Cookin' Up a Storm

Christmas Eve Gingerbread

2015-02-11T19:06:00.002-08:00

So, this one has a story. Growing up, my mum always served a very sweet, beautiful cake called pavlova on Christmas Eve. I love pavlova. When I got married, I made pavlova, until 4 years in he told me, "I'm not a huge pavlova fan. I mean, it's alright, but I'd rather have something else." Well, his something else was peppermint ice cream roll, which is what his mum made for Christmas dinner. And her mum. Don't get me wrong, ice cream roll is cake and ice cream rolled together and it's good. But it's also just cake and ice cream. And, unlike my husband, although I will eat ice cream any time of year, it's not the first treat I think of in the dead of winter. So here we were at a standstill. What to make?

Gingerbread. But not just gingerbread. Warm, moist, delicious gingerbread.

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a loaf pan.

1 1/2 c. water
1 c. molasses
1 t. baking soda

Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in molasses and baking soda. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, dry whisk:

2 1/2 c. flour
3 t. ginger
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. cloves
1 T. baking powder (I know. But it's accurate.)
1/2 t. salt

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine and beat on medium high until fluffy:

1/2 c. butter, room temp.
1 c. brown sugar

Add 1 large egg. Beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with molasses mixture. Mix well after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes.

We've served ours with whipped cream or with custard cream if you want it really rich. When I'm eating leftovers, often I'll just eat it with a little cool milk poured over the top of it. I like mine warm, but you can serve it at room temperature too. It would also be good with vanilla. Really, it's pretty hard to screw it up when it comes to serving options.

(This is a slight variation on another recipe. Frankly, the small changes I've made improve the outcome more than "noticeably." But if you want the original, here you go.)

Last Request Ribs

2015-02-08T19:31:00.001-08:00

Yup. That's right. Any last requests? This might very well be it. Be sure to make these on a day when you're super busy so everyone will think you're a bona fide miracle worker! Photos, although a true representation, are taken from the internet.

LAST REQUEST RIBS
ribs (Baby-back or St. Louis style)
dry rub
barbecue sauce

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
2. Remove the membrane that covers the rack side by sliding a table knife or back of a spoon underneath to loosen until you can grab it with a paper towel. It should pull off in one sheet. To see a demonstration, look here.
3. Rub all over with dry rub.
4. Line baking sheet with foil. Place ribs meat side down and then cover with foil and pinch closed around the edges.
5. Place ribs in preheated oven for 4-6 hours.
6. Remove ribs and carefully flip over using two spatulas so the meat side is up. Be careful--they may fall apart.
7. Slather ribs with barbecue sauce and return to oven uncovered for an additional 20-30 minutes.
(NOTE: I used 1 3-rack pack of St. Louis-style pork ribs from Costco, Kirkland-brand Sweet Mesquite seasoning for the dry rub, and Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce. I have 2 ovens, but you can put two racks of ribs in one oven and save the other rack for...probably the very next day. :)

The Best Pancakes I Have Ever Had, Anywhere, Ever

2014-12-06T18:27:00.000-08:00

I have found I'm a bit of a picky pancake eater. I mean, I'll eat almost any pancake--and trust me, I've eaten some nasty ones 'cause I've been reluctant to waste the ingredients in my experiments. But I have finally landed upon THE PERFECT PANCAKE. It's not too fluffy--I like my pancakes soft but not overly-bready. It's not too thin--floppy pancakes=gross. It's sweet enough to eat with no syrup, but it's not so sweet you couldn't put some on if you wanted to. It's truly perfect. So, here we go!

Enough for 6 pancakes.

1/2 c. flour--I used 1/4 white and 1/4 almond meal
1/2 t. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 egg
1/3 c. whole milk ricotta
1/3 c. sour cream
1/8 c. honey
1 1/2 t. vanilla

1. Mix first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add the egg. Beat within the well without mixing in dry ingredients. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir with a spoon to combine--don't over mix.

