two little chefs

So long. Farewell.

2012-11-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

Today is our last post. Our last post forever? Maybe. But definitely our last post for the foreseeable future. This blog started four years ago this month as a project that we worked on when we lived close together and wanted an opportunity to take more pictures (of food) and have an excuse to try dishes that were anything from weird, to exciting, buttery, inventive, healthy, sugary...not that you really need an excuse for something like that. We have enjoyed having a place to collect our favorite recipes and share them with you, even when we weren't sure anyone was reading. But as time has passed and demands on our time have increased, the time is right to move on to other things. Thanks for reading and please keep using and sharing our recipes; we'll check back on the comments from time to time to say hello. We will miss you.

Cheater Carbonara

2012-11-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

Caroline doesn't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen these days. And when dinner time rolls around, she often finds herself cooking with a little helper sitting at, on, or near her feet. Maybe you know the feeling?

Some days you have time for chicken marsala or roasted vegetable lasagna or black bean and chicken chilaquiles. But when things get a little crazy, you have nothing good in the cupboard, old pasta hanging out in the fridge, and kids clamoring to be be fed- you know the type of day we're talking about- you just need something good and fast.

Enter this cheater carbonara. Pasta alla carbonara is an Italian dish from the area of Rome. The original features a silky egg and cheese based topping that's not quite a sauce (like in our Orrechiette Carbonara), but isn't scrambled eggs either. We call this recipe "cheater" carbonara because, while you'll find egg and bacon here, the cooking method is a snap.

Cheater Carbonara

Recipe adapted from Cookie April 2009

Pictures by Caroline

4 eggs

1/2 grated Parmesan

8 slices thick bacon, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 cups al-dente cooked pasta

salt and pepper, to taste
In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and cheese; set aside.
In a large skillet, cook the bacon until it is browned, but not yet crispy. Set aside and drain bacon grease. Add onion and cook until softened. Add pasta (if using cold day-old pasta, cook unti lit's just warmed through, about 1 minute).
Pour the egg and cheese mixture into the skillet and reduce heat to low. Stir continuously until the pasta is coated with the eggs and they have begun to solidiy.
Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Top with extra Parmesan cheese.

Angel Hair with Shiitake, Caramelized Onions and Spinach

2012-10-29T03:00:00.000-06:00

We here in DC are quietly waiting for Hurricane Sandy to collide with some nice arctic Canadian air. It's the calm before the storm...just waiting. Will classes be canceled? Will the city flood, or, more specifically, will my basement manage to stay dry? ~~Will we all lose power~~? When we all lose power, how long will it be out? We'll just have to wait and see, I suppose. And just what does this have to do with this dish? Not one thing. I just wanted you to think about the hurricane even if you live far away. It's a little exciting in a bad-things-could-happen kind of way. Anyway. On with our recipe for today.

One of the farmers at the market in Old Town Alexandria sells some of the most delectable mushrooms I've ever eaten. And the shiitakes, oh the shiitakes! I knew they deserved their own dish to highlight such a rich, buttery flavor. So I caramelized some onions, and tossed them together with the mushrooms and some spinach (or arugula, as my husband prefers, but it's a bit bitter for me sometimes) in some angel hair pasta and voila! A simple, elegant, and, might I be so bold to say, superb pasta dish that will tempt even those who think they don't love mushrooms.

Angel Hair with Shiitakes, Caramelized Onions and Spinach
Recipe by Kelly
Photo by Kelly

1 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, washed and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon butter
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bag baby spinach (or arugula), roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound angel hair pasta
grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat. Add onions and cook about 10-15 minutes, until onions are soft and browning. (You can cook them on low heat as long as 30-40 minutes for more fully caramelized onions, but I'm always too lazy to wait that long).
Add 1 more tablespoon of oil, mushrooms, and salt and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently. Add spinach, cover, and for about 2 minutes, until spinach has wilted.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water before you drain the pasta.
In a large bowl, combine mushroom mixture and pasta. Add a small amount of pasta water if mixture seems a little dry. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Frosted Pumpkin Bars

2012-10-25T09:39:00.005-06:00

Oh heavens! These are Tasty with a capital "T". I have been craving pumpkin goodies, and as you probably know if you've ever made a pumpkin confection, you always have more pureed pumpkin in a can than you actually need. So you get to make several pumpkin treats. It is a great deal if you ask me. I mean you don't want to waste any food do you? No, that's what I thought.

Now I actually made these last week, shortly after I made a batch of Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, which I also LOVED! And as I sit here and try to decide which of the two I liked better no clear winner is coming to my mind, which leaves me to believe that I just really liked both of them. Which leaves me to believe that you will also love both of them, and should make both of them before Halloween in order to get more into the spirit of the quickly approaching holiday.

And if you, like me are still struggling with a costume idea, take a cue from these two confections and be a pumpkin. No it's not scary, but if you are under the age of about 7 it is really adorable. You probably aren't if you are reading this post, but it's just a thought I had as I reflect back on Halloween of 2011 when my then 6 month old daughter was a pumpkin, and if I do say so myself, the most adorable pumpkin in the patch.

Enjoy! Caroline

Frosted Pumpkin Bars
Recipe from Paula Deen
Pictures by Caroline

Bars
4 large eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup corn oil
1 16-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In bowl of an electric mixer, beat effs, granulated sugar, oil, and pumpkin until fluffy.
Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in another bowl. Gradually add to the egg mixture with the mixer at low speed.
Spread batter in an ungreased 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly roll pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until center of cake is done. Remove from oven and cool completely.
For icing, cream together cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer; add vanilla. Slowly beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Frost cake with icing and cut into squares. These freeze well.

