What's for dinner?

Pernil (Puerto Rican pork roast)

2011-03-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

Our family is currently passing around a cold so dinner time around here has consisted of a lot of Trader Joe's frozen meals. Tonight I was finally able to make us a full dinner (with a lot of help from my husband) and it was nice to get back in the kitchen. I bought a few big pork shoulders a few weeks ago and have been keeping my eye out for recipes. I loved the long cooking time and relative ease of this recipe.

Pernil

1 pork shoulder, 7 pounds
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder (I used ancho)
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
Olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 (14 oz) can of beef broth
lime wedges for serving

Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Score the pork with a sharp knife in a crisscross pattern.

Pulse the garlic, onion, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper together in a food processor, adding the oil until a paste is formed. Blend in the vinegar.

Rub your paste well into the pork. Put the pork in a roasting pan and pour in just enough beef broth to cover the bottom of your pan. Roast the pork for 5-6 hours or until a thermometer inserted in the middle gets to 170 degrees.

Turn your roast every hour or so being sure to keep the bottom of the pan covered with beef broth. If you use up all your beef broth just use water to cover the bottom of the pan.

If you like your meat brown and crispy raise the heat to 400 degrees the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Let the pork rest for 10 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve with lime wedges.

Serves 6-8 people

After scoring.

Rubbed with marinade and ready to go into the oven.

Our pork was soft and flavorful, the taste reminded me of carnitas. We have a lot of leftover meat so tomorrow we will be shredding it up and having tostadas for dinner. Oh and a word of warning, after the onions were "pulverized" in the food processor I was tearing up so badly I had to leave the kitchen for awhile until I could see again. Don't let that keep you from making this tasty dish.

Till tomorrow...

Slow Cooker Baked Potato and Cheese Soup or Atkins diet, What Atkins Diet?

2011-03-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

I love the kind of baked potato soup you get in restaurants, the cheesy potatoes are SO good. I wanted to try to make this soup at home and thought the slow cooker would be the ideal cooking method. I have been trying to make more and more things in the slow cooker for those nights I work late.

Slow Cooker Baked Potato and Cheese Soup

1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 large russett potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cans (14 oz) chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
3 garlic cloves crushed
1 1/2 cups low fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup (8 oz) light sour cream
1 cup low fat milk
Black pepper to taste
6 strips of bacon cooked and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

In a medium saucepan cook your onions in the olive oil until golden brown. Place the onions in the slow cooker. Place the potatoes on top of the onions. Put the chicken broth, seasoning salt, and garlic cloves in the slow cooker. Cover and cook over high heat for 6 hours. When the potatoes are very soft add the cheese, sour cream and milk. Stir until the cheese has melted, then continue cooking for 10 more minutes. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher to get a smooth consistency. Season with pepper and more salt if needed. Serve the soup sprinkled with a little bacon on top.
Serves 6-8

I never get tired of pictures of frying onions.

Potatoes, onions, garlic and chicken broth in the slow cooker.

This soup was good but not quite as good as what I have had eating out. I think if I added cream or half and half instead of milk it would taste richer and creamier, but I am not quite ready to totally throw caution (and our health) to the wind. Next time I make this soup I might put the soup in the blender to get the potatoes really smooth. I hope you try this recipe out and tell me how you like it.

Till tomorrow...

Blueberry-Cornmeal Pancakes or Breakfast for Dinner

2011-03-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

We had a late night last night so I wasn't able to write about what we had for dinner. I wanted to share the recipe we made because we liked it. I found a recipe for Blueberry-Cornmeal Pancakes in Bon Appetit magazine and the combination of blueberries and cornmeal intrigued me. My kids LOVE pancakes so I knew this would be a hit with them.

Blueberry-Cornmeal Pancakes

Ugly but tasty blueberry-cornmeal pancakes.

1 1/2 cups fine-grind cornmeal
3/4 cup wheat flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
Melted butter
1 cup fresh blueberries
Warm pure maple syrup

Whisk the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and oil in a medium bowl; add to dry ingredients and whisk to blend. Let stand 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place a baking sheet in the oven. Preheat the griddle over medium heat; brush with melted butter. Working in batches, spoon 1/2 cup batter onto griddle for each pancake. Sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons berries. Cook until golden brown and just cooked through; about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to sheet in oven to keep warm. Serve with syrup.

Serves 4 to 6

Dry ingredients.

Wet ingredients.

Pancakes cooking on the griddle.

These pancakes tasted delicious, but they wouldn't hold their shape in the pan. As soon as I would flip them over they would break into small pieces. I have made a lot of pancakes and have never had that trouble before. I think the batter was too thin, next time I will up the amount of flour to 1 or 1 1/4 cups and see if they stay together better. We had fruit and sausages with our pancakes and there were smiles all around.

Till tomorrow...

Steak and Mushroom Soup

2011-03-03T20:19:00.000-08:00

As promised, tonight I am going to share a recipe you can use if you had any leftovers from the Steak and Mushroom Sauce recipe I posted on 2/16/2011. It is hard to get my family to eat leftovers so anything I can do to "disguise" the original dish is always appreciated. I like this soup because it has a great depth of flavor and is easy to make and quick to cook.

Steak and Mushroom Soup

1 cooked steak, diced (about one cup)
1 1/2 cups Mushroom Sauce (recipe posted 2/16/2011)
1 can (14 1/2 oz) low sodium/low fat chicken broth
1 can (14 1/2 oz) low sodium/low fat beef broth
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Croutons
Shredded Gruyere cheese

In a large pot combine the mushroom sauce, chicken broth, beef broth, water, celery seed and black pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes. Add the steak and simmer for 5 minutes more. Spoon into bowls and top with croutons and cheese.
Serves 4

Steak and Mushroom soup boiling away.

I served the soup with cheese, crackers and pears. It was a simple meal and we enjoyed it.

Till tomorrow...

