A Chemist in the Kitchen

Zucchini Bread

2013-07-14T13:45:00.002-07:00

As I'm beginning to type this post, I wonder if I've ever put a recipe for zucchini (my husband likes to annoy me and pronounce it "zoo-chin-eye" or "zuck-chinny", depending on his mood) bread.

Ah, well. If so, sorry--here it is again!

I made this bread out of necessity. I found a zucchini in my garden that was bigger than a large eggplant. This guy was a total behemoth, and I knew that the only way I'd be able to successfully use it was in a bread or muffin.

Turns out, this bad mamajamma made 6 cups of grated zucchini--or enough for 4 loaves of bread when following the recipe below.

I decided to use half and freeze half, as I'm sure I'll want some zucchini bread again during the winter.

The recipe I used was from one of my absolute favorite blogs/recipe collections: Simply Recipes, by Elise.

I didn't change a thing, but I'll copy the recipe below for your viewing pleasure. I love Elise's cooking--she's methodical and analytical. Basically, she's the blog version of Cook's Illustrated.

Simply Recipes' Zucchini Bread

Makes 2, 9x5" loaves

Ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups grated, fresh zucchini--I pressed a little (but not all) of the water out
2/3 c melted, unsalted butter*
2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt*
3 cups flour (I used bread flour, because it's all that I had)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon

*I only had salted butter, so I omitted the pinch of salt---everything came out just fine.

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350F, butter/grease 2, 9x5" loaf pans
2. Mix eggs, sugar and vanilla until combined.
3. Mix in the grated zucchini and butter.
4. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the batter, then combine.
5. Add 1 cup of flour at a time, and completely mix in before adding the next cup. The batter will be considerably thicker now.
6. Mix in the cinnamon and nutmeg.
7. Divide the batter equally between the two loaf pans. Set the pans on a cookie sheet (this makes getting them in and out of the oven easier, and if you have any spills, they won't burn in your oven).
8. Bake 50 minutes. Check with a toothpick in the center to make sure the bread is cooked all the way through. If it's still gooey, put back in the over for another 5 minutes.
9. Cool in pan for 20 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Parmesan

2013-02-06T08:42:00.000-08:00

Oh, lawsie. It's been a while (again). You see, I had to do this thing called graduate.

And once I defended, a fog lifted. I started enjoying my life again, which is a weird feeling, y'all. I haven't enjoyed cooking (and most other normal things) for probably over 2 years. Graduate school will do that to the best of us: suck out the fun in life and replace it with misery and fear.

But, y'all aren't here to hear me whine or rejoice---you're here to get your grub on. Boy, do I have a treat for you!

I love eggplant parmesan, but it is a real pain in the rear to cook (the eggplant sweating, frying, blah blah). The taste, however, is to die for. The hubcap and I are trying to incorporate more healthy protein into our diet, and when I found the recipe for Skinnytaste's Baked Chicken Parmesan, I knew I had to give the recipe a shot.

This baked chicken parmesan is simple, fast and satisfying--what more could you ask for? I like to serve it with either a fresh garden salad or steamed broccoli--yum!

Baked Chicken Parmesan

(adapted from Skinnytaste's Baked Chicken Parmesan)

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breast filets, halved to make 4, thinner filets

2 Tbs butter, melted

1/4-1/3 c breadcrumbs or panko (I tried it both ways--I actually prefer the extra crunch of the panko!)

1/4 c grated parmesan cheese, divided

1/2-2/3 c pasta sauce (use as much as you like, really)

1/3 box of Barilla angel hair pasta

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Brush both sides of each breast filet with butter, then dip in the mixture of breadcrumbs and about 2-3 Tbs of parmesan cheese.

3. After assembling all of the chicken breasts onto the baking sheet, spray the top again lightly with cooking oil.

4. Bake for 450F for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat up the pasta sauce in a saucepan and cook the angel hair pasta per the package instructions (it cooks quicker than normal pasta--about 5 minutes in boiling water should do it!)

5. After 20 minutes, flip the chicken breasts over and add 1 spoonful of sauce and a dash of parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 450F for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is nice and gooey.

6. Serve over a bed of angel hair pasta layered with a bit more sauce--and perhaps a bit more parmesan cheese on top if you're like me and adore parmesan (or, let's be honest, really any cheese that crosses your path).

Bon Appetit!

The Very Epic Picaken

2012-12-26T18:37:00.000-08:00

Do y'all know what a picaken is?

Well, don't fret. I didn't know what a picaken was either until a close friend of mine requested one for her graduation party back in May. She earned a doctorate, and thus deserved an epic dessert. My friend first heard of the picaken through this blog, but it seems picakens (or piecakens) are all over the internet.

First off, I apologize for the quality of the photos--all except the final photo were taken with my phone, and are, therefore, a bit blurry/crappy.