Potato Kale Bake

2012-10-22T03:00:00.000-06:00

I love and hate Sundays. I love them because it's the one day of the week when I generally don't have anything I simply have to do- I can sleep in, go for a long walk, relax, cook, read, go to church, talk with family, watch movies, etc. I hate them because we have church at 3. 3:00 to 6:00 pm, to be precise. And yes, it's just as dreadful as you might imagine. Gone are the days of elaborate Sunday dinners. Gone are long afternoon naps. But. It does give me time and reason to make much tastier lunches than I normally would have. Which, considering my usual distaste for that meal, is quite a feat. So yesterday I decided to make this potato kale concoction before heading out to our evening church. And it was a warm, flavorful, and delicious lunch.

You'll notice in the photo above that the top layer of potatoes is embarrassingly sparse...I was a little short on potatoes to start with, and then I was overly generous with my other layers, leaving the top looking a little naked. I was tempted to wait to post this until I could make it again another day, but then I decided that our readers would forgive me (do you?) and overlook the greens peeping through. Just remember that it's preferable to cover as much kale as possible, even doubling up on the potato layer in some places if needed. Don't be stingy with them.

Potato Kale Bake
Recipe adapted from Gourmet September 2006
Picture by Kelly

1 lb kale, tough stems and center ribs discarded, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 lb russet (baking) potatoes (4 medium), peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
Parmesan cheese for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pan on medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Add kale and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until kale is wilted. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Brush butter on the bottom and sides of a 8-10 inch round baking dish or an 8 x 8 square pan. Place a layer of potato on the bottom, brush with butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread a layer of kale over the potatoes; add another layer of potato, brush with butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper; spread another layer of kale; top with a potato layer.
Cover with foil and bake about 25 minutes; remove foil and bake another 5-10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Serve with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

German Donuts

2012-10-18T03:00:00.000-06:00

If you ask any of my uncles what they wish my grandma would make more often, they'd promptly respond "keekles." Also known as fasnachts or Küchle if you're German (or spudnuts if you're an Idahoan), they're basically a donut made from a potato enriched dough. We all have fond memories of fall days at grandma's house with gallons upon gallons of cider and mountains of freshly made keekles rolled in powdered sugar, enough to satisfy the entire Koeberle clan.

Traditionally these donuts are served on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), obviously because of all the gluttony they inspire. My grandma's newspaper clipping with the original recipe tells the story of a little girl who ate 15 donuts all in one sitting...her mother encouraged her to repent afterwards, but the girl remained unrepentant, proud even, of her donut binge. Such is the way with keekles. I know from experience (though you might want to ask my sister Kate how she felt after eating 8 before you try it yourself).

These little donuts can be rolled in powdered sugar or a cinnamon-white sugar mixture. A purist would insist on frying them up into little round mounds like the two pictures above, but there's nothing wrong with the traditional donut shape as long as you adjust the frying time accordingly (just watch for faster browning).

However you decide to shape or top them, bear in mind that they do take a little bit of work. The dough must rise and then be shaped and rise again and then fried, but the end result is well worth it, at least once or twice a year. They're the kind of thing you should make to share with lots of people while they're fresh - they don't store well for more than a day or so - I'd say a crsip Saturday in the next few weeks would be the ideal time to have some friends and family over for a fall festival of German proportions.

German Donuts "Keekles"or Fastnachts
Recipe from a really really old copy of a newspaper from my Grandma K
Photos by Kate Hill and Clara Ciampi*

1 cup milk
1 cup mashed potatoes
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 cup very warm water (about 110 degrees F)
5 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
oil, for frying
cinnamon-sugar or powdered sugar for dusting

Scald milk; set aside to cool to lukewarm.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together mashed potatoes, sugar, and butter. Beat in eggs one at a time.
Combine warm water and yeast and let rise.
Gradually beat milk into potato mixture. Beat yeast mixture, salt, and 3 cups flour into the dough. Knead by hand or use the dough hook on your mixer and add remaining flour. Knead dough until smooth and shiny, about 3 minutes.
Lightly oil large bowl. Place ball of dough into bowl, turning to bring oiled side up. Cover and let dough rise in warm place, away from drafts, until double in size, 45 minutes.
When dough has doubled, punch down and divide in half. Roll out half of dough to make a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into 1 1/2 inch squares or triangles. Repeat with remaining half. (Or cut dough with a donut cutter). Let rise again until almost double in size, about 45 minutes.
Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to about 375 degrees F. Gently set dough in hot oil and fry until golden brown, turning once. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
While donuts are still hot, roll in powdered sugar or a cinnamon sugar mixture. Eat immediately (they are best served right away, but will store in an air tight container for a day or so).

*Thanks again to Kate and Clara for photographing while I was home visiting...without a camera.

Kate's Chicken Chimmichangas

2012-10-15T03:00:00.000-06:00

There was a period of time not so long ago that chimmichangas were pretty much the only thing my sister Kate would eat (that and ice cream, of course). She used to beg my parents to take her to the Mexican place one town over at least once a week. But then I came to visit and we dug up an old recipe from my aunt, modified it a bit, and suddenly trips to Newark were no longer necessary for Kate's happiness. She could actually have chimmies any time she wanted.

So now it seems like I "get" to make them whenever I go home to visit. It's not like Kater can't make them herself, but like most things in life, they're better when someone else makes them for you. And I'm not going to lie- these are a little bit of work. There's cooking and wrapping and frying involved, but the end result is so tasty that we usually forget about all the hard work (and oil splatter burns) after the first bite.