Quick Coq au Vin - or - Purple Chicken for Dinner

2011-03-01T19:22:00.000-08:00

I have made traditional Coq au Vin (literally translated as rooster cooked in wine) a few times. While I like the result I don't like the 2-3 hour prep and cook time. I was excited to find this Quick Coq au Vin recipe in Bon Appetit magazine. I wanted to see if I could get a well flavored dish in only 45 minutes.

Quick Coq au Vin

6 bacon slices, chopped into 1 inch pieces
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (or 8 chicken thighs)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
8 shallots, peeled and halved through the root end
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2 cups dry red wine (I used a primitivo)
1 1/2 cups low sodium/low fat chicken broth, divided
2 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
3teaspoons whole wheat flour (or whatever kind you have on hand)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp, put the bacon on a paper towel lined plate. Keep the bacon grease in the pan.
Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon parsley. Cook the chicken in the same skillet you cooked your bacon in until it is cooked through, around 6 minutes for each side. (Make sure to check that your chicken is cooked, since this is the only real cooking time it has) Put the chicken in the oven to keep it warm.
Add the shallots to your skillet and cook for 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the skillet, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and cook for 4 more minutes. Add the garlic, wine, 11/4 cups chicken broth, 1/2 tsp of parsley and thyme. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile place the flour in a cup and add the 1/4 cup broth stirring until smooth.
Add the flour mixture and bacon to the sauce. cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the sauce is thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the chicken with the sauce on top.
Serves 4

Frying bacon

Chicken getting brown.

Immediately after adding the wine to the pan.

This recipe didn't have the same depth of flavor as a traditional coq au vin, but for a quick weeknight supper it worked well. It tasted great served over mashed potatoes. I love these kinds of hearty dishes during the winter time. I hope you and your family enjoy it as well.

Till tomorrow...

Steak with Mushroom Sauce

2011-02-26T20:51:00.000-08:00

We decided to spoil ourselves tonight and have steak for dinner. We don't have steak very often because of the cost but every once in awhile it is a nice change from our usual chicken. I love this recipe because if you have leftovers you can use the steak and mushroom sauce to make another meal!

Steak with Mushroom Sauce

4 boneless New York strip steaks (8 ounces each)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound sliced mushrooms
1 large onion, sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup white wine
1 can (14 1/2 oz) beef broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sprinkle both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper to taste, then lightly coat with the flour. In a large skillet cook steaks in oil to desired doneness. Remove the steaks and keep them warm in the oven.

In the same skillet saute the mushrooms, onions, and garlic until tender, adding more oil if necessary. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil for one minute. Add broth, butter and salt & pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Boil for six minutes or until sauce is reduced by half. Reserve one steak and 1 1/2 cups sauce for another meal.

Serves 4


Steaks frying in the skillet.

Frying the onions.

Mushroom sauce.

We had our steak with mashed potatoes and asparagus; it was really good. I think our son is becoming a steak lover. I hope he doesn't get too used to eating like a high roller. On Tuesday I will be making the leftover steak and sauce into a soup so check back if you would like the second recipe.

Till tomorrow...

Chicken Adobo

2011-02-23T20:00:00.000-08:00

I have made chicken adobo a few times before using a recipe that called for a lot of soy sauce. I thought the chicken was all right but I wasn't in a rush to make it again. Then I found a recipe in Saveur magazine for adobo that sounded easy to make and good to eat. I was excited to try this dish and use up some more of my "sale" chicken thighs.

Chicken Adobo

4 chicken thighs (about 1 lb)
4 chicken legs (about 1 lb) I used 8 chicken thighs so feel free to use what you have on hand.
Kosher salt, to taste
14 cloves garlic, slivered
1 2/3 cups coconut, palm, or white wine vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
10 bay leaves
Cooked brown rice

Sprinkle your chicken pieces generously with salt and place in a 14" nonstick pan. Add the chopped garlic to pan along with the vinegar, peppercorns and bay leaves. Try to submerge the garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves in the liquid. Bring to a boil over high heat; stir then lower the heat and simmer, basting chicken occasionally with liquid until meat is cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 40 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Continue to cook the chicken, turning it frequently, until crisp and lightly browned all over, 6-8 minutes. Serve over rice
Serves 4

14 cloves of garlic.

Chicken cooking in the pan.

The last 6-8 minutes of cooking.

My husband and I enjoyed this dish. When I saw all the powerful aromatic ingredients in this recipe I was a little afraid the chicken would be too pungent. The house definitely smelled like vinegar while the chicken was cooking, but the chicken turned out moist and only lightly flavored. I have to be honest with you and tell you this was not a hit with my kids. I don't think either of them are vinegar lovers, they ate the chicken but reluctantly. I hope you give it a try and see how you and your family like it. Let me know how it turns out, I like hearing about which recipes are hits and which are misses.

Till tomorrow...

Whore Pasta - or - if you want to be PC Spaghetti Puttanesca

2011-02-21T19:57:00.000-08:00

In case you wondering about the title of this blog "Puttanesca" means whore in Italian. I have no idea why this dish has such a scandalous name but I do know that this pasta is delicious. I got this recipe from the Williams Sonoma catalog that I get in the mail a few times a month. (I love this catalog, I lust after all the fancy kitchen items I can't afford or have no room for.) I have tried a few recipes from Williams Sonoma and have always been happy with the results. I made a few changes to this recipe to suit my tastes and hope you and your family enjoy:

Spaghetti Puttanesca

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced anchovy fillet (this ingredient sounded a bit weird but try it, it adds flavor but doesn't taste fishy)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes with juices
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup pitted oil-cured black olives, sliced
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
1/2 cup cream
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti, cooked until al dente
1 pound shrimp deveined and shelled

In a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until tender and light brown, 12-15 minutes. Add the garlic and anchovy, cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook one more minute.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the tomatoes with their juices, capers, olives and tomato sauce. Cook until sauce is thickened about 15 minutes. Add dried oregano, basil, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the cream and sugar, stir until combined.
In a separate sauce pan cook the shrimp until opaque, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper to taste. Add the cooked shrimp to the puttanesca sauce.
Mix the sauce with the pasta. Serve immediately
Serves 4 to 6 depending on how hungry everyone is.

