K is for Kitchen

Thanksgiving!

2010-11-28T09:01:00.000-08:00

What a FANTASTIC meal we had this year. Honestly the best I have ever had, hands down. Every single thing was made completely from scratch and the flavors went together so well. It was divine!

I was in charge of one of the turkeys, dressing, mashed potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, gravy and dessert. I got my inspiration this year from Bobby Flay and The Pioneer Woman's Thanksgiving Throwdown. Mike and I were drooling over the food so I chose the dishes that looked the best from the episode and replaced my normal recipes for these recipes. It was a GREAT decision!!
Mike did the turkey on the green egg, so I wont post that, its self explanatory!

The dressing I decided to make was SO FABULOUS! It was my favorite of the new recipes! It would go so well with a pork tenderloin for a nice meal. Sooooo delicious!!

Sourdough, Wild Mushroom and Bacon Dressing
by Bobby Flay

1 1/4 pounds sourdough bread, crusts trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound oyster mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large Spanish onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 to 5 cups homemade chicken stock or low sodium canned chicken broth
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the bread onto a large baking sheet (or 2 smaller baking sheets) in an even layer and bake, stirring a few times, until lightly golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove and let cool. Once cooled, put the cubes into a very large bowl.

Increase the heat to 375 degrees F. Combine the mushrooms in a large baking dish or baking sheet, toss with 3 tablespoons of the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven, stirring several times, until soft and golden brown, about 25 minutes.

While the mushrooms are roasting, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large high-sided saute pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and the fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. (At this point, I threw the bacon out. I didn't want the bacon in there, just the drippings for the flavor!)

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat in the saute pan and place back on the stove over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add 3 cups of the chicken stock and the herbs, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer.

Add the mushrooms to the bread, and then add the onion/stock mixture, egg, salt and pepper, and gently stir until combined. The dressing should be very wet, add more stock as needed. Scrape the mixture into a buttered 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue baking until the top is golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

I chose Pioneer Woman's mashed potatoes. First of all, they can be made ahead because after you mash them, you bake them....which makes serving them very easy! Second, there were so many fattening ingredients in them that I knew a) they had to be good and b) I would never make these normally! :) It was also a great choice. So very good!

Mashed Potatoes
by Ree Drummond

5 pounds Yukon gold or russet potatoes
1 1/2 sticks softened butter, plus more for baking
1 1/2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Milk, if needed, for thinning

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel the potatoes and rinse them in cold water. Chop the potatoes in fourths. Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Drain the potatoes, and then return them to the pan. With the burner on low heat, mash the potatoes with a potato masher; the more steam that's released while you mash, the better. Mash for about 5 minutes. Turn off the burner.

Add the butter, cream cheese, half-and-half, and seasonings. Stir to combine, and if the mixture needs thinning, add milk. Check the seasonings, adding salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour the mashed potatoes into a large casserole pan. Dot the surface with butter. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10 more minutes. Serve immediately.

The next recipe I decided on was Bobby Flay's Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranates and Vanilla-Pecan Butter. It didn't seem like my type of dish to be honest, but all the guests on the show were raving about them so I thought I would give them a try. They made a nice addition to the plate because of their slightly sweet but tart flavor. It broke up all that rich food! They were good, but I still prefer just roasted, salted ones!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranates and Vanilla-Pecan Butter
by Bobby Flay

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
Seeds from 1 pomegranate
1 lime, finely zested
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

Combine the butter and vanilla bean seeds in a small bowl. Fold in the pecans and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the Brussels sprouts in a medium roasting pan and toss with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until lightly golden brown, 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, add the pomegranate molasses and stir to combine. Return to the oven and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes longer.

Transfer the sprouts to a large bowl, add the pomegranate seeds and lime and orange zests. Transfer to a platter and top with some of the Vanilla-Pecan butter.

The last recipe I used was Bobby Flay's Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce and Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise. It looked so good on the show, and I LOVE Bread Pudding, so I had my heart set on it. After reading the recipe though, I nearly changed my mind! Wow, there were so many steps! Not that I mind, but since I had a lot of other things to do, I almost saved this for another occasion, but as I said...I had my heart set on it so I couldn't wait to try it. It was very easy to make, just time consuming. I honestly can't even give it a good review because the caramel sauce got throw away during dinner clean up! The cleaner-upper thought it was gravy (It was similar in color) so it got dumped. Since that flavor was 1/3 of the recipe, I can't give this a fair review. The apple/caramel flavor would have changed the flavor completely! It was still good, but I think it would have been A LOT better with that tart apple flavor. Oh well, ill just have to make it again! ;)

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce and Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise
by Bobby Flay

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 cup pure canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons bourbon
Pumpkin Bread, toasted and cubed, recipe follows
Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise, recipe follows
Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce, recipe follows
Freshly whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the cream, milk, vanilla bean and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

Whisk together the yolks, sugar, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture until combined, remove the vanilla pod, and whisk in the bourbon. Strain the custard into a clean bowl.

Scatter the pumpkin bread cubes in a buttered 9 by 13-inch baking glass baking dish. Pour the custard over the bread, pressing down on the bread to totally submerge it in the custard. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the bread to soak up some of the custard.

Place the pan in a larger roasting pan and pour hot tap water into the roasting pan until it comes half way up the sides of the glass dish. Bake until the sides are slightly puffed and the center jiggles slightly, about 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and water bath and cool on a baking rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Spoon some of the Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise into a shallow bowl, top with some of the bread pudding and drizzle with the Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce. Top with freshly whipped cream. Bread pudding is best served warm.

Pumpkin Bread:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
8 ounces (scant 1 cup) canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
2/3 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a small bowl.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 4 tablespoons softened butter, sugar, and oil at high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times.

Add the pumpkin puree and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just incorporated. At low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and water and mix until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 to 75 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely.

Once the bread is cool, slice in half lengthwise, and then slice each half into 1/2-inch cubes. Spread the cubes on a large baking sheet and bake in a 325 degree oven until lightly toasted, turning once, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise:
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
5 large egg yolks
1/3 cup pure cane sugar

Bring the half-and-half and vanilla bean and seeds to a simmer in a medium saucepan.

Whisk together the yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until at the pale ribbon stage. Slowly whisk in the hot half-and-half, return the mixture to the pot, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. Strain into a bowl and set over an ice bath. Stir until chilled. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup apple juice
1 star anise
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon apple schnapps

Combine the cream, apple juice, star anise, ginger, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and nutmeg in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let steep for at least 20 minutes. Strain the mixture into a clean, small saucepan and place back over low heat while you make the caramel.

Combine the sugar, water and, vinegar in a medium saucepan over high heat and cook without stirring, until it's a deep amber color, about 8 minutes. Slowly whisk in the warm cream mixture a little at a time, and continue whisking until smooth. Add the apple schnapps and cook for 30 seconds longer. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm. The sauce can be made 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Reheat over low heat before serving.

See? WOW....a LOT of steps. But good!

Now....in the process of making a Turkey and Andouille Sausage Gumbo with our Thanksgiving leftovers. So far our house is smelling fabulous. Check for recipe tomorrow! ;)

Clean out the fridge and pantry week

2010-11-20T08:45:00.001-08:00

So this week was "clean out the fridge and pantry" week. One day was Shephard's Pie and another day was Steak Enchiladas. Both of these meals were made 100% from items from the fridge/freezer or using leftovers! And they were both so delicious!! I threw both of them together and they were both very good. Here's what I did...

Shepherd's Pie

1 - 1.5 lbs ground beef
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
Butter for saute...a couple T. (I used a spoonful of yogurt butter)
1 onion, diced
A big handful of baby carrots, diced
1-2 C. frozen peas (or corn or both...)
1/2 - 1 C. of beef broth (or more if necessary)
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Mashed potatoes (however you make them...we just had some leftover in the fridge)

Saute the onion and carrots over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until soft. Add meat and beans and cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain fat if necessary, then add peas, salt and pepper, Worcestershire and beef broth. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add more beef broth if you need to to keep it moist.

Place mixture in baking dish and top with mashed potatoes. If you're really fancy you can make marks/peaks in it with a fork so they will brown pretty. I didn't do that....I guess I'm not fancy. ;)

Cook at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes until bubbly and brown. If you're really, REALLY fancy you can broil for the last 5 minutes so your peaks will be nice and brown. DELISH!!

Although this looks like something Sixer may have thrown up, I assure you it doesn't taste like it. I really do love this. It is comfort food to the max. My kids seriously gobbled it up and Jacob said it was his "new favorite dinner". ENJOY!!

The very next night, I decided I needed to do something with all the steak that was left over from Mikes birthday dinner. I also had a bunch of cilantro left from when I made the teachers at P&E's school Deer Valley Turkey Chili that was about to go bad. And I had several packs of corn tortillas, because if you've ever looked in my meat drawer you know that on any given day I have 287534 packs of cheese, and even more packs of tortillas.

So, Steak "Enchiladas" it was! (Put in quotes because I made it in casserole form. I didn't feel like rolling enchiladas! But you could if you wanted.) Here's how I put them together....

Steak Enchiladas

About 2 lbs steak (I used sirloin, but you can use flank steak or any steak for that matter), cut into a 1/2 inch dice
1 small onion, diced
about 1/2 C. chopped cilantro
2 C. Monterrey jack cheese, shredded & divided
1/2 C. green salsa
16 corn tortillas
1 C. light sour cream
splash of milk
1 bunch cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded..(I roasted mine in the oven before seeding)
1 T. cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Saute steak in a small amount of oil until just heated. Add onion and cilantro and cook until onions begin to soften (about 5-10 mins). Remove from heat and add salsa and 1 C. cheese. Stir well and set aside.

Make cilantro sour cream sauce by adding the roasted, seeded jalapeno and the entire bunch of cilantro to a food processor. Pulse until combined and shredded. Add sour cream and splash of milk (to thin it) to a saucepan over medium low heat. Heat until it stars to smoke and then add cilantro/jalapeno mixture and cumin. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Spray a 9X13 pan with no stick cooking spray and then line with 8 tortillas. Pour steak mixture over the tortillas and top with remaining 8 tortillas. Pour sour cream sauce over the top and the top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and the edges have started to bubble.

Seriously yummy! Mike said "I cant wait for you to make this again!" And the children devoured it as well.

Deer Valley Turkey Chili

2010-11-20T08:36:00.000-08:00

So, over 10 years ago (OMWow....cant believe its been that long...), Mike and I and a bunch of friends went to Utah to ski. One day we went to Deer Valley to ski and when we ate lunch, we got the pleasure of having their famous Turkey Chili. Man was it good!

I have thought about that chili for a long time, so I found a copy cat recipe online and made it for our Halloween get-together. Yummo!

Deer Valley Turkey Chili

Ingredients:
2 cups dried black beans, rinsed or 2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)(I used canned)
10 cups water
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 medium Anaheim chilies, seeded, chopped
2/3 cup chopped red onion
2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
2/3 cup chopped celery
1 large leek (white part only), chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp oregano
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 tbsp chili powder
2 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp coriander
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
5 cups chicken stock or canned broth
2 1/4 cups frozen corn, thawed
4 cups diced cooked turkey (I used a rotisserie turkey breast)

grated cheese
chopped red onion
sour cream
chopped fresh cilantro
Fritos

Directions:
If using dried beans - Place black beans in large pot with enough cold water to cover by three inches. Let soak overnight. Drain beans. Return to pot. Add 10 cups water and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Drain beans and set aside. If using canned beans, start with the following paragraph (the veggies) and add beans later.

Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Add Anaheim chilies, chopped onion, celery, bell pepper, leek, garlic and oregano. Cook until vegetables often, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add flour, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and sugar and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 4 cups stock and bring to simmer, stirring frequently. Puree 1 1/4 cups corn with remaining 1/2 cup stock in processor. Add puree to chili. Mix in black beans, turkey and remaining 1 cup corn. Simmer chili 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ladle chili into bowls. Serve; passing toppings separately.

Crawfish Chowder

2010-09-24T05:46:00.001-07:00

A fall staple in our house is this Crawfish Chowder. It is SOOO easy and so very good!

Potato, Corn and Crawfish Chowder
Serves 20

1 stick butter (I used yogurt butter)
1 onion, diced
1 T. garlic, chopped
1 T. cumin
2 lbs. crawfish tails
1 C. flour
1 quart chicken stock
1 C. tomato paste
1 quart heavy cream (I used no fat half & half)
2 C. potatoes, diced and blanched
3 C. fresh corn
1 C. green onions, chopped
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Cayenne to taste
¼ C. sherry
The juice of ½ lemon
**add 1 T. or more of Tony’s Seasoning

Melt butter in a heavy bottom soup pot. Sauté the onions and garlic until they are a little bit soft and then add cumin and crawfish tails briefly. Stir in the flour completely and stir constantly for a few minutes(to eliminate the flour-y taste). Then add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly for a few minutes more. Add the stock slowly, stirring continuously. The add the heavy cream (or half in half in my case). Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. You need to watch carefully while bringing it to a boil because if it boils too fast and rapidly it will curdle. It will still taste great, but it will look grainy and separated. Add the potatoes and corn and cook for 30 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and season to taste.

