Sesame Crusted Tofu Steaks with Kale

I know, I know, some people will find this dish absolutely repulsive (Kris, JJ you reading??) However, this meal was so full of flavor and texture, it was absolutely delicious. And it's just so healthy.

I know there are some people who will never convert to tofu, but for those of us who love it, this was delicious! It had a great, meaty soy flavor, which was highlighted by the smoky tahini and spices. Crunch from the sesame seeds balanced the soft inside of the tofu.

The kale was earthy and sweet and smokey, just how I love it. I wouldn't serve this meal to just anyone, but if you're a kale and tofu lover, it will be a hit.

Sesame Crusted Tofu Steaks with Stir Fried Kale

1 package of extra firm tofu

1 tbsp. tahini

1/2 tsp. Chinese 5 spice powder

1 tbsp. sesame seeds

1 large bunch of kale, stems removed and chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbps. EVOO

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. corn starch

Remove tofu from package, drain and cut in half.

Wrap each steak in a tea towel, and place under a dutch oven or something heavy to press out excess liquid for about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with foil, spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Place tofu steaks on cookie sheet.

Smear with tahini, sprinkle with 5 spice powder, and top with sesame seeds.

Bake for 20 minutes, until seeds are toasted and tofu is firm and browned on the bottom.

While the tofu roasts, prepare the kale.

In a small dish, whisk together soy sauce, honey, red pepper flakes and cornstarch.

Heat a large wok over medium heat.

Add EVOO and garlic, cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Add kale, toss to wilt for 1 minute.

Add sauce, continue to toss and wilt kale.

When kale is cooked to desired doneness, plate.

Top with tofu steaks.

Serve with sriracha.

Superbowl Party

This year for the Superbowl, we did a low key night because JJ had to work late. I tried to keep everything as healthy as I could since I've got about 15 pounds to lose by my goal date of May 14 (my 25th birthday!) So I'll get the recipes up soon, but here's a quick recap:

Baked Buffalo Chicken Meatballs with Lowfat Ranch, Carrots and Celery

Mini Baked Corn-Dog Bites with German Mustard

Fresh Tofu and Vegetable Summer Rolls with Ponzu Sauce (courtesy of Kikkoman from Foodbuzz)

Toasted Cheese Ravioli with Marinara Sauce

Carrot Ribbon Salad with Lentils, Yogurt and Whole Wheat Naan

Last weekend, I felt like I needed to eat very clean, whole foods because I ate out more during the week than usual. It's amazing how much better you feel in your body plus mind when you eat a clean, wholesome meal. This was full of bright flavors, both hearty and filling, but not heavy. It was my first time making Naan, and it turned out to be a great learning experience. I think I should have rolled out my Naan before putting them on the grill, but I just patted them out with my hands. I used a recipe here, but substituted 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour for 3 of the 4 cups of All-Purpose flour.

Carrot Ribbon Salad with Lentils, Yogurt and Whole Wheat Naan

Curry Spiced Lentils:

1 cup dried lentils, soaked for 8 hours

1/2 small yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. ground turmeric

1 tbsp. curry powder

1 cup vegetable stock

Salt and pepper

Carrot Ribbon Salad:

4 large carrots, peeled

1/2 red bell pepper

1 medium summer squash

1 medium zucchini

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp. EVOO

1/4 cup cilantro, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

Plain nonfat Greek Yogurt

Naan, homemade or store bought

Drain lentils, place in a small stock pot.

Add onion, garlic, turmeric, curry powder and stock.

Bring to a simmer, turn to low heat and cook for 1 hour, or until lentils are tender.

Season with salt and pepper.

*Add more stock as necessary if lentils dry out*

Slice red bell pepper very thin, place in the bottom of a steamer basket.

Peel thick ribbons of carrot, place on top of pepper.s

Peel thick ribbons of squash and zucchini, place on top of carrots.

Place steamer basket over boiling water, steam for 2-3 minutes, until vegetables are just al dente.

Remove from steam, set aside.

Add lemon, garlic, salt, pepper, EVOO, cilantro and cumin to a large bowl, whisk to combine.

Add vegetables, toss to coat. Refrigerate if desired, this can be served at any temperature.

Plate lentils, top with carrot salad, yogurt, and naan.

Garnish with extra chopped cilantro.

Tex-Mex Chili Topped Sweet Potatoes

All of the Superbowl buzz and meal ideas has caused me to have chili on my mind, as well as potato skins. Two things that can be very unhealthy, depending on how they're prepared. I decided to kind of pair the two and make chili topped potatoes, but with a healthy twist. This meal is so full of color, nutrients, vegetables, spice, and freshness. It was so hearty, and totally filled my cravings for chili and potatoes.

Tex-Mex Chili Topped Sweet Potatoes

2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed
1 red onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
Salt and pepper
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (with green chilis, lime, cilantro, etc. if preferred)
1 heaping tsp. chili powder
1 heaping tsp. cumin
1/2 heaping tsp. corriander
1/2 heaping tsp. smoked paprika
Sprinkle of cayenne powder
1 15 oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup shredded cheese (I used pepper jack)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Pierce potatoes, place directly on oven rack.
Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size.
Heat a pot over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. EVOO.
Add onion, garlic and bell peppers. Season with salt and pepper.
Saute' for 5-7 minutes, until softened.
Add tomatoes, spices, and kidney beans.
Bring to a simmer, stir and cook for about 20 minutes.
Taste, adjust seasonings.
Plate potatoes, top with chili, avocado slices and cheese.

Eggplant and Red Pepper Parmesan Pizza

Last week, JJ challenged me to create a new pizza for dinner one night since we usually have pizza once a week. It was a success, so he challenged me to try to come up with another. I have made eggplant parmesan pizza in the past, but putting fried eggplant on pizza kind of made it not as healthy. I decided to try to make a thick sauce with sauteed eggplant so it was healthier. The earthiness of the eggplant paired really well with the sweet and smoky peppers and acidic tomatoes. This pizza was very hearty and meaty even though it was vegetarian. I think we both agreed it was another success!

Eggplant and Red Pepper Parmesan Pizza

1 batch of whole wheat pizza crust (recipe in this post)

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 small yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large eggplant, diced (peeled or not, your preference)

1/2 cup red wine

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. fresh minced oregano

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, lightly drained (with basil or Italian herbs preferred)

1 roasted red pepper, minced

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare pizza dough, roll out onto a pizza pan.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, add EVOO, onion, garlic and eggplant.

Season with salt and pepper, saute' for 7-10 minutes, until eggplant has softened and onions begin to brown.

Add red wine, reduce.

Add oregano, red pepper flakes, tomatoes and red peppers.

Cook for another 5 minutes, until sauce is thick and most of the liquid is gone.

Spread on the pizza dough, top with cheese.

Bake for 18-22 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

Symon Sundays Week 1 Recap

I am so happy to say that the first week of Symon Sundays was a big success! It seemed as though everyone enjoyed both of the recipes. I am so excited to cook through this book, I highly recommend buying it. Chef Symon has some amazing recipes in there, so innovative and creative.

If you don't really know much about Chef Symon, you should read up about him. He's got 2 extremely sucessful restaurants in Cleveland, Lola and Lolita. I went to Lolita for my birthday a few years ago, and it was awesome. I hope to go to Lola next time I'm visiting my sister in Cleveland. What I love the most about Chef Symon is how he always seems to be so happy, and having so much fun in his kitchen. He's always laughing and smiling. He is very genuine, true to his roots, and loyal to Cleveland. He is an amazing Chef and person, and I'm so glad that I get to cook through his amazing book.

Here's a recap of the photos from our bloggers. If you look on the right column of my blog, you'll see a list of the participants (linked to their blog) and then under it, the schedule for the first round of recipes.

Joanne's salad

Tasha's salad

Meredith's salad

My salad

Natashya's salad and keftedes

Meredith's keftedes

My keftedes

Joanne's keftedes

Tasha's keftedes

Keftedes (Mom's Little Meatballs)

When I was trying to decide what to choose for the first week of Symon Sundays, I went back and forth between about 10 recipes. I had already chosen the beet salad, but wanted something to go with it. I finally decided to just select this recipe because it's the first in the book, in the introduction section.
Chef Symon said these meatballs were always served in his familygrowing up, there was a giant pile of them, and they remind him of childhood. As I was reading the recipe, I noticed there were some spices that are not common in meatballs. It reminded me of Skyline Chili though, with the cinnamon and nutmeg, which is one of my favorites from home.
These meatballs were delicious, they had so much flavor that any kind of sauce isn't necessary, but would be a great addition. I served these over pasta dressed with extra lemon juice and olive oil.

Keftedes

Live to Cook, Michael Symon Pg. 12

Canola Oil, for sauteing and pan-frying

1/2 cup minced onion

Kosher salt

1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped

1/2 cup diced day old bread

1/2 cup whole milk

1 lb. ground beef or lamb

1 large egg

1 tsp. fresh oregano leaves

1/4 tsp. ground corriander

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

Pinch of fresh grated nutmeg

Fresh ground black pepper

All purpose flour, for dusting

Handful of fresh mint leaves

2 lemons, one cut in wedges

1/4 cup EVOO

Heat 2 tsp. canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.

Add the onion and a pinch of salt, cook until onions soften, 1-2 minutes, add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes.

Scrape onto a plate and cool.

Out the bread in a small bowl, pour in the milk.

In a mixing bowl, combine onion, garlic and meat.

Add the egg.

Squeeze out the bread, discard the milk, add bread to the meat.

Add oregano, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg and a tsp. of pepper.

Mix with hands until ingredients are evently distributed.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Foll the mixture into balls, a little smaller than a golf ball. This should make about 20.  Roll in flour, dust off any excess.

In a shallow pan, add oil to come up 1/3 of the side.

Head over medium until hot, pan fry the keftedes, turning once until just cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Remove, place on a paper towl to drain.

Arrange on a serving platter, grind fresh pepper over, top with lemon zest, oregano and mint, serve with lemon wedges.

Slow Roasted Beets with Buttermilk Blue Cheese, Watercress and Toasted Walnuts

For the first week of Symon Sundays, a blogging/cooking group I created to cook through Chef Symon's Live to Cook, I decided to pick two recipes to pair together as a meal. The first thing I saw in the cookbook that caught my eye was this beet salad.

