Recipes Chez Moi

Oatmeal (Walnut) Cocoa Nib Cookies

2012-01-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

{recipe from Joy the Baker}

Oatmeal Walnut Cocoa Nib Cookies

makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional—I didn't use them because my family doesn't like them, but I'm sure they would be great)

1/2 cup cocoa nibs*

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, add butter and sugars. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat in eggs. Add eggs one at a time, beating for one minute on medium speed between each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture all at once to the butter and egg mixture. Beat on low speed until the mixture just comes together. It's okay if all of the flour isn't completely mixed in.

Add the oats, walnuts, cocoa nibs, and chocolate chips. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to finish incorporating the mixture by hand. Mix together until no flour bits remain, and everything is well mixed together.

Scoop dough out by the tablespoonful onto baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat (I always use silpat for cookies.) (I got a cookie scoop for Christmas and I love it! Uniform cookie size.) Bake for 10 to 13 minutes until toasted brown on top. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Cocoa nibs are bits of crushed cocoa beans and they are fabulous! They taste vaguely of dark chocolate and provide the perfect crunch in these cookies. I bought mine in France, but apparently you can buy them on amazon or maybe even in your grocery store. Well worth it—they totally make these cookies.

Peanut butter Nutella chocolate chip cookies!

2011-09-30T09:47:00.000-06:00

I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided to try it out yesterday. Holy deliciousness!! These just may be my new favorite cookie. The flavor and texture are amazing. My whole family loved them and anxiously awaits the next batch.

Note: this recipe only makes 24 smallish cookies, so I highly recommend a double batch.

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup Nutella
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1. Mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside dry ingredients.

2. Cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in Nutella and peanut butter and vanilla extract. Mix in egg.

3. Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add chocolate chips.

4. Chill for at least 1 hour.

5. Drop tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for about 11 minutes until the edges look set. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then carefully remove to cooling racks.

spice-rubbed tri tip roast

2011-09-28T18:02:00.000-06:00

This recipe from allrecipes.com is a new staple in my repertoire, as it is easy and delicious. I like to use the leftovers in my lunch salads.

I buy tri-tip roast in a 2-pack at Costco and freeze them individually in ziploc bags with a little olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. That way, they are already marinated when I defrost them. Couldn't be simpler! (I eliminate the olive oil from the recipe and decrease the salt when I'm using one of my thawed roasts.) I usually have some of the spice rub left over, and it's also delicious on pan-fried chicken breasts.

Ingredients

1 1/4 tablespoons paprika
1/2 - 1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (3 pound) sirloin tip roast (tri-tip)

Directions

In a small bowl, mix the paprika, kosher salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, and thyme. Stir in the olive oil, and allow the mixture to sit about 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Place the roast on the prepared baking sheet, and cover on all sides with the spice mixture.
Roast 1 hour in the preheated oven, or to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Let sit 15 minutes before slicing.

Thai basil shrimp risotto

2011-08-24T15:45:00.002-06:00

Max made this for dinner when my parents were visiting, and we all agreed that it was really good. Definitely one to add to the repertoire.

2 T. canola oil
1 pound small shrimp, rinsed and dried
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 T. unsalted butter
2 T. minced garlic
1 small onion, cut into an 1/8" dice
2 c. arborio or sushi rice
1 c. dry white wine
5-6 c. hot chicken broth
12 Thai basil leaves, cut into very fine strips (I couldn't find Thai basil, so I just used regular)
juice of one lime

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 T. of oil and swirl to coat the bottom. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and sauté, stirring, until the shrimp are pink, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil 1 T. of the butter. When the mixture is hot, add the garlic and onions and sauté until soft, 1-2 minutes. Add the wine, deglaze the pan, and simmer until the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, 2-3 minutes.

Ladle in the stock 1/2 cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed by the rice before adding the next. Continue until the rice is al dente, about 10 minutes. Return the shrimp to the rice, add the basil, remaining 2 T. of butter, and lime juice. Stir. Taste to adjust the seasoning.

Transfer the risotto to four individual serving bowls and serve.

from Simply Ming One-Pot Meals

Thai Curry Chicken and Cauliflower

2011-06-06T23:02:00.003-06:00

This is a great alternative to salad for my low-carb lunches – I make it one day and eat it for several. The cauliflower is a great stand-in for rice or potatoes, and I just happen to love cauliflower.

2 cups fresh cauliflower florets
1 cup fresh green beans
1/2 onion
4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T. olive oil
1 T. red curry paste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T. fresh chopped or grated ginger
1 can(14 Oz. Size) coconut milk
2 T. butter
1 pinch salt (add more to taste)
2 T. fish sauce
1 T. yellow curry powder (add more for a spicier dish)
2 T. sugar or Splenda (Splenda for carb watchers)

Please note that this recipe comes together a lot easier if the veggies and meat are chopped/crushed/grated ahead of time.

Begin by preparing the fresh vegetables. Put two medium-sized pots of water on the stovetop to boil, each with about an inch of water.

While the water coming to a boil, rinse the cauliflower in cold water. Trim the florets off the stem. Place them into one of the pots of boiling water, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the cauliflower with the lid slightly ajar for 12 minutes.

To prepare the green beans, rinse well, trim the ends off and cut the beans into 1-inch pieces.

Place the green beans in the second pot of boiling water and reduce the heat to low. Keep the cover of this pot ajar as well. (Placing the lid ajar while cooking them helps preserve the green color.) Simmer until slightly undercooked, about 10 minutes. They will finish cooking with the rest of the dish.

While the veggies are cooking, dice the onion and set aside.

Chop the boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.

Heat the oil on medium-high heat for a minute or two and add the onion. Add the red curry paste, crushed or chopped garlic, as well as the chopped or grated ginger (optional).

Open up the coconut milk and spoon 3 or 4 scoops into the mixture, to help blend the curry paste.

Continue to cook this mixture, keeping a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn, until the onions turn translucent. When the onions have softened, add the chopped chicken.

Meanwhile, keep an eye on the timers for the steaming vegetables. When they finish, pull them off of the heat and drain them. Reserve the green beans to be added to the chicken and curry.

To prepare the cauliflower, add the butter and salt to taste. If desired, stir with a fork to break down the cauliflower into smaller pieces. Set aside.

Cook the chicken mixture until the chicken is mostly done; about 8 or 9 minutes, while stirring frequently. Then add the remainder of the coconut milk, the fish sauce, green beans, the yellow curry powder, sugar, and a dash of salt. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Thin with water if needed.

Serve by placing a large scoop of curry chicken over a bed of cauliflower.

Stuffed French Toast with Raspberry Sauce

2011-05-21T17:08:00.003-06:00

This is a great dish to serve for Father's Day! (It's a bit high effort for breakfast, so I save it for special occasions.)

1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1/4 c. peach preserves (or apricot)
1 t. vanilla
1/4 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
2 T. Bailey's Irish cream, optional
8 slices Texas-style thick bread
1/2 c. apple juice
1/2 c. orange juice
1/2 c. puréed and strained frozen raspberries
1/4 c. white corn syrup
2 T. water
1 T. cornstarch
3 large eggs, beaten
3/4 c. half and half
1 t. vanilla
1 T. Frangelico liqueur, optional
1/4 c. vegetable oil
fresh fruit, such as apple slices or grapes
powdered sugar
mint leaves for garnish

Make filling by combining softened cream cheese, peach preserves, a teaspoon of vanilla, nuts and Irish cream, if using. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

Spread filling on four slices of bread, covering completely to edges. Top with remaining slices and gently push together. Refrigerate.

To make the sauce, place apple and orange juices and raspberries in pan. Add corn syrup and simmer gently. Combine water and cornstarch; add to sauce and cook until slightly thickened. Set aside.

Combine eggs, half and half, vanilla and liqueur. Dip bread in egg mixture, completely covering, but do not soak.

Heat oil in a nonstick sauté pan, and cook bread until brown. Keep warm while browning remaining slices.

To serve, cut bread diagonally in quarters. Pour a little sauce in each plate and stand toast wedges upright around the sauce. Arrange fruit on plate. Lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar, and garnish with mint leaves.

*I don't bother with the two different liqueurs. I just use whatever I have on hand – usually some kind of brandy.

Ravioli with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

2011-03-25T18:43:00.002-06:00

{recipe from Real Simple}

1 lb. cheese ravioli (fresh or frozen)
6 slices bacon
3 T. olive oil
1/2 c. pecan halves, coarsely chopped
1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
kosher salt and black pepper
1 T. white wine vinegar
grated parmesan, for serving

Cook the ravioli according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crisp, 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and break into pieces when cool.

Wipe out skillet and heat 2 T. oil over medium heat. Add pecans and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, 2-4 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts, 1/2 t. salt, and 1/4 t. pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until just tender, 3-4 minutes more. Stir in the vinegar. Add the bacon and toss to combine.

Serve the Brussels sprouts mixture over the ravioli, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil, and top with parmesan.

Paradise Bakery-style Sugar Cookies

2011-01-26T22:50:00.004-07:00

I can't remember where I first saw this recipe. When you want sugar cookies without the hassle of chilling, rolling, cutting, and frosting, these are the answer. (Eva likes them with jimmies; I like them with sugar crystals.)

1 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups shortening
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg, beaten
4 1/3 cups cake flour*
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
sugar, for decorating

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a medium bowl, cream together the sugars and shortening using an electric mixer. Mix on slow speed 30 seconds, then scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Increase speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes.

Slowly add vanilla and egg while mixing.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, mixing on slow speed until just blended. Do not overmix.

Scoop with an ice-cream scoop and roll in sugar. Place directly on cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with palm of hand.

Bake at 375° for 9-10 minutes. Cookies are done when small cracks appear and are pale golden. Ideally, the edges do not brown.

*very important! The cake flour, in addition to not overmixing, gives these cookies their tender, crumbly texture.

Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Crema

2011-01-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

{photo courtesy myrecipes.com}

I first had this dish when we were at the Outer Banks with my family last summer. I recreated it from memory, and it was good. But this week Jessie directed me to the actual recipe (Cooking Light, 2006) and I made it again. This is officially one of my new favorite meals, and Marc and Max really like it as well.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 tacos)

Crema:

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced

Tacos:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets (I used tilapia)
Cooking spray
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas (I used more, because we like to double them up)
2 cups shredded cabbage

Preheat oven to 425°.

To prepare crema, combine the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

To prepare tacos, combine cumin and next 5 ingredients (through garlic powder) in a small bowl; sprinkle spice mixture evenly over both sides of fish. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 9 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Place fish in a bowl; break into pieces with a fork. Heat tortillas according to package directions (I spray them with Pam, sprinkle them with salt, and warm them in a small skillet). Divide fish evenly among tortillas; top each with 1/4 cup cabbage and 1 tablespoon crema.

Nita's Famous Pecan Logs

2010-12-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from my grandmother Taylor, and was passed around at her funeral earlier this year. I didn't know she had a famous recipe, and thought I really should try it!

Be warned, however, this recipe is not for the faint of heart. Start two days before you want to have the finished product.

nougat cream center:

3 c. sugar
1 1/3 c. Karo syrup
1/4 c. melted butter
1 c. water
2 egg whites, beaten
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. salt

Combine 3/4 c. sugar, 2/3 c. Karo, 1/4 c. water. Boil to soft ball stage. Pour syrup over beaten egg whites, and continue beating until slightly cool (about 5 minutes). Make a well in center. Let stand while you make second syrup.

2 1/4 c. sugar
2/3 c. Karo
3/4 c. water

Combine above ingredients and cook over medium heat to 258º. Pour all at once into center of egg white mixture. Beat vigorously until thoroughly mixed. Stir in butter, vanilla, and salt. Beat well.

Let stand, beating occasionally, until very stiff. Press mixture into a well-buttered 9x13 pan. Cover and let stand a day or two refrigerated. Cut into bars and freeze.

caramel:

2 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. Karo
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. light cream (add 1/2 c. at a time)
1 t. vanilla

Cook sugar, Karo, and 1/2 c. cream, stirring well until it begins to boil. Add another 1/2 c. cream. Cook to 236º. Add remaining 1/2 c. cream and cook again to 236º. Transfer to double boiler to keep hot.