This is a Tim Creehan recipe and it is DELICIOUS!!! And not too bad for you either (as long as you use the no fat half & half). I did 3/4 of the recipe so we could eat on it for a few days. You don't need to do the whole thing unless you are having a houseful....because it makes so much! But it definitely warms the soul. Add a little hot sauce at cooking time and you are good to go. Yum!!

Red Potato and Tomato Salad

2010-08-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

I made this potato salad for a get together last weekend and it was DELISH! Much better (in my opinion) than a mayonnaise based potato salad. I served it with burgers and Tri Colo Orzo. YUMM-O!!

Red Potato and Tomato Salad

3 pounds baby red potatoes, halved (or quartered depending on the size)
2 pint (4 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup pitted black olives, halved
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 large lemons, zested
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add the potatoes to a medium saucepan with enough cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. Set the saucepan over medium heat. Bring the water to a boil and continue boiling until the potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and allow them to dry for 5 minutes.

In a serving bowl, add the potatoes, tomatoes, scallions, olives, parsley, capers, thyme, olive oil, and lemon zest. Toss gently until all the ingredients are coated and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate for 1 hour and gently toss again before serving.

Banana Barbie!

2010-07-29T05:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my baby turned 2. *sobs*

Let's not dwell on the fact that I will never have a baby nuzzled up in my neck again, or the fact that my 2-going-on-5 year old is already super divalicious, or the fact that the doctor yesterday at her check up suggested I get her into her own bed and take away her paci.

No, let's not dwell on those depressing things. Instead let's talk about how fun it is to play Barbies, shall we?

Girlfriend is OBSESSED with Barbies! Which is different for me because I never played with Barbies. I played with baby dolls and other things of the sort, but not Barbies. And at 2?? Aren't Barbie accessories too small for 2 year olds? But she insists and when I take her to the toy aisle, that's where she goes. So I have to face it, my life is Barbie right now.

So naturally I asked the baby Diva what kind of cake she wanted...thinking I was just talking to hear myself talk since no way at 2 she would have an idea of what kind of cake she wanted (I must have forgotten which 2 year old I was talking about). Her reply? "BARBIE!!"

So I used the banana cake recipe which is super simple and I knew she liked. I doubled the recipe. Made the regular 2 layer cake on bottom with 8 inch pans. Then baked 2 6 inch layers. The 6 inch layers, I iced the middle, shaved it to look like a skirt and then crumb coated it. The stacked it on top of the 8 inch layers and iced the whole thing. At the end....stuck a Barbie in the middle! It wasn't the best, but Eden was OH SO EXCITED! And wow was it ever easy.....

So....ta-da! Barbie cake. :) Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-07-14T16:33:00.001-07:00

Anyone who knows me (which I am sure is everyone here reading....since I am only a famous food blogger in the land of nobody. And I am not calling you nobody....just pointing out that I am no Pioneer Woman and to my knowledge, no one really cares what I am cooking), knows I LOVE Chocolate Chip Cookies.

They are like, my favorite food in the entire world. Like if I was on a desert island and could only choose one food to bring, Chocolate Chip Cookies would be it. If I was on death row I would choose them for my last meal. Additionally, I absolutely CANNOT go to the mall without getting a Chocolate Chip Cookie. I mean, why else do you go to the mall? Also I hide them from my children in the house so they won't eat them. After all, the cookies are not for them, they are for me.

I have most certainly inherited this trait from my mother, and my brother shares the gene also. We have successfully passed the cookie love to our spouses, who now love them also. Mike used to say he hates sweets, and Laura used to claim she hated cookies. Now? Notsomuch. They are all as obsessed as we are.

Annnnnnd now I am starting to sound a little deranged. I don't want to make babies with cookies, but I love them an almost equivalent amount and they are most definitely my vice. If I did not eat cookies, I would very well look like this:

which is one of the very few pictures I have of myself when I was very ill and weighed 25 pounds less than I weigh now. You can't really tell but I looked so bad. My arm? Skinny. GROSS.

Anywho, cookies keep me sane, healthy and happy. And that's all that matters in this life right?

So here's a very yummy cookie recipe from my cousin's friend Annie. Thanks Annie for the cookies....YUM! And Happy Birthday!

Annie's Chocolate Chip Cookies

12 T. butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 bag semi sweet chocolate chip cookies

Preheat oven to 350. Cream the butter and the sugars until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add them to egg mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Roll into balls (this is important) and place on cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown. (Set the timer for 10 minutes and check them little by little after that if they need more time. Take them out juuuuuust when they are getting a teeny bit brown on top.

Enjoy!

Watermelon Margaritas

2010-07-09T07:28:00.000-07:00

It's summertime. Wine gets hot quickly and beer makes you feel like a bloated cow. Super sweet fruity drinks give me a tummy ache and I don't want a 'stiff' drink either. Usually a go-to drink for me is vodka/soda/lime or a vodka tonic (who doesn't like this in the summer!??). But recently, my aunt Ebby told me she made some Watermelon margaritas and that sounded just fabulous. I had some leftover watermelon so I mixed up a batch and WOW were they ever good. Plus, they were pretty "skinny" since I didn't have to use any sour mix, nor sugar. Score! I also like this because the frozen watermelon is the only chilling agent; there is not any ice to dilute it and water it down. YUM!

Watermelon Margaritas

1 watermelon cubed, (about 5 cups)
1 C. tequila
1/2 C. triple sec
5-6 limes, juiced
1 squeeze Agave nectar (you could use 1/4-1/3 C. sugar if you don't have this or can't find any. Agave is just a lot better for you!)

Cube watermelon and freeze overnight. Add frozen watermelon and all other ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Can be made ahead of time and kept in a Ziploc until ready to use. If it is too thick when it is time to serve, add a little bit of Perrier and you should be good to go.

DELISH!!

(not my pic, these went way too fast to get a good picture :))

Banana Cake

2010-06-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is for you Ty. Or should I say Laura, since you will most likely be the one to actually prepare the cake...while Ty will most likely be the one to *eat* the cake.

We made this cake when Ty came to ~~play~~ work here last week. Although it was only two days, we had a blast with him here and it was yet another reminder of how far away they are. Boo hiss! :( Anyway, he LOVED the cake so I thought I'd share. It is one of those cakes that starts with a box mix so it is sooo easy and sooo good! Seriously the way everyone carried on about it, you would have thought I had slaved in the kitchen all day! Not the case at all. So here goes!

Banana Cake

1 package (18 1/4 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ripe medium-size bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan (or 2 - 9 inch cake pans) with shortening, and dust with flour. Shake out excess flour. (I used Pam cooking spray)

Place cake mix, brown sugar and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add mashed bananas, 1 cup water, oil, eggs and, if desired, liqueur. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape down side of bowl with rubber spatula. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed until well blended, scraping side again if needed. Pour into prepared pan(s), and place on center rack of oven.

Bake until top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes (for the 2 cake pans, I'd start checking them at about 20 minutes and increase the time from there. I think I cooked for 30 minutes and they were a tad bit overdone for my taste). Remove from oven, and cool on a wire rack.

Banana Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
2ish cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 t. banana extract
1/2 t. vanilla extract (if you can't find banana, you can just use 1 full teaspoon of vanilla)

Place cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Add confectioners' sugar a bit at a time, and blend on low speed until well incorporated, 1 minute. Add flavoring, and blend at medium speed until fluffy, 1 minute more.

Use at once to frost top of cake.

*I also topped the cake with chopped walnuts, but that was only for looks. I kept it in the fridge also, only because I am only on a cold cake kick right now. Cold cake with cold milk = heaven.

(the cake was gone before I got a picture of it; it only lasted 2 days! So I swiped one from google. It looks amazingly similar!)

Grilled Jerk Shrimp over Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Black Eyed Pea Salsa and Chipotle Sour Cream

2010-06-22T06:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took the kids to a friends house to swim. We got home around 2:30 and I put Eden down for a nap. Jacob stayed behind at the friends house, so the only person awake in the house besides me was Parker. I turned on a movie for him in my bed and he was down to rest for a few hours.

So what to do with myself.....but cook!?? I have not been to the grocery store since BEFORE we left for San Diego (which was on June 4th!!) besides once just to pick up some lunch meat, bread and milk. So basically I had NOTHING in the house. But I really wanted to cook!

I opened the pantry, the fridge, the freezer to search for anything I may have that I could make a decent meal out of. I had 2 bags of frozen shrimp. Ok, I can work with that. I had 3 large sweet potatoes in the fruit basket that I had bought before I left that we never used. They weren't sprouting yet, so they'll do too. I also had lots of frozen veggies. But what the heck do you make with shrimp and sweet potatoes and some random bags of frozen veggies?

My first thought was a chowder. I knew I had some frozen corn, chicken broth and some skim milk, so I could do something with that. But really, who wants chowder when it's 100 degrees out?

Then I thought I would put together a marinade for the shrimp, grill them and make sweet potato fries (which my family LOVES). But then that wouldn't solve my boredom and desire to cook.....so I started brainstorming...and here's what I came up with.

Grilled Jerk Shrimp over Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Black Eyed Pea Salsa and Chipotle Sour Cream

Jerk Seasoning

1 T. dried minced onion
1 T. onion powder
1 T. garlic powder
4 t. dried thyme leaves
2 t. salt
2 t. ground allspice
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
2 t. ground black pepper
1/2 t. ground chipotle chile powder
1/2 t. cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients and blend well. Store in a covered container.

Grilled Jerk Shrimp

2 lbs. large shrimp (fresh or frozen), peeled and de-veined with tails on
4 T. jerk seasoning
4 T. vegetable oil
Wooden skewers, soaked on water for one hour prior to grilling.

Combine jerk seasoning and oil. Rub onto shrimp and refrigerate for one hour. Thread shrimp onto skewers. Grill on medium heat just until shrimp turns pink; do not overcook!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

3 large sweet potatoes
Yogurt butter (or regular if you prefer)
Skim Milk
Salt and Pepper

Peel and chunk sweet potatoes. Add to a pot of salted, boiling water and boil until you can pierce with a fork. Drain and return to pot. Add a few splashes of milk and a scoop of butter. Mash with potato masher (I don't like beaters for mashed potatoes...I like them a little bit chunky). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Black Eyed Pea Salsa

1 small bag frozen black eyed peas (or you could used 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
1/4 C. frozen mirepiox (this is all I had in the house. You could just do a couple T. each of diced onion and diced green pepper)
3 T. diced pickled jalapenos and a few whole sliced ones tossed in.
1 T. pure maple syrup
1/2 t. dried thyme
2 T. white vinegar
1 T. vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Add black eyed peas to a pot of water. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer for 40 minutes. Drain and cool. In a bowl, toss all ingredients. Refrigerate for several hours in advance to allow flavors to blend.

Then finally for the chipolte sour cream, I just added some chipolte Tabasco to some light sour cream. Put in in a squirt bottle and drizzled it over the top.

So how was the creation? Pretty good! The shrimp were pretty darn spicy so next time I would either cut down the cayenne pepper to 1/4 t. or just simply add cilantro to the top to cool it down. Or just maybe plain sour cream as opposed to the spicier chipolte. But all in all I was proud of my creation and had a fun afternoon preparing it!

Bon Appetit!

Birthday Cake!!

2010-05-30T07:03:00.001-07:00

Parker's birthday party was yesterday (pics can be seen on The Journey to Eden).

I decided to make his superhero cake. The cake itself is not from scratch (I know, I know....but it was for kids and they don't care. Plus the decorating was time consuming so I didn't have time to make the cake and the frosting on top of it. Sorry!) He wanted chocolate, so I did the top and bottom layer chocolate and the middle layer white. Just to spruce it up, I tie-dyed it so it would look "rainbow". They thought rainbow cake was pretty cool! I just divided the batter into 5 bowls and used food coloring to color them. Then I poured them in and ran a fork around in circles to swirl it.

I used a 10 inch squares for the bottom layers (each tier has 2 layers each), 9 inch circles for the middle layer and 6 inch circles for the top layer. I baked the cakes, let them all cool and them wrapped them in Saran wrap to put in the fridge to be iced the next day. It is a lot easier to ice a cold, firm cake than a room-temperature soft cake! I also put a cake board under each of the tiers so the cake wouldn't sink. In addition, I bought lollipop sticks (you could use toothpicks) and stuck them in each layer to keep it upright and keep it from sliding.

The next day I put a crumb coat on the cakes. A crumb coat is a very thin layer of icing to catch all the crumbs. Doing a crumb cake makes a huge difference in how the cake looks. If you don't crumb coat it, inevitably you will have some crumbs here and there in your frosting that are visible. If you are just making a cake to enjoy at home this is no biggie, but if you are making one for something like this, you want it to look as smooth as possible! Here's what a crumb coat looks like....

If you are crumb coating the same day you are frosting (which I would usually do), put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes at least so the coat will harden just the littlest bit. Then when you put your frosting on, it will look smooth!

After the frosting went on, I braved the decorating. I am NOT a cake decorator by any stretch of the imagination, but I did the best I could. After all, 4 year olds don't judge, and bats and webs are pretty easy. ;)

I had put the cake on a cake board, but wrapped it in blue wrapping paper. I put a small piece of wax paper under each side of the cake to catch the mistakes.