I absolutely love beets, especially with nuts and in the form of a salad. The photo in the cookbook makes it look absolutely delicious, tender beets with sharp blue cheese and toasted walnuts. Chef Symon claims he likes to make dishes that showcase ingredients that people might not have liked as children with the hope to convert them. That was my idea and hope with making this meal, to convert JJ to the beet-loving side.

It wasn't hard to do, as we're big fans of The Office, and Dwight often talks about his beet farm. JJ also was excited to provide latex gloves for me when I asked him if he had anything in his Athletic Training pack that would keep my hands from being stained purple.

I was hoping I would be able to find all of the components to this dish, as golden beets and maytag blue cheese aren't as readily available... but Whole Foods delivered, and I found them there. The only ingredient I did not find was the watercress. I used a bed of romaine, but would have opted for Arugula if JJ didn't object.

This salad was all I hoped it would be, and so much more. The vinaigrette was simple, the beets were the star, and when I got a forkful containing every element of the salad, it was phenominal.

Slow-Roasted Beets with Buttermilk Blue Cheese,

Watercress and Toasted Walnuts

Live to Cook, Michael Symon pg. 74

1/2 cup walnut pieces

Kosher salt

3 medium golden beets

3 medium red beets

1 head of garlic, halved through the equator

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

Fresh ground black pepper

1 shallot, minced

1 large garlic clove, minced

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

1 tbsp. honey

1/4 c. EVOO

1 tbsp. aged balsamic vinegar

4 oz. Maytag blue cheese, crumbled (1 c.)

1 cup loosely packed watercress

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Spread walnuts on a baking sheet, sprinke with salt and toast in the oven for 5 minutes, cool.

Lower oven temperature to 325.

In a shallow baking dish, place the beets, garlic and thyme.

Season with salt and pepper, fill with water to reach 1/4" up the side of the pan.

Cover with foil, roast until beets are tender, about an hour.

Remove foil, cool.

Peel beets, cut into wedges.

In a large bowl, combine shallot, garlic, a pinch of salt, orange zest, juice, honey and vinegar.

Whisk, taste for seasonings.

Whisk in EVOO, add beets, toss to coat.

Divide beets among 4 places, top with toasted walnuts, crumbled blue cheese and watercress.

Drizzle with additional vinaigrette from the bowl, finish with ground black pepper.

Tortellini Primavera with Sun-Dried Tomato Ricotta Sauce

One thing I'm working on this year is keeping our grocery budget in check. Sometimes when you're a blogger and you find a recipe or dream up a recipe, you stop at nothing to make it. And you justify your expenses because it's for the blog. It doesn't matter that the cheese is $17.99/lb, or the prosciutto is $11.99/lb... and when you've made the switch to buying all organic meats and dairy, it gets even worse. So I've been trying to focus more on shopping sales and utilizing my freezer as well as make meals where some of the ingredients can be used for another.

So far, it's going ok. I try to get in 'empty the pantry' mode, but then I go shopping and it turns into 'stock the pantry cheaply' mode. I can't tell you how many bags of frozen cascadian farms vegetables and fruit I got last week. They were on sale.... and I had coupons... So I decided to make a meal that used a few of my fully stocked pantry items - tortellini, ricotta, and vegetables. Paired with some vegetables on sale and at the farmer's market, I came out very cheap on this dinner!

Tortellini Primavera with Sun-Dried Tomato Ricotta Sauce

1 package frozen tortellini

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups button mushrooms, quartered

1 orange bell pepper, sliced

1/2 lb. asparagus spears, cut into 1" segments

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup ricotta

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes

Vegetable or chicken stock, for thinning

1 sprig of fresh thyme or basil leaves

Salt and pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.

Add 1 tbsp. EVOO, garlic, mushrooms and bell pepper.

Saute' for 8-10 minutes, until vegetables are softened.

While veggies cook, bring a pot of water to a boil, salt heavily.

Add tortellini, cook according to package directions, during the last minute, drop in the asparagus and peas.

Drain and set aside.

In a food processor, pulse together ricotta, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest and juice.

Add vegetables and pasta to the skillet.

Add ricotta sauce, herbs, salt and pepper.

Stir to combine, thin with stock if necessary.

Heat everything through, plate, garnish with crushed red pepper and parmesan, if desired.

Bridget's White Cupcakes

I love making cupcakes or cookies for my co-woker's bithdays. See, I work with a group of 11 men, and they have no shame about eating baked goods. They might not be good critics (because they'll eat anything and think it's decent), so when I do get a compliment, I know it's genuine. I love when they request something fun or new, but often times it's carrot cake, chocolate chip cookies, or like this time, white cake with vanilla frosting!

So I turned to Bridget's blog, because she often does cupcake recipe comparisons, which I love. It's really hard to duplicate a recipe, but when Bridget blogs something and I make it, it tends to come out very close to hers. In other words, I trust her recipes and cooking. Trust is big in baking... it's easy to go wrong!

So thanks, Bridget, for taking one for the team and making dozens and dozens of cupcakes so I could pick a foolproof recipe!

Bridget's Adaptation of White Cupcakes

from Cooks Illustrated’s Classic White Cake

Nonstick cooking spray
2¼ cups cake flour (9 ounces), plus more for dusting the pans
1 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature
6 large egg whites (¾ cup), at room temperature
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (11.35 ounces)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1½ sticks), softened but still cool

Set oven rack in middle position. (If oven is too small to cook both layers on a single rack, set racks in upper-middle and lower-middle positions.)
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray; line the bottoms with parchment or waxed paper rounds.
Spray the paper rounds, dust the pans with flour, and invert pans and rap sharply to remove excess flour.
Pour milk, egg whites, and extracts into 2-cup glass measure, and mix with fork until blended.
Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed. Add butter; continue beating at slow speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks remaining.
Add all but ½ cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed (or high speed if using handheld mixer) for 1½ minutes.
Add remaining ½ cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more.
Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium (or high) speed and beat 20 seconds longer.
Divide batter evenly between two prepared cake pans; using rubber spatula, spread batter to pan walls and smooth tops. Arrange pans at least 3 inches from the oven walls and 3 inches apart. (If oven is small, place pans on separate racks in staggered fashion to allow for air circulation.)
Bake until thin skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes.
Let cakes rest in pans for 3 minutes.
Loosen from sides of pans with a knife, if necessary, and invert onto wire racks.
Reinvert onto additional wire racks. Let cool completely, about 1½ hours.
Yield 12 Cupcakes

Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup

One of my favorite dinners is a soup/salad combination. It's easy, simple, and generally healthy. I had a few sweet potatoes in the pantry, and jarred roasted red peppers that I got on super sale, so I combined the two! I wanted to make it a little spicy, but really focus on the sweet potato flavor, and the smoky red peppers.

You can microwave your sweet potatoes if you're in a rush, but they just have such better texture when roasted. I prick mine with a fork and place them directly on the oven rack. They roast for close to an hour, and then slip right out of their skins like a jacket!

This soup can be completely pureed and made thinner, or it can be left with a little texture and chunk. I know JJ likes chunky soups, so I chopped half a sweet potato and added it at the end.

Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup

2 medium sweet potatoes, roasted and skinned

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 cup roasted red peppers (jarred pieces or 2 whole fresh)

2-3 cups chicken/vegetable stock

1-2 cups water

Salt and fresh black pepper

Sprinkle of cayenne

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. chili powder

Sour cream and green onions, for garnish

Heat a soup pot over medium heat.

Add 1 tsp. EVOO, garlic and onions.

Season with salt and pepper, stir and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Take pot off heat, add onions and garlic to a blender.

Add 1 1/2 sweet potatoes, red peppers, half of stock and water, pepper, cayenne, cumin and chili powder to the blender.

Blend until smooth, add more stock/water if necessary.

Add soup back to the pot, add more stock to reach desired consistency.

Chop the other 1/2 sweet potato, add to soup, stir gently.

Bring to a simmer, taste, adjust seasonings.

Serve with sour cream and onions.

Kale and Bean Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce

Last week my friend Sheri told me about a recipe she found and loved for Pumpkin Enchiladas. She sent me the recipe, and said she couldn't wait to see what I came up with (clearly she knows I don't follow recipes!)

On the same day, I saw this recipe for Kale and Bean Enchiladas pop up in my google reader. I thought it would be really interesting if I tried pairing the two, rather than make chicken enchiladas as Sheri's recipe instructed.

I loved the filling for these enchiladas, it made what can be a very caloric dish seem extremely light and healthy. Cate used pinto beans, but I had kidney beans on hand, so I used them. The sauce was really creamy, and made it seem like the enchiladas had much more cheese on top.

Kale and Bean Enchiladas (via Cate, adapted from Daily Unadventures in Cooking)

Pumpkin sauce (via Sheri, adapted from Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart)

Enchiladas:
2 cloves garlic
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 jalapeno, finely diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 zucchini, grated
Salt and pepper
1 bunch kale, roughly chopped
1 can light red kidney beans, rinsed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
Pumpkin sauce, below
6 tortillas (I used flour, but they got soggy, I'd recommend corn)
Handful or two of grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400.
Heat a skillet over medium high heat.
Add the olive oil, garlic, onions, jalapeno, zucchini, cumin, pepper and a big pinch of salt.
Cook for about 5 minutes, add kale and stir until soft.
Remove from heat and stir in a a few grinds of black pepper, the pinto beans, cilantro, and a few tablespoons of enchilada sauce.

Pumpkin Sauce

1 15oz can pumpkin puree
2 cups vegetable stock
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalepeno pepper, quartered (remove ribs and seeds for less heat if desired)
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp tomato paste

In a blender, puree the pumpkin, stock, garlic, jalepeno, chili powder, tomato paste, salt and pepper until smooth.
Pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 8in square (or other shallow 2 qt) baking dish.
Spoon kale mixture into tortillas, roll and place in baking sheet.
Finish with all tortillas, cover in sauce, top with shredded cheese.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.

