I love the smoked flavor these little canisters add to the crust.  I accidentally left one on and  grilled a pizza one night.  Greatest accidental discovery if there ever was one.

We switch up the crust and the toppings regularly. We do flat bread, Boboli, and lately I’ve had a serious addiction to bakery pizza dough that I pick up at our local Publix.  I have been wanting to make my own but haven’t gotten around to it yet.  It’s on the to do list.

I start out splitting the dough into two fairly equal parts and rolling it to about 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick.   Remember to generously dust your surface with flour so it doesn’t stick.

I also will dust my cutting board with a little flour so it doesn’t stick when I go to place it on the grill.  The trick of getting a really good brown crispy crust is to drizzle it with some olive oil and brush it over the dough.  I only do one side at a time.  You’ll see why in a moment.

Place oil side down on a hot grill then turn down to medium.  When you begin to see browning give it a 90 degree turn (turn half way on same side) to get those impressive diamond grill marks that we all long to have.

When it’s nice and brown remove it from the grill and drizzle the olive oil and brush the other side.  You will be putting the toppings on the side you just browned.

Assemble with your favorite toppings.  I will usually hit one of our pizzas with peppers and onions and do one with just pepperoni and cheese.

Place it back on the grill and watch it closely.  Again, check the bottom and when you notice it browning nicely give it another 90 degree turn.  Now you see why it gets so crispy! Grilling both sides definitely is the key to it’s crunchiness.

That first crunchy bite with the melted cheese and sauce says it all.  I’m ready to change it up to a barbecue chicken or buffalo and blue cheese pizza for our next Friday night meeting at the grill.  Until then, stay hungry!

Have you ever ordered a dish at a restaurant took one bite and thought to yourself.. “I just gotta try making this at home.”? That’s how I felt about J. Alexander’s NYO Mac n Cheese.  NYO meaning Not.Your.Ordinary!  They should just cut to the chase and call it what it really is. Extraordinary.  It’s smooth, silky creamy texture pops in your mouth the minute it hits your taste buds. It’s just the right amount of richness with a hint of onion flavor. It has a crunchy topping of panko breadcrumbs that give it the perfect complement.  I personally would call this the best mac n cheese E.V.E.R!

I won’t usually order mac and cheese out because it’s always such a disappointment. Except when I go to J.Alexander’s…this is the only side dish I ever order.  I was making a meatloaf one afternoon and thought that mac n cheese would be a great comfort food side dish.  I started googling copycat J Alexander mac n cheese recipes and after what turned out an arduous task came up with this copycat recipe over at T’s Recipes which seemed to have the most responses of people who tried it that commented it was very close.

After making this a couple of times now, and adjusting just a few things from the other recipe, I think I have perfected my own personal copycat recipe of this magnificent mac n cheese dish.  Given I have a serious obsession with ramekins these days, I made individual portions just like they serve at the restaurant. By all means feel free to bake it in one dish.

Have you every tried a copycat recipe of your own?

Who would have ever thought these cakes could have come from…

that’s right, tin cans. Found the idea on Pinterest.  By the way am I the only one that needs a “Pintervention?”

I hope you all had as fun an Easter as I had. I spent the whole Easter weekend doing Easter projects.

Let’s see, I kicked off Good Friday putting together this beautiful Peeps Floral Centerpiece. Then Saturday, I moved onto making these cute Easter Bunny folded napkins. I couldn’t find the color of pastel linen napkins I wanted. So I went with some large paper napkins I scooped up at Party City.

Here is the instructional video from Better Homes and Gardens

Then I baked my mini cakes in the tin cans and boiled my eggs for coloring.  Had to put the finishing touches for the cakes and egg coloring aside until Sunday, as it was time for some sushi at RA Sushi Bar.  All work and no play, makes Sherri a hungry girl!

Sunday morning I colored the eggs and started on my mini cake decorating.

I cut the cakes in thirds with a serrated knife.

Next I filled in the sections with frosting.

On a side note, check out the cool blue plastic plates I scored at Target for $2.49 each. I’m so addicted to kitchen dishes and gadgets. Not that this has anything to do with cake decorating.  Well, maybe it does, because my caked looked pretty AWESOME on that plate!

Next, I dirty iced my cakes (means you put a thin layer on before you decorate with tips or cover with more frosting to get a clean cake. This layer catches all the crumbs.)

I used Witon tip #22 (small open star tip) and #47 (basket weave tip) and #233 (grass tip) for decorating the two cakes.

