The Baking Bailey

Bob Marley's Jerk Chicken

2010-08-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

My dad made this for my college graduation party. I thought about it a while back and looked up the recipe. So glad I remembered it because it is delicious! It is a lot of ingredients but so worth it, I promise! Make sure to make the cucumber dip. It goes with the chicken perfectly and makes a great salad dressing!

Source: Food Network

For the Jerk Marinade:
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped scallion
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 habanero chiles or scotch bonnets if you can get them
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon cider or white vinegar
2 pounds dark meat chicken pieces
1 recipe cucumber sauce, recipe follows

For the marinade:
Mix, in a medium size bowl, onion, scallion, thyme, salt, sugar, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, hot pepper, black pepper, soy sauce, oil and vinegar. Place the chicken pieces in a shallow baking dish and cover with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Place the chicken onto a hot grill and grill until done (165 degree internal temperature.

For the cucumber dipping sauce:
2-1/4 cups cucumber, finely diced
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic

For the cucumber dipping sauce:
Peel and seed cucumbers and roughly chop. Place in a medium size bowl with remaining ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Roasted corn salad

2010-08-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

This is an awesome and simple recipe. We served it in steak tacos but it is great as a side dish!

Grilled Corn Salad with Queso Fresco and Lime

4 ears of corn, husks on
2 tbsp. olive oil
juice of 1 big lime (or 1 1/2 small limes)
3 – 4 oz. queso fresco, crumbled
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
pinch salt
1 serrano pepper, minced

Get your grill going at medium heat. Run the ears of corn under the faucet so that the husks get a wet, otherwise they’ll scorch.
Place the corn on the heat and cook for about 5 – 6 minutes, turning them every minute or so. Remove from the heat and peel pack the husks, then return to the grill. Cook for another 5 – 7 minutes or so, turning the ears every minute.
They should develop a nice, brown char on the kernels. If they look good, remove from heat and let cool a bit. Remove the kernels from the cob
Toss the corn kernels with the other ingredients and serve.

Chicken with Tomatoes and Garlic

2010-04-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

I will start by saying the recipe is good....real good. It is super simple to make, maybe that is why it tasted so good. I love an easy recipe! No surprise that it is a Pioneer Woman recipe. This recipe also gave me a chance to use my new Martha Stewart Dutch oven. My mom and her coupons got it for like $48 which is a killer deal since they are usually $100. Love mom and her coupons. I was also able to use some herbs from my garden. It is a great feeling to eat something you have grown in your own backyard. It is also insanely convenient. I also added some red pepper flake because we like the spicy! I made a couple changes and they are in red.

Here is the rosemary, thyme and basil I grew. So proud!

Source: Pioneer Woman

8 pieces Chicken Legs Or Thighs (I used both)
Salt And Pepper, to taste
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 can (28 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes
1 can (14 Ounces) Whole Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons (Heaping) Tomato Paste
Fresh Herbs: Basil, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary (I used basil, rosemary and thyme)
8 cloves Garlic
16 ounces, weight Pasta (I used rigatoni)
Grated Parmesan Cheese, For Serving
½ cups White Wine (or Red Wine) (I used chicken stock)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Salt and pepper chicken legs. Heat ovenproof skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter. When oil/butter is hot, add chicken legs to the pan. Using tongs, brown on all sides, about 2 minutes. Remove chicken from pan. Pour in wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes with their juice and add tomato paste. Add salt and pepper to taste, stirring to combine. I added red pepper flake here. Bring sauce to a boil, then turn off heat. Add plenty of fresh herbs, 8 cloves of peeled (but whole) garlic, and the chicken legs. Put lid on pot and cook in the oven for 1 hour.

Remove pot from oven and allow it to sit on the counter with the lid on while you boil the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente, Drain and add to a large serving bowl.Remove lid and check sauce. If it’s overly thin, remove the chicken from the pot and boil the sauce on the stovetop for 5 to 10 minutes. Check seasonings and adjust as needed.To serve, pour sauce over cooked pasta, then arrange chicken pieces over the top. Sprinkle generously with fresh Parmesan and serve with crusty French bread.

(Dish may be served with rice or mashed potatoes, instead!)

Product Review

2010-04-21T19:26:00.001-07:00

Recently Mike and I discovered how good pizza on the grill is thanks to our pal Doug. We have made them a couple times and always use the pizza dough from Trader Joe's. I love Trader Joe's. This pizza dough is not only good but also cheap, less than $2. Can't beat that. The dough is easy to roll out and grills up nicely. We roll the dough out, oil the grill and grill both sides a little. We put on toppings and put it back on the grill to melt the cheese. YUM!

The finished product:

Product Review

2010-04-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

Fresh and Easy's Butternut Squash Ravioli
Fresh and Easy is one of my favorite grocery stores. There is one pretty close to my house so I dropped by today and picked up these butternut squash ravioli. These cook up in 3 to 4 minutes and done. I fried some bacon and melted some butter and tossed everything together and topped with Parmesan cheese. The filling is pretty sweet but also cheesey. The bacon gave a nice contrast to the sweetness and also added some texture. Overall I liked these.

Creamy Chicken Piccata

2010-04-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry for another bad picture. I have never made chicken piccata. I love it but have never made it. I got a dozen home grown lemons from a friend. I needed to find things to do with them because they were so good and fragrant. I have everything to make this recipe except the capers and chicken stock. I left the capers out because we don't really care for them. I had heavy cream and figured I could make it work. I noted my changes in red.

Source: Giada De Laurentiis

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (I used kosher salt)
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock (I used heavy cream)
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed (left out)
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped (left out but if I had some I would use it)

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate. Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock (I added the cream and garlic here) and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Pioneer Woman Pork Chops

2010-04-03T18:12:00.001-07:00

I have never been great with cooking pork. Seems like I always over cook it. This recipe is really easy and the pork is perfectly cooked. Mike said they taste close to his dad's which, to me, is a great compliment.

Source: Pioneer Woman

7 pieces Or 8 Pieces Breakfast Chops (very Thin Bone-in Pork Chops)
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper Cayenne Pepper To Taste
½ cups Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter Extra Salt And Pepper, To Taste

Rinse pork chops. Salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops. Combine all dry ingredients. Dredge each side of the pork chops in the flour mixture, then set aside on a plate. Heat canola oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add butter. When butter is melted and butter/oil mixture is hot, cook 3 pork chops at a time, 2 to 3 minutes on the first side; 1 to 2 minutes on the other side. (Make sure no pink juices remain.) Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining porch chops.

Chicken Satay

2010-03-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

Chicken satay is one of our favorite when we go to Thai food. I found this recipe at Big Red Kitchen. It was easy and a good fix for when we crave satay at home.

