Interesting, no?  Here's their website ... while I didn't find their website until after I'd made these, they do have some good recipes for different types of sushi rolls. 

While I've eaten my share of sushi, I've never actually made it.  I'm ashamed to admit that several (um... 7 ... eeks) years ago Woot had a sushi set for sale that I purchased but with the exception of making some formed rice for one of Adrienne's school projects, it has sat unused all this time.  This week changed that and made me realize it's easy to make here at home.

I know the basics of how to make sushi.  First, you have to pay careful attention to the rice.  RiceSelect makes a good sushi rice, and that's what I ended up using.  Cook it according to the package directions - including letting it sit for 10 minutes off the heat and then stirring in some rice vinegar.  I've seen sushi chefs fan the rice to cool it down but we just kept stirring it until it was cool enough to handle.

I think the hardest part was spreading the rice on the sushi wrapper.  You didn't want it too thick or too thin but the biggest key was to keep your hands wet so the rice didn't stick more to you than the wrapper.

I used thinly sliced cucumber, carrots, imitation crab meat and avocado.  (Yes, typical American, make a California roll.)  Rolling it up was no problem - just needed to remember to wrap the mat tightly so there's no air pockets.  Once rolled, cut them in half, then half again, then half again to make 8 rolls.  We dipped it in just soy sauce because at the time I couldn't find where I had stuck my little jar of wasabi, but next time I'd make some of that as well. 

Honestly I think this weekend I'll be making some more - they were delicious, fresh, flavorful, and the best part, easy. 

When making up last week's menu I decided I wanted to use at least 2 recipes from cookbooks.  The first one of the week I made on Sunday and was very disappointed with the way it came out.  It was a Rachael Ray recipe, Tilapia Club Stacks.  Basically it did nothing for anyone here - and while the idea was unique (stacked pieces of pan fried tilapia with bacon, lettuce (tossed with a light dressing) and tomato), the taste and presentation left much to be desired.  Check that one off to not make again.

For the second recipe I chose, it's also a Rachael Ray recipe (from the same book actually) and gives me an entry into this week's Presto Pasta Night.  (Hey, pierogies are an awesome form of pasta!)  Upon first glance, it, too, doesn't look like much. 

Besides the question of which version she intended you to follow, there were also a few problems with the recipe that needed corrections:

• Why, oh, WHY, would I fry the bacon in olive oil?!?  (And seriously, a half a pound?!?)
• How come we need 3 1/2 pounds of chicken meat for 6 people?
• Not only 3 1/2 pounds of chicken, but 4 pierogies each also?
• Do we really need to fry the pierogies in 4 tablespoons of butter?

I'm seriously curious whether or not she really eats like this.   That should be something someone on one of her talk shows should ask her.

So, here's the recipe with my modifications.  As boring as it looks, give it a try - I think you'll enjoy it.

Paprika Chicken Stew with Pierogies
(modified from Rachael Ray)

• 4 slices bacon, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onions, chopped
• 1 cup baby carrots, sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 of a 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 12 potato pierogies (I used sour cream and chive)
• 1/4 cup sour cream

This week's Presto Pasta Night is being hosted by Emma over at Souperior.  Head over there tomorrow and see what wonderful creations everyone came up with this week.  I can't wait! :-)

Well, it's January 25th.  Are you still in your "resolution" frame of mind?  Eating healthy and all that jazz?  I'm still trying to incorporate more fresh produce into our diets and it's been a change for the better.

Growing up one of my memories is going to the grocery store with my grandmother on Fridays whenever I was out of school.  I loved it.  It was a very bonding time for us as strange as that may sound but it allowed me to feel closer to her.  One of the things I remember most is that she had a particular way she shopped.  Always produce first, then canned goods, then meat, dairy and frozen foods.  The funny thing is I inherited that trait from her and that's exactly how I shop today.  OCD anyone?

One of the interesting things about shopping this way is I can tell exactly how much I spend on produce, or dairy, or meat just by watching the checkout.  (Yes, I make sure to organize how my groceries actually go on to the belt as well ... sigh ...)  While our grocery bill has stayed about the same, there's been an interesting shift in the amount I spend on produce compared to dry goods.  I think that's a good thing.  I remember being told that if you're trying to eat healthy, at least 90% of your total bill should come from the aisles in the grocery store around the outside - totally avoid the middle aisles and you'll notice a difference in the quality of the foods you're eating.  And, lo and behold, that's right.