Kate's Chicken Chimmichangas
Recipe by Kelly
Photo by Clara*

3-4 large chicken breasts, broiled and shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small can green chilies
1/2 cup shredded white cheese, such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, or queso fresco (which is easier to break into pieces than shred)
2-3 cups salsa
salt and pepper, to taste
8-10 8 inch (taco size) flour tortillas
canola oil for frying
large toothpicks
guacamole and salsa or chopped tomatoes for topping

Heat a large pan on medium high heat. Heat oil and then add onions. Cook about 5 minutes, or until onions are beginning to turn translucent. Add garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes. Add chilies. Remove from heat.
Combine shredded chicken, onion mixture, cheese, and salsa in a large bowl.
Prepare the chimmies as follows: Heat the tortillas in the microwave for about 10 seconds to make them a little more pliable. Scoop about 1/2 cup of chicken mixture and place in the center of the tortilla. Fold 2 sides of the tortilla in towards the middle (making a quasi-rectangle). Fold the top halfway down and secure it with a toothpick; fold the bottom up towards the middle and secure with another toothpick. Your chimmi should now be a tightly wrapped rectangle and is ready to fry.
Meanwhile, heat oil to about 375 degrees F in a deep fryer, a deep frying pan, or a dutch oven. The oil is ready when you see tiny bubbles in the oil (but it's not boiling) and if you flick a small amount of water on the oil, the water dances.
When oil is hot, gently place the chimmies in the oil. Let cook about 3 minutes, or until the side in the oil is light brown. Using a set of tongs, gently turn the chimmies over to fry the other side and cook another 3 minutes. Remove from oil and set on paper towels until ready to eat. Serve topped with guacamole, salsa, and/or chopped tomatoes

*Photo credit for this post and an upcoming one on German donuts go to my sister Kate and our family's foreign exchange student Clara. Thanks sistahs!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

2012-10-09T08:04:00.004-06:00

It's that time of year when we start baking more and more. We use up our supply of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. Our homes smell wonderful and our pants get a little snug. So let it begin with these heavenly Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls.

(The little white dots are powdered sugar that I didn't mix in well enough.)

If you LOVE cinnamon rolls as much as me, I imagine that these will enter in your repertoire of great recipes. The taste of pumpkin is quite mild as is the addition of wheat flour. The dough turns out soft, the cinnamon is spicy and delicious, and the topping is ubber rich. Yes, I did love this recipe. Now my only "issue" is that I have a tray of them for my husband and I to eat, or as he suggested perhaps we could share a few (hard for me to let go of homemade cinnamon rolls though). Well, and I guess I do have another "issue". I now have quite a bit of left over pumpkin puree. I suppose I'll just have to make something else delicious today, perhaps something like our Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, Pumpkin Bread, or our Pumpkin Cookies. (A hard decision to be sure.)

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe from everydayfoodstorage.net

Picture by Caroline

Ingredients:

½ cup sugar

3 tablespoons yeast

¼ cup oil

¾ cup warm water

½ cup canned pumpkin

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

5 – 5½ cups flour (Use at least 1½ C. whole wheat flour)

¼ cup melted or softened butter, to spread on the dough

2 tablespoons cinnamon

½ cup packed brown sugar

Caramel Topping:

(Make this while Cinnamon Rolls are resting or baking.)

¼ cup butter

½ cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons milk

¼ teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup powdered sugar

pinch of salt

Directions:

Mix sugar, yeast, oil, water and pumpkin. Let stand 15 minutes while getting your other ingredients Add eggs, salt, cloves, cinnamon, flour and knead 5 minutes. (Dough may be sticky, make sure you don't add too much flour, a good test is to dip your fingers in flour and touch the dough. If it sticks you need more flour, if it doesn't then it is good. Make sure you spray your hands and counter top with a non-stick spray when you are getting the dough out of your bowl)
Roll the dough into a rectangle ¼" thick
Combine the butter on dough, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Spread evenly over the dough.
Roll up the cinnamon rolls and cut in 1″ thick slices with string or knife.
Place rolls on a greased cookie sheet and let rest 15 minutes, or more.
Bake 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, make your Caramel Topping by melting the butter in a saucepan. Stir in Brown sugar plus milk and cook on low for 1 minute. Cool slightly (just so it is not HOT) and add vanilla, sugar, and salt. Stir with Wisk until well blended. Drizzle/spread rolls with frosting when they come out of the oven.
Frost, and eat warm. Rolls may be re-warmed in the microwave for 10 seconds.

Warm Cabbage Apple Salad

2012-10-01T03:00:00.000-06:00

There's something about cooked cabbage that I just love. A good coleslaw is always appreciated, but if you really want to do me in, give me an egg roll stuffed with shredded cabbage or maybe some hearty borsch. And since I've been craving cabbage lately, I found this apple-cabbage salad to be pure fall perfection.

Warm Cabbage Apple Salad
Recipe by Kelly
Picture by Kelly

1/2 medium head red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1 to 2 tart apples,* thinly sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Heat a large pan on medium high heat and add the oil and butter. Saute the onion 2-3 minutes and add cabbage, apple, and salt. Cook on medium heat about 15 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.
Just before removing from heat, add vinegar and let cook about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and serve.

Note: If you add the apples with the cabbage, they will turn purple. Alternatively, you can cook the apples with the tablespoon of butter in a separate pan about 10 minutes, or until the apples are soft, but not mush. Add them in with the vinegar.

*I recommend Empire, Granny Smith, or Cortland.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

2012-09-28T03:00:00.000-06:00

This is really my last recipe from The All-American Dessert Book. I think I have about 8 posted on our blog--if you haven't realized by now that this is one of my favorite cookbooks ever, I'm going to be direct and just tell you: THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE COOKBOOKS EVER! But I feel a little overzealous having posted all these Nancy Baggett recipes (they're just so good I can't help it), so after today, if you want to try a traditional American delight, you'll have to go buy the book yourself. It's totally worth it.