It was far from perfect but I had a ton of fun doing it!! Happy Birthday Parker!

Buffalo Chicken and Tomato, Onion and Spinach Orzo

2010-05-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

So, this is another one of those "clean out the pantry" recipes. I needed a side to make with the Buffalo Chicken we were having (recipe below) and I didn't really have ANYTHING....so I made something up and it was a huge hit. Mike and the kids LOVED it!

Tomato, Onion and Spinach Orzo

1 box Orzo pasta
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large handfuls spinach, coarsely chopped
1 can Rotel, drained
Feta Cheese
Beef Broth
Pepper

Boil Orzo in heavily salted water. (Salting the crap out of the water is what makes it so delish!) Saute onion and garlic in a small amount of olive oil until soft and fragrant. Add cooked orzo, spinach, Rotel and Feta (just as much Feta as you want). Stir and bring pasta back to heat while lettting spinach wilt a bit. Add a splash of beef broth just to moisten. Add pepper and serve.

Buffalo Chicken

1 package chicken quarters
1 jar Lawry's Buffalo Marinade

Marinate Chicken quarters in a large Ziploc bag with entire jar of Buffalo marinade for several hours (or all day, or overnight...whatever you feel like). Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place chicken quarters in 9X13 baking dish and pour remaining marinade over chicken. Cook for 30 minutes. Embarrassingly easy and DELISH!! (and cheap too!)

Heres what the jar looks like!

Chopped Salad

2010-05-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

Ok so I LOVE the chopped salad at the Cheesecake Factory. It is on the side salad menu, but has chicken so it is just perfect for a main meal (espesh at lunch!) It has to be one of my favorite things to order at a restaurant. It isn't gargantuan like everything else at the CF seems, and it is really tasty. So, here's how I make it at home! (I really do think it is as good. Hope you agree.)

Chopped Salad

2-3 romaine hearts, chopped small
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
3 green onions, chopped
Frozen, fresh off the cobb, or canned (with no salt added) corn. About 1 C.
1-2 diced avocados (depending on the size, if they're the size of Nerf footballs you only need one)
1 granny smith apple, diced
5 pieces turkey bacon, crumbled
1/2 container crumbled blue cheese
1 handful chopped cilantro
2 C. cooked chicken, diced (I use about 1/2 rotisserie or 2 breasts)

Dressing:

1/2 C. olive oil
1/4 C balsamic vinegar
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake very well. Refrigerate for several hours before serving to allow the flavors to mix.

Place all salad ingredients in large bowl. Dress and serve.

This is a perfect side dish to bring to a party. Everyone LOVES it and it is healthy. If you are making it for your family, it makes a lot, so serve out some and then dress it, leaving the rest of the salad undressed for lunch later in the week. It is perfect! Enjoy! :)

This weeks cooking

2010-05-21T14:38:00.001-07:00

So lets see what I have made this week worth blogging about....

Red Velvet Cake
Lemon Cake
Tomato, Onion and Spinach Orzo
Roasted Buffalo Chicken
Large Grilled Sub Sandwich (family loves this)
Chicken Chopped Salad

Now who wants what? Comment and I will do blogs on them. :)

Taco Salad!

2010-04-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

I'm back! :) OK, well just temporarily perhaps.....

I am thinking of re-vamping K is for Kitchen. I am still going to have recipes on here, but I am also thinking of taking it a different direction. Details to come....

I am so sorry for the neglect all you chefs out there! I haven't been cooking much myself due to a very busy sports schedule.

So I'll leave you with a very quick, very easy recipe that actually doesn't involve much cooking at all! Just a little chopping and a few cans to open. These are the kinds of things we are eating for dinner these days. No time for gourmet! ;)

Our Favorite Taco Salad

1 bag iceberg lettuce
1 tomato, chopped
Red onion, chopped
Cilantro
1/2 can corn
1/2 can black beans
1 avocado, diced
shredded cheese
1 packet taco seasoning
1 package ground turkey
Newman's Own Southwest Dressing
Lime (optional)
Thin tortilla chips

Prepare ground turkey according to directions on the taco seasoning packet. Layer the other ingredients in order, starting with lettuce on bottom. Pour hot, cooked turkey on top. Squeeze 1/2 lime on top of meat and toss with lightly with salad dressing. Arrange chips on plate in an "O" shape and serve salad in center. Enjoy!

Here's what the dressing looks like. It is fairly low in calorie and DO NOT substitute! It makes the salad. :) Tastes creamy so you do not need extras like sour cream. Also this recipe makes a lot more than one meal! I usually end up up scooping half of it into a bowl to toss with the dressing so I can store the rest in the fridge for quickie lunches for myself. Perfect!

This recipe (and the weather) also goes perfect with this.

Loaded Corona

1 Corona or Corona Light
Bacardi Limon

Open corona and fill the neck with Bacardi Limon. WOW. Thank me later for this. ;)

Hungry Girl's Scoopable Chinese Chicken Salad

2009-10-19T12:51:00.001-07:00

I find this recipe to be SUPER DUPER DELISH! I like to keep it in the fridge to munch on between meals and to give it to the kids (yes, they like it too) when I am trying to find a healthy dinner in a hurry (read: about 4 nights a week when we have sports). YUM-O!

Hungry Girl's Scoopable Chinese Chicken Salad

One 16-ounce package dry broccoli slaw mix
12 ounces cooked skinless lean chicken breast, chopped
1 cup canned water chestnuts, drained and sliced into thin strips
1 cup canned mandarin orange segments packed in water or juice, drained and chopped (and rinsed, if packed in juice)
1 cup scallions, chopped
3/4 cup Newman's Own Lighten Up! Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing

In a large bowl, toss all ingredients together until mixed well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Stir well before serving. Enjoy!

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins with Orange Drizzle

2009-10-14T14:50:00.001-07:00

OK so I actually made up a recipe...that is yummy! Good for you and DELISH....even the kids and Mike gobbled them up! I usually don't make up recipes, but I entered a contest so I had to. Don't let the ingredients scare you off, these are truly good. I promise!

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins with Orange Drizzle

•2 tablespoons flax seed meal
•6 tablespoons water
•¾ C. brown sugar
•1 cup canned pumpkin puree
•1/2 cup applesauce
•1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
•1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•3/4 teaspoon salt
•1/2 teaspoon baking powder
•1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two mini muffin pans (or one 9x5 inch loaf pan).
2.Whisk together flax seed meal and water. Mix in sugar, pumpkin and apple sauce.
3.In a large bowl, stir together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and cloves. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture; stir until smooth. Pour heaping spoonfulls of batter (they wont rise) into prepared pans.
4.Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes (or 65-70 minutes for loaf pan) until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let stand a few minutes, and then transfer mini-muffins to a wire rack to cool. Mix the drizzle ingredients together and drizzle over warm muffins.

Orange Drizzle: •1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
•1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
•4 teaspoons orange juice

Baked Ziti - Sunday Night Dinner

2009-10-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

Well for my Sunday night dinner this week, I made baked ziti. The guys took the boys on a freezing cold campout Saturday night so I had a feeling they would like some hot, comfort food when they came home Sunday. And I was right! Mike said it "hit the spot". I served just a mixed green salad, garlic bread and baked ziti. Ana brought a DELISH appetizer and cake. Usually we don't bring anything, but she wanted to try these two recipes out and I certainly didn't argue! So here goes...

Goat Cheese Crostini

1 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 french baguette cut into ½ in slices and toasted
3 Tbsp Honey
¼ cup slivered almonds

In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese and rosemary; spoon over the toast slices. Drizzle with honey; sprinkle with almonds.

Thats it! Sooo easy and one of the best hors devours I have had in a long time. I could NOT stay away form it and probably ate half of them. No joke.

Baked Ziti

1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
A couple shakes of Italian Seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound lean ground beef (I used 93% lean and it was perfect)
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce - (I recommend using a good Marinara Sauce...not Ragu! You can definitely make it yourself, but if you are short on time, dont be scared of jarred sauce. It tastes fab in this recipe.)
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Drain any fat and add spaghetti sauce; simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pam (or any cooking spray) a large 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix a little bit of the sauce with the noodles, just so they wont stick together.

Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, 1/2 of the sauce mixture, Provolone cheese, sour cream, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil Bake for 40ish minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted. (may take longer to be hot all the way through!

*** please trust me on the sour cream. I know ricotta is the norm, but I think sour cream is a ton better!

This is comfort food at its finest; Hot, fattening and delicious! But hey, as long as you don't fill your bowl full, eating these kinds of food are OK sometimes! Just don't stuff yourself so you can save room for a yummy dessert such as this one.....

Toffee Poke Cake

1 pkg chocolate cake mix
1 jar of caramel ice cream topping
1 carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 heath candy bars

Prepare cake according to directions, using a 9x 13 greased baking pan. Cool on wire rack.

Poke holes in cake. Pour ¾ cup of caramel topping into holes. Spoon remaining over the cake.

Top with whipped topping and sprinkle with candy. Refrigerate before serving.

*** Ana made the following adjustments to this recipe:
Baked in a Bundt pan to make it prettier. I used ¾ of a container of vanilla frosting instead of the whipped topping. Used heath candy topping from the baking isle instead of the candy bars. Did not refrigerate in order to keep the cake moist.

I would highly recommend doing it the way she did it because it was FABULOUS! And unforch for my waistline...she left us with the cake leftovers! I better eat it fast to get it out of here! ;)

Sunday night dinner - Cuban style!!

2009-10-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

So the Devenny's (that would be us) and the Jordan's have a long time tradition of having Sunday night dinner together. Sometimes we have hamburgers and sometimes we go gourmet...its just whatever we are in the mood for on that particular night. We switch houses each week and when it isn't at our house we don't bring anything but ourselves. We eat early and leave early so the kids can get in bed for school. We've been doing this for a while and I look forward to it each week. I decided I may as well add our meals to K is for Kitchen!!

Last week we had dinner at the Jordan's and she did a traditional Cuban meal. Ana is Cuban, so she grew up eating homemade black beans and rice, friend plantains, etc. VERY YUMMY! She was nice enough to type out ALL the recipes since they are not recipes you would be able to find online. Old family recipes!

Black Beans

1 lb. bag of black beans
2 med yellow onions
1 green pepper
Chopped garlic
Olive Oil
Complete Sazon
Mojo
1 can tomato paste
1 small can tomato sauce
Ham chunks
Small jar of pimentos
Green olives (optional)

Two days before:

Wash the beans. Make sure to remove any rocks or debris you find.
Fill pressure cooker ½ way with water and add the clean beans
Cut green pepper in half and seed. Add ½ of the pepper to the pot
Cut 1 onion into quarters and add to pot.
Close pressure cooker and let sit overnight.

Day Before:

Remove any floating beans.
Heat to high and then reduce to med for 20 minutes.
Turn off and allow all vapor to come out. This takes a while.
In a blender, puree the rest of the green pepper, 1 onion and 2 tsp garlic. (This mixture is called Sofrito)

Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the Sofrito.
While the oil is still hot, add the Sofrito and cook for 5 minutes and add 2-3 shakes of Complete Sazon.
Add the tomato paste and the tomato sauce and cook for 10 minutes
Add ham chunks and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Add olives.
Add this mixture to the beans.
Add one squirt of Mojo to the beans.
Cook without the lid off for 10-15 minutes, let cool.
Replace the lid and put the cooker in the refrigerator.

Day of:

Heat the beans on low or simmer prior to serving.

Serve over white rice.

Cuban Bread

5 cups bread flour
2 packages dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups hot water

Cuban bread should be consumed in a day or so, since it lacks shortening, and therefore, has a very short shelf life.

Directions

Grease a baking sheet to prepare it for 2 small loaves. In large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups of flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Blend well. Heat 2 cups of water to 125º F and add to mixing bowl, beating ingredients with electric mixer for approximately 3 minutes. Add remaining cup of flour slowly, making sure it combines with other ingredients to form a non-sticky batch of bread dough.

To hand knead the dough, remove it from bowl, sprinkle additional flour over a kneading area, and knead dough for 5 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. To knead with electric mixer and dough hook, work dough for approximately 5 minutes until elastic and smooth.

Lightly grease a large bowl, place the dough inside, and cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm location (approximately 90º F) for 15to 30 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Punch the dough to deflate and place it on a floured work surface. Form the loaves into round or oval shapes and place on the greased baking sheet. Slash the loaves with a cross or 2 parallel cuts.

Fill a pan with hot tap water and place it on the lowest rack in a cool oven (do not preheat the oven). Put the bread loaves in the oven on the middle shelf above the water. Turn the oven temperature to 400º F, baking the loaves for approximately 45 to 50 minutes, and removing them when they are a dark golden tan in color.

Using a wooden spoon or your hand, lightly tap on the bottom of the loaves, listening for a hollow and hard sound, which indicates the bread is properly done. Place the bread on a cooling rack and serve the same day it is baked.

Tostones (Fried green Plantains)

Vegetable oil for frying
Green plantains
Salt

Peel the plantain: Cut the ends of each plantain off with a sharp knife. Use the knife to cut through the peel along the entire length of the plantain. Loosen the peel along the cut and remove peel by hand.
Note: The greener the plantain, the tougher it is too peel. You may need to help things along with a sharp knife. Cut the plantain into chunks, about 2" wide.