2. In a large pan over medium heat, melt butter until sizzling. Pour batter into pan using a large serving spoon. Cook until browned, then flip and cook until browned on the other side. (Total cooking time for 1 pancake was about 4-5 minutes). You will know when they're ready to flip because, hey! you'll be able to flip them!

I dropped some fresh cranberries onto my pancakes after I'd poured a panful. They were delicious! Other add-ins that sound awesome to me:

blueberries, obviously
lemon
chopped strawberries
coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

Seriously, I didn't even put syrup on mine at all. They were just so good. My son did want some honey on his, and they were great that way too!

Grammy Boone's Donuts

2014-08-10T18:23:00.003-07:00

For your eating pleasure here is my grandmother's recipe for her wonderful donuts. These are old-fashioned cake-type donuts, not the raised, glazed kind and trust me, they are mmmm-mmmm good!
You'll notice that the two recipes are slightly different, so you'll need to experiment to see which one works best for you. I love that I have one from the local paper complete with photo and one she wrote out herself for my old recipe binder. :)

I should put in a qualifier here that although Gram taught me to make these herself ("you can tell when the dough is right if it feels about like a young girl's breast" !!!Grammy!!!), I haven't made them in years.

I'd love to see comments from anyone who gives this recipe a try. Get it Gram-Boone-right and you'll be in donut heaven!

Killer Granola

2014-03-03T17:26:00.004-08:00

A variation of the recipe used at the Cheese Board in Oakland, California that I got from my son-in-law. I know when it's just right when I can't stop nibbling at it!
I usually quadruple this recipe.

2 Tbs butter

1 cup coarsely chopped nuts

1/4 cup honey

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/4 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/4 to 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

2 Tbs seeds (i.e., chia or sesame)

Preheat oven to 325F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the chopped nuts, increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Add the honey and reduce the heat to low. Stir until melted and combined. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, and seeds. Add the honey/nut mixture and toss until the oats are coated.

Spread granola evenly on the prepared pan. Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake in 10 minute intervals, stirring after each 10 minutes, until golden brown. I usually put it in 3-4 times.

Let cool completely on the baking sheet. Store the granola in an airtight container.

Hearty Egg Drop Soup

2014-02-28T07:38:00.001-08:00

When I was a kid, my mum made egg drop soup when we were sick, which makes sense. It's a very mild soup with, at it's essence, nothing but vegetable broth and eggs in it. I was feeling in the mood for some last night--I haven't had it in years--but I knew that the only way it would fly with Mike was if there was a lot more than broth and eggs. So I scrounged the fridge and came up with carrots, cabbage, and green onions, which was lucky 'cause I don't typically have green onions on hand. So, here's a heartier version of the typical soup.

Serves 4

2 T. oil
4 small carrots, diced
1/4 head of cabbage, shredded
7 c. vegetable broth (or chicken--I didn't have any broth or base, so I had to make my own a little earlier in the day and I only had veggies)
3 or 4 eggs--I like a lot in mine so I used 4, but you could just use 2 or 3 I guess.
4 green onions, diced

Directions:
1. Put oil in the bottom of a medium to large sauce pan, warm over medium heat. Add diced carrots and cook covered until carrots are tender. Add cabbage and cook, stirring frequently until cabbage is tender.
2. Add broth and turn up high. While the broth is warming, beat eggs until well mixed. When broth is at a rolling boil, slowly pour the egg in a thin stream into the broth. (You could also use a fork to stream it in, but I get impatient with that.) Be careful not to let the soup boil over while you're adding the egg. It will start foaming, so stop pouring, give it a gentle stir, and continue. You can also turn the heat down if you need to, but it need to keep boiling to cook the egg.
3. Serve warm and garnish with green onions.