In purchasing so many vegetables, I now need to find recipes to use them up - because I refuse - REFUSE - to throw any of these good veggies away.  In keeping with that vein, I saw a post last week from Paula, the Cookbook Junkie, that was for a Cauliflower Gratin which she got from the American Dietetic Association cookbook, Cooking Healthy Across America.  It looked so delicious I knew I had to try it - even if I made a few changes to it.

How was it?  Actually, really delicious.  The tang of the mustard and the creaminess of the cheese balanced really well with the vegetables.  The kale wasn't so wilted it reminded you of Popeye spinach so that was definitely a good thing - but it also didn't have that bitter aftertaste that raw kale can sometimes have.  I think making it again I would add some more seasonings to it (seasoning salt and pepper), but if you're looking for a different vegetable dish, give this one a try.

Thanks, Paula, for posting it! 

Fresh Cauliflower Gratin
(via The Cookbook Junkie, via American Dietetic Association Cooking Healthy Across America)

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 2 teaspoons salt (I omitted)
• 1 whole head cauliflower, trimmed and washed
  (I used 2 cups kale, trimmed, 1/4 head cauliflower, 1 zucchini, halved and sliced)
• 3 tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise
• 4 tablespoons honey mustard or stone ground mustard
  (I used a mixture of horseradish mustard and honey)
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 2-quart ovenproof casserole dish with the cooking spray.
2. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil; add the salt and the cauliflower. Reduce heat to medium and simmer about 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is fork tender.
   (Add the zucchini in about 4 minutes before it's done to slightly blanch.)
3. Combine the mayonnaise, mustard and cayenne pepper in a small bowl; set aside.
4. Remove the cauliflower with a large slotted spoon. Place in the prepared casserole dish and separate the cauliflower florets slightly. Cover with the mustard mixture and top with shredded cheese.
   (In the casserole dish, add a layer of kale before the cauliflower/zucchini mixture.)
5. Bake, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.

Today is my dear friend's birthday and it pains me that we're almost 3000 miles away.  I haven't seen her since last August and I can't tell you how much I miss her.  Phones and emails are just not the same as being there I'm sad to say.  In honor of her birthday, I decided to give her virtual cupcakes that I made yesterday (I still haven't figured out how to mail them - darn!) and post to her here. 

I debated back and forth about what kind of cupcakes to make - and finally decided on Red Velvet since her favorite color is red.  Usually Red Velvet cake is frosted with a boiled vanilla frosting but I went with a basic cream cheese frosting because I know how much she (and I) like cheesecake.

Happy, happy birthday, Gigi, hope your day is filled with love and joy because you deserve it!  Love you!

Making this recipe yesterday I realized how much I miss baking.  There's nothing quite like the calm I feel when I'm in the midst of creating something edible.  This recipe made me smile because of how gorgeous the batter looked once it was all mixed together and coming out of the oven it still had that red hue to it.  I had also found some new paper liners with patterns that didn't fade when baked.  I'm totally in love.

If you happen to have a birthday for someone special coming up, I'd suggest these - they are beautiful, easy to put together and taste delicious.  The cupcakes come from the book Cupcakes Galore by Gail Wagman (great book - I'd highly recommend it!), and the frosting is my own creation.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp red food coloring
• 1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Blend in vanilla, vinegar, and food coloring.  Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk and beat until batter is smooth.
4. Spoon batter into cupcake papers, filling about 2/3 full, and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool.

Easy Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 oz butter, room temperature
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar

1. Cream together the cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla extract until smooth.
2. Gradually add in the powdered sugar until you get your required thickness.

I wasn't sure which recipe to use so I thought I'd go with one from a chef I trusted:  Emeril.  Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed in how they came out.  The dough was fairly easy to work with - though it tore easily - and making them into little knots was a quick process for both Adrienne and myself.

The problem came I think because the instructions say to toss the cooked knots in the garlic butter after they're baked.  I ended up brushing them with it (because I only wanted to use half the amount of butter he uses to save some calories), but I don't think that made any appreciable difference.  The outside was hard - not the soft of say a freshly baked pretzel.  Even the next day after sitting in a ziptop bag they were still hard (though microwaving them for 25 seconds produced a soft knot exactly what I was looking for).

I think maybe if I try it again I'll brush the garlic butter mixture onto them before I bake them.  That will keep them soft.  If you'd like to try the recipe yourself, here's the link.

Anyone have a tried and true garlic knot recipe? 

Wow!  I am so excited to be hosting my very first PPN.  We had some great looking dishes this week and I can't wait to share them with you.