Onions cooking with garlic and anchovies.

Puttanesca sauce

Cooked shrimp.

Serve your finished pasta with a green salad and bask in the compliments you receive from your family.

Till tomorrow...

Apple Pear Crisp (Gluten Free)

2011-02-20T21:13:00.000-08:00

My brother got married in August of 2010 (yea) and his beautiful new bride Brittany has celiac disease. I had limited knowledge of celiac disease before meeting Brit but now I feel like I understand it a little bit better. Basically eating gluten can damage her small intestine and interfere with her absorption of nutrients. Gluten is a kind of protein found in most grains, cereals, and breads. Most of what I make contains gluten so I have had to learn to think about food and how I cook in a whole new way.
We celebrated Brittany's birthday tonight by taking her out to a restaurant we all really enjoy, Charcuterie. After a wonderful dinner we went back to her and Michael's place and had an Apple Pear Crisp which I had made earlier in the day. This was my first attempt at making a gluten free dessert and I was a little nervous about the results.

Apple Pear Crisp

For the filling:
4 Gala apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch slices
4 Braeburn aples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 De anjou pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch slices
8 tablespoons apple cider (or apple juice, pear cider, water, use what you have on hand)
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoons allspice
Pinch of salt

For the topping:
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups gluten-free baking/pancake mix (I used gluten-free Bisquick)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6-8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, toss the apple and pears with the apple cider, honey, allspice and a pinch of salt.
In another large bowl whisk together the brown sugar, gluten-free flour mix, and cinnamon. Add the butter and mix with your fingers until combined.
Sprinkle 1 cup of the topping into the bottom of the greased dish. Pour the apple/pear mixture into the baking dish. Top with the remainder of the topping mixture.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the fruit is soft and the filling has thickened. The top should be golden brown.

Serves 8

Sliced apples & pears with allspice on top.

Topping ingredients.

Apple Pear Crisp ready to bake.

We ended up liking this dessert a lot. I think next time I will try adding some gluten-free oatmeal to the topping just to give it a bit more texture. I am sure I will be trying out more gluten free recipes in the months to come and am excited to share them with all of you.

Till tomorrow...

Potato Leek Soup and Cheddar Garlic Biscuits - or - I Love Comfort Food!!

2011-02-18T21:15:00.000-08:00

My son requested Potato Leek soup and biscuits for dinner one night this week and I decided tonight was the night. I don't get special requests too often so when I do I try to fulfill them. I have tried quite a few potato leek recipes and finally hit on one I enjoy. This soup takes around an hour to make and also requires pureeing your soup in the blender. (I am always afraid the lid of my blender will blow off and the hot soup will scald me. I know, I am paranoid.) If you have the time and are brave enough to blend hot liquids please try...

Potato Leek Soup

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large leeks (1 lb) white and light green parts only, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
2 pounds russet potatoes (about 4 medium) peeled and cubed
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup milk
6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for 5 minutes or until the leeks are tender and just starting to get brown, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes, chicken broth, salt and pepper, and cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-low heat (still covered) for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Take off the heat and cool for 10 minutes.

Blend the leek mixture in batches in the blender until smooth. Be sure not to fill the blender past half way and hold the lid down tight (remember paranoia, scalding, burning faces). Add the cream cheese to the last batch and blend until the cream cheese is melted.

Put the blended soup back in the pan, add the milk and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through. Top the soup with bacon and serve.

Serves 8

Leeks cooking in oil.

Blended soup.

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

2 cups bisquick
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine the Bisquick, garlic powder, cheddar cheese, butter and buttermilk. Stir just until your ingredients are combined. If you over mix your biscuits they will be tough.

Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto an ungreased rimmed baking sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown

Makes 9 biscuits

Biscuit batter.

Ready to bake.

We left the table with full bellies and smiles on our faces. I will be sad when the weather heats up and soup season is over. (My family refuses to eat soup on hot days.) Maybe I will search out recipes for cold soups???

Till tomorrow...

Valentines Tea

2011-02-17T19:08:00.000-08:00

For Valentines day I like to try to make something a little more special than what we have everyday. My kids and I really enjoy going to tea. We love the sandwiches, scones and pots of tea. We don't love the cost of going to tea (I have seen places charge 32 dollars per person, yikes) For Valentines day we thought it would be fun to make our own tea at home. I originally planned to make everything from scratch but as the day got closer decided to do a mix of homemade and store bought.

Our Tea Menu:
Assorted fruits and clotted cream
Hummus and pita bread
Pumpkin cranberry cream cheese sandwiches
Ham sandwiches with herb butter
Scones with jelly
Cookies

Tea time

Clotted Cream

4 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons powdered sugar

Beat all ingredients together until mixture resembles softly whipped cream.
Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ham Sandwiches with Herb Butter

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
3 tablespoons mint, chopped
2 tablespoons basil, chopped
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Pinch of salt

8 slices of whole wheat bread (or white bread if you prefer)
1 package (6 ounces) of your favorite deli ham

For the herb butter: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well
For the sandwiches: Lay out the slices of the bread and spread them all with a thin layer of herb butter. Place two pieces of ham on each sandwich. Top with the remaining bread slices. Place the sandwiches on a cutting board and cut off the crusts. Cut each sandwich in half crosswise and then cut each half diagonally to make triangles.
Makes 16 sandwiches

Basil, mint, lemon zest and garlic.

Herb butter

Raisin Scones

3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup raisins (you can use cranberries if you prefer)
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and rub it into the mixture until combined. Stir in the raisins. Mix together the buttermilk and sour cream and pour into the dry ingredients. Stir, but not too much or your scones will turn out tough.
Pat the dough into balls 2 inches across. Place onto a greased baking sheet and flatten slightly. Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon milk. Brush the top of the scones with your egg mixture.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Raisin scone with clotted cream and jelly.