With two forks, roll bar into caramel. Lift out into bowl of chopped pecans. Press nuts onto bar. Cool.

These are delicious and make for an impressive treat, but you do have to work for it!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-12-13T09:34:00.003-07:00

Another great recipe from Tasty Kitchen – these were an instant hit with the whole family! The peanut butter is subtle. The pretzels provide the perfect amount of crunch and a nice salty foil for all the sweet. (Nothing ruins a cookie for me like a lack of good salty balance.) I'm sure we will make these again and again.

½ c. butter or margarine (softened)
½ c. shortening
¼ c. creamy peanut butter
¾ c. packed brown sugar
¾ c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 ¼. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
¾ c. coarsely crushed pretzels
1 ½ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cream together butter/margarine, shortening, peanut butter and both sugars. When light and fluffy and thoroughly combined, mix in one egg at a time. Then mix in vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into creamed ingredients in 2 or 3 additions, just until thoroughly combined. Stir in pretzels and chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until just browning on the edges and not quite set in the center. Let cool on the baking sheet 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

Crockpot Pesto Lasagna

2010-11-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

{photo and recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking}

1 (26-ounce) jar prepared pasta sauce
1 (10-ounce) box lasagna noodles
1 (11-ounce) container pesto
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 (12-ounce) bag baby spinach
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 cup water

Put a spoonful of pasta sauce (about 1/4 cup) into the bottom of your slow cooker and swirl it around. Add a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (you're going to have to break them to make a layer). Smear ricotta cheese and pesto onto the noodles. Add a handful or two of baby spinach, and top with a layer of Parmesan and slice mozzarella cheeses. Repeat layers until you've run out of ingredients. The spinach is fluffy, so you're going to have to squish it down to make it all fit.

Before closing the pot, put 1/4 cup of water into the empty pasta sauce jar and close and shake. Pour this saucy water over the top of everything.

Now cover up and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for about 3 to 4. You'll know it's done when the top layer begins to brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly. It will also pull a bit away from the sides. Taste-test a noodle to check texture.

Uncover, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

I love how fast and easy this is! Last Sunday I had Max assemble it right before we left for church, and it was ready to eat when we got home. I whipped up some super-fast breadsticks and we had a delicious dinner.

"My Favorite Salad" Panini

2010-11-05T20:15:00.003-06:00

a.k.a. My New Favorite Sandwich

{recipe from Tasty Kitchen}

2 cups fresh baby spinach
½ cups pecans
½ cups dried cranberries
½ cups blue cheese crumbles
¼ cups reduced fat mayonnaise
8 slices focaccia bread (I used 12 grain hazelnut bread from Kneaders–swoon!)
2 whole seasoned and grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 whole apple, cored and thinly sliced

Process the spinach, pecans, dried cranberries, blue cheese and mayonnaise in a food processor until uniformly smooth. (I tried my blender, and it didn't work at all. I had to transfer it to my little food processor. Worked like a dream.)

Spread mixture on each slice of bread.

Top one slice of bread (per sandwich) with grilled chicken slices and apple slices. Place sandwich halves together.

Grill on a panini press or grill pan until bread is toasted. (I used my George Foreman grill. No butter on the bread necessary.)

**In the picture above, I was having leftovers for lunch the next day. I was out of apples, so I had it without. I was also too lazy to get out the grill. It was still delicious, but better with the apple and grilled.

Sweet Potato and Brie Flatbread

2010-10-04T13:58:00.002-06:00

(Recipe from Real Simple website)

1 pound frozen pizza dough, thawed (I used Marc's fast & easy dough)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
8 sprigs fresh thyme
4 T. olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
4 oz. Brie, sliced (I removed the rind)
2 t. red wine vinegar
4 cups mixed greens (I used arugula)

Heat oven to 425º. Shape the dough into a large oval or rectangle and place on a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, toss the sweet potato, shallots, thyme, 3 T. of the oil, 1/2 t. salt, 1/4 t. pepper. Scatter over the dough and top with the Brie slices. Bake until gold brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, remaining T. of oil, and 1/4 t. each salt and pepper. Toss with the greens and serve with or atop the flatbread.

So delicious!

Fabulous Granola

2010-09-27T15:40:00.002-06:00

3 ¼ cups Oats (Old Fashioned or Quick—any combination)
1 ¼ cup white wheat flour-freshly ground if possible
1 1/3 cup shredded coconut
¼ cup flax seed (optional)
1 cup or more coarsely chopped almonds and/or pecans
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/3 cup water
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cardamom

Preheat oven to 300. In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, flax seed, coconut and nuts. Set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, butter, and water and heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is bubbly. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture together until smooth, and then stir in the salt, vanilla and spices. Pour mixture over the oats mixture and stir will to coat. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

Spread mixture on a large baking sheet, separating it into irregular clumps with your fingers, and allowing space between clumps for the hot air to circulate. Slide it into the middle of the oven and bake until the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir to break up the mixture into medium sized clumps. Return to the oven and bake again for 15 minutes before stirring again. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the granola is uniform golden brown and completely dry—this usually takes me about 45 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an air tight container.

(I wish I had taken a picture of it when it was in the oven. For some reason, it smelled like Thanksgiving and I looooved it.)

I got this recipe from sisterscafe.blogspot.com and they have many others that I want to try!

Double Chocolate Raisin and Chip Cookies

2010-05-22T16:18:00.003-06:00

My family doesn' t like the raisins, so I usually make them without. I love them with raisins, though. These make wonderful ice cream sandwiches!

1 stick butter, at room temperature
1/4 c. shortening
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa, preferably Dutch-process
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. raisins (you may omit or substitute nuts if you wish)

Cream butter and shortening together until soft and completely mixed. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time and add vanilla.

Sift together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda. Mix with creamed mixture, then stir in chocolate chips and raisins or nuts, if using. Wrap dough and chill thoroughly, preferably for 3 hours or longer.

Preheat oven to 350º. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with Pam. (I just use Silpat.)

Make 1" balls of chilled dough and place them about 3" apart on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each to about 2" in diameter using the heel of the hand or a rubber spatula dipped in sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies have puffed and then subsided to make a crackled surface and are just semifirm in the center. Do not overbake.

Slide the foil onto a wire rack and cool the cookies completely.

*From the Mrs. Witty's Monster Cookies cookbook.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

2010-04-13T12:26:00.001-06:00

(I swiped this recipe from my friend Kelly's blog. Her blog is private, so I couldn't really link to it. I think it originally came from Smitten Kitchen. It's Marc's new favorite cake.)

Kelly's notes:

Here's a few of my personal notes on the cake (I know you really wanted to know.). 1. I did not use any peanut brittle. To me, that's just asking for someone to break a tooth. 2. The chocolate cake is a very unique construction, but it is great. I will use this chocolate cake recipe for any chocolate cake I make in the future. 3. The cake is extremely soft. After it was cool, I wrapped it in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer until the moment I was ready to frost it, and I didn't have any trouble with crumbs. If you try to frost the cake without freezing it, I think you will be in tears. (I second that!!) 4. I kept it in the fridge, and that made it much easier to slice neatly.

This cake is incredibly rich and intense. Go easy on your pancreas. I would say you could easily feed 24 people with one cake. (I'm going to go with 18.)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanut brittle (I skipped this)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely. (Deb note: These cakes are very, very soft. I found them a lot easier to work with after firming them up in the freezer for 30 minutes. They’ll defrost quickly once assembled. You’ll be glad you did this, trust me.)

4. To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. (Deb note 1: Making a crumb coat of frosting–a thin layer that binds the dark crumbs to the cake so they don’t show up in the final outer frosting layer–is a great idea for this cake, or any with a dark cake and lighter-colored frosting. Once you “mask” your cake, let it chill for 15 to 30 minutes until firm, then use the remainder of the frosting to create a smooth final coating. Deb note 2: Once the cake is fully frosting, it helps to chill it again and let it firm up. The cooler and more set the peanut butter frosting is, the better drip effect you’ll get from the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze.)

5. To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving. Decorate the top with chopped peanut brittle.

Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes about 5 cups

10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

1. In the top of d double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

Tarte Chocolat Caramel

2010-04-11T08:08:00.000-06:00

from the Chocolate & Zucchini cookbook
serves 12 to 16

Rats! I forgot to take a picture of this! And I made it twice, even. Anyway. It's a delightful combination of chocolate and salted caramel, if you're into that delicious combo.

Pâte Sablée

90g light brown sugar
1 T. good-quality honey
1/2 t. fleur de sel
80g crème fraîche or heavy cream
30g unsalted butter, diced, plus a pat for greasing the pan

280g good-quality bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped
240g crème fraîche or heavy cream

Grease a 25cm tart pan with butter. Prepare the Pâte Sablée and line the pan as instructed. Wrap tightly with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to a day.

Preheat the oven to 180º C. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden, keeping an eye on it. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Prepare the caramel filling: make sure you have all the ingredients measured out before you start. Combine the brown sugar and 1 T. water in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt the sugar slowly over medium-low heat. Swish the pan around from time to time to ensure even melting, but don't stir. As soon as the mixture turns a light amber (avoid overcooking the caramel, which would result in a bitter aftertaste), add the honey and stir to combine. Pour the caramel into the tart shell and tilt the pan slowly in a circular motion to coat the bottom of the shell evenly. Chill for 40 minutes.

Prepare the ganache filling. Put the chocolate in a medium mixing bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer over med. low heat. Pour half of the cream on the chocolate, let stand for 20 seconds, and stir gently with a whisk, gradually blending the cream with the chocolate until smooth. Repeat with remaining cream. Pour the chocolate filling into the shell, and level surface with a spatula. Return to the fridge to set for an hour.

Remove the tart from the fridge 15 minutes before serving. Cut in small slices - it is quite rich - and serve on its own, or with fresh berries. The leftovers will keep for 2 days, tightly wrapped and refrigerated.

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

2010-03-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on Our Best Bites. It is truly fast and easy, but it doesn't taste like something you threw together quickly. A big hit with Marc and Max.

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne
based on a recipe by Martha Stewart

6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
6 garlic cloves, finely minced
6 cups whole milk
10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone* (6 ounces) you could also make that 1/2 mozzarella
1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If you're going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.
While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes). Use a little extra olive oil if needed.
In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot (I just use the pot I cooked my pasta in), melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer. Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes. If freezing, place remaining parmesan cheese in a zip-top baggie. If cooking, sprinkle on top.
Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Freezer instructions:

To freeze, prepare through step 4 and then let pasta cool. Cover pan well with plastic wrap. Place extra cheese in baggie (for topping) on top and then cover entire pan well with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, preheat oven to 400. Remove foil and plastic from pan and set cheese baggie aside. Place foil back on pan and bake for about 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil, stir pasta, and top with cheese. Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly throughout.

Pizza Bianca

2010-03-01T22:14:00.002-07:00

This recipe comes from Jim Lahey's My Bread. I find the name misleading, as it is closer to focaccia than what we think of as pizza. Think of naked pizza dough, drizzled with olive oil, coarse salt, and maybe some fresh herbs, and you'll be right on point.

More importantly, it is delicious.

Lucas was gone when we ate it, and I put the last piece in his lunch the next day. He thought he hit the jackpot. (He did.)

Pizza Bianca

3 c. bread flour
1/4 t. yeast
1/2 t. salt
3/4 t. sugar
1 1/2 c. cool water
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil (plus more for coating the bowl & brushing)
1/2 t. coarse sea salt
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed (optional)

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. Lightly coat a second medium bowl with olive oil and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size, about 9-12 hours. (A longer rise would cause the dough to be less elastic, and it needs to stretch.)

When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. The dough will be quite loose and sticky. Using floured hands, fold the dough over itself two or three times and nudge it into a loose, rather flat, ball. Brush the surface of the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with the coarse salt (which will graduately dissolve on the surface.) Let rise until doubled, 1-2 hours.

Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 500 degrees, with a rack in the center, and place a pizza stone (at least 14" in diameter) in the center of the rack. (If you don't have a pizza stone, use a baking sheet.)

Generously dust a pizza peel with flour and place the ball of dough in the middle. Spread out your fingers like a claw and drive your fingers into the dough, but do not puncture it. You want to simultaneously create dimples in the dough and spread it out across the peel. Continue working your hands across the dough and dimpling it until you have a bumpy disk about 12" in diameter. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the rosemary leaves, if using.

Shake the pizza onto the baking stone. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown on the mounds but still pale in the dimples. Transfer to a rack to cool for at least a few minutes before slicing.

Crockpot Potato Soup

2010-01-24T22:11:00.003-07:00

This recipe is from A Year of Slow Cooking. I am making friends with my crockpot and loving this blog.

5 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced in 1 to 2-inch chunks
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced (I use jarred)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper (you might want to decrease this for less kick)
2 quarts chicken broth
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, to add at the end (I always use reduced-fat cream cheese)
crumbled bacon, grated cheese, and green onion as garnish

Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Peel and dice the potatoes, and put them into the stoneware. Add onion and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings, and pour in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4. The potatoes should be fork-tender. You can use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the soup, or a hand-held immersible blender. (I left a few chunks in mine.)

After smashing the potatoes, crumble in both packages of cream cheese, and put the lid back on. Cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is completely dissolved. Stir a few times during the 30 minutes.

Garnish with crumbled bacon, green onion or chives, and cheddar cheese. Serve with homemade bread if you really want to crank up the comfort food factor.

Crockpot Thai Coconut Chicken

2010-01-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

Another recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking. Delicious! And Thai doesn't get any easier than this.

1 13.5-oz can coconut milk
1 T brown sugar
1 T soy sauce
1 T Thai red or green chili paste, or more to taste (I used red, and went with 1.5 T)
1 t fish sauce
1 yellow onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1/2 large eggplant
1 sweet potato
chicken thighs (I used 7 frozen boneless, skinless)
1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated.

Combine the sauce ingredients: coconut milk, soy sauce, brown sugar, chili paste, and fish sauce in the bottom of your crockpot stoneware. Taste. If you think you need more chili paste, add some, carefully. It's hot stuff!

Add the chicken pieces to the sauce, flipping them over a few times so they get nice and saucy.

Wash and cut the vegetables, and add to the crock.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6. This is done when the chicken is fully cooked and the vegetables have reached desired tenderness.

Serve over white rice.

(The best thing about this was that Marc, Max and I all enjoyed the eggplant! I never cook with it, we didn't think we liked it. We liked it in this.)

Crockpot Apricot Chicken

2010-01-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

Another one from A Year of Slow Cooking. Seriously fast and easy, and better than my old apricot chicken recipe! (oops, forgot to take a picture)

11 oz jar of apricot preserves

1 t dried minced onion flakes

1 T dijon mustard

1 T soy sauce

1/4 t ginger

1/4 to 1/2 t red chili flakes

6 chicken thighs or equivalent body parts
a few pecan halves, optional

I used frozen thighs. Drop the chicken into your crockpot.

In a small bowl, mix all the other stuff and pour on top of the chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, high for 4-6--if your chicken isn't frozen, your dinner will cook faster.

Serve with white or brown rice and veggies. (Toss on a few pecan halves if you like. We do.)

Flemish Carbonades

2009-12-03T11:47:00.001-07:00

Serves 6
From the Chocolate & Zucchini Cookbook

Note: For deeper flavors, it is best to make the carbonades a day ahead. Gently reheat on the stove the following day before serving.

30g butter
1.5 kg well-trimmed boneless beef chuck, cut in 3cm slices
1/2 t. fine sea salt
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
3 T. plain flour
1 kg. yellow onions (about 6 medium), sliced
750ml (usually 2 bottles) rich amber ale
3 T. light brown sugar
1 T. fresh thyme or 1 1/2 t. dried thyme
2 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
2 1cm thick slices of day-old peasant style bread, about 60g each
2 T. strong Dijon mustard

Melt the butter over med. heat in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add half of the meat in a single layer and cook 3-4 minutes on each side, until browned. Transfer to a plate and brown the remaining pieces. Return all meat to the pot, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and flour, and stir to coat. Add the onions and stir; the pot will seem quite full. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid coloring.

Pour in 250ml warm water and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Pour in the beer and an additional 250ml water; stir, and bring to a simmer.

Add the sugar, thyme, bay leaves, and cloves, and stir. Lower the heat to med. low; cover, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, stirring every once in a while. An hour into the cooking, spread each slice of bread with a tablespoon of mustard and place at the surface of the stew. The bread will soon be moistened by the steam inside the pot and will fall apart as you stir, giving body to the sauce.

Remove the lid, turn the heat up to medium-high, and cook for 20 more minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce is thick enough to cling to the meat. Serve hot from the pot, with small steamed potatoes.

Variation: Use pain d'épice instead of bread and mustard. Add 2 T. red wine vinegar as you deglaze the pan; omit the sugar and use 100g pain d'épice (about 3 1cm slices).

**Note: I neglected to stir this frequently enough during the last hour of cooking and it started to stick to the bottom of the pan. I saved it, but it would have been a lot better if that hadn't happened. I'll be more careful next time.

Boeuf Bourguignon I

2009-11-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

From the kitchen of Julia Child

Servings: 6

Difficulty: Difficult [I take issue with the difficult rating. Tedious, yes. Time-consuming, certainly. But not really difficult.]

Cook Time: Over 120 min

This recipe is adapted from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck (Alfred A. Knopf, 1961)

Ingredients

One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon (or lardons, if you're lucky enough to find them)

3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 carrot, sliced

1 onion, sliced

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves mashed garlic

1/2 teaspoon thyme

A crumbled bay leaf

18 to 24 white onions, small

3 1/2 tablespoons butter

Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)

1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered

Cooking Directions

Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. [I don't know that I would bother to boil the lardons and then saute them in oil. Why not just saute them with no added oil to begin with?]

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.

Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust).

Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.

Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.

Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet.

Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.

Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms.

Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.

Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.

Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.

Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.

Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

Gâteau au Yaourt (Yogurt Cake)

2009-11-02T05:23:00.000-07:00

I made this delicious cake last week and I'm sure I will make it again repeatedly. As a bonus, it is fast and easy!

The recipe comes from Clotilde Dusoulier's Chocolate & Zucchini, and she says:

"The basic yogurt cake recipe can be tinkered with endlessly. You can add citrus juice or zest to the batter; fold in berries, chocolate chips, or nuts; substitute ground almonds or cocoa powder for part of the flour; cut the cake in two and spread raspberry jam, lemon curd, or ganache in the middle; or dress the cake with whatever frosting or glaze you like. . . but every time I go back to the original, unadulterated gâteau au yaourt, I am reminded [of] its delightful simplicity."

I just had a piece for breakfast with some hot chocolate and it was simply divine.

80 ml vegetable oil
250g plain unsweetened yogurt, preferably whole milk
200g sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. pure vanilla extract
1 T. light or amber rum (optional -- I didn't have any, so I increased the vanilla)
240g flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
a good pinch of fine sea salt

Preheat the oven to 180º C. Grease the sides of a 25cm round cake pan or springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla, oil, and rum, if using, and whisk again.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. (I confess I skipped this step!) Pour the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture, and whisk until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let stand for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the pan to loosen. If you're using a springform pan, unclasp the sides. Otherwise, flip the cake onto a plate and flip it back on the rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Tagine d'Agneau aux Poires (Lamb Tagine with Pears)

2009-11-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

From the Chocolate & Zucchini cookbook
Serves 6

1 T. olive oil
700g boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm cubes and patted dry with paper towels
fine sea salt
500g yellow onions, about 3 medium
2 garlic cloves
a pinch of saffron threads
1/2 t. whole cumin seeds
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
a good pinch of ground chile powder
100g whole blanched almonds
15g unsalted butter
4 ripe pears, peeled, cored and quartered (choose a variety that will hold its shape when cooked, such as Conference or William)

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven. Arrange half of the meat in a single layer over the bottom of the pot without crowding. Cook for 4 minutes on each side, until the meat starts to brown. Season with salt, set aside on a plate, and repeat with remaining meat.

While meat is browning, peel and slice the onions. Peel and mince garlic. Once all meat is browned and set aside, combine onions, garlic, and 1 T. water in the pot. Cook over med. heat for 10 minutes, until softened, stirring regularly. Add the meat, sprinkle with spices, stir, and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Pour in hot water halfway up the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover, and lower the heat to med. low. Cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is very tender.

While the meat is simmering, toast the almonds in a large dry frying pan until golden and fragrant, and set aside. In the same pan, melt the butter over med. heat until it starts to sizzle. Add the quartered pears and toss gently to coat. Lower the heat to med. low, cover, and cook 12 minutes, until the pears are cooked through and slightly translucent. Keep warm.

Remove the lid from the pot, turn the heat up to med. high, and cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce is thick enough to cling to the meat. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning. Transfer the meat and sauce to a serving dish. Surround with the pears, sprinkle with toasted almonds, and serve with couscous.

Note: If you're at all excited about Moroccan cooking, you may want to add ras el hanout, a complex mix of spices, to your spice rack. If you are able to find it, use 2 t. in this recipe, in place of the cumin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and pepper.

Pâte Brisée (Savory Short Pastry)

2009-10-28T06:06:00.000-06:00

A great crust for quiche or any savory tart. French crusts are always made with butter, rather than shortening. They're not as flaky as ones made with shortening, but they sure do taste good!

200g flour
1/2 t. fine sea salt
125g chilled butter, diced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
ice cold water

Combine flour, salt and butter in a medium bowl. Rub the mixture with your fintertips or a wire pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Beat the egg slightly in a small bowl. Form a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the egg, and blend gently with a fork. When most of the egg is incorporated, knead gently until the dough comes together. If it is a little dry, add ice water, 1 T. at a time, until the dough forms a ball. Avoid overworking the dough, or it will become tough.

Shape the dough into a slightly flattened ball. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to a day. Let stand at room temp. before using, just long enough that the dough can be rolled out without cracking (usually about 10 minutes).

Sprinkle flour lightly on a clean work surface and on your rolling pin, and roll the pin over your dough 2-3 times with moderate pressure. Rotate the dough by a quarter of a turn and roll the pin over it 2-3 times. Repeat until you get a circle large enough to line your pan, sprinkling both your work surface and rolling pin with a little more flour when the dough starts to stick to either.

Variation: flavor the dough with a T. of dried herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano), 1/2 - 1 t. ground spices (nutmeg, ginger, cumin), or 30g hard grated cheese (parmesan in particular).

Pâte Sablée (Sweet Short Pastry)

2009-10-27T03:16:00.000-06:00

Makes enough to line a 25cm tart pan, or 6 10cm tartlet molds.

75g chilled unsalted butter, diced, plus a pat to grease the pan
75g sugar
150g plain flour
1/4 t. fine sea salt
1-2 T. cold milk

Grease a 25cm tart pan with butter.

Combine sugar, salt, and flour. Add butter cubes and rub into the dry ingredients with the tips of your fingers, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add a tablespoon of milk and blend it in, handling the dough as lightly as you can. The dough should still be crumbly, but should clump if you gently squeeze a handful in your hand. If it doesn't, add a little more milk, teaspoon by teaspoon, and blend again, still working lightly.

Pour the mixture into the tart pan and use the back of a tablespoon to spread it evenly over the bottom. Using the heels of your hands and your fingers, press down on the dough to form a thin layer, covering the surface of the pan and creating a rim all around. Don't worry if the dough is a little dry, this is normal. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to a day.

Variations: flavor the dough with 1 t. vanilla extract or finely grated citrus zest, 1/2 t. spice such as cinnamon or nutmeg, or 1 t. liqueur (Grand Marnier, rum). Add these ingredients along with the butter.