Source: Big Red Kitchen

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in long thin strips
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 T. Asian chili sauce or more to taste (I use Sriracha)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, white & green parts, sliced thin
1 recipe Satay Sauce

Combine the soy sauce, oil, chili sauce, brown sugar, cilantro, garlic, and green onions in a large bowl. Add long strips of the chicken and toss well. Marinate in the refrigerator for one hour. Thread each strip on to a 6 inch wooden skewer. Heat a greased cooktop grill to med-high heat and cook chicken for about 2-3 minutes on each side. You may grill these the same way on an outdoor grill. Serve with Satay Sauce. Serves 6.

Satay Sauce
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup water, hot
1 T. soy sauce
2 T. lime juice, about 1 lime
2 T. Asian chili sauce or Sriracha
1 T. brown sugar
1/2-1 t. curry powder
1 clove garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1 T. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced thin

Whisk the peanut butter and hot water together in a medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Transfer to a small serving bowl, and put aside to use for dipping the finished chicken.

Ham and Jarlsberg Quiche

2010-03-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of eating a brunch with my sister and my mom, for a little baby shower brunch. It was a surprise to my sister and we got her good! We ate at a place called High Hand Conservatory

If you live near or are visiting near Sacramento, CA make sure to stop by High Hand. It was the best food I had had in a very long time. They also have a nursery you can visit, which we did, that had some great looking plants and flowers.

So I ordered the ham and Jarlsberg quiche. I had never had Jarlsberg cheese but I am glad I did! It was delicious. It also had rosemary sprinkled on top which I had never thought of with eggs but will be doing from now on on a regular basis. So when I got home from my trip I wanted to recreate this quiche for Mike. I think I did well.

1 refrigerated pie crust
6 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound ham or any meat you like
1 cup Jarlsberg cheese- shredded
1/2 tablespoon rosemary

Preheat oven to 425. Place the pie crust in a 9 inch pie pan. Pierce crust with fork for vents. Bake for 8 mins. While the crust is baking beat eggs and heavy cream together. Once the crust is out of the oven place the ham in the pie crust. Sprinkle about 3/4 of the cheese over ham. Pour egg mixture over ham and cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Sprinkle rosemary evenly over the top of the cheese. Bake at 425 for 15 mins then at 350 for 15 mins or until the eggs are set.

Parmesan Roasted Green Beans

2010-03-10T20:23:00.000-08:00

Working on getting more vegetables in our meals. This recipe makes it easy. I love green beans and parmesan cheese so this recipe is perfect. Next time I might leave them in for a little longer than 10 minutes, just so they get a little softer.

Source: Tyler Florence

1 pound thin green beans
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Trim off the tough end of the beans and arrange the beans on a nonstick cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top and bake until the cheese melts and forms a crisp shell over the beans, about 10 minutes. Let the beans sit a few minutes for the cheese to cool slightly. Lift the beans out onto a platter and serve.

Product Review

2010-03-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

I recently saw the new Giada De Laurentiis brand of pots, pans, pasta sauce, olive oil and just about all things cooking at Target. I picked up a jar of the pasta sauce to give it a try. It is really good for jarred pasta sauce. We tried the tomato basil and I was surprised to see actual pieces of basil in the sauce. For $2.99 this is definetly a good buy!

Chinese Beef & Broccoli

2010-03-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the blurry picture. This is a super easy and extra tasty beef and broccoli recipe. The broccoli is nice and tender but still have a bit of crunch, which I love. The beef is perfect! I make this about twice a month, maybe more.

Source: The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook

3/4 pound flank or sirloin, sliced thinly across the grain
3/4 pound broccoli florets
2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced or smushed through garlic smusher
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

For the beef marinade
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth

Marinate the beef: Stir together the beef marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the beef slices and stir until coated. Let stand for 10 minutes In a small bowl stir together the sauce ingredients. In a large saute pan add 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli and cover to steam for 3 minutes. Drain. Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Add the cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the beef and immediately spread the beef out all over the surface of the wok or pan in a single layer (preferably not touching). Let the beef fry undisturbed for 1 minute. Flip the beef slices over, add the garlic to the pan and fry for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until no longer pink, Pour in the sauce, add the broccoli and bring to a boil. Pour in the dissolved cornstarch and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens, 30 seconds. Serve over rice.

Homemade chicken soup

2010-01-16T20:29:00.001-08:00

This picture is strange. I have no idea why. This soup however is yummy! Mike loves soup so I thought I would make a big pot of chicken noodle. This was very simple. I made a few changes to the original recipe.

Source: The Foodie Fashionista

1 (3 pound) roasting chicken
5 large carrots, chopped
4 large celery stalks with leaves, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 parsnip, sliced in half vertically
1 turnip, sliced in half
5 garlic cloves, peeled
several sprigs of parsley and dill
10-12 cups cold water
salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces pasta (optional)
cheesecloth

Place chicken, vegetables, and herbs in a large stockpot. Add enough cold water to cover all the contents of the pot. Bring to a boil and turn down to simmer; cover pot, but vent to allow steam to escape. Simmer for about 90 minutes.After 90 minutes, remove chicken from the soup. Remove as much meat as possible and discard skin and bones. Remove turnip and parsnip and discard. Find garlic cloves (they should be floating near the top) and smash them against the side of the pot and mix the smashed garlic into the soup. Add chicken meat back to soup; season with salt and pepper. Add pasta and bring back to a boil; boil until pasta is cooked through. (I cooked the pasta separate and added in). Remove pot from heat and cover top surface of soup with cheesecloth. Push cloth down into soup until it sits just below the surface. Allow to cool completely, preferably overnight. Slowly lift cheesecloth up, separating the fat from the top surface of the soup. Reheat to serve.

Crock pot Pot Roast

2009-09-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

My undying love for my crock pot is going strong. Mike loves pot roast and I have never made one. This was super easy and very yummy.

1 beef roast
1 bag a baby carrots or a few carrots cut up
4 potatoes peeled and cut up
1 envelope onion soup mix

Place roast in crock pot. Sprinkle onion soup mix over meat on all sides. Wrap carrots and potatoes in foil, season with salt and pepper or seasoning you like. Place foil wrapped veggies on top of roast. Cook for 8 hours on low. Remove foil wrapped veggies, plate and enjoy.

Salsa Chicken

2009-09-08T18:36:00.001-07:00

This recipe is super easy and really good. Gotta love the crock pot! You can serve it over rice, in a burrito or a taco. We made fried corn tortilla tacos...SO good! Best homemade tacos ever!

4 chicken breast (you can use more or less just adjust the salsa accordingly)
1 1/2 cups salsa (I used this recipe)

You can also add drained black beans or frozen corn kernels.

Place chicken and salsa (and any add ins) in crock pot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Shred chicken and enjoy!

Homemade salsa

2009-09-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

I love restaurant salsa, so does Mike. I have never been able to make it just right. It is always too chunky. This version turned out perfect! I will never buy salsa again! You can adjust the recipe to your liking.

