Candied Pecans for a Fresh Salad

At Thanksgiving time I always get so excited for the traditional dishes: turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, etc. I like making this salad to go with the big meal. It makes a fresh addition for a day full of baked food! 

I'm going to share the recipe for these candied pecans. Usually I mix them in with baby spinach, dried cranberries, and crumbled goat cheese. Then I toss everything with a light vinaigrette. 

Ingredients:

1 cup pecan halves
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:

*Prepare a large sheet of parchment paper or foil for cooling the pecans

1. Combine sugar, oil, and vinegar in a large skillet over medium heat until sugar melts and bubbles--about 3 minutes.

2. Add pecans and stir until the nuts are toasted and coated with the syrup, about 5-6 minutes. 

3. Put  the nuts on the parchment paper and separate using two forks. Cool completely.

 

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

 One year my mom brought a magazine clipping to me and said, "Will you make this for Thanksgiving?" It has been a tradition ever since.

Ingredients:

25 ginger snap cookies, finely crushed

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

1/4 cup butter, melted

4 pkg. (8 oz each) cream cheese, completely softened

1 cup sugar, divided

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Dash of ground cloves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

2. Mix crumbs, nuts, and butter. Press onto bottom and up the side of a 9-inch springform pan.

3. Beat the cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, and vanilla with a mixer until well blended.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each until just blended.

5. Remove 1 1/2 cups batter, set aside.

6. Stir remaining sugar, pumpkin, and spices into the leftover batter.

7. Spoon half of the pumpkin batter into the crust. Top with spoonfuls of half of the plain batter. Repeat layers. Use a knife to swirl and make beautiful designs. 

8. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until center is almost set. The edges should be puffy and in the center there should be about one inch that is wiggly.

9. Cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Fresh Green Bean Casserole

After an interesting Thanksgiving about ten years ago, I have tried to avoid any form of green bean casserole. Then I met my husband, and his dad LOVES it. So last year, when I was making Thanksgiving dinner at our place in SB, I wanted to find a fresh version of the classic dish. I found this one in Martha's FOOD magazine. It includes fresh green beans, a homemade mushroom sauce, and freshly fried shallots.

The ingredients for this recipe can be prepared the day before so that on Thanksgiving you just have to assemble and bake. I'll add my photo after I bake it tomorrow.

Ingredients:
3 cups vegetable oil
6 large shallots, cut into very thin rounds, rings separated
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 lbs green beans, trimmed and halved
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 lb button mushrooms, trimmed and coarsely chopped
14.5 oz low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, unless you are simply prepping the ingredients.

Shallots
1. Heat oil over medium in a large skillet. Line a baking sheet or large plate with paper towels, for draining.
2. In a large bowl, toss together shallots and 1 1/4 cups flour until shallots are evenly coated.
3. In batches, shake off excess flour from shallots and fry until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.
4. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer to the paper towels and season with salt.
5. Set aside and allow to cool. You can store these in an airtight container with a layer of paper towels underneath for up to 2 days.

Green Beans
1. Boil water in a large pot.
2. Salt the water and cook green beans for 6 minutes. They should be "crisp tender," not overly cooked.
3. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Pat dry. If making ahead of time, store in a large resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.

Mushroom Sauce
1. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat.
2. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add 1/4 cup flour and cook, stirring, until incorporated, about 1 minute.
4. Whisking constantly, gradually add broth, then milk. Bring to a simmer.
5. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
To store, refrigerate with plastic wrap on surface, up to 2 days. Reheat before using.

Casserole
1. Make sure that the oven is preheated to 425 degrees.
2. Add green beans to mushroom sauce (reheated if made the day before) and toss to coat.
3. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13 inch baking dish.
4. Bake until bubbling around edges, about 15 minutes. Serve topped with fried shallots.

Enjoy!

Chunky Cranberry Sauce

This recipe comes from Food and Wine magazine. It is awesome!! Although maybe not quite as easy as opening a can, this recipe is relatively quick and hassle-free. You can also store the sauce for up to a month in the fridge--great to either make-ahead or enjoy with all of your leftovers.


Ingredients:
1 pound fresh (or frozen) cranberries
1 1/2 cups apple juice
1 cup sugar

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, combine the cranberries with the apple juice and sugar.
2. Simmer over low heat until the berries burst and the sauce is jammy, about 20 minutes.
3. Transfer the sauce to a heatproof bowl, let cool, then refrigerate until chilled.

Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

Two Sundays ago, on a mission to take back the kitchen, I decided to cook many meals in one day. I made lasagna, black bean burgers, pasta salad (for Matt's lunches), and Chicken Pot Pie. This recipe is originally from Martha, but I tweaked a few things for my own tastes. I encourage you to do the same!

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

Filling

2 chicken breast (halves)-I often use pieces that are boneless but skin-on for flavor. You may also use pre-cooked chicken or leftover chicken.

coarse salt and ground pepper

3 TB olive oil

4 carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves

1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 1/2 c lowfat/nonfat milk

1/2 package frozen peas, thawed

2 TB fresh lemon juice

Crust

For the crust, I like to change things up. This time, I used a frozen pie crust (2 crusts)--make sure it is not sugary. Sometimes I like using puff pastry shells, sort of "Chicken a la King" style. You could, of course, make a homemade crust, or even omit the crust altogether. 

Directions

Chicken:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2. Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper

3. Roast until chicken is cooked through, approximately 25 minutes. If you use an instant-read thermometer, the chicken is done at 165 degrees.

4. Let the chicken cool slightly, discard skin and/or bones if there are any. Shred meat and set aside.

Pot:

1. Heat 2 TB oil in a large saucepan over medium.

2. Add carrots, onion, and thyme; season with salt and pepper, and cook until carrots are crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. 

3. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

4. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth.

5. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer and thickens. 

6. Remove from heat; stir in peas, lemon juice, and chicken, and season generously with salt and pepper (make sure you taste it).

Pie

1. Place one of the pie crusts into your pie pan.

2. Pour filling into the pie dish.

3. Top with other crust, press sides to seal, cut slits in the top for ventilation. 

4. Bake until crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let potpie cool 10 minutes before serving.

Long Time No See

It has been a while! The last time I posted, I had just found out I was pregnant. Soon after I had very little desire to eat, let alone cook. Although my appetite is back, it came along with the start of the school year and I have been going the tacos/bean burritos/pasta route ever since. I was thinking that was just fine, until this morning. Anna asked, "What happened to Jenny liking to cook all the time?" So sad. So, without a recipe to write about, I am still making a new promise--I will cook more exciting food! It has been a while... in the meantime, enjoy the picture of my bump! We'll know soon whether or not we have a boy or a girl in there! :)

Red Velvet Cake with Raspberries, Strawberries, and Blueberries

I have to start by saying YUM! This recipe comes from Bon Appétit Desserts by Barbara Fairchild. Jeanette gave this book to me for Christmas and everything that I make from it is AMAZING!!

I made this beautiful cake for 4th of July--it seemed that everyone enjoyed it so I can recommend it to you. 

The only adjustment I made with this cake was adding strawberries to the top. Oh, and I only had whole grain cake flour, which I'm sure made a difference but not to me!!

PS- I am so excited I now have a working camera and internet at my house!! So hopefully that means much more to come....

Red Velvet Cake with Berries

Ingredients:

Cake

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)

2 Tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1//2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon red food coloring

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

Frosting

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup sliced strawberries, 1/2 cup whole strawberries (without leaves)

2 1/2 pint containers of blueberries

1 1/2 pint container of raspberries

(note: my berry measurements are different than listed in the original recipe)

Directions:

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. 

2. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl.

3. Whisk buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend.

4. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter between prepared pans.

5. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 27 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely. 

*Note: I made the cakes the night before, and made the frosting about an hour before the party.*

Frosting

1. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add sugar and beat until smooth. 

2. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on a platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over. 

3. Arrange 1/2 of the raspberries, blueberries, and the sliced strawberries atop the frosting, pressing lightly to adhere.

4. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange remaining berries decoratively over top of cake. Optional: Scatter some berries around the base of the cake.

Enjoy!!

Grilled Flank Steak with Corn, Tomato, and Asparagus Salad

Disclaimer: This recipe is from Food and Wine magazine. I got the recipe in their cookbook, but you can also find the original recipe at http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/grilled-flank-steak-with-corn-tomato-and-asparagus-salad .

I honestly only made one real change--I skipped the part about the morels. Check out the link if you would like to add morels to your steak.