Next up is Shelby from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch with a delicious Chicken, Broccoli and Noodle Stir-Fry.  She wasn't feeling very well last week but I'm glad she made it in time for this week's round up.  Hope you feel better soon!

Heather from girlichef sends us a down home comforting casserole, King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese and looks to try to find the roots of where exactly King Ranch came from.

Katie from Feeding Boys and a Firefighter sends her first ever entry to Presto Pasta Night this week with Sweet Potato and Spinach Lasagne.  With a dish like this I hope she'll continue to share with us.  This looks like a great meat-free (and vegetable packed) version of your typical lasagne.

Next up is a warm, comforting soup from Tigerfish of Teczcape.  This Abalone, Cabbage, Chicken Noodle Soup says perfect Chinese comfort food to me.

Pia from CookHealthy.in gives us a healthy Vegetable Penne Pasta with Tomato Herb Sauce.  Looks like it would be great on a cold winter night!

Comfort food gone upscale is what Andrea from Nummy Kitchen has given us this week with Pasta with Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Goat Cheese.   I love the idea of those cherry tomatoes - yum!

Next up is Gilli from So So Simple Food with a tasty Pasta Salad.  Once the weather warms up here, I'm going to try it!  (And I'm jealous of all the boat photos in her post - looks like a wonderful time!)

Tandy, from Lavender and Lime gives us a delicious Mediterranean Pasta which was inspired by her many trips to the Mediterranean region.  With flavors this good, makes me want to travel!

Ruth, our very own founder for Presto Pasta Nights at her blog Once Upon a Feast posted a yummy recipe for Gemelli with Salsa Verde, Sun Dried Tomatoes & Goat Cheese.  With all those salty flavors this is my kind of pasta dish.

And finally, my own submission this week, Pasta Carbonara.  It was a great weeknight meal - quick and delicious to boot.

Thanks so much to everyone who participated!  Next week will be PPN #248 and Emma of Souperior will be hosting.  Send your entries to souperior (dot) blog (at) gmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday January 26 and then check back on her blog for the round up January 27th.

I subscribe to Martha Stewart's Dinner Tonight email and this one showed up in my inbox last Thursday.  I knew it would be a great weeknight dinner - Carbonara is quick - and looking at the ingredients I knew it would be tasty as well.  I definitely wasn't disappointed.

Pasta Carbonara with Leeks and Lemon
(from Martha Stewart.com - recipe here)

One of my big dislikes is pork.  Now I don't mean processed, cured pork.  I mean, who can not like bacon or ham.  I mean pork chops.  Or roast.  Or tenderloin.  But only when it really tastes, well, porky. So if you disguise it with enough flavors, I'll eat it.  And maybe even enjoy it (posting soon ... Travis' favorite carnitas ... om nom nom)

Unfortunately (fortunately?) my family does like pork so once in a while I'll give in and make it for them.  I like using the tenderloin because it's lean and usually cooks up pretty quickly (and about a quarter of the time it's a recipe that I'll eat too).  Last night I tried for Asian fusion with a tenderloin roasted and served with coconut rice (packaged), roasted broccoli and a mango salsa.  I almost roasted a chicken breast along side the pork but decided since I'm not a restaurant, I'm only cooking one thing.

How did it come out?  Well, I still don't like pork.  And while I ate it, I smothered it with the mango salsa so all I really tasted was the salsa.  And boy, the salsa was really, really good. The pork, not-so-much.

The salsa recipe I used comes from Food Network and Ellie Krieger (recipe here).  Every time I use one of her recipes I think of my mom and last night was no exception.  My mom lived in Costa Rica and used to come visit us often.  (She passed away tragically from ovarian cancer last February - what an awful awful disease - all cancer is.)  Anyway, on one of her trips to see us she sat on the plane next to Ellie Krieger's father.  She said they talked the whole trip out to us and he showed her photos of Ellie and her family and said how proud he was of her.  In parting he said he would get Ellie to sign one of her cookbooks for her and he'd send it to the house.  Really my mom thought nothing of it afterwards but about a week later, her book The Food You Crave arrived via UPS - signed and a short note from Ellie's father.  It really made me feel good knowing there are still nice people in the world - and it really made my mom's day.  I now have that cookbook and it still makes me smile every time I pick it up.