28 oz can (or 2 14.5 cans) diced fire roasted tomatoes
half an onion
1 jalapeno
1 Serrano chili
1 bunch cilantro leaves
4 cloves garlic
lime juice
chili powder
salt
lime juice
pinch of sugar

Using a food processor blend tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, Serrano chili, cilantro leaves, and garlic until smooth. Add lime juice, chili powder and salt to taste. Add a pinch of sugar. The longer it sits together the better it gets.

Key Lime Pie

2009-08-10T18:16:00.001-07:00

Mike loves key lime pie. I had never really had it before so I thought I would make one. This recipe is super simple and very good. The pie didn't last a week in the house, it really had no chance. I used a pre-made crust so the recipe below is just for the filling.

Source: outofthefryingpan.com

1 cup key lime juice
2- 14 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
zest of 2 limes

Mix ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and let cool. Refrigerate to set completely.

Fried Corn

2009-08-10T18:07:00.001-07:00

I had heard about this fried corn business online and knew we had to try it. So glad we did because it was so good! Make this as soon as humanly possible!

Source: About.com

6 ears corn
2 tablespoons fresh bacon drippings or butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Slice the corn from the cob. Scrape the cob downward to get any remaining corn left near the cob. Heat a heavy skillet and add the bacon fat or butter. When hot, add corn and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle with the salt, sugar, and pepper. Serve hot.
Serves 4 to 5. (note: I had bacon from "making bacon drippings so I threw it in too. It would have been great either way)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2009-08-10T17:53:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the less than lovely picture, I was hungry. My dad taught me how to make perfect garlic mashed potatoes one year at Thanksgiving. I haven't made them any other way for years now. They are super easy!

Source: My dad

2 red potatoes per person, washed with skins left on (or off whatever floats your boat)
1 clove of whole peeled garlic per person
Salt
Butter
Milk or cream

Cut the potatoes into 1 inch pieces. Try to make them about the same size since this will help cooking all evenly. Throw them in the pot with the garlic and cover with water. Salt the water until it is "salty like the sea" as my dad would say. Make sure you taste the water and you say ugh salt water, then and only then is it perfect. This is your only chance to salt the potatoes and if you do it right they will be perfect. Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook until the are nice and tender. Drain off water and place them back in the pot. Keep them covered and do not mash them until you are ready to serve them, this will help them stay nice and hot. Warm your milk or cream to prevent it from making the potatoes cold, just makes sense. I usually heat it in the microwave but you could also heat it on the stove on low while you cook the potatoes. Mash the potatoes up with some milk and butter to the texture of your liking. Mike likes them with lots of butter and a little milk so that it how I usually make them. That's it...enjoy!

Zesty ginger beer BBQ sauce

2009-08-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

I made this to put on crockpot BBQ pork. It was great. Different from any BBQ sauce I have ever had.

Source: Food Network

2 cups ginger beer
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Eggplant Parmesan

2009-07-31T16:17:00.001-07:00

I have never made or really ever even eaten eggplant parmesan. I had been craving it since I tasted some on our vacation to Atlanta. I got the basic idea of how it is made and threw this together. It was pretty quick and easy. Mike and I both enjoyed it.

1 eggplant, sliced into rounds
Italian breadcrumbs
2 eggs
olive oil
1 can tomato sauce
mozzarella cheese (sliced or grated)
pasta (any kind you like)
salt

Heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large pan. Place breadcrumbs in a bowl big enough for the rounds of eggplant. Crack eggs onto a bowl the same size. Beat the eggs. Salt eggplant. Dip eggplant slices into egg them coat with breadcrumbs one at a time. Place in hot oil. Fry a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on paper towel to drain. Using a 9 by 13 baking dish spoon a layer of tomato sauce into the bottom, enough to coat the bottom. Place the fried eggplant rounds on top of the sauce. Spoon additional sauce on top of eggplant rounds. Top with cheese. Place in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Then broil for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Cook pasta as directed and mix with remaining tomato sauce. Place pasta on plates and top with eggplant rounds.

Hoisian Shrimp

2009-07-31T16:12:00.001-07:00

Mike and I are in love with the Hoisian Chicken I made a few weeks ago. Mike came up with the idea to use it on shrimp and it was a great idea! I simply marinaded the shrimp and sauteed them in a pan. Delicious!

Good ol'Beans

2009-07-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

I think I am addicted to recipes from Pioneer Woman. This is the second weekend in a row I have made one of her recipes for a BBQ. Homemade beans have always intimidated me. This recipe was super simple and turned out great. I added browned ground beef for some extra texture but I think they would be great without the beef also.

Source: Pioneer Woman

4 cups pinto beans
4 slices thick bacon (or you can use salt pork or ham hock or dices ham)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
6 to 8 sliced jarred jalapenos chopped (optional)

Rinse beans in col water. Pick out any beans that look questionable. Pour beans into large pot, cover with water by 2 to 3 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer 2 hours or until beans are tender. Add water to pot as needed. Beans should have a thick broth. Towards the end of the cooking time add salt and pepper and season to taste. Don't over salt. I added chopper jarred jalapenos at this point along with the browned ground beef.

Classic Potato Salad

2009-07-21T10:24:00.001-07:00

Mike and I were having friends over for BBQ and game night and I wanted homemade potato salad and remembered seeing this recipe on the Pioneer Woman's website. It is a very classic recipe and very good. Sometimes the simplest ingredients came make the best tasting things!

Source: Pioneer Woman

5 pounds russet potatoes

1 1/2 cup real mayo

4 tablespoons prepared mustard (regular Dijon or both)

5 green onions, sliced up to the darkest green part

8 small sweet pickles (or dill pickles) chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped

Cut potatoes in halves or thirds, then boil until fork tender. (make sure the water is salted, salty like the sea) Drain. mash potatoes or run them through a ricer or food mill to make them extra fluffy. (I mashed mine to get some chunks). Fold potatoes together with mayo, mustard, green onion, salt, pepper and other seasonings you like. Fold pickles and eggs, then taste for seasonings, adding more salt. mustard or mayo as needed. You may also splash in juice from the pickle jar if salad needs a little moisture.

Hoisin Chicken

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

I was searching for one recipe and I stumbled across this one on foodtv.com. It is good. Spicy and sweet and so simple to make. Mike and I both loved it.
I served it with cucumber salad

Source: Food Network

3/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 scallions, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic
1 2 inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and halved (remove seeds for less heat) (I did not steam the jalapeno)
Zest and juice of 2 limes, plus lime wedges for garnish
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds skin on chicken thighs and drumsticks (separate pieces)

Preheat a grill to medium heat on one side. In a mini food processor combine all ingredients excluding chicken. Process until smooth. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Reserve some marinade for basting. Toss the chicken with the hoisin mixture in a large bowl. Grill the chicken over direct heat until the skin is crisp, 5 minutes per side, basting with extra marinade. Transfer chicken to the cooler side of the grill, cover and grill until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Breakfast for dinner: Pancakes

2009-07-14T18:47:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the blurry picture, I was in a hurry to eat! I love to have breakfast for dinner and so does Mike, yet another reason we are meant to be =] I have never made pancakes from scratch but this recipe from The Pioneer Woman is awesome! I had all the ingredients on hand and they came together to make some great cakes!