This recipe is SO yummy!! I made it in January, using a grill pan on my stove top. I marinated the steak at room temperature for 2 hours on that occasion (I started it right when I got home from work). 

Yesterday I marinated the steak for 8 hours in the fridge. Both turned out wonderfully!

This recipe has just a bit of prep, then a little waiting, and then the rest is basically done for you. It's awesome! While very flavorful, this dish is also fresh and light--perfect for a summer afternoon.

The salad would be a perfect thing to take to a picnic or summer BBQ.

I made twice-baked potatoes as well, so I'll include that recipe. Because who doesn't like twice-baked potatoes?!?!?!

Grilled Flank Steak with Corn, Tomato, and Asparagus Salad

Grilled Flank Steak

Corn, Asparagus, and Tomato Salad

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

Grilled Flank Steak

1 1/2 lb flank stea

1 1/2 cups dry red wine 

1/2 cup Dijon mustard 

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 

8 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled 

3 large shallots, coarsely chopped 

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley 

1 tablespoon chopped thyme (I used dried thyme)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Corn, Tomato, and Asparagus Salad 

2 tablespoons cider vinegar 

1 tablespoon honey 

6 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 cups) 

1/4 small sweet onion, such as Walla Walla, thinly sliced 

6 ounces asparagus, thin preferred 

2 ears of corn, shucked 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

 6 basil leaves, finely shredded 

Twice-Baked Potatoes

6-10 potatoes of your choice. I often use russets, great for baking, but lately I have used red potatoes. They are smaller (and help in potato self-control) and are great for mashing. They cook a bit quicker, and with a kid (who is venturing into the world of cooked food) it is a better portion size. 

4 TB butter

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. You may substitute this with another melting cheese of your choice. Cheddar has always been my favorite.

1 cup sour cream--I sometimes use whipping cream but using a low fat sour cream gives the same flavor, texture, yet much less fat!!

Directions:

Twice Baked Potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 

2. Wash your potatoes

3. Bake the potatoes until they are soft to the touch, about 40-45 minutes if using red, about 1 hour if using russets.

4. Meanwhile, shred your cheese if you have it in a block. 

5. When the potatoes are soft, take them out of the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes. Leave the oven on.

6. When cool enough to handle, slice the potatoes in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the insides creating a little cup. Place the cups on a baking sheet.

7. Put the potato insides into a large bowl. When you have all of the potatoes scooped out, add the butter, cream/sour cream, and most of the cheese (set a side a bit to sprinkle on at the end). Mix the potatoes with the other ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste.

8. If you want to be fancy, you can use a plastic bag to "pipe" the filling back into the potatoes. If you don't care, you can spoon the mixture back into the cups, and they will look like my picture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the potatoes.

9. Return the potatoes to the oven and bake for 5-15 minutes, depending on how hot you want the potatoes. Make sure the cheese is completely melted.

Enjoy!

Tip: Make more than you can eat--these are GREAT leftovers!! 

Grilled Flank Steak and Summer Salad

1. Prep the ingredients for the flank steak. You do not need great knife skills for this prep work, honestly, crushing the garlic and giving a quick chop to the shallots, parsley, and thyme is enough. You do want to take more care in slicing the ingredients for the salad.

2. In a large glass baking dish, whisk the red wine, mustard, brown sugar, garlic, shallots, parsley, thyme, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. *Add the steak and turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or refrigerate for up to 8 hours.*Both achieve great results!

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the cider vinegar and honey. Add the tomatoes and onion and toss. Let stand for 1 hour. 

4. Light a grill. Coat the asparagus and corn with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until tender and browned in spots, about 3 minutes for the asparagus and 6 minutes for the corn.  (I ended up doing about 3 minutes for asparagus and 4 for corn--when it is in season you barely need to cook it!) Transfer to a work surface; when cool enough to handle, cut the asparagus into pieces and cut the corn from the cobs. Add the asparagus, corn and basil to the tomatoes and toss.

5. Remove the steak from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels; season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill the steak, turning once, until medium-rare, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the steak to a work surface and let rest for 10 minutes.

6. Thinly slice the steak against the grain and transfer to plates. Season the tomato salad with salt and pepper and spoon alongside the steak. 

 

Tortilla Soup

I made this for dinner last night and realized I haven't blogged about it yet! I got this recipe from Kristin and I make it so often that I don't have to even glance at the original recipe. 