Okay, so here's what you do if you're super stressed and don't have time to make anything from scratch (my scenario for making this picaken):

Ingredients:
1 frozen pie, cooked and cooled to room temp, or 1 store bought already baked pie (I chose apple)
1 box cake mix (I chose spice cake)
1 tub frosting (I chose cream cheese flavored)

Procedure:

1. Preheat your oven to whatever temperature your cake mix tells you to preheat to (I think mine was either 350F or 375F).

2. Mix up your cake batter as directed. Grease a large (9", in my case) springform pan, taking time to carefully lock the outer rim so you don't have any leaks. I recommend also placing a baking sheet below the pan in the oven to catch any potential drips.

3. Place about 3/4 cup cake batter in the bottom of the pan, coating the whole bottom.

4. Take your baked, room temp pie and flip it over onto a cooling rack or large plate (the bottom of the pie will be face up). Then flip it over again into the springform pan.

5. Hysterically weep.

6. Pour the remaining cake batter over the pie, being careful not to cry too much into the bowl so as to not change the salt content and/or water down your cake.

7. Pop the cake into the oven for the recommended time on the cake box, then start swearing after that time has passed, because your cake is NOT going to be done yet, friends. It can take upwards of 20 extra minutes to have the interior portion of the cake bake properly--just be sure to check it with a toothpick (the toothpick should come out clean). Nothing should be jiggling. That will happen after you eat the picaken.

8. Cool that sucker. It will take a long, long, LONG time to cool. Like, overnight, folks. Just plan accordingly, because you need to ice this guy to cover up any pie crust poking out.

9. Ice it. It may come out crumbly (like mine), but that's okay. It will taste WONDERFUL, and you won't care as much about the crumbles.

10. Enjoy with lots of friends! This picaken can serve about 10-15 people--maybe more!

My sweet friend made me a picaken in return--same combination (apple pie/spice cake/cream cheese frosting), but she made her cake and frosting from scratch! Delicious!

What combinations of flavors would you try?

Peanut Butter Rollo® Cups

2011-12-31T14:28:00.000-08:00

Whew. Another six months, and no recipes. Well, at least I know for sure you don't expect much out of me. Now that we're clear on that, how about some cookies?!?

I can't take credit for the inventiveness of this recipe, as I followed this recipe exactly.

I will say that they are best served warm (that way the Rollo inside is gooey), and they're fun to take to parties to watch unsuspecting friends chomp into them only to be pulling a giant string of caramel away from their face :). Ah, social awkwardness, we know each other too well.

I've copied the recipe below for your convenience, but like I said kudos to the real author, found here.

Peanut Butter Rollo Cups

Makes About 3 dozen cups

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated white sugar, packed

1/2 light brown sugar

1 egg, at room temperature

1-1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

About 36 Rollo® candies, unwrapped

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Optional Glaze:

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Cream together margarine, peanut butter, egg, white sugar, and brown sugar.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4. Add the flour mixture, half at a time, to margarine mixture, beating well to combine.

5. Place a heaping teaspoon of cookie dough into the palm of your hand. Press one candy into the center and press dough around it to form a ball. Roll in confectioners' sugar and place in un-greased mini-muffin tin.

6. Bake 12-14 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Let cool in the baking tins at least 15 minutes, then remove to racks to cool completely.

7. (OPTIONAL) Heat chocolate chips in microwave until melted. Take a fork and drizzle chocolate over the tops of the cooled cups.

These would be a perfect treat to bring to a New Year's celebration!

Spinach Stuffed Italian Portobellos

2011-06-18T07:21:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow. 2 recipes in less than 6 months. I'm on a roll, people.

I wanted to put meat in this dish, mixed in with the spinach and cheese, but the pan I wanted to use was washing in the dishwasher. Therefore, because of my extreme laziness, we have a healthier, vegetarian dish :).

I served this as a main dish with my zucchini crisps as a side, but I think this would easily work as a hearty side dish to a steak dinner.

Spinach Stuffed Italian Portobellos

Serves 2

Ingredients

3-4 large portobello mushrooms, washed and gills removed with a spoon

1/4 c olive oil

1 Tbs Italian seasoning

1 can spinach (or better yet, frozen spinach thawed)

1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, and a little extra for sprinkling on top

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

2. Mix Italian seasoning and olive oil. Coat both sides of the mushrooms and let them marinate for about 15 minutes.

3. Place mushrooms on baking sheet, gill side down. Bake for 15 minutes, flipping them over halfway through.

4. Meanwhile, mix the spinach, breadcrumbs and Parmesan in a medium sized bowl. Once the mushrooms are done, fill the caps with about 1/2 cup of filling, and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan.

5. Put back in the 450F oven for about 5 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the topping mixture is heated through.

Parmesan Zucchini Crisps

2011-06-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

It's been a while. Like, 6 months. I got into a slump. A cooking slump, a life slump, a slumpy slump.

I'm not sure I'm totally out of it, but at least I've recently felt inspired to try cooking new things again. I'm completely out of practice for taking food photos, so I'm going to have ease back into taking good looking photos again.