Sweet Potato Falafel with Tzatziki

Last week as I was browsing through my google reader, I saw Kelly's post for Sweet Potato Falafel. They looked fantastic! I was imagining a blend of chick peas and sweet potato, so I starred it and put it on the menu. Then I went back and pulled up the recipe, and saw that it was quite different from my imagination. See, I have a tendency to read a recipe and then create the process and ingredients in my brain without actually reading it. Sometimes this is detrimental because I'll end up without an important ingredient. But then sometimes it works out ok because I end up creating what I thought the recipe would be, and it's delicious.

In this situation, I ended up creating what I thought the recipe was going to be rather than what Kelly wrote. Though I do want to go back and try it the original way, I really liked my adaptation. These were slightly sweet, but had the familiar taste of a falafel. They were healthy (baked rather than fried) and I enjoyed them 'meatball' style over couscous and roasted vegetables instead of wrapped in a pita. I can't ever have enough tzatziki, I think JJ and I were fighting over the reminants. Overall, this was an absolutely delicious and really healthy dinner!

Sweet Potato Falafel

adapted from Kelly, who adapted it from the Happy Herbivore

Falafel:

1 large sweet potato

1 cup chick peas

1 tbsp. tahini

1 tsp. fresh minced parsley

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. cumin

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup. breadcrumbs (wish i had panko, but just had regular Italian style)

Tzatziki:

6 oz. plain greek yogurt

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp. minced dill

1/2 cup minced cucumber

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. tahini

1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane

Whole wheat cous cous, prepared

Roasted butternut squash and brussels sprouts

Pierce sweet potato, wrap in a paper towel.

Microwave on high for 6-8 minutes, until softened.

(On a weeknight, I didn't have the time to bake the sweet potato, but that would be the preferred method)

Let potato cool for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, add chick peas, mash with a fork.

Add sweet potato, tahini, parsley, salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic.

Mix well, leaving some little chunks of chick pea and sweet potato.

Roll into walnut sized balls, roll in breadcrumbs, place on a lined baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, until crisp on the outside.

In a small dish, use a fork to whisk together all tzatziki ingredients, refrigerate until use.

Plate cous cous, vegetables, top with falafel and tzatziki and extra parsley.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Saturday is my brother in law's birthday, so as I usually do, I mailed him off some cookies! I asked my sister what he'd like, and she said peanut butter and chocolate chip, so I combined the two. I made up the recipe, and it came out great! I've been trying to experiment more and more with baking at home, using my judgement to try to create sucesses.  Though there's an occasional flop, I've had some great cookies come out recently!

I decided to go for a chewier cookie, light on peanut butter so it didn't overpower the cookie.... but I think any amount of PB added to anything gives it strong flavor.

Happy Birthday, Dan, hope you like them! I'm sure they'll be great skiing this weekend with some hot chocolate... or beer :)

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

2 sticks (1/2 lb.) butter, room temperature

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a standing mixer, cream together butter and peanut butter.

Add sugar, beat until pale and combined, about 3 minutes.

Turn mixer to low, add eggs one at a time, mixing well.

Beat in vanilla extract, baking soda and salt.

Add flour, mix until just combined, add chocolate chips and mix for 10 seconds.

Refrigerate batter for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Scoop in heaping tablespoons onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove, place on a wire rack and cool.

Caribbean Jerk Chicken Pizza

One of JJ's challenges to me last week was to create a new pizza. We have our old standbys that I make often (Hawaiian, Surpeme) but he said he wanted me to use my creativity and come up with something new. So I decided to make a jerk chicken pizza. I was at the grocery store and saw Kashi's Caribbean Pizza, and figured I could use some of their ideas on my pizza. So I didn't totally create this pizza on my own, but it was a new pizza to our home. JJ told me that he absolutely loved it, so I think I suceeded in my task. I think part of the reason is because he loves chicken on pizza, but I'm not a fan. I picked off the chicken and ate it seperately, then ate the pizza and loved it.

Caribbean Jerk Chicken Pizza

1 whole wheat pizza dough crust (recipe below)

8 oz. chicken breast, pounded thin

2 tbsp. Jerk spice rub (I use Penzeys)

1 6 oz. can Italian style tomato paste

1/4 cup guava juice

2 cups shredded part skim mozzarella

1 mango, finely diced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, finely diced

1/4 red onion, finely diced

1/2 plantain, sliced thin (about 1/8")

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained well

Crushed red pepper flakes

2 tbsp. minced cilantro

Whole wheat pizza crust:

1 packet fast acting yeast

1 tbsp. honey

3/4 cup warm water

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2-3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. EVOO

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat.

In a standing mixer with the dough hook on, add water, honey and yeast, stir to combine, set aside for 10 minutes.

Liberally coat chicken with jerk seasoning, place on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, until just cooked through.

Add whole wheat flour, salt, EVOO and 1/2 cup AP flour to mixer. Turn on low and begin to mix. Add more AP flour as necessary if dough is too sticky. Knead for 5 minutes, set aside to proof.

In a small bowl, whisk together tomato paste and guava juice.

Slice and prepare all vegetables, slice cooked chicken.

After dough has doubled in size, roll out onto a pizza pan.

Spread tomato paste mixture over, top with cheese.

Arrange chicken slices, plantains, mango, red pepper, diced tomatoes and onion on top.

Place in the oven and bake for 20-24 minutes, until crisp and bubbly.

Top with crushed red pepper and cilantro, slice and serve.

Vegan Italian Lentil and Vegetable Stew

While this may not be the most attractive dish, it was absolutely delicious! I've been fighting an awful cold for about a week. On Sunday night, I decided to fight it naturally with a warm stew, full of vegetables, and broth. I can't say that it cured me, but I am feeling much better today! This stew was basically all of the vegetables I had in the pantry and fridge, but you can also swap lentils for other dried or canned beans, and add other vegetables, such as green beans, brussels sprouts, okra, celery, and other squash varities.

I un-veganed my bowl by adding a sprinkle of parmesan and crushed red pepper after the photo, but it had great flavor, and could do without it. I also whipped up a loaf of whole wheat beer bread for this, which was great for sopping up the last of the broth!

Italian Lentil and Vegetable Stew

1 cup dried brown lentils, soaked overnight and drained

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 yellow onion, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced

2 small yellow summer squash, quartered and sliced

8 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced

Salt and fresh cracked black pepper

1 cup dry white wine

4 cups vegetable stock

1 28 oz. can Italian style diced tomatoes, divided

1 tbsp. dried Italian herb mix

Heat a dutch oven over medium-low heat.

Add EVOO, then chop vegetables and drop them in as you go (onions, garlic, carrots, zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms).

Season with salt and pepper, stir with a large wooden spoon and cook for about 10 minutes, until tender.

Add half of tomatoes and juice to a blender, puree half, leave the other half diced.

Add white wine, reduce, add stock, tomato puree, diced tomatoes, and herbs.

Bring to a simmer, stir, reduce heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Add more stock, if necessary.

Serve with crushed red pepper flakes and beer bread.

Happy 2nd Blogiversary, A Year in the Kitchen!

Today is a very special day for me, it's my 2nd Blogiversary! Last year I celebrated by making these meatloaf cupcakes. This year, I've decided to go back and pick my absolute favorite dishes from each month of 2009. They might not have been the most popular (though the Twilight cake seems to be!), but they were delicious! It's been a little slower this year on the blog than last (500 posts in year 1, 275 in year 2), but I know for a fact that my cooking skills continue to improve as well as my photography.

Thank you so much for the continued readership and support, it means so much to me! This year has been very busy with so many changes and posts got a little spotty over the summer... but we're happily settled now and I hope the blog continues indefinitely!

Here are my favorites from 2009, do you have any favorites from the blog??

January - Cheddar Peirogi

February -  Twilight Valentine's Cake/Cookies and Party

March -  Black Bean and Rice Stuffed Poblanos with Creamy Corn and Avocado Salad

April - Eggplant and Cannelini Ragout over Herbed Polenta

May - Coco Peanut Noodle Salad

June - Tapas Dinner Menu

July - Natural Hawaiian Pizza

August - Afghan Vegetarian Plate

September - Warm Butternut Salad with Chickpeas and Tahini

October - Pumpkin Meatloaf with Cranberry Topping

November - Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake

December - Prosciutto and Asiago stuffed Chicken Marsala

Gorgonzola and Caramelized Onion Cheeseball

On Monday, I hosted my book club. I decided to make a few different things because it's kind of a pot luck event and I didn't know what was coming. I figured I'd do an appetizer (this), a main (quiche) and a dessert (cookies in last post). Most people seem to love a good cheeseball smeared on a cracker, so I decided to make one. I got the main flavor ideas for this from Joelen and her blog, but went a different way with the other ingredients. This cheeseball was great, really creamy and flavorful. The gorgonzola was present, but not overpowering. I think everyone really enjoyed it!

Gorgonzola and Caramelized Onion Cheeseball

1 tbsp. butter/EVOO

2 large yellow onion in a small dice

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup gorgonzola crumbles

1 cup crushed walnuts

Crackers or vegetables, for serving

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat.

Add butter or EVOO and onions.

Season with salt and pepper, saute' for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Add thyme. Cool to room temperature.

Add softened cream cheese and gorgonzola to a bowl.

Top with onions, stir well to combine.

Lay saran wrap on the counter, scoop cheese mixture into a ball, wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Before serving cheese ball, add walnuts to a bowl. Drop cheeseball in and coat with walnuts.

Place on a platter and serve.

Orange-Oatmeal-Currant Cookies

99.9% of the time I love being a blogger... if that's a word? It's a creative outlet where I can share my ideas and some of the hidden gem recipes that most of the people who read my blog might not find on their own (and by reading other blogs, I see the recipes that they find, which I might not). There are also times where I find myself trying so hard to make a recipe that it makes me crazy. This usually occurs when I find a recipe with an obscure ingredient, or a seasonal ingredient.

When I was working on my Country Challenge, I found myself spending entire Saturdays hitting all of the grocery stores in Bloomington looking for things like fresh pomegranates, figs, peaches, currants, chayote squash, heirloom tomatoes, tomatillos and sopressata (I have very clear memories of these, I'm sure there were others). I know seasonal cooking is best, but sometimes you just see a recipe and no matter what obstacles are in the way, you just have to make it.