This was a lot of fun for the kids and not too much work for me. My husband is not a huge fan of tea, but was a good sport and helped me with the prep work. This was a really nice affordable way to celebrate with my family.

Till tomorrow...

Chicken Drumsticks with Garlic and Herbs or Drumsticks on sale for 87 cents a pound...SCORE!

2011-02-16T21:19:00.000-08:00

The grocery store I shop at every week had drumsticks on sale for 87 cents a pound on Super Bowl Sunday. (This is a great deal. I usually buy them for 99 cents a pound.) Since we have a full size freezer, we buy meat in bulk when it is cheap and freeze it. If the power ever went out at our house for an extended amount of time we would be out hundreds of dollars of meat. (Yikes!)

Having this much meat on hand makes cooking dinner easier and more affordable, but it also means I have to plan my meals ahead of time. My family often laughs at me because while we are sitting enjoying our dinner I am already thinking ahead to what we are going to be eating the next day. Now that we have a lot of drumsticks, in the freezer, I have to come up with appetizing ways to serve them and I think I hit the mark with this recipe. It is pretty basic, but it is good and fast.

Chicken Drumsticks with Garlic and Herbs

It tastes better than it looks, I promise.

8 chicken drumsticks (We have a family of four so I make two per person, adjust up or down to suit your family)
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano (use fresh if you have it, I didn't)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Rub salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, lemon juice and olive oil on the drumsticks to coat. If you have time let the marinade sit on the chicken for a few hours. If you don't have time, a quick dunk will do. Place the drumsticks on a foil lined baking sheet (for easier clean up) without crowding the drumsticks.

Bake the chicken without turning, until golden brown and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Check the drumsticks at 25 minutes because smaller ones will cook quickly.

Serves 4

Marinade

Before putting in the oven.

Serve with vegetables, some wild rice and enjoy.

Till tomorrow...

Best Tomato Cream Sauce EVER!

2011-02-15T18:40:00.000-08:00

I cannot say enough good things about the recipe I tried tonight. I got this from the Pioneer Woman website (thepioneerwoman.com) and all I can say is...WOW!!! I liked this recipe because it was delicious. Also after you chop up the onions and garlic it is really easy to cook. It was easy enough that I was able to help my 9 year old review for his science test tomorrow while making this meal. This rarely happens.

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
3/4 pound angel hair pasta (I used multi-grain since I am slowly trying to wean my family away from white pasta)

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

In a medium sauce pan heat the butter and oil over low heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Pour in the tomato sauce and add salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. (you can help your kids with their homework at this point) Remove from heat and stir in cream.

Add the Parmesan cheese then check seasonings. Stir in the pasta and chopped basil and serve immediately. (Thin the sauce with pasta water before adding the basil if needed, I added about 1/4 cup of the pasta water to my sauce)

Serves 4

Immediately after adding the tomato sauce to the pan.

Cooking the pasta.

The sauce after 25 minutes of cooking.

My husband and I had a salad with our pasta and our kids had a handful of grapes. I will be making this again in the near future. There are a lot of variations I would like to try with this recipe. I could add vegetables, meatballs, pancetta, etc. The possibilities are endless.

Till tomorrow...

Easy Ice Cream Cake

2011-02-13T20:50:00.000-08:00

We celebrated my father-in-laws birthday tonight so I didn't have to cook dinner. I was responsible for making dessert for everyone and decided to make an ice cream cake. I had wanted to make one for awhile and my father-in-law loves ice cream so I thought this would be the perfect occasion to make one for everyone. I told my husband this recipe didn't really feel like cooking; it felt more like assembling food.

Easy Ice Cream Cake

28 Oreo cookies
1 pint strawberry ice cream, softened (or your favorite kind of ice cream)
2 cups thawed Cool Whip, divided
1 pint chocolate ice cream, softened (or your second favorite kind of ice cream)
2 tablespoons chocolate fudge sauce

Line a 9 inch round cake pan with plastic wrap. Put 14 whole cookies around the edge of the pan. Crush the remaining Oreos. (I put them in a ziploc sandwich bag, sealed the bag, and crushed the cookies.) Place the crumbs on the bottom of the pan, reserving 1/2 cup. Put the strawberry ice cream over crumbs; top with 1 cup of the cool whip and remaining crumbs. Top with chocolate ice cream.

Freeze the cake for at least four hours. (I froze it overnight.) Remove from the pan by lifting the plastic wrap. Carefully peel off the plastic wrap. Let the cake stand for 10 minutes. Top with remaining 1 cup whipped topping and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Makes 14 servings (It doesn't look like it, but the cake is really rich.)

Cookies on the sides/bottom

These were the ice creams I used.

First layer of ice cream.

Second layer of ice cream.

This was a really easy cake to "make" and I love how you can switch the ice creams around for whoever you are making the cake for. I think this would be a great cake for a kids party and this will be the cake I make for my 10 year old son's birthday in a couple of months.

Till tomorrow...

Almond Bars or disappointing dinner saved by a delicious dessert

2011-02-10T23:15:00.000-08:00

Tonight was one of those nights where nothing seemed to go right. The dinner I had been planning (and chopped 4 pounds of onions for last night) ended up being disappointing. I tried to make French onion soup (only the second time I have ever tried it) and was not happy with the results. The soup was missing something, I just couldn't figure out what. The onions were not soft enough, even after cooking for 10 hours, we all ate it but I wouldn't ever share the recipe. I think maybe I will save French onion soup for when my husband takes me out to dinner. So instead of writing about our mediocre dinner I will write about the snack I made for my MOPS group tomorrow. About a year ago my family and I were invited to one of our associate pastors homes for dinner. His wonderful wife made us a great meal and for dessert served us almond bars. I had never tried them before but instantly loved them and asked for the recipe. These have been a family favorite since then, I make them when I need something delicious but don't have the time or money to go to the store. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Almond Bars

4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons almond extract (I use imitation because my daughter is allergic to nuts)
Powdered sugar

In a large bowl mix the eggs and sugar until well blended. Add the butter and almond extract. Slowly stir in the flour and mix thoroughly. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
Yield: 2 dozen

Melted butter

Eggs and sugar

The batter about to be poured into the baking pan.