As I have said before, I have always been a picky eater. For a very long time I insisted that I only ate two types of soup (hot and sour soup and chicken noodle). Now I have branched out, somewhat. When it came to tortilla soup, I usually found that I did not like the enchilada-sauce-style soup. Then I had my aunt Cindy's version. This is not her version, but hers is what changed my mind about tortilla soup. So then I got the recipe from Kristin and now this soup is one of my most favorite meals EVER!!   

I will give you the original recipe from Kristin. Sometimes we do not add the chicken. Other times, you might want to add additional ingredients like peppers, beans, corn, etc. It's up to you--that's the fun of it!! 

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

4-6 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded*
6 TB vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c. cilantro, chopped
28 oz. diced tomatoes
2 TB cumin
1 TB chili powder
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
1 tsp salt
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
8 corn tortillas

Condiments:
grated jack or cheddar cheese
sour cream
sliced avocado

Directions

1. Cut tortillas into ½" strips and then cut them in half lengthwise. Fry them in hot oil. Drain on paper towels and then sprinkle with salt (I actually do this step while the soup cooks).

2. In a large pot combine oil, garlic, onion, and cilantro and saute on medium heat for 5 minutes.

3. Stir in diced tomatoes and bring to a boil.

4. Once the boil is reached add the cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Bring to a second boil.

5. Add the salt, cayenne pepper, and shredded chicken.

6. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. You may simmer longer, it will only enhance the flavors. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

7. Serve the soup in deep bowls. Garnish with condiments and tortilla strips.

*You may use pre-cooked chicken or leftovers from a previous dinner. If you cook the chicken yourself, simply bake it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or so, until cooked through. Then take it out and shred it using a fork and knife.

Enjoy!!

Artichokes!

It's about time I write about Artichokes....I make them about once a week, so I can write about my favorite method--grilled artichokes!

 My Favorite Artichokes

 Directions:

1. Fill a large pot halfway with water. Bring the water to a boil. 

2. As the water heats, I usually trim the artichokes up a bit. This part is up to you. I usually take off the stem except for one centimeter or so. You also might like to cut the top inch off of the tops. If you really want to make them look fancy you can use scissors to trim each leaf so that it has a flat top.

3. When the water is boiling, put the artichokes in stems down (the leaves will absorb water if you place them in stems down). Put a lid on the pot.

4. Boil the artichokes for 30-45 minutes. Test if the artichokes are done by using tongs to pull a leaf off easily. If the leaf comes off and there is "meat" on it, the artichokes are done. 

5. Turn the heat off immediately and remove the artichokes. If you keep them in the pot they will continue to cook and may get mushy. 

6. Set out to cool, leaves down.

7. Once the artichokes are cool, slice them in half and scoop out the "choke." I usually use a regular spoon and make sure to remove all of the spiky leaves.

8. Now for the fun part! An easy way to prepare these delicious artichokes for the grill is by drizzling olive oil and sprinkling them with salt and pepper. 

From there, have fun! You might add balsamic vinegar, sliced garlic, or other spices. 

9. When the grill is ready, you'll want to grill the artichokes leaves-side down for 10 minutes. Then flip them and grill for another 5 minutes.

10. My favorite finishing touch: squeeze fresh lemon juice over the artichokes and grate parmesan cheese over them. Yum! Or, serve with melted butter or garlic mayo.

I don't care for mayo, but I found one that seems to be a hit with grilled artichokes: Garlic Herb Lemonaise from The Ojai Cook.

However you like your artichokes--enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

So the story goes that I was shopping in the produce section and saw fresh rhubarb. I did not buy it, but was inspired to find a great recipe for strawberry rhubarb pie. I searched through dozens of recipes, took the parts that I liked the best, and went back for the rhubarb. It was gone! So this delicious pie was made with frozen rhubarb and strawberries. It was delicious, so I'm not too worried about the frozen thing. So thanks to many websites including epicurious for the inspiring recipes!

Ingredients:

Pie Crust:

(Makes two crusts, either just a bottom crust or one for a top and bottom).

2 1/2 cups flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and refrigerated again (nice and cold!)

1 cup cold water with ice cubes

1 egg yolk mixed with water

Filling:

3-3 1/2 cups trimmed rhubarb pieces (I made sure they were bite-sized, since I used frozen I made sure to defrost and drain the pieces).