Then there are times when you're just on a regular weekly grocery shop, not looking for anything special, and you stumble upon one of those ingredients mentioned before... and it's on sale! As I was nearing the checkout line last week, I found this little box of dried Zante Currants on sale for $1.10! I spent 3 weeks looking for fresh, and another 2 looking for dried about a year ago when I made these Fiji Rum Currant Scones.  I grabbed the box and spent the drive home remembering what recipe I had decided to make when I found currants again.

A long time ago I saw this recipe pop up in my google reader, starred it and figured I'd get to it when the currants found ME. I waited a while, but the happy ending to this story is these cookies were everything I had hoped for and more! When you read through the ingredients, you'll see so many strong, competing flavors (orange, nutmeg, currants, molasses), but they all work so well together and create a balance that is delicious. They are perfect for afternoon snack with coffee or tea, and I think I'll be saving this receipe to make next Christmas.

Note - I omitted the corn syrup because I was out, and added 1 more tbsp. of molasses. This might be why my cookies spread more than Bridgets. I also think I rolled my log a little fatter.

Orange-Oatmeal-Currant Cookies

from Tartine, by Elisabeth Pruett and Chad Robertson

as seen on The Way the Cookie Crumbles by Bridget

Makes 80 2-inch cookies
(I got about 50 fatter cookies)

1½ cups (7 ounces) zante currants
2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1 cup (8 ounces/16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups (8¾ ounces) sugar
1 large whole egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon blackstrap or other dark molasses
½ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoon orange zest, grated
1½ cups (5½ ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats

In a small bowl, combine the currants and warm water to cover and set aside for about 10 minutes until the currants are plumped. Drain well and set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and nutmeg into a mixing bowl and set aside.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and creamy.
Slowly add the sugar and mix on medium speed until light in color and fluffy.
Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
Add the whole eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, corn syrup, molasses, salt, and orange zest and beat until well mixed. Stir in the flour mixture, currants, and oats until well incorporated.

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions.
Working on a large sheet of parchment paper, shape each portion into a log about 14 inches long and 2 inches in diameter.
Gently Press each log to give it an oval shape.
Wrap tightly in parchment paper or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator or freezer overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick liner.

Unwrap the logs.
Using a sharp knife, slice the logs into ovals about ¼ inch thick.
Arrange the ovals on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned but the centers remain pale, 7-10 minutes.
You may bake both pans at the same time, but rotate them 180 degrees at the midway point if they are not baking evenly.
Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.
The cookies will be soft when they cool.
They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Symon Sundays Reminder!

If you haven't already read, starting January 31, I will be cooking through Chef Michael Symon's new cookbook Live to Cook.  Right now it's a small group, which is what I expected. However, I want to make sure if anyone else wants to join that you please send an email to symonsundays@gmail.com so I can make sure you're on the email list.

I will send out an email Sunday with the first selection as well as the roatation for members to choose a recipe. We will begin blogging on Sunday, January 31, and will blog every OTHER Sunday.

Cannellini Beans Bourguignon

For dinner last night, I wanted something warm and hearty. I left some cannelini beans soaking while at work, and had some leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge that I wanted to use up. I also had some pancetta and random vegetables (...and a few open bottles of wine...). So essentially, I was making a clean out the fridge meal. You'd never know that by looking at this dish though, right? I'd make this again and serve it at a dinner party!

It can be made vegetarian by eliminating the pancetta and subbing vegetable stock for the beef, but I love the extra bit of flavor a little pancetta adds. This can be served over egg noodles or as a stew with a big chunk of toasted, chewy bread.

I kind of added things as I went along, so some measurements are approximations. Luckily, this is the kind of dish you should taste as you go, and adjust your seasonings!

Cannellini Beans Bourguignon

1/8 lb. pancetta, minced

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 yellow onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, halved

Salt and fresh cracked black pepper

2 cups dried cannellini beans, soaked for 8-24 hours

1/4 cup Cognac or Brandy

2 cups dry red wine, like Pinot Noir

2 cups beef broth

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp. fresh minced rosemary

Mashed Potatoes or Cooked Egg Noodles for serving

Heat a dutch oven over medium.

Add pancetta, stir with a large wooden spoon and cook for 5 minutes.

Scoop out and place on a paper towel to drain, also drain and excess fat from dutch oven (a little in there along with small bits of pancetta is ok)

Add EVOO, onions, garlic, carrots and mushrooms.

Saute' for 10-12 minutes, until vegetables are softened and slightly brown on the edges.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add cannellini beans, cognac and red wine.

Reduce liquid by half, add beef stock, tomato paste, thyme and rosemary.

Bring to a simmer, turn heat to low and cover.

Cook for 30 minutes, or until beans are tender.

Plate and sprinkle reserved crisp pancetta over top.

Super Sized Italian Wedding Stew

One of my favorite soups is Italian Wedding. I'm a meatball fanatic, and I could eat pasta in some way, shape or form every night for dinner. And usually I love all things mini, however with Italian Wedding soup, I thought bigger might be better. In my mind, I imagined a big bowl full of the Italian Wedding soup elements with some warm broth poured over top and lots of parmesan cheese. It took a soup and made it a big, hearty meal!

Super Sized Italian Wedding Stew

Meatballs:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 egg white

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/2 tsp. dried Italian herbs

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp. parmesan cheese

4 cups chicken stock

10 oz. fresh baby spinach leaves

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

1/2 lb. cavatappi

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Parmesan cheese, to garnish

Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt heavily, drop in pasta and cook to al dente.

Add spinach to a large colander, pour pasta down over spinach to wilt it, drain and set aside.

Add chicken stock to a stock pot. Bring to a simmer.

In mixing bowl, combine meatball ingredients.

Form into 12 meatballs, gently drop into the stock.

Add carrots to the meatball pot.

Simmer for 8-10 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through.

Skim off any fat from the meatballs.

Add pasta and spinach to serving bowls.

Spoon out carrots and meatballs, pour desired amount of remaining stock over.

Garnish with red pepper flakes and cheese.

Garlicky Almond and Sun-Dried Tomato Green Beans

For our office Christmas lunch, my co-worker and I tried to think of a good vegetable to pair with lasagna and turkey. We figured green beans would be a safe bet. He said he has a favorite way of preparing them, which is with lots of garlic, sun dried tomatoes and almonds. I made mine in a more brothy sauce, where his were in a bit more EVOO. Either way, these greens beans have lots of flavor, and are an easy side to any main course.

Garlicky Almond and Sun-Dried Tomato Green Beans

4-6 large garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. EVOO

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1 lb. trimmed green beans or Haricot Vert

1/2 cup julienne sun dried tomatoes

1/4 cup almonds, slivered or chopped

Heat a saute' pan over medium-low heat.

Add EVOO and garlic, season with salt and pepper.

Cook for 8-10 minutes, until garlic is soft and just starting to brown.

Add vegetable stock and green beans, toss and cover.

Turn heat to medium, cook green beans for 5-10 minutes, depending on thickness, until al dente.

Uncover, toss in sun-dried tomatoes and almonds, serve.

Christmas Dinner Recap, Pinot Noir Gravy

I thought I'd post a run-down of the complete Christmas dinner, as well as the recipe for the gravy I made. I wasn't going to make one, but last minute, I figured it would be a nice addition since the mashed potatoes I made weren't strongly flavored any way. I also thought it would help with any potential dryness in the meat (though the turkey was pretty tender and the pork was just slightly dry).


Sadly, one element of Christmas Dinner never made it to the table. I had the world's hardest, most inpenetrable butternut squash! I made one other dish, Cognac Chestnuts with Butternut Squash, but the squash just didn't cook in time. Everyone was waiting at the table (banging their forks and demanding food!!!), ready to eat, so I left them in the oven. It wasn't until I was hand-washing the china that I finally was able to easily pierce a piece of squash. Though I have to admit, I was secretly happy it didn't get served, I blissfully ate squash for the next 3 days!

Christmas Dinner Menu

Rosemary, Walnut and Garlic Crusted Pork Loin

Almond Sage Crusted Cranberry Stuffed Turkey Breast

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

Asiago and Provolone Macaroni and Cheese

Haricot Vert with Sauteed Shallots

Pinot Noir Gravy, recipe follows

Pinot Noir Gravy:

4 tbsp. butter

1/2 small yellow onion, grated

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

4 tbsp. flour

2 cups Pinot Noir

2 cups chicken/vegetable/turkey stock (pan drippings as well, if possible)

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp. minced fresh herbs (rosemary, tarragon, sage, thyme)

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Add onion and garlic, saute' until softened, 2-3 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle in flour, whisk well, cook for 2 minutes.

Add pinot noir, reduce by half, whisk well.

Add stock, whisk well.

Bring to a simmer, taste and season.

Add more stock as needed for desired viscosity.

Asiago and Provolone Macaroni and Cheese

In my family, it's a tradition to have Macaroni and Cheese at Thanksgiving. I never gave it a second thought, but later in life found out that not many people eat Mac and Cheese on Thanksgiving. Keeping with the Mac and Cheese at the holidays theme, I decided to make a variation on Christmas day. I had a huge block of Asiago to use up, and a bit of Provolone. I knew this would create a sharp tasting Macaroni and Cheese, but since those are two of my favorites, I decided to try it out and hope everyone else would appreciate the slighty stinky Mac and Cheese. It was great, easy to make ahead of time and reheat, and made a huge tray with plenty of leftovers.

Asiago and Provolone Macaroni and Cheese

1 1/2 lbs. cavatappi or any short cut pasta

1 stick of butter

1 small yellow onion, grated

1/3 cup AP flour

1 tsp. ground white pepper

1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg

4 cups 2% or whole milk

3 cups grated asiago cheese

1 cup grated provolone cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt heavily, add pasta and cook until al dente.

Drain well, set aside.

In a large stock pot, melt butter over low heat.

Grate in onion, sweat onion for 2-3 minutes.

Sprinkle in flour, whisk and cook for 2-3 minutes, until it is a light brown color.

Add milk, whisk, bring to medium heat.

Sprinkle in cheese, whisking in completely before the next addition.

Add pepper and nutmeg.

Pour pasta into a casserole dish, pour cheese sauce over top.

Stir to distribute cheese.

