock pot recipe. I however, want to make out with mine so I try and find every excuse to use it. I make stews often but never thought of doing this kind of thing - mixing sweet and savory - but I love sauerbraten so I thought the flavor pairings of the sage and thyme and cherries would be similar. It was awesome, easy, and delicious.

(As an aside, my personal Hell would have me cutting and peeling butternut squash for all eternity. After today's debacle with my boning knife, I hereby declare that unless I plan on roasting the thing in halves, I will buy the already chopped squash from now on. My sanity is just not worth it.)

This will make a giant pot of stew, enough for 4-6 people. I served it over egg noodles, but you can serve it in a bread bowl or with biscuits.

What you need:

-bottom round roast, around 2 pounds, cubed
-medium butternut squash
-32 oz beef broth
-2 large shallots, thinly sliced
-canola oil
-1 c. dried cherries
-2 tsp dried rubbed sage
-4 tsp dried thyme
-salt & pepper to taste

What you do:

1) Brown the meat briefly (you're not cooking it at this point, just a quick sear) in a pot with 2 tbsp canola oil.

2) Add meat to crock pot with 32 ounces beef broth, leaving oil and meat juices in pot

3) Toss the shallots and dried spices into the pot and cook on low for 2 minutes, adding more oil if necessary, and until the shallots are translucent.

4) Add shallots and spices into crock pot. Set on low for 6 hours.

5) Two hours in, add in cubed squash and cherries

6) Five hours in, you need to thicken your stew. See, it's too watery:

You can use a roux (a paste made from butter and flour, adding in broth from the stew until a paste is formed, then stirring back into crockpot) or a cornstarch slurry (will save calories). I, of course, use the roux.

7) Cook another hour to fully thicken and serve!

Salmon Cakes

2009-09-15T20:10:00.003-04:00

Think crab cakes, but cooler, fresher, more sophisticated. Then think about baked potatoes and bacon and put all those thoughts together. This is what you get:

My mother called me the other night and said she saw this recipe on the Food Network and I had to try it. Since I could eat salmon eight days a week, I figured this was a good way to toss it up. It's a Melissa d'Arabian recipe and I followed it pretty much exactly, so she gets full credit. But it was easy, quick, and beyond delicious and I figured I'd put it here with photos so you guys could try it next time you have a salmon hankering.

What you need:

2 strips bacon, cooked until crispy, crumbled, bacon fat reserved (I used three bacon strips because I'm a bacon ho')
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 egg
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 lemon, zested
1 (14-ounce) can wild salmon, checked for large bones (I used a fresh fillet, cooked earlier in the day and then cooled)
1 baked or boiled russet potato, peeled, and fluffed with a fork
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)

What you do:

1) Fry up some BACON! (I used three slices instead of her recommended two)

(Seriously, is there anything more beautiful in the world than frying bacon?)

2) Remove bacon, place on paper towel, toss the onions into the bacon grease (Hey, I never said this was a low-fat recipe). Cook until see-through and let cool a bit.

3) Mix the bacon, onion, egg, mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl.

4) Add the salmon

and potato

mixing gently after each addition.

5) In a shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and pepper, to taste.

6) Form patties (around 12 small ones or 9 medium) and coat them in the bread crumb topping.

7) Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat, and cook the salmon cakes in batches until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add more oil, as necessary.

Eat!

Note: I whipped up a quick sauce with mayo, Dijon mustard, a splash of rice wine vinegar and some honey to serve with it, which was awesome, but it's totally a personal thing. Me, I'm a sauce girl. But this definitely had enough flavor that it wasn't necessary.

OPA!

2009-09-12T07:32:00.016-04:00

By Country Girl

Who hosts a Greek wine tasting party? NO ONE. Except me. Because oh yeah I am trying to drink 100 wine varietals and that means I have to knock off some pretty obscure grapes like Moschofilero, Roditis, Savatiano, Agiorghitiko and Mavrodaphne. And if one is going to sit around and drink random Greek wine, shouldn't one have the appropriate cuisine to go with it? I really wanted to serve Saganaki but frankly me and flambe don't mix so I opted for that traditional Greek classic Moussaka.

OMG Y'all - why have I never made Moussaka before? Seriously - it's off the hook delicious. Also? Why the hell do I own this cookbook?