Fill a large skillet a third full with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the plantain slices while the oil is still warm and fry for a couple of minutes on each side, until they begin to brown to soften, but not brown. (Don't let your oil get too hot at this point!)

Remove the plantain and drain on paper towels.
Use a plantain press or the bottom of a coffee cup to smash the plantains to about half their thickness.

Increase the heat and fry once again until golden brown
Remove and use paper towels to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle with salt to taste and serve.

Platanos Maduros (Fried Ripe Plantains)

Ingredients:

2 ripe plantains
1 tbs canola oil or sunflower oil

Preparation:

Peel the plantains
Slice the plantains, the best way to slice them is either diagonally or cut the plantain in half and slice lengthwise. The plantain can also be sliced lengthwise full size, but the smaller diagonal or half slices are easier to manage.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large frying pan and add the plantains
The plantains will cook very quickly, make sure to turn them before they burn and cook until golden on each side. You can use a spatula or a fork to turn them. If the plantain flesh is still pink or white it means that it is not yet fully cooked.
Place the cooked plantains on a paper towel to drain any excess oil. Serve warm

Doesn't that all sound delicious!? Trust me when I say, it was. It was such a treat to eat such authentic foods! They also marinated a pork butt in Cuban marinade (Mojo I think?) and then smoked it and served it pulled with the black beans, bread and plantains. DELICIOUS!!

She also made 2 yummy desserts. One of the best cookies and cupcakes I have ever had and I am not kidding!!

Peanut Butter-Cup Cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 12-ounce package small peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped

Heat oven to 375° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in the peanut butter cups.

Drop tablespoon-size mounds of dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until light brown around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 18.5-ounce box yellow cake mix (plus the ingredients called for in the package directions)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
2 8-ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
24 pieces candy corn

Heat oven to 350° F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners. Prepare the cake mix as directed but with the following change: Add the pumpkin pie spice and substitute the can of pumpkin puree for the water called for in the package directions.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Spread on the cupcakes and top each with a piece of candy corn.

Tip - The cupcakes can be baked and stored at room temperature, covered, up to 2 days in advance. Frost them up to 12 hours before serving.

*****Ana did them in mini bundt pans and they looked so cute!!

So there you have it, a traditional Cuban meal for your next dinner guests. I promise they will not be disappointed. Thanks Jordan's! YUMM YUMM!!

Yummy Dinner!!

2009-09-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

OK now THIS blog I have REALLY been neglecting! Reason being, that when I am rushing around, trying to get dinner ready with 3 hungry kids waiting...I rarely (read: never) think to reach for the camera. Just like no one wants to buy a cookbook without pictures...no one wants to look at a food blog without them either. But truth be told, if I waited to post (which I have been doing) until I remembered to take pictures, this blog would be RIP even more than it is now.

We had the McCools over last night, so I'll share what I cooked.So here we go...a DELICIOUS dinner with no pictures to prove it! (Well, except for the ones I swiped off the websites I got the recipes from! But hey, mine looked the exact same so it kinda counts, right?? :))

For Hors devours I tried a recipe that I have been wanting to try for a while. It was right up my alley....goat cheese, marinara sauce, garlic toasts....YUMMY! I personally thought it was delicious. I linked the recipe above but in these instructions I will put how I did it.

Warm Goat Cheese in Tomato Sauce

2 packages Goat Cheese (4 Ounces Each)
4 cups Homemade Tomato Sauce
1 whole Crusty Baguette Loaf Of Bread
5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 whole Cloves Garlic, Peeled

Heat the tomato sauce in a saucepan. Keep warm.
Slice the bread into 1/2 inch slices and place on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler and brown each side of the bread slices (crostini). Place a garlic clove on a fork and rub vigorously on one side of each of the crostini. Brush each crostini lightly with olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place each of the goat cheese logs into an oven safe small baking dish and then pour the hot tomato sauce over the top until it just covers the cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes or until bubbly and hot. Place each dish on a larger plate and surround it with the crostini. Serve hot.

For dinner Mike wanted steaks. I went to the store and they had Ribeyes on sale...so ribeyes it was. I remembered that I had read a onion/blue cheese sauce recipe on Pioneer Woman's website, so I made that with it. Also served yeast rolls and Sauteed Spinach. Mike cooked the steaks PERFECTLY and the sauce was delicious. Very rich, but major yum.

Grilled Ribeye Steak with Onion-Blue Cheese Sauce

2 ribeye steaks
Salt
Pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 very large yellow onion
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream (I used fat free half and half and it came out perfectly)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Salt and pepper both sides of the steaks. Grill until medium rare.
Saute onions in 4 tablespoons butter over high heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until dark and caramelized. Reduce heat to simmer and pour in cream. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Stir in blue cheese until melted. Serve steaks on generous portion of sauce.

DELISH!!!!!

And finally for the sauteed spinach. I'm sure you all know how to saute spinach but I'll tell you anyway. Put a little olive oil in a large saute pan. (I usually put a tablespoon of butter also). Put lots of garlic in and saute for a minute or so. Add large amounts of spinach and cook until it just wilts. Add lots of salt and pepper.

Gazpacho

2009-08-17T09:56:00.001-07:00

What is the perfect lunch, dinner or snack for a hot summer day? Gazpacho. Not only is it loaded with nutrients, anti oxidants and is low in fat and calories, but it is the perfect summer meal since there is no hot oven involved. Who wants to eat a steaming bowl of soup when it is over 100 degrees outside? Certainly not me.

I made this Gazpacho on Friday and I have been eating it ever since. I have a bowl with my lunch and then when I am ready for a snack I have some more. I dice some avocado to put on top and WOW is it delish! I got this recipe from my good friend Terri, but I changed it up just a little bit. I did link the original recipe, although the one I have on here is different.

BON APPETIT!!

Gazpacho

6 ripe tomatoes, peeled
1 red onion
1 cucumber, peeled
1 green bell pepper, seeded
2 stalks celery
A handful of fresh parsley
A handful of fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 T. olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (omit for vegetarian option)
4 cups tomato juice
Avocado

Toss all ingredients except tomato juice and avocado in food processor and blend until finely chopped. Put in container with tomato juice and mix well. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend. Serve with diced avocado for garnish.

Serves 8. (or in my case, 1, since I am the only person in the house that eats this)

**I swiped this picture off of Google images since my camera battery is dead and I can't find the charger. Oops!)

Monster Chomps

2009-08-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

The BEST cookies ever!

1 stick cups Butter
1 1/4 cup Peanut Butter
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Brown Sugar
3 Eggs
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 dash Salt
1 teaspoon Karo White Corn Syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla
4 1/2 cups Oats
12 ounces Mini Chocolate Chips

Mix butter and peanut butter well. Add sugars and mix. Add eggs one at a time. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Drop by large spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes 3-4 dozen.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

2009-07-26T06:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Jacob's birthday and he requested Chocolate Cake with Chocolate icing. Since I don't really have a "go to" recipe for Chocolate Cake, I naturally went to my favorite cookbook(s), Barefoot Contessa. I found a recipe that looked delicious!!

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:
6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

He wanted it decorated like "dirt", so I put some Oreo's in the food processor and topped the cake with it. Then added worms of course! The cake was delicious...not too sweet, which was fabulous. The coffee flavor really came through. DELISH!!

My apologies

2009-07-14T05:30:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry I haven't been posting much. It's just that in the summer I don't cook very much! We are always outside.....out and about, which means making fast meals at home. Certainly nothing exciting to blog about! Not to mention, who wants to stand in front of a hot stove when it is 103 degrees? *fans myself* It is H-O-T!!

Sooo, I will leave you this morning with a quick but delicious hors devours recipe....since summertime is full of parties!! I will take it out of my cookbook!

Shrimp and Corn Salsa (an old favorite!!)

1/4 C. fresh lemon juice
1/4 C. sour cream
1/4 C. mayo
1/4 C. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
3/4 lb. medium cooked shrimp, peeled and chopped
1, 15 1/4 oz. can corn, drained
1/3 C. red onion, finely chopped

Whisk first 7 ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir in shrimp, corn and onion. Refrigerate. Serve with Fritos Scoops or Belgian Endive leaves.

Like I said....it's an oldie but a goodie!! Bon Appetit!

The best darn cupcakes EVER!

2009-07-02T05:36:00.000-07:00

OK I have to share with you my newest love....and right in time for July 4th! They are red, the icing is white and if you put a single blueberry right in top, you've got your red, white and blue dessert. They are just delicious and VERY easy to make! I don't have a recipe to link since this is just a culmination of many recipes that I have read....kind of my own creation!

The Very Best Cupcakes in the World (Even if you think you don't like red velvet. Trust me on this...I have good taste buds.)

Cake:
24 paper liners for cupcake pans
1 package (18.25 ounces) Red Velvet cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup sour cream (I use light)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese (I use light)
1 stick butter
1 t. vanilla
2 C. or more Powdered Sugar (depending on if you like the tart taste of cream cheese, or the sweetness of the sugar....in case you were wondering, I like the tart!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners (I actually only get 22 out of this). Set the pans aside.

Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more. The batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Fill batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes). Place the pans in the oven.

Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool 15 minutes more, or until cool before frosting.

For frosting, cream butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix well.

Dinner Club pictures

2009-06-15T07:37:00.001-07:00

Here is a slideshow of pictures that Ashley took of Dinner Club. Fun, fun!

Click here to view these pictures larger

Shrimp and Grits

2009-06-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was dinner club. We had a fabulous time and got to eat some yummy food. The theme was "Southern Food" and the host served Fried Chicken and Fried Green Tomatoes. We ate outside on a table that had been adorned with quilts, flowers and homemade napkins tied with ribbon. SOOOOOOO cute. All in all a great night!

Here is what was served

Pre-dinner drinks - Alabama Slammers
Appetizers - Shrimp and Grits and fresh Pimento Cheese (two people have appetizer since there are so many of us)
Soup - Corn Chowder
Bread - Biscuits with honey and butter
Salad - Layered Cornbread Salad
Main Course - Fried Chicken and Fried Green Tomatoes
Dessert - Pound Cake with Fresh Fruit

I had appetizer again this month so I served little ramekins of Shrimp and Grits. I think it was a hit, or else everyone was just being kind. Everyone told me how delicious it was so I think it went over well!

I did not get pictures, but here is the recipe I used.

Shrimp and Grits
Serves 4

2 C. water
1 – 14 oz can Chicken Broth
¾ C. half and half
¾ t. salt
1 C. regular grits
¾ C. shredded Cheddar Cheese
¼ C. grated parmesan cheese
2 T. butter
½ t. hot sauce
¼ t. white pepper
3 bacon slices
1 lb. medium shrimp peeled and deveined
¼ t. black pepper
1/8 t. salt
¼ C. flour
1 C. sliced mushrooms
½ C. chopped green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ C. low sodium, fat free chicken broth
2 T. fresh lemon juice
¼ t. hot sauce
Lemon wedges

Bring first 4 ingredients (through salt) to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually mix in grits. Reduce heat and simmer stirring occasionally, 10 mins or until thickened. Add Cheddar cheese and next 4 ingredients. Keep warm.
Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, drain on paper towels, reserving 1T. drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon, set aside. Sprinkle shrimp with pepper and salt, dredge in flour. Saute mushrooms in hot drippings in skillet 5 minutes or until tender. Add green onions and sauté 2 minutes. Add shrimp and garlic and sauté 2 minutes or until shrimp are lightly brown. Stir in chicken broth, lemon juice and hot sauce and cook 2 more minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Serve shrimp mixture over hot grits. Top with crumbled bacon, serve with lemon wedges.

I doubled the recipe and served it as an appetizer for 16. YUMMY!!! I liked this recipe because it had mushrooms in it.

Tri-Color Orzo

2009-05-29T05:41:00.001-07:00

Major, major YUM. I have been hearing about this recipe for a long time now, but haven't made it. Ebby had it this past weekend for Kaley's graduation and it was SUPER delish. It's my new favorite thing ever!

Tri-Color Orzo
by Giada de Laurentiis

1 pound orzo pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
2 cups fresh arugula (about 3 ounces), chopped
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup craisins
12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and put the pasta on a large cookie sheet. Drizzle the pasta with 3 tablespoons olive oil, toss, spread out, and set aside to cool.

Once the orzo is cool, transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine. Serve.

This ingredient list is the way I did it, so it's a little bit different than Giada's...but this is how Ebby did it and I loved it. It is delicious as a side dish and a great thing to bring to a pot luck. YUM!

Mango Salsa

2009-05-17T08:39:00.001-07:00

I love Mango Salsa. I made it last night to go with my chicken so I thought I would come here and remind you all of how much you love it, too! You do love it, right? Don't tell me if you don't...I don't know if we can be friends anymore.

Mango Salsa

1 mango, diced
1/4 red onion, diced fine
1 jalapeno, diced and semi seeded (I only take about half the seeds out, you need some heat or it's too sweet!)
a small handful cilantro, chopped
A few T. lime juice
Salt & Pepper

That's it! No fats, no oils, no unhealthy crap. Just good for you goodness! If it is too spicy for you, you can temper it with some chopped avocado. I usually eat it with chicken or fish...and that tempers it enough for me. It is so pretty, so yummy and so good for you. I serve it as a side, but you can pile it right on top if you are serving it to someone. It is more attractive this way.