Here is a great video for piping a basket weave pattern.

I used one side serrated and one side smooth and interchanged the two for a different look.

Then I pipped the easter grass on top of the cake and finished it off with some Reese’s Pieces Easter eggs.

Now it was time to move on to the ombre cake, a gradient color schemed mini rosette pattern using the #22 open star tip.  I used an orange buttercream that went well with the chocolate fudge cake.

I started out with a deep orange around the bottom and lightened the frosting as I worked my way up the cake pipping small rosettes. Here is the finished product.

It was getting close to dinner time. I headed outside while I still had a few hours of light to photo shoot my cakes.

This cake looked at it’s best in the natural light.

I love how the Easter basket cake peeked around the rosette cake.

It was time for the Easter basket to shine in front of the rosette cake.

I hope you all had a great 2012 Easter. I’m already looking forward to next Easter trying out some different projects.  Maybe a Peeps Easter wreath… or two!

What projects did you accomplish this Easter?

Spring has sprung! It’s been a long Winter for most of you.  Daffodils, Crocus’, Hyacinths, and Tulips are in full bloom. A long awaited reprieve from Winter.  Spring is also synonymous with Easter.  Therefore, Easter is synonymous with Peeps.

Bring a taste of Spring inside your home by gracing your Easter dinner table with a beautiful inexpensive Peeps floral arrangement. This arrangement was inspired by Pinterest.

It’s easy to assemble. Here is what you will need:

Glass Vase

Bunny Peeps

Jelly Beans

Pastel colored Reeses Pieces Easter Eggs (or M&Ms)

Spring silk flowers (if you use real flowers add a smaller vase inside big vase with fresh water)

Assembly:

Open your bags of jelly beans and Reese’s Pieces easter eggs. Separate colors.

Layer colors on bottom of vase.

About 1/2 way through, place your Peeps around side of vase.

Layer rest of vase inside Peeps.

Place flowers stems inside vase and arrange

Finish layering on top of Peeps until vase if full.

Get creative. Experiment with vibrant Spring colors and candies! Knock the bunny tails off your Easter dinner guests with this lovely Spring Peeps floral vase.

The best part? You can eat the contents of the vase. But keeping everyone’s fingers out of the vase until Easter dinner might be tricky. Hoppy Easter Peeps!

I told you I’m a meat and potatoes girl. I wasn’t lying.  I’d be willing to bet when most of you think of chicken pot pie you’d probably think of a Banquet chicken pot pie that your Mother (or Father) popped in the oven for you back in the day. Not that there is anything wrong with that.  Heck, I loved many a Banquet chicken pot pies back in the day!  Before the microwave that is.

Is chicken pot pie supposed to be microwaveable? No. The answer is no!  Which would you rather eat?

Now that that debate is over. Let’s get to the meat and potatoes of this post.  Here’s what you will need.

Marinate your chicken breast in 1/2 bottle of garlic and herb dressing/marinade for at least a couple of hours.  Salt & pepper and grill on both sides but don’t cook all the way through.  Cube chicken same size as potatoes and carrots. This helps everything to cook evenly.  Set chicken cubes aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In large pot on stove mix together chicken stock, heavy whipping cream, white cooking wine, and chicken bouillon. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil briefly. Then turn back to medium heat.  Add flour and whisk, turn up heat and continue whisking until mixture thickens. If you think it needs more flour add a little at a time.  Remember you are adding starch from the potatoes and this will also thicken the mixture. Once mixture thickens add in onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, Rosemary, and Thyme and cook on medium heat until potatoes are almost done.  You should be able to spear them with a fork.  Now add chicken and turn down to low heat to keep warm.

I used individual Ramekins. I just love the rustic look and individual servings. Cut your puff pastry into even slices. I had enough for 4 pot pies but only made 3. I also like crust on the bottom and top of my pot pie.  Next time I make this I will bake my bottom crust for 10 minutes before putting in the filling.   Learn from my mistake and take my advice and precook your bottom crust for about 10-12 minutes or until it lightly browns.

Put a little flour on your counter and roll out your puff pastry.  If you are using puff pastry on the bottom of your pies, butter your Ramekins and then press in the puff pastry dough until it even coats the sides.

Before you fill them like I did, remember I said you might want to bake your bottom layer until lightly brown.  Then fill your Ramekins with the mixture.

Cut a small hole in center of top of puff pastry to vent heat. Then press around top of Ramekin. Trim off any excess pastry dough.  Then brush with whipped egg mixture.