Consolidated Meeting Schedule Rolls

2013-11-26T10:59:00.001-08:00

Back in the days of oil shortages and long gas lines our church went from a schedule of meetings spread throughout the week to a 3-hour Sunday block--it was a big change for a lot of people! This recipe was probably created around that time in order to be able to leave for 3-4 hours and have rolls ready to pop into the oven as soon as you got home.

This has been our Thanksgiving roll recipe since my cousin's wife gave it to me years ago. It is easy, delicious and we still love it!

Consolidated Meeting Schedule Rolls-

2-Eggs (beaten then add remaining ingredients)

1-12 oz can evaporated milk or 1 1/3 c regular milk

1-cup hot water

1 table spoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

2-Tablespoons yeast in 1/2 cup warm water

About 6-cups flour (probably more)

1- Knead well

2- Divide into 4 sections

3- Roll out into a circle and butter top with melted butter

4- Cut into 8 wedges (I use a pizza cutter)

5- Roll up like a croissant

6- Cover with dry towel and let rise 31/2 to 4 hours

7- Bake 8-12 minutes at 400 degrees.

8- Remove from oven and brush tops with more melted butter.

Ciabatta Chicken Sandwiches

2012-10-24T06:48:00.000-07:00

These are so good, especially on homemade ciabatta bread. But, if there's one thing this summer taught me it was that making ciabatta is a little bit of a pain. Not that anything about it is really hard, but you run your stand mixer on high for like 20 minutes. Seriously, just buy some nice quality ciabatta from your local bakery.

Ingredients:
2 ciabatta roles
4 chicken tenders
salt and pepper
1/4 c. pesto sauce
3 to 5 T. mayonnaise
1 avocado, sliced
2 to 3 small Roma tomatoes, sliced

Directions:
1. Split roles in halves.
2. Salt and pepper chicken tenders. In a pan over medium-high heat, cook tenders until juices run clear.
3. In small bowl mix pesto and mayonnaise. Add more mayo if you like, but I like mine pesto-y. Smear onto ciabatta roles.
4. Place chicken one half, avocados and tomatoes on the other.
5. Put halves together and take a giant bite. Enjoy.

Pumpkin Curry Soup

2012-10-19T18:45:00.002-07:00

I whipped this up tonight in the amount of time it took me to bake a couple loaves of bread (which, for those of you who haven't made my bread, takes 30 minutes). It was delicious! I could tell my husband was skeptical but one bite and he was sold! SO! Here goes.

Ingredients:
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1 can light coconut milk
2/3 c. chicken broth
1 t. ginger
1 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. curry powder
dash salt
feta cheese (optional, but highly recommended)

Directions:
1. Put carrots in a sauce pan with about an 1/8 cup water. Steam until soft enough to mash (about 10 minutes). Use potato masher to mash in pan. (If you don't want any lumps at all, you can puree it in a blender, but I like a little substance personally.)
2. Add pumpkin, coconut milk, and broth. Stir to incorporate. Add seasoning. Turn burner to low and allow the soup to warm completely through.
3. Serve with feta crumbles for a sweet-salty scrumptiousness.

Banana Oat Smoothie

2012-10-17T06:24:00.001-07:00

This makes a great quick breakfast smoothie. I was drinking them almost daily for a while, just to break up the eggs-and-toast nightmare routine. (Okay, it wasn't really a nightmare--I like eggs and toast--but seriously, every day?)

Banana Oat Smoothie with cinnamon instead of cocoa.

You can play around with this quite a bit--try different greens, or some spices like nutmeg or cinnamon (those are really good in this, actually, with or without the cocoa powder). It's fairly forgiving because of the oats, banana, and cocoa powder. Together, they cover a multitude of flavors. (And when it looks like chocolate, even little kids will drink it!)

This recipe makes one good-sized mug full.