Conversions

2009-09-20T15:02:00.000-06:00

Okay, here are approximate conversions from Metric to U.S. measurements:

WEIGHT

50 grams = 2 ounces
110 grams = 4 ounces
150 grams = 5 ounces
200 grams = 7 ounces
250 grams = 9 ounces
450 grams = 16 ounces (1 pound)
900 grams = 32 ounces (2 pounds)

LIQUID

5 milliliters = 1 teaspoon
15 milliliters = 1 Tablespoon
60 milliliters = 1/4 cup / 4 Tablespoons
80 milliliters = 1/3 cup
240 milliliters = 1 cup
1000 milliliters (1 liter) = 1 quart

TEMPERATURE

140º C = 275º F
150º C = 300º F
170º C = 325º F
180º C = 350º F
190º C = 375º F
200º C = 400º F
220º C = 425º F
230º C = 450º F
240º C = 475º F

Now, go and try French recipes!

Quiche Oignon avec Lardons (Onion Quiche with Bacon)

2009-09-17T14:21:00.000-06:00

Pâte Brisée

1 T. olive oil
about 6 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
1/2 t. fine sea salt
3 large eggs
200 ml cream
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
150 g. grated gruyere or emmental cheese
100 g. lardons (small strips of bacon)

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with 1/4 t. salt, and stir. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time, until onions are soft and translucent. Remove the lid, turn heat to med. high, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring, until most of the liquids have evaporated.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before using. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a 25 cm quiche pan. Roll out the dough and transfer to the pan; prick all over with a fork. Bake for 7 minutes, until lightly golden, and remove from oven.

Remove onions from the pan and fry up the lardons until crisp.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream. Season with remaining salt and pepper. Fold in the cheese, onions, and lardons, and pour into the tart shell.

Bake for 35 minutes, until the top is golden and the center of the quiche is still slightly jiggly. Turn off the oven and leave the quiche in the closed oven for 10 minutes, until the filling is set. Serve warm.

{recipe from Chocolate & Zucchini cookbook}

Porc Fermier (Farmer's Pork)

2009-09-16T11:55:00.000-06:00

1 kg. pork roast
6 yellow potatoes
4 carrots
4 stalks celery
6 branches of parsley
1 bouquet garni
2 large (4 small) chicken bouillon cubes
6 black peppercorns
50 g. butter
50 g. flour
20 cl. milk
100 g. grated gruyere or emmental cheese

Place the pork in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Drain, rinse, and cover with fresh cold water. Add 3 branches parsley, peppercorns, bouquet garni, and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Peel the carrots and cut carrots into discs. Cut potatoes into cubes. Slice the celery. Add the vegetables to the pot and cook 20 minutes after it returns to a boil. Drain, reserving 30 cl. of the cooking liquid.

Cube pork, removing any remaining fat. Place pork and vegetables in a large gratin dish.

Prepare the cheese sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan, then add flour, whisking vigorously, and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add the reserved cooking liquid and milk to the pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil while stirring, and let simmer 2-3 minutes, until it thickens. Add 3/4 of the cheese; salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Pour the sauce over the pork and vegetables, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with minced parsley and serve immediately.

Mediterranean Zucchini Casserole

2009-09-10T04:08:00.000-06:00

500 g small zucchini
100 g grated parmesan
100 g mozzarella
250 g puff pastry
3 T. pesto
1 small branch of mint
2 cloves garlic
2 eggs + one egg yolk
1 T. olive oil

Grate the zucchini, salt and let drain in a sieve for 10 minutes. Sop up liquid with a paper towel.

In a large bowl, mix zucchini with parmesan, diced mozzarella, lightly beaten eggs, pesto, minced garlic, and minced mint. Salt and pepper.

Place in a 9x13" pan and roll out pastry to cover. Make several small slits in pastry with a knife. Brush pastry with remaining egg yolk.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until top is lightly puffed and golden.

Spinach Leek Tart

2009-09-10T03:59:00.000-06:00

200 g flour
100 g butter
1/2 t. salt

4 large leeks
350 g fresh spinach
3 eggs
40 g butter
25 cl creme fraiche
80 g grated emmental cheese (or swiss)

Mix flour, butter and salt together gently with fingertips in a small bowl. Incorporate 3 T. water. Gather dough together in a ball, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Clean and slice leeks, then sauté in butter for 15 minutes, over low heat. Rinse spinach. Place in a saucepan and salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes over low heat. Drain and coarsely chop. Add to leeks and cook another 3 minutes. Salt and pepper and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the pastry dough and place in a 12" tart or quiche pan. Poke with a fork and then add spinach/leek mixture.

In a bowl, mix the eggs with a fork and add the creme and cheese. Salt and pepper. Pour mixture over vegetables and bake for 30 minutes, reducing the temperature to 375 degrees after 15 minutes.

Chicken Tacos

2009-08-29T08:44:00.000-06:00

This is the easiest crockpot recipe I've ever made. Just place:

chicken breasts (4?)
a jar of salsa
a can (or two) of black beans, drained
a can (or two) of corn, drained (you could also use frozen corn)

in crockpot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

Take chicken breasts out and shred. Add chicken back to pot and stir. Serve with hot tortillas, cheese, sour cream, etc.

Peanut Butter/Banana/Cocoa Protein Shake

2009-08-22T09:22:00.000-06:00

This recipe is based on one that Marc invented -- it reminds us of a smoothie we used to frequently order at WorldWrapps in Seattle (yum). I tweaked it a little as a result of some of Jessie's smoothie tricks.

I give you...

Peanut Butter/Banana/Cocoa Protein Shake

2 c. ice
1 c. soy milk (or regular milk)
4 T. peanut butter
1 large scoop of protein powder
1 ripe banana
1 T. cocoa (optional, still very good without it)
1/3 c. uncooked oatmeal
1/2 t. vanilla

Put ice and milk in blender. If you don't have a Blendtec, you may want to blend at this point, to avoid overloading your blender's motor. Or if you're feeling brave, just put all ingredients in at once. Blend until all ingredients are well mixed. Taste to see if you want to add any sweetener (I don't).

Makes 1 giant or 2 regular servings.

You've got your protein, your whole grains, your fruit, your dairy. Nice texture, too. Makes a good post-workout smoothie because all the protein helps to rebuild muscle. Also delicious for breakfast and it stays with you to keep you full for a good while.

If I had a Blendtec to make this smoothie it would be even better because:

1. It would blend up in a flash, narrowing the gap between wanting the smoothie and drinking the smoothie to almost nil!

2. It would pulverize the ice, no more pesky larger ice chunks!

3. It would eliminate the nasty electrical smell that my blender sometimes emits, making me fear it will give up the ghost before finishing my tasty drink.

Here's the one that I want!

If you like it, go vote for it!

Corn Salad with Lime Dressing

2009-08-10T19:38:00.000-06:00

Jessie came back with this recipe from Denver. Apparently my Aunt Linda gave it to my Aunt Denise. Who knows where Aunt Linda got it? In any case, it's delicious.

6 ears roasted or grilled corn, stripped from the cob
1/4 thinly sliced red onion
1 pkg. cherry tomatoes, halved
chopped cilantro to taste

Combine all ingredients and toss with lime dressing:

2 T. oil
3 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. rice wine vinegar
chopped cilantro
salt and sugar to taste (I made it without sugar because the corn was so sweet it didn't need any.)

Best Fudge Cake

2009-06-29T19:47:00.000-06:00

sadly, this is the best photo I got...

Denise calls this the Giant Ding Dong cake, much to Grandma's chagrin.
It's pretty much a showstopper.

3 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2  cup soft butter or margarine
2 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 cup sour cream
1 cup boiling water

1. Melt chocolate in small saucepan over very low heat

2. grease well and flour three 9X 1 1/2"  pans (I spray with
Pam, set a circle of waxed paper in the pan, and spray again with Pam)

3. Beat butter until smooth in large bowl with electric mixer.
   Add sugar and eggs; beat on high speed until light and fluffy,
   about 5 minutes.

4.  Beat in vanilla and chocolate with mixer on low speed, then add
baking soda and salt.   Add flour alternately with sour cream,
    beating in low speed until smooth.  Pour in boiling water;
stir with a spoon until well blended.  Pour into prepared pans.

5.  Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for 30 - 35 minutes or
until center springs back when touched lightly with fingertip.
    Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.  Remove from pans;
cool completely.

6.  Split each layer with long serrated knife into 2 layers;
fill with sweetened whipped cream.  Frost with ganache.
      
Note:   Batter will be thin and makes thick layers.

** Quite often, I don't bother to sift the flour. This time I measured
the cake flour, sifted it, then measured again. There was almost
1/2 c. left over. The cake was wonderfully moist. I guess I'll
be sifting from now on.


Filling:

6-8 oz. softened cream cheese
2 c. whipping cream
sugar
vanilla

Whip cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add whipping cream
and continue beating until desired stiffness. Add vanilla and
sweeten to taste.  (I used 6 oz. cream cheese because I wanted it to
taste more whipped cream-y and less cheesecake-y.)


Ganache:

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. whipping cream
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 bar German sweet chocolate
a few grains of salt

(I used a 4 oz. bar of bittersweet Ghirardelli chocolate.
Use what you like, for a total of 4 oz.)

Stir together sugar, salt and 1/4 c. cream in a small saucepan.
Cook over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Add chocolate
and stir constantly until dissolved. Add remaining cream. 

Ganache will be quite thin, and will thicken as it cools.
When completely cool, pour over the cake and smooth on the sides.
Refrigerate cake until serving.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

2009-05-27T13:22:00.001-06:00

I decided to try a new way of using up over-ripe bananas this week because I had a LOT. (Thanks, Jill!) I found the recipe here and it was a huge hit with my family -- it's rich and delicious.

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups mashed bananas (about 3)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa (I prefer dutch process)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350. Spray bottom of 8x4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. Beat sugar, eggs, and oil in large bowl at medium speed until combined. Beat in banana and vanilla at low speed. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; beat into banana mixture at low speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

3 Spoon batter into pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

p.s. I made a double batch and found that there was too much batter for my 2 8x4" loaf pans. Next time I'll try a 9".

Spud-nuts

2009-04-06T21:50:00.000-06:00

I took this donut recipe from my aunt Denise's blog. I made them for the first time on Saturday and they were much easier than I expected. They were delicious and a new Conference weekend tradition was born for us!

2/3 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. hot mashed potatoes (we use instant mashed potatoes)

Combine first three ingredients together and add:

1 c. warm milk (we use water and powdered milk; we like our homemade breads best when we use powdered milk)

Let cool to lukewarm and add:

1 T. yeast that has been dissolved in 1 c. water with 1 t. sugar
2 eggs
2 t. salt

Beat well. Add 2 c. flour and mix well. Add an additional 5-7 c. flour and knead thoroughly (we use dough hooks in the mixer). Dough should not be too sticky. Place dough in large Tupperware bowl, spray top with Pam, cover, and refrigerate overnight (we have been known to make dough first thing in the morning for use later that day--the dough is easiest to work with, however, when thoroughly chilled). For a large crowd we have been known to make 1 1/2 batches of dough.

Roll out dough about 3/8"-1/2" thick and cut circles and holes with round cutters. You may have to experiment with sizes. We have a large set of circle cutters and use one of the larger ones. Transfer cut donuts to waxed paper-lined trays that have been generously scattered with flour. The secret to beautiful donuts is being able to get them off of the cookie sheet and into the fryer without collapsing the dough, hence adequate flour is helpful.

We originally tried frying the donuts in hot oil in a skillet, but found it difficult to control the temperature of the oil; the donuts would often get too brown on the outside and still be doughy on the inside. We have since invested in a "Fry Daddy" and it has been worth every penny! We also read up on donut making and discovered that it is recommended to use solid shortening (a.k.a. Crisco) rather than vegetable oil. Fry donuts until golden, turning as needed. Drain on paper towels/newspapers.

Make a watery glaze of powdered sugar, water, vanilla, and a few grains of salt. I am the fryer and my mom is the glazer, and when I asked her for the Secret Recipe for the glaze she laughed. She just starts with some powdered sugar in a bowl and adds 2-3 times as much water, adjusting thickness/thinness as necessary. (for the record, I had to add WAY more powdered sugar to get the proper ratio.)