Mike always makes the pancakes in our house. I can cook a lot of things but for some reason I can't make good pancakes. Here is Mike cooking up the cakes:PW’s Perfect Pancakes

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups milk
2 large eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons butter
Extra butter
Maple or Pancake syrup

Mix together dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix together milk, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring very gently until just combined.
Melt butter and add it to the batter, stirring gently to combine.
Cook on a greased skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown. Serve with an obscene amount of butter and warm syrup.

**note: we made maple butter by melting butter into maple syrup in a sauce pan. Don't know how I ever ate pancakes without it!**

Product review: Popchips

2009-07-11T16:47:00.001-07:00

Popchips are good, real good. Mike couldn't stop eating them. I heard about them recently and finally found them at Target. I was at Target today and decided to buy some. I got BBQ because you can never go wrong with BBQ. They are so good, not greasy at all. The only have 120 calories and 4 grams of fat for one third of the bag! The chips are all natural which makes me feel better about eating chips. It is also nice to read the ingredients of a package and know what everything listed is. They have 7 flavors including BBQ, sour cream and onion and salt and pepper. I will definetly be trying a few other flavors.

www.popchips.com

Homemade Korean food

2009-07-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

Mike and I took a trip to see his sisters in Atlanta during the 4th of July weekend. His mom and step dad also came down from New York along with his cousin from Alabama.

This is everyone:

Mike's mom and cousin taught me how to make Korean food. I could not tell you a recipe since it is a little of this a handful of that. Once we came home to California I decided to invite my parents over and make them Korean food. If you have never had homemade Korean food...you are missing out! It is better than any Korean restaurant I have ever eaten at.

This is Mike and his mom Katy:

This is fried tofu and it is awesome! My mom and dad both liked it which shocked me.

This is chop che, my favorite:

Tupperware

2009-07-09T18:22:00.000-07:00

This is my loot from my recent Tupperware party. My sister recently started selling Tupperware and I needed some in my kitchen very badly! This stuff lasts forever. My mom still has the cake carrier she bought before I can remember and she made a lot of birthday cakes on that thing! I really needed big bowls and as you can see I really scored some! I am not afraid to admit that I love my Tupperware!

Chicken Tamale Casserole

2009-07-09T18:01:00.000-07:00

This was super easy and very good. Tamales are a lot of work but this is not. I changed the recipe a little from the original recipe from Food alla Puttanesca. This would make a great week night meal since I use a store bought rotisserie chicken.

Adapted from: Food ala Puttanesca

1 cup (4 ounces) pepper jack cheese (separated 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup)
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (I used Jiffy)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 400°. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with sour cream.

Ryan’s Bolognese

2009-05-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

I have collected a couple bolognese recipes over the past couple years but never made one. This recipe from the Pioneer Woman's blog looked simple and it really was. It also tasted great. Next time I make it I will add red pepper flakes. I like my Italian food a little spicy. I halved the recipe and I was able to freeze what we didn't eat for another night. So the recipe below would probably feed at least 8 people. This is a Pastor Ryan recipe and I think he knows my husband because all of his recipes Mike loves.

Source: Pioneer Woman

1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1 large red onion, diced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons oregano flakes
2 tablespoons dried basil flakes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 cups red wine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
salt
pepper
2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes
1 cup milk
Fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Add grated carrots and onions and cook for a few minutes.
Make a well in the center of the mixture, then add in the ground beef. Cook for a few minutes until brown, gradually stirring it into the carrot mixture.
Throw in oregano and basil. Use fresh if you have it; if you don’t, it’s fine.
When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, make another well. Add tomato paste and let it heat.
Add garlic and stir to combine.
Make a well in the center of the mixture and add red wine. Stir together.
Add Worcestershire and stir.
Add canned tomatoes.
Finally, pour in milk, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours—however long you need.

Serve with pasta and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Olive Oil Muffins

2009-05-24T19:53:00.001-07:00

I saw Giada make these once and thought they sounded different. I tried them this weekend and they are good but I don't think they are something I would make again. Mike did not like. They are definitely different. Savory and sweet at the same time.

Source: Giada De Laurentiss

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons whole milk
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Powdered sugar, for sifting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Blend together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer beat the sugar, eggs, and zests in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vinegar and milk. Gradually beat in the oil. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Crush the almonds with your hands as you add them to the batter and stir until mixed. Fill the muffin tin almost to the top of the paper liners. Bake until golden on top and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Remove the muffins onto a platter and let cool for 5 more minutes. Sift powdered sugar over the muffins and serve.

Summer Shrimp Rolls

2009-05-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

It has been hot here lately. Typically when it gets hot here it does cool back down till October. I have been looking for simple meals that don't require an oven so to not heat up the house anymore than it already is. I found this recipe in the June/July issue of Everyday with Rachel Ray. It is the first recipe I have made from the magazine even though I have had a subscription for over a year. It was very light and refreshing.

Source: Everyday with Rachel Ray

1 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound large shrimp-peeled, deveined and chopped
3/4 cups fresh corn kernels (I used canned because it is what I had)
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup pesto
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 scallions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
4 hot dog buns (I used french rolls)

In medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring until opaque about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the corn and let cool.
In a medium bowl, stir together the mayo, pesto and lemon juice. Add the shrimp-corn mixture, bell pepper and scallions; toss. Season will salt and pepper. Serve in the hot dog buns.

Shrimp Ceviche

2009-04-12T12:50:00.001-07:00

I really like shrimp ceviche. I have never made it at home. I was so happy this recipe turned out so well. The recipe makes a lot. The next time I make it I will probably half the recipe and it would still feed 4 to 6 people in my opinion. This recipe does boil the shrimp instead of "cooking" the shrimp in lime juice but it is still very good! We ate it like salsa on chips. It would also be good on a tostada.

Source: Food Network

Kosher salt
2 pounds medium-small shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 limes, juiced
8 lemons, juiced
2 oranges, juiced, preferably sour oranges
2 large tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 bunch cilantro, stemmed and roughly chopped
1 serrano chile, roughly chopped
2 large avocados, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
Tortilla chips, for garnish

In a large pot of boiling salted water, add the shrimp and simmer until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a bowl of ice water to chill. Drain the shrimp, cut into 1-inch pieces, and transfer to a bowl. Add the lime, lemon, and orange juice, stir to combine, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 6. Stir the tomato, onion, cilantro, and chile into the shrimp mixture and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.(Before I added the shrimp to the tomato mixture I drained most of the citrus juice and added some back in the end so that it wouldn't be too wet.)
When ready to serve, gently stir in the avocado and cucumber. Divide the ceviche among 8 chilled martini glasses and tuck 2 to 3 tortilla chips around the sides of each.