The pork I dry rubbed (garlic powder, brown sugar, powdered ginger, salt) and then roasted at 400.  After about a 20 minutes I added broccoli around the outer edges and then finished cooking it for another 25 minutes or so.  At the end I brushed on a new product I found last week in the grocery store - Annie Chuns Gochujang sauce.  Gochujang sauce is a Korean sweet and spicy sauce - the "go to" sauce in Korea.  It reminds me of Thai sweet chili sauce but with a slightly spicier, smokier flavor.

I think my favorite part, however, had to be the cucumber in the mango salsa.  It added a nice textural crunch to it.  All in all a success and everyone (except me) even enjoyed the pork.

However, when I learned they usually used rice cakes instead of cookies so they crumble better I felt a little cheated.  I want cookie monster to eat cookies!  I think these that Adrienne made before Christmas would surely fit the bill.

I'm not sure if they're still available, but we found some cinnamon M&Ms at Target in early December. 

They were, um, interesting.  I wouldn't eat them by the handful - they had a strange aftertaste that wasn't entirely pleasant.  The weird thing is that only the red colored ones had the cinnamon flavor - the brown ones were just that, brown M&Ms.  So in deciding what we should do with them I thought, "hey, I bet they'd taste awesome in some cookies".  And awesome, they did.

We took a regular oatmeal raisin cookie recipe and substituted the M&Ms for the raisins.  I'm sure any recipe you have would work - I am not a fan of raisins so I don't have a "go-to" recipe for them.  That recipe just happened to be the first one that came up on Google.  So if you ever run across those cinnamon M&Ms, give it a try - you won't be sorry!

YEAH!  This week I'll be hosting Presto Pasta Night!  I'd love to have you join in.  All you need to do is send your entry to desertmemories (at) hotmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday January 19.  Then check back for the roundup January 20 right here!

What one thing this does mean, though, is that we can grill a little more often than we normally would during winter.  We have only a charcoal grill and I can't really imagine grilling once (if?) we get tons of snow on the ground, but this week in our quest to eat a little healthier we had grilled chicken twice.

By the way, I know I keep saying this, but seriously, if you haven't tried baked kale, please try it.  Two nights ago Liam again said to me, "Mom, can we have kale every night?"  No problem, dear.

Quick Teriyaki Marinade

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 3/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger

Combine all ingredients in a zipper plastic bag.  Add chicken (or any meat you want) and marinate overnight.

This doesn't look like the base of your normal tuna pasta salad, does it.  Lucky for me, this is exactly what I created earlier this week when I set out making a healthy, filling lunch.

I am awful about making food for myself.  Someone wants me to make them something?  Wonderful!  99% of the time I'm happy to oblige.  Eggs or pancakes for breakfast?  No problem unless they're just for me.  Lunch I'd rather throw a piece of turkey and cheese on some bread and call it done than go to anything more elaborate.  Unless, of course, I'm cooking for someone else.

I have.to.stop.this.  I have to realize that what I put in my mouth is worth just as much as what I want to feed someone else.  So one of my resolution goals this week was be nicer to me.  Take the time to make what I want to eat even if that involves cleaning up a little afterwards.

I told you I'm also trying to get more vegetables into my diet and this salad goes along perfectly.  Add that I needed a post for this week's Presto Pasta Night (hosted by 6-time hoster Helen at Fuss Free Flavours, and as you know created by the lovely Ruth at Once Upon a Feast) and voila, a tuna pasta creation.

I know there's not much call for canned (or pouched) tuna anywhere that I've seen.  I don't see many bloggers working with it - and really, how boring is it?  Trust me, this salad won't leave you saying "I'm bored".  Most of the time I work with plain mayonnaise when I do a tuna salad but I opted for Miracle Whip light - it gives the salad a little sweetness and tang and cuts the calories a bit from full fat mayo.  The real stars, though, are the vegetables.  Add whichever are your favorites (or are in your house!) but if you have a chance add in some crunchy sprouts and serve on a bed of spinach leaves - it was a nice texture for an otherwise soft salad.

Tuna Pasta Salad
(serves 2)

While you put together the salad, cook 1/2 cup elbow macaroni in a large saucepan of boiling water until done according to package directions.  Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a medium bowl, combine:

• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 6 radishes, sliced and quartered
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup crunchy sprouts

Mix in 2 tablespoons Miracle Whip light and 1 pouch of tuna (about 3 ounces).  Add in the cooked elbow noodles and mix to combine.  Season with black pepper.  Serve over a bed of spinach leaves.

See.. not too difficult and yet tasty and delicious.

Do you cook for just yourself usually?