Place on foil covered cookie sheet and bake on 425 until top of crust browns. 10 to 12 minutes.  Then lightly cover with foil and turn oven down to 400 degrees and cook additional 20-25 minutes.  Cool at least 10 minutes before serving. It will still be pipping hot. I promise.

So… do you still want the microwaveable version, or this hardly any work homemade version oozing with goodness and comfy mouth watering taste?

I thought so.

I’m definitely a meat and potatoes girl. I eat a lot of mashed potatoes…and I mean a lot.  Another of my personal favorite potato recipes is scalloped potatoes. This is so easy to prepare. It really can’t get any easier. It’s a great compliment for steak or grilled pork chops.

]]> http://thekitchenprescription.com/2012/02/27/easy-scalloped-potatoes/feed/ 0 http://thekitchenprescription.com/2012/02/27/easy-scalloped-potatoes/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheKitchenPrescription/~3/heylW_Ck6is/ http://thekitchenprescription.com/2012/02/26/perfect-pan-meatloaf-recipe/#comments Sun, 26 Feb 2012 21:40:21 +0000 Sherrismiles http://thekitchenprescription.com/?p=2067 Continue reading →]]>

Is meatloaf ever pretty? No, the answer is no. But it sure is tasty! To some, meatloaf is just a ginormous meatball slathered in a ketchup sauce.  I like to think of it as a variation of a meatball, but unique in it’s own rite.  Every chef, mom, or cook has their own variation of  a meatloaf.  It’s one of those comfort foods that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I pulled out the As Seen on TV Perfect Meatloaf Pan I received as a Christmas present and thought I would see if its name lived up to its infomercial reputation.

The answer is yes. Yes, it did. I love this pan. It’s so convenient for lifting the meatloaf out of the pan. No dealing with the meatloaf plopping off in the sauce while trying to lift it out with a two spatulas, therefore no scalding skin burns.

Start out with 1 pound of ground pork and 1 pound of ground beef (80/20) each.

Here are the other ingredients you will need. I don’t measure I just throw stuff in. That is what makes a meatloaf so rustic. Humor me. Just agree.

I didn’t use the Rosemary you see in the picture. I changed my mind at the last minute. Here is a complete list of ingredients I use. Worcestershire Sauce, Buttermilk, sour cream, 2 eggs, Ketchup, Large can of tomato sauce, dark brown sugar, panko break crumbs, Italian bread crumbs, Fresh grated parmesan cheese, Orange pepper, green pepper, purple onion, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper.

Start out with putting your pork and beef in a large bowl.  Dice your onion and peppers. Add to bowl. Add some parmesan cheese, oregano, Italian seasoning, cumin, clove, (just a smidgeon of cumin and clove. You don’t want to overpower it. Its that touch of spice that make people think hmmmm….this is good what’s her secret ingredient?) salt & pepper.

Time for all your wet ingredients. About 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, about 3 tablespoons of ketchup, about 2 tablespoons sour cream, 2 eggs.

Add your panko and Italian bread crumbs. Be generous. Lastly, add your Buttermilk over top.

Mix well with clean hands.  If the mixture is still too wet, add more bread crumbs. Don’t forget to take your rings off. No one likes mushy meat mixture smeared on diamonds.

Split mixture into two equally sized portions. Roll out on wax paper then shape into a rectangle.  This makes it cook more evenly.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You can make your sauce mixture right in your pan. Mix one large can of tomato sauce, 3 tablespoons of dark brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and place your meatloaf in the sauce. Use a spoon and drizzle some of the sauce over the meatloaf and bake for about and hour and 15 minutes  to an hour and a half. Keep checking. When juices run clear it’s ready.

I usually wrap one of the meatloaf’s in wax paper and place in an airtight plastic bag and freeze for an already prepared go to meal after work.  I usually serve with mashed or cheesy potatoes and a salad.

I thought I would share with you some of my creations that I don’t always blog about. Some I just share on my Facebook fan page. I seem to have a problem with lighting when photographing so I am working on that.  That’s probably why some of these don’t make the cut to a blog.  This owl cake and matching cupcakes were for a 2 year old’s birthday party.  One of my co-workers recommended me to one of her ex co-workers and next thing I knew I was baking and decorating an owl cake and matching crazy cupcakes.

I literally had no idea how in the heck to put an owl on a cake, but I pulled it off! By some unknown miracle I pulled it off! While everyone else was shopping on Black Friday, I took the whole day and did my cake.  The cupcakes were a breeze and came out so cute. Don’t ya think?