I have no idea. It's not like I am way into Greek food (although after this party I might be). But for whatever reason I own Rena Salaman's Little Greek Cookbook and that was my primary source for my Moussaka although I altered the recipe ever so slightly because 1) my kitchen situation is a bit abnormal right now and believe it or not, I don't have the necessary equipment to fry 2 pounds of eggplant (or aubergines as Rena calls them) and 2) I love cheese. She just did not call for enough cheese in her recipe.

So what is Moussaka? It's basically a layered casserole of eggplant, ground beef or lamb seasoned with tomatoes and spices, bechamel sauce and cheese. I saw recipes that included potatoes and zucchini and I am pretty sure you could doctor this up any way you wanted to but I pretty much stuck with this basic version.

To start, you will need 2 pounds of eggplant, trimmed and sliced in 1/4-inch thick slices. Immerse the eggplant slices in lightly salted water for 20 - 30 minutes.

What this does is draw out the eggplant's natural bitterness and trust me when I say - DON'T SKIP THIS STEP. In fact, you should always disgorge eggplant (that's what it's called - disgorging. Who's a show off with her fancy shmancy cooking terms? Not me.) because otherwise you will wind up with something bitter and nasty and OMG y'all - maybe this is why so many people have eggplant issues. Seriously.

Anyways, once the eggplant slices have soaked, remove them from the water, rinse them off and pat dry. Now you have 2 choices: Rena calls for lightly frying the eggplant slices in sunflower oil until lightly golden on both sides. I would have been frying eggplant til 2am so I actually brushed my eggplant slices with sunflower oil and threw them on the grill:

All I will say is this: grilled eggplant totally works but it's your call.

Next: take 1 large onion which has been finely diced and throw it in a pan with some sunflower oil. Cook for a few minutes until transparent and then add 1 pound of either ground beef, ground lamb, or a mixture. I went with straight lamb but ground lamb is not exactly available everywhere. Saute until it starts to brown and then add the following:

* 1 14-oz. can of tomatoes, finely chopped
* 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
* 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
* 1 tsp. dried oregano
* salt and pepper to taste.

So I added the tomato paste. Rena does not call for it. But I had seen it in another recipe and I liked the idea. Also? I am not the kind of girl to actually measure spices. I may have added a wee bit more than 1/4 tsp. of ground cinnamon and I will tell you what - a wee bit more is just the right amount. Cover the meat mixture and let it cook for 20 - 30 minutes until it is quite dry - like this:

Set it aside to cool.

To make the bechamel, melt 3/4 of a stick of butter in a heavy saucepan. Add 1/4 cup of plain flour and stir until well incorporated. Remove from the heat and add 2 cups of warm milk while stirring. Return to the heat, add a pinch of salt, and stir continuously for 8 - 10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Once it's thick, take off the heat and whisk in 1 egg yolk. Voila - bechamel:

Line a medium-sized baking dish (10x10) with the eggplant slices and season them:

Next, spread the cooled meat mixture evenly over them:

Cover with the bechamel:

Sprinkle with 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese:

Again - this is where Rena and I had a slight disagreement. She calls for 2 Tbsp. of grated cheese on top. I saw recipes that called for as much as 3 cups. In the end, we compromised and went for 1 cup and it was perfect.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 50 minutes until crisp and golden.

Let it rest for 10 minutes and then cut into squares and serve. OPA!

Dried Beans used to terrify me.

2009-09-11T09:22:00.003-04:00

At work we are calling these "challenging times" and while our little family isn't panic stricken - we are certainly looking to be more cost conscious. On this note, I turn to a subject that terrifies me. Dried Beans.

Dried Beans are about 1/3 of the cost as the beans in the cans, sometimes even less - in addition to the price benefit of dried beans comes the health factor: the canned beans have sodium and preservatives that I'd rather be free of. But my fear of the dried bean preparation had me sticking with the canned beans - until this week.

I'm not a bean preparation wiz - this is my ONLY use of dried beans so far. And if you're like me - this will help you tip toe into the dark cool water of dried bean use.