Ingredients:
1/3 c. oats
handful of spinach, rinsed
2 Romain lettuce leaves, rinsed
2 bananas
1/3 c. milk (or nut milk or whatever you prefer)
1/2 t. cocoa powder

Directions:
1. In blender, grind up oats until very fine. Add spinach and lettuce and grind again until greens are pureed. (A bit of liquid goes a long way in this, so if they're taking their time, pour in just a teeny bit of water or milk to help it go down.)
2. Add remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Honey Apple Pie

2012-10-15T17:46:00.002-07:00

So my mum was visiting for a few weeks and stocked us up with fresh apples and awesome cider. A great way to move into a new house, if you ask me. She bought a bag of fancy Macs and utilitarian Macs. Well, why go through the trouble of buying utilitarian Macs if you're not planning to make a pie, right? So we got into the new house and decided, on our second day, to do just that. But I had neglected to pick up any sugar or brown sugar. All we had was some raw honey. So, we looked up the exchange and decided to kind of just wing it.

Woah.

This pie has a distinctive taste--it's definitely honey in there--and is not too sweet. We didn't have any cinnamon, so we made do with only a bit of nutmeg. The honey seemed to really bring that flavor out! It was great! Like I said, we made it with McIntosh apples, but we saw some people had made something similar with Granny Smiths which are very tart. (Although, they also had brown sugar in theirs, so that would sweeten it up quite a bit.)

I started out with this crust recipe--which is the only one I ever use. It's the best, quite frankly. And sorry, no pictures! I was too excited!

Ingredients:
6 to 8 medium McIntosh apples, peeled and sliced
1 c. raw honey (if it's not raw, it's more runny, so maybe do a bit less than a cup, but not much)
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 c. flour
butter

Directions:
1. Make crust. Preheat oven to 425.
2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except butter together. (I let mine sit while I roll out my pie crust so the flavors can blend a bit.)
3. Pour into pie shell. Dot with a few small tabs of butter. Top with top crust and cut some vents in the top. Cut and seal the edges.
4. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 40 to 50 more minutes.

Enjoy!

Parmesan Sole

2012-05-02T21:53:00.003-07:00

Last weekend we ate out at a little pub in Monterey--sorry, I don't remember the name--but my husband got Parmesan cod. It was excellent, and we figured it couldn't be that hard to recreate, so when I was shopping on Monday I picked up some white fish. This is sole because it was significantly cheaper than the cod, but doubtless you would simply use the same method to cook any crusted white fish. It was melt-in-your-mouth soft and smooth. And the leftovers were pretty great too!

Parmesan Sole
1 stick butter, separated
1/2 c. Italian-style bread crumbs
about 1 c. grated Parmesan cheese, separated
4 fillets sole
1/4 c. milk, half-and-half, or cream
cracked black pepper

Directions:
1. In a large, deep fry pan over medium-low heat, melt 1/2 stick of butter. In a wide, shallow dish, mix bread crumbs and 1/4 c. Parmesan. Pour melted butter into a separate wide dish. There should be enough butter left in the pan to coat the bottom. Return pan to heat and turn up to medium.
2. Coat each sole fillet in butter, then in crumb mixture. Use your finger-tips to lightly pat the mixture onto the fillets. Place in pan and fry until cooked through, carefully flipping once--about 4 minutes on each side. (The muscles should easily separate when touched with a fork and the meat will turn white.)
3. In a small saucepan, melt remaining butter. Add milk and whisk. Continue whisking vigorously while adding remaining Parmesan. Sprinkle in freshly ground black pepper.
4. To serve, spoon some sauce onto each plate. Carefully lay a fillet on top. If desired, top with additional sauce.

Pear and Feta Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

2012-04-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

I try to have one meal a week be a nice big salad. Sometimes I just toss whatever is in the fridge that needs to be used onto a pile of leaves and we pour some balsamic vinegar over the top and call it good--I'm not alone here, am I? Other times I actually think it through and try to make something nice, dressing and all. Tonight, I am proud to say, was of the latter kind. This salad could also be served as a side, obviously. Just omit the chicken and make it on a slightly smaller scale (unless you're one of those who eat the way they should--you know, with half the plate being greens.)