3 1/2 cups strawberries, cut into quarters. I used frozen strawberries, so a 16 oz bag, defrosted and drained, was perfect.

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Dough (Prepare at least 1 hour if not 2 ahead of time)

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. 

2. Sprinkle the pieces of butter over the flour--avoid touching the butter! The key to flaky pie crust is keeping the butter cold.

3. Using a pastry blender, incorporate the butter. Mix the flour into the butter until the butter is in small clumps, about the size of peas (it's okay if the pieces are not all identical in size).

4. Use a rubber spatula to mix the dough as you add water. Add about 1/2 cup, and scrape the sides of the bowl to mix it through. Continue to add water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough starts to form larger clumps. 

5. At this point, use your hands to gather all of the dough into a ball. You want to knead it gently together. 

6. Separate the dough into two clumps, and use plastic wrap to cover each piece and create a disk. 

7. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

When you get your filling ready, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Filling

1. Mix all of the filling ingredients together in a large bowl. As you roll out the dough the filling will sit and juices may drain off. You will want to leave these out of the pie.

Assembly

1. Roll out the first dough disk on a well-floured surface. Have a 9 inch pie dish ready to go. You will want to try to roll the dough into a 13 inch circle. As you roll the dough, flip it over and keep flour on the surface so it does not stick. If your dough sticks or falls apart, chill it longer.

2. Carefully place the pie crust into the dish. Press down gently on the bottom and edges so that the pie crust touches them. This will help cook the crust.

3. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the filling and put it into the crust. The slotted spoon will allow for some of the juices to run off and stay in the bowl.

4. Roll out the second disk into the same 13 inch circle. Using a pastry wheel or knife, cut the crust into 1/2 inch-3/4 inch strips. 

5. One strip at a time, lay each piece of crust over the filling in a criss-cross pattern. If this is your first lattice topped pie, you may want to put all of the pieces that go one way down first, then put the others on top. Otherwise, you can weave the pieces together, starting with middle pieces and working your way out. 

6. Trim the pieces leaving about a 1 inch border around the pie crust. Fold the crust under and decorate it. I pinch it between my fingers to create a wavy pattern. You might press it with a fork or just allow it to take the natural shape of the pie pan.

7. Brush the pie crust with the egg yolk and water mixture.

8. Place the pie on a baking sheet (in case it bubbles, and to help you lift it) and put on the lowest rack in the oven. This will help the bottom of the crust bake.

9. Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. Then turn the heat down to 350 and bake for another 25 minutes. Keep an eye on the pie. If the crust starts to brown too quickly then use foil to tent the edges.

10. At the end of those 50 minutes, see if the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden. My oven was being tricky so I had to bake the pie for a longer amount of time. 

11. Take the pie  out and let it cool. Serve on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Must Love Gardening!

Here comes the sun...

A sneak peek at our edible garden...

Getting our herbs started...

Hopefully our thumbs will turn green this year... I'll keep you posted!

Pimiento Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe comes from Bon Appétit magazine, the March 2011 issue. The recipe is on the cover and is said to be "Hands down, the tastiest version we've ever made." So I had to try it. 

Pimiento Mac and Cheese

  Photo by Alexa-iPhone

Photo by Matt

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, halved, divided
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) --I did not need this much once it was mixed later...
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided (Mine never got to "room temperature" because my kitchen was as cold as the fridge)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
3/4 cup drained mild Peppadew peppers in brine, 1 tablespoon brine reserved (I could not find these so I used other jarred peppers).
1/4 teaspoon ground ancho chiles
1 1/4 cups (packed) coarsely grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup (packed) coarsely grated mozzarella
8 ounces medium shell pasta or gemelli