I recently made these zucchini crisps I found on the EatingWell website (which I highly recommend as a healthy recipe search engine!).

Tony and I both really enjoyed them. They are simple enough to cook on a weeknight, but actually look pretty impressive when served!

Enjoy!

Parmesan Zucchini Crisps

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini, sliced diagonally into1/4" medallions
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Procedure:
1. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat.
2. Add zucchini to skillet, toss in oil and cook for about 20 minutes, flipping the medallions over about half way through. The zucchini should be lightly browned on both sides and soft in the middle.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste, then place a pinch of Parmesan on top of each medallion. Cook on low heat for about 2 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy as a side or even an appetizer!

Candied Sweet Potatoes

2010-12-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

So, this post may be a little bit late for "holiday" cooking, but this recipe is good all throughout the winter, and it can successfully impress any guests you have by it's appearance and taste.

Note: Also try out the Cranberry Sauce pictured in the background!

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into french fries

1 Tbs flour

3/4 c sugar

1 Tbs cinnamon

1/2 lemon

1/3 c water

1 stick butter

nutmeg

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F, and grease a large (9"x13") baking dish.

2. Add cut sweet potatoes to dish. In a separate bowl, mix sugar, flour and cinnamon. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes.

3. Slice lemon thinly, twist and place about 4 slices on the potatoes.

4. Add the 1/3 c water (or however much water it takes to cover the bottom of the dish).

5. Slice butter into small pats, and place evenly over all of the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle a small amount of nutmeg over the entire dish (remember, a little goes a long way).

6. Cover with aluminum foil, and place in middle rack in the oven. Bake for 60 minutes, basting the potatoes every 15 minutes with the juice/water mixture in the bottom of the dish.

Breakfast Puffs

2010-10-10T22:56:00.000-07:00

Note: This recipe is the exact recipe from BHG's Cookbook, called "Nan's Puffs".

These puffs are so simple.

So delicious.

So...adaptable! I made the bare-bones version at home this morning, but I can imagine so many delicious possibilities: Cheese and chive puffs, cinnamon and nutmeg puffs, custard filled puffs...and the list goes on.

These are a perfect "Sunday" breakfast in my mind: quick to make, only a few staple ingredients, and only 1 pot and 1 muffin tin to clean up! Perfect!

Breakfast Puffs

Makes 12 puffs

Ingredients:

1/2 c butter

1 c milk

3/4 c flour

4 eggs

sugar for sprinkling

honey for topping

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 375F, and grease a 12 cup muffin tin, inside and around the edges.

2. In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the milk and carefully (let's not repeat the dreaded TAPIOCA INCIDENT) bring to a boil.

3. Once boiling, immediately and quickly stir in all of the flour. The mixture will stick to itself and make a large ball, coming away from the sides of the saucepan. Allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes.

4. After cooling, add the eggs one at a time, beating vigorously after each addition for one minute.

5. Scoop into equal portions in the muffin tin, filling the cups about 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle sugar on top of each puff. Bake for 30 minutes at 375F, until puffed up and golden. Be careful not to startle the muffins too much (treat them as gently as you would a souffle, because they will deflate easily.

6. Serve immediately, drizzled with honey for extra sweetness.

Happy Muffin Says ENJOY! :)

Throw-It-Together Vegetable Soup

2010-10-03T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends.

I'm sorry I've been absent from this blog for well over a month (or two) now. I haven't been posting because I haven't been cooking. We've been really busy, and I've been exceptionally tired after work, so we've been eating out, or eating "staple" meals that I've already described on this blog.

One day, however, I was really in the mood for some soup. So I decided to raid the fridge, freezer and pantry to concoct something sans recipe.

I hope you all can use this recipe as a foundation, and add or remove ingredients to your liking.

Hopefully, I'll be able to post a little more frequently now that the holidays are just around the corner and I will at least be doing some baking!

Throw-It-Together Vegetable Soup

Serves 6-8 (Or 2 people 3 times. Hah.)

Ingredients:

1/2 medium red onion, diced

1/2 bunch of celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 head of a small cabbage, shredded

1 can sweet corn, drained

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 can whole tomatoes, chopped and juice reserved

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp Lawry's seasoned pepper (or any coarse ground pepper)

2 Tbs vegetarian bullion

8 cups water

salt to taste

Procedure:

1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute the onion and celery until translucent. Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds (don't let the garlic burn!).

2. Add all of the rest of the ingredients except the salt, and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to allow the soup to simmer.

3. Simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes, or until celery and onions are very tender. Finally, add salt to taste.

4. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top and a whole wheat roll on the side.

Bread Pudding and Whiskey Sauce

2010-07-21T21:09:00.001-07:00

Hey y'all!

It's been a while.

But I come bearing gifts. Buttery, nom-a-licious gifts.

I learned this recipe while on my New Orleans trip last year thanks to Brittni's amazing idea to take me to an authentic New Orleans cooking class.

Life shall never be the same again.