Pear and Feta Salad

1 chicken breast

2 T. oil

8 oz. salad greens (I used baby spinach and red lettuce), slightly chopped if necessary

4 or 5 white mushrooms, rinsed and sliced

1 large celery stalk, chopped

3 small Bartlett pears, chopped

1/2 red onion

handful crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Place chicken breast in pan and cover. Cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, place all remaining ingredients in salad bowl. Chop cooked chicken and add to the salad.

Citrus Vinaigrette

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. citrus vinegar, like Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar (which I just bought, and so far enjoy)

1 clove garlic

1 T. Dijon mustard

dash of salt

dried thyme

dried basil

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together until fully emulsified. Pour over top of salad and toss lightly.

Fresh Strawberry Salad

2012-04-13T20:16:00.001-07:00

I made this for dinner tonight and it has a light, fresh taste and was a delightful side to the quinoa-stuffed zucchini we had as our main course. It would actually make a great summer salad.

Fresh Strawberry Salad
Ingredients:
4 oz. baby spinach, rinsed
4-5 sprigs fresh basil, rinse and stems removed
6 large strawberries, quartered
juice of 1 lemon
3 T. olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Place spinach, basil, and strawberries in a serving bowl.
2. In separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Pour over top of salad. Toss if desired (I didn't bother) and serve.

Fried Oats and Applesauce

2012-04-10T17:03:00.001-07:00

This little breakfast treat has come up twice in conversation in the past week or so, so I figured I'd put it up on here. Try as I might though, I could not get a decent picture of it--sorry guys! But that's not the important thing, right? On to main event!

Okay, before we actually get to that we do have to take a little detour. I grew up eating this and it was pretty much the only way I'd eat oatmeal. My whole family loved oatmeal the traditional mush style. I wanted to like it, really I did, but I tried it every way I'd ever heard of and none of them did it for me. Fried oats though is delicious. Now that I make it for myself, and especially with this pregnancy, I make it the healthy way. Both the sugared-up way and the sugar-free way are delicious. Basically to make sugar-free fried oats, leave out the sugar, brown sugar, and use unsweetened applesauce and whipped cream (those last two I do even if I'm not watching my sugar intake--I just don't buy sweetened applesauce).

Sugared-Up Fried Oats (aka: Papa Conner's Fried Oats)
For ONE serving:
1 to 2 T. butter
1/2 c. whole oats
2 T. sugar
2 T. brown sugar
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1/3 c. applesauce (I highly recommend making sure it's cold--the only warm applesauce that should ever exist is homemade applesauce your grammy just finished making)
whipped cream (I just put in a tad of vanilla)

1. In a pan over medium heat, melt butter. When butter is completely melted but not browned, add oats. Stir well to coat oats in butter. Allow to fry for about two minutes, stirring occasionally so all the oats are lightly toasted. Add sugars and spices. Stir to coat the oats.

2. Place applesauce in the bottom of your serving bowl. Pour the oats over the top and listen to it sizzle! Add a dollop (or a layer, if you're me) of whipped cream over the top. Eat and be delighted!

Ginger Roasted Beets

2012-03-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

I love roasted beets. I like beets alright in general--pickled beets are amazing--but I'm not head-over-heels for boiled beets. They're all right, but most I've had are kind of bland. Then I happened upon this recipe for roasted beets. We grew beets in our garden last summer and ate these all season long. They are delicious!

Then I learned about golden beets. Hmmmmm...gold? That just sounds too fun to pass up! So I snagged a few and decided to try a different spin on the roasted beets. And BEHOLD: ginger roasted beets were born.

A quick note on the roasting: it does take a while, but the reason they're so good is because it kind of caramelizes the sugars in the beets. Golden beets, I noticed, have a little more mild flavor than red beets and they're not quite as sweet, but they still taste great, and it's a great way to get additional color into your diet!