Vegetarian Chili with Dried Beans in the Slow Cooker

The evening before I took 1/2 a bag of black beans, red beans and white beans (so 1.5 bags total) and rinsed and sorted them well - pick out any discolored or misshapen beans. Put them in a big pot of water and boil. Once the water boils turn of the burner and cover - let it sit for 3 hours or more (I let mine sit overnight because I forgot...oops...and it was just fine). DO NOT TRY TO TASTE A BEAN AND FOR GODS SAKE DON'T SMELL THE WATER. I tell you this because I did and it was AWFUL. The thing I learned after the fact and I spent an hour on google making sure I hadn't ruined everything is that beans lose most of their gas power through this process when you use dried beans (so less tooting - another huge win of Dried Beans!).

In the morning drain your beans and rinse again, pour them into your crockpot add in two cans of diced tomatoes (if you're using fresh add them later), 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 (or more if you like yours meatier) bag of Morningstar meatless crumples, 1 bag of frozen corn, 1 onion diced and 2 peppers diced, 1 packet of chili seasoning. Crockpot on low all day.

I can't taste the difference between REAL meat and the meatless crumples - but its been a while so maybe I just don't remember how it tastes - but if you're trying to cut costs, improve your health and sneak your way into this vegetarian occasionally lifestyle this is a good first step.

I also through some baby goldfish crackers on top and that was a huge yummy topping.

ps - I know that these posts are better with photos. I know that I have an awesome camera. I also know that with a little girl pulling my yoga pants down, a dog praying to the food fairy and a general lack of coordination that it's just not going to fly. Trust me though- it looks divine and tastes damn good too.

Baked Zucchini Fries

2009-09-08T14:22:00.005-04:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I may or may not have bought 89 million zucchinis just because they were on sale. I can't help it, people! I have a problem!

So after I made 40 loaves and 20 muffins (ok, I'm exaggerating a little) my zucchini carrot pineapple bread, I STILL had some left and decided I wanted a healthier version of the fried zucchini sticks you can find at some restaurants.

These came out crispy and delicious dipped in marinara sauce.

What You Need:

1-2 large zucchinis
eggs (or egg whites)
1 c. breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian spices (not necessary if you use Italian-flavored bread crumbs)
1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese

What you do:

1) Using a mandolin (makes life so much easier) or by hand, chop the zucchini into long cubed strips.

2) Mix in the garlic powder (I used Tastefully Simple's Garlic Garlic which I LOVE), cheese, and spices into the breadcrumbs on a plate.

3) Dip the zucchini stripes into the beaten eggs and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Lay on a non-stick cookie sheet. At this point, I use a little spray olive oil (like Pam) over the top of the sticks. It helps the breadcrumbs get crunchier.

4) Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until adequately browned and crispy.

5) Serve with marinara for dipping and enjoy!

Zucchini Pineapple Carrot Bread

2009-09-01T14:53:00.003-04:00

I don't know if you have a "reduced produce" section of your local grocery store, but I'm a sucker for mine. It's perfectly fine produce that is nearing it's end that they move to make room for the new stuff and reduce down to a ridiculously low price. It's all still good but needs to be used that day or the following - but for $0.49 for six zucchinis, I'll take it.

So, because I'm an impulse shopper and don't know how to pass up a deal - even when I don't really need six zucchinis - I bought them and decided to make my famous recipe. I've changed this recipe around so many times trying to perfect it, and never wrote it down. Finally, it's perfect and I have it stashed safely away in my Hippo Trapper Keeper where I keep all my Very Important Recipes.

Because I'm feeling generous and love this recipe, I'm sharing it here finally. I promise everyone will love it - kids included.

What you need:

2 c. grated zucchini
1 c. grated carrot
1 c. light brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
8 oz. canned crushed pineapple
2 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable/canola oil
1/2 stick softened butter
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

What you do:

1) Grate the zucchini and carrot. If you have a minion, have her to the dirty work:

2) Using your hands, make sure you squeeze all of the shredded zucchini to remove any extra water.

3) Mix dry ingredients and set aside.

4) In a mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, oil, vanilla, and beat 1-2 minutes.

5) Add in canned pineapple and shredded zucchini and carrots.

6) Gradually add in dry ingredients.

7) You make muffins (Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until passes the toothpick test)

or bread (Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until passes the toothpick test).

If you want an awesome cream cheese frosting recipe to go on top of this, use this one. It's the best one I've ever tried and the only one I ever use now.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

2009-08-30T19:31:00.002-04:00

The origins of this recipe come from here. As usual, I've tweaked it and changed a bunch of stuff - this time since I knew my kids would devour them, I made them a little healthier.

