Thursday, December 31, 2009

Mexican Hot Chocolate



I was navigating through the Silk Milk website and i stumbled upon this recipe. I knew I had to shovel snow since it snowed here so I thought it would be a nice treat have hot chocolate when I was done. I did not have any cayenne pepper but a website told me I can substitute with chili powder so I did that. It was really good, had a nice spice to it!

Ingredients

Cayenne (optional)
2 cups Silk Vanilla, Omega-3 DHA or Chocolate
3 oz Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)
1⁄2 tsp. Vanilla
1⁄2 tsp. Cinnamon

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring Silk to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in chocolate, and continue to cook until chocolate is melted and fully incorporated. Remove from heat, and whisk in cinnamon, vanilla and cayenne. Pour into two warm mugs. Top with cinnamon or chocolate sprinkles.

Source

Chili Cheese Dip

This one has a funny story. My brother's girlfriend Gina made this and it was the first time I heard about it. Then my sister made it where she got the recipe from her. Then my friend MaryBeth mom's gave me the recipe in her sexy hand writing not knowing I heard of it. Then in my Effective Speaking class a girl made it for our end of the semester party. Then I wanted to make it for New Year's Eve which we are having at Matt's house in the Poconos.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes




My mom had a new obsessive liking to Silk Milk, I like it too. I was in Whole Foods and I saw the holiday Silk Milk flavor of Egg Nog and Pumpkin Spice so I got them for the house knowing the holidays were coming up.

This was the first time I made pancakes and was successful. I think the secret is using a grill pan, a proper recipe, and using non-stick spray. This fixed all my problems because the pancakes kept shape and the grill pan made it for the perfect angle to flip them.

Also, I only had a 1/2 cup of Silk to I just cut the recipe in half. Everything was easy to cut in half except the egg, for obvious reasons but I managed. They did not taste much like pumpkin but I wanted to make them.

Ingredients

1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup Silk Pumpkin Spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large egg

Directions

Whisk together dry ingredients. In another bowl whisk together remaining ingredients. Combine dry and wet, mixing gently. Cook on a preheated skillet. Makes about 12 pancakes.

Source- on the side of the Pumpkin Spice Silk Milk

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Peanut Butter Apple Pie



Last Christmas I took a classic staple of pumpkin pie and made peanut butter pumpkin pie. This year I did the same with apple pie and made peanut butter apple pie. Both recipes are from Lee Zalben, who wrote the Peanut Butter and Company Cookbook which I love!

I did not venture to making my own crust because I am not that ambitious yet so I took help from the Pillsbury Dough Boy. One day I will make my own crust, maybe after if I decide to go to culinary school, which I was brainstorming the idea with my mother.

If I went to culinary school I would want to study in France or NYC, big difference. I could make this into a hobby, or second career when I retire, I am not entirely sure but it is something I would be interested in.

The peanut butter filling was heaven when I tasted an apple dipped in it. What else can be any more great than melted peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar? Peeling the apples was the worst but cutting them was a lot of fun. The sound of the crisp cool apple being cut by the knife was therapeutic.

Ingredients

6 Granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
1 cup natural peanut butter (I used PB&Co. Old Fashioned Smooth)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 pkg. pre-made pie crustr

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F.

2. Place the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and heat on a very low flame and stir until well combined. Remove from heat and add the cream. Mix until smooth and set aside. Let cool.

3. Place the apples in a large bowl and sprinkle the flour on top of the apples and toss with your hands until the apples are well coated.

4. Place the peanut butter filling in the pie shell. Place the apples in the filling one at a time, pressing down so that they become immersed in the filling. Periodically press down on the apples to allow the filling to rise. Continue until all of the apples are incorporated into the filling. Sprinkle the granulated sugar on the top of the pie.

5. Place the pie in the oven and bake at 450°F for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 50 to 60 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Note: Cover the edges of the crust with strips of aluminum foil to protect the crust from burning. Remove the strips during the last 20 minutes of baking.

Source

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Cheddar Potato Pierogi Lasagna



I wanted to make this because I love pierogies and I love lasagna so it is the best of both worlds.

I know with regular lasagna my family does not cook the noodles to save time and effort and they come out soft. I tried this same technique but as I am typing this I am worried that the noodles may still be hard. Although, my favorite texture in food is crunch so it may not be a bad thing, but we shall see!

Also, this is my first recipe from Food2. I am a little skeptical because these reviews are not reviewed by chefs in the Food Network even though it is a sister site of them. Plus there was no comments for the recipe.

Ingredients

1 lb lasagna noodles
4 lbs red or white potatoes
1/4 c sour cream (optional)
1/2 c milk
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 c butter (1.5 sticks)
1 onion, sliced in rings

Directions

Cook the noodles. Chop potatoes into cubes, place in pot of cold water (enough to cover), and allow to come to a boil. Continue boil until potatoes are soft enough to yield to a fork stab. Drain, mash, blend with a mixer. Toss in the optional sour cream and milk, mix some more. Add salt to taste. Stir in cheddar.

Melt all the butter over medium-high heat, then sautee onion until the rings no longer hold their shape.

Preheat oven to 375. Grease the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with some of the onion-butter. Lay noodles on the bottom of the dish, then spread the potatoes, a dollop at a time, along the length of each noodle. Once done, smooth the potatoes, then spread about a quarter of the onion on top, and drizzle a small amount of butter as well. Repeat this twice (or more if your dish can accommodate), then top with noodles and the remainder of the onions and butter.