Directions:
*Note: I am giving these directions in a different order than the magazine gave. I followed the magazine's timing and ended up waiting for many of the ingredients to get ready.
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 8-cup baking dish (or 6 individual dishes).
2. Boil water in large pot. Salt the water and cook the pasta until tender but still firm to bite. Drain and return to pot.
3. Meanwhile, bring 1/2 cup water, bell pepper, and 1 1/2 garlic cloves to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover; reduce heat to medium low. Simmer until pepper is soft, about 15 minutes.
4. Toast panko in skillet over medium-high heat until golden, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl, cool to lukewarm. Rub 1 tablespoon butter into crumbs to coat. Mix in 1/4 cup Parmesan.
5. When the bell pepper mixture is done, transfer it to a food processor. Add Peppadews and 1 tablespoon of brine, 2 TB butter, ground chiles, and 1/2 garlic clove; then add cheddar and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Blend until sauce is smooth; season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. When the pasta is returned to the pot, add the sauce and mozzarella and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Spoon pasta mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle with crumb topping.
8. Bake pasta until topping is crisp and sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes (15 for individual). Let stand 10 minutes.
*After 25 minutes I decided to turn on the broiler and let it crisp the top for about 3 minutes.

Enjoy!

Vegetable Lasagna--mmmmmmmm

This recipe is one that I created myself. I was a little nervous about making a veggie lasagna. I am not sure why, I like vegetables and all, but I thought that I would really miss the meat. As it turns out, I didn't--Matt and I love this recipe, so hopefully you will too!

Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:
lasagna noodles
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 white onion, diced
2 large or 3 small zucchini, sliced
1 1/2 cups of chopped fresh spinach
5-7 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 1/2 jars of your favorite tomato sauce (more if it is very thick)
1/2 cup of red wine (optional)
4 Tb butter
1 Tb olive oil
12 oz container of ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, 1/4 cup reserved for topping
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg


Directions:
Prepare lasagna noodles according to package. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Sauce
1. In a large pan heat olive oil and half of the minced garlic over medium heat. Tip: Heat the garlic with the olive oil instead of adding it later--this will prevent burning the outside of the garlic. Let the garlic sizzle in the pan for about 1 minute. 
2. If you are using wine, add it to the pan now. Let it bubble for about 2 minutes. Then add the tomato sauce and basil. 
3. Allow the sauce to bubble then turn it to simmer as you prepare everything else. 


Vegetables
1. Melt butter in a pan. 
2. Add garlic, onions, and zucchini. 
3. Sauté vegetables until tender but not overcooked. Set aside


Cheese
1. Mix ricotta, 1 1/4 cups mozzarella, parmesan, spinach, and the egg together. Add salt and pepper. 

Assembling the Lasagna
1. Use a 8x8 baking dish. Put a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce in the dish to coat the bottom.
2. Create layers, making sure to make a complete layer (but not too thick). The layers go in the order: pasta, cheese, vegetables, sauce. 
3. When you reach the top layer of sauce, then add one more layer of pasta, sauce, then the reserved mozzarella and a bit of parmesan.
4. Place the baking dish on a cookie sheet. Use foil to tent the dish, but allow for ventilation. 
5. Bake lasagna for 40 minutes with the foil on. Then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. 
6. After the hour of baking, remove the lasagna from the oven. Baked pastas like to rest a bit before being sliced and served. They hold up a bit better. If you can't wait, just don't expect a stack--it will still taste delicious though. Wait for 10-20 minutes, if you can stand it. 
7. Enjoy!

Very Vegetarian Chili

It is the season of Lent. This year I have given up eating meat for 40 days. I am having fun experimenting with Vegetarian recipes. Hopefully you will enjoy my experiments. As always, if I use a new recipe I tend to change it a bit, so you should feel free to do the same. 

This recipe for Chili is inspired by the Moosewood cookbook series. I left out things like bulgur and corn, then I added things like carrots and extra spice!

So here we go:

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots

3 cups chopped onions

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 14 oz can of black beans, drained

1 14 oz can of kidney beans, drained

1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes with their juice

1 TB Cumin

1 TB Chili Powder

Cayenne Pepper and salt to taste

(You might add a cup of corn, some black olives, or any other veggie you think would taste delicious in here)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, sauté onions, garlic, and carrots in 1 TB of cooking oil over medium heat until translucent. 

2. Add chopped peppers to the pot. Cook the peppers for 2-3 minutes if you would like them to retain a bit of crunch. If you want them soft then put them in with the onions and carrots.

3. When the peppers have reached the desired texture, stir in the beans, tomatoes, and spices. 

4. Turn the heat down and allow the chili to simmer for 15-30 minutes. The longer it simmers the thicker it becomes and the more the flavors incorporate.