What you need:

1.5 c. whole what flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tsp dark corn syrup
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. smooth peanut butter
2 eggs
3/4 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Either 4 tbsp. softened butter OR 2 heaping tbsp. of Lighter Bake
Choice of Jelly

What you do:

1) Get an unsuspecting helper who likes peanut butter and jelly:

2) Mix dry ingredients and set aside.

3) Beat butter (or lighter bake) and sugar until creamy. Add in corn syrup, egg, peanut butter, vanilla, and milk.

4) Add dry ingredients to wet mixture

5) Spoon into muffin cups.

6) Give some to helper:

7) You can either use a spoon or - being the genius I am - use an injector (in this case my baby's Motrin dispenser) to get the jelly into the muffins.

If no injector device is accessible, spoon only 1/2 the muffin mix in, let sit for a few minutes, then put a plop of jelly, then the other 1/2 of muffin mix on top.

8) Bake at 375 approximately 20 minutes until passes the toothpick test. Makes 12 muffins. All of which will be eaten in one day by your little family of four.

AndreAnna's It's-All-Fun-And-Games-Till-You-Lose-An-Eye Chili

2009-08-27T09:00:00.001-04:00

This is a repost from last year because someone asked for it recently. Even though chili is a cold-weather food, it's always nice to not have to use the oven during the summer.

---

At one point in life, I was asinine enough to touch my eye after making chili. It was an early Sunday morning years ago before children, where sleeping was, you know, something we did. Mike was sleeping and I got up early to start the chili. I had finished up, and I DID wash my hands. I had an itch and didn't think anything of it, so I itched it. I died. The pain was so much that it clamped my eye shut, and I wear contacts and knew I had to get it out. I ran upstairs screaming like a banshee that I had maced myself, scaring the living crap out of my then-fiancee. He had to kneel on my chest and pry my eye open to peel out my contact lens. I kept yelling something about milk. I remembered milk helped counteract the capsicum in the pepper. I eventually rinsed it out, and put a milk-soaked cloth on it until it calmed down. We laugh at the story now, but man, that really really really sucked.

So learn from me and use gloves when chopping up peppers. Then clean up with the gloves on, washing down the surfaces, making sure all seeds and garbage are thrown away, THEN take them off and still wash your hands well. You can never be too careful.

This is a very chunky type chili, hearty, with lots of fresh ingredients. It does take some prep time, so I wouldn't put it in the easy-peasy category, but it definitely is not difficult.

My local store carries 85/25 "chili chopmeat" specific to making chili - it has a thicker ground, so there are hearty pieces and chunks instead of tiny ground meat. I use one package of this and one package of lean (90% or 93%) to counteract the fattiness of the other. If your store does not have "chili" ground beef and you like the bigger chunks, you can get 85% burgers (about four) and cut them into chunks, sized to your preference. I've done both before and it's worked great each time. You can also use ground turkey meat for this recipe if you prefer.

Also, you will be buying whole peppers but only using 1/4 to 1/2 of each. I recommend chopping them all up, and what you don't use, put in a bowl/bag and freeze for next time so you can save yourself the chopping.

As for the spice, if you want it decently spicy keep the seeds and the ribs (the white edges inside the peppers) for one jalapeño. I find the spice of one whole jalapeño to be the perfect amount. It will bite, but in a good way. Extra spice (crazy fools)--use two. Less spice--remove the ribs and seeds completely and only add in a few seeds, pieces of ribs, or none at all.

See here for pictures/info on all types of peppers.

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef (split up into your choice or all one kind)
1 24 oz can diced tomatoes (unflavored)
2 cups beef broth
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 c. of the following fresh peppers, chopped:
-long green pepper
-red bell
-poblano
2 jalapenos, chopped (ribs/seeds added depends on your tastes)
2 tbsp. chopped parsley (can use for garnish later as well)
1 can red beans (optional)
3 tbsp. butter
6 tbsp. flour

Spices
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. onion pweder
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt

OR

2 pkgs. Ortega Chili Mix (Note: this is not cheating. It's all the same stuff as above in one package and makes life much easier)

For display/serving:
-small sourdough bread(s)
-cheddar cheese
-sour cream
-scallions/sweet onions

Directions:
Set crock pot for 8 hours. Put meat in bottom of crock pot first. Break it up. Then add the diced tomatoes, broth, and all the ingredients but the spices. I like to let the veggies meld and soften on their own before adding the spice.