Pop in the oven for 20 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Source

Monday, December 21, 2009

Macaroons




I always wanted to make macaroons and I found this recipe at Lambert Castle in Paterson, NJ when they had their Christmas sale in the castle. If you live nearby Paterson take a visit to this castle it is so beautifully and breath taking! If you plan on going when the sale is going on becareful if you are claustophobic because there is so many things packed in the rooms, I almost had a panic attack.

On the other hand, the macaroons are very very easy. All you do is mix in the egg whites, suagr, vanilla and mix. Then you add the flour and coconut and mix more. Spoon them on a baking sheet. I like really big ones because they look like royalty.

After I melted some chocolate and dipped when end of them in they look good to be in a bakery in France. Also, the remind me of Ina Garten quality food, and we all know she is over the top but also such a great food socialite in her mansion in the Hamptons.

Ingredients

4 egg whites
1 1/2 cups suagr
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
14 oz. coconut

Directions

1) Mix egg whites, suagr and vailla well. Add flour and mix, then add coconut.
2) Line cookie sheet with foil abd drop cookies.
3) Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 15 - 20 minutes.
4) (optional) If you are a chocolate lover, melt 6 oz. semi sweet chocolate in a small saucepan, stir until smooth. After cookies are completely cool, dip one end of each cookie into chocolate. Place on waxed paper and let set.

Source-Holiday newsletter from Lambert Castle in Paterson, NJ (2009)

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Jell-O Shots


This is like my third or fourth time making Jell-O shots and every time I do I need to look up the recipe, and every time it is a different one. The reason is I am always unsure how to make them so I am sure to follow the directions very carefully because a strong unshotable Jell-O is gross!

I make this connection of being unsure to I feeling like a chemist mixing together a powder artificially flavored with chemicals to make one batch taste like raspberry and the other orange with hot boiling water heated up by a Bunsen Burner and letting it cool to room temperature in a beaker. Then, I carefully measure out each shot in a glass 1.5 oz. beaker then transfer it to another plastic 3 oz. beaker being careful not to drip any of the strong homogenous liquid that has an uncanny effect of making you do things you otherwise would think twice of.

Ingredients

1 (6-ounce) box of raspberry Jell-O, or other flavor of your choice
2 cups boiling water
2 cups vodka

Directions:

In a bowl, pour the boiling water over the Jello and stir until thoroughly dissolved. Cool to room temperature, then stir in the vodka. Pour the mixture into shot glasses or Jello shot cups. Refrigerate until well-set, at least 6 hours. Makes 32 1-ounce jello shots, give or take.

Source

Friday, December 11, 2009

Banana Pudding




So this recipe is kind of a hybrid, very appropriate since the earth is going to flood itself because of global warming. As I was making it for a Christmas party potluck I disregarded the directions a little bit. I combined the idea of a recipe that I saw in my Effective Speaking class and the recipe for Lorna Doone Spoon Pudding on the back of the shortbread cookie box of Lorna Doone. I just call it Banana Pudding because it simpler.

So I started to lay the shortbread cookies on the bottom of an aluminum pan, that I happened to get a two for one deal unintentionally and dishonestly. I was at Shop Rite and I put the pans on the conveyor belt, but they were inside of each other and I was only charged for one. It took me five seconds to realize this and I wanted just to use quarters to pay so I let it slide. Thanks for the free pan!

I then mixed vanilla pudding mix from Trader Joe's and let it sit for five minutes. Now I have Trader Joe's pudding because I just like an excuse to buy things from other food stores besides the major chains. I was in there last weekend for who knows what reason. I wasn't sure how much Cool Whip to mix in with the vanilla pudding so I just did a cup, the recipe from Effective Speaking says 1/4 cup but what does it matter?

I realized I almost forgot the banana but I wanted another layer and I did not have enough shortbread cookies, because Marybeth and I ate them all, so I used some graham crackers from the S'mores bites from the other night and put a layer of those on top of the pudding. Then I sliced the banana and put a layer of Cool Whip on top adding peaks with the back of spoon. Then for garnish I crushed some shortbread cookies and sprinkled on top. Looks quite nice for all store bought food items. As I type it is sitting in the refrigerator chilling before the party at 8pm with some friends.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups cold milk
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
24 short bread cookies
1 large banana, sliced
1 container of Cool Whip
some graham crackers if you do not have enough cookies (optional)

Directions

1. Pour Milk into large bowl. Add pudding mix and beat for two minutes or until it is well blended.
2. Arrange the cookies on the bottom of an 8x8 pan, covering the whole bottom.
3. Pour the pudding on top of the cookies.
4. Add a layer of cookies, (if not enough cookies the graham crackers, break them up so when you serve they are small) on top of the pudding.
5. Slice the banana and put on top of the cookies.
6. Add a layer of cool whip covering the bananas completely.
7. Using the back of your spoon add peaks and garnish with crushed up cookies.

Source- back or Lorna Doone box

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Sunny's Crunchy Peanut Butter S'more Bites




I am sitting in the lab at work, of course not working because it is the tutoring center on campus. My roommate is next to me. I go on foodnetwork.com and I see the sponsored cookie recipe. They have a new cookie everyday because of Christmas. If you know me well enough you know I love peanut butter! My roommate Matt was like, we have to make those in his screaming trademark voice. Me just agreeing with everything just says "ok!". We agree on going to the store together since I needed parmsean cheese for my chicken parm I made earlier in the day.