One of the things I have gotten bad about is getting enough fruits and vegetables in my diet.  I still remember clearly someone saying that if you focus on getting in 6 servings of vegetables and at least 2 servings of fruit the rest of your day will go okay because you won't have those "I'm so hungry" moments.  The past couple of days have shown me that there's a lot of truth in that statement.

Last night we had such a good dinner - and everything was roasted nicely.  The potatoes were cut waffle style and roasted on one pan, the veggies (broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts and grape tomatoes) were roasted on another, and some tilapia filets were roasted on the third.  Everything came together so well, flavors blended perfectly and a dinner I will have to repeat again.

The most amusing thing of the night was Liam (who is 10) being so excited I made roasted kale.  After he had finished his plate (which, btw, there wasn't a scrap left on) he was in the kitchen and asked, "Mom, can I please have more kale?"  Now, really, isn't that something all parents would like to hear?

Roasted Dinner

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 4 medium potatoes, sliced waffle cut style or thinly
• 4 cups kale leaves
• 4 cups broccoli, sliced and/or broken into pieces
• 10 brussels sprouts, halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Seasoning of your choice (I used garlic salt, pepper and a spice blend made for vegetables)
• 4 tilapia filets
• 1 lemon, halved
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and layer the potatoes on it.  Spinkle the top of the potatoes with your seasoning choice and spray again with nonstick spray.  Place in the oven for 30 minutes.
2. Place your vegetables on a second baking sheet and brush with the olive oil.  Sprinkle with seasonings and when your 30 minutes is up for the potatoes, flip the potatoes, spray with more cooking spray and reseason.  Place both trays in the oven for an additional 20 minutes.
3. On a third baking sheet (I used my toaster oven for this), place the tilapia and squeeze half of the lemon onto the filets.  Rub with the garlic and add salt and pepper to taste.  Place a slice of lemon on top of the filets and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

5 wonderful years she's been doing this - I give her a lot of credit! - and it's still going strong.  I love to see what creations everyone comes up with every week.  Another reason to look forward to Fridays.  :)

This week I thought I was going simple, but, um, it didn't turn out that way.  Maybe it had something to do with the fact that when I was cooking dinner I was helping Adrienne clean out her hermit crab enclosure, or maybe it was just that I'm not used to multitasking during dinner anymore.  Whatever the cause, I have to say it was a huge success.

I just started browsing on Pinterest.  If you don't know what that is, well, I think it's as big a time waster as Facebook - probably even more-so.  People "pin" pictures they've found of things and you get to look through and see what everyone has found around the web.  It's a great idea in concept - just you can start looking and when you look up a half hour has gone by without even noticing.  They have different categories and my favorites, of course, are food and crafts.

This was pinned over there and then linked back (eventually) to the original recipe on Martha Stewart's website (here).  I went and tried to find the link on Pinterest, but I can't seem to find it <figures> but since I based this on Martha's recipe, we'll leave it at that and if I can find it later I'll come back and edit this post.

It was a little blander than we like so after it was on the plate I added some Cajun seasoning to mine - just to spice it up a bit (then the kids followed suit).  But it's good as is as well - just all depends upon your taste buds.  I served it with a spinach strawberry salad (dressed with a little bit of store bought poppy seed dressing) and everyone raved about the salad as well.  All in all not the healthiest of dishes I'll make in 2012, but one that I'll have to make again.

Penne Chicken Casserole

By the way, I love this shot.  Since I just sent Travis back off to college yesterday
it makes me both sad that he's gone but glad that I got to spend so much time
with him.  No one said that your kids growing up was easy, huh.

Unfortunately, we now have today.  Liam and I got up this morning for him to get off to school and it was 6.  Yes, 6.  That's just plain cold.  A couple of weeks ago I made a wonderful throw together split pea soup and I wish I had some of it today.  Warm, creamy, healthy and easy - I may have to put together another pot this weekend.

Split Pea Soup

Dice up 4 carrots, 4 stalks of celery, and 1 leek.  Saute that in a soup pot with a little olive oil until soft and then add 1 pound dry split peas, rinsed and sorted through.  Add in about 10 cups of water and 2 smoked ham hocks.  Simmer for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the peas are tender.  Remove the ham hocks and dice up the meat.  Add the meat back in, stir and serve.

I served with small toast floats - cut rounds from a thin loaf of Italian bread and spread with a mixture of garlic, softened butter and Parmesan cheese.  Bake in the oven at 350 until golden brown.

What's your favorite cold weather food?