This makes a small amount: there are only three of us in my family (okay, only two who ate more than one beet--baby does like them she just didn't eat anything tonight) and these were totally gone. So, be sure to amp it up if you need to!

Ginger Roasted Beets

3 to 4 good-sized golden beets
2 T. oil
2 T. butter
ground ginger
zest of 1 small orange (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a pan with foil and pour in oil.

2. Wash beets and remove stems. (You can use the greens too! Try this recipe.) Cut beets into slices about 1-inch thick. Place beets in foil-lined pan and toss lightly to coat with oil.

3. Roast in oven for 1 hour. After an hour, check on beets--they should be fork-tender. If they aren't, keep roasting them for up to 30 more minutes. (The older the beets, the longer it will take to soften them.) Remove from oven and allow to cool some. (You can actually roast them a few hours in advance like I do, then just warm them up in the sauce.)

4. While cooling, melt the butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add ginger. I just poured it in until the butter thickened slightly into a sauce--it probably came to about 2 tablespoons. Stir vigorously so the butter doesn't burn. If you choose to add the orange zest, now would be the time to do so.

5. Add beets and stir until completely coated and heated through. Enjoy!

Flourless Chocolate-Almond Butter Cookies

2012-03-23T21:30:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Two things really, reeeeaally irk me about this:

a. I have pretty much no risk factors for this condition. In fact, everyone who knows about it--including my doctors--are very much surprised by it. So there I was going along, living my happy, mostly healthy life, and then BAM! Gestational diabetes. So lame.

And b. I love sweets. Seriously, love them. However (going back to that mostly healthy life thing), I've worked hard at keeping them to a minimum. We almost never have sweets during the week. During the weekends, I'll make a batch of cookies or something, but other than that, sweets are for special occasions or when we have plenty of people over to help eat them. You can imagine how hard this has been.

This kid better worship me.

That being said, my diabetes isn't very severe. I can have the occasional treat and it doesn't seem to spike my blood sugar too high. Which brings me to the recipe. I based it off of this recipe. By taking out the flour, most of the carbohydrates are gone. I've also lessened the sugar a little bit. I am so pleased with the outcome! It's one of the best low-carb cookie recipes I've made so far. And the best part? You don't need to substitute with anything like Splenda--bleh!

Flourless Chocolate-Almond Butter Cookies
1 c. almond butter (or you could use all-natural peanut butter, but make sure the oil is all stirred in)
1 1/2 T. dark cocoa powder
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg, whisked
pinch of salt
capful of vanilla extract
handful of chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix together all ingredients except chocolate chips. The batter will be stiff. Toss in chocolate chips and stir.
3. Using a cookie scoop (or your hands to form into balls) place the cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a fork to press a criss-cross pattern into the top.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate. Bake 2 more minutes. Cookies should be firm in the middle. Let cool on pan for about 5 minutes then remove to cooling rack.

Jessica's Bread Sticks

2012-03-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

These are the best breadsticks I've ever had--and that's including all the restaurant types out there. They're garlicy, cheesy, and ooooooh so soft! I got the recipe from my neighbor who is the queen of tasty treats.

These make a lot, so for my family of 3 I half the recipe and make it in an 8-by-8 pan. This is the full recipe.

Jessica's Bread Sticks

2 c. warm water
1/4 c. oil (I actually use more like 1/8, or maybe somewhere in between)
1/2 T. salt
2 T. brown sugar (I sometimes leave this out, sometimes I don't. I can't really tell the difference)
1 T. yeast
4 c. flour (I do 1/2 all-purpose and 1/2 white whole wheat)
1/2 c. butter, melted
garlic salt
Parmesan cheese

1. Mix the first 5 ingredients (water through yeast). Let stand about 10 minutes until fizzy. Add flour and mix in an electric mixer. Let the mixer also do the kneading. You may need to add a little bit more flour so the dough is soft, not sticky. Set aside and let rise 20 minutes.
2. Pour 1/2 the butter in a 9-by-13 inch casserole dish. Spread dough in the pan as best you can. Cut into desired size, pour remaining butter on top and sprinkle with garlic salt (NOT TOO MUCH!) and Parmesan. Let rise another 20 minutes (sometimes if I'm really hungry I just let it rise another 10 minutes and call it good).
3. Bake at 350 degrees F. about 20 minutes or golden brown and slightly crispy on top.