We go to the A&P where Marybeth works and we agree to split the costs. We find everything we need easily and we both spend like eight bucks making them. We do the express self-checkout since we spent most of the time talking to Marybeth. The screen freezes because we forgot something I guess and we waited too long. We wait for the employees to help so the express lane is not too express after all, it is a scam!

We get back to the room, I make my dinner as he starts to mix the peanut butter (chunky), confectioners sugar, and butter. We did not have a whisk or electric mixer so Matt used his hands. I am glad he did that because it was messy. He basicly rolled them into balls and pressed them into circles, it looked tedious. We let them chill out as we chilled and drank.

For the first time ever I used a double boiler and I always wanted to. I melted the chocolate chips, this time not burning them like I did last year attempting to make peanut butter buckeyes, I failed. I only dipped half of the peanut butter coins in. Some fell to their own mercy in the melted lucious chocolate but they were lucky ones. Then I dipped them in grahm crackers and coconut and put them back in the refrigerator.

Here came the messiest part of all time. The directions said put fluff in pastry bag but who owns those? So like all cooks use we used a plastic baggie. Well sticky fluff plus plastic equals messy. Matt gave up and dropped the bag that looked like it was covered in glue back in the fluff container. I came later and did it, I tried with the bag it was too messy and slow so I spooned the fluff on the coins after they set.

With the left over stuff because we used half of the recipe I rolled the peanut butter in balls and dipped them in chocolate to make buckeyes then dipped them in the grahm crackers. I just had a buckeye so far and they were amazing! I am sure the orignal recipe will be great too. I have ton so who wants some?

Ingredients

2 cups crunchy peanut butter
1 1/2 sticks butter
5 cups powdered sugar
24 ounces (4 cups) milk chocolate chips, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup marshmallow fluff
1 cup coconut flakes, optional
2 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, add the peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar and beat with a whisk or electric beater until smooth. Using a teaspoon measure, scoop the mixture and form into balls, then press into a coin shape the diameter of a quarter. Refrigerate to set up dough cookies, about 30 minutes.

To make bites, dip peanut butter coins in melted chocolate then toss in graham cracker crumbs until coated, double dip and double coat if you feel dangerous. Arrange the coated coins on a wire rack and refrigerate for about 30 more minutes to set. Add the marshmallow fluff to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Remove the coins from the refrigerator and squeeze about 1 teaspoon of marshmallow fluff into the center of half of the coins. If you don't have a pastry bag, use a plastic bag, fill it with fluff and cut 1 corner off and dollop that way. Then top each half with another coin to make a sandwich and place return to the refrigerator to set, about 1 hour.

Options: chop coconut flakes and add them to the graham cracker crumbs to use for coating.

Add puffed rice cereal into the peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar for a bit more texture and crunch.

Source

Easy Chicken Parmesean




So I decided I want to be more creative with this blog, which I am probably stealing the idea from the movie that I saw and book that I am reading Julie and Julia. The movie was great the book is always better, like always. So instead of just putting the recipe and a mediocre review I will right my experience while making and shopping for the food. Also, I will relate any antidotes that are funny and pertinent.

The funny thing with this chicken Parmesan is my roommate Matt made the same exact thing last night. This was not planned at all. He went shopping that day and made it, I planned this weeks ago. I am a big planner when it comes to cooking. Honestly it is the one thing I really enjoy!

So I made homemade tomato sauce, taught to me by my mom before my junior year, as oppose to jarred that my roommate Matt used. This is sauce . . I mean gravy. . . which one? There is always the debate with Italians if you call it sauce or gravy. My family has this debate a couple of times, and most of the time we are not even having sauce/gravy. So how it comes up I do not know. In fact, today I had this conversation (just proving how much of a debate it is) with a faculty member at my school, Ramapo College. She said "Oh you must not be a real Italian if you call it sauce." I guess I am not. What is a true Italian? The men from mTV's Jersey Shore, I hope not.

So I cut up a half an onion and sauteed it with minced garlic from a jar, easy and cheap for a college student. Did this until they were translucent. The smell made its way up the stairs and it was a glorious smell of garlic. I added my can of Rienzi crushed tomatoes and let simmer. I seasoned it obviously with salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes cause some like it hot. I let it simmer while my roommate and I went to A&P where our friend Marybeth works to get the ingredients, which was so time consuming and too good to be revealed until my next post.

When we came back I proceeded to continue the recipe, in fact, without the recipe for the very first time. I felt reckless and wild making the recipe blind. Granted I told my roommate how to make this and I better know how to make it if I can teach it. I took an egg and some milk and mixed them together in a dish with the most perfect lip around it that I feel was made for those meals that have a wet station and dry station. The chicken commuted from the wet station to the dry station lastly to its final destination the frying station. Now the recipe called for seasoned bread crumbs but I had plain so I improvised and added dried basil, oregano, garlic, and garlic powder.

I fried three batches of chicken, it could feed an army. Eight pieces in all. I put some sauce on the bottom of a pan because it will make it easier to clean. I cut huge slices out of a block of mozzarella cheese and used the rest which was grated and put on top. So the layers were sauce, chicken with slices of mozzarella, more sauce, grated cheese, and then some Parmesan. Bake it in the oven until bubbly.