That is it, how easy can you get? One reason I like this recipe is that it calls for melted butter. When a recipe calls for softened butter I usually forget to take out my butter and have to try to soften it in the microwave without melting it, with this recipe I don't have to plan ahead. I hope dinner tomorrow goes a little smoother. I would like to thank Vera Christian for sharing this recipe with me.

Till tomorrow...

Light Cheese Bread and Blueberry Crisp or Carbohydrate Heaven

2011-02-09T22:41:00.000-08:00

We had a nice, relaxing dinner at my mother and father-in laws house tonight. My wonderful in-laws (Bruce and Rosie) watched our daughter for a few hours so my husband and I could both take our son to his art lesson. I thought it would be nice to take dinner to my in-laws house for us to all share together. I took it easy on the main course and made soup from a package. After the hours I was in the kitchen last night I needed a break. I did however make a loaf of bread to accompany the soup and my daughter and I made the dessert together. I was excited to try a recipe for cheese bread I found in The Best of America's Test Kitchen Best Recipes and Reviews 2011. I bought this magazine around a month ago and want to try almost every recipe, they all look so good. I really love the convenience of "quick" breads, there is no kneading or waiting for the dough to rise.

Light Cheese Bread

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded on the large holes of a grater. (2/3 of a cup)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I was out of cayenne pepper, so just used 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes (3/4 cup)
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk (I didn't have buttermilk so I put 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into 1 1/4 cups low-fat milk and let it sit for 10 minutes before using)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large egg

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bread loaf pan (8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch) with non stick cooking spray. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese evenly over the bottom of the pan, and set aside. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, mustard, cayenne, and black pepper together in a large bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons more Parmesan and the cheddar, breaking up any clumps. In a large bowl whisk the buttermilk, oil and egg together until smooth. Fold the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. The batter will be extremely thick, be sure not to overmix. Put the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan evenly over the top. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack and let cool for 1 hour before serving. The bread can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Makes one 8-inch loaf


Coarsely grated Parmesan cheese.


Cheese bread batter.


Ready to cook.

This was a very tasty loaf of bread, I hadn't planned on making it so I was glad I could throw it together with ingredients I had in the house. I had enough of the bread left over to make sandwiches for my kids to take to school tomorrow, that will be a nice change of pace for them.

For dessert my daughter and I made blueberry crisp. The kitchen was a wreck when we were done (four year olds are not the neatest) but we had a good time together.

Blueberry Crisp

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, washed
1/4 cup white sugar
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
Non stick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the blueberries and white sugar into a large bowl and mix. Spray a 9 x 13 inch dish with cooking spray, then pour in the blueberry mixture. In a medium bowl mix the oatmeal, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and butter. Sprinkle the oat mixture over the blueberries. Bake for 35 minutes.
Serves 6


Blueberries and sugar.


Ready to bake.

Wow the blueberry crisp was delicious. This dessert was really easy to make and was gone in seconds. I think the only way this could have been any better would have been if we had served it with vanilla ice cream. I am getting hungry just thinking about it.

Till tomorrow...

Mushroom and Lentil Pot Pies with Gouda Biscuit Topping

2011-02-08T19:27:00.000-08:00

I make a lot of chicken pot pies because it is a tasty way to use up leftover chicken. When I saw this recipe in the November 2010 issue of Bon Appetit magazine I thought it sounded like a nice change from our usual chicken pies. I also thought this would be a good meal to make for the rare vegetarian who wanders into our bastion of meat lovers.

Mushroom and Lentil Pot Pies with Gouda Biscuit Topping

Filling
1/2 cup lentils
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (I couldn't find these in my market so I used dried stir fry mushrooms)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch chunks (I was lazy and didn't peel mine)
4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Topping
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
6 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons chilled unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup buttermilk (I didn't have any buttermilk in the house so I used low-fat milk)
3/4 cup (packed) grated Gouda cheese (3 ounces)

Filling: Mix 3 cups cold water, lentils and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain, set lentils aside.

Pour 3 cups boiling water over dried porcini mushrooms in medium bowl; soak 25 minutes. Remove mushrooms from soaking liquid, squeeze dry, and chop coarsely. Don't throw away the soaking liquid, save it to use later.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add fresh mushrooms, cook for 3 minutes. Add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil, onion, carrot, sage and thyme. Saute 4 minutes. Add garlic; saute 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Mix flour into vegetables; cook 1 minute. Add porcini soaking liquid. Mix in porcini, potatoes, soy sauce and tomato paste. Cover; simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally 13 to 15 minutes. Add lentils; season with salt and pepper. Put the filling in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Topping: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in food processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk; pulse until dough forms moist clumps.

Put heaping tablespoons of the batter on top of the pot pie filling. Top the dough with cheese. Bake pot pies until a toothpick inserted into biscuit topping comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Serves 4


Boiling lentils


Dried Mushrooms (before adding the boiling water)


Re-hydrated Mushrooms


Finished Pot Pie Filling


Immediately before putting in the oven.

These were really tasty pot pies but I was in the kitchen for 1 hour and 40 minutes putting them together. This is way too long for a weeknight meal. I need to make a rule that I will not make any Bon Apetit meals on a weeknight. I always think I cook faster than I actually do. Oh well, live and learn.

Till tomorrow...