I've modified the recipe a bit, but that's what you're supposed to do. If there's one thing I took away from that class, it was cook with feeling. Do you feel like adding raisins? Do you feel like adding extra booze? Then DO IT.

I made this recipe for my in-laws and friends at a small get together we had at our house, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I hope you all get to have as much fun experimenting with this as I did!

NOLA Bread Pudding

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

6-8 cups cubed, stale French bread

2 c sugar

8 Tbs melted butter

3 eggs (break yolks, but don't whip)

2 tsp vanilla

1 c shredded coconut

1 c chopped pecans

1 c raisins (I didn't add these because I married a raisin-hater)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

Dash of whiskey for kicks

milk (add at end)

Sweet Treat

Procedure:

1. Mix all ingredients except milk thoroughly (I used my clean hands). Add the milk to get the desired consistency: the mixture should be moist, but not soupy.

2. Pour mixture into a greased (with butter, crisco or cooking spray) 9"x13" baking dish. Sprinkle with Sweet Treat if you have it. Place into a non-preheated oven. Bake at 350F for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown.

Serve with Whiskey Sauce, or eat plain when no one is looking...

Whiskey Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 c butter

3 egg yolks

1 1/2 c powdered sugar

1/3 c whiskey (or as much as you prefer)

Procedure:

1. Cream the butter and sugar over medium heat until uniform in consistency.

2. Remove from heat, and blend in the egg yolks.

3. Add the whiskey to your taste, constantly stirring.

Serve warm with warm bread pudding!

Raw Chocolate Date Bars

2010-06-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry again for the absence. You can read all about it here.

I learned this easy recipe from a friend of mine who brought it for dessert to yoga night. She made the mistake of leaving the leftovers with me, and a million calories later, here we are. Tummy ache.

Actually, this dessert isn't inherently bad for you, as long as you enjoy it in moderation.

Feel free to experiment--don't like dates? Used dried papaya and white chocolate for a more tropical rendition.

The possibilities are endless!

Raw Chocolate Date Bars

Serves 10-12 (or 3 Lisa sized portions...)

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 large dark chocolate bar

1 8 oz portion of pitted dates (you can also use the chopped dates, I just couldn't find any without any extra sugar)

1 cup unsweetened coconut

Procedure:

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

2. Grease an 8x8 serving pan LIGHTLY with some cooking spray. Wipe off excess with a paper towel. Press the contents of the food processor into the pan firmly. Refrigerate, cut into squares and enjoy!

Some 'naner chips

2010-05-23T15:00:00.001-07:00

I bought a dehydrator recently.

I am such a sucker for kitchen gadgets, it's really not even funny. Basically, they gadget just uses low heat to dehydrate food over a certain amount of time (these chips took about 1 day).

First, I made some banana chips. They were DELICIOUS. I only used 2 large bananas, and I got a quart sized ZipLoc bag full of banana chips for the week.

I put them in my morning oatmeal with some cinnamon and sugar substitute. Next up: strawberries!

Chana Masala

2010-05-08T08:50:00.001-07:00

I love Indian food.

I have a pal who goes to eat delicious Indian food with me at least once a month. My favorite dish to get is called Chana Masala, which is a spiced garbanzo (chick pea) and tomato dish with the consistency of a hearty stew or chili.

Actually, I marketed this to Tones as "Indian Chili". He liked it! I think the real name would have scared him off from trying it.

Be warned, this dish is SPICY. There are, however, ways you can reduce the spice. For example, don't use the membrane and seeds of the chili pepper used, and reduce the amount of cayenne pepper by half (or more).

I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen, and only tweaked it a little bit. It's an outstandingly easy dish to prepare, particularly now that Uncle Ben's Rice has a 90 second microwavable Basmati rice product!

Chana Masala

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 small onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Serrano chili (or any other chili), diced

1 inch of fresh ginger, diced

1 Tbs ground coriander

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp garam masala

1 can whole tomatoes, diced, juices reserved

2 cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 c water

Juice from 1 lemon

Salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Heat about 1 Tbs oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, chili pepper and ginger. Sautee for about 5 minutes, or until tender and onions are translucent.

2. Add the spices, and stir to incorporate. STEP BACK. When the cayenne pepper is heated it can cause irritation to mucus membranes (i.e. it makes me cough). Just be careful :). Cook another 2 minutes or so on medium heat.

3. Add tomatoes and juices, garbanzo beans and water. Stir well, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste.

Serve with flatbread, naan, or basmati rice.

My New Favorite Grilled Cheese

2010-04-18T13:35:00.001-07:00

This is not a manly grilled cheese sandwich.

In fact, if I served this to Tony, he'd probably ask 1) if we were out of good old American and 2) what we were really planning on eating for dinner. Lucky for me 1-2 nights of the week I'm on my own for dinner, and I can eat whatever I darn well want without any cracks from the peanut gallery. Hurumph.