I took a bite and it was the greatest chicken parm of all time because of the extra cheese and homemade sauce. It reminded me of being at a corner pizza place ordering their chicken parm. This recipe will stay in mind forever. I wish all of them did.

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
seasoned bread crumbs
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
8 slices mozzarella cheese, or more
1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce
Parmesan cheese
Preparation:

Whisk together the egg and milk. Dip the chicken breasts in milk and egg mixture and then in bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil on both sides until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Set chicken in a baking dish. Slice 8 pieces of mozzarella cheese and put two on each chicken breast. Pour 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce over all. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little more mozzarella and bake at 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve with spaghetti, garlic bread and a nice green salad.

Source

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Tangy Surprise Burger



Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef
4 pineapple rings
1/2 cup hot and spicy ketchup
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbs. Dijon mustard
4 kaiser rolls
Deli coleslaw

Directions

1. Prepare outdoor grill on high heat. Divide beef into four portions and form patties around pineapple rings so that none of pineapple is showing.

2. In saucepan combine hot and spicy ketchup, brown sugar, an mustard and heat until sugar dissolves.

3. Grill burgers about five minutes on each side or until well done. Spoon some of brown sugar sauce over burgers several times before serving. Place patties on role and top with 1 heaping tablespoon of coleslaw. Cover with top bun and serve immediately.

Source: Best Burger Cookbook, Mud Puddle Books, 2007.

Review: This was the first time I made burgers with no seasoning in them. I miss the taste of pure beef! The pineapple inside really added to the juicey burgers. The sauce on top I added some cilantro and let a whole jalepeno just simmer in there for the smokey flavor.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Honey Cornbread Muffins



Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup honey

Special equipment
paper muffin cups and a 12-cup muffin tin

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Into a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the whole milk, eggs, butter, and honey. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed.

Place muffin paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Evenly divide the cornbread mixture into the papers. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden.

Source

Review
I made these because my mom tried making cornbread for Thanksgiving and there were very dense and tasted like flour. Also, we have a whole bag of corn mean so I wanted to use some.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Pumpkin Cheesecake



Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
3 tbs. all purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ginger
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbs. vanilla extract
1 can (1 lb.) mashed pumpkin (Libby's Brand is fine)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and yolks.

3. Add the flour, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.

4. Beat in the cream and the vanilla, then add the mashed pumpkin and beat at medium speed on an electric mixer until just mixed thoroughly.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees and bake for an additional hour. Turn off the heat, but leave the cake in the oven overnight to cool.

6. As indicated above, serve the cake either warm or chilled, with whipped cream.

Source: The Joy of Cheesecake, Barron's, 1980.

Review: I found this cheesecake cookbook in my basement, as you can see it is really old, older than me. I made this cheesecake for Thanksgiving. It was really easy to make and it made the house smell of fall.

Shortbread Crust (for cheesecake)



Ingredients

1 3/4 cups (about 14 to 16) shortbread cookies, crushed
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F.

2. COMBINE cookie crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press onto bottom and 1-inch up side of 9-inch springform pan.

3. BAKE for 6 to 8 minutes (do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Source

Review: I used Lorna Doone shortbread cookies by Nabisco. It take about one box. I used more than 1 tablespoon of melted butter. I used this crust as oppose to making it from scratch for my pumpkin cheesecake.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Juicy Tasty Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs ground turkey
3/4 cup gruyere or swiss cheese (3 ounces)
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
kosher salt
black pepper

Directions

1. Oil grill grate.
2. Cook on medium-high.
3. Mix up the turkey, cheese, and garlic.
4. Form into 3/4 inch patties.
5. Make a shallow well in each patty so it cooks more evenly.
6. Season with the chili powder, salt and pepper (either right in the mix or on top of the burgers).
7. Cook em up, about 6-8 minutes per side.

Source

Review: My friend had some gruyere cheese so he asked me to find a recipe with it. Since I did not have much I wanted something simple so I found this burgers. The came out super juicy. Real quick and easy to make!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Ranch Cheeseburgers



Ingredients

1 1 oz. packet dry ranch-style salad dressing mix
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 larger hamburger buns, toasted

Directions

1. Combine dressing mix with beef and cheese and shape into 4 patties.

2. Cook on charcoal grill until thoroughly done. Serve on buns.

Source: Best Burger Cookbook, Mud puddle Books, 2007.

Review: These burgers were really good and juicy, bursting with ranch and cheese flavor. Some bacon would be great on them too.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Goat Cheese and Spinach Turkey Burgers



Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled

Directions

1) Preheat the oven broiler.
2) In a medium bowl, mix ground turkey, spinach, and goat cheese.
3) Form the mixture into 4 patties.
4) Arrange patties on a broiler pan, and place in the center of the preheated oven 15 minutes, or until done.

Source

Review

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Zesty Southwestern Burgers with Cilantro Slaw



Ingredients

1 bag Success® White, Success® Brown, or Success® Jasmine Rice
1/2 Marzetti Refrigerated Classic Ranch Salad Dressing
2 cups shredded cabbage
3 tbsp cilantro, minced
1 lb ground chuck
1 pack of hot and spicy taco seasoning mix
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 ea hamburger buns

Directions

1. Prepare rice according to package directions. Let cool for 5 minutes.
2. To make the cilantro slaw: in a large bowl combine ranch salad dressing, cabbage and cilantro.
(note: we added shredded carrots and apple vinegar)
3. Toss to combine; cover and refrigerate until serving.In a large bowl, combine rice, ground chuck and taco seasoning mix. Form into four patties sized slightly larger than hamburger buns.
4. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add patties and cook 10 to 12 minutes for medium well doneness (165°F), turning once.To serve, on each hamburger bottom bun, place a cooked patty, an equal amount of slaw and bun top.