Cheesy Steak Sandwiches with Butter and Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

2011-02-06T22:10:00.000-08:00

I love Super Bowl Sunday because it gives me an excuse to make steak and potatoes, one of my favorite combinations. About a month ago my family and I saw Rachel Ray make a steak sandwich and potatoes on her 30 Minute Meal show that looked amazing. As soon as we saw the finished result we all agreed we had to try the recipe. I tinkered with the recipe a bit (as I always seem to) to suit my families taste. I hope you will do the same if you try the following:

Cheesy Steak Sandwiches with the Works


Cheesy Steak Sandwich

4 flat iron steaks, 6 - 8 ounces each
Extra virgin olive oil
Steak seasoning (we had a bottle of Canadian steak seasoning in our pantry, whatever you have on hand should work fine)
2 green bell peppers, cut into thin slices
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low fat milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ground nutmeg
1 cup grated provolone cheese
1 cup marinated mozzarella cheese
2 loaves asiago cheese bread, about 12 inches long

Put the steaks on the counter to warm up a bit while your grill heats to medium-high. Coat each steak with around 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with steak seasoning.

Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bell peppers, and onions and cook until very tender 12 to 15 minutes, add the garlic during the last few minutes of cooking. When the vegetables are golden brown and tender remove from the heat. Heat the oven to 250 degrees.

While the peppers cook, put the steaks on the hot grill and cook 6 minutes on each side for medium rare steaks.

Meanwhile place a sauce pan over medium heat and melt the butter in it. After the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remember you will be adding salty cheese so don't go overboard on the spices. Thicken the sauce for a few minutes, then reduce the heat to low.

After the steaks are cooked, put them on a cutting board and let them rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steaks on an angle against the grain of the meat. While the steak rests, warm the bread in the oven. Stir the cheese into the sauce.

To serve cut the bread lengthwise and place the steak slices evenly across the bottoms of the bread. Top the steak with the sauce, peppers and onions. Cover with the bread tops and cut the sandwiches into four portions.

Serves 6

Steaks oiled, seasoned and ready to grill.


Frying the onion and bell pepper.


Finished cheese sauce.

We enjoyed these sandwiches but I felt pretty guilty about how unhealthy they were. I felt like we would have been just as happy to have the steaks topped with just bell pepper and onions, leaving out the bread and cheese sauce. This recipe also kept me pretty busy and I didn't feel as relaxed in the kitchen as I normally do.

Because of these reasons I probably wouldn't make them for just us again. I might pull them out in a pinch if we decide to host a Super Bowl party, but I would enlist plenty of help in the kitchen.

We had Butter and Parmesan Mashed Potatoes as our side dish tonight and I would make these again in a heartbeat. They are easy to make and tasted divine.

Butter and Parmesan Mashed Potatoes


Yukon gold potatoes cooking away.

2 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Freshly grated black pepper, salt to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Place the potatoes in a medium pot in a single layer (If you have a pot that is big enough. Mine was just a pinch too small). Pour in enough broth to come 1/4 inch up the sides of the potatoes (be careful pouring the broth it is easy to add too much). Add the olive oil.

Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and let the potatoes cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, raise the heat and reduce the broth.

When the broth evaporates, mash potatoes to flatten them a bit using a potato masher. Crisp the potatoes a few minutes on each side (stir frequently, they brown quickly), then season with salt and pepper. Stir in the butter and cheese.

Serves 4-6

This was an extremely filling meal but I keep telling myself Super Bowl Sunday only comes once a year.

Till tomorrow...

Pizza Two Ways

2011-02-06T00:26:00.000-08:00

I was responsible for providing snacks for my book club tonight and wanted to try something a little different. We have a lot of wine lovers in our group and decided to have a wine tasting before our book discussion.

My husband and I went out to Trader Joes and picked a few wines that looked promising. We chose a 2008 Mouton Cadet Bordeaux which intrigued us with a blend of 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Semillion, and 10% Muscadelle. We paid $7.99 for the bottle. The second bottle we tried was a 2009 Hamilton-Steven's Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. We love Pinots from the Russian River Valley and we really loved the $8.99 price tag.

I decided to make two different pizzas, one to go with the Bordeaux and one to go with the Pinot Noir. The first pizza I made was an Artichoke and Fontina Pizza. I got the recipe from the December 2009 issue of Food & Wine magazine.

Artichoke & Fontina Pizza


Artichoke & Fontina Pizza

You have to start this recipe the day before if you are marinating your own artichokes, so plan accordingly. If you don't want to marinate your own artichokes buy a jar of marinated artichokes from the store and save yourself some prep time.

16 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup of olive oil
3 smashed garlic cloves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
2 (8 oz) balls of store bought pizza dough
1 tablespoon cornmeal
2 1/2 cups grated fontina cheese
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese

To make marinated artichokes take your thawed artichokes and place in a medium size bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, smashed garlic cloves, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to three days.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Roll the pizza dough onto a cutting board sprinkled with cornmeal. Put the dough on baking sheets and bake for around 8 minutes, or until lightly browned.

While the dough cooks chop the artichokes into bite size pieces and drain them on paper towels. When the 8 minutes cooking time is up take the pizza dough out of the oven. Sprinkle the cheeses on the dough, then put the artichokes over the cheese. Season with salt, pepper and a few leaves of rosemary then return the pizzas to the oven.

They are done when the edges are browned; about 10 minutes.


Marinated Artichokes


About to go in the oven

The pizza went will with the wine and was very tasty. I enjoyed the Bordeaux so much I am already planning a trip to Trader Joes to stock up on some more bottles. I only marinated my artichokes for one night and didn't think they were flavorful enough, so next time I will try to marinate them for three days. Other than that, I really enjoyed this recipe. The fontina and goat cheese were a delicious combination.

Puff Pastry Pizza with Marinated Mozzarella and Cherry Tomatoes

The next pizza I made is one of my all time favorites; puff pastry pizza with marinated mozzarella and cherry tomatoes. I have made this a handful of times and always get rave reviews.