Chicken and Dumplings

2011-07-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

The ultimate in comfort foods from www.food.com.

CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS-- 4-6 servings

1 large broiler/fryer

4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2-1 teaspoon pepper
water

DUMPLINGS

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons oil

1 Combine chicken, celery, carrots, onion, chicken broth, parsley, chicken bouillon granules, salt and pepper in a large pan or dutch oven; add enough water to cover chicken.

2 Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours or until chicken is done.

3 Remove chicken and let stand until cool enough to handle.

4 Remove skin and bones from chicken.

6 Add more salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

5 Return meat to soup.

7 In a mixing bowl, combine dumpling ingredients and mix well to form a stiff dough.

8 Return chicken to soup and return to a simmer.

9 Drop dumplings by tablespoonfuls into simmering soup.

10 Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then remove cover and simmer 10 more minutes.

11 Serve immediately.

*SOUTHERN STYLE DUMPLINGS (heavier and chewier) 2 cups flour, 1 cup chicken broth, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 beaten eggs. Combine flour, broth, baking powder and eggs; mix well to form a stiff batter. Drop by tablespoonfuls into simmering soup. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Double Chocolate Killers

2011-07-17T03:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm warning you right now--don't do it.

Now that you're duly warned, here's the recipe:

Chocolate Killers:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Chocolate Ganache:

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until just barely cooked.
4. While killers cool a bit, make ganache. Heat cream in heavy saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil around the edge (watch carefully).
5. Put chocolate chips in bowl and pour hot cream over. Let stand for about 1 minute.
6. Stir in circular motion in a single direction for at least 1 minute until smooth.
7. Let ganache cool until just warm. Refrigerate to speed it up if desired.
8. Pour ganache over warm chocolate killers spreading to the edge of pan.
9. Let cool. Cut into small squares. Keep in refrigerator.

Best Banana Cake Ever!

2011-07-04T03:30:00.000-07:00

I'm a banana lover--banana bread, banana shakes, banana ice cream, banana cake, or just plain bananas--I'm a big fan!
It seems like most banana cakes taste basically just like banana bread, but this one is definitely cake. It is the very best banana cake recipe I've ever found--it's awesome! Don't be afraid to put the cake right from the hot oven into the freezer, but make sure you use a metal or pyrex baking dish.
(I meant to take a photo, but it got snarfed up before I had a chance, so this is lifted from the 'net.)

CAKE:

3/4 c. butter

2 1/8 c. sugar

3 eggs

2 t. vanilla

3 c. flour

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1 1/2 c. buttermilk

2 t. lemon juice

1 1/2 c. mashed banana

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat over to 275 F. Grease & flour 9x13" baking dish (pyrex or metal).

In a small bowl combine mashed bananas and lemon juice. Set aside. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream 3/4 c. butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time; add vanilla.

Beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in banana mixture. Pour batter into baking dish.

Bake in oven for 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and immediately place in freezer for 45 minutes.

FROSTING:

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

3 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

DIRECTIONS: Beat all ingredients in order until smooth. Spread on cooled cake.

Project: Tasty Lots from Other Spots

2011-06-26T22:22:00.000-07:00

Quick story: during World War II, my great-grandfather moved from the USSR to the United States. He was Lithuanian and in a small town in central Maine there was a small diaspora of Lithuanians. He met and married a Lithuanian woman there, and lived there the rest of his life. My mum was born to his son, which makes me a quarter Lithuanian.