5. Sprinkle with grated cheese, avocado, cliantro, green onions, or anything else you like on your chili. 

6. Enjoy!

JUSTIFICATION

How could I forget?? With our Valentine's dinner we had the yummiest wine! This bottle of JUSTIN's Justification was a present that my mom gave to M on his birthday.

We waited for just the right meal to share it. Not only is this wine delicious, but it is from our favorite vineyard, JUSTIN, in Paso Robles.

Visit  http://www.justinwine.com/       to check it out. Each wine there is delicious, the grounds are beautiful, and there is a restaurant as well as a bed and breakfast.

If you are ever even near Paso Robles, go to JUSTIN! Yum!!!

Romantic Valentine's Day Dinner--For Three!

The Menu

Valentine Salad

Filet Mignon

Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp

Parmesan Truffle Mashed Potatoes

Steamed Artichokes

Chocolate Soufflé 

with Raspberry Whipped Cream

And my karma coming true: baby shrimp and English Muffins... you'll see....

Hooray for our first married Valentine's Day!!

This year we had AL, my stepdaughter, with us for the romantic dinner. Most of the day we spent playing around the house, getting all of our outside energy out before the rain came. Then M went to work and AL and I got cookin!

The idea for this menu came from a few of my lovely food magazines. All of the romantic dinner sections sounded good, so I chose my favorite parts and changed them to my tastes and convenience. I thought it would be nice to make some sort of seafood for M, because he loves it and I love him. In came the shrimp! But I'm picky, so it needed to be a "Surf and Turf" theme... and I just stuck to the turf...

Either way, I'll go through the menu step by step.... this will be a long one!! 

Valentine Salad

Ingredients:
Red Leaf Lettuce
Radishes
Rainbow Carrots--I used purple and pink
Red Onion
Red Pepper
Tomato
Beet
  
Directions: Obviously I just chopped up a certain amount of each and tossed them together. But it's so pretty I had to put it in here!  We used my favorite Barcelona Vinaigrette from Whole Foods. You could use anything you like--it will probably turn purple from the fun colors in the salad!

The Main Course

  

Filet Mignon

Ingredients: 

2 beautiful Filets

Salt

Pepper

1 cup red wine

1 cup balsamic vinegar

butter 

Directions:

Steak cooks better if it has been allowed to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. I seasoned these filets with salt and pepper and then let them rest for an hour at room temperature (The resting helps them stay super tender).

1.  Melt 1 TB butter in a heavy bottomed pan over med-high heat.

2. Once the butter has melted,  sear the steaks for 1 minute on each side. 

3. Add the wine and the balsamic. Turn the heat down to medium. Cook for an additional 5-6 minutes per side.  This is for medium rare. If you like the steaks done more, just add a few minutes to each side. It is better to let the steak cook through instead of flipping it a million times. 

4. Once the steaks are done to your liking, remove them from the pan and let them "rest." At this point, if you want to reduce the sauce in the pan you can (keep cooking it). 

5. Put a piece of butter on the top of each steak. Or you may like to put Gorgonzola on top to melt while the rest of your food finishes. 

Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp

This recipe is mostly from Food TV, I just changed a couple of things...

Ingredients:

6 large shelled, deveined shrimp, tails on

3 pieces of prosciutto

juice from 1/2 a lemon

2 TB chopped fresh thyme

2 TB olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat your broiler.

1. Mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper.

2. Mix in the shrimp, let sit for about 3-5 minutes in the mixture.

3. As the shrimp marinates, slice each piece of prosciutto in half, lengthwise. Then wrap each piece of shrimp with one piece of prosciutto.

4. Place each piece of shrimp on a foil-lined broiler pan.

5. Broil the shrimp for two minutes per side (flip half way through), four minutes total.

Parmesan Truffle Mashed Potatoes

Okay, I don't know about you, but I am in LOVE with truffle oil. I think it tastes good with everything. So I finally caved in and bought some. It is actually safflower oil infused with white truffles. Much cheaper than the real stuff, but still a bit pricey. That said, a little goes a long way so I in no way regret this delicious purchase!!

Ingredients:

4-6 peeled and quartered large potatoes, I used red (they're my favorite--smooth texture, 

                             good flavor)

1/2 cup cream (you can substitute half and half or even sour cream... but cream makes the 

                             smoothest potatoes!!) 