I've seen many variations of this type of grilled cheese sandwich on the cooking channel and food blogs, but I made this one with the ingredients I had on hand--so this is what you get to read about! I really enjoyed this sandwich, and it gave me more ideas for new combinations I plan on trying in the future. Enjoy!

Golden Delicious and Muenster Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Serves 1

Ingredients:

2 slices sourdough bread

1/2 small golden delicious apple, sliced into thin wedges

2 slices low-fat muenster cheese

1-2 Tbs margarine or butter

Procedure:

1. Butter one side of both pieces of bread. Put a small skillet with a spritz of cooking spray over medium heat.

2. Begin to build the sandwich: with butter sides OUT, add cheese, apples, and then a final layer of cheese.

3. Place the sandwich on the skillet for about 2 minutes, or until the bottom is browned to your liking, and flip over. Cook for an additional 2 minutes until the cheese is melting and both sides are golden.

Ambrosia

2010-04-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

This dish means so much more to me than most of the other recipes I post on here.

It's not particularly complicated, or fancy.

But this dish is beautiful.

For me, this recipe symbolizes home. My mom used to make this "salad" (which is actually much more of a dessert to me) in the spring and summer time. It's a fool proof recipe, which means I can replicate it even if I'm about 2,500 miles away from my mom. We've started a tradition a couple of years back to always make at least one dish that's the same for Easter dinner, no matter how far away we were from one another. This year, I requested ambrosia. Having a physical connection, knowing my mom and dad are eating the same thing I am, enjoying each other's company like I am enjoying the company of my husband and friends, is a very comforting feeling.

I got to spend time with a local family and friends this Easter. Transitioning to living in San Diego has been very hard for me (you can read about my struggles on my other blog). For the first year or so, I really didn't have any community or friends that I felt comfortable with. Then, in an answer to prayer, I was taken under the wing of a lab mate, and included in her fellowship community. At first, I was awkward.

Well, I'm always a little awkward. Awkwardness comes naturally when you are a giant lady with red hair. But then, I became comfortable. And then I became happy. And then, after I had assimilated into a group of lovely, godly women, I became totally and tearfully joyful. There is no better feeling than knowing people have been hand picked and placed in your life. This knowledge keeps my faith strong.

Tony and I were so kindly welcomed into a friend's family household this Easter, I was nearly reduced to tears at the dinner table. I brought ambrosia, and even Tony, a self-proclaimed hater of fruit salad, cleaned his dish. Perhaps he sensed the weepy-ness and decided he better clean his plate to prevent the irrational "WHY DON'T YOU EVER LIKE ANYTHING I MAKE?!?!" waterworks. I felt like I was tapping into some underlying current of family, tradition and love by sharing my mom's dish.

I am so grateful for friends, family and ambrosia.

Enough of the story--enjoy the recipe with your own family and friends!

Ambrosia

(in my mother's words)

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 can pineapple chunks in juice, drained some liquid reserved

1 can fruit cocktail, drained

~8-10 maraschino cherries, drained and halved (used mostly to add color)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup sour cream

1 cup miniature marshmallows (Kraft brand Jet-Puffed Marshmallows are the best)

1 cup chopped pecans (optional; delete if nuts are a problem)

1 can mandarin orange segments, drained

Drain juices from all the canned fruits, one can at a time, then dump each into one large bowl for mixing later. (Don't worry about getting the fruit "dry" -- you just need to get rid of most of the juice. But save a little of the pineapple juice for later if the mix seems too dry -- or drink it for breakfast or as a snack while you cook! )

Add the coconut, sour cream and mini-marshmallows to the bowl of fruit. Take a big spoon and mix gently with a folding motion, but mix well so that the fruits and other ingredients are evenly distributed.

Pour the mixture into your serving bowl (the bowl for mixing needs to be much bigger and will be "messy looking" after folding and stirring), and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but it tastes better made in the morning for serving that evening or even made the night before to let the flavors mellow and the marshmallows to "dissolve" a bit in the sour cream. You do NOT need to mix again before serving.

Garnish with cherries, mandarin oranges or anything else edible and pretty!

Moo Shu Pork Wraps

2010-03-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

This is a great recipe if you want to try something fast, easy and different from your typical weeknight meal.

This recipe takes under 30 minutes, start to finish (hooray) and is very flavorful. If you've never tried cooking with hoisin sauce at home, I highly recommend trying out this recipe. I was surprised how much this dish tasted like it came from a restaurant!

If you are looking for a more low carb option, you could easily replace the tortilla wrap with a large Boston bibb or iceberg lettuce leaf.

Moo Shu Pork Wraps

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork

seasoned pepper (or fresh cracked pepper)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch fresh ginger, minced

2 Tbs reduced sodium soy sauce

About 1/4 cup hoisin sauce

8 soft taco sized flour tortillas (I recommend Mission's Carb Balance brand)

2 carrots, grated

2 cups bean sprouts

fresh cilantro

Procedure:

1. Coat a large skillet with a light amount of cooking spray, and turn on medium-high heat. Cook ground pork until browned, seasoning the pork with pepper before it is fully cooked.