It will look like this:

Cover and let sit. In about an hour, once the meat has had a good chance to cook, stir the pot. Let cook for an additional 3 hours. About that time, it will look like this:

Add in the spices (or the 2 pkgs. of chili mix - my choice most of the time). Let cook for an additional 2 hours. It will look like this:

Make a roux for thickening the chili -- by melting the butter in a saucepan on low and slowly adding the flour until it makes a paste (you may or may not need the whole amount of flour). Add the roux and the kidney beans at this time if you want them (any earlier and they may break apart). Cook for the final hour to thicken. The final chili will look similar to this:

You can hollow out a small sourdough bread loaf to make a bowl. The insides are excellent for dipping. Pour the chili inside and top with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and chopped onions/scallions - all optional and to your liking.

Enjoy!

Pistachio Chicken

2009-08-27T08:40:00.000-04:00

Thanks again to my college roommate Lisa for this recipe shared from her brother Brian...I remember Brian visited us at Kearney Dorm our freshmen year and thinking how sophisticated he was. Oh, to be young again.

Pistachio Chicken

I received this recipe from my brother who created it himself. Chicken is very moist!! Can serve as many people as needed. South Beach Diet Phase 1 friendly!

What you need:
Grind up a bunch of pistachios (out of their shells). 1 c whole pistachio. per 4 pieces of chicken.
Grind up shredded parmesan cheese - ¾ c shredded per 4 pieces chicken
1 egg – beaten (more chicken requires more egg)
Boneless chicken breasts

What you do:

Spray baking pan with cooking spray
In food processor: grind pistachios, then add parmesan cheese and grind again
Place nut and cheese mixture in a flat pan
Roll chicken in the beaten egg and roll in nut/cheese mixture until coated on both sides
Place in pan and bake at 350 for 30 min

My Least Favorite Question: What's for Dinner?

2009-08-25T09:56:00.000-04:00

Allow me to let you in on a secret: I salivate over meal plans. I want to make out with them in a dark corner of a high school gym. But I don't do them regularly. When I do, I'm glad I have - but sometimes I just don't. No good reason. No reasonable excuse. And when I don't I get asked this question: What's for Dinner?

I hate that question. I loathe it. The fact that this task rests on my shoulders is both awesome and awful at the same time. Why do I have to decide what's for dinner? And when I ask questions like "What would you like" or "Does anything sound good" or dare I suggest "Where are you picking up from" I get giant blank stares with the standard I dunno response. I've started documenting some of my default dinners when dinner is the last thing I want to be thinking about...I need an arsenal though so I'm going to show you mine - if you show me yours.

Mine: Green Salad with Fresh Vinaigrette, Toast with Cream Cheese and Nova (smoked salmon) and Cucumber Slices and a Fresh Peach with Yogurt on top.

Your turn: What do you make when you have no plan for dinner?

Cilantro Pesto

2009-08-24T19:59:00.006-04:00

I realize it's been a while since anyone has posted here and though the reasons involve cute, cherubic diaper-wielding drooling creatures named Sawyer and Lexi (who both turned one in the last month), the reality was Cass and I let this project slip.

But I thought about it often, when I'd create a new recipe or bake one of my signature favorites. How I wish I still had this place to document my recipes, to immerse myself in the culinary world, even if it was in my tiny kitchen. So, we're back. And we're going to have some new feature writers. Some new contests and giveaways. If you have anything you'd like to see, let us know.

It's great to be back. I missed this space.

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Now, onto the grub.

The other day, I was inspired to make my Sweet N Spicy Like Shakira Salsa. I went out to my Bucket O' Herbs and was sad to find that my cilantro did not survive the caterpillar invasion of '09. So while I was at the store, I picked some up. Except they didn't have the small amount like I needed. They had a ginormous package. So after I got home and made my salsa, I had oh, about 2 cups of leftover cilantro lying around, just ready to wilt and die.

I put out an SOS on Twitter.

Yes, I use WTF a lot.

Country Girl from If That Ain't Country (who also hosts Feed Me Fridays) responded that I should make pesto and she'd send me the email.