Transfer to a 350 degree oven, bake for 25-30 minutes, until crisp and bubbly.

Almond-Sage Crusted Cranberry Stuffed Turkey Breast

Since I don't eat pork tenderloin but love turkey, I decided to make a stuffed turkey breast as well. Call me self-centered, but since I made the pork for everyone else, I made the turkey how I would want it. I know some other family members don't like cranberry (that's why I left them out of the pork, or any other dried fruit).... but I love cranberries. I also love sage, especially when paired with turkey and cranberry. To make this roll, I used two large turkey breasts, pounded out and kind of overlapping a bit to make a flat piece of meat, like a flank steak.

I absolutely loved this turkey, it had great flavor and was everything I hoped it would be!

Almond-Sage Crusted Cranberry Stuffed Turkey Breast

2-2.5 lbs. turkey breast (2 breasts or one large)

2 cups prepared stuffing (recipe below)

1/2 cup dried cramberries

Salt and pepper

3 garlic cloves

1/4 cup EVOO

10 sage leaves or 1 tbsp. dried rubbed sage

1 cup crushed almonds

Butchers twine

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Add garlic, EVOO, salt, pepper, and sage to a blender or food processor, pulse until garlic and sage are in tiny bits, but not pureed.
Trim turkey, cut meat into a flat piece by rolling it out as you cut it, or butterfly it and pound it a little thinner.
Add stuffing to the center, sprinkle in cranberries, roll the turkey and place seam side down on a plastic cutting board.
Rub EVOO mixture onto turkey.
Sprinkle with almonds, press to coat all around turkey.
Tie in 2 or 3 sections, place seam side down into a baking dish.
Cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes to an hour.
Remove foil and roast for another 30 minutes, until nuts are toasted and turkey is cooked through.


Stuffing:

2 tbsp. butter or olive oil (or 1 of each)

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

4 cups herbed stuffing cubes

2 cup chicken stock, warmed (maybe more or less)

1 egg

Add EVOO & butter to a saute' pan over medium heat.

Add onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper.

Cook for 5 minutes, until onions have slightly caramelized.

Add stuffing cubes, poultry seasoning, onion mixture and egg to a bowl.

Whisk together.Add stock a ladelful at a time, folding in, until moistened.

Cover and refrigerate until use.(Makes about 5 cups)

Rosemary, Walnut and Garlic Crusted Stuffed Pork Loin

I was really hoping to get my Christmas dinner recipes blogged before the New Year, but it just didn't happen. I had planned on making a roast turkey, but decided at the last minute to try something new and different. I asked JJ what kind of meat he would like, and he said his family likes pork. I have made pork tenderloin a few times, and seen so many variations, so I decided to make something up as I went along.
I was floating ideas by my co-worker, and he told me he loves garlic and rosemary with pork. I knew I wanted to crust it in nuts and stuff it, so all of the ideas seemed to flow together. I thought about stuffing the meat with dates, but didn't want it to get too busy. Next time though, I'd probably add something to make it pop a little. This pork came out great, the family loved it, and it was faily easy to make, and has great stage presence.

Rosemary, Walnut and Garlic Crused Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

1.5 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed

2 cups prepared stuffing (recipe below)

Salt and pepper

5 garlic cloves

1/4 cup EVOO

Handful of rosemary

1 cup crushed walnuts

Butcher's twine

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Add garlic, EVOO, salt, pepper, and rosemary to a blender or food processor, pulse until garlic and rosemary are in tiny bits, but not pureed.

Trim pork, cut meat into a flat piece by rolling it out as you cut it, or butterfly it and pound it a little thinner.

Add stuffing to the center, roll the pork and place seam side down on a plastic cutting board.

Rub EVOO mixture onto pork.

Sprinkle with walnuts, press to coat all around pork.

Tie pork in 2 or 3 sections, place seam side down into a baking dish.

Cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes to an hour.

Remove foil and roast for another 30 minutes, until nuts are toasted and pork is cooked through.

*JJ did tell me the pork was slightly over-cooked, but I'm paranoid about stuffed meat. Next time I'd whip out my meat thermometer for accuracy*

Stuffing:
2 tbsp. butter or olive oil (or 1 of each)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
4 cups herbed stuffing cubes
2 cup chicken stock, warmed (maybe more or less)
1 egg


Add EVOO & butter to a saute' pan over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper.
Cook for 5 minutes, until onions have slightly caramelized.
Add stuffing cubes, poultry seasoning, onion mixture and egg to a bowl. Whisk together.
Add stock a ladelful at a time, folding in, until moistened.
Cover and refrigerate until use.
(Makes about 5 cups)

Charlotte and Belle's 1st Birthday Cakes

Yesterday was Charlotte and Belle's first birthday! We celebrated by having birthday cake last night. I was going to make one cake, but I would personally not want to share my birthday cake with someone else...
So I whipped this up just by throwing their favorite things in the mixer and baking it. I didn't use precise measurements, so I approximated here!

Peanut Butter-Pumpkin-Carrot-Oat Dog Cake

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 cup shredded carrots

2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup plain yogurt (as icing)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a cake pan (I used 2-6" pans, or 1 9") with parchment.

Add pumpkin, eggs, milk and peanut butter to a mixer, mix until smooth.

Add carrots, baking powder, oats and flour, mix until just incorporated.

Pour into cake pan, place in the oven.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack until room temperature.

Spread with yogurt, serve!

White Bean Cassoulet

I have been wanting to make cassoulet for a long time, since I saw Lisa Garza make it on the Next Food Network Star. Bobby Flay told her it was the best cassoulet he'd ever had, so when I was choosing a recipe, I immediately thought of hers.
I haven't had another cassoulet, so I don't really have a comparison, but this was just as I expected. It was flavorful, warm, comforting, and cheap!
Lisa serves her cassoulet with sausage, spinach pesto and parmesan crostini, but I didn't look at the recipe until I was about to make the cassoulet, so I didn't have those other elements. I served this with the brussels sprouts in my previous post.

White Bean Cassoulet

by Lisa Garza, click on link for entire meal

***The original recipe blogged is NOT Lisa's recipe. I'm hoping to get it soon and give it a try***

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Pancetta

I made these brussels sprouts last week on a whim. I love pairing pancetta with brussels sprouts, and I had some in the fridge. I also had some chestnuts that needed to be used up, so the dish kind of made itself. Since it was going to be salty, earthy, and very savory, I thought adding a sweet note would round out the dish, so I tossed everything in a drizzle of pure maple syrup. This is definitely my favorite way I've prepared brussels sprouts. I'm sure I'll be making these again soon, however with chestnuts going out of season, I might swap in hazelnuts, almonds or pecans.

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Pancetta

1 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

1/8 lb. pancetta, minced

1/2 cup chestnuts, halved

2 tbsp. pure maple syrup

Fresh ground black pepper

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat.

Add pancetta, saute' for 5 minutes, until just crisp.

Spoon out and drain on a paper towel.

Add sprouts, chestnuts and pancetta to a baking dish.

Drizzle with maple syrup, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to distribute evenly.

Roast for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of your sprouts.

They should be slightly caramelized on the edges and tender.

SYMON SUNDAYS UPDATE:

If you are going to join the group, please send an email to symonsundays@gmail.com

The group will close on January 17, when I'll announce the first recipe and the rotation for selection. The first post date will be January 31.

Spinach and Emmenthaler Quiche Tart, Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche Tart

For our final brunch item I made two quiche varities. I was going to make them in pie plates like normal, but one of my pie plates was at JJ's parents house. A few weeks ago I told JJ how convienient it would be if pie plates had removable sides like tart pans. I had a lightbulb go off during my pie plate fiasco - what if I use the tart pans for quiche! They would be bigger, but easier to cut and they would cook faster. The tart pans worked like a charm, and I will probably use them from now on when I make quiche!

Spinach and Emmenthaler Quiche Tart

&

Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche Tart

2 10" pie crusts:

3 1/2 cups AP flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. sugar

2 sticks of butter, frozen

2 tbsp. shortening

1/2 cup ice water

Spinach and emmenthaler filling:

1 cup chopped spinach, drained well

6 eggs

1/2 cup milk

4 oz. shredded emmenthaler cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

1/2 yellow onion, minced

Broccoli and cheddar filling:

1 cup chopped steamed broccoli florets

6 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Dash of tobasco

1/2 yellow onion, minced

Make the tart crusts first.

Add flour, salt and sugar to a large bowl. Whisk with a fork.

Cut butter and shortening into flour in pea sized pieces.

Add water and use a fork to mix until dough just comes together in a ball.

Wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate for an hour (or overnight)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out tart crust, place in tart pan. Place tart pans on cookie sheets.

In large mixing bowls, whisk together eggs and milk.

Add cheeses, vegetables and spices, whisk to combine.

Pour into tart pans.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until puffy and set.

Cool for 5 minutes, pop out of tart pan.

Slice and serve immediately.

Blueberry Almond and Cranberry-Orange Muffins

For brunch, I decided to make 2 types of muffins. I'm a big fan of cranberry-orange, but I know some people don't like cranberry, so I also made blueberry. Our internet was down, so I couldn't look up an recipes, so I grabbed my go-to baking book, "Baking From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan (the Tuesdays with Dorie book). She had a recipe for Orange Blueberry Muffins, so I adapted it to make both recipes. The muffins came out a bit on the dry side, so next time I might undercook them for a little less time.

Blueberry Almond and Cranberry Orange Muffins

adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Blueberry Almond:

1 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

3 tbsp. honey

1 stick of butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. almond extract

Raw sugar, for dusting the tops

Cranberry Orange:

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

Juice of 1 orange

1 stick of butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

1 tbsp. orange zest

Raw sugar, for dusting the tops

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a 12 cup muffin tin (or 2 if making both recipes).

Add sugar to a bowl, add zest and rub zest into sugar with fingers.

Add buttermilk, eggs, honey or orange juice, extract and melted butter to the bowl. Whisk well.

In a seperate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

Add wet ingredients to dry, whisk until just incorporated.

Add berries, fold in with a spatula.

Divide batter evenly into muffin cups.

Bake for 10 minutes, sprinkle the muffin tops with sugars.

Bake for another 11-13 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack, store in an air tight container.