**You can also add come diced cucumber. I didn't because I didn't have any on hand, but it is a common ingredient in Mango Salsa. You could also add diced red bell pepper. This would be a pretty addition. :)

And, coming soon.......good for you (read: low cal) crab cakes with Mustard Sauce. I am making this tonight so I will post the recipe soon. Yummo!

(as you can probably tell, I swiped this image from food network b/c I don't have a picture) :)

The Food You Crave

2009-05-14T04:06:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite cookbooks! Not only because I am eating healthy, but because the recipes are very good. All the nutritional info is listed for each recipe, so you know exactly what you're getting calorie and nutrient wise. You can buy it at your local bookstore or at Amazon.

The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger

One recipe in particular that I really love out of this cookbook is the Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta. There are many different variations of this recipe out there, but this one uses dill. I love dill, so I doubled it in this recipe and I love the fresh flavor it brings!

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta
by Ellie Krieger

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
2 (14.5-ounce) cans of no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with their juices
1/4 cup finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh dill
1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat the oil in an oven proof skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 5 minutes, until the tomato juices thicken.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley, dill, and shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the feta over the top. Bake until the shrimp are cooked through and cheese melts, about 12 minutes.

***note*** I couldn't find fresh dill that day so I used about 2 inches of dill from one of those tubes that you find near the spices in the refrigerator section. I would not recommend this over fresh herbs, but I was desperate! (the recipe still turned out fantastic)

Nutrition Facts:

Serving size: 1 1/2 cups
Calories 300
Total fat 11g
Saturated fat 4.5g
Monounsaturated fat 4g
Polyunsaturated fat 1.5g
Protein 35g
Carbohydrates 12g
Fiber 2g
Cholesterol 240mg
Sodium 710mg

Not too shabby calorie wise. You get 1.5 cups of this...and that's a great serving size! Serve it with a green vegetable and you are good to go. If you are being extra naughty, you could toast up a thick piece of whole grain bread, veeeery lightly buttered with yogurt butter and then rubbed with a garlic clove (when hot). Serve it along side to sop up the juices of this scrumptious recipe. That would probably add about 150-200 calories, so paired with the shrimp and green veggie, this is a 500 calorie meal.

BON APPETIT!

Tonight's pasta

2009-05-11T18:49:00.000-07:00

OK I am ONLY posting this because my children went on and on and on and on about how good it was. It is not gourmet, but it is very healthy and my kids LOVED it. Every one of them. I served it as a side with a grilled chicken breast. Very healthy dinner and very yummy!

1/2 box Whole Wheat Rotini pasta
1 small bag raw broccoli florets, or 1 head broccoli cut into florets (don't use frozen. I don't know why, just don't)
4ish large handfuls spinach leaves
1 container raw, sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 T. yogurt butter
1 ladleful of pasta water

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Pour in half the box of pasta and cook per package directions. When halfway done, pour in the cut up broccoli. Meanwhile, saute mushrooms in a pan until soft. I sauteed them with nothing at all! The mushrooms will release their liquids when heated, so I didn't see any sense in using olive oil or butter. (Remember, I am watching my calories!) Anyhow, boil broccoli and pasta until done and drain water, reserving at least one cup. After draining, return broccoli and pasta to pot. Pour in a little pasta water so the pasta doesn't scorch, but don't pour it all in. Place back on the burner on low. Stir in spinach a little at a time so it doesn't spill all over the place. As it wilts, continue to add until you have added and wilted it all. Now stir in mushrooms, 1 T. yogurt butter and feta cheese. Stir in enough of the reserved water so it's not dry. Remember though, the water has been salted and the feta is salty....so if you add too much water, your pasta will be very salty...a little goes a long way.

Now serve!! Easy, peasy, eh? There is nothing to it and it really was very good. There is just as much broccoli as there is pasta so it is semi-guilt free. And the best part? The kids will eat it! My 5 year old must have told me 3 times, "Mommy, this pasta is so yummy". Score!

Eggs Benedict

2009-05-11T06:13:00.000-07:00

Yum, Yum!! This is what I woke up to on Mother's Day and it was DELISH. Mike made it so I'll tell you how he did it.

Bay's brand (nothing else!) English Muffins, buttered with yogurt butter
Canadian Bacon
Eggs
Hollandaise (he used a McCormick packet and it was actually great)
Cayenne pepper

He boiled water and dropped the eggs in there for a couple minutes. He placed the buttered English Muffins and Canadian bacon slices on a cookie sheet and stuck them under the broiler for a few minutes. He made the Hollandaise per the packet directions. Place a slice of heated C. bacon on a piece of English Muffin, the top with a poached egg. Top that with a dollop of Hollandaise and then sprinkle with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper makes it, so don't be shy!

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

2009-05-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

Although yesterday was Cinco de Mayo, we did NOT have a big Mexican Fiesta for dinner. I know, I know...but I am really trying to use the foods that we have before going to the grocery store. We had some chicken that needed to be used so I made Barefoot Contessa's Tuscan Lemon Chicken. YUM.

Tuscan Lemon Chicken
by Barefoot Contessa

1 (3 & 1/2 pound) chicken, flattened (I just bought a whole cut up chicken)
Kosher salt
1/3 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon halved

Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt on each side

Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a ceramic or glass dish just large enough to hold the flattened chicken. Add the chicken, turning it in the dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning once or twice.

When ready to grill, prepare a hot charcoal fire on one side of a grill (or turn a gas grill on low heat). Spread most of the coals across half of the grill. Place the chicken on the opposite side of the grill skin side up, and weight it down with the dish you used for marinating. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Turn the chicken skin side down, weight again with the dish and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Place the lemon halves on the cool side of the grill, cut side down, for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut the chicken in quarters, sprinkle with salt, and serve with the grilled lemon halves.

I served it with brown rice and a cole slaw that I made. I decided to make this with the stuff I had left over from the teachers luncheon. It didn't really 'go', but it tasted great with it anyway.

I just whisked together the juice of one lime, a small handful of chopped cilantro, 1 mashed avocado, one diced & pickled jalapeno and a spoonful of mayonnaise. I dumped in a bag of cole slaw mix and seasoned it with salt and pepper. I let it rest in the fridge for about 5 hours before dinner. It was great!

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup with Roasted Poblano Quesadillas

2009-05-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

This is what was for dinner tonight, and as usual it was oh so yummy. I haven't made it in a while, but I shared the recipe with a friend a few days ago and have been daydreaming about it ever since. It is very easy and really, really good. The pumpkin adds a great flavor to it and even people who don't like pumpkin have really loved this soup. This time I *did* take pictures, but it doesn't make up for the lack of pictures at the teachers luncheon. Sorry, Gilly! Just trying to get better.....so here we go. :)

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups beef broth
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1/2 pound cubed cooked ham
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

Pour 2 cans of the black beans into a food processor or blender, along with the can of tomatoes. Puree until smooth. Set aside.

Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the onion is softened. Stir in the bean puree, remaining can of beans, beef broth, pumpkin puree, and sherry vinegar. Mix until well blended, then simmer for about 25 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Stir in the ham, and heat through before serving.

I usually try to make this (well, all soups actually) a day in advance. Soups season as they sit and ALWAYS taste better the next day.

I top it with Pico de Gallo (tomatoes, onion and cilantro) and serve them with Roasted Poblano Quesadillas. They work just perfectly as little 'scoopers' for your soup! Soup always tastes better when it is scooped up with something else, right!?

I know you all know how to roast Poblano peppers, but here's a little refresher course. You can do it in the oven under the broiler, or on the stove top. I prefer the stove so I don't forget about them. With 3 kids it is easy to do that, ya know?

So....turn on burner to high and place Poblano peppers on there.

When you hear them cracking and starting to blacken on the under side, flip them over with tongs. Not your fingers!!

I never get this right and end up flipping them and twisting them every which way to get them to blacken. No worries though, they will blacken after a while! When they are uniformly black on all sides, place them in a sealed Ziploc bag to steam.

After they steam for about 10 minutes, they will be ready to peel. Take them out of the bag, onto a cutting board. Peel the skin off. It should come off very easily at this point! After you peel them, take the stem out, seed them, and slice them into long pieces.

(Yes, that's my wine in the background. I have 3 kids, remember? ;))

After the peppers are ready, it's time to make your Quesadillas. I used 4 large tortillas for 3 peppers. Melt butter (I always use this Yogurt Butter. It is yummy and tastes great. I use it for EVERYTHING actually....well besides baking.) Anyway, after butter is melted, brush onto one side of tortilla with a brush.

Place butter side down in a medium skillet and sprinkle shredded Cheese on one half of tortilla. Top cheese with prepared Poblano peppers and fold in half. Cook until light brown and flip over. Place in a warm oven and prepare the other tortillas.

Serve quartered Quesadillas with soup. Then profusely thank yourself for making this recipe.

I promise you, your taste buds will thank you! This is delish, and perfect for a rainy day. Which we had here today in Texas. It's one of the only good things about rain...the food that goes along with it. :)

Oh, and one more thing. As you are cleaning your dishes, make sure and do this to the Cinnamon Rolls that you made. (Right!?? You did make them.)

It's only fair that if you are stuck cleaning the dishes after slaving away in the kitchen (ok, not really, this is super easy, but that's beside the point), that you should get to eat the middle of the Cinnamon Roll pan. It is so the best part. :)

(Oh and one more thing. This picture makes them look flat as a Flounder. I promise, they are not flat as a Flounder...it's just the angle! ;)

WOW.

2009-05-02T06:24:00.000-07:00

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls.

She warns on her website that these things may happen if you make them:

A warning. If you follow these instructions and wind up delivering these cinnamon rolls to your friends, be prepared for any of the following to occur:

1. They’ll call you after they’ve taken the first bite and profess their eternal love for every ounce of your body, even your toe jam and love handles.
2. They’ll pass out after the first bite, hit their head on the kitchen counter, sustain a concussion, and sue you for damages, despite the fact that the one bite they tasted of your cinnamon roll was the single most profound culinary experience in their miserable little life.
3. They’ll call you and ask for the recipe, saying, "HOW did you make those?"
4. They’ll call you and propose marriage.
5. They’ll hug the cinnamon roll pan, get maple frosting all over their clothes, and send you the bill for the dry cleaning.

This may very well be true!! These Cinnamon Rolls are amazing. They are a 'little' bit of trouble, and a MESS, but honestly worth it. On a rainy day when you have nothing else to do, it is so fun to make these!!

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls
*the way I did it with the ingredients I had, not exactly as it appears on her website* (but I did use her picture below!)

1 quart of whole milk (I didn't have that so I used 2 c. skim + 2 c. fat free half & half)
1 c. vegetable oil
1 c. sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast (I used rapid rise)
8 + 1 c. all-purpose flour
1 heaping t. baking powder
1 scant t. baking soda
1 heaping T. salt
2 c. melted butter
2 c. sugar
Generous sprinkling Cinnamon

Maple Frosting:
1 big bag powdered sugar
2 t. maple flavoring
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. melted butter
1/4 c. brewed coffee
pinch of salt

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a large pan. "Scald" the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool for 45 minutes - 1 hour. When mixture is lukewarm to warm (not hot!) sprinkle in yeast. Let this sit for a few minutes. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

Add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and the salt. Stir mixture together. At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it; overnight or even a day or two if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and punch it down if it starts to rise out of the pan.

Sprinkle surface VERY generously with flour. And make sure your surface are is big! . Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangle shape. Drizzle 1 c. melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 c. sugar over the butter, followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seams to seal it. Spray seven round pans with Pam or another baking spray (I actually only needed 5 pans). Begin cutting rolls approximately 1 inch thick and lay them in prepared pans. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for about 20-30 minutes and then bake at 400 degrees for about 15-18 minutes, or until light golden brown.

For the frosting, mix all ingredients together and stir well until smooth. It should be thick, but somewhat pourable. If it is too thick, a little more milk will thin it a little bit. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and make sure and use all of it!

***This seems like a lot of trouble, and it IS more trouble than buying them and baking them at home....but it is DEFINITELY worth it! Give it a try...you won't be sorry!

Yesterday's Lunch

2009-05-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

....was great. Super duper great. I think everyone had a great time, the food was good (or so they said), and the company was fabulous. I am ashamed to say that AGAIN I forgot to take pictures. It is so hard when you are trying to get everything out and pretty....to remember to stop and take pictures. Hopefully I will do a good enough job of describing and you can picture it in your head! :)

On the menu was:

Marinated Cheese that Terri brought for Hors devours. Yummy! Oh, and lots and lots of wine. :)

For lunch we had Pan Sauteed Chicken with Avocado, Soy, Ginger and Lime served over a small bed of brown rice and Edamame on the side. For dessert was Lemon Curd Cheesecake.