Source: my sister

Review: The flavor was good, but they fell apart as I cook them. Perhaps an egg?

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Quest for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies Commences



It was recently my birthday, I turned twenty two. After twenty one there pessimistically is no other age to look forward to besides retirement. With that being said my friend and I, Michele, made chocolate chip cookies for our History of Math course for my birthday. I find baking very relaxing, as with cooking. I assumed we were going to bake cookies from scratch because she said all she needed was butter. She then proceeded to tell me it was an instant package of cookies where all you add is eggs and butter, honestly I was quite skeptical at first. Although it was more convenient granted it was 11 o'clock on a Sunday evening on a college campus but that is not the point.

We made two batches since we only had one pan. The cookies came out very nicely. Nice even color, great texture. I had the chance to have one freshly baked and it was delicious. Then, I had one in class and it was just as good room temperature. The day after my birthday they were still good, but not the freshly made cookies good.

I then did some research to find the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. I found an article in the New York Times that just addresses that. The title is Perfection? Hint: It's Warm and Has a Secret. Since this paper is obviously credible and has interviews with bakers in New York City I decided to go on quest for a great recipe. I will start with Toll House because it is a classic and cited in the article. There secret is letting the dough sit in the refrigerator for 36 hours. I will try this and report back later when I actually bake them.

This may be a long process because I am not going to make endless batches of cookies, unfortunately.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Italian Baked Chicken Pastina



Ingredients

1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Source

Review: I thought dish would be plain but the flavor after it baked was delicious! It had a nutty taste to it. Also the texture of the dish was good too with the parmesan cheese and bread crumbs on top.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze




Ingredients

Cake:
1 stick plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples

Crumble Topping:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Brown Sugar Glaze:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter.

In a large bowl, cream together the remaining stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each. In a separate bowl or on a piece of parchment, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.

To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

To make the glaze, in a bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let harden slightly. Serve warm.

Source

Review: Made this for my Dad's birthday. It reminded all of us of our Nanny's apple cake. It was really moist the texture was great. A nice crumbly topping on top with a nice moist cake.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Grilled Cheee with Peanut Butter Sandwich




Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2 slices white bread
2 tbs. smooth or chunky peanut butter
3 slices American cheese

Directions

1. Preheat a grill pan or griddle over medium heat.

2. Spread the butter on one side of each slice of bread. Spread the peanut butter on the other side of one of the slices of bread. Lay the cheese on the peanut butter and top with the other slice of bread, butter side up.

2. Place the sandwich on the grill pan. Cook the sandwich for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove to a cutting board, slice in half, and serve immediately.

Source: The Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook, Quirk Books, 2005.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Sausage with Polenta Pucks

Ingredients

2 14-oz Italian-style diced tomatoes (with juice)
6-oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 16-oz package polenta
3/4 lb hot Italian sausage
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 bell peppers chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp. dried rosemary

Directions

Fire up your grill to medium. On the stove, heat the oil in skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers, onion, and garlic. Cook for ten minutes, or until soft. Stir in the tomatoes, mushrooms, and rosemary. Boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low, and cook for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the polenta into 1/2 inch thick pucks. Coat both sides with cooking spray. Slap the pucks and sausage on the grill and close the lid. Grill, turning a few times, for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove the sausage to a cutting board, slice it up, add it to the sauce, and cook for ten minutes. Dump the sauced sausage over the pucks.

Source: A Man, A Can, A Plan, A Grill, David Joachim, Rodale Books, 2003.

Review: I never had polenta before so I tried this recipe. Since it was the pre-made it was much easier. The hot sausage was good, I love things spicy.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Chicken Cordon Bleu




Ingredients

4 chicken breasts skinless and boneless
4 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
1/2 pound Gruyere, grated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup panko bread crumbs
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay the chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 2 slices of prosciutto neatly over the top to cover the breast and sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the prosciutto. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal and twist both ends tight to form a nice log. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic and kosher salt, pepper, and melted butter. The butter will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and season so the flour, the eggs and the crumbs are all seasoned.

Remove the plastic wrap. Lightly dust the chicken with flour, dip in the egg mixture and gently coat in the bread crumbs. Lightly coat a baking pan with olive oil and carefully transfer the roulades onto it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until browned and cooked through.

Source

Review: This was a great recipe for the classic French dish. I did not use fresh thyme so I put dried basil mixed in with the bread crumbs. I had a little trouble wrapping them so I just folded them in half and it was fine, little messy while coating them to flour, egg, and then bread crumbs. I served with rice and brussel sprouts. I tossed in some parsaley in the white rice to make it more dynamic. This was the most advanced meal I made yet.

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs


Ingredients

4 large whole figs (or 16 small mission figs), quartered
Goat cheese
1 (3-ounce) package prosciutto
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Cut a small hole in the center of the flesh of each fig. Fill each hole with 1/4 teaspoon of goat cheese.

Take a prosciutto slice and tear in half. Use 1 half to diagonally wrap around the fig, starting from the top. Tuck underneath at the ends. Repeat until all figs are wrapped. (Secure with toothpicks if necessary.) Place wrapped figs on prepared baking sheet, evenly spaced.