Chef Symon Sundays

I absolutely adore Chef Michael Symon. When I found out he was publishing his first cookbook, I couldn't wait to pick it up! It's full of wonderful, easy to follow recipes that are a both a bit outside the box or good old comfort food. I can't wait to start cooking!

I've decided that doing this as a group would be a fun way to cook through it. If you have any interest in cooking through "Live to Cook," comment here! I'm thinking the recipes will be chosen in a rotation, and we'll blog one every other Sunday. If you don't have a blog but would like to participate, I can post a round up with photos and commentary for you on my blog.

I'd like to start posting on January 31, so the first recipe will be chosen by January 17. You can always join after we've started, but you won't be able to choose a recipe right away then.

Go here for some reviews and information about "Live to Cook"

Pumpkin Spice and Eggnog French Toast Casserole

One of my favorite brunch items is overnight french toast or a strata. They're so easy to prepare, can be made in advance, can be flavored a million ways, and serve a crowd.



The first french toast casserole I decided to make was Pumpkin Spice. I absolutely love pumpkin, so it was an easy decision. I decided to go food shopping and see what bread was fresh and looked good, and the baker told me the challah was fresh and delicious. It was exactly what I had hoped for! This french toast was fantastic, a little spicy, and creamy in the middle with some crunch on the outside.

Pumpkin Spice Challah French Toast Casserole

1-2 tbsp. softened butter

1 loaf of challah bread, sliced 1" thick

6 eggs

2 cups of 2% milk

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Butter the bottom and sides of a casserole dish.

Line the dish with bread, cut to fit nooks and try to make layers even, crossing bread in different directions (you can also cube the bread and scatter it).

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, brown sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.

Pour evenly over bread, press bread down to saturate.

Cover with saran wrap or foil and refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Remove saran wrap or foil. Spray foil with nonstick spray, re-cover casserole.

Bake for 1 hour, uncover and bake for another 15-30 minutes (to determine how long it needs to bake, jiggle the dish, if the center isn't set, continue to bake. If there is no jiggle, remove and serve).

For the second French Toast Casserole, I decided to use eggnog. It seemed to be a natural choice since french toast is eggy. JJ said his family loves eggnog, so it was a great idea. This one seemed to be a bit more creamy and the favorite among the crowd.

Eggnog Challah French Toast Casserole

1-2 tbsp. butter, softened

1 loaf of challah bread, cut 1" thick

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups lowfat eggnog

1 cup 2% milk

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Butter the bottom and sides of a casserole dish.

Lay bread in the dish, crossing to create even layers.

Whisk together eggs, eggnog, milk, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Pour evenly over bread, press down to soak in as much as possible.

Cover with saran wrap or foil.

Refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Remove saran wrap, spray foil with nonstick spray, re-cover.

Bake for 1 hour, uncover and bake for 15 minutes to 30 minutes.

Christmas Eve Brunch Menu

On Christmas Eve, JJ and I hosted a brunch for some of our family. I made a diversified menu since there were 11 people. Many of the dishes could be made ahead, or prepped heavily ahead of time. Since we ate at 10am, I didn't have to get up any earlier than normal to finish cooking.

Christmas Eve Brunch Menu:

(recipes will be up soon!)

-Eggnog French Toast Casserole

-Pumpkin Spice French Toast Casserole

-Spinach and Swiss Quiche Tart

-Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche Tart

-Blueberry Almond Muffins

-Cranberry Orange Muffins

-Maple Turkey Sausage (store bought)

-Winter Fruit Salad (pineapple, kiwi, canteloupe and strawberries)

-Mimosas (orange and pineapple juice)

-Coffee Service

Grilled Turkey

For our Office Christmas Lunch, my co-worker Lou and I made the menu. I work with a bunch of men, so the menu was much different than any normal lunch for me!
Over Thanksgiving, Lou was in Alabama with his family and they made a turkey on the grill. He was telling me about it, and jokingly said we should make a grilled turkey for Christmas... so we did! He brought a grill and set it up in the parking lot at work. The turkey was made really simply with a rub of EVOO, salt, pepper and minced garlic (lots!).
The turkey had amazing flavor from the grill, the wood, and the garlic. It was very tender, no need for gravy (not that we had any)... Lou used alder hardwood when he added the coals, but you can use any variety to flavor it how you'd like.
I brought in a lasagna and cookies and blondies, and he also made some green beans, which I'll be re-creating this week!

Grilled Turkey

15-20 lb. Turkey (flat is better than tall)

EVOO to coat

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup minced garlic

Handful of onion powder

Rub the bird with olive oil, and then heavy coarse black pepper, salt, onion powder and garlic.

Start with 25 coals on both sides of the grill.

Put a drip pan on the bottom between the coals to catch the drippings.

Each hour, add 6 coals and a piece of wood per side and cover back up.

Keep the bottom and top air vent holes open the whole time.

Rotate the lid holes each hour when you add the coals.

Put the lid on long ways, the head of the bird, then the butt next time.

Based on a 15# bird, you'll only have to add coals twice. It will be done in exactly the time you allowed, will be golden brown, and will be delicious.

After taking it off, let it stand 10 minutes or so before carving.

Total Cooking Time - 11 minutes per pound.

For this 21lb. turkey, we cooked it for about 4 hours.

Housewarming Wrap-Up

I've been blogging recipes from the Housewarming Party for the past few weeks, so here are the rest of the things I made, click on the recipe name for the link. We had a fantastic time, the food was great, and we made out first fire! Charlotte and Belle are big fans of the fireplace.

Skyline Chili Dip

I thought it would be fun to bring a bit of Cincinnati to the party in Jacksonville by making this dip. Skyline chili is available many places across the country in the freezer section or in cans. I prefer the frozen trays over the cans, but either works just fine!

Brie en Croute

Thanks to Pepperidge Farm's partnership with Foodbuzz, I was able to try this recipe out. I love brie en croute! I topped my brie with red currant jam, then wrapped it in puff pastry and baked it. I served it with pear and apple slices.

Mozzarella Stuffed Mini Meatball Sandwiches

This is one of my favorite appetizers because I love meatballs! I make them extra flavorful by mixing sausage and ground beef to make the meatballs. Also, a little bit of mozzarella inside makes them pop!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

This dip is a well-loved classic, so I made a big tray. I like to use reduced-fat cream cheese though, rather than fat free because I think it tastes closest to regular, but still saves some calories and fat.

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Surprise 25th Anniversary Dinner Party

My in-laws celebrated their 25th Anniversary on December 8, 2009. My husband and I thought it would be fun to throw a surprise party for them. Since we moved into our new home, I suggested we do a nice sit down dinner rather than spend 4-5 times the price going to a restaurant. He thought it was a great idea! We asked my brother-in-law what he thought and when he would be home from college, and we decided the 19th was the perfect date (though it was also his 22nd birthday, but he was willing to share).

For the menu, I decided to cook an Italian feast. I created three appetizers, a dinner with the choice of beef or chicken, and a 2 tier cake.

I decorated the house in all silver decor and had many personalized items as his parents didn't have a formal reception when they were married.

His parents were completely surprised! We had been planning this party for about 2 months, so we were so happy that no one slipped and mentioned the party. They had a fantastic time, and we are so glad we were able to celebrate their 25 years of marriage.

George & Jenny's 25th Anniversary Menu:

Appetizers:

Caprese Spring Rolls with Pesto Dipping Sauce

Puff Pastry wrapped Blue Cheese stuffed Olives

Rosemary Tuscan Bean Dip with Flatbread Crackers

Caesar Salad with Sourdough Croutons and Homemade Dressing

Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Bread

Entree:

Prosciutto and Asiago Stuffed Chicken with Mushroom Marsala Sauce

or

Salami and Provolne Rolled Beef with Sun-Dried Tomato, Lemon and Butter Sauce

Haricot Verts with Sauteed Shallots

Roasted Garlic Whipped Yukon Gold Potatoes

Dessert:

Almond Sour Cream Pound Cake with Raspberry Jam

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Iced Sugar Cookie Favors

I placed a menu at each guest's seat so they would know what was going to be served. I had personalized napkins with Mom and Dad's wedding date.

The appetizers were set out so guests could start eating as soon as they arrived. We asked them to come at 6pm, and planned for JJ's parents to come around 6:30. We also served beer, wine and soda.

The first appetizer selection was Caprese Spring Rolls with Pesto Dipping Sauce. I created this recipe over the summer to win a chance to attend Foodbuzz's Blogger Festival, but I didn't win! I made the spring rolls for my cousin and her husband, and they requested that I make them again, soon! Luckily they lived up to Leah and Jay's hype, and everyone enjoyed them as well.

Caprese Spring Rolls with Pesto Dipping Sauce

by Ashlee Wetherington (click link for recipe)

The second appetizer I chose is another crowd favorite, Puff Pastry wrapped Blue Cheese stuffed Olives. I came up with these after sampling a blue cheese stuffed olives. I thought it would be even better warm, wrapped like a cocktail hotdog. I first made these for a Tea Party my sisters and I hosted for my Mom. They were the first appetizer we ran out of! They're so simple to make, and they have great flavor.

Puff Pastry wrapped Blue Cheese stuffed Olives

by Ashlee Wetherington

The last appetizer I made was this Rosemary Tuscan Bean Dip. I have seen several bean dips lately, so I thought this would be something new to try. I tried to make this extra flavorful by simmering the beans in beef stock with a few fresh rosemary sprigs.

Rosemary Tuscan Bean Dip

by Ashlee Wetherington

Since dinner was going to be fairly elaborate, I decided to make Caesar Salad. My sister's friend, Kelly, was nice enough to give me her secret Caesar salad dressing recipe. I think it tastes very similar to Carrabbas, which is my favorite Caesar Salad. I made fresh croutons to make the salad a little more special, as well.

Caesar Salad with Doug's One of a Kind Caesar and Sourdough Croutons

Dressing by Doug via Kelly, Croutons by Me

Since most dinners are served with some kind of bread, I figured I would make garlic bread since it's Italian. I love when garlic bread is very garlicky, especially with slow roasted, large chunks of garlic. I roasted about 10 bulbs of garlic to use in all of the different recipes! To make this garlic bread, I simply mixed the cloves of 2 heads of roasted garlic, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 tbsp. dried Italian herbs, salt, pepper, and 1 stick of softened butter. I split 4 baguettes, spread the mixture on, and baked them at 400 for 10 minutes. These were also great for sopping up the extra sauces from dinner!