These cupcakes were for a 16 year old’s birthday party. I did chocolate and vanilla with a simple vanilla cream cheese buttercream on the vanilla and an almond cream cheese buttercream on the chocolate cupcakes. Gotta watch those peanut allergies though when making cupcakes for unknown people. Luckily, I warned the person I made them for and we avoided an anaphylatic shock.

I loved the zebra pattern cupcake liners. I did a rose and hydrangea piping technique. So fun to do. I’m definitely making these again.

Here are some cookies I made for a co-worker who just adopted a baby boy.  Sleeping babies with accent rose buttercream cookies. How. cute. are. these?

I made these Elmo cookies for my 2 year old nephew.  For some reason I couldn’t locate my camera and had to photograph them with my phone. 

Some summer watermelon cookies. I actually used watermelon juice in the frosting. When people bit into them they said “Oh my gosh, they really taste like watermelon!”

After those two bad lighting photos I feel I need to redeem myself with my Christmas cut out cookie photos.  I had so much fun decorating these this past Holiday Season.

How about some warm woolen mittens?

This was my first poinsettia buttercream piping try.  I LOVE the way it turned out.  This Christmas 2012 I’m going to put these on everything!  So easy to make.

Can you tell I love Christmas? We don’t get snow here in South Florida so I have to make my own snowflakes.

Fall is probably one of my favorite times of the year. Halloween is always a fun time to bake and decorate.  I made these for one of my friends to give to her nurse who took care of her.  Being a nurse, I can tell you we nurse’s always appreciate when a patient appreciates the care given to them.  Nothing says “thank you for a great job” quite the way a cupcake does. These were chocolate pumpkin spice.

I love the way Fall leaves make me feel. I think I captured that inspiration on this red velvet and cream cheese frosting.  It was after I photographed this photo that I learned how to smooth out buttercream.  Why I didn’t think of it before I decorated the cake, I’ll never know.

Still I was happy with the way it turned out.  I’ve got to work on my lighting in my photographs, but I love the way these fall inspired colors pop off the cake.

And last but not least, a red velvet cake with strawberry filling. I love the way this cake turned out.

I’ve never been formally trained in baking or decorating. I may not be the best baker or cake decorator, but I give it everything I have. There is no better way of learning than trial and error. I have passion for it and I love doing it. It’s what makes me happy. My little slice of heaven.  Sometimes you just have to say what the heck and dig in!

This may not have been my best decorated cake, but I can guarantee you it was a tasty cake. Moist. Delicious.  My boyfriend’s and my birthdays are 6 days apart and I was sick on his birthday so last week I made us both a chocolate chip birthday cake to celebrate. Did I just rhyme?

My boyfriend made me a chocolate chip cake for my birthday the first year we were dating. It was box and the chocolate chips sank to the bottom of the cake, but it was good. So i thought I would make us both one and go on a mission to keep the chips suspended in the cake.  I did a little bit of online researching and the trick is to use smaller chips, coat them in flour, then fold them gently into batter.

I used a canned chocolate frosting and piped on the pink strawberry cream cheese buttercream.  I used a small open star tip to pipe the rosettes and a 2D tip for the edges. ]]> http://thekitchenprescription.com/2012/02/12/chocolate-chip-cake/feed/ 0 http://thekitchenprescription.com/2012/02/12/chocolate-chip-cake/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheKitchenPrescription/~3/OH2kzDLysQI/ http://thekitchenprescription.com/2012/02/11/grilled-chicken-and-bacon-pasta-carbonara/#comments Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:47:39 +0000 Sherrismiles http://thekitchenprescription.com/?p=2008 Continue reading →]]>

I say this time and time again.  After working an 8 hour day 5 days a week the last thing I feel like doing is spending the rest of the night in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up. Fuhhhhgettabouttit! This grilled chicken and bacon pasta carbonara is a cinch to prepare. Quick and delicious.  You will think you are dining in Italy.  Pure amore!

I don’t think I have ever tried a carbonara my entire life until I was watching The Food Network a few months ago and saw Chef Anne Burrell cooking up a pasta carbonara on “The Best Thing I Ever Made.”  She made it look so good. I had just had to try it, being pasta is one of my absolute favorite dishes.

I tried her recipe with pancetta but found it too salty. I exchanged the pancetta for bacon. It took me a few times making it until I came up with my own perfectly adapted recipe. I get so excited to make this when I am craving pasta.

Buon appetito!

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