There. Now that we've gotten that out of the way let me tell you about our recipe today. Whoopie pies are a traditional American treat that all Americans should try if only because 1) they're delicious; 2) they're a part of history! And I love history, especially east coast history; their roots come from New England/Pennsylvania. They're called "whoopie" pies because when the children would see momma laying out these sweet treats, they would shout "Whoopie! Pies!" Or so the story goes.

Traditional whoopie pies come in chocolate, pumpkin, or gingerbread, and purists claim they must have a marshmallow cream filling- not frosting. These whoopie pies have a cream cheese marshmallow filling- can I just insert here how exciting it was to make my own marshmallow fluff- that is soft and creamy when it's fresh, but stiffens up a bit as it cools. If I were your neighbor, I'd be quite delighted to get a plate full of these.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Recipe from The All-American Dessert Book (directions slightly altered)
Picture by Kelly

Cookies:
4 1/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 3/4 teaspoons cloves
1 1/4 teaspoons nutmeg
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, slightly softened
1 cup shortening
1 2/3 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup sour cream (I used Greek yogurt)
1 egg
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/3 cups pumpkin

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloes, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, shortening, brown sugar, and molasses. Beat until well blended and lightened, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream, egg, and vanilla, beating until very light and fluffy.
Beat in the pumpkin just until smoothly incorporated. Beat in remaining flour mixture until well blended. Refrigerate until slightly firmer, 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. When dough is chilled, use a 1/4 cup measuring cup (for smaller cookies, a cookie scoop works well) and place scoops of dough onto a well greased baking sheet. Lightly dust your palm with flour and pat down the dough until tops are slightly flattened. Bake for 12-16 minutes, or until tinged with brown all over and just firm when pressed in the centers. Remove from heat and let stand about 2 minutes; transfer to cooling rack.

Filling:
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup + 1/4 cup water, divided
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
16 oz (2 packages) cream cheese, slightly softened and cut into chunks

In a small measuring cup, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water. Let stand, stirring once or twice until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan, stir together the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup hot water until well blended. Continuing to stir, raise the heat to high and bring to a full boil. Boil for 30 seconds and remove from heat.
Stir in the gelatin until it dissolves completely.

To assemble: Lay half the cookies underside up. Spread a generous amount of filling in the center of each. Top with a second cookie, similar in size, and press down lightly on each whoopie pie so the filling almost squeezes out the edges. Serve immediately or freeze for up to one month.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2012-09-25T03:00:00.000-06:00

One of my very favorite things to make. Nothing fancy, but I always love these meatballs. I serve them over rice with a green salad or other vegetable, or as the case was here, a Tomato Cucumber Salad. I also always make a full 9x13 pan, which this recipe is good for and makes about 24 golf ball sized meatballs or 40 ping pong ball sized meatballs. That way I have left overs. No, I don't eat them the next day (usually) instead I put them in a big freezer bag and have them ready for a night I don't want to cook, but want something really good.

The other beautiful thing about freezing them, is that they make a great freezer meal to take to a friend or neighbor who has a need, you know: new baby, recent surgery, home from a long vacation, etc. And truth be told, every time I have given these to somebody, they call me and tell me they loved them - this really is no lie.

The original recipe comes from a cookbook that my sister gave me. The recipes come from members of her church back in Arlington, Virginia. I have modified the recipe a bit (what can I say, I'm always looking for ways to sneak in more veggies into any recipe), and no I have not tried ALL the recipes in the book, but this is hands down the favorite one I've used. Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Recipe adapted by Caroline from Cucumber Sandwiches and Other Fine Foods

Pictures by Caroline

makes 24 meatballs

Meatballs

1 pound lean ground beef

3/4 cup rolled oats

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 cup diced onion

3/4 cup milk

2 medium carrot, shredded

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

Sauce

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

2 teaspoons brown mustard

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

2 teaspoon Worcestershire

In a large bowl mix together beef, oats, egg, onion, milk, carrot, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire.
Form meat mixture into golf ball sized balls and place in a greased 9x13 glass baking dish.
Mix the brown sugar, vinegar, brown mustard, BBQ sauce, and Worcestershire in a small bowl. Pour over the top of the meatballs.
Cover pan with foil and cook at 350 degrees fro 45 minutes. Serve with rice.

*These freeze really well! After meatballs have been cooked, let them cool completely. Put cooled meatballs and sauce in a large freezer bag. To reheat, put frozen meatballs in a glass baking dish at bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees or until meatballs are heated through.

Sweet & Spicy Chicken

2012-09-20T03:00:00.000-06:00

I'm finally back! Yes this is Caroline, I have been such a huge twolittlechef slacker (sorry Kelly). I had a big family reunion, followed by another family reunion in that large nation just north of us, and then I returned home, packed up house and home and moved to my first real home. Meaning, my husband and I are no longer renters, but are homeowners. Needless to say, the last 6-8 weeks have been busy!

So here I finally return with an easy meal that is surprisingly good. In fact I decided to classify it under a Super Simple label. Yes, it does have move than 4 or 5 ingredients, but it really is a delicious meal for a novice and it is healthy.