After the doughnuts have drained for a minute or two (not too long) use a fork to dip in glaze and transfer to wire rack. Donuts are also good dipped in granulated sugar instead of glaze. (We double-dipped in the glaze. Yum! Next time, I'm going to try a chocolate glaze...)

Good luck in your homemade donut endeavors!

Rosemary Artisan Bread

2009-04-06T21:45:00.000-06:00

My aunt Linda posted this recipe on Facebook and I was intrigued. Grandma and I made it when I was visiting and it was incredible! She said she has made it without the rosemary and lemon zest and it was still wonderful. Just as good as what you'd buy in a French bakery.

This bread is almost effortless to make because it requires no kneading. Instead, the dough is allowed to slowly rise over a long period of time. Then it is baked in a preheated covered cast-iron pot, which helps produce a crispy, bakery-style crust on the finished loaf.

Ingredients:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1 3/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tsp. chopped lemon zest
• Cornmeal as needed

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt, rosemary and zest. Add 1 5/8 cups water and stir until blended; the dough will be shaggy and very sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at warm room temperature (about 70°F) until the surface is dotted with bubbles, 12 to 18 hours.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle the dough with a little flour and fold the dough over onto itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or your fingers, gently and quickly shape the dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel, preferably a flour sack towel (not terry cloth), with cornmeal. Put the dough, seam side down, on the towel and dust with more flour or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise until the dough is more than double in size and does not readily spring back when poked with a finger, about 2 hours.

At least 30 minutes before the dough is ready, put a 2 3/4-quart cast-iron pot in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.

Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over, seam side up, into the pot; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake the pan once or twice if the dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the loaf is browned, 15 to 30 minutes more.

Transfer the pot to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Using oven mitts, turn the pot on its side and gently turn the bread; it will release easily. Makes one 1 1/2-lb. loaf.

Adapted from Sullivan Street Bakery (New York City) and Mark Bittman, "The Secret of Great Bread: Let Time Do the Work," The New York Times, Nov. 8, 2006.

(It was almost better the second day!)

Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Pasta Primavera

2009-04-06T21:24:00.000-06:00

1 1/2 pounds asparagus spears
1 c. matchstick-cut carrots
1/2 medium sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes
8 oz. uncooked penne
2 c. sliced rotisserie chicken breast
3/4 c. whipping cream
2/3 c. shaved fresh Parmesan

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Snap off tough ends of asparagus and cut into 2" pieces. Combine asparagus, carrots, onion and garlic in jelly roll pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss gently to coat. Bake for 10 minutes or until vegetables begin to brown; stir vegetables. Add tomatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes.

While vegetables roast, cook pasta. Drain well, reserving 1/3 c. pasta water. Keep past and reserved water warm.

Combine chicken, vegetables, pasta, reserved pasta water, and whipping cream; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size 1 1/4 c.)

*Note: I used Costco grated parmesan with great results. This dish tastes too rich to be a WW recipe (7 points)!

Triple Caramel Cake

2009-04-06T21:16:00.000-06:00

Grandma gave me this recipe when I was visiting. It's a new discovery and a delicious addition to our family cake repertoire. I can't wait to make it!

3 c. heavy cream
2 1/2 c. sugar
6 oz. butter, softened
4 large eggs
2 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder (3/4 t. at high altitude)

Pour 2 c. cream into a medium saucepan over medium heat and slowly bring to a boil. Lower heat and keep at a bare simmer.

Put 1 c. sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Leave undisturbed until the sugar begins to melt and darken. Gently shake the pan to distribute the sugar and keep from burning. When all the sugar is melted and very dark amber, remove from heat.

Carefully add hot cream, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Don't worry if caramel hardens; it will melt as sauce boils. Return pan to heat and keep at a gentle boil for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Set aside for at least 30 minutes, stirring often, until sauce is cool. Reserve 1 c. sauce for cake batter and refrigerate the rest.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Cream butter and 1 1/2 c. sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Gently but thoroughly fold in dry ingredients alternately with 1 c. of the caramel, beginning and ending with the dry.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until skewer comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Set on rack for 10 minutes, then unmold and cool completely. Bring rest of sauce to room temperature. When cake is cool, drizzle 1/2 of the sauce on top.

Whip remaining 1 c. cream to firm peaks and gently fold in remaining caramel, leaving streaks visible. Serve with cake.

Okay, so it's kind of a lot of work, but doesn't it just sound heavenly??

Breadsticks

2009-04-06T21:10:00.000-06:00

(oops! forgot to take a photo of the finished product!)

My cousin Charlotte got this recipe from a roommate who took a food preparation class at BYU. These are fast, easy, and a big hit with the fam.

1 1/4 c. warm water
1 T. yeast
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
3 - 3 1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. melted butter
garlic salt/parmesan cheese

Proof the yeast. Mix sugar, salt, and 2 1/2 c. flour. Add yeast mixture and stir to form dough. Add more flour if needed -- it's better to be on the stickier side. Let dough rest 10 minutes.

Put half of melted butter in a jelly roll pan. Roll out the dough into a rectangular shape and then press into pan. Brush with remaining butter. Cut dough into strips with a pizza cutter and sprinkle with parmesan and garlic salt. Let rest another 10 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

**Notes: I happened to check on mine at 15 minutes and they were totally done. Also, I got a grinder in the spice section at Target that has sea salt and garlic -- delicious.

Miracle bread!

2009-03-22T21:04:00.000-06:00

Hannah brought me a loaf of this bread this week, along with a copy of the recipe. It's really good! And the best part is, it only takes one hour to make, start to finish!

I've made the white and the whole wheat, and they are both delicious and super-fast. Both a hit with my family. With bread this fast and easy, I just might stop buying bread altogether!

**Note: if you are making this in a KitchenAid, halve the recipe and make 2 loaves of bread.**

10 1/2 c. white bread flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 T. salt
3 rounded tablespoons saf-instant yeast
3 T. liquid lecithin (I didn't have lecithin, so I used 1/3 c. oil)
4 c. hot tap water

Mix dry ingredients. Add lecithin (or oil) and water. Mix for 1 minute and check consistency. If dough is too dry, add a little more water. Dough should be very sticky. Mix for 5 minutes. (Do not add flour to the dough after it has finished mixing.) Spray counter and pans with Pam. Shape loaves, place in pans and cover with a dish towel. Let rise 25 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Makes 4 loaves.

For whole wheat bread, use the same recipe only with whole wheat flour; replace one cup of the hot water with applesauce, and add 1 additional tablespoon lecithin. Mix for ten minutes.

Tex-Mex Nachos

2009-03-21T14:31:00.000-06:00

3/4 pound ground round
1/4 cup sliced green onions
3/4 cup taco sauce (I used water + taco seasoning)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained (I used pinto beans)
1 can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained
2 ounces fat-free baked tortilla chips (about 2 cups or about 18 chips)
3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Cook meat and green onions in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well, and return meat mixture to pan. Stir in taco sauce, garlic powder, pepper, beans, and corn, and cook until thoroughly heated. Spoon 1 cup meat mixture over 1/2 cup chips, and top with 3/4 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup tomato, 1/4 cup cheese, 2 tablespoons salsa, and 2 tablespoons sour cream. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

4 servings

Gratin of Beets with Walnuts and Roquefort Cheese

2009-03-21T08:22:00.000-06:00

I found this recipe years ago in a little tiny Bon Appetit cookbook. Marc and I love it and I still make it lo these many years later. (With my passion for trying new things, not that many recipes stay in rotation.) If you think you don't like beets, it may be that you've only tried pickled beets. Roasted beets are a different thing completely -- earthy, delicately sweet -- and if you're lucky enough to have garden-fresh beets, well... you're just really lucky. This is delightful alongside a steak.

2 medium beets, stems trimmed to 1 inch
2 t. balsamic vinegar
1/2 t. sugar
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 T. butter
3/4 c. fresh breadcrumbs
3 T. chopped walnuts
1 1/2 T. snipped chives or minced green onions
2 oz. Roquefort, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap beets in foil. Place in baking pan and cook until tender, about 1 hour. Maintain oven temperature. Cool beets slightly. Peel and cut into 1/2" dice. Mix with vinegar and sugar. Season with salt and pepper, spoon into a buttered gratin dish.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs and stir until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Mix in walnuts and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Add Roquefort and crumbs to beets and mix gently to distribute evenly. Return to oven and bake until hot, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 2, but can easily be doubled or tripled.

Suzy's Mud Cookies

2009-03-05T12:19:00.001-07:00

This is a bit of a funny recipe, but I made them with no problem. The hit of girls' camp!

1 1/2 + 6 T. butter
1 c. + 2 T. cocoa
3 c. brown sugar
1 T. vanilla
3 eggs
4 1/2 - 6 c. flour, as needed
1/2 - 1 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. salt

Melt butter and cocoa together in microwave. Stir to fully incorporate. Add brown sugar and mix. Add vanilla and eggs and mix.

Add 2 c. flour and mix. Add 1/2 c. buttermilk and mix. Add 2 c. more of flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add more flour as needed -- the consistency should be slightly less thick than playdough. (it should cling to a spoon or fall off in a clump)

Drop by tablespoons and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cookies should have a cracked surface.

*Bake 2 or 3 cookies as a test batch -- if they are too flat, add more flour. If too puffy, add more buttermilk.

Cool and frost with:

4 c. powdered sugar
6 T. butter
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/4-1/2 c. milk

Makes a lot.

Denise's Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-03-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

3 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 c. margarine (Denise calls for Land O Lakes margarine, but since I don't know where to get that, I usually use 1/2 c. butter and 1/2 c. shortening)
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. water
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Sift flour before measuring, then resift with baking soda and salt, and set aside. (I don't bother with this -- gasp! -- I just put a sieve over my mixing bowl and dump it all in.)

Combine margarine, sugars, vanilla, and water. Beat about 2 minutes, until very creamy. Add eggs and beat until fluffy.

Gradually add sifted ingredients and beat another 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets (I use Silpat or parchment paper). Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. *Do not overbake.

Remove when lightly browned and slightly crisp on bottom; they may seem slightly undercooked. Cool 1 minute on baking sheet, then remove to paper towels to cool completely.

Makes about 40 small cookies.
(These freeze well, but they disappear quickly around here!)

Overnight Rolls

2009-02-27T17:08:00.000-07:00

1 c. scalded milk
1/4 lb. butter
1 T. dry yeast, dissolved in 1/4 c. warm water
1 T. sugar, dissolved with yeast
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
4 c. flour (approximate)

Beat all thoroughly in mixer. (Or, do it by hand! I think that was the secret to my best batch ever -- light as air.)

Let dough rise, covered, in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, divide the dough in 2 portions. Roll each portion into a circle and cut into 16 pie-shaped pieces. Brush with melted butter. Roll each piece up, from the large edge to the small edge, and place on a buttered baking sheet.

Brush tops of rolls with melted butter. Cover with a dish towel and let rise for 4-5 hours. (The rising time is not critical with these -- they can probably rise up to 6 hours.) Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Makes 32 rolls. (this recipe doubles well)

Grandma's French Bread

2009-02-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

2 T. yeast
1/2 c. warm water
2 c. very hot water
1 T. salt
2 T. sugar
2 T. shortening
6 c. flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 c. warm water.

In a large bowl, combine hot water, salt, sugar, and shortening and stir. Add 2 c. flour and stir well. Add proofed yeast and stir. Add 4 c. flour and stir well. It should form sort of a "shaggy" dough:

Set the timer for 10 minutes and then stir down the dough. (I took this to mean sort of punching down the dough with your spoon.) Repeat 4 more times (5 times total).

Grandma recommends putting out 5 objects and taking one away after each stir-down, so you don't forget how many times you've done it. I used magnets. Of course, you have to take one away each time or this strategy is useless!

After the 5th time, turn the dough out on a well-floured board and cut in 2 equal portions.