Puff Pastry Pizza with Marinated Mozzarella and Cherry Tomatoes

12 ounces of cherry tomatoes (heirloom if possible)
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 sheets frozen puff pastry (1 lb total), thawed
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
4 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup coarsely grated marinated mozzarella cheese
1/2 bell pepper cut into thin strips
1/3 cup quartered pitted black olives
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh oregano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss tomatoes, olive oil, salt and dried oregano in a medium bowl. Scatter tomatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until soft and beginning to collapse, about 22 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the tomato mixture cool. Keep the oven on 400 degrees.

Brush 1 tablespoon melted butter on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the puff pastry on top of the butter. Brush remaining butter on top of the pastry. Sprinkle with 4 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella leaving a half inch plain border. Top with roasted tomatoes, pepper strips and olives.

Bake pizza until pastry is crisp, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons fresh oregano over the pizza and serve.


Ready to Roast


Right before putting in the oven.

The pizza came out perfectly and my cousin Elizabeth declared it to be the best pizza she had ever eaten! High praise indeed. Opinions were mixed on the Pinot Noir, but I thought for the price it was a good wine. It is hard to find decent bottles of red wine for under $10.00 so whenever we find a bottle we like we try to stock up.

It was a little bit hectic trying to make the two pizzas at once but the party came off without a hitch.

Till tomorrow...

Light and Fluffy Waffles

2011-02-03T23:01:00.000-08:00

We had breakfast for dinner tonight because I needed something that I could make quickly. I have had this recipe by Marion Cunningham (famous cook/author) on my refrigerator for months and finally decided to try it tonight. I knew I was going to be rushed at dinnertime so I made the batter in the morning, let it sit all day and just had to cook the waffles when I got home from work.

Marion Cunningham's Raised Waffles


Waffles and Bacon

1/2 cup warm water
1 package (2 1/2 teaspoon) dry yeast (Be sure to use active dry yeast, not instant yeast)
2 cups lowfat milk, warmed for around 30 seconds in the microwave
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Pour the water into a large mixing bowl. (Remember to leave room for the batter to rise.) Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it stand for 5 minutes. Add the milk, melted butter, salt, sugar, and flour and mix until smooth. Cover the bowl with foil and let it stand overnight at room temperature. (Or if you are making the waffles for dinner let your mixture sit out all day until you are ready to cook.)

Preheat your waffle maker. Add the eggs and baking soda and mix well. (The batter will be extremely thin but don't worry it is supposed to be like that.) Grease your waffle maker with nonstick cooking spray if desired then pour some batter into the waffle maker. I can't tell you exactly how much to add because it depends on your waffle maker. I always seem to add a little too much to mine and a bit flows out the sides. Play around with it, remember cooking is supposed to be fun. Cook your waffles until golden and crisp.

Serve immediately with hot maple syrup, yum.

Serves 4 to 6

Waffle batter before rising.


Waffle batter after rising.


Cooking in the pan (can you tell I didn't pour enough batter?)

This was my first time making waffles with yeast and I was amazed at how light and fluffy these were. I was a bit worried at how intense the yeast smell was at first, but after the waffles cooked the smell diminished. Next time I make these I am going to play around with the batter a bit and add blueberries, or maybe some chocolate chips.

Till tomorrow...

Rice Pudding - or - still trying to use up my leftover rice

2011-02-02T22:28:00.000-08:00

Tonight was leftover night, so I decided to make the evening a little more special by making dessert. Since I still had a lot of leftover rice I used it to make rice pudding. I have found most people either love rice pudding or hate it, I think it has something to do with the texture. We fall on the love it side, and every time I make it I think, why don't we have this more often. I hope you try the following recipe and agree.

Rocking Rice Pudding


Yummy Rice Pudding

3 cups of rice (white or brown), cooked
3 cups lowfat milk
2/3 cup of granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup of raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided

Put the cooked rice, milk, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan, stir to combine. Add the raisins and vanilla extract and stir again.

Cook the mixture for 25 minutes over a low flame until most of the liquid is absorbed. Be sure to stir occasionally and add more milk if the pudding starts to stick to the bottom.

Once the pudding is thick and creamy take it off the heat. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Put the pudding in a serving dish and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon on top. You can serve this with whipped cream if you like.

Serves 4-6


Butter, milk, rice and sugar


Bubble bubble toil and trouble

I usually double this recipe because rice pudding goes fast in our house. I am still trying to decide if rice pudding is an acceptable breakfast food.

Till tomorrow...

Bacon Fried Rice - everything tastes better with bacon.

2011-02-01T20:44:00.000-08:00

I had a lot of leftover rice in my refrigerator from a dinner we had over the weekend. So for dinner tonight I decided to do what I always do with leftover rice, make fried rice. I often fall back on this recipe because it is quick and tasty. If I can get dinner on the table in under thirty minutes I am a happy person.

Bacon Fried Rice

Dinner time

4 cups of cooked rice (white or brown)
8 strips of bacon
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
One 10 oz package of frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
5 large eggs, lightly beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large saucepan cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on a paper towel lined plate, chop into 1 inch pieces when cool enough to handle. (I use kitchen shears to cut my bacon)
Wipe the bacon grease out of your skillet. Return the skillet to the stove and keep your flame on medium heat. Add the vegetable oil and the onion and cook the onion until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cooked rice and stir. Add the mixed vegetables and soy sauce and stir again. Make a hole in the middle of the rice and add the eggs. Let the eggs set for 1 to 2 minutes, then mix them with a fork and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir the eggs into the rice, breaking them up into small pieces. Take the saucepan off the stove, add the sesame oil and bacon and stir.
Serves 4-6 depending on how hungry everyone is.


Does anything look better than frying bacon?


Right after the eggs were added.


While the rice is cooking.

Another plus about this recipe is that there are hardly any dishes to wash. Since my husband washes the dishes whenever I cook he likes to keep the mess to a minimum. I still have rice leftover even after making this recipe so tomorrow night we will be having rice pudding for dessert. Yum.

Till Tomorrow...