When I found the recipe it asked for chicken thighs, but me being me, I keep chicken breasts in the house, so I used those. It also suggested barley rather than rice, which would make this an even healthier meal, but again I had rice on hand, not barley. So below I give you your new go-to chicken recipe; a recipe that takes hardly any time to make, and really only the time it takes to cook a pot of rice to be ready to eat. The chicken broth used to cook the rice makes it more savory, and the combination of flavors is lovely. I hope you will give this a try and let us know what you think. Enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Chicken

Recipe adapted from Family Circle

Pictures by Caroline

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

2 skinless chicken breasts, sliced ½” thick

1 cup rice

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey and mustard. Place the sliced chicken the in sauce and let marinate for 30 minutes.
Place prepared chicken in the baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
Meanwhile, prepare the rice according to package directions, substituting the chicken broth for the water. Stir in the peas, salt, and pepper during the last 5 minutes.
Serve chicken over the rice with the cooked juices.

Peach Day

2012-09-17T03:00:00.000-06:00

The peaches around here have been great, and I've still been able to find them fresh at he farmer's markets. I'm hoping the same is true for you since our friend Lindsey has three fantastic peach recipes she's going to share with you today.

I love fall. I love going back to school, buying school supplies, feeling the crisp in the air, watching the leaves start to change, eating apples and peaches. But my favorite thing about fall is "Peach Day." Or that is what I call it. Every year I go to Allred Orchards and buy a bushel of peaches. Peach day really does take the whole day from the time I wake up until when I go to bed. This year I made freezer peaches, freezer peach jam, and two peach pies.

After I purchase the peaches I start by blanching the whole bushel. This is my least favorite part of peach day because it takes forever, it is hot, and makes a huge mess. By the end of peach day it looks like war has occurred in my kitchen between me and peaches. First I made fifty bags of freezer peaches. Once the peaches are frozen, they can be used to make the best peach smoothies, pies, cobbler, or for general snacking.

This year I decided to make freezer jam. If you have never made freezer jam before don't be scared it is very easy. Just remember to really use all the sugar it tells you to use.

To reward myself for all the hard work and great food storage I have made, I always end peach day by making peach pie. The pie was so good we just dug in and ate the whole pie with some friends and I forgot to take a picture. Oops! So if you feel ambitious and have a spare day have a "Peach Day" and enjoy peaches for the whole year.

Freezer Peaches

Recipe by Lindsey

1/2 bushel of peaches

4 cups sugar

8 cups water

1 can frozen orange juice

1 can frozen lemonade

1 box of ziplock bags

Blanch 1/2 bushel of Peaches by putting five peaches at a time in boiling water for about a minute. Transfer the peaches to ice cold water. (If you don't cool them they will turn brown.) The skins should just peel right off. If they are still to hard to take off keep them in the boiling water longer.
Cut the peaches in half and set aside. Mix sugar and water in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat. Stir in frozen concentrate. Let cool. Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup liquid and 4 to 5 peach halves to each freezer bag. Double bag and freeze.
To make a peach smoothie: slightly thaw the bag in the microwave or on the counter until the juice is liquid but the peaches are still frozen. Then pour the whole bag in the blender and voila! Peach smoothie.

Peach Freezer Jam

Recipe from the Sure Jell Brand Pectin

1 box Sure Jell Pectin

3 Cups finely chopped peaches

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

5 cups sugar

Finely chop peaches and measure out three cups. Add lemon juice and sugar. Mix well and let stand for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir 1 box of pectin and 3/4 cup water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute stirring constantly. Stir pectin mixture into fruit mixture. Stir constantly until sugar is no longer grainy. Pour into freezer containers. Let stand for 24 hours until set. Freeze.

Peach Pie

Recipe by Lindsey

1 double pie crust

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp lemon juice

6 cups sliced peaches

2 tablespoons butter

Preheat over to 425 degrees F. Use pre-made pie crust or our recipe here.
Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in lemon juice. Add the peaches and gently toss. Set aside.
Roll out both pastry balls on lightly floured surface. Line a 9 in pie plate. Add peach filling and top with other rolled out pastry. Add a few cuts in the top of the pastry and decorate edges and top how you desire. Cover the edges with foil. Bake for about 45 minutes. Cool for at least 2 hours before serving.

Garlicky Flash Zucchini

2012-09-13T03:00:00.000-06:00

Yep. Another zucchini recipe. This one is super simple (note the tag) and frankly there's not a whole lot to say about it. So let's get right to the point. These zucchini are cooked on high heat in a flash with plenty of garlic, leaving you with firm, flavorful squash. You know. The kind people actually want to eat.

Try serving alongside one of the following: Grilled Cuban Chicken, Jerk Chicken, or Broiled Tilapia Parmesan.

Garlicky Flash Zucchini
Recipe slightly adapted from from www.npr.org
Picture by Kelly

Makes 4 servings

2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/3 inch spears

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil

Place zucchini in a bowl and sprinkle with the kosher salt. Toss thoroughly with your fingers. Transfer the zucchini to a colander set over the bowl. Let rest for no more than 30 minutes, then lift out and blot dry with paper towels. (If you skip this step, the zucchini won't cook quite as hot (too much water mixed with oil) so they're more likely to be soft, but they're still pretty good).
Heat a big, heavy cast-iron skillet or wok over a high flame. When it's hot enough to make a droplet of water dance, add the oil and swirl it around until it just starts to smoke. Keeping the heat as high as possible, add the blotted zucchini all at once. Spread it out in a single layer and keep it in the blazing-hot pan for 30 seconds or so to encourage some browning.
When you're sure you see brown spots on the underside of the zucchini pieces, add in the garlic and stir-fry continuously with a slotted spoon until most of the zucchini is a mix of bright green skin and creamy flesh with golden-brown spots, and just tender. It shouldn't take more than a minute or two. Serve immediately.