Pesto? From Cilantro? Sounds wrong.

And if it's wrong, I don't want to be right. It's SO good. I was going to put it over barbecued shrimp and pineapple skewers but I got home late from work and my husband had already made some whole wheat angelhair for the kids. It was like fate!

It was quick, easy, and anyone who makes at least one meal a week will have all the ingredients on hand.

Cilantro Pesto
(Original from Pesto, by Lou Seibert Pappas)

What you need:

1.5 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 cup packed fresh flat leaf parsley

2 Tbsp. pistachios, almonds or walnuts (optional)
(I actually used Pignoli nuts in this and they were awesome)

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon or lime juice

3 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

What you do:

In a blender or food processor, place the cilantro, parsley, nuts and garlic. Whirl until finely minced. Add the lemon juice, oil and cheese and process until blended.

Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill.

(If we're being honest, I totally didn't let it chill. I put it right on my pasta and licked the dang plate clean)

Yes, I put more cheese on it. Everything is better with more cheese. I'd put cheese on cheese if I could.

Salmon Alla Delicious

2009-08-24T12:17:00.003-04:00

We eat fish a couple times a week in our house and I love a really yummy piece of salmon with salt and pepper and fresh lemon. But that doesn't always cut it. Sometimes you need something extra special to top your salmon. And in those situations this is what I do:

Step One: Salt and Pepper and dry your salmon

Step Two: Mix 2 Tablespoons good dijon mustard, 2 Tablespoons of Apricot or Peach Preserves and 1/4 cup of white wine.

Step Three: Cook it for 3 minutes each side (I use a grill pan or a grill or a saute pan or I stick it in the oven). When you flip for the second side poor your mixture on top and cover.

If you like your salmon cooked through you may need to cook more and if you buy sushi grade and want it a little on the rare side cook less. It's PAINFULLY simple and delicious.

My Breakfast Bake

2009-01-04T09:55:00.004-05:00

This is the one thing that I can count on to help me lose weight. It is the only way that I consume something green before noon and it's fast. I make it on Sunday's and I have a piece every morning during the week. Over the last month I've done some experimentation on the pan size that is ideal and I have to say that the Prex 11 cup rectangle is the best. It's great because it's really deep but still fits within a toaster oven/convection oven.

What you need:

1 bag of frozen broccoli (I use the steam in bags)

1/2 cup of cheese

12-18 eggs (depending on how many people/days you're making for)

Pam cooking spray

3Tbs bread crumbs

What you do:

Spray the pan and coat the bottom with your bread crumbs.

Cook the broccoli in the microwave for 3 minutes

Pour the broccoli in the pan with the breadcrumbs

Sprinkle Cheese on Top

Beat eggs (I use 18 eggs - 12 whole and 6 just whites and it makes 8 servings)

Pour eggs on top of broccoli and cheese

Bake at 425F for 30 minutes in a toaster oven on "Bake" not convection - if you're using a real oven turn the temp down to 375 and bake for 40-45 minutes.

The toaster oven heats up faster and because you're filling the oven with the dish you get a much fluffier and faster cooking Breakfast Bake. If I have leftover spinach, tomato, onion or ham I'll throw that in too. It's a good way to kill any leftovers from Friday or Saturday's dinner.

See how the egg cooks into the broccoli making it like a FOSSIL. Okay, I'm watching too much Bones.

Veggie Flatbread Sandwich w/ Hummus

2009-01-01T15:58:00.001-05:00

This sandwich has quickly become one of my healthy diet staples. It has tons of protein, vegetables, and whole grains. It is filling and delicious. And if you make them ahead of time, can be a fancy schmancy lunch item for having company. I use my homemade hummus on this sandwich but I've also used tzatziki and mayo.

I recommend using Peppridge Farms new Whole Grain Sandwich Thins which are only 100 calories and have 5 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein. And so so so good. Once you toast them, they stay crispy, so you can make these sandwiches ahead of time since they require some prep, put them in the fridge, and they are still crunchy a couple hours later. So when you finally get your baby down for a nap, make your beloved sandwich, and go to take a bite as the baby lets our a howl, you always come back to it later. Not that I know from experience or anything.