I decided to make both a chicken dish and a beef dish so our guests would have a choice. Since JJ's mom isn't a fan of tomato based sauces, I had to think of some non-tomato based Italian sauces. I knew both his parents like marsala, so I chose that. Then I decided to make a lemon butter sauce with sun dried tomatoes, which his mom likes. In the end, everyone was pretty split on their favorite dish, but I have to say the marsala was by far my favorite!

Mashed potatoes seemed to be a great choice with either chicken or beef. I think Yukon Golds make great mashed potatoes, especially with roasted garlic. The recipe I used is one I made up, but pretty standard for mashed potatoes. I used 10 lbs. of potatoes, and multiplied the recipe.

Roasted Garlic Yukon Gold Whipped Potatoes

by Ashlee Wetherington

As the vegetable side, JJ and I both agreed that green beans seem to be a pretty safe vegetable. I originally thought about making asparagus, but some people don't like them. I was happy to see that everyone ate their haricot verts, and my brother in law even said they were his favorite, and he's not a vegetable eater!

To make these haricot verts: Melt 1 stick of butter over low heat. Add 4 cups of sliced shallots of sweet yellow onions. Season with salt and pepper. Stir every 10 minutes or so, cook for 2 hours, until caramelized. Set aside. Steam 5 lbs. of haricot verts, toss in caramelized shallots. Serve.

Besides Spaghetti and Meatballs, my favorite Italian dish is Chicken Marsala. I have worked for a long time to create the perfect marsala sauce, and recently got it just right for my tastes. Since I know JJ's parents love chicken marsala, I had to put it on the menu for the party.

Prosciutto and Asiago Stuffed Chicken Marsala

by Ashlee Wetherington

I don't eat much beef, so when I do, it has to be fork tender with a great sauce and lots of flavor. One of my favorite beef dishes is my mom's rouladen. I based this beef dish off her rouladen, but simplified it a bit. The lemon, butter and sun-dried tomato sauce I created was a hit, but it's definitely something you probably shouldn't eat often, as it has plent of butter and cream!

Salami and Provolone Rolled Beef with Lemon, Butter and Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

by Ashlee Wetherington

For the cake, I decided to keep it simple. I made a two tier cake using this Paula Deen recipe. I filled it with Raspberry jam, and iced it in Almond Buttercream.

I also made these Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries to go with the cake. Thanks so much to Leah for piping them for me when I was running out of time! I baked off half a recipe of this cheesecake by Dorie Greenspan, stirred it up and get it smooth, and used a piping bag with a star tip.

The last thing I made were these Sugar Cookie Favors using my Famous Sugar Cookie recipe, which can be found here, here, here or here!

And of course, we had to have a birthday Cherry Pie for AJ!

Salami and Provolone Rolled Beef with Lemon, Butter and Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

Want to hear more about this dish? Check out this post!

Salami and Provolone Rolled Beef with

Lemon, Butter and Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

3 lbs. flank steak, pounded

9 slices of salami

9 slices of prvolone

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 cup beef stock

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 shallots, minced

8 roasted garlic cloves (or 1 bulb)

Salt and pepper

1 cup julienne sun-dried tomatoes

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half

4 lemons, juiced

1 tsp. corn starch

1 tbsp. minced parsley

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Heat a pan over high heat, add EVOO.

Pound out beef, add salami and cheese, roll up.

Place seam side down into pan, brown all sides for about 3-4 minutes per side.

Place in a baking dish, add stock, cover.

Bake for 3 hours.

Add butter to a stock pot, heat over medium-low.

Add shallots, roasted garlic and sun-dried tomatoes.

Cook for 15 minutes, season with salt and pepper.

Add white wine, turn heat to high, reduce by half.

Add half and half, lemons, cornstarch and parsely.

Bring to a simmer, turn heat off.

Slice beef, top with sauce.

Prosciutto and Asiago Stuffed Chicken Marsala

Want to know the details of this post? Check out this post!

Prosciutto and Asiago Stuffed Chicken Marsala

4 chicken breasts, pounded thin

4 slices of prosciutto

4 slices of asiago cheese

salt and pepper

1/2 cup chicken stock

Marsala Sauce:

1/4 lb. pancetta, diced

1 tbsp. butter

1 lb. button mushrooms, sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 shallots minced

salt and pepper

1 cup amber marsala wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 tsp. cornstarch

splash of heavy cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place prosciutto and asiago in chicken breast, roll up and place seam side down in a baking dish, season with salt and pepper.

Add 1/2 cup chicken stock, cover and bake for an hour.

While chicken cooks, prepare sauce.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add pancetta.

Cook until crisp, drain and place on a paper towl lined plate.

Discar excess fat, place pan back on burner.

Add butter, mushrooms, garlic and shallots.

Sautee for 10 minutes, or until mushrooms give off most of their liquid.

Season with salt and pepper, turn heat to high.

Add marsala, reduce by half, turn heat to low.

Add chicken stock and cornstarch, whisk.

Bring to a simmer. Just before serving, add cream and crisped pancetta.

Plate chicken, pour sauce overtop.

Caesar Salad with Dougs One of a Kind Caesar & Sourdough Croutons

Want to know the details of this recipe? Check out this post!

Caesar Salad with Doug's One of a Kind Caesar

and Sourdough Croutons

2 tbsp. Anchovy Paste

1/2 tsp. Dijon Mustard

2 drops Worchestershire Sauce

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 drop hot sauce

1 egg

Fresh ground black pepper

Romaine hearts

Fresh grated parmesan

Boil egg for 1 minute to separate the white.

In a large bowl, add anchovy paste and mustard, whisk well.

Add Worchestershire, hot sauce, egg yolk and pepper. Mix well.

Add romaine and grated parmesan, toss well.

Top with Sourdough croutons, recipe follows.

Sourdough Croutons

1 loaf of sourdough bread, cubed in 1" pieces

4 tbsp. butter, melted

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 tbsp. dried Italian herb mix

Salt and pepper

In a measuring cup, whisk together butter, EVOO, herbs, salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.

Add bread cubes, drizzle with butter mixture.

Toss to coat well.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden and slightly crunchy.

Keep in an airtight container and use within 2 days.

Rosemary Tuscan White Bean Dip

For a description of this receipe, check out this post!

Rosemary Tuscan White Bean Dip

1/2 lb. dried Cannelini or Great Northern Beans

8 cups water

4 cups beef stock (or chicken, vegetable)

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 sprigs of fresh Rosemary

1 shallot, minced

1/4 cup Olive Oil

Flatbread Crackers, for spreading

Add beans and water to a large bowl.

Let beans soak overnight, for at least 12 hours.

Drain beans, place in a stockpot with beef stock, salt, pepper, shallot and rosemary.

Bring to a simmer, turn to low and simmer for 4 hours.

Add more beef stock if beans are too dry, stir every 20 minutes or so.

Just before serving, add beans to a food processor.

Pulse to puree beans, stream in olive oil.

Add enough olive oil to create a smooth dip.

Scoop into a bowl, serve warm with flatbread.

Spinach, Pear and Walnut Pinwheels & Roasted Pepper, Hummus and Feta Pinwheels

The other cold appetizer selections for the housewarming party were these pinwheels. I have made the Spinach, Pear and Walnut variety many times because I love them. I wanted to make another type though, so I decided to pair together some of my favorite Mediterranean ingredients - roasted red peppers, hummus and feta cheese. I used Christmas colored wraps, but you can use any wrap you'd like. I forgot to get toothpicks, but these held together well without the toothpicks.

Pear, Spinach and Walnut Pinwheels (Makes 48)

1 package of 8 sun dried tomato tortillas
1 block reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 c. toasted walnuts, crumbled
1 tbsp. butter
1 bag baby spinach, shredded
2 pears, peeled, cored and diced small
Salt and Pepper

Set cream cheese on counter to soften.
Heat a large nonstick skillet to medium heat.
Melt butter and add pears, cook until pears are slightly softened, about 8 minutes.
In another non-stick skillet over high, lighty wilt spinach, then place in a colander over the sink.
Lay out tortillas and smear with cream cheese, sprinkle with salt and pepper, top with crushed walnuts, and some of the pears and spinach.
Roll up and put into a food storage container seam side down.
Finish all rolls and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Before serving, stick in toothpicks, slice off edges of tortillas, then cut each roll into 6 pieces.

Roasted Red Pepper, Hummus and Feta Pinwheels

1 pack of 8 spinach tortillas

8 oz. hummus, homemade or store bought
3 roasted red peppers, sliced

1 cup crumbled feta

Smear tortillas with hummus, place red pepper strips on top, sprinkle with feta.

Roll tightly and place into a food storage container seam side down.

Chill for 4 hours or overnight.

Before serving, stick in toothpicks, slice off edges and cut each roll into 6 pieces.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I've probably made this dip, commonly referred to as "crack dip" a million times, but I am just now blogging it. The reason being everyone always asks for the recipe. And no matter how many times I say "go to the Frank's Red Hot website," people don't listen. I know most of these people read my blog (hi!), so just for you, here it is!
Now there are a few interchangable ingredients, you can use your judgement and decipher what's best for your crowd. Some use ranch and some use blue cheese dressing in the chicken mixture. Since I knew this was a non-blue cheese crowd, I opted for ranch. Also, you can sprinkle the top with cheddar or more blue cheese, I chose cheddar.
I love to serve this with tortilla chips or scoops, pita chips, and celery sticks.
Make this for a party and everyone will love you forever. It will be the first thing gone. I guarantee it!
*Sorry for the not so pretty picture, the taste makes up for it, I promise!

Buffalo Chicken (or Crack) Dip

adapted from Frank's Red Hot, makes a large tray

2 lbs. chicken breasts

4 cups chicken stock

16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup ranch salad dressing
2 cups Franks Buffalo Sauce
2 cups cheddar cheese

Heat stock in a large stockpot over medium heat.

Add chicken, poach for 12-15 minutes, or until cooked through.