Asian Shredded Pork

2009-03-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

I love my crock pot, especially on work days. I have been trying to use it more to make week nights easier. Tonight I made Asian shredded pork in the good ol'crock pot. Mike and I both loved it. I would recommend using a pork butt or shoulder as I could not find boneless ribs (sort of makes it not a rib right?) and the bones in the ribs were kind of a pain to pull out once the meat was done. Best part is I have nearly all these ingredients in my kitchen at all times.

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (I used a tablespoon)
12 boneless country style pork ribs

Mix everything but the ribs in the crock pot. Once the sugar is dissolved add the ribs and marinade 8 hours or overnight. Drain the marinade off and cook on low for 9 hours. Drain again and shred. Serve over rice or noodles.

Ultimate Meatloaf

2009-02-27T20:08:00.000-08:00

I have never really liked meatloaf. My husband however loves it. When I saw Tyler Florence make the "Ultimate" meatloaf I thought I would give it one more chance. I am so glad I did. The meatloaf includes a tomato relish and I think it really makes the meatloaf. The recipe included bacon over the top but Mike and I agreed it could be left off, shocking I know! The recipe also included bread soaked in milk instead of breadcrumbs, different. I served it with homemade mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. Mmmmmmm

Tyler Florence's Ultimate Meatloaf with tomato relish

Tomato relish:

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and finely diced
2 tomatoes, halved, seeded, and finely diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 (12-ounce) bottle ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Meatloaf:

3 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into chunks by hand
1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 eggs
Leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 bacon slices

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat a skillet with a 2-count of oil and place over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and bay leaves for a few minutes. Throw in the red peppers and cook them for a couple of minutes to soften. Now add the tomatoes. Stir in the parsley, ketchup, and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the relish for 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat.

Place the torn white bread in a bowl and add the milk to just barely cover, swish the bread around in the milk and let it sit while you get the rest of the ingredients for the meat loaf together.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and pork with 1 1/2 cups of the tomato relish, the eggs, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the soaked bread to the meat mixture.

Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Transfer the meat mixture to the center of the cookie sheet and form into a log about 9 inches long and about 4 inches wide. Coat the top of the meatloaf with another 1/2 cup of the tomato relish. Lay the bacon across the top lengthwise.

Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the bacon is crisp and the meatloaf is firm. Rotate the meat loaf while it's baking every now and then to insure that the bacon browns evenly. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it cool a bit before slicing. Serve with the remaining tomato relish on the side.

Dear Nutella...I love you!

2009-02-27T19:59:00.000-08:00

I had never had Nutella until about 4 years ago. My sister said I had to try this hazelnut spread. She was right. Nutella is the best thing to spread on well just about anything! It is also rather delicious on a spoon =] I needed to find new ways to get Nutella in my belly so here is Nutella ice cream. It turned out like Nutella chip ice cream but still SO good.

Nutella Ice Cream
1 cup Nutella
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk
1 - 1/3 cups heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the Nutella and sugar until smooth. Add the milk. Blend on low speed until smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and the vanilla.

Place in your ice cream maker and let it run for 20-25 minutes. Let it sit in a freezer overnight.

Vegas baby!

2009-02-24T08:31:00.000-08:00

This past weekend Mike and I took an early anniversary trip to Las Vegas. We got a great deal on rooms so we figured it was okay to celebrate early for a bargain. We ate some of the best food either of us have ever eaten...ever, so I decided I should blog about it. I think Mike got irritated every time food would come and he would pick up his fork and I would say WAIT! Take a picture! But he did it anyway, such a good husband!

Friday we stayed at the Golden Nugget. I was rather surprised at how nice the hotel and our room was. I would definitely stay there again. Fremont St is a great place to people watch. Once we got fancy in our going out clothes we went to Red Sushi inside the Golden Nugget. I was shocked at how awesome the food was. We split an entree of Chicken Katsu and NY Steak, SO good! It also came with sweet potatoes that were steamed then pan fried...YUM!Dynamite Roll

Red Tiger Roll...one of the best rolls I have ever had!

And a Sapporo, of course!

The next morning we had reservations at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill for brunch.

Mike has scrambled egg enchiladas. He loved them, especially the sauce.I had chicken and sweet potato hash. I am not crazy keen on sweet potatoes but I loved this!

After brunch we decided to check in to our room at The Mirage. We had booked a suite but were told that we had been upgraded to a penthouse for free! We were only one floor from the top of the hotel. It was rough but we managed =]

Saturday night we had tickets to see the Cirque De Soleil show 'LOVE'. It was by far the most amazing thing both of us had ever seen. Hard to describe but amazing!

After the show we had a late dinner at BLT Burger inside The Mirage, where we stayed Saturday night. BLT Burger is fancy burgers, fancy fries and fun milkshakes.

I had the classic cheeseburger. We didn't manager to get a picture of Mike's but he had a burger with bleu cheese, mushrooms and onions, all his favorites. The burger was perfection.

We also ordered fried pickles. Mike was unsure of them but I thought they were super good. I love pickles with a weird passion though. I wouldn't eat them everyday but they were fun!

Before we headed home the next morning we had already decided to go back to Mesa Grill for brunch again because there was so much we wanted to try. I had the Ranch Style Eggs Tostada, sauce was amazing! The eggs were the fluffiest eggs I have ever eaten. I enjoyed this one more than the hash the day before.

Mike had the Spicy Scrambled Eggs with Apricot-Mustard Glazed Ham and Buttermilk Biscuits. He liked it but enjoyed his meal the day before more.

Typically Mike and I have the worst luck with trying restaurants that we don't know. We usually get horrible service or ever worse horrible food. We never get upgraded to first class or a room upgrade for free so this trip was really amazing because we had the best luck ever....but not with gambling. But that is okay! We had a great time and have an awesome memory of our first anniversary.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T15:20:00.001-08:00

These are a little something I made in honor of Valentine's Day, mini cupcake truffles.
Hope yours was loverly!

Italian Chicken Sticks

2009-01-27T15:40:00.001-08:00

Oh how I LOVE Paula Deen. She seems like the sweetest southern lady ever! Mike and I took a day trip to Savanna when we were in Georgia visiting his family over the summer and I must say they love them some Paula Deen. We intended to eat at her restaurant but we should have made reservations....whoops! We plan to go back soon WITH reservations. Anyway I saw this recipe for Italian chicken sticks and since it used a stick of butter I knew it would be good. Very simple weeknight meal.

Italian Chicken Sticks
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
11/2 teaspoons dried thyme
11/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch ground red pepper
8 boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
Marinara sauce or honey mustard, for dipping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a pie plate or platter, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, thyme, basil, oregano, salt, garlic powder, and red pepper. Dip the chicken strips in the melted butter, then dredge them in the bread crumb mixture. Place the chicken strips in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve the chicken sticks hot with marinara sauce, or serve hot or cold with honey mustard.