What you need:
-Flatbread.
-Hummus
-Cucumber, sliced thin
-Tomato, sliced round
-Avocado sliced long
-Alfalfa sprouts
-Gouda, thinly sliced (Also works well with Provolone or any other light, smooth cheese)

What you do:
-Use the hummus as a "glue." I put a thin layer of hummus between every layer in order to hold the sandwich together.
-Spread the hummus on both sides of the bread.
-Pile on the sliced avocado, cucumber and sprouts on one side.

-Place the tomato on the hummus on the other side with the sliced cheese on top

Put together, and enjoy!!

Homemade Creamy Hummus

2009-01-01T14:02:00.002-05:00

This is way better than any store-bought hummus I've ever had. My recipe is a slight variation from this recipe on youtube at DeDe's Mediterranean Kitchen. She uses mint instead of parsley and water instead of olive oil. In the words of Alton Brownm my husband's hero, "water doesn't bring any flavor to the party." Plus, I love the taste of olive oil.

This recipe great and EASY. Once you know what you're doing, you can eyeball everything and make it in literally 5 minutes. It's creamy and garlicky without being overpowering. The parsley gives it a light flavor while the olive oil adds a subtle taste.

What you Need:
1 large can (or 2 reg sized cans) chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp salt (you can start with 1 tsp and add another if you want depending on your taste)
1/2 c. sour cream
2 tbsp tahini
1/4 c. chopped parsely
olive oil (to consistency - about 1/8 c.)

What you do:
-Make a mash paste of the garlic and salt. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, use a fork in a bowl
-Blend chickpeas, sour cream, tahini, and garlic paste in food processor or blender.
-Add olive oil until desired consistency is reached.
-Add in chopped parsely and let blend well for 2-3 minutes.
-Chill for at least 2 hours.

Ma's Peppermint Cocoa Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

2008-12-23T12:39:00.006-05:00

These cookies are an original concoction put together by my mother and I this holiday season. I was never a big fan of peppermint and chocolate together until Cass brought over these brownies (a variation of Swistle's Brownies) and I died. Dead from yummy goodness. I kind of forgot about my love of this combination until Starbucks started with their Peppermint Mocha Twists. I died again. So I began my hunt for anything in this combination and craved it like I was pregnant again. Ice cream, candy, anything.

So while we were doing our yearly tradition of cookie baking, we came up with this recipe and Oh. My. Dog. It's kind of like a chewy thin mint.

So if you have these ingredients or are planning a trip to the store, pick up the stuff and make them for Christmas. Bring them to a friends' house. You WILL NOT be sorry.

What you need:

1 sticks of butter
3/4 c. white sugar
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 tsp. peppermint extract
3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa poweder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 1/4 c. flour
1 pkg (12 oz) white chocolate chips.

What you do:

-Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl. Set aside.
-In a mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy
-Add in extracts and eggs.
-Gradually add in dry mixture.
-Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until done.

Some things of note:
-Personally, I always take out my cookies a minute or two before they are "done" and let them sit on the cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes before putting them on a cooling rack. This lets them finish cooking out of the oven so you get that gooey middle.
-Make sure you don't use more than the 1 tsp of peppermint. It is STRONG and any more than that and it overpowers the flavor. If you want more mint, try using crushed candy cane pieces sprinkled on top.
-You can most definitely substitute the white chips for regular chocolate chips or even the swirled ones. You can use none at all. Get creative!

Enjoy!

AndreAnna's Almond Cream Cheese Cakesters

2008-11-26T20:21:00.006-05:00

This was my very first recipe that I came up with solely on my own. I didn't copy or improvise. I decided what I wanted and made it. And it worked, so yay! They are cakier than cookies but cookier than cake. Hope that made sense. These are a great light holiday desert, perfect with coffee/tea.

What you need:
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 tube (7 0z) of almond paste
1 c. white sugar
1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c. sliced almonds

What you do:
-Preheat oven to 350.
-In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
-In a separate bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid for this) beat butter, almond paste, and sugar until well-blended.
-Add in 2 eggs and beat.
-Add in cream cheese and beat together until light and fluffy
-Add in bowl of dry ingredients and beat until blended.
-Put batter in fridge for at least an hour to firm up. Otherwise, rolling into balls s very difficult.
-Once chilled, roll batter into small balls and smush one end into a plate of almond slivers. Please almond-side up on cookie sheet.

-Bake for 15-18 minutes or until starting to brown on the egdes.
-Enjoy!