Remove from stock, discard.

Place chicken in a large bowl, shred well.

Toss with hot sauce and ranch.

Spread cream cheese in the bottom of a baking dish.

Top with chicken mixture.

Top with cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and hot.

*Note: If your chicken is a bit dry, add more hot sauce and dressing, it should be pretty wet because it will dry out a bit as it cooks*

Chopped Greek Salad in Phyllo Cups

The first appetizer I'm posting from our Housewarming Party is one of my personal favorites, Chopped Greek Salad in Phyllo Cups. It's not a very innovative recipe, but they're really cute, have great stage presence, are easy to make tons of, and taste wonderful! The great thing about these are you can do any variation of ingredients or ethnicities, like a chopped asian salad, chopped cobb salad, indian salad with tahini dressing, tex mex with black beans, corn and avocado....the list is endless!

Making the cups was actually very easy, and took about an hour to make about 100 cups (which was way more than we needed, but I snacked on them the next few days). If you don't want to mess with the phyllo, you can also use wontons or even tortillas. I personally enjoy phyllo the most, probably because of the golden color and buttery crunch!

I made the phyllo cups the night before the party and loosely wrapped them in saran wrap. I chopped all the veggies and put them in tupperware, then tossed the salad in the dressing right before I spooned them into the cups.

Chopped Greek Salad in Phyllo Cups

cups:

1 package of phyllo, defrosted in the refrigerator

1 stick of butter, melted

salad:

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and minced

1 english cucumber, seeded and minced

1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, seeded and minced (or 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes)

1 cup green olives, chopped

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

dressing:
1 tsp. minced fresh oregano
1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup EVOO
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. honey
(or 1/2 cup prepared greek dressing or a vinaigrette)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Roll out phyllo on counter, cover with a damp towel.
Melt the butter in a small dish.
Place a piece of phyllo on a cutting board, brush with butter, repeat 4 times.
Using a pizza cutter, slice into 3" squares.
Press into a mini muffin tin.
Bake for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown.
Pop out, cool on a wire rack, keep in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

Add all salad ingredients, toss.
Spoon into phyllo cups, garnish with extra herbs.

Yield: 100 cups and enough salad for about 50 cups

Cranberry Bliss Bars

One of my favorite memories of my time working at Starbucks was our annual Christmas party. We'd go to the training center and try all of the new beverages, pastries, and get our red aprons! I am not a huge Starbucks pastry fan (because I see the nutritional information on the boxes), but at Christmas, I find a way to look past that and let myself enjoy a piece of gingerbread loaf, a peppermint brownie, and of course, the cranberry bliss bar.

The cranberry bliss bar has always been one of my favorites, sweet, tart, like a cross between a cookie and a cake, with delicious cream cheese frosting... what's not to love?
For my housewarming party, I decided to use my favorite Starbucks pastries as inspriation. I made gingerbread cookies (rather than a loaf cake), cheesecake swirl (were supposed to be peppermint) brownies, and then these cranberry bliss bars. They're very close to the original, and so cheap to make at home rather than buy a tray for $15 bucks at Starbucks!

I found this recipe on Recipezaar, but changed it a little bit. I thought the ginger seemed to be too high, as I don't taste much in the original at all. For the drizzle, I used white chocolate, which is closer to what Starbucks uses.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

recipe adapted from Recipezaar

Cake:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup diced dried cranberries
6 ounces white chocolate, cut into chunks

Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Drizzle:
8 oz. white chocolate

1 tbsp. heavy cream

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until smooth.

Add eggs, vanilla, ginger, and salt; beat well.
Gradually mix in flour until smooth.
Mix 3/4 cup diced dried cranberries and white chocolate into the batter by hand.
Pour batter into a well-greased 9x13-inch baking pan and spread evenly.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake is light brown on the edges.
Let cool.

Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth.
When the cake has cooled, spread frosting over the top of cake.

Sprinkle cranberries over top.

Add white chocolate and cream to a small microwave safe bowl, heat on 10 second intervals until melted and smooth.

Drizzle over the top layer, chill for 4 hours.

Slice into triangles, makes 16-20 triangles.

Cheesecake Swirl Fudge Brownies

One of the desserts I made for our housewarming party were these Cheesecake Swirled Brownies. I had intended to make them peppermint cheesecake swirl brownies, but my peppermint extract vanished! Had I gone the peppermint route, I would have probably tinted the cheesecake swirl green or red, but I stuck with a vanilla and almond flavor and natural color.


To make these, I used my favorite brownie recipe, and then made up a simple cheesecake swirl. I made a 1/2 sheet cake pan of these brownies, which made close to 50.

Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Brownies adapted from Triple Chocolate Brownies (from Gourmet Magazine)

Brownie Layer:

12 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 sticks unsalted butter (3/4 lb)

3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

8 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cheesecake Layer:

16 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350.

First, prepare brownie layer:
In a metal bowl, set over a pan of barely simmering water melt the bittersweet chocolate and the unsweetened chocolate with the butter, stirring until the mixture is smooth.

Remove the bowl from the heat, and let the mixture cool until it is lukewarm.

Stir in the sugar and the vanilla and add the eggs, 1 at a time, stirring well after each addition.

Stir in the salt and the flour, stirring until the mixture is just combined, and stir in the chocolate chips.

Prepare the cheesecake layer:

In a large mixing bowl, mix cream cheese until smooth.

Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Add eggs one at a time, until incorporated.

Add extracts and salt, mix until combined.

Line a 1/2 sheet cake pan with foil or parchment, grease liberally.

Pour brownie batter into the pan, spread evenly.

Drop tablespoons full of cheesecake batter on top.

Using a knife, make diagonal swipes and then cross the other way to create a swirl pattern.

Do not let the knife touch the bottom!

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Christmas Cookie Round Up

I didn't really remember to take nice shots of the Christmas Cookies I made this weekend because of my hectic schedule. In addition to baking all night Friday, I ran a 10k Saturday morning, then hosted my housewarming party Saturday afternoon/evening.
It was a marathon of baking, so I left the camera with JJ to take photos. He took a few nice shots, and a few, well, you can decide if you like them!

Variation of this Holiday Biscotti (I used almonds and added white chocolate chips in the batter)

Banana Spritz Cookies on Chocolate Disks (will type up the spritz recipe soon!) inspired by a Rachael Ray Everyday cookie recipe I saw

Classic Gingerbread Men with M&M Buttons

Pre-Baked Brown Sugar Slice and Bake Cookies

M&M Cookies (and JJ's shoe...)

Me putting more Double Chocolate M&M Cookies in the oven...I think it was close to midnight here

And because it seems like you all want to see more of the puppies (or maybe that's just in my head...), here's one of Belle just begging to get back in the kitchen. When I found her climbing into my bag of flour, she landed herself on the other side of the baby gate!

Unpictured are the Peanut Butter Blossoms, Coconut Macaroons, Sugar Cookies, and Shortbread. I also didn't make the Maamoul yet, but I have the ingredients, and hope to make them soon!

Christmas Cookie Baking Menu

If you're a long time AYITK reader, you probably are wondering if I'm making cookie packages this year. I'm sorry to say I'm not! There are a few reasons, the primary reason being I work much longer hours/commute than I used to, we're hosting quite a few parties in the next few weeks, and I'm still trying to get things situated around the new house.


I promise I'll reconsider next year, because I think I could have had another 50 orders already (here's last year's 50 orders, 1500 cookies in 2 days... talk about exhaustion!) However, I do still plan on having a marathon baking session this weekend so there are Christmas cookies at our housewarming party and for me to mail out to my family (so yes, family members, you'll still be getting yours this year).


This year, I'm not really doing many new things. I like to stick with what people like, and what is most traditional. I am adding a few new cookies this year that I'm excited about, though!

• Gingerbread Men
• Banana Spritz Cookies (family recipe, to be blogged!) on Chocolate Disks
• Double Chocolate M&M Cookies
• Peanut Butter Blossoms (might try a few kinds of Kisses)
• Sugar Cookies (not sure how I'll decorate them)
• Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies (If I can find the peppermint chips!)
• Lemon Shortbread
• Cranberry Almond Biscotti
• Maamoul (Date-Orange Cookies)
• Coconut Macaroons
• Slice and Bake Brown Sugar Cookies

I'll soon be posting my Housewarming Party menu, which is all appetizers, some Christmas-y desserts, and a few fudges. Those might also end up in the cookie packs!

Are there any Christmas Cookies you LOVE that you think I should add to my list? Let me know! I love trying new things.

Hazelnut Black Bottom Chocolate Pie

For the final dessert on Thanksgiving, I knew I had to make something chocolate-y. Basically, whenever my sister Kristine is in attendance, chocolate is a requirement. I found this pie recipe while browsing the web, but decided to make it a little bit different. I'm not a big fan of rum with chocolate. I prefer rum in my fruity desserts. I decided to raid my mom's liquor cabinet for a substitute. I settled on Frangelico because it's a hazelnut liquor and I'm a big fan of chocolate hazelnut biscotti.
I'd say this dessert was ranked second for the night, just behind the cheesecake. It's funny how the more creative, less traditional desserts were actually favored. However, most people chose a small piece of a traditional pie and a small piece of the cheesecake or chocolate pie.

Hazelnut Black Bottom Chocolate Pie

slightly adapted from epicurious

Filling:
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
6 large egg yolks
2 cups low-fat milk
1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons Frangelico
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Crumb Crust:

2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (I used TJ's chocolate cat cookies)

1 stick of butter, melted

1 tbsp. granulated sugar

Whipped Cream Topping:
1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tbsp. Frangelico
Chocolate curls

For crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toss all ingredients in a bowl, press into a pie plate.

Use a glass or measuring cup to pack down.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Cool to room temperature.

For Filling:

Whisk first 4 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan to blend.

Whisk in egg yolks to form thick paste.

Gradually whisk in milk, then cream.

Whisk over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and boils 1 minute.

Remove from heat.

Add chocolate and whisk until smooth.

Whisk in frangelico and vanilla.

Cool 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.

Transfer filling to crust.

Chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

For Topping:

Beat first 3 ingredients in large bowl until firm peaks form.

Spread over chocolate pie filling.

Garnish with chocolate curls.