Cinnamon Babka

2012-09-10T03:00:00.000-06:00

As I sit here trying to decide what to say about this bread, my left hand is sticky with cinnamon-sugar goo (I'm typing one-handed). There's a flaky crumb resting on my shirt. My last bite is a blend of buttery babka mixed with cinnamon goodness. That should really tell you all you need to know about it. But in all honesty, I was a little afraid to share this recipe with you. I was afraid that you would be afraid when you saw how many steps there are, that you'd be deterred by the 3 hours the dough needs to rise. I'm here to tell you to have no fear! It's a lot of waiting, yes, but well worth it. Think cinnamon roll without frosting. Only better.

I promise the dough for this is not hard to make. In a nutshell, you throw the dough together like any old dough, let it rise 1 hour in an ever so slightly warm oven, let it chill in the fridge 1 hour, let it rise in its loaf shape 1 hour. That's really it. To give the bread its swirl, roll out the dough to a rectangle-like shape (rectangular is relative, right?) spread the filing on the dough, roll it up into a cylinder, or log, as I like to call it, spread a bit more filling over the top, fold the log in half, twist, and place in the pan. Voila! A swirly bread is on the way.

Cinnamon Babka
Recipe from www.cookscountry.com (directions slightly altered)
Picture by Kelly

Filling

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg white

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Set aside 1 tablespoon filling.

Dough

1/2 cup whole milk, heated to 110 degrees

2 large egg yolks plus 1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast

1/2 teaspoon

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and softened

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Grease a large bowl. Line 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing excess to hang over edges. Set aside.
Mix flour, sugar, yeast, and salt on low speed until combined. Slowly add milk mixture and mix until dough comes together, about 3 minutes. Increase speed to medium-low and add butter, 1 piece at a time, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Continue to mix until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl. Transfer dough to prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in turned-off oven until dough has risen slightly, about 1 hour.
Place in refrigerator until dough is firm and has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.
While dough chills, whisk milk, egg yolks, and vanilla together in 1-cup liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
Punch down dough on lightly floured counter. Roll out dough to 20 by 14-inch rectangle. Spread all but 1 tablespoon reserved filling over dough, leaving ½-inch border around edges. Working from short side, roll dough into log and pinch along seam to seal. Position dough seam side up and roll back and forth until stretched to 18-inch length. Spread reserved tablespoon of filling over top of cylinder. Fold on top of itself and pinch ends to seal. Gently twist double cylinder twice to form double figure eight. Place shaped dough seam side down in prepared pan, cover loosely with plastic, and let rise in turned-off oven until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Do ahead option: instead of letting dough rise, refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before baking)
Lightly beat whole egg in bowl. Remove loaf from oven and discard plastic. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brush loaf with beaten egg. Bake until deep golden brown and loaf registers 190 degrees, about 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and cool completely, about 2 hours (if you can wait that long). Serve.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

2012-09-06T03:00:00.000-06:00

When I decided to try out a recipe for a peanut butter and jelly cookie, I didn't want to take any old peanut butter cookie and drop some jam in the middle. I wanted something a little more unique and subtle. I found what I was looking for with Giada. These are chocolate peanut butter cookies with a dollop of (homemade) raspberry jam in the center. In a word, irresistible.

The only downside is that they didn't store as well as some cookies; although I'm a known critic of "old" food (more than 2 days is too old for me!), I thought they lost some of their luster on day 2. Not that you'll have any left at that point, but I wouldn't recommend making a double batch in hopes of passing them out to the kids all week long. Make, eat, and enjoy them while they're warm.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
Recipe adapted from Giada at Home by Giada de Laurentiis
Picture by Kelly

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup

1/2 packed cup light brown sugar

1 egg, room temperature, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup jam of your choice (blackberry, strawberry, or raspberry)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sieve together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Beat the butter, peanut butter, 3/4 cup of sugar, and light brown sugar together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until blended. Gradually add the flour mixture until incorporated.
Put the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar in a small bowl. Form the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the sugar. Arrange balls of dough, evenly apart, on each baking sheet. Using the thin end of a wooden spoon, make a hole in the center of each ball of dough, about halfway into the ball.
Bake for 7-8 minutes until the dough has spread and the surface of the cookies are crackled. Remove cookies from oven and spoon in small dollop of jam into the hole. Return cookies to oven and bake another 1-2 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Mushroom Zucchini Quinoa Cakes

2012-09-04T03:00:00.000-06:00

And...we're back! Our travels are done (for now at least), Caroline has moved into her new house, which I'm sure she's excited to tell you about, and I've decided that it's time to start cooking. I always go through a summer stretch of no cooking (pasta again! tomato salad again! stir fry again!), but I'm ready for some real meals. I've been working on some interesting new recipes that I'm hoping you'll enjoy. The first teaser: peanut butter and jelly will never be the same. The next: cinnamon swirl what?!

My husband can't imagine eating quinoa before these cakes entered our lives. I think I've mentioned this before, but he's not really a fan of the "new" super grain; I have to sneak it in when he's not paying attention. But hands down, this dish one of ~~his~~ our favorite ways to incorporate quinoa into a meal--he'll even eat them cold. I usually eat 2-3 cakes (ok, sometimes 4 if I'm really hungry) along with a green salad. If there's company coming, I add another side like Turkish Carrot Salad or fresh fruit.
Mushroom Zucchini Quinoa Cakes
Recipe and photo by Kelly

Makes about 8 3-inch cakes

1/2 cup quinoa, well rinsed + 1 cup water, well salted
8 baby bella mushrooms, minced
2 small zucchini, finely shredded
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup bread crumbs (preferably Panko)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2-4 tablespoons olive oil

Bring salted water to a boil and add quinoa. Bring to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Set aside and let cool.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and saute until beginning to brown. Add garlic and saute 1 minute.
Meanwhile, squeeze the excess liquid of the shredded zucchini with a paper towel. Add zucchini and mushrooms to onion and garlic and cook just until tender. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and parsley. Stir in quinoa and zucchini mixture until evenly incorporated. Optional: Chill mixture 30-45 minutes for ease of handling.
Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Gently drop 2-3 inch balls of quinoa mixture into the skillet and flatten into a patty between 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Cook 2-3 minutes or until the underside is lightly browned and gently flip. Cook another 2-3 minutes and place cakes on a plate lined with a paper towel. Serve warm.