2. Add the soy sauce, garlic and ginger, and cook for about 2 minutes more. Remove from direct heat, but leave in the warm pan while you assemble the wraps. NOTE: You don't want to burn the garlic or ginger, because this will give a bitter taste to the dish (or any dish, for that matter). Adding garlic and other spices towards the end of recipes ensures full flavor.

3. Begin to assemble your wraps. Heat the tortillas in the microwave (or on the stove, fancypants). Place about 1 spoonful of the hoisin sauce (or more/less depending on your taste) in the center of the tortilla. Add the sprouts and carrots, and top with the ground pork. Add a bit of chiffoned cilantro for an extra pop of flavor.

4. Wrap up and serve! How easy was this!? I suggest serving with stir-fried green beans, or if you need some more filling bulk to your meal, some jasmine rice.

A Big Bowl of Fail: Tex Mex Macaroni and Cheese

2010-03-07T18:09:00.000-08:00

It was supposed to be delicious. It was supposed to be easy.

IT was neither. It=Rachel Ray's Tex Mex macaroni and cheese recipe. Everything was going great--my pasta was boiling, my ground beef was cooked to perfection, my roux was a nutty brown, and my cheese was grated.

Then, the unthinkable happened. I added the required amount of milk and broth to the roux, and allowed it to reduce. I tried to get it to reduce. WHY WASN'T IT REDUCING!??! GAHH!?! I tried adding a bit of flour (cornstarch would have been better) to thicken it a bit, but the sauce just was. not. having. it.

I decided to press forward, telling myself, "maybe it's supposed to look like that." No. No, my friends, it was most definitely NOT supposed to look like that.

I added the cheese to the "sauce" and this awful emulsion occurred, the likes that have never been seen before in my kitchen.

This is what it looked like.

Needless to say, we ate leftovers, and I will not be posting the recipe...

Still, this was not as bad as this incident :).

Quick and Easy Steak Nachos

2010-02-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

These nachos are perfect for game-day (not that I really know what that means), as an appetizer for a get-together, or a fast weeknight meal.

Use the recipe for Kaye's Steak Marinade to cook the steak, and from there, it's all about layering what you want.

I'll go through what I normally put on our nachos, but you should feel free to add what you like. Fan of pico-de-gallo? Onion it up. Like green peppers? Add some color. The possibilities are endless. I will suggest if you like adding things like sour cream or guacamole to your nachos, that you should do that after the cooking process. No one enjoys runny guac.

Easy Nachos

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4-6 cups of your favorite tortilla chips (about 1/3 of a 1 lb bag)

1 lb steak, marinated and cooked like so

1/2 cup low fat refried beans

1/2 chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup sliced olives

1 small can diced green chili peppers

1 cup shredded cheese (I like to use cheddar and monterey jack)

1/4 cup sour cream

Preparation

0. Preheat oven to 400F. Place rack towards top of the oven.

1. Assemble! I like to start with a base of the chips, then dollop on the refried beans. From there, it's pretty much just throw everything on.

2. I always like to end with the cheese on top, but that's just a personal preference.

3. Bake at 400F for about 3-5 minutes. Keep a watchful eye on this. Nothing is worse than burnt nachos. Well, maybe a burnt kitchen. When the cheese is melted, these babies are good to go.

4. Add sour cream, salsa or guacamole, then serve immediately!

Freezer Calzones

2010-02-19T18:19:00.000-08:00

These calzones are a perfect make-ahead-and-freeze dish. No, they aren't the healthiest of meal options, but if you serve them with some fresh veggies, you might be able to wash away some of your carbohydrate related sins.

Plus, you can put whatever you want in them!

I've come up with a few filling pairs that would be delicious to try out:

White-Spinach Calzone:

Alfredo sauce

Cooked spinach

Parmesan cheese

Mozzarella cheese

Meat Lover's (blech):

Marinara sauce

Italian sausage

Ground beef

Pepperoni

Mozzarella

Greek:

Alfredo

Cooked spinach

Kalamata olives

Feta cheese

Mozzarella

Veggie Lover's:

Marinara sauce

Mushrooms

Black Olives

Green peppers

Onions

Roma tomatoes

And the options are endless! The recipe is simple to follow. Just prepare the crust (recipe below), and fill with whatever your heart desires!

You can cook the calzones right away by placing in a pre-heated 350F oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling out and the crust is a light, golden brown. You can also place them in individual zip-loc freezer bags and freeze for later. To cook later, just heat the oven up to 350F and cook for about 28-35 minutes.

Enjoy experimenting with this recipe!

Calzone Dough

Makes about 8-10 calzones

Ingredients:

1/2 packet active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

4 cups flour (I use unbleached all purpose)

2 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp salt

Procedure:

1. Sprinkle the yeast into the warm water in a bowl.

2. Mix the flour and salt thoroughly in a separate bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil and mix with a spoon until incorporated.