1/2 stick butter

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 tsp white truffle oil

salt

Directions:

1. In a large pot, boil the potatoes. The potatoes will boil for about 20 minutes. I always check by squeezing one with tongs. If it's hard, it's not done. If it the edges are soft you're ready to mash!

2. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.

3. Add the butter and cheese. Give the potatoes a stir so that these ingredients begin to melt. If the butter is room temperature you do not have to worry too much about melting. If it is coming from the fridge I would bury the butter in those potatoes!

4. Add the cream and salt. Get the potatoes to the consistency that you like. 

5. Finally, add the truffle oil and mix it in. YUM!!

Steamed Artichokes

I usually just trim the tops and bottoms of artichokes then steam them in about 2-3 inches of water until a leaf plucks off (usually around 45 minutes). It is nice to salt the water, or add other flavors like olive oil or lemon. The artichokes will absorb any flavors that are added to the water.

Dessert

Chocolate Soufflés with Raspberry Whipped Cream

This photo is courtesy of my hubby!

Okay, before I give you the details on how to make this DELICIOUS dessert, I have to tell you where it's from. For Christmas, Jeanette gave me the yummiest book ever, Bon Appétit Desserts by Barbara Fairchild. This link will help you buy it. It is basically the dessert bible. It starts with equipment and techniques, then has over 600 dessert recipes. As you read through it gives you tips to make your desserts come out perfectly. Thanks Jeanette!!!

Chocolate Soufflé

M does not usually want dessert, unless it's M&Ms or his mom's chocolate chip cookies. When I put this in front of him, however, he devoured it. It is so light and airy that even with the rich flavor you can eat lots. :)

Makes 4

Ingredients:

3 TB water

1 TB instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder

5 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceet 61% cacao), chopped

1 TB brandy

3 large egg yolks

4 large egg whites, room temperature

2 1/2 TB sugar

Powdered Sugar

Directions:

1. Butter four 2/3 cup soufflé dishes; coat with sugar.

2. Stir 3 tablespoons water and espresso powder in heavy small saucepan until espresso powder dissolves. 

3. Add chocolate and brandy. Stir over low heat until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

Whisk in egg yolks, cool to room temperature

4. Beat egg whites in large bowl until foamy. Gradually add 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar and beat until medium-firm peaks form.

5. Fold chocolate mixture into egg whites. 

• Before you do this, they recommend putting just a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Then, when you mix the chocolate in, you are less likely to deflate your egg whites. The fluffiness is what makes the soufflé rise. 

6. Divide among soufflé dishes. Place dishes on baking sheet.

*The cookbook says that you can do this up to 2 hours ahead of time. The soufflés may stand uncovered at room temperature. I did not believe them, but I did it, and everything still came out great! This way, you can make the dessert before dinner, then as you finish dinner, you can pop these in the oven!*


7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake soufflés until puffed but still moist in center, about 14 minutes. 
8. Sift powdered sugar over soufflés (you will notice from my picture that I did not do this. It is because I was so excited that I forgot).
9. Serve with, in this case, raspberry whipped cream.






Raspberry Whipped Cream
This can definitely be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge. 
This is my own recipe, just thought it would taste good with the soufflés.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TB powdered sugar (or more if you want a really sweet cream)
1/2 cup fresh raspberries


Directions:
1. Using an electric mixer, begin to mix the cream and vanilla. You may use medium or even high speed (just don't let it turn to butter!).
2. Gradually add in the powdered sugar.
3. Then add the raspberries. They should mix in and turn everything a pretty pinkish color. 
4. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. As I said before, don't over whip it or it could turn to butter! 
5. This will make more than you need for this dessert, but you can save it and put it on fresh fruit, waffles, and whatever else you can think of.

And Finally.... My Karma

As I have said before, I spent my life as a picky eater. For a long time, I preferred things that were orange or a beigy color (think grilled cheese, mac and cheese, quesadillas, or fries, chicken nuggets, and tater tots). Now that I am a parent, my karma is coming through. My dearest AL is a picky eater. Granted, she usually likes a more colorful plate, but it is still my karma. My little picky eater. I'll give it to her though, she'll try what I make. She just wont have more than one bite. So here is her Valentine dinner:

 Pre-cooked cold shrimp from the seafood section of Whole Foods, and garlic bread English Muffins in the shape of hearts.

I do have to add in the brightest side of this karma... She also ate an artichoke. 

Happy Valentine's Day.