Roll each half into an elongated rectangle. Place both halves, side by side, on a large cookie sheet covered in cornmeal. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slash each loaf 3 times with a sharp knife and brush on an egg/water glaze, if desired. (You may also sprinkle sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or salt crystals on top of loaves at this point.)

Bake 30-35 minutes and cool on a wire rack.

Pasta with Chicken Wine Artichoke Sauce

2009-02-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

I tried this recipe this week when I was pressed for time and didn't want to go grocery shopping (I didn't have fresh basil so I used a little dried, and I just used dumb parmesan cheese in a can). The sauce is very bright and flavorful and it really was super-fast! Delicious, now part of our rotation.

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) package kamut spirals
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (15-ounce) cans artichoke quarters, rinsed, drained, and finely chopped
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil
Chopped fresh basil (optional)

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add wine, salt, pepper, and artichokes; simmer 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened and chicken is done. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and 1/3 cup basil. Place sauce and pasta in a large bowl; stir gently to combine. Garnish with chopped basil, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 434 (19% from fat)
Fat: 9.2g (sat 2.7g,mono 4.5g,poly 1.2g)
Protein: 40.1g
Carbohydrate: 49g
Fiber: 4.7g
Cholesterol: 72mg
Iron: 4.3mg
Sodium: 629mg
Calcium: 156mg

Chinese Chicken Salad

2009-02-09T10:56:00.001-07:00

1 small head green cabbage
1 pkg. chicken ramen noodles, crushed (reserve seasoning packet)
1 bunch green onions sliced
1/2 c. sliced almonds, toasted
2 T sesame seeds, toasted
2-3 cups diced, cooked chicken

Dressing:
3 T seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 c. oil
1 T sugar
reserved packet of ramen seasoning
1/2 tsp. pepper

Shred cabbage and combine with onions, chicken, and ramen noodles, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

For dressing, mix together rice vinegar, oil, and sugar in a blender/small food processor to emulsify. Add ramen seasoning and pepper. Add dressing, sesame seeds, and almonds to cabbage mixture just before serving.

Grandma's Bran Muffins

2009-02-09T10:38:00.001-07:00

4 c. Bran Buds
2 c. All Bran
2 c. chopped dates
2 c. boiling water
1 c. butter or margarine
2 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 T (scant) baking soda
1 quart buttermilk
5 c. flour

Combine cereals and dates in a very large bowl and pour boiling water over. Let cool.

Cream together butter, sugar, and eggs and add to cereal mixture.

Combine buttermilk and baking soda and add alternately with flour.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.

*This mixture may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks -- bake as needed.

Denise's Deluxe Sugar Cookies

2009-02-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

(I usually double it.)

1 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. almond extract
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cream of tartar

Mix thoroughly butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and almond extract. Blend in flour, soda, and cream of tartar. Cover and chill 2-3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Divide dough in half. Roll each half out to about 3/16" thickness on lightly floured cloth-covered board. Cut into desired shapes. Sprinkle with sugar and place on lightly-greased cookie sheet.

Bake 7-8 minutes or until light brown on edge.

(omit sugar sprinkle if you are planning to frost them -- and I always do!)

Gingerbread Scones

2009-02-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

2 c. flour
1/3 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/8 t. baking soda
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. ground cloves
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
1/3 c. butter, chilled
1 large egg
3 T. molasses
3 T. milk
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a 10" diameter circle in the center of a baking sheet.

Stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Cut the butter into 1/2" cubes and cut in with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, stir together the egg, molasses, milk and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine. The dough will be sticky.

With lightly floured hands, pat the dough into an 8" circle in the center of the prepared baking sheet. With a serrated knife, cut into 8 wedges. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove baking sheet to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Transfer scones with a spatula to the wire rack to cool. Recut into wedges, if necessary.

Serve with Maple Butter:

1/4 c. butter, softened
2 t. maple syrup
2 drops maple extract (optional)

Stir together the butter, maple syrup, and maple extract, if desired, until combined. Serve the butter immediately or cover and refrigerate. To serve, let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature to soften.

Orange Poppy Seed Scones

2009-02-03T15:23:00.000-07:00

2 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. poppy seeds
1 t. cream of tartar
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. butter, chilled
1/4 c. orange juice
1 large egg
1/4 t. grated orange zest
1 egg white mixed with 1/2 t. water for glaze (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a 10" diameter circle in center of a baking sheet.

Stir together the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Cut the butter into 1/2" cubes and cut in with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, stir together the juice, egg, and orange zest. Add the juice mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine. The dough will be sticky.

With lightly floured hands, pat the dough into a 9" diameter circle in the center of prepared baking sheet. If desired, brush the egg mixture over the top of the dough. With a serrated knife, cut into 8 wedges. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of scone comes out clean.

Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the scones to the wire rack to cool. Recut into wedges, if necessary. Serve warm, or cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Serve with citrus curd and whipped cream.

Citrus Curd

2009-02-03T15:19:00.000-07:00

The perfect scone accompaniment!

2 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
3/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 t. grated lemon zest
1 t. grated orange zest
few grains of salt
1/3 c. butter, chilled

In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, whisk together the eggs and yolks to combine. Whisk in the sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, lemon peel, orange peel, and salt. Cut the butter into 1/2" cubes and add to the saucepan. Stirring constantly, cook the mixture just until it comes to a boil and thickens. Do not overcook as it will curdle.

Pour the mixture into a heatproof glass container. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Makes approximately 2 cups.

Apricot, White Chocolate, and Walnut Scones

2009-02-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

Years ago, Marc bought me a little cookbook called Simply Scones that has provided lovely fare for many a tea party and shower. These are traditional English scones and they are delicious and easy to make!

2 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. butter, chilled
1/2 c. heavy (whipping) cream
1 large egg
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
6 oz. white chocolate chips
1 c. toasted coarsely broken walnuts
1 c. chopped dried apricots

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into 1/2" cubes and distribute them over the flour mixture. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, stir together the cream, egg, and vanilla. Add the cream mixture to the flour mixture and knead until combined. Knead in the white chocolate, walnuts, and apricots.

Pat the dough into a 9" circle in the center of an ungreased baking sheet. With a serrated knife, cut circle into 8 wedges. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.

Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the scones to the wire rack to cool. Recut into wedges, if necessary. Serve warm, or cool completely and store in an airtight container.

For the ultimate decadence, serve with whipped cream and lemon or citrus curd.

Fresh Berry Crumb Pie

2009-02-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from a ward cookbook in Seattle. The easiest way to make a fruit pie!

1 c. hazelnuts or almonds (I always use slivered almonds -- no skins to contend with)
2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter, chilled
1 1/2 T. cornstarch
2 pints fresh berries (I always use raspberries)

Create the crumb crust/topping by spreading the nuts in a pan. Roast at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove to a cloth towel, rub off and discard skins. Grind the nuts finely in a food processor for 10 seconds.

Mix the nuts, flour and 1/2 c. sugar in a large bowl and then cut in the butter until coarse crumbs form. Press 1/2 of the mixture by hand into the bottom and sides of a 8-9" tart pan (or pie plate).

In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 c. sugar and cornstarch and then fold in the berries. Spoon berry mixture onto the crumb crust. Use the remaining half crumb mix to sprinkle over the berry mixture.

Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes or until topping is golden and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Seared Chicken with Squash Quesadilla

2009-01-24T09:47:00.001-07:00

A friend in Seattle saw this on Martha Stewart, and her little boy who was watching with her insisted that they make it that very night. She shared the recipe with me, and it became an instant hit. I have made this so many times, I now have to let some time elapse in-between so it can seem fresh to me again. (I usually make just the quesadillas, which is a meatless meal, but the chicken is good as well.)

2 T. e.v. olive oil
1 butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded and sliced crosswise into 1/4" slices
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes
4 chicken breasts
2 T. plus 1/4 t. garlic, minced
1 lime, cut into 8 slices
1 t. unsalted butter
1/4 t. ground cumin
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced into rounds
8 oz. goat cheese
6 12" tortillas
2 sprigs cilantro (I use much more)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle 1 1/2 t. olive oil on a baking sheet. Place the squash pieces on top. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Roast until fork tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Meanwhile prepare the chicken; season with salt and pepper. Place 1/4 t. garlic and 2 slices of lime under the tender of each breast. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and 1 t. olive oil. Place the chicken in the skillet, tender-side up. Add the remaining 1 T. minced garlic, cumin and the juice from half a lime to the pan. Cook until firm and golden brown, about 6 minutes per side; after the first 6 minutes, squeeze the remaining lime half over the chicken and turn.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the jalapeno slices for 4 minutes on each side. Set aside. Prepare the quesadillas: arrange squash slices on half of tortillas, top with jalapeno slices, goat cheese and cilantro. Heat until cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Stuffed French Toast

2009-01-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

This is a fancy French toast that I have made a few times for Father's Day. (because I don't actually like French toast, but Marc loves it)

8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. peach preserves
1 t. vanilla
1/4 c. chopped walnuts (I use pecans)
2 T. Bailey's Irish cream, optional
8 slices Texas-style thick bread
1/2 c. apple juice
1/2 c. orange juice
1/2 c. puréed and strained frozen raspberries
1/4 c. light corn syrup
2 T. water
1 T. cornstarch
3 large eggs, beaten
3/4 c. half and half
1 T. vanilla
1 T. Frangelico liqueur, optional
1/4 c. vegetable oil
fresh fruit, such as apple slices or grapes
powdered sugar
mint leaves for garnish

Make filling by combining cream cheese, peach preserves, a teaspoon of vanilla, nuts, and Irish cream. Beat until smooth.

To make sauce, place apple and orange juices and raspberries in a pan. Add corn syrup and simmer gently. Combine water and cornstarch; add to saue and cook until slightly thickened. Set aside.

Spread filling on half of bread slices and top with remaining slices.

Combine eggs, half and half, vanilla and liqueur. Dip bread in egg mixture, completely covering, but do not soak.

Heat oil in a nonstick sauté pan, and cook bread until brown. Keep warm while browning remaining slices.

To serve, cut French toast diagonally in quarters. Pour a little sauce on each plate and stand toast wedges upright around the sauce. Arrange fruit on plate. Lightly sprinkle toast with powdered sugar, and garnish with mint leaves.

Marc's easy pizza crust

2009-01-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

Marc has made some crazy-time-intensive pizzas out of the California Pizza Kitchen cookbook. They are delicious, but for a quick weeknight dinner, we stick to his fast and easy crust. (again, I watched him once and forced him to approximate a recipe)

1 cube of fresh active yeast (he learned to make this on his mission -- these are about 1/2 oz., so I think we use about a tablespoon of dry yeast)
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
3 T. olive oil
flour

Place yeast in a large bowl and add warm water and sugar. Stir with a fork to dissolve and let sit for about 5 minutes. Add salt and olive oil and stir. Add enough flour to form a thick dough. Knead lightly to mix and form into a ball.

Oil and flour pizza pan (or sprinkle cornmeal). Press ball of dough in center and press out to the edges.

Bake about 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Two favorite easy pizzas:

-- Spread barbecue sauce on your crust. Top with diced or shredded chicken, green pepper, red onion, and monterey jack cheese.

-- Make a simple sauce with tomato paste, a little bit of milk and crushed red pepper flakes. Top with sliced fresh tomatoes, then add sautéed onion and bell pepper. Top with pineapple and mozzarella.

Flank Steak and Blue Cheese Quesadilla Salad

2009-01-14T19:05:00.001-07:00

vinaigrette:
3 T. Dijon-lemon vinaigrette
1 1/2 T. sugar
1 1/2 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t. chopped fresh thyme (optional)

quesadillas:
1/2 lb. flank steak
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
cooking spray
1/2 c. (2 oz.) crumbled blue cheese
4 8" flour tortillas

remaining ingredients:
1 head torn red leaf lettuce
1 c. vertically sliced red onion
2 large tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges

1. Prepare grill.

2. Combine vinaigrette ingredients; set aside.

3. To prepare quesadillas, sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Place steak on grill rack and grill 4 minutes on each side or until done. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.