In a small bowl, combine honey and pumpkin pie spice. Drizzle honey evenly over each fig.

Place in the oven on the top rack and roast for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Source

Review: I made these because we have a fig tree in our backyard and I know prosciutto and figs is a classic combination. There nothing like I expected to taste but that was fine because the were delicious. This would be a good appetizer for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Pebbles Marshmallow Crispy Treats




Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1 pkg. (10-1/2 oz) miniature marshmallow (6 cups)
13 0z. Fruity Pebbles cereal (8-1/2 cups)

Directions

Microwave butter in 4 qt. microwavable bowl on high for 45 seconds or until melted. Add marshmallows: toss to coat. Microwave 1-1/2 minutes or until marshmallow are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 45 seconds. Add cereal; mix well. Press firmly into greased foil-lined 13 x 9 pan. Cool. Cut into 24 squares

Source: Fruit Pebbles cereal box

Review: I saw this on a box and I had to make it because of the beautiful colors. They came out really good!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Sour Cream Hamburgers



Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
1 8 oz carton sour cream
1 1 ounce packet dry onion soup mix
2/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. black pepper
8 hamburger buns

Directions

1. In bowl, combine beef, sour cream, dry onion soup mix, breadcrumbs, egg and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. While your grill is heating up, form beef mixture into patties. Grill patties about 7 minutes on each side.

2. Place patties on buns and top with your favorite toppings.

Source: Best Burger Cookbook, Mad Puddle Books, 2007.

Review: It was juicy, creamy, and soft especially for a burger. The sour cream obviously did that. I made sweet potato fries with them. I tried mixing sour cream with cinnamon, it was a great condiment for the fries.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Easy Thai Coconut Rice




Ingredients

2 cups Thai jasmine-scented white rice
2 cups coconut milk
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coconut oil, canola, or other vegetable oil
Optional: 1 tsp. white or brown sugar
Optional: 1/2 tsp. coconut flavoring
Optional: 1-2 Tbsp. toasted coconut (baking type) for garnish

Directions

1) Rub oil over the bottom of a deep-sided pot. Note: the pot will need a tight-fitting lid.

2) Place rice, coconut milk, water, and salt in the pot. Place pot on the stove over medium to high heat. Stir well.

3) Add the sugar and flavoring, if using. Continue to stir occasionally until the coconut milk & water come to a gentle boil (stirring will keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning).

4) Once the coconut-water has begun to gently bubble, stop stirring and turn down the heat to medium-low (around 2.5 on the dial). Place lid askew on the pot, allowing some of the steam to escape.

5) Cook in this way for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all (or nearly all) of the coconut-water.

6) Now turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the burner. Cover the pot tightly with the lid and allow to rest 5-10 minutes, or until you are ready to eat. The rice will "steam" and have a nice, slightly sticky texture).
Tip: Your Coconut Rice can stay warm this way for up to 1 hour.

7) When ready to serve, remove the lid and "fluff" rice with a fork or chopsticks. Serve right out of the pot, or place in another serving bowl. If desired, top with a sprinkling of toasted coconut.

Source

Review: Great side dish! You do not need the Jasmine rice, regular white rice worked fine with for. I had this the pineapple party pork shown in my previous entry. I will definitely make this again. I did without the optional ingredients.

Pineapple Party Pork



Ingredients

6 oz can frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
2 5 oz can pineapple chunks, drained
1 boneless pork loin, 3lb
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

Dump the juice, soy sauce, and garlic powder into a large ziploc bag. Drop in the pork and stick it in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight, turning over occasionally. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the pork on the pan that came with your toaster oven (save the marinade). Roast for ten minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast for another 2.25 hours, until the meet thermometer registers 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Boil the marinade in a saucepan for 5 minutes, until it thickens into a sauce. Chop 1/2 can of pineapple chunks and stir into the sauce. Pour some sauce over the pork, and garnish with the remaining pineapple. Serve with the remaining sauce.

Source: A Man, A Can, A Plan, Rodale Books, 2002.

Review: The pork was very juicy! The outside had a nice dark crust! Cooking it for the suggested time was plenty, I have no thermometer. This is the second pork recipe I made and they are great! The inside of the pork had no taste of the marinade but it was definitely moist.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Delicious Easy Chicken Francese




Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, beaten
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter
2 lemons, juiced
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions

Coat chicken with flour, then egg beat, then saute in a large skillet until almost cooked through. Drain on paper toweling.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

In a medium saucepan combine the wine, broth, parsley, salt and pepper to taste, butter or margarine and lemon juice over medium low heat. Stir together while heating slowly. When butter or margarine has melted, slowly stir in cornstarch until sauce thickens slightly. Place chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish and pour sauce over all.

Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Source

Review: Me and my friends made this tonight. My friend Mary Beth called me and was like I am making you dinner

Cream Cheese and Olive Spread



Ingredients

1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
1/2 c. chopped olives (very fine)

Directions

Combine ingredients and blend well. Use as a spread for party sandwiches, stuffed celery or on crackers.

Source

Review: I had kalamatta olives left over from this recipe so I decided to use them for this spread. Also yesterday I was craving a bagel so I spent three and change on one bagel when today I got six bagels and cream cheese for two dollars and change.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Chocolate Peanut Butter Hot Cocoa



Ingredients

1 (1 ounce) envelope hot cocoa mix (milk chocolate , sugar free is fine!)
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup hot water (not boiling)
whipped topping (optional)
chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Directions

1. Place cocoa mix into a large mug.
2. Add peanut butter.
3. Gradually stir in hot water and mix until well blended.
4. Top with whipped topping and sprinkles if you desire.