Ferragosto

2012-08-14T05:55:00.003-06:00

It's Ferragosto in Italy right now, the weeks or even full month of August where most of the country shuts down to go on vacation and enjoy a bit of leisure time. Caroline and I are in the midst of our own "Ferragosto" and will be on holiday for the next couple of weeks. We hope you miss us and we look forward to sharing some new creations when we return!

Ode to Zucchini

2012-08-09T07:52:00.001-06:00

Today as I consider what I should cook this evening to post on this blog, I am overwhelmed with zucchini recipes floating around. So I think I should post a recipe with zucchini. And let's be honest my friend gave me a zucchini that is the size of my forearm before she left town (thanks Kristi) that I need to use as I am preparing to leave town myself (headed to the Great North, eh).

So rather than posting a recipe right here, right now (which I should be doing), I am going to refer you to an assortment of zucchini recipes from our own blog. I picked my top 5 favorites (which was harder to narrow down than I thought it would be). If you don't see what you are looking for in my list, search our labels, on the right side of your screen, and you will find several more zucchini recipes to give a try.

Shaved Zucchini Salad

Stuffed Zucchini (Mushroom or Peppers)
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Broiled Zucchini and Potatoes with Parmesan Crust
Zucchini Orzo Salad

To all you gardeners with zucchini coming on in an alarming rate: harvest the zucchini, enjoy your bountiful supply and appreciate this very versatile vegetable! Bon Appetit!

Texas Sheet Cake

2012-08-06T03:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to chaos. That's what I've been thinking the past 24 hours that my entire family, babies, grandparents, in-laws and all, have been gathered at my parents' house. It's not that there are so many of us, but more that we're noisy, opinionated, and always hungry. And boy do we have a serious sweet tooth (sweet teeth? sweet tooths?). Finding a way to satiate said sweet tooth is a lot easier with this cake because it's not a sissy-sized 9 x 13. It's a Texas-sized jumbo cake to feed the masses. So while we debate where to go, when to get up, and what to eat, at least we'll have plenty of sheet cake to munch on.

Texas Sheet Cake
Recipe from Kathy Hill
Picture by Kate Hill

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 cup water
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a standard sized cookie sheet (10 x 15).
In a small saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa and water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, salt, and baking soda and mix well. Add sour cream and eggs and beat until smooth. Pour batter into cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Frost immediately and sprinkle with nuts, if desired.

Frosting

5-6 tablespoons milk

1 pound powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter

4 tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa and milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Peaches with Sweet Basil Syrup

2012-07-30T03:00:00.000-06:00

Last night I made the perfect summer dinner. None of the dishes were particularly related to each other, but they were all made with ingredients fresh from the farmer's market, topped with basil and parsley (the only things the squirrels haven't shown interest in) from my garden. For dessert: fresh peaches in a lovely basil-infused syrup, uninhibited by butter or flour. Just peaches as they were meant to be during July, simple and sweet.

Peaches with Sweet Basil Syrup
Recipe by Kelly
Picture by Kelly

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
4-5 peaches
5-6 large basil leaves*
whipped cream

In a small pan, combine the water and sugar and bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add basil. Let steep, uncovered, until the flavor is infused (taste it).
Meanwhile, remove skins from peaches by blanching (cut a small X in the bottom of each peach; bring a pot of water to a boil and drop peaches in. Boil about 1 minute and remove peaches from boiling water, plunging them immediately into cold water). Peel skins and thinly slice peaches.
Pour syrup over peaches. Let stand or serve immediately topped with whipped cream (If you have extra syrup, put it in a jar and keep it in the fridge for weeks).

*Try mint in place of basil. You might also add or substitute blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, etc.

Veg Cream Cheese

2012-07-26T03:00:00.000-06:00

I debate even posting this "recipe". But it is so so good. If you are lucky enough to live in Utah and have had the opportunity to visit Rich's Bagels in Salt Lake you have had the chance to taste the BEST veg cream cheese ever! If you visit Salt Lake make sure you go there and try their veg cream cheese on an Asiago Cheese bagel...to die for! However, I no longer live in Salt Lake, so I have to make my own veggie cream cheese. Yes, I know you can buy it in the grocery store, but let's be honest the veggies are really just specks of flavor. I want veggies in my cream cheese, not specks. So I came up with this Super Simple recipe for homemade veg cream cheese. Feel free to add other veggies and try experimenting with different herbs or season salts. Get a great bagel (I like the everything bagels from Costco) add some cucumbers, freshly ground pepper, and you have yourself a great sandwich.

Veg Cream Cheese
Recipe and picture by Caroline

8 oz block plain cream cheese or neufchatel cheese (taste great, less fat), at room temperature
2 carrots, shredded
3 green onions (white and green sections), sliced thin
1/4 red pepper, finely chopped

Directions

In a small mixing bowl combine softened cream cheese and vegetables, stir together. Store in a Tupperware for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Curried Couscous Salad

2012-07-23T03:00:00.000-06:00

I have one more week left at my current (non-teaching) job before I get a nearly a month of pure freedom until the next semester starts. That's five days. Are you just a teensy bit jealous? I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my spare time when I'm not visiting family, prepping for my fall classes, and trying to find the husband a job, but I'm hoping it will involve a lot of cooking, reading, and sitting in the sun, preferably at the beach. We'll see what happens. Until the end of the week, however, I'll be eating leftovers of this salad for lunch and dinner, which doesn't bother me one whit.