Flash to present day: people in Utah celebrate the arrival of the Latter-day Saint (or Mormon) pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley like it's the Fourth of July--sometimes bigger than that. It is when the state was established and so it's a big deal. The LDS church world wide doesn't necessarily celebrate this day, though for many of them it does stand as a memorial of the struggles the first Latter-day Saints endured to practice their religion freely. In many other western states--such as California--it is celebrated by members of the church with large picnics, games, etc.

Since I am LDS, I will be partaking in this year's celebration in my ward. But we are not celebrating just the first LDS pioneers but pioneers around the world who are only now discovering the gospel and bringing it to their families, friends, and countrymen. The idea is this: a large picnic. The church will provide chicken and rice, and members will sign up to bring side dishes and desserts (and display items) from around the world. I thought about what I would bring for a while. You see, not only am I Lithuanian, but I'm also largely Scot-Irish, and have a healthy dose of English. Scot-Irish food was taken already, so that was out, but I don't really know much about Lithuanian food and have never been to Lithuania. Nor do I have anything from there. Same with Scotland and Ireland for that matter. So I thought about signing up for Russia--I studied the Russian language as my minor in college and though I've never been there, I have many friends from Russia, and have received authentic gifts and lessons in culture from them. Of course, I also thought of doing New England--O! Blessed homeland! How I miss thee!

Sorry, got a little carried away there.

Ultimately, I signed up for the Micronesian Islands--specifically Saipan (if that is specific when it comes to culture; not really I guess). I lived there for four years and my family is still there (I told you the decision was difficult), and obviously people are very curious.

Anyway, what this is all about is to tell you I've decided to dig into my roots a little--foodie style. I'm going to cook one traditional meal a week from now until September 11th from one of the countries of my origins. This will force me not only to look more into the culture but also double check where I'm from! So far this is the list I get to pick from:

Lithuania
Ireland
Scotland
Poland
England

I think I've got some French and German in there too, but I'm sure they're pretty tiny amounts, so I'll stick with these until I prove otherwise. So, if anyone's got any meal suggestions, send them my way!

Grilled Greek Tacos by Our Best Bites

2011-06-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

I made these the other night for dinner and they were such a hit that I would be remiss in not sharing--WOW! They're good! In fact, they were so popular with my family that now, 2 days later, my son has requested that we have them again soon. They're a little work intensive in the prep, but as easy to put together as...a taco!
Here's the link: Grilled Greek Tacos by Our Best Bites and a photo to get you going!

Popovers

2011-04-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful, no-fail recipe. I made them for Sunday morning and they turned out to be the best popovers I've ever eaten!

2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and grease 6 muffin tin cups well (I just spray them well with cooking spray). In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add flour, milk, and salt and whisk just until smooth--do NOT overbeat. Pour batter into muffin cups to fill. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes 5 or 6 large popovers.

Flautas

2011-03-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

My man took the reigns again tonight for dinner. He is something of a connoisseur of all foods south of the border. So he offered to make flautas this week for dinner and I scheduled him for tonight!

Mmmmmmm...flautas...

Anyway, they're pretty easy to make. Here's how it's done:

Ingredients:

corn tortillas (we use Guerrero)

oil for frying

chicken

Directions:

1. In a deep fry pan, pour between 1/2 inch to an inch of oil. Turn the burner to medium and allow the oil to heat.

2. Meanwhile, Cook the chicken thoroughly and shred it. Or, if you prefer, shred it and then cook it. We're flexible.

3. Lay a little of the shredded chicken on a tortilla. Roll into a tube (we recommend sticking a toothpick through it to keep it that way, they tend to break easily) and put into the heated oil. Fry until lightly golden.

Enjoy topped with lettuce (or spinach if you forgot this is what you were having for dinner and didn't get any lettuce, but happily found it tasted alright), pevre, and sour cream. We had rice and black beans on the side. Delish! Thanks, hon!