Dinner + Lunches

2008-10-13T21:25:00.002-04:00

I've been cooking up a storm while wearing Lexi in a Moby so photography has had to go....but the cooking is still happening. My plan is make an easy dinner and use it to make a different lunch sometime in the future.

Dinner in the Crockpot: Roast
1 Cheap Cut of Beef Roast
1 Beer
1 Packet French Onion Dip Mix

Put all that stuff in the Crockpot on Low. Ignore for 6-8 hours. Two hours before serving I added:
2 chopped Sweet Potatoes
20 Baby Carrots (I didn't count you silly gooses)
1 Large Onion chopped
1 Package of Baby Bella pre-sliced Mushrooms

Serve. Yummy. Freeze the leftover meat and broth in a big Pyrex.

Lunch two weeks later: Beef n Barley Soup
Thaw the Meat and Broth
6 Cups Low Sodium Beef or Chicken Stock (I used half and half because that's what I had)
1/2 Cup Barley

Simmer for 40 minutes.
Add in Sliced Carrots, Celery, Onion and your thawed Meat and Broth.

Serve. Yummy. With Grilled Cheese. Delish!

Adventure in the Crock

2008-09-25T17:55:00.002-04:00

The Crock Pot that is. So today I did this:

1 Jar of Red Sauce
15 Chicken Tenders Raw
2 Cans of White Beans
1 Package Frozen Spinach
1 Onion
1 Can of Diced Tomatos

I put it on low. I put it on top of Brown Rice but I dream of putting it on top of some cheese filled pasta that magically doesn't add calories to my diet and thus make my pants not fit. I don't live in Disney where calories do no exist so I put it on Brown Rice. It's DELICIOUS. Now what do I call it?

Pumpkin Apple Bread

2008-09-21T20:57:00.001-04:00

This recipe comes from Kristin, who made it from a Weight Watchers recipe. It sounds so great and yummy for a fall day!

What you need:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup + 1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 large egg
1 cup low fat buttermilk
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and grated
1/2 cup cooked pureed pumpkin or canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp confectioners sugar

What you do:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients.

In a small bowl, beat egg; add buttermilk, apple and pumpkin.

Add egg mixture to flour mixture and mix just until blended. Do not overblend.

Spoon into prepared pan and bake about 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes in pan; turn out onto a rack and cool thoroughly. Dust with confectioners sugar and serve.

Makes ten servings. Per serving: 156 calories, 4g Protein, 2g Fat, 30 g Carbohydrate, 262 mg Sodium, 23 mg Cholesterol, 2 g Dietary Fiber

Fig Cranberry Muffins

2008-09-19T12:14:00.004-04:00

This morning, I twittered that I had a bunch of figs from the farmer's market that I just could no longer eat. I'm the only one in the house that will eat them fresh and raw. My 31-year old husband won't eat them because he thinks they look like zombie guts and my toddler is currently on a plum kick and anything else is crap.

I went on a hunt for a recipe I could make with them. Normally, I'd love to stuff those little sons of bitches with goat cheese, some fresh herbs, and bake them. But again, I'd be the only one to eat them and there was quite a bit of figs left.

So I came across a few different recipes for fig bread, fig loaf, etc., and many of them required things I don't have in the house: vegetable shortening (um, ew, how 'bout "no" Scott?), buttermilk, the blood of a goat. I was forced to concoct my own using a few different ones for ideas.

And they were well worth the mini-stroke I had when my toddler put her little plastic mermaid in the Kitchen-Aid while it was on.

What you need:
6 tbsp butter, softened
2/3 c. white sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. milk
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp. allspice (or nutmeg)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. figs, chopped very finely or pureed
1/2 c. dried cranberry (I used 1/4 c. cranberry and 1/4 c. currants if you have those)

What you do:
-Mix the butter and both sugars until fluffy
-Add in the egg, vanilla, and spices
-In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt
-Gradually add in the dry mixture to the wet, alternating with the milk.
-Fold in the figs and cranberries
-Spoon into 12 muffin cups
-Sprinkle a little brown sugar on top if you like the crumbly texture on top of muffins
-Bake at 350 for 20-30 mins or until passes the toothpick test and slightly browned

These muffins come out slightly crispy on the outside and so soft and moist inside. Perfect for the fall!