This recipe makes a lot- you might want to cut it in half if you're cooking for a small family. And the flavor will be significantly improved if you have some good curry powder (the $.99 kind from the sale section of the grocery store won't cut it. Wish I'd mentioned that to T-rav before he went to the store so I didn't have to go back). Since curry powders often vary in strength and heat, I recommend waiting to add all the curry to the couscous until you've tasted it. If you need to add more, mix the curry powder with a teaspoon or so of olive oil before drizzling over the couscous.

Curried Couscous Salad
Recipe by Kelly
Picture by Kelly

1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small onion, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper

3 cups couscous
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 teaspoons curry powder
4 tablespoons butter

1 bunch spinach, washed and roughly chopped*
2 cans chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 cup golden raisins

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spread cauliflower and onion on a large baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper, and curry powder. Roast 20-25 minutes, or until cauliflower is golden and tender.
Meanwhile, bring water, salt, and 3-4 teaspoons curry powder to a boil. Remove from heat and pour in couscous. Cover and let stand 2-5 minutes until water is absorbed. Add butter and stir until well combined.
Place spinach in a large bowl. Add hot cauliflower and couscous over the top and let stand about 10 minutes to slightly wilt spinach. Stir in couscous and raisins; add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm or cold.

*Arugula would be an excellent substitute for spinach in this salad.

Cheater Chicken Marsala Pasta

2012-07-19T10:46:00.003-06:00

This is a recipe that I based off of our standard Chicken Marsala recipe. I was craving something salty the other night (probably because I have been doing a lot of jogging lately), but I didn't want anything too heavy or too laborious to put together. I remembered that I had a handful of mushrooms in the refrigerator that needed to be used and I had all the other ingredients on hand for Chicken Marsala.

However, I didn't want to have to go to the effort of flouring the chicken (I told you I wanted to make something easy and flouring anything always seems like a lot of work to me, even though it really is not). So I decided to take the heart of Chicken Marsala but simplify the process a bit. I also decided to skip the mashed potatoes and go with the orzo pasta making the meal a bit lighter. Plus I love orzo pasta. If you haven't ever had it be sure to try it; somehow it always seems to make things ~~creamier~~ smoother tasting. I don't know how to describe it, I just know I like it!

Cheater Chicken Marsala Pasta
Recipe by Caroline
Picture by Caroline
Makes 2 servings

1 boneless, skinless, chicken breast, cubed
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white cooking wine
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
2/3 cup dry orzo pasta
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon

Directions

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add red onion and saute until almost transparent. Add mushrooms and continue cooking until mushrooms begin to soften. Remove onion-mushroom mixture from heat and set aside.
Using the same pan, return to medium heat, add 1 tablespoon butter. Cube the chicken and season with the marjoram. Add chicken to heated skillet. Cook for about 4 minutes each side or until chicken is mostly cooked. While chicken is cooking combine chicken broth, cooking wine and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl; whisk until flour is incorporated into liquid. Add broth mixture to the chicken and stir. Add onion-mushroom mixture to chicken and cook over medium heat until broth is simmering; reduce heat to low and continue stirring for 5 minutes or until liquid begins to thicken.
Meanwhile, cook orzo pasta according to package directions, adding 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon to cooking water. When pasta is done, drain and add to chicken mixture. Serve warm.

Roasted Beets with Barley, Greens and Feta

2012-07-16T03:00:00.000-06:00

This is the last time I'm going to expend any more energy urging you to give beets a chance. I've already shared two of my favorite beet dishes here and here; if they weren't enough to convince you, I'm unsure that this dish will. Maybe you need to read my top 3 reasons to eat beets:

They're pink! Or is it purple? Somewhere in between.
They're full of tons of vitamins and minerals, including folate, manganese, beta keratin, anti oxidants, and lots of fiber.
They taste good when you eat them. (especially when they've been roasted into sweet tenderness rather than pickled in a can).

Are you convinced?

A few words about this salad. 1) I originally intended to make it with quinoa, but when I mentioned it to my husband, he quickly requested a barley substitution instead-quinoa isn't his favorite. So feel free to exchange barley for quinoa with excellent results either way. 2) I like to use the greens right off my bunch of beets, but sometimes they look like they've been through a war zone. If that's the case, beet greens can easily be swapped with Swiss chard or collard greens. 3) Don't add the feta cheese to the entire bowl salad or you'll end up with hot pink cheese. It's much nicer to top each serving with a few crumbly bits at the end.

Roasted Beets with Barley, Greens and Feta
Recipe loosely adapted from NPR
Picture by Kelly

1 cup uncooked barley
3 medium beets + beet greens
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

In a medium pot, cook barley according to directions on the package (most likely in 3 cups of water for 45 minutes).
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cut stems off beets and set the greens aside. Wash the beets and prick them with a knife. Place on a baking sheet and roast about 40 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove beet skins and cut into small matchstick-sized pieces.
Wash the beet greens and slice them thinly. Heat olive oil on medium heat in a skillet and add beet greens. Cook about 2 minutes, or until greens are just barely starting to wilt. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine barley with dressing. Add greens and beets and stir until evenly incorporated. Top each serving with feta cheese.

Dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Whisk all ingredients together and set aside.