3. Stir the yeast in the water, then add to the flour mixture. Mix until the dough forms a ball.

4. Coat a large bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, and transfer the dough ball to the bowl.

5. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set in a warm area for about 1-2 hours, or until the dough has nearly doubled in size.

6. Prepare an area to work with the dough. Coat area with a light dusting of flour. Divide the dough into about 8 balls (in between the size of a golf ball and the size of a tennis ball...).

7. Work the dough into a rectangular shape. Fill one diagonal half (does that even make sense? look at the photo!) with sauce and toppings, taking care not to overfill.

8. Fold over the un-sauced half, and crimp the edges together with a fork or your fingers.

9. Place in freezer bags to freeze, or pop in the oven right away!

Cooking times:

Frozen: 350F, 28-35 minutes

Fresh: 350F, 15-20 minutes

Enjoy!

Kaye's Steak Marinade

2010-02-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

This is a ridiculously easy and versatile recipe you can use in many types of dishes. This steak marinade works in traditional stir-fry dishes, and also in Mexican-themed cuisine. Later this week I'll post my mom's favorite way to make nachos.

I know, so convenient right after the Superbowl.

Sorry, my life just does not revolve around that kind of stuff. Disappointing to some, I know.

Kaye's Steak Marinade

Ingredients

1-1.5 lb flank steak

salt and pepper for seasoning

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

(The soy sauce to red wine vinegar ratio is always 1:1, so feel free to use less or more depending on the dish you are marinading the steak in)

Procedure

1. Cut the flank steak into small strips against the grain of the meat.

2. Salt and pepper the steak, then place in a dish with the vinegar and soy sauce to marinade for about 30 minutes.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook the steak in the skillet, avoiding overcrowding the steak, as it will cause the steak to "steam" rather than sear.

4. Cook on each side about 2-3 minutes, or until there is very little pink in the middle (this is a matter of personal preference).

5. Transfer to a paper towel and keep warm.

6. Serve with stir fried veggies over rice, over nachos, in tacos, or just by itself with a couple of sides!

Shitake Mushroom and Spinach Pasta

2010-01-31T09:08:00.000-08:00

This was a quick, throw together meal I made during this past week.

I bet this recipe would go well with any kind of mushroom, so don't worry if you can find shitake mushrooms (dehyrdated or otherwise).

Who else likes saying "shitake"!? Yes, I can have the maturity level of a 7 year old. Whatever.

Shitake Mushroom and Spinach Pasta

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

4 cups mushrooms (I had dehydrated shitakes. To rehydrate, soak in water for about 20-30 minutes, or until pliable and soft. I de-stemmed them before use.)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs olive oil

1 pat butter

1/4 cup white wine

1 cup spinach

1/2 lb noodles, cooked and drained (I like using Mrs. Miller's noodles, but any traditional pasta or egg noodle will work)

Procedure:

1. Heat oil and butter in skillet on medium heat.

2. When butter is melted and beginning to sizzle, add the mushrooms and garlic.

3. Cook mushrooms for about 3-5 minutes, or until dark in color and tender.

4. Add the white wine and spinach. Cook for about 1-2 more minutes.

5. Finally, toss in the noodles and cook for another minute.

6. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese, or just by itself!

Kaye's Sweet Potato Pie

2010-01-27T20:13:00.000-08:00

I love this pie. When baked without a crust, which is my favorite way to eat it, the pie caramelizes and crisps up around the edges, making it completely divine.

In terms of flavor, this pie tastes very similar to pumpkin pie, but is unique in its own right. I substituted Splenda for the white sugar, 1:1, in order to reduce calories. My mom makes this pie using fresh squeezed orange juice and orange zest, but all I had was a lemon, so I went with it. I think the pie still turned out great!

Kaye's Sweet Potato Pie

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1/4 c. granulated white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar (packed down)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 large eggs
2 cups baked sweet potatoes, peeled and mashed to smooth consistency
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (or about 1/2 squeezed lemon)
1 to 1-1/2 tsp. orange or lemon zest (orange color only, none of the white pith underneath the skin)
1 can (12 fl. oz) Carnation (or Pet) Evaporated Milk (for the best results, use the
original, NOT the low-fat Evap. milk)
1 unbaked 9-inch DEEP DISH pie crust (or you can use 2 shallower pie crusts...or NO CRUST AT ALL)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven at 425 deg. F.

2. Mix brown & white sugars, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves together in a small bowl, and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat the 2 eggs, then stir in the mashed sweet potatoes and the mixture of sugars and spices.

4. Stir in the orange juice and orange zest.

5. Gradually stir in the evaporated milk.

6. Pour into prepared pie shell, or if making the crust-less version, pour into a well buttered/greased 9" pie dish.

7. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes on the middle rack of the oven.

8. Reduce oven temperature to 350 deg. F, and bake an additional 40-50 minutes, or until a sharp knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

9.Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately, or refrigerate.