The chicken recipe was similar to the one I posted a while ago, but last time I followed the recipe and used Seared Tuna Steaks. I was afraid people wouldn't be fond of Seared Tuna, so I subbed chicken. Because I did this, the cooking process was a little different. Here's how I did it. :)

Pan-Seared Chicken with Avocado, Soy, Ginger, and Lime
Serves 4

I bunch fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
2 jalapenos, sliced and seeded
4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 limes, juiced
8 tablespoons soy sauce
Pinch sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 chicken breasts, pounded to ¼ inch and dredged in flour
4 ripe avocados, halved, peeled, pitted, and cubed

In a mixing bowl, combine the cilantro, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir the ingredients together until well incorporated.

Place a skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Lay the chicken in the hot oil and sear for about 5 minutes on each side to form a slight crust. Pour 1/2 of the cilantro mixture into the pan to coat the chicken. Cook about 5 minutes more, or until the chicken is done. Serve the chicken with the cubed avocado and a bit more cilantro sauce drizzled over the plate.

**serving suggestion**

Serve atop a bed of brown rice that has been lightly buttered and seasoned with salt and pepper. Serve with Edamame beans. To prepare Edamame, bring a pot of water to a rapid boil. Pour frozen, shelled Edamame beans and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until done. Drain and toss with soy sauce and kosher salt.

And now for the best part of the meal....the dessert! :) I got this recipe from Epicurious, but made so many changes to it that I am not even going to link it. Here's how I did it!

Lemon Curd Cheesecake

For lemon curd
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For crust
• 2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs (5 oz)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick, less 1 T. unsalted butter, melted
For filling
• 3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Special equipment: a 9- to 91/2-inch (24-cm) springform pan

Make lemon curd:
Whisk together zest, juice, sugar, and eggs in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Add butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubbles appear on surface, about 6 minutes.
Force lemon curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a wide shallow dish, scraping bottom of sieve, then cover surface with Saran Wrap. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Make and bake crust:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Invert bottom of springform pan (to make it easier to slide cake off bottom), then lock on side. Stir together crust ingredients in a bowl, and then press onto bottom and up side of springform pan. Place springform pan in a shallow baking pan and bake 10 minutes, then cool crust completely in springform pan on a rack.

Make filling and bake cheesecake:
Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
Beat together cream cheese and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add eggs 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in sour cream and vanilla until combined.
Pour two thirds of cream cheese filling into crust, then spoon half of lemon curd over filling and swirl curd into filling with a small knife. (Avoid touching crust with knife to prevent crumbs getting into filling.) Repeat with remaining filling and curd. Bake cheesecake about 45 minutes. Turn off oven and leave in another 15 minutes more. (Center of cake will appear very loose but will continue to set as it cools.) Transfer springform pan to a rack and immediately run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen. Cool completely, about 2 hours, then chill, uncovered, at least 4 hours. Remove side of springform pan before serving.

Notes:
•Lemon curd can be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered.
•Crust (without filling) can be made 1 day ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.
•Cheesecake can be chilled, loosely covered, up to 2 days. Cheesecake must be completely chilled before covering to prevent condensation on its surface.

This cake is VERY VERY yummy! Has a softer consistency than many Cheesecakes, namely a traditional New York Cheesecake, but is just perfect! Mike said it reminded him of Key Lime Pie, but to me it was MUCH better since it was 'Cheesecakey'...if that makes sense.

I posted the little jars I made for the teachers earlier in the week. I filled them with lemon curd and placed them in little gift bags that I made. I made sure and put a little tag in the bag that said

"Use lemon curd as a filling for tarts or meringues,
As a topping on ice cream or pound cake,
Or as a delicious spread between cake layers.
It also makes a refreshing change from jam on toast, English muffins or scones."

I was afraid people wouldn't know what to do with it! I also put my 'business card' in there. Yes, ha ha, I know...but I figured I want to get into catering so I would love it if someone needed me for a party! I got the cards made a while ago just for fun, so I figured, why not slip one in there. :)

All in all I think the teachers had a great time. There are 10 of them and there was lots of talking and laughing at the table. More importantly (for me), things got quiet when the food arrived, which is always a good sign for the cook! :) They loved looking around the house at all of my pictures of the kids and generally had a good time getting away from the school and enjoying the afternoon with their friends and colleagues.

So until the Christmas luncheon......I'm done! :)

T minus one hour

2009-04-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

And my guests will be here! The house is sparkly, lunch is prepped and ready to cook, wine is chilled, boys are at school, Eden is napping, my lamp berger succeeded in making my house smell yummy, and the lemon curd has found it's home in those cute little jars.

All is right here.

Will let you know how it all goes, recipes and pic's included!

Aprons

2009-04-28T05:14:00.000-07:00

Don't these apron's from Epicurean Style just make you want to stop what you are doing and cook something?

To die for!! (especially the Penelope and the Paisley) Way cute!

On the menu & my schedule for the week

2009-04-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

Wednesday: Mexican fiesta for the teachers at the school. Our theme of the week is 'Cinco de Mayo' (since that is next week), so we thought we'd have a little Latin fun this week. On the menu is -

Taco Salad
Queso
Homemade Salsa and Chips
Bean and Corn Salsa (Terri is making this one)
Tortillas (it's a Texas thing, people eat them alone....like you would eat bread. Strange I know...I'm still getting used to it myself.)
Limeade
Sopapilla Bars
Warm Cinnamon Tortillas

Thursday: Lunch is here at my house. We are having this menu, except I am substituting pan sauteed chicken for the tuna. Also I am serving in the Edamame shelled. The teachers dont want to be eating with their hands I'm sure! I wanted to serve something fun and different that I don't think the teachers would cook for themselves at home. I am also having herb butter and rolls (no it doesn't go, but most people like bread). I am having White Wine and Sparkling Water for beverages. For dessert is a Lemon Curd Cheesecake. It is to die for. I made it this weekend to make sure it was what I wanted to make and we had it last night. DELISH!

Soooo, my schedule to pull all of this off is as follows.

Monday: Grocery shop. This in and of itself is a big job. My list is a MILE long! Also run to Hobby Lobby and pick up two more chargers.

Tuesday: Make salsa, Sopapilla Bars and chop and prepare veggies for salad Wednesday. Make Lemon cheesecake for Thursday, also, make tons and tons of lemon curd. **See below

Wednesday: Wake up at crack of dawn and prepare ground turkey for salad. Eden's 9 month check up at 9:30 and then I will go to school and prepare the lunch. All with Eden and Parker in tow! I will make the Queso there and get everything ready. I will share how I make my taco salad later. :) After lunch is done, I will come home and start preparing for the luncheon the next day. My table is already set (and looks great if I do say so myself). I will pound the chicken, make the sauce for the meal, leaving the cilantro out (it wilts). Put my little gift bags for the teachers together. It's nothing big, just something to give them as they leave. I will also have to make sure the house is perfect this day. The worst part of this day is that Mike will be out of town. ACK!! He has a meeting somewhere and is leaving Wednesday, coming home Thursday. The meeting couldn't have been held on a worse day for me!

Thursday: Do everything else. Run around like a chicken with my head cut off until 2:30 when the luncheon is over. Promptly down a bottle of wine.

Whew. This is tiring just typing it out. I better get off the computer and on to doing things. Wish me luck!

Oh, and here's a sneak peek......

Little gift for teachers. You really can make a mason jar cute, see? ;)

Teacher Appreciation Week

2009-04-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

Lucky for the K is for Kitchen readers (which is probably only a handful, lol), this coming week is Teacher Appreciation at the kids pre-school. What does this mean for the website? Well, it means LOTS of posting. I will be cooking every day so I will have lots and lots of recipes to share. Wednesday I am catering a lunch at the school and then Thursday I am hosting a lunch on my home for the teachers. I will be very busy this week!

On the agenda tomorrow is goodies for the teachers. We hope to have lots of stuff for the teachers to much on. I heard one of the teachers say that they really only like Peanut Butter Desserts, so I figured I'd give a few recipes a try.

The first I tried was Peanut Butter Brownie cupcakes. Not a novel idea, but something that I knew everyone would like. I tried one and WOW. Sometimes simple = VERY YUMMY!

Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes
adapted from Paula Deen

1 package chewy fudge brownie mix (I used Duncan Hines)
36 miniature peanut butter cups

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 3 mini muffin pans. Prepare the brownie mix according to package directions. Fill the cups 3/4 full with brownie batter. Press 1 peanut butter cup into the batter in each muffin cup until the batter meets the top edge of the peanut butter cup. Bake for 12-14, or until the cupcakes are set. When they can be handled safely, remove them from the muffin tins and let cool completely on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

I also have a recipe for Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies that I cut out for the kids a while ago. I thought I'd give it a try!

Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Creamy Peanut Butter Filling

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets. Beat together first 3 ingredients and 1/2 cup granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Stir in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Slowly stir flour mixture into peanut butter mixture until fully incorporated. Scoop dough onto prepared cookie sheets, 1 rounded tablespoonful at a time, about 2 inches apart. (Dough should yield about 24 cookies.) Press cookies flat with the back of a fork dipped into remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle cookies with any remaining sugar, if desired, and bake 12 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Remove from oven, and cool 5 minutes on pan; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Spread about 1 tablespoon Creamy Peanut Butter Filling onto flat side of 12 cookies, and top each with another cookie, flat side down, to make a sandwich.

Creamy Peanut Butter Filling

2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons powdered sugar

Beat all ingredients until smooth.

Dinner club

2009-04-26T08:12:00.001-07:00

Dinner club was last night. YUMMY! Everything was fabulous!! I have requested everyones recipes, so as I get them, I will update this post.

Our menu was

Pre-Dinner drinks - Bellini's - Tabitha & Doug
Appetizer - Cheese tray - Me & Mike
Appetizer - Strawberry Bruschetta & Stuffed Mushrooms - Ashley & Chris
Soup - Italian Wedding Soup - Kris
Salad - Spinach Salad & Caprese Salad - Pam & Travis
Bread - Foccacia - Kat & Scott
Main Course - Lasagna - Terri & Rob
Dessert - Tiramisu Cake & Chocolate Toffee Trifle - Ana & Chris

We had a great time and all the food was so great.

For my part, I knew we were doing appetizers and drinks out on the patio. I wanted something people could pick up. I decided to do a cheese tray. Not the kind you pick up at the grocery store either!

I did 3 different presentations of cheeses. I did a bread pot 'fondue', marinated cheeses and then 3 different kinds of cheese truffles.

**I apologize about the quality of the picture. My good camera had a dead battery!

Marinated Cheeses

1 block mozzarella
1 block sharp cheddar
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Spices of your choice (I used basil and parsley)
Garlic

Cube cheeses and place with other ingredients to marinate. Marinate at least 6 hours before serving.

I put the cheeses on a bed of parsley and toothpicks to serve.
____________________________

Bread Pot Fondue

1 (1 pound) loaf round bread
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 (4 ounce) can diced green Chile peppers or diced jalapeno peppers
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.Cut a circle in the top of the bread. Remove top, and set aside. Hollow out the loaf, reserving removed bread for dipping.
In a medium bowl, mix the Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, green onions, peppers, and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon into the bread bowl, and replace the top. Wrap loaf tightly in foil, and place on a baking sheet. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 1 hour. (if it isn't all the way hot at this point, you can scoop out the cheese into a microwave safe bowl and put in the microwave for 2 minutes. Then put it back in the bread. This is what I had to do this time!) Meanwhile, cut reserved bread into small pieces. Toss with oil and melted butter, and place on the baking sheet. Toast in oven until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

In the picture, you can see the bread pieces for dipping; I had them in a separate bowl on the side.
______________________________

Cheese Truffles

Feta Truffles

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (4-oz.) container crumbled feta cheese
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Cover mixture tightly, and chill at least 1 hour or until firm (can chill up to 3 days). Roll cheese mixture into 3/4-inch-round balls. Roll each ball in parsley. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving. *** Can be served with cucumber slices, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, and whole almonds.

Blue Cheese Truffles

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (4-oz.) container crumbled blue cheese
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Cover tightly, and chill at least 1 hour or until firm (can chill up to 3 days). Roll cheese mixture into 3/4-inch-round balls. Roll each ball in bacon. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving. ***Can be served with apple and pear slices and grapes.

Goat Cheese Truffles

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (4-oz.) container crumbled goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans

Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Cover tightly, and chill at least 1 hour or until firm (can chill up to 3 days). Roll cheese mixture into 3/4-inch-round balls. Roll each ball in pecans. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving. *** Can be served with dried figs and apricots.

My favorite of the 3 were the Feta ones. YUMMY!

OK, as promised, I am updating this post with other recipes that people have sent to me.

Strawberry Bruschetta

1 8-oz. baguette
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 4-oz. log goat cheese
1-1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup arugula
Olive oil
Sea salt or coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Snipped fresh herbs

Heat broiler. Halve baguette crosswise, then lengthwise. Place cut sides up on large baking sheet. Brush with the 1 tablespoon oil. Broil, 3 to 4 inches from heat, for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Slice and divide cheese among toasts. Top with sliced berries. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese and berries soften. Remove from broiler; top with arugula. Drizzle additional oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and herbs. Makes 4 servings.

*this is the recipe Ashley used, but she didn't have the arugula (couldn't find any), and she added balsamic vinegar. It was DELICIOUS as she had it. If and when I make these, I will do them exactly the same way. One of the best Hors devours I have had in a LONG TIME. Super yum.