Pizza Bake

2009-01-14T13:45:00.000-08:00

Not another hot mess of cheese I promise! I found a recipe for a pizza bake online and made a few changes. This came out like deep dish pizza, which I love but only in Chicago. The best way to describe Chicago style pizza is it looks like a cheesecake at first. This was also awesome leftovers!

Pizza Bake
1 pound Italian sausage (I used half hot half mild)
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I used Hunt's because it is cheap and tasty)
1 small can slice olives
Mozzarella cheese, use as much or as little as you like
1 tube store bought pizza dough

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brown the sausage in a skillet. Drain if needed(mine needed it) Add the spaghetti sauce and olive and heat on low until everything is heated through. Spray a glass baking dish with non stick spray or grease with butter. Roll the pizza dough out and smoosh into the baking dish, mine cover the bottom and about half way up the sides, I think this is best. bake the pizza dough, without any toppings, for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle cheese over dough. Add sausage mixture, spreading it out evenly. Top that with more cheese and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes or until the crust is brown enough for your taste. Let it cool a bit before you cut it so it doesn't run everywhere and enjoy!

Mike's Monday Night Dinner/Product Review

2009-01-14T13:38:00.000-08:00

This week Mike took a simple route when making his Monday night dinner. He still managed to cook something I had never had. It was good because I wanted to start doing product reviews on the blog too, so it worked out.

Mike made brown noodles. They are Korean but Mike says they are much better in Korean restaurant. The Korean restaurant here doesn't have the noodles so I will have to wait to have them in the proper form.

This is the type her bought at our local Asian market, which is one of my favorite markets:Chapagetti, sounds very Italian doesn't it? They are pretty starchy but good. They would be good with a pickled vegetable like cucumber kimchi (my favorite).

Overall they were good.

Crockpot BBQ Pork

2009-01-09T12:56:00.000-08:00

I love my crock pot. I love just through stuff in and having dinner done when I get home from work. My crock pot is named is Carol and she is metallic red, who would have guessed?!?! Yes I name my kitchen appliances, don't judge me. This recipe for BBQ pork is very easy and very good.

Crock pot BBQ Pork

Pork roast between 2 and 4 pounds
Pappy's Seasoning (If you can't find this brand, I am sorry you are really missing out! HA - Use a poultry seasoning)
Rootbeer any brand will due , we used Dad's
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Any type of bun or roll you like
**we added an onion the first time we made it and didn't like it so we left it out the second time**

Place the pork roast in the crock pot and season with a good amount of seasoning. Fill the crock pot with rootbeer about have way. Set crock pot on low for 6 hours. After the 6 hours drain the rootbeer out and shred the pork. Add BBQ sauce and mix. Spoon pork onto your bread of choice and eat.

Mike's Monday Night Dinner

2009-01-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

I asked Mike if he would be interested in cooking dinner once a week to help me out, he gladly said yes. Lately he has been helping more and more with the cooking and I really love cooking with him. When I asked him if I could put this on the blog he said sure, it is very blog worthy. For his first round he made something his dad used to make, Saltine chicken. It was GOOD! I knew it would be coming from Papa Bailey.

Saltine Chicken
Crushed up saltine crackers
Pepper
Chicken breast sliced or pounded thin
2 to 3 eggs cracked in a bowl big enough to fit one chicken breast in
Enough vegetable oil for frying (we used about 1 and 1/2 cups)

Heat oil in large skillet hot enough that when you throw in a cracker crumb it bubbles. Mix the pepper and crushed crackers together. Coat the chicken in egg first them in cracker crumbs. Place into oil. Fry on one side 3 to 4 mins then flip and cook an additional 2 to 3 mins. Remove from oil and get to eating. This is very addicting!

Enchilada Pie

2009-01-06T08:58:00.001-08:00

It may look like a hot mess of cheese but it taste just like an enchilada and it much easier to make. My dad made this first and I love it. It is basically layered enchiladas. Growing up we always had tri tip (beef) and enchiladas so that it was I made with it and it made me think of Sunday night dinner when I was a kid, yum!

Enchilada Pie
6 small corn tortillas
1 big can enchilada sauce (I used red)
sliced olives (I used the already sliced canned kind)
chopped onion
can of green chilies (this was my addition,I used canned here too)
Shredded cheddar cheese (or jack would be good too)

Spoon a layer of sauce in the bottom of your dish. Place corn tortilla on top. Layer in cheese, onions, chilies and olives. Repeat with the additional six corn tortillas, make sure you keep the layers thin so they all fit. Bake for 25- 30 minutes or until cheese is good and melted. Slice into portions and enjoy =]

Cake and ice cream, at the same time!

2009-01-06T08:47:00.000-08:00

Mike's favorite Cold Stone ice cream is yellow cake batter. Once we got the ice cream attachment for the Kitchen Aid I knew he would love this recipe from Vicki's blog (http://healthyeatsandsinfultreats.blogspot.com/2008/08/cake-batter-ice-cream.html)
It is a very close match to the Cold Stone version. Slightly less sweet but that made me like the homemade version better. It is also very simple. We topped ours with a little chocolate frosting, because that is one of the best combos ever.

Cake Batter Ice Cream
Source: recipezaar.com

1 cup whole milk, well chilled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream, well chilled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup yellow cake mix

In a medium bowl, whisk the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.
Stir in cake mix, making sure there are no lumps. (I sifted the cake mix)
Pour mixture into the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker and let mix until it has thickened (about 25-30 minutes).
Remove ice cream from freezer bowl and place into a separate container.
Place freezer bowl and the ice cream into the freezer to further harden.

The stuff dreams are made of...

2008-12-31T08:08:00.000-08:00

Well my dreams anyway. Last year for Christmas my in-laws got me one of the best gifts anyone could ever give me...Betty. My red HOTT Kitchen Aid mixer. I have had a love affair with these thing ever since my parents bought one when I was maybe 12. She is just about the prettiest thing in my kitchen. I mix just about everything in Betty.

So this year with our Christmas gift from my in-laws I knew exactly what I wanted. An attachment for Betty. The newest attachment in a long line of attachments...the ice cream maker attachment. It is genius I tell ya! Mike and I made our first batch a few nights ago. Simple vanilla (recipe from the book that came with the attachment) but SO good. Mike said "I am still blown away that you made this" I asked why? he said "because you are suppose to buy ice cream in a store." Ahhhh sweet husband.

Here is a picture of Betty with her new friend. I think they look happy together!

Party Time with pictures!

2008-12-23T11:36:00.000-08:00

My cousin must have felt bad for the blog because she gave me her old camera to use until mine returns from it's travels abroad. YAY Gail!

So our Christmas party was this past Friday. It is really just an excuse for me to cook for someone besides my husband. I had all the food ready at the same time. It was amazing really. Here are pictures of the food and a few of our fun guests.