Sprinkle cheese evenly over 2 tortillas. Divide steak evenly over cheese, and top with remaining tortillas.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over med. heat. Cook quesadillas 4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and cut each quesadilla into 8 wedges.

Combine vinaigrette, lettuce, onion, and tomato in a large bowl; toss well. Divide salad evenly among 4 plates; top each serving with 4 quesadilla wedges.

{Dijon-lemon vinaigrette:
3 T. vegetable broth or water
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. Dijon mustard
2 t. minced garlic
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. black pepper
1/4 t. salt

Combine all ingredients in a jar; cover tightly and shake vigorously. Store in refrigerator.}

Black Bean, Corn, and Avocado Salad

2009-01-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 c. corn kernels (fresh or canned shoepeg is great)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
2 t. grated lime zest
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 t. salt

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and serve at once with tortilla chips.

(6 points for 1 1/2 c. of salad)

Rustic Turkey Tart

2009-01-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law Michelle passed this recipe on from Cook's Country magazine.

**Marc made it with chicken, because that's what we had. He then informed me that he doesn't like turkey in things, only plain. Well, alright, then.

1 9" prepared pie dough (they recommend Pillsbury Just Unroll crust)
1 1/2 c. cooked turkey (or chicken) breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
3/4 c. crumbled blue cheese
2 firm pears, peeled, cored and diced
1/4 c. pecans, toasted and chopped
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1 c. sour cream
3 T. heavy cream
1 T. minced fresh thyme (or 1 t. dried)
salt and pepper

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Gently press pie crust into 9" tart pan and trim excess dough with a knife. Prick bottom of dough all over with fork tines. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes; cool.

Combine turkey, 1/2 c. cheese, pears, pecans, cranberries, sour cream, heavy cream, and thyme in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Transfer turkey mixture to cooled pie crust, then sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Tart can be refrigerated for 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Cream of Artichoke and Pecan Soup

2009-01-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

Chantal served this to us once at dinner and it was sublime.

3 T. butter
4 medium yellow onions, quartered
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. heavy cream
4 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. chopped artichoke hearts (rinse if canned)
additional fresh basil for garnish

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add onion; cook 15-20 minutes. Add pecans; cook, stirring ocassionally, over medium heat for an additional 10-15 minutes. Watch carefully, as onions caramelize easily and burn. Add basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes.

Remove from stove and purée mixure in blender.

Return puréed mixture to saucepan; add cream, chicken broth and artichoke hearts. Bring to a slow boil; remove from heat at once. Garnish with more fresh basil, if desired.

yields about 7 cups of soup

Apricot Chicken

2009-01-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

from Better Homes & Gardens

**This is one of those recipes that I make when I don't want to go shopping, I usually have the ingredients on hand.

6 chicken breasts
21 oz. canned apricot pie filling (I usually just use apricot jam)
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground nutmeg (fresh ground is heavenly)
1/2 c. pecan halves
hot cooked rice

Arrange chicken breasts in a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Combine apricot jam, lemon juice, 1/2 t. salt, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in pecans. Pour apricot mixture over chicken pieces. Cover and bake in a 375 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Arrange chicken on rice; spoon apricot mixture atop. Serves 6.

Marc's Algerian Couscous

2009-01-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

Marc learned to make this while on his mission to Belgium and France, and fine-tuned his recipe along the way. (He doesn't use actual recipes, so I forced him to write down his proportions one time when we were teaching a cooking class for Enrichment.) Each time I eat this, I feel like my body is thanking me, and it's very tasty as well!

1 large onion, chopped
3 T olive oil
3/4 t. turmeric
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
dash of cinnamon
3-4 whole cloves
1 1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. salt
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 small can tomato paste
3 medium zucchini
4 small yellow summer squash
4 large carrots
4 medium yellow potatoes
1 red or green bell pepper
1 can garbanzo beans, drained

Sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add all spices, including bouillon, and cook for a few more minutes, stirring as needed. Add tomato paste, stir and simmer 2 minutes.

Cut all vegetables into large chunks and add to the pot. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for at least an hour.

Add the garbanzo beans about 5 minutes before serving. Serve vegetable ragout over couscous.

Preparing couscous:

Put couscous in a bowl. Boil water with a bouillon cube. (use a 1 1/2:1 ratio of water to couscous) Put a pat of butter on dry couscous. Pour boiling water over the grain and wait about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

**My friend Gayle who lived in Morocco for several years makes her couscous differently: she first cuts up a chuck roast into about 6 sections, browns the meat, and then cooks it with the onion, spices, and 2 cans tomato sauce. After cooking the meat for about an hour, she adds the vegetables and cooks about an hour more. She also adds sweet potatoes to the vegetable mixture and steams cabbage on the side, and of course, serves it all over couscous. Hers is delicious, and we make it sometimes as well.

Old-fashioned Chicken Pot Pie

2009-01-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

Comfort food defined.

2 1/4 c. flour
1 t. salt
1/2 c. shortening
6 T. ice water
2 cans chicken broth
5 diced, unpeeled red potatoes
4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
1/2 - 1 c. frozen peas
1/2 t. poultry seasoning
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 c. milk
2 c. chopped cooked chicken breast

Combine 2 c. flour and 1/2 t. salt in a bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle ice water over surface; toss with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Divide dough in two and gently press into 4" circles; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Bring broth to a boil over med. high heat. Add potato; cover and cook 5 minutes. Add carrot and onion; cover and cook 5 minutes.

Combine remaining 1/4 c. flour, 1/2 t. salt, poultry seasoning, pepper, and milk in a small bowl; stir well. Gradually add to the vegetable mixture, stirring well. Cook over medium heat 3 minutes or until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in peas and chicken.

Roll out dough to a size 1" larger than your casserole dish. Fit one piece into dish to form the bottom crust. Fill with chicken/vegetable mixture. Top with the remaining dough and cut two slits for venting.

Spray with cooking spray and bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

(the original recipe halved the dough ingredients and had only a top crust, but I like a top and bottom crust)

Grilled Chipotle Salmon Tacos

2009-01-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

1 pound skinless salmon filets or whitefish
8 oz. medium round red or white potatoes, cubed
1 1/2 t. ground chipotle chile pepper
3/4 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 c. purchased mild green salsa
3 T. lime juice
3/4 c. thinly sliced green onions
1/2 c. snipped fresh cilantro
12 6" or 16 4" corn tortillas, warmed
1/2 c. light dairy sour cream
lime wedges

Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse, pat dry, and set aside.

In covered saucepan, cook potatoes in enough salted boiling water to cover for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool.

In small bowl combine chipotle chile pepper, sugar, and 1/4 t. of the salt. Rub pepper mixture into fish. Grill or broil 4-6 minutes per 1/2" thickness of fish or until it flakes easily with a fork. Cool slightly and break fish into chunks.

In a medium bowl, combine salsa, lime juice, and remaining salt. Add potatoes, fish, green onions, and cilantro; toss gently to coat.

Divide fish mixture among tortillas. Top with sour cream; fold tortillas. Serve with lime wedges.

(2 tacos = 6 WW points)

Carrot Rice

2009-01-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

(Denise got this from Rachel Ray)

4 t. olive oil
3 large carrots, peeled and grated
1 1/2 c. white rice
2 1/2 c. chicken stock

Cook carrot in olive oil with salt and pepper.

Add rice, stir to coat and cook until rice is golden brown.

Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 15-18 minutes, or until liquid is evaporated.

German Chocolate Cake

2009-01-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

Otherwise known as: my birthday cake, every year. Luckily, Marc has become a master at making it.

from the German's Sweet Chocolate box
(makes 16 servings)

1 pkg. German's sweet chocolate (4 oz.)
1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. water
4 eggs, separated
1 t. vanilla
2 c. sugar
2 c. cake flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 c. buttermilk

Line bottoms of 3 9" cake pans with wax paper; grease sides of pans.

Microwave chocolate and water on high 1 1/2-2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after each minute. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt set aside. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in chocolate mixture and vanilla.

Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition.

Beat egg whites in another large bowl on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into cake batter. Pour evenly into prepared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. (Grandma taught me to check it as soon as it becomes fragrant.) Immediately run spatula between cakes and sides of pans. Cool 15 minutes; remove cake layers form pans and remove wax paper. Cool completely on wire racks. Spread Coconut-Pecan Filling between layers and on top of cake.

Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting

1 can evaporated milk
1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 1/2 t. vanilla
7 oz. shredded coconut
1 1/2 c. chopped pecans

Mix milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks, and vanilla in a large saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 12 minutes or until thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Add coconut and pecans; mix well. Cool to room temperature and of desired spreading consistency. Makes about 4 1/2 c. or enough to fill and frost top of a 3-layer cake (or 24 cupcakes).

Grandma's Lemon Bread

2009-01-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

yields 1 8" loaf or 2-3 mini loaves

6 T. butter
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 T. lemon juice
2 t. freshly grated lemon zest
1 1/2 c. flour (scant)
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 . milk
1/2 c. chopped walnuts, optional

glaze:
3 T. lemon juice
1/2 c. sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Add lemon juice & zest.

Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with milk (flour first and last). Stir just until combined.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove from pan.

Stir lemon juice and sugar together until dissolved. Pour glaze over bread while still warm from the oven. Wait 1-2 days before cutting. Freezes well.

Jill's spinach dip

2009-01-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

1 c. sour cream
1 c. mayonnaise
3/4 c. sliced green onions
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed
2 t. dried parsley
1 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. seasoned salt

Squeeze spinach dry. Mix all together and chill.

Serve with chunks of bread.

Miriam's Mulligatawny Soup

2009-01-03T16:22:00.001-07:00

1 large onion, chopped
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 medium apples, cored and diced
1 c. diced cooked chicken
4-6 c. chicken stock (canned is fine)
2 t. curry powder
1/2 - 3/4 c. uncooked rice

Simmer fruit and vegetables in chicken stock for 1/2 hour. Add rice and chicken and simmer for another 1/2 hour.

Quick Creme Fraîche

2009-01-02T22:37:00.000-07:00

It's not the real stuff, but it will do in a pinch. (like when you're in the U.S.!)

1 c. heavy cream
8 oz. nonfat sour cream
1/4 c. sifted powdered sugar

Beat all together in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Refrigerate, covered, several hours.

Marc's French Potage

2009-01-02T22:33:00.001-07:00

This is about the fastest, easiest, most filling Winter meal imaginable.

3 Russet potatoes
1 bunch leeks
3 carrots
salt and pepper

Peel potatoes and carrots. Cut into large chunks.

Cut off ends of leeks. Cut again where the light green stalks turn dark green. Cut a slit lengthwise and wash leeks well under cold water to remove grit. Cut into large chunks.

Place vegetables in a large stockpot and cover with water. Add a couple of chicken bouillon cubes and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until vegetables are tender.

Ladle out most of the cooking water and reserve. Purée soup with a hand blender, adding reserved liquid if desired.

Stir in a dollop of heavy cream or creme fraîche just before serving and serve with hearty bread.

Denise's Rustic Italian Bruschetta

2009-01-02T22:19:00.001-07:00

This is one of those recipes that Grandma would say costs a bucket of money to make, but man oh man, is it good!

5 med. tomatoes, diced
2 red onions, diced
4 oz. fresh basil, chiffonade
8 cloves garlic
2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
baguette(s)
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped

Heat oil over medium heat and add garlic. Cook until golden brown and remove from heat.

Combine tomatoes and onions. Wrap cooled garlic in plastic wrap and crush. Remove, lightly chop and add to tomato mixture. Pour 1/2 of the oil, balsamic vinegar, and basil into mixture and fold gently. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with crostini.

crostini:

Slice bread on diagonal into ~1/3" thick slices. Brush with remaining garlic oil and bake at 350 degrees until golden, about 4-8 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Mary Kay's Ice Cream Dessert

2009-01-02T22:17:00.001-07:00

1/2 c. butter, melted
1 c. coconut
1 c. Rice Krispies
1 1/4 c. chopped pecans
3/4 c. brown sugar
ice cream, slightly softened

Mix together all but ice cream and bake at 450 degrees for 5-8 minutes, tossing once.