Stuffed Mushrooms

1 pound 2-inch-wide stuffing mushrooms (about 14 to 16), cleaned
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons Madeira (she used marsala and used more than 2 T.)
1 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/4 cup creme fraiche (can use sour cream)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons water
**Ashley added bacon

Pop the stems from the mushrooms and reserve. Using a melon baller or spoon, gently scoop out any remaining stem from inside the mushroom caps. Set the caps aside. Finely chop the stems and bits from the caps (there should be about 1 1/4 cups).

Melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the Madeira and thyme and cook until dry. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a medium bowl and cool slightly.

Add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, creme fraiche, and parsley to the mushroom mixture and stir to combine thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil the bottom and sides of a skillet that is just large enough for the mushroom caps to fit snugly inside in a single layer. Pour the water into the skillet. Brush the outside of the caps with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set the caps, smooth side-down, in the skillet. Divide the filling evenly among the caps. Drizzle the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake until the mushroom caps are soft and cooked and the filling is browned, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve hot or at room temperature.

She also made a sauce to go with it from marsala, butter, flour, beef stock, salt and pepper. DELISH!

Dinner Club this weekend!

2009-04-24T05:18:00.000-07:00

YAY! One of my favorite things is dinner club. We have such a great time and it is so fun trying people's stuff! This time, we have appetizer. The friend who is hosting just got an awesome outdoor kitchen built, so we are having pre-dinner drinks and appetizers out there. Because of this, I wanted to do pick up foods instead of something that needed lots of hand wiping or utensils.

I am thinking of doing a cheese tray, with 3 different kinds of cheese balls, a cheese 'fondue', marinated cheeses and then some breadsticks. Also, grapes of course!

I will keep you all posted!!

Sopapilla Bars

2009-04-22T05:29:00.000-07:00

We had my friend Terri's birthday dinner last night and I said I would bring dessert. The host was making fajitas so I decided we couldn't go wrong with Sopapilla Cheesecake bars. Soooo easy and everyone loves them!

Sopapilla Bars

2 (8 oz.) can crescent rolls
2 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar, divided
2 tsp. vanilla, divided
1/2 cup melted butter
ground cinnamon

Spray a 13 x 9 baking pan with Pam or any other spray oil. Open one can of crescent rolls and stretch on bottom of pan. Seal holes together to form a crust. Blend together cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla with mixer until fluffy. Spread over dough, do not go all way to the edges.
Stretch second can of dough over cream cheese filling, seal together with other crust. Melt butter in a saucepan mixed with remaining cup of sugar. When butter is melted, remove from heat and add vanilla. Brush or pour all of the butter mix over top crust, then sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool, then refrigerate before cutting into squares.

Although these are supposed to be served cold, I had a bite of them shortly after they came out of the oven and it was DIVINE! Very rich when they're warm, but so gooey and delicious. This recipe is clearly not for the health conscious, but I really do think you could use light ingredients and get the same result. Light crescent rolls, light cream cheese, a splenda/sugar mix and then use light butter on top. They now sell the 50% less baking sticks, and while I personally wouldn't use them in a cake or cookie recipe, since you are only topping these with butter, I would definitely try it next time. Usually I don't skimp with light ingredients on desserts, but I truly think you would get the same result. Next time! ;)

Bon Appetit!

Wine, Chocolate and Pasta. Is there anything better?

2009-04-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

Short Ribs with Tagliatelle
by Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces chopped pancetta (about 1/2 cup) (I used turkey bacon)
2 1/2 pounds short ribs (I used boneless ribs)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes (whole or diced)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup red wine
1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle (I used fettuccine)
4 to 6 teaspoons shaved bittersweet chocolate (I used semi-sweet)

Place the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total.

Meanwhile, combine the onion, carrot, parsley and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely minced. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and pulse.

Once the short ribs are browned, carefully add the mixture from the food processor to the pot. Return the pancetta to the pot and stir. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Remove the meat and bones from the pot. Discard the bones. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta and 2 to 3 minutes for fresh. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta liquid 1/4 cup at a time, if needed, to moisten the pasta. Transfer to serving bowls, top each bowl with 1-2 teaspoons of chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

I thought this was pretty good! When I was making this and taste testing, I thought it tasted like beef stew. A good beef stew, but beef stew nonetheless. I wasn't doing cartwheels or anything. But let me tell you. The chocolate? OMG. Soooooooo good. It gave it the most interesting flavor that I just couldn't get enough of. I keep scooping more and more spoonfuls of chocolate shavings on there. If I had a blindfold on, I don't know if I would have been able to figure out the flavor. I didn't even need the meat, just the beef broth/red wine sauce, the pasta and the chocolate. Or just a nice hot plate of beef stew with chocolate shavings. I actually do use red wine in my beef stew so I bet the chocolate would be unbelievable on it!!

Coming soon....

2009-04-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

Our dinner I made for tonight. I can't review and post it yet, because we havent eaten. But I will give you a few hints:

Red Wine....

Pasta....

Chocolate.....

All in one dish. YUM-O.

Dinner tonight

2009-04-19T06:33:00.000-07:00

Anyone looking for a dinner idea for tonight? I will be making something boring since I will just be returning from the gym with the kiddos in tow. Mike is playing in a golf tournament today that he says will probably last into the evening. He claims it takes so long because of "prizes". Apparently "prizes" is the key word for beer.

Anywho...moving on. Here is a good dinner idea for tonight. I have made it before and it is delicious!

Chicken with Goat Cheese and Basil
by Barefoot Contessa

6 boneless chicken breasts, skin on
8 to 10 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese, such as Montrachet
6 large fresh basil leaves
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan. Loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers, leaving one side attached. Cut the goat cheese into 1/2-inch- thick slices and place 1 or 2 slices plus a large basil leaf under the skin of each chicken breast. Pull the skin over as much of the meat as possible so the chicken won’t dry out. With your fingers, rub each piece with olive oil, and sprinkle them very generously with salt and pepper. Bake the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until the skin is lightly browned and the chicken is just cooked through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

this is great served with

Rosemary Polenta
by Barefoot Contessa
serves 6

4 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup whipped cream cheese (I used light)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the chicken stock in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly add the cornmeal, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon and simmer over very low heat, stirring almost constantly, for 7-10 minutes until thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan while stirring. Remove the polenta from heat and stir in the cream cheese, Parmesan, Olive oil, rosemary, salt & pepper. Stir until smooth and serve hot sprinkled with extra Parmesan cheese.

Very, very yummy!! Even Mike and Ana who thought they didn't like polenta were LOVING this.

You can serve this with roasted asparagus. I know we all know how to roast asparagus, but just for a refresher...

Roasted Asparagus

1 bundle of asparagus
EV olive oil
kosher salt
pepper

Wash and trim asparagus. Place on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle somewhat generously with salt and pepper. Place in 400 degree oven for 12 minutes. No more, no less for perfect asparagus.

Bon Appetit!

Roasting tomatoes.

2009-04-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

Speaking of healthy dishes, here is one that is very healthy and very rich and satisfying. I roast these and put them on top of steak or chicken. I also serve them as a side sometimes when I want something hot. I have also tossed them with pasta. You don't need ANYTHING but these tomatoes, pasta and maybe some Parmesan if you want. Some things are better plain and simple and not all 'ingrediented' up. Did I just make up a word? Anyway....

Roasted Tomatoes my way

2 pints grape tomatoes
EV Olive Oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
1-2 cloves garlic, minced - optional

Preheat oven to 400. Put tomatoes in baking dish and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until they start cracking. Before serving, toss with raw, minced garlic (if desired). Serve as a side, atop meat of choice, or tossed with pasta. You could even use this to top a toasted baguette for Bruschetta!

***I grabbed this image from somewhere else...so these tomatoes look more done than I like mine....but I don't have a picture of mine!

Most importantly, this is a dish you can play with. You can add capers, minced onion, the garlic that I mentioned, Parmesan, Feta....anything you want. Be creative!

Healthy snacks

2009-04-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

Well all like to snack, right? I know I do. I eat pretty healthy when it comes to meal time, but my in between meal snacking really gets to me sometimes. Having 2 kids that go to school is tough with all the school activities. There is ALWAYS candy, cookies, cupcakes, etc. laying around. I have such a major sweet tooth that it is VERY hard for me to stay away from it. Easter has pretty much gotten the best of me with those damn Robin's Eggs...my fave! Oh, and I can't forget the Hershey's Dark Chocolate Eggs. I only grab 3 or 4 at the time, but I take a trip to the jar about 8-10 times a day. No lie! That is 40...FORTY eggs a day. Sooooo not good.

Anyway, I am trying to recuperate and get back on track, thus the post for today! My favorite healthy snacks. (in no particular order)

1. Raw broccoli and dip. More specifically, this dip.

Major yum, and good for you.

2. Vic's Gourmet Lite popcorn. I am addicted to this popcorn. To me it tastes exactly like movie popcorn, but way better for you. You will see it at the store in those huge white bags. I know you've seen it! You can have 3 cups for only 130 calories. And 4 grams of fiber! That's a great snack.

3. Sliced mushrooms with Hidden Valley light ranch. You can have 1 whole cup of sliced raw mushrooms for only 15 calories, so basically all you are eating is the calories in the ranch...and you don't need much! Of course, this is not a filling snack, but if you are feeling munchie, it is totally guilt-less.

4. South Beach protein bars.

If you are in a hurry and you don't have time to fix anything, they are quick and easy. Most protein bars have upwards of 200 calories, but these are only 140 calories. And they still have the 10 grams of protein that the others have! Yes, it is just like eating a granola bar....all carbs and sugar, but if you are in a hurry, this will fill you up and keep you satisfied much better than a regular granola bar. Remember the 10 grams of protein! I like the chocolate flavor, but that's because I am a chocolate junkie. I haven't tried any others.

Now for dessert. We have major dessert struggles in this house. Actually, let me re-phrase. We are very good at eating dessert, what we struggle with is NOT eating dessert! What works the best for me is plain old Chocolate pudding.

You can go with the fat free, or sugar free, but the regular chocolate pudding only has 140 calories and is A LOT better. If you are feeling extra indulgent, add a squirt of this-

Fat Free Reddi Whip whipped cream. Yummy! Plus, it only has 8 calories per 2 T. I probably put about 4 T. on there, because I am a pig and I like to make a "whipped cream tower" on top of my pudding. Luckily, doubling the serving size only equals 16 calories! That is just over 150 calories for an entire dessert. Not too shabby!

Now, I am off to baseball practice only so we can come home and shove pizza in our faces before bedtime. *groan* Healthy eating is tough on-the-go!

Survey...

2009-04-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

What is your favorite green vegetable?

I am looking for something to serve with a braised chicken dish for a luncheon for our teachers at the pre-school. I will be serving the chicken with orzo and want to pair it with a green veggie. Should I stick with old faithful asparagus, or try something else??

Easter!!

2009-04-13T06:03:00.001-07:00

Well, I meant to post my Easter menu before hand and then follow it up with pictures....but obviously THAT didn't happen. It was hard enough feeding 20, much less snapping pictures of the process! Actually I really only had to serve 8, the 12 kids just ate bits and pieces of what we had.....although I'm sure all they *really* ate was Easter candy.

So on the menu was....

Smoked ham with orange and coffee glaze
Herb and Shallot roasted pork loin
Pioneer Woman's Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Wedge Salad
Yeast Rolls and Herb Butter
Easter Bunny Cake (for the kiddos)

and last but not least....

Italian Creme Cake

1 stick margarine
1/2 C. shortening
2 C. sugar
5 egg yolks
2 C. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 C. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
1 t. coconut flavoring
1 can shredded coconut (or 1 C. very packed)
1 C. chopped pecans
5 egg whites

Cream margarine, shortening and sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time. Sift flour and baking soda and add alternately with the buttermilk, keeping the mixer running. Add vanilla and coconut flavoring. Stir in coconut and pecans. Finally, beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks and fold into batter. Do not over mix, the beaten egg whites are what makes this so fluffy. Bake for 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Icing:
1, 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 box confectioners sugar
1 t. vanilla
pecans, chopped fine

Mix all ingredients. When cake is cooled, ice cake and sprinkle pecans on top.

YUMMY!!!

Since I don't have many pictures of my own...here is a picture of my table!

And a horribly overexposed picture of the bunny cake. :)

Cooking strike!

2009-04-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

Well, not so much of a cooking strike, as I just haven't had any time whatsoever to cook something yummy! We have been busy around here as usual. Nevertheless, I *have* been trying to plan my Easter Menu. Holiday menu's are some of my favorite meals to cook so I will definitely keep you posted on that. The only thing that is for SURE is the bunny cake (which we make every year....have since I was little), and an Italian Creme Cake. I'm sure everyone reading this blog has had a piece of Italian Creme Cake, so I need not go into detail about what it is. My mouth is watering thinking about it though. It has been a long time since I have had one and there is no better time for coconut than Easter. Why? I'm not sure, but I'll say because it is white and spring-y.

Other posts to look out for besides Holiday meals, are our monthly/bi-monthly (when we can squeeze it in) Dinner Clubs. Not only do we have a BLAST at Dinner Club, but the food is always delicious. There are 9 couples and we each bring one dish, anything from pre-dinner drinks to dessert. You can rest assured that the meals are always delicious and recipes are shared. As long as no one objects, I will be posting all of the recipes from our Dinner Club on K is for Kitchen. Lucky for you (and me), Dinner Club is next weekend! I have appetizer this time. I still haven't decided what to make, but I will keep you posted.....