We will start with dessert because it is most important you know?

The green cupcakes are chocolate with mint frosting.

The white cupcakes are red velvet with cream cheese frosting

These were a few people's favorites. Roast beef in puff pastry with horseradish sauce.

Balsamic BBQ chicken drumsticks

Pioneer Woman's Spicy orange garlic shrimp. These went very fast.

Brie and Aunt Gerry's Pomegranate Jam in Filo dough
Now for pictures of the guests, they will love me for this!

Lacie(left) and Kristan(right), Lacie hadn't had any drinks!Doug(left) and Mike(right). Mike had had a lot of drinks. Jason likes sweets...and he likes we I take his picture while he is eating, don't you Jason?

That is Lindsie there smiling.

The hostes' with the mostestsssess

Last one. My husband folks... I have NO idea.

Oye Vay..Latkes

2008-12-23T11:28:00.000-08:00

Last year on the first night of Hanukkah Mike and I thought it would be fun to make latkes, no we aren't Jewish. They turned out okay. This year we wanted to do it again and we scored with a great recipe. Mike liked his with sour cream only. I liked mine with sour cream or apple sauce but not together.

From: Rachel Ray

1 (24-ounce) bag shredded potatoes for hash browns
1 large carrot, peeled (I left this out because I didn't have a carrot)
1 medium onion, peeled
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons matzo meal, cracker meal or all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups chunky apple sauce
1 cinnamon stick (left out)
1 cup sour cream

Directions
Heat 1/2-inch oil in a large skillet over medium to medium high heat. To test oil, add a piece of bread to the pan. It should turn golden brown in a ten-count. Adjust heat, as necessary.
Place potatoes in a large bowl. Using a hand grater, grate the carrot and onion into the bowl. Add eggs to the bowl. Add salt and baking powder, then sprinkle in meal or flour. Combine vegetables and meal with a wooden spoon.
Drop mixture into oil in 3-inch mounds, press down gently with spatula to form patties. Fry in batches of 4 to 6 patties depending on the size of your skillet, 1-inch apart, until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Put chunky applesauce and the cinnamon stick in a saucepan over medium heat and warm for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain latkes on paper towels or parchment lined tray. Serve with warm applesauce and sour cream.

Sloppy Janes

2008-12-10T12:42:00.000-08:00

No I have not up and joined the circus. My camera however, may have! I have lost it. I hate to post without pictures but I have been cooking A LOT lately and wanted to share this one because Mike loved this. I know that isn't too shocking expect that this is a wieght watchers type recipe. Mike loves sloppy joes. He was excited to hear I was making them but got confused when no manwich can was around. We both really liked this recipe. So much we took it for lunch the next day. I made a few mods to the recipe, they are below in red.

Sloppy Janes (from Hungry Girl)
Serving Size: 1 (very stuffed) sandwich
Per Serving: 5 WW points; 271 calories; 3g fat
Recipe makes 5 sandwiches

1 lb. raw extra-lean ground turkey
5 small hamburger buns
1/2 cup chopped onions (I used a whole medium onion)
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers (I used a whole bell pepper)
Garlic (I added about 6 cloves..what!?!?! we love garlic)
1 cup canned tomato sauce
3/4 cup canned no salt added tomato sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tbsp Splenda (granulated)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (I used about 2 tablespoons)
1 tsp steak seasoning blend, dry
Dash of salt

Spray large pan with nonstick spray and bring to medium-high heat. Add turkey to pan. Spread meat around pan and break it up.In small dish, combine Splenda, salt, and steak seasoning. Sprinkle this over the meat and continue to stir meat in pan. Once meat has browned, reduce heat to medium.Add onions, peppers, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar to pan. Stir and continue to cook for 5 minutes.Add tomato sauces and tomato paste to pan and stir well. Reduce heat to low and cook mixture for an additional 5 minutes.Toast the buns, if desired. Put one-fifth of the mixture in each bun.

Noah is already 1?!?!?

2008-11-19T11:34:00.001-08:00

I can't believe the little Noah bear is already a year old. He is growing so much and fast becoming the cutest little man ever! I was lucky enough to be the one to make his first birthday cake. He loved it once he figured out how to stuff it in his face.

Noah's #1 cake:

Noah's guests' cupcakes:

Noah getting his cake on:

Sarah's Shower

2008-11-19T08:17:00.000-08:00

One of my Aunt's co-workers is getting hitched. She asked me to make a shower cake, in a day. Yes like she requested it Monday afternoon and wanted to pick it up on Tuesday night. I tend to work best under pressure, so I said sure. I am very pleased with the results. This is also my first time using fondant.

Happy # 6 Grace!

2008-11-19T08:10:00.000-08:00

The Baking Bailey is actually making cakes for people other than her husband! The shock, I know! My cousin's daughter Grace turned the big 6 on November 15th. She had a princess party. My cousin, Gail, asked if I wanted to make her cake for her and of course I did. I made a giant cupcake and 2 dozen cupcakes for her friends.

Here is Grace with her cupcake:

Spicy Orange Garlic Shrimp

2008-11-13T12:14:00.000-08:00

The Pioneer Woman is one of my favorite blogs. She is funny and makes some of the best looking food ever. When I saw this recipe I knew Mike would love it. It is super simple too. We liked it so much we have it twice in one week.

From: Pioneer Woman

(Frozen) Raw Shell-On Shrimp (I used about 16)
3/4 cup Good quality Orange Juice
2-4 Cloves of Garlic (I used 4)
3 Tablespoons Salted Butter
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

Thaw and peel the shrimp. Run the frozen shrimp under cold water for a few minutes, then peeling away the outer shell. Dry the shrimp with a paper towel. Slice the garlic thin and add to the orange juice. Add the cayenne and old bay and stir. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pan. Throw the shrimp in and cook for about a minute and flip. Once the shrimp are nice and pink remove them from the pan. Leave the pan on the heat and allow to get really hot. Add the orange juice mixture. Add the final tablespoon of butter to the sauce and after a few minutes of cooking and occasional stirring. The sauce will thicken. Once the sauce has thicken add the shrimp back into the pan. Coat the shrimp in the sauce. And that is it. We had ours over rice. SO good.

Macaroni and Cheese

2008-09-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

Oh my this macaroni and cheese recipe is SO good and oh so easy. This recipe is super creamy and cheesey and took less than an hour and we have plenty of left overs. Giada De Laurentiis doesn't let me down often.

Butter, for greasing dish
12 ounces wide egg noodles
2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (packed) grated Fontina
3/4 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan
3/4 cup (packed) grated mozzarella
4 ounces cooked ham, diced, optional
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Butter a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Drain well, but do not rinse. Whisk the cream, milk, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl to blend. Stir in 1 cup Fontina, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, ham, if using, and parsley. Add the noodles and toss to coat. Transfer the noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Toss the remaining 1 cup Fontina, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1/4 cup mozzarella in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the noodle mixture. Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts and begins to brown on top, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Super Simple Chili Verde

2008-09-25T19:06:00.001-07:00

Chili Verde is my favorite Mexican food right after margaritas. I love it more than a person should. It seemed simple enough to make after I asked a co-worker how to do it. She told me there is a hard version and an easy version. I opted for the easy version and it is pretty darn good. This is a very easy weekday dinner.