Spread half of mixture in a 9 x 13 pan and top with softened vanilla ice cream. Sprinkle remaining Rice Krispie mixture on top and freeze.

Pineapple-Marshmallow Salad

2009-01-02T22:14:00.000-07:00

It's not for everyone, but it's a Petersen family favorite.
(Jessie and I have been known to make it for ourselves, since no one else wanted to partake!)

1 can pineapple, drained (reserve juice)
1 heaping T. flour
1 T. sugar
dash of salt
1 egg or 2 egg yolks
1 T. lemon juice
mini marshmallows
sharp cheddar

Stir together reserved pineapple juice, flour, sugar, salt, and egg. Cook and stir until thickened.
Add lemon juice.

Pour hot sauce over marshmallows and pineapple. Chill, stirring occasionally.

Top with grated sharp cheddar.

Jenn's Cheese Fondue

2009-01-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

1/2 c. chicken broth
2-3 c. grated cheese
(cheddar with swiss, jack, or mozzarella -- I use whatever I had on hand, most recently sharp white cheddar, jarlsberg, colby jack, and a little blue)
a few tablespoons of flour
dash of garlic salt or tobasco
a little finely-chopped artichoke

Toss grated cheeses with flour.
Heat the chicken broth in fondue pot.
Gradually stir in cheese until melted.

Serve with chunks of hearty bread, apples, and vegetables for dipping.

Peach Sauce

2009-01-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

Mash 2 ripe peaches in a saucepan.

Stir in 1 c. sugar,
3 T. cornstarch
1/2 c. water

Cook for 5 minutes or until sauce boils and thickens.

Turn off heat and add 1/2 t. almond extract and 2 T. butter

Delicious over vanilla ice cream and sliced fresh peaches! The taste of summer.

Ranger Cookies

2009-01-01T09:32:00.001-07:00

1 c. brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. shortening
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 1/4 c. oatmeal
1 c. corn flakes or Rice Krispies
1 c. coconut
1 small pkg. chocolate chips
1 c. nuts, optional

Cream together sugars, shortening, eggs, and vanilla.

Sift together dry ingredients and add to sugar mixture. (My favorite way of sifting dry ingredients together is to place a sieve over the mixing bowl, pour all the dry ingredients in and gently shake.)

Stir in remaining ingredients and drop cookie dough on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Very Good Banana Cake

2009-01-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

This not-too-sweet cake is a refreshing change for banana lovers!

2 1/2 c. sifted cake flour
1 2/3 . sugar
1 1/4 t. each baking powder and baking soda (5/8 t. at high altitude)
1 t. salt
2/3 c. buttermilk
2/3 c. shortening
1 1/4 c. very ripe bananas (~3)
2 large eggs
whipping cream
bananas

Sift dry ingredients together. Add buttermilk, shortening, and bananas and beat for 2 minutes.

Add eggs and beat another 2 minutes. Pour batter into two prepared cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. (375 degrees for high altitude)

Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans.

Top each layer with sweetened whipped cream and sliced bananas.

Linda's Baked Cheese Dip

2009-01-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 can bean dip
1/2 pkg. dry taco seasoning
3-5 drops tobasco sauce
1 c. grated cheddar
1 c. monterey jack

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and bean dip well. Stir in taco seasoning and tobasco sauce. Stir in grated cheeses and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Hot Fudge Sauce

2008-12-30T21:12:00.001-07:00

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 T. butter
1/2 t. vanilla
dash of salt

Stir all ingredients together and melt over hot water (double boiler). Thin with a little hot water if necessary.

Baker's One Bowl Brownies

2008-12-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

I almost caused a rift in the family by breaking with the family brownie recipe and claiming the Baker's recipe as my standby. What can I say? I prefer fudgy brownies to cakey ones. Besides, you can make these with only a bowl and a fork!

4 squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 c. butter (1 1/2 sticks)
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 c. flour

Preheat oven to 350. Melt chocolate and butter together in a large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir sugar into chocolate mixture until well blended. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour until well blended. Spread batter in a 9”x13” pan lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out with fudgy crumbs. Do not overbake. Cool in pan. Makes 24 brownies.

(Several variations found inside Baker’s Unsweetened Choc. box. We particularly enjoy the variation with peanut butter swirled in.)

Snowcap Lemon Pie

2008-12-30T21:08:00.001-07:00

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. lemon juice
3 T. cornstarch + 1 1/2 T.
4 T. butter
1 t. grated lemon peel
3 large egg yolks, beaten
1 c. whole milk
1 c. sour cream
sweetened whipped cream

Mix sugar, cornstarch, butter, zest, juice, egg yolks, and milk together in a saucepan. Stir and cook until thick, about 5-10 minutes. Cool. Fold in sour cream and chill at least 12 hours.

Pour chilled filling into a pie shell and top with plenty of sweetened whipped cream. Garnish with sugared lemon slices, if desired.

Ultimate Quick & Easy Pasta Sauce

2008-12-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

1 t. olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. red wine or 2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. sugar
2 t. dried basil
2 T. tomato paste
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1/4 t. black pepper
2 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained

Heat oil in a saucepan or large skilled over med. high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in wine or vinegar and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, about 15 minutes. Stir in chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Yields 3 cups.

Chicken Parmesan

2008-12-30T21:03:00.001-07:00

(not to be confused with Parmesan Chicken, which is much quicker and easier...)

4 chicken breasts
1/2 c. seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 c. parmesan
1/2 t. dried Italian seasoning
1/8 t. black pepper
1/3 c. flour
2 lg. egg whites, lightly beaten
2 t. olive oil
4 c. hot cooked spaghetti (~8 oz. uncooked)
3 c. Quick & Easy Pasta Sauce
1 c. shredded mozzarella

Flatten chicken to 1/4” thickness with a rolling pin. Combine breadcrumbs, parmesan, Italian seasoning and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge each chicken breast in flour, then in egg whites, then in bread-crumb mixture. Heat oil in a large skillet over med. high heat and add chicken. Cook 5 minutes on each side or until done.

Place 1 c. spaghetti on each plate. Spoon 1/2 c. pasta sauce over each serving. Top each with 1 chicken breast and spoon 1/4 c. sauce over. Sprinkle each with 1/4 c. mozzarella. Microwave until cheese melts.

Chicken Couscous

2008-12-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

This is one of those quick & easy recipes that always tastes good to me.

1 1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1 lb. chicken breasts, cut in strips
1 T. olive oil
1 5.7-oz. box couscous
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
4 scallions, sliced
1/2 c. orange juice
1/2 c. golden raisins
1 t. salt
1 3/4 c. water

Mix spices in a large Ziploc bag. Add chicken and shake to coat. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet and add chicken. Sauté until cooked through, ~8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.

In skillet, sauté bell pepper and scallions until softened. Stir in raisins, orange juice, salt, and water. Bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous.

Remove from heat, cover, and let stand until liquid is absorbed, ~5 minutes. Add the chicken; mix thoroughly with a fork. Serves 4.

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

2008-12-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

I'm going out on a limb and declaring these my favorite cookies.

1 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 c. butter, room temperature
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. oatmeal
1 c. dried cherries, optional (this makes it for me, and is a deal-breaker for the rest of my family)
1 c. semisweet chocolate chunks (or chips)
1 c. toffee pieces

Sift together flour & baking soda and set aside. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg & vanilla; mix well. Add the sifted flour in additions on low speed until well combined. Stir in oatmeal, cherries if desired, chocolate and toffee pieces and mix to combine.

Dough can be frozen in logs, chilled for 1-2 days, or baked immediately. Bake on parchment paper at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

From Martha Stewart.

Chicken and Brie Sandwich with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

2008-12-30T20:54:00.001-07:00

Quite possibly the best sandwich ever.

1 t. olive oil
2 c. halved cherry tomatoes
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. chopped fresh thyme
1/4 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1 T. whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
16 oz. loaf French bread
4 oz. Brie cheese, sliced
3 c. shredded cooked chicken
2 c. fresh spinach
1/4 c. mayonnaise

Cook tomatoes in 1 t. hot oil over med. high heat for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 T. vinegar. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Wrap handle of pan with foil and bake at 300 for 15 minutes.

Combine mayo, mustard and garlic in a small bowl. Spread mixture evenly over top half of cut bread loaf. Spoon tomatoes over bottom half of loaf. Arrange Brie over tomatoes, top with chicken. Add spinach and replace top half of bread. Cut loaf into 6 pieces.

Tortellini with Cherry Tomatoes and Corn

2008-12-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to eat in the summertime!

10 oz. cheese tortellini
10 oz. frozen corn
1 clove garlic, halved
2 c. quartered cherry tomatoes
1/4 c. sliced green onions
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
2 T. grated parmesan
2 t. olive oil
1/4 t. pepper

Cook tortellini in boiling water for 3 minutes. Add frozen corn and cook another three minutes. Drain well.

Rub the inside of a large serving bowl with the garlic halves; discard garlic. Add tortellini mixture, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients, tossing gently to coat.

Serves 6.

Penne with Chicken, Peas, and Asparagus

2008-12-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

2 1/2 c. uncooked penne pasta
1 1/2 c. diagonally cut asparagus
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 lb. chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 T. olive oil
1 c. frozen peas, thawed
1/4 c. parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Place the broth and 1/2 c. peas in a blender; process until smooth. Set aside.

Heat oil over med. high heat. Sauté garlic for 30 seconds. Add asparagus and chicken; sauté 4 minutes or until chicken is done.

Add pea purée, remaining peas, and salt; stir well. Stir in pasta and bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until mixture thickens. Add cheese and pepper; toss.

Red Pepper Pasta Primavera

2008-12-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

1 c. snipped fresh basil (or 1 c. parsley + 1 T. dried basil)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 T. parmesan cheese
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. ground cayenne pepper
8 oz. fettuccine
3 large carrots, julienned
1 med. onion, in thin wedges
1 med. yellow squash, julienned
10 oz. cooked chicken strips

For pesto, combine in a blender container or food processor: basil (or parsley), red pepper, mayonnaise, parmesan, lemon juice, salt, cayenne, and 1/8 t. black pepper. Cover and blend or process till puréed.

Cook pasta for 6 minutes. Add carrots and onion. Return to boiling and cook for 2 min. Add squash; return to boiling and cook for 2 min. Drain pasta and vegetables. Stir in pesto; add chicken.

Toss well to combine. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.

Toffee Dip with Apples

2008-12-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. toffee bits
1 c. pineapple juice
6 Red Delicious apples
6 Granny Smith apples,
cut into wedges

Combine sugars, cream cheese, and vanilla in a bowl. Beat at medium speed until smooth. Stir in toffee bits; mix well. Cover and chill.

Combine juice and apples in a bowl; toss well. Drain apples. Place in an airtight container and chill. Serve dip with apples. (I never use Red Delicious, because I don't care for them. Use whatever apples you like!)

Parmesan Chicken

2008-12-29T20:19:00.001-07:00

As Denise once said when asked what to make for dinner, "Parmesan chicken, duh!"
It's just that kind of recipe.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. fine dry breadcrumbs
1/3 c. grated parmesan
1 1/2 t. salt
3/4 t. pepper
1/4 c. melted butter
2 T. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
minced parsley
paprika

Blend breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper. Combine butter, garlic and lemon juice.

Dip chicken into butter mixture, then crumb mixture, coating well.

Place chicken in an 8x8” baking pan and pour any remaining butter mixture over. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.

Broccoli with Blue Cheese

2008-12-29T20:17:00.001-07:00

2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 c. milk
4 oz. cream cheese
1/3 c. crumbled blue cheese
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, steamed

In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour and heat until bubbly. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat until mixture thickens. Add cream cheese and blue cheese to sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Pour over broccoli and serve.

(Arrange broccoli spears on a platter, alternating stems and tops. Pour the sauce down though the middle of the stalks.) Serve with rice.