Pulled Pork Sandwiches - slowcooker recipe

2011-01-31T20:36:00.000-08:00

The bigger my kids get the busier our evenings seem to be. I am trying to find more slow cooker recipes I can make when I know I will have a hectic day. I have been relying more and more on frozen Trader Joe meals for our busy nights but feel guilty about all the sodium and fat in those meals. I made these sandwiches tonight and was very happy with how much meal we got out of an affordable piece of meat. I like the amount of vegetables in this recipe, even my picky eater ate most of them.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder
1 cup peeled and shredded carrot (1 large carrot)
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 cup water or beer (I used Corona)
1 (12 ounce) jar bbq sauce (the final taste of the meat really depends on the quality of the bbq sauce so try to buy a good brand)
8 whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted

Add the pork, carrot, bell pepper, onion, water or beer, and half the bbq sauce to a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

After 4 hours on high, drain about 3/4 of the liquid. Take out the pork, chop the meat coarsely and discard the excess fat. Put the pork back in the slow cooker and add the other half bottle of bbq sauce to the pot. Cover and cook on high for 4 more hours.

When the meat is done, remove from the slow cooker and place on a cutting board. Use two forks to pull the meat into shredded pieces. Put the meat back into the slow cooker, divide the pork mixture evenly between the hamburger buns and serve.


In the pot and ready to cook


Thinly sliced onions


Diced red bell pepper


Shredded carrot


Pork Shoulder

This recipe fit my criteria of being quick to assemble, easy on the pocket book and tasty. It is a keeper for our family.

Till tomorrow...

Free-Form Sausage and Three Cheese Lasagna

2011-01-30T20:12:00.000-08:00

I love cooking big meals on Sunday nights. I usually have a few hours to cook and don't have to worry about helping with homework or getting laundry done. Tonight I decided to try and make lasagna from (almost) scratch. This was definitely a time intensive recipe, but the results were well worth it. Next time I make it I will double the recipe so I have some leftovers.

Free-Form Sausage and Three Cheese Lasagna

1/2 pound whole wheat lasagna noodles (my one nod toward healthy eating)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for tossing
1/2 pound Italian sausage
1 cup water
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
One (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, chopped and juices reserved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into eight pieces
6 ounces fontina cheese, cut into 8 pieces
1tablespoon butter, softened
1/4 cup thinly sliced basil leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried basil)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large pot cook the lasagna noodles in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Drain and transfer the noodles to a bowl of cold water and let stand for 2 minutes, then drain. Pat the noodles dry with paper towels. Put the noodles in a separate bowl and toss with 1 to 2 TBSP of olive oil, until they are lightly coated.

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sausage and form it into a patty, cover and cook the meat over medium heat, turning once until brown on both sides. Add the cup of water, cover and simmer for 4 minutes.

In a large saucepan heat 2 TBSP of olive oil. Add the sliced garlic and cook over low heat for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Add the chopped tomatoes with their juices and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the sauce doesn't burn. Add the sausage and its poaching liquid and simmer for 4 minutes. Transfer the sausage patty to a plate. Simmer the sauce over medium heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Break the sausage up into chunks and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

In a well-buttered 9 x 13 inch baking dish, arrange 3 lasagna noodles in different directions in the dish. Spoon 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce over each noodle and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Put a piece of mozzarella and fontina on each noodle and add a few chunks of sausage. Repeat the process with the remaining lasagna noodles, tomato sauce, mozzarella, fontina, and sausage, sprinkling with more Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Bake the lasagna on the top rack of your oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce starts to bubble. Raise the temperature to 450 degrees and bake for 7 minutes longer or until the top is brown. Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes, then sprinkle the basil on top.

Makes 6 servings


Putting olive oil on the lasagna noodles


Bubbling lasagna sauce


Layering the noodles


Layering the cheese, sauce and sausage


Ready to eat

We had a green salad and some garlic bread to round out our meal. We also had a bottle of 2008 Pied Violet Reserve Zinfandel with our dinner and were quite happy with the pairing. The zinfandel was able to stand up to the tomato sauce and sausage and had a balanced finish without the harshness that can be found in some zinfandels. This lasagna was a lot of work to prepare, but I was so happy with the results I am already trying to figure out when I can make it again.

Till tomorrow...

Slow-cooked chili and cornbread cake

2011-01-29T20:35:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is to hang out with my husbands family, have dinner and share a bottle (or two) of wine. Luckily I get to do this around once a month; it is always loud, chaotic, and I love it. We got together today and I made chili and cornbread for everyone. I believe everyone enjoyed it because when I went back for seconds the crockpot was scraped dry. I need to learn to eat faster if I want more food. If you are having people over for the superbowl this would make a nice easy meal for your guests.

Slow-cooked chili

2 pounds ground turkey (use whatever you have on hand, ground beef or chicken would work as well)
1 (16 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (again, use what you like, kidney beans, white beans, etc.)
2 (14.5) ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (use two cans if you like more sauce in your chili)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
shredded cheddar cheese
light sour cream

In a saucepan cook the turkey and onions over medium heat until brown; about 10 minutes. Drain the fat off. Put the meat/onion mixture in your slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the cheese and sour cream. Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 8-10 hours. The amount of time depends on how fast you want dinner to be ready. Serve with the cheese and sour cream for garnish.

Serves 10

Chopped onions

Browned turkey and onions


The finished chili

I hesitate to call the following a recipe because it is so simple. I will tell it to you like it was passed on to me. Take a yellow cake mix and add two boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix. Make the cake following the directions (and using the ingredients called for) on the back of the box. It might take a little longer for the cake to bake because of the added cornbread mix. This makes a delicious hybrid of cake/cornbread and it is always well liked.

(Thanks to Luna Wong for sharing the recipe with me)

Making the cornbread batter


Close up of the finished batter

The cornbread was cut into and eaten too quickly for me to get a finished picture. I will have to be quicker next time.

Till tomorrow...