For now I will leave you with this....

I found it in the baking aisle yesterday. Or was it the canned fruit aisle? Can't remember. Anyway, it said it was a '"Lighter Bake" Butter or Oil Substitute'. I was curious, so I read further. The back said

Try Sunsweet's 100% fat- and cholesterol-free baking ingredient — perfect for your favorite heart-healthy recipes! Lighter Bake is a great-tasting substitute for butter, margarine, oil and shortening, made from a blend of dried plums and apples. It makes fabulous moist and chewy baked goods that are healthy, too.

Although Mike turned green right there in the aisle, I knew I had to get it. Before he could beg me not to, I quickly let him know that he would get brownies more often if they didn't call for a 1/2 cup of oil. To which he replied, "Oh, OK then."

So I tried them tonight. The verdict is: it really wasn't bad! The consistency of the brownie was a little more spongy that I would like on the ouside pieces, but when I got to the inside (Yes, I ate more than a row. Shut up.), it was moist and gooey, just like I like them. And there was no difference in taste whatsoever. Now stirring them prior to putting them in the pan did give me quite the bicept work out, but thats no biggie.

Now I cant wait to try them cold. That's the true test! It's an Ashley McCool secret that I have to let you in on. Cold brownies = HEAVEN.

April Fools Day!!

2009-04-01T05:54:00.001-07:00

In honor of the silliness of April Fools Day, I thought I could make something funny today. Soooo, I decided to bring cupcakes, errrr, Spaghetti and Meatballs for Jacob's class.

I piped the frosting on to look like spaghetti. The 'meatballs' are Ferrero Rocher chocolates, tossed in the 'sauce' aka strawberry jelly. I grated a little white chocolate over the top to look like Parmesan and ta da! There you have it, Spaghetti and Meatballs! :)

Happy April Fools Day!

Last Night's Dinner

2009-03-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

We had a yummy yummy dinner last night! I made Tyler Florence's Pan-Seared Tuna with Avocado, Soy, Ginger, and Lime. It was delicious!

Pan-Seared Tuna with Avocado, Soy, Ginger, and Lime
Recipe by Tyler Florence

2 big handfuls fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeno, sliced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, grated
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Pinch sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (6-ounce) block sushi-quality tuna
1 ripe avocado, halved, peeled, pitted, and sliced

In a mixing bowl, combine the cilantro, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir the ingredients together until well incorporated.

Place a skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the tuna generously with salt and pepper. Lay the tuna in the hot oil and sear for 1 minute on each side to form a slight crust. Pour 1/2 of the cilantro mixture into the pan to coat the fish. Serve the seared tuna with the sliced avocado and the remaining cilantro sauce drizzled over the whole plate.

I served this with Brown Rice and this Edamame.

This recipe was absolutely delicious and everyone LOVED it!

We had a birthday boy in the group so I was trying to come up with something yummy for dessert. I have been wanting to try Bakerella's 14-layer cake for a while now, so I decided to brave it yesterday. To my surprise, it turned out great!! It was delicious and turned out exactly as it should. I am usually not scared to make anything, but this one intimidated me.

Fourteen Layer Cake
Recipe by Bakerella

14 Layer Cake

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter , at room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs , at room temperature
3 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder , preferably Dutch process
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter , cut up
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Pecan halves, for garnish
Position racks in the center and bottom third of the oven and preheat to 350°. Lightly butter four 8 1/2- to 9-inch cake pans (you will bake the cakes in three batches) and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Flour the pans and tap out the excess.

To make the layers, sift together the sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Sift the mixture one more time, and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle blade on high speed until light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl and be sure the mixture is well-blended. On low speed, add the flour in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of the milk, beginning and ending with the flour, and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl often with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla. Using a scant cup for each layer, spread the batter evenly in the pans. It will make a thin layer.

Staggering the pans on the racks so they are at least 2 inches from each other and the sides of the oven and not directly over each other, bake the layers until they feel firm when pressed in the centers and are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pans, about 12 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Invert the layers onto cake racks, remove the parchment paper, and cool completely. Wash and prepare the pans. Repeat the procedure until all 12 layers have been baked and cooled. When the last batch of cakes goes in the oven, it's a good time to start making the icing.

To make the icing, bring the sugar, cocoa, butter and evaporated milk to a full boil in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the icing has thickened slightly (it will resemble chocolate syrup but will thicken as it cools), about 3 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Let the icing cool until thick enough to spread, but still pourable.

Then, after the icing cools and before it hardens, you can start spreading a little bit on the top of each layer of cooled cake. Before you start… place the cake on a cake board. Place the board on a wire rack. And place the wire rack over a jelly roll pan to catch any icing that drips.Place a layer of cake on a wire rack set over a jelly-roll pan. Spread with a few tablespoons of the icing, letting the excess run down the sides. Stack the remaining cakes, icing each layer. Pour the remaining icing over the top of the cake. If you wish, smooth the icing on the edges to cover the sides. Place pecan halves around the top perimeter of the cake. Let stand until the glaze sets. (The cake is best served the day it is made. To store, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day.)

Since the cake looks messy like this, Bakerella (and I), addred another coat of frosting just for the smooth effect. Plus, it is delish that way!

Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa)
1 box (1 lb) confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-3 Tbsp milk
Cream the butter and cream cheese with a mixer. Add the cocoa and vanilla. Add the confectioner's sugar in small batches and blend on low until combined. Scrape down sides with each addition. Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until you get the consistency you desire.

Here is my picture progress.

Cakes, cakes and more cakes

Pre-second coat of icing. So drippy!

Lookin' good

Ta da!! 14 scrumptious layers!

Sautéed Chicken with Olives, Capers and Roasted Lemons

2009-03-19T05:54:00.000-07:00

I made this dish last night for dinner and it was very yummy!! I used to be so-so on green olives. I think they are one of those acquired tastes, but now I can't bet enough of them. Kind of like cilantro. But back to the recipe, in this dish, the olives are just divine!

Sautéed Chicken with Olives, Capers and Roasted Lemons
adapted from Food and Wine magazine

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 lemons, sliced 1/4-inch thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Two 5-ounce bags baby spinach
1 clove minced garlic
Four 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for dusting
1/2 cup pitted green Sicilian or Spanish olives, sliced
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small dice
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil on the parchment, then arrange the lemon slices in a single layer. Drizzle the lemons lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until the lemons begin to brown around the edges.

Meanwhile, heat a large, deep skillet. Add the garlic and spinach and cook over high heat, tossing, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the spinach to a strainer; press out the liquid. Put spinach back in the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook for 1 more minute and then keep warm.

In a deep medium skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with the flour, shaking off the excess. Cook the chicken over high heat, turning once, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the olives, capers and stock and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until the stock is reduced by about two-thirds, about 5 minutes. Add the roasted lemons, butter and parsley, season with salt and pepper and simmer just until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute.

Transfer the chicken to plates, served over the spinach and spoon the sauce on top.

I doubled this recipe because we had dinner guests. It was really good! I was afraid it would be too salty with all of the olives and capers, but the lemon and butter balanced it out. The chicken was very tender (although I had to cook it for longer than the recipe said) and the sauce thicked up very well. I served it just like the picture above, except for that I served it on orzo. The orzo was a great accompaniment to the meal! I just tossed the orzo with a little bit of yogurt butter and freshly grated Parmesan and then seasoned it with salt and pepper. Then served orzo, spinach, and then chicken all on one pile. It looked pretty and tasted great. We enjoyed the meal with a nice glass of white wine and it was prefect!

Bon Appetit!

Green foods

2009-03-17T04:59:00.000-07:00

In honor of St. Patty's Day, I will share a couple of my favorite green food recipes.

The first is Guacamole. Guacamole is one of my very favorite things in the world to eat. I like it on chips, sandwiches, salads; I even like it eaten plain with a fork! The trick to guacamole is garlic. And Salt. As long as you get these two right, you cant fail with your guacamole! Here is how I make it.

Guacamole

5-6 Avocados
1 small white or yellow onion, diced
1-2 garlic cloves
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 fresh jalapeno, diced and with a few seeds reserved
kosher salt
Lime

Scoop half of the avocados into a large bowl and coarsely mash them with a fork. Mince garlic and mash with the kosher salt, making a paste. I do this so the garlic isn't too bitter. Sometimes when garlic isn't cooked, it can be bitter, so making a paste to be mixed in with the avocado will help spread the flavors.

Stir in the juice of one lime, cilantro, onion, garlic & salt paste, and jalapeno. The spicier you like guacamole, the more seeds you will reserve. Usually I only keep a few! A little goes a long way when it comes to jalapenos. Scoop chunks of the remaining avocados into the bowl; stir lightly with a spoon. Season the guacamole with more salt as needed and serve at room temperature or lightly chilled. If you taste it and feel like it "needs something", it is almost always more salt!

**Tip for storing**
Keep a couple of the avocado pits in the guacamole to help keep it from turning brown. Remove before serving.

Another one of my favorite snacks is Edamame. It is healthy and delicious and my kids love it, too! Here's how I make it. Made this way, it reminds me of boiled peanuts. YUMMY!

Edamame

1 bag frozen Edamame, in the pods
Kosher salt
Soy sauce

Bring a pot of water to a rapid boil. Add Edamame a handful at the time. (Tossing them all in at once can cause boiling water to be splashed all over you. Getting 2nd degree burns can hinder you from getting to eat your Edamame. Not fun!) Bring back to a boil and cook for about 5 more minutes. Drain and toss with Kosher salt and soy sauce. I like them served warm, but you can also pop them in the refigerator at this point and then serve them chilled.

My first cooking blog!

2009-03-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to do this for a long time...but there are so many cooking blogs out there. I decided to do this for friends and family who are always asking me for recipes. I will update this blog with yummy recipes I have made during the week. I am NOT a Chef, just a good cook (or so they say), so I will share my recipes and where they came from.

I guess last night is a good place to start! We had hot dogs, potato salad and pound cake. Real healthy, eh? Actually, besides the cake, the meal was not too bad.

Hot Dogs with Grilled Cole Slaw
Food and Wine magazine

One 3-pound head of green cabbage, cut through the core into 8 wedges
Vegetable oil, for brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 pickled jalapeños, seeded and minced, plus 2 teaspoons pickling liquid from the jar
10 hot dog buns, split
10 hot dogs

Light a grill. Brush the cabbage wedges with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the cabbage over high heat until charred, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a work surface. When the cabbage is cool enough to handle, finely slice it crosswise with a sharp knife.
In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the cider vinegar, jalapeños and pickling liquid. Add the shredded cabbage and toss well. Season the grilled coleslaw with salt and pepper and toss again.
Grill the hot dog buns over high heat until crisp, about 30 seconds. Grill the hot dogs over high heat, turning several times, until lightly charred and heated through, about 4 minutes. Place the hot dogs in the toasted buns, top with the grilled coleslaw and serve.

***I used light mayonnaise in this recipe and it turned out GREAT!! Very spicy, but it had a great, smoky flavor.

And who says wine does not go well with hot dogs!? A light, crisp white definitely fits the bill for these.

Warm Potato Salad with Arugula
Food and Wine Magazine

3 pounds white potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
5 ounces baby arugula (6 cups)

Preheat the oven to 425°. Cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch wedges. Scatter the potato wedges on 2 large rimmed baking sheets, drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss until coated. Season with salt and pepper and roast for about 25 minutes, until browned and crisp. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil with the mustard and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the onion and arugula. Top with the dressing, toss again and serve right away.

***I added feta to this recipe, and also a little more oil, vinegar and salt because I thought it needed a little something extra. It was delicious!!

Almond Sour Cream Pound Cake
Paula Deen

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, plus more for pan
3 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 eggs
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Almond Buttercream Frosting, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a tube pan and set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter and sugar together and then add sour cream. Sift flour and baking soda together. Add to creamed mixture, alternately with eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add extracts and stir to combine. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool cake in pan for about 10 minutes and then unmold and cool completely on a wire rack. Frost cake when completely cooled.

Almond Buttercream Frosting:
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

With an electric mixer, cream butter in a large mixing bowl. Slowly beat in the sugar until smooth and creamy and sweetened to your liking (about 2 minutes). Add almond extract and stir to blend. Frost cake when fully cooled. If you are not using the frosting immediately, store it, covered, in the refrigerator and then bring it to room temperature just prior to using.

Yield: 3 cups

***I did not use the frosting for this cake. I don't like the idea of frosting with pound cake, so I made a simple glaze to go over the top. You can make a simple glaze by adding 2 C. of powdered sugar to 1/2 stick melted butter. Add 2 T. milk and beat until smooth and creamy. Add more milk if the texture is not 'pourable' over the top. Pour right on top and it will drizzle down the sides on it's own. YUMMY!!

So my first food blog DONE! YAY! Now you can see what I am cooking and if I had to add things here and there. I try new recipes all the time and I don't always like them. I will only post the recipes I *do* like. Why waste time typing out the bad ones? I will try to add pictures in the future. Bon Appetit!!