Source

Review: I was cold at school so I decided to have hot cocoa. I love peanut butter so I found this recipe. It is good.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Rigatoni with Red Pepper, Almonds, and Bread Crumbs



Ingredients

1 pound rigatoni pasta
3 cups purchased garlic-flavored croutons, (about 5 ounces)
1/4 cup slivered almonds (about 1 ounce), toasted
1 cup julienned roasted red bell peppers
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl.

Place the croutons and the almonds in a food processor. Pulse until it becomes the texture of bread crumbs. Add the crouton and almond mixture to the hot pasta. Add the peppers and the olive oil. Toss to combine and serve.

Source: Food Network, Giada De Laurentiis, Everyday Italian, Ingredients in 15 Minutes.

Review: Such an easy pasta dish with a lo of flavor. Took just a few minutes to prepare everything and the simply tossed everything together. Definitely make this!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Fresh Guacamole



Ingredients

2 ripe avocados
1 roma tomato
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 juice of a lime
1 jalapeno pepper
1 tbs. fresh cilantro

Directions

Peel and dice the onion and garlic cloves. Combine with diced jalapeno pepper, and avocado. Be sure to remove the white membrane and adjust the spiciness by removing the seeds. If you do not want spice, leave out the jalapeno. Mash to desired consistency. Add juice of one lime and fold in diced tomato. Add salt and pepper, season to taste. Add fresh cilantro if desired.

Source: Trader Joe's Guacamole Kit container

Review: Really easy to make! Be sure to season well with salt and pepper because avocado is very bland other wise. I heard if you put the pit of the avocado with the guacamole there is an enzyme that keeps the guacamole green.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Vegetarian Chili



Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium sized yellow onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 package (14 oz.) firm tofu
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbs. black pepper
2 tsp. paprika
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (12 oz) tomato paste
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cans (15 oz) kidney beans rinse and drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinse and drained
1 can (15 oz) white beans, rinse and drained
1 can (15 oz) whole sweet corn, rinsed and drained
1 cup The Heat is On Peanut Butter
Crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions

1. In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, tofu, salt, pepper, and paprika and saute until the onions and garlic are translucent.

2. Add the diced tomatoes and their liquid to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and veggie stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the kidney beans, black beans, white beans, and corn and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Reduce the head to low and stir the peanut butter into the chili. Add additional crushed red pepper to increase the spiciness if desired.

Source: The Peanut Butter & Company Cookbook, Quirk Books, 2005.

Review: Really easy to make. The longer it simmers the better. Cutting the tofu was fun because it was spongy. The peanut butter really thickens the chili up. I had it over rice the first night. To change things up I got spaghetti to have it Cincinatti style. I also had it over mashed potatoes which I was not too crazy about. Also, I got cornbread to have it over and I also will make nachos. I also plan on taking boxed mac and cheese, adding chili, putting cheese on top and baking it.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Lemony Chicken with Capers and Kalamata Olives



Ingredients

2 boneless chicken breasts halved
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup halved and thinly sliced red onion
1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tbs. capers, rinsed
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Marinate the chicken breast with 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 cup of the lemon juice for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to two hours. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle each chicken piece with 1/4 tsp. salt. Spread the onions in the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Add the orange juice and place the chicken breasts on top of the onions. Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice, the olive oil and oregano. Drizzle over the chicken. Sprinkle the garlic and capers over the chicken. Add the olives to the pan juice (don't put them on top, or they will leave their mark). Bake uncovered until the juices of the chicken run clear, about 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter with the pan juices, olives, and capers.

Source: my sister

Review: The chicken was very tasty, I love chicken with lemon. Although I felt the flavor of the onions, capers, and olives did not come through unless you take an actual bite of them. I think what I would do would make stuffed chicken breasts and stuff every thing in them. Then the actual Mediterrean flavor will come through.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Flexible 4-Step Chicken for Family and Company - Rustic Lemon-Onion Chicken



Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced in half crossways (butterflied, cut all the way through)
1 teaspoon dried thyme, plus 1 small bunch fresh thyme, leaves chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup white wine, optional
1 cup chicken broth
3 lemons, juiced
1 to 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Season chicken with dried thyme and salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the oil. Dredge the chicken in flour, add to the hot oil and saute until cooked through. Set chicken aside to rest on plate tented with foil.

In same saute pan, over low heat, add onions and fresh thyme and cook until aromatic.

In a measuring cup, measure out wine, if using, and broth, and add the lemon juice. Turn the heat up to high, and deglaze the pan with the broth mixture until starting to reduce.

Remove the pan from the heat and finish the sauce by whisking in butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Place a bed of cooked spinach on a serving platter, top with the chicken. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Source: Food Network, Ten Dollar Dinners, Melissa D'Arabian

Review: I liked it a lot. I really love the combination of lemon and wine with chicken. The sauteed red onions were really good over the chicken and also over the mashed potatoes that we made as an extra side. We did have any fresh thyme but as Melissa says this dish can be interchanged with anything, so I used fresh parsely.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

White Chocolate Wonderful Sandwich



Ingredients

2 tbs. White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter
2 slices white bread
2 tbs. orange marmalade
1 tbs. sliced almonds. (optional)

Directions

1. Spread the peanut butter on one slice of bread and the marmalade on the other.

2. Sprinkle the almonds on the peanut butter and top with the other slice of bread, marmalade side down. Slice in half diagonally.