Spicy Garlic and White Wine Shrimp

2010-01-22T20:22:00.000-08:00

This is the first recipe that I've really "thrown together" on the fly. I was making a shrimp dish for some of my girlfriends, and I completely forgot the recipe I was going to use. So, in an uncharacteristic fit of spontaneity, I went with it. I knew the ingredients I had on hand, and what kind of flavor I wanted to bring out, so I just...cooked.

It was highly liberating.

I feel empowered.

I must share this with you.

Spicy Garlic and White Wine Shrimp

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb frozen, de-veined shrimp, tails on or off

1 medium sized shallot, diced

1 Tbs cooking oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs Zesty Spice Mix

1/4 cup white wine or sherry

1 bag baby spinach

Procedure:

1. Thaw shrimp in the fridge overnight.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the diced shallot and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes.

3. Add the shrimp, and the minced garlic, reduce heat to medium. Heat the shrimp for about I minute on each side, sprinkling the zesty spice mix on each side. Be careful not to burn the garlic, as that will give a bitter flavor to the dish.

4. Finally, de-glaze the pan with a 1/4 cup splash of white wine.

5. Lay a bed of spinach down on the serving plate, and top with the shrimp, drizzling the excess sauce, shallots and garlic on top.

Butternut Squash Tortellini with Brown Butter Sauce

2010-01-18T12:13:00.000-08:00

This recipe is only, like, 5 months late.

Whatever. I'm busy.

Sophie and I made this a few months ago, and it made so much, we ended up eating for about 2 weeks. Blahrgh. Maybe that's why I haven't wanted to think about it until now.

Plus, as you'll see below, this recipe is exhausting.

The recipe comes from The Food Network's Giada de Laurentiis. It is so involved, I essentially copied and pasted from the original webpage.

Butternut Squash Tortellini with Brown Butter Sauce

Tortellini and Filling:

1 butternut squash, approximately 2 pounds, cubed (about 3 cups)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons

1 1/2 teaspoon herbs de Provence

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

2 large shallots, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

4 small amaretti cookies, crushed (about 1/3 cup)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 package small wonton wrappers

Brown Butter Sauce:

3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)

2 tablespoons torn fresh sage leaves

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries, or chopped dried cherries, or mixture of both

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

To make the tortellini, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a foil-lined baking sheet toss together the butternut squash, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper. Bake in the oven until soft and golden, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Cook the shallots and garlic until lightly golden, about 3 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the butternut squash mixture, the shallot mixture, and the ricotta cheese and pulse a few times to blend. Add the crushed amaretti cookies, the nutmeg, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse until smooth. The tortellini filling can be made one day ahead.

To make the tortellini, lay out 6 wonton skins, keeping the remaining skins inside the package or under a very lightly dampened paper towel. Place 1 tablespoon of squash mixture in the middle of each skin. Dip a pastry brush in a little water and wet the edges of the skin. Gently fold the square wrapper into a triangle, making sure the edges are securely closed and there are no air pockets inside. Dampen the two bottom corners of the longest side of the triangle and gently bring them together, pressing lightly to secure. Place the formed tortellini on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Before laying out another 6 wonton sheets, be careful to dry the work surface. This will help keep tortellini from sticking to the baking sheet. Continue until all the butternut squash mixture is used. There should be approximately 36 tortellini. (The tortellini can be formed, frozen on the baking sheet, transferred to a tightly sealed plastic bag or container and stored for up to six months. To cook, simply toss the frozen ravioli into the salted boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.)

To make the sauce and serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.

Add the sage, walnuts and cranberries and let cook until the butter starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and season with salt, and pepper.

Stir to combine. Then, gently place the tortellini in the boiling water and gently stir. When they begin to float they are done, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, gently spoon the tortellini onto a serving platter, Top with the brown butter sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Whew. I need simple. This, my friends, is not all that simple.

Personal Oreo Cheesecakes

2009-12-23T23:55:00.000-08:00

What better way to celebrate the holidays with family that making baked goods! This recipe was used verbatim from Baking Bites. She's such a baking rockstar. I've copied the recipe below for your convenience, but this was NOT my creation. I wish it was. Goodbye science, hello photography and restaurant development.

Personal Oreo Cheesecakes

Makes 16

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
2 8-oz packages plain cream cheese, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chopped Oreo cookies
16 whole Oreo cookies

Procedure:

1.Preheat oven to 350F, and line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Beat together sugar, cream cheese, eggs, milk and vanilla extract until very smooth using a hand-held electric mixer. Blend in flour with a spoon, and stir in chopped oreo cookies.

3. Place 1 Oreo in the bottom of each muffin cup, and top with about 1/4 cup cheesecake batter.

4. Bake for 16-19 minutes, until cheesecakes are set, and allow them to cool in the pan.

5. Chill the cheesecakes overnight (or for at least 2 hours) in the fridge. Store in the fridge.

People go crazy about the oreo cookie in the bottom!