Source: The Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook, Quirk Books, 2005.

Review: Great for a late night snack, which is why I made this and hence the late entry. I knew I had all the ingredients in my parents kitchen but I knew I did not have the specified peanut butter, which may be good thing. One I saved calories because it wasn't loaded with other stuff in it. I simply took vanilla extract and peanut butter, careful because the extract is strong. I tasted and added more to taste. The substitution was perfect! The book explains it a cross between those ice cream bars you get from the ice cream truck: creamsicle and toasted almond. I think a DNA test should be ran because all I taste is creamsicle which is fine with me because that my favorite of the two.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Cafe Green Salad



Ingredients

Mustard Vinaigrette:
1 garlic clove, sliced in 1/2
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Small splash soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

3 cups mixed greens, the darker the better (not iceberg)

Rub the inside of a large wooden bowl with the garlic clove and then either discard it or save it for another use. Put the mustard in the bowl and whisk in the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce (a French secret!) vigorously for about 10 seconds to get a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle in the olive oil as slowly as possible with 1 hand while whisking as quickly as possible with the other hand to emulsify. Lay the salad greens on top of the dressing and toss just before serving.

Source: Food Network, Ten Dollar Dinners, Melissa D'Arabian

This was her premiere show and she has so many great tips with everything she does, I definitely will keep on watching her.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops



Ingredients

2 large eggs
1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions
Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Source: Food Network, Everyday Italian, Giada De Laurentiis.

We usually make Shake n Bake with pork chops, but everyone loved this!

Friday, July 31, 2009

Peanut Butter Veggie Burgers



Ingredients

1 large portabella mushroom cap, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 large eggs
1/3 cup Smooth Operator Peanut Butter
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tbs. olive oil

Directions

1. Mix together the mushroom, onion, bell pepper, carrot, and garlic in a large bowl. Add the eggs, peanut butter, bread crumbs, salt and pepper and mix until well combined.

2. With wet hands, shape the mixture into 6 patties and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and fry the patties about 10 minutes on each side. Allow the burgers to rest 2 - 3 minutes before serving.

Source: The Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook, Quirk Books,2005.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Salmon Burgers



Ingredients

-3 6 oz. cans boneless, skinless pink salmon, undrained
-11 oz. can corn with peppers, drained
-1 1/2 cups crushed saltines, or one sleeve
-1/2 cup finely chopped onion
-2 large eggs
-1 large egg white
-2 tsp corn oil or canola oil

Directions

Dump the salmon in a bowl and mash. Stir in the corn, 1 cup of the cracker crumbs, the onion, the eggs, and the egg white. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup crumbs on a plate. Form the salmon into 4 burgers and press each into the crumbs on both sides. Heat 1 tsp. of the oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Cook the burgers 2 at a time, 3 minutes per side, until browned, adding the remaining oil as needed.

Source: Personal Library, A Man, A Can, A Plan, Rodale, 2002.

I made this for Christian and I one day at my house when my parents did not cook. It was a nice summery meal and not too fulling. Christian had a good idea of getting veggie chips and putting one of the salmon burgers in a salad. In fact that is my lunch for the next day.

They were kind of watery so next time I think I will drain the salmon. We served them on buns. I put mayo, he put mustard.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies


INGREDIENTS:

  • 2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Sweetened Dried Cranberries
  • 2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in sweetened dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Source: back of Ocean Spray Cranberry flavored Craisins.

I had my eyes on this recipe for a couple weeks. My cousins from California and Boston are visiting and I wanted to make something. We already had everything in the house so it was easy. Unfortunately I made the cookies very late, I actually just finished. It was a frustrating baking session because the oven bakes so unevenly and the baking sheets are very dark so they make the cookies bake faster, and also I did not have enough baking sheets. To improvise I used the pizza stone which cooked the cookies very nicely. I think next time I will bake cookies in single batches, not all at once.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Steamed Lobster



(copied directly from source)

Ingredients

  • 4 live lobsters (1 1/2 pounds each)
  • 2 lemons, halved, plus more for serving
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • Lemon-Caper Mayonnaise, recipe follows

Directions

Fill a large steamer or soup pot, with about 2 inches of water, add the salt and squeeze in the lemon juice; toss the halves in there too for extra flavor. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

Place the lobsters in the steamer basket or directly in the pot, cover, and allow to steam until they turn bright red, about 15 minutes. Remove the lobsters from the pot and cool to room temperature, and then chill thoroughly before cracking open. Serve with lemon wedges and Lemon-Caper Mayonnaise as part of a raw shellfish bar.

Lemon-Caper Mayonnaise:

3 cups mayonnaise

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 lemons, juiced

3 tablespoons capers, drained and coarsely chopped

2 handfuls chopped flat-leaf parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend with a wooden spoon to combine. Set aside to allow the flavors to marry. Serve as a dipping sauce with steamed lobster and poached shrimp.

Yield: 3 cups

Source: Tyler Florence, Food 911, Food Network

Made this for Christian and I. I have been craving lobster all summer! Had it the night of the Jonas Brothers concert. Has it with the smashed potatoes and corn on the cob. We also had it with melted butter.