2 to 2.5 pounds pork or chicken (pork roast)
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic (or more if you love garlic like me)
1 16 oz bottle of salsa verde (I used La Victoria brand)
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper

Cut the pork into bite size cubes. Season pork with salt and pepper. Brown pork in a skillet. Slice onion thin and mince garlic. Next through browned pork, onion, garlic, salsa verde, and water in large pot. Cover and simmer for at least an hour stir occasionally. The longer you let it simmer the better it gets. I find it perfect after about an hour and a half. I top with jack cheese or sour cream, YUM!

Quintuple Chocolate Brownies

2008-09-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

I recently bought Dorie Greenspan's book Baking: From my home to yours. It is baking porn for me! The book is full of tons of awesome looking recipes. I bought it on Amazon for less than 10 bucks, well worth the money. I joined some ladies online in picking one recipe a month and posting results. This month was the Quadruple Chocolate Brownie. They are insanely chocolaty and oh so good. I didn't add nuts and I left out the coffee because I wanted to, so there. My tips are in red.

Brownies:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate coarsely chopped
3 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tbs strong coffee (I left out)
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped or 1 cup store-bought milk chocolate chips (I used chips)
1 cup chopped nuts (I left out)

Glaze:
6 ounces premium quality white chocolate, finely chopped or 1 cup store bought white chocolate chips (I used chips)
1/3 cup heavy cream

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil, butter the foil and place the pan on a baking sheet.

Sift together the flour, cocoa and salt. Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and add, in the following order, the butter, the two chocolates and the coffee. Keeping the pan over low heat, warm just until the butter and chocolates are melted-you don't want the ingredients to get so hot they separate, so keep an eye on the bowl. Stir gently, and when the mixture is smooth, set it aside for 5 minutes. (I melted the butter and chocolates in the microwave for about 2 minutes because well I am lazy.)

Using a whisk or a rubber spatula, beat the sugar into the chocolate mixture. Don't beat too vigorously-you don't want to add air to the batter-and don't be concerned about graininess. Next, stir in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. You should have a smooth, glossy batter. If you're not already using a rubber spatula, switch to one now and gently stir in the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. Finally, stir in the milk chocolate chips and the nuts. Scrap the batter into the pan.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out streaked but not thickly coated. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let the brownies rest undisturbed for at least 30 minutes.(I would wait longer) Turn the brownies out onto a rack, peel away the foil and place it under another rack-the foil becomes the drip catcher for the glaze. Invert the brownies onto the rack and let cool completely. (I would have left the foil on to put the glaze on to keep the glaze from running all over)

Put the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a boil and pour it over the chocolate. (I used the microwave for this too) Wait 30 seconds, then, using a rubber spatula, gently stir until the chocolate is melted and the glaze is smooth. Hold a longer metal icing spatula in one hand and the bowl of glaze in the other. Pour the glaze onto the center of the brownies and using the spatula to nudge it evenly over the surface. Don't worry if it dribbles over the edges, you can trim the sides later (or not). Refrigerate the brownies for about 20 minutes to dry the glaze. (I would cut into SMALL pieces because a couple bites will put you in a brownie comma)

Strawberry Strata

2008-09-14T18:28:00.000-07:00

I had no idea what a strata was before I saw Giada De Laurentiis make one the other day. It looked like bread pudding and Mike said he thought it looked good. I gave it s try and it is really a cross between a French toast bake and cake. I topped it with homemade whip cream. It was good and different.

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (about 1/2 cup)
4 ounces ricotta cheese, room temperature (about 1/2 cup)
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and drained (about 10 ounces)
1/2 cup honey, warmed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (12 to 16-inch) ciabatta loaf, crust removed and cut into 1-inch cubes

Place the cheeses in a large bowl and stir together with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing until completely incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the milk, strawberries, honey, cinnamon, and bread. Pour into an 8 by 10 by 2-inch casserole dish. If freezing, cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 day and up to 1 month.
To bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake covered with foil for 45 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Remove the foil and continue baking for 30 to 35 minutes.

Mock Fried Rice

2008-08-27T08:04:00.001-07:00

I have recently started eating low carb and low sugar. For me it is proving to be very effective for losing some weight. Last night I made "fried rice" I was a little worried about mom and Mike liking it but they loved it. Even my dad ate some (shocking, really) SO good! This recipe says it serves 4 but I think it is more like 2 so double it up.

1/2 head raw cauliflower (grated- I used a food processor)
3 green onions sliced (white and greens separated)
1 clove garlic minced (I probably used 3)
1/2 teaspoon ginger minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 eggs beaten
Olive Oil
Any cooked meat you like ( I used chicken but you could use beef, pork, shrimp, etc)

Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil. Saute white parts of onion and garlic for 1 minute. Add grated cauliflower and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add soy sauce, ginger, green parts of onion and meat (if you are adding meat). Push "rice" mixture to one side add beaten eggs. Mix eggs and "rice" together. Once the eggs are no longer wet you are done. Grab and fork and get to it!

Croissant French Toast

2008-06-10T18:56:00.001-07:00

I love French Toast more than a normal person should. I made this one night when I wanted French Toast but had no bread. I did have a croissant. So this is what came about. This is for one person so just multiply for the number of people you are making it for.

1 croissant
1 egg
1 teaspoon sugar
Splash of milk couple drops of vanilla or any flavored extract you like
You can add cinnamon if you like I just didn't have any.

Crack the egg in a bowl big enough to fit the croissant in and whisk egg. Add sugar, milk and vanilla and mix together. Slice croissant horizontally into 3 slices. Drip the slices into the egg mixture, coating both sides. Place in hot butter pan. Cook on each side 2 to 3 minutes or until the egg is no longer wet. Top with powdered sugar and warm syrup.

Soda Cupcakes

2008-06-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

I saw a similar recipe on Pepper Please. I thought I could make them a little bit my own by using Rootbeer and orange cream soda.

1 box of vanilla cake mix
1 can of Rootbeer or orange cream soda
1 tablespoon of margarine
Milk
Powdered sugar
3 drops of Rootbeer concentrate or orange extract

Pour the box of cake mix into a bowl and add the can of soda. DO NOT add the eggs, oil etc. as directions on the box state. Bake as directed on the box. Allow to cool. Combine margarine, icing sugar, milk, concentrate/extract to make the icing. I used 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 tablespoon milk, and about a teaspoon of which ever flavoring you choose and add in the powdered sugar until you get a consistency/flavor you like. Mine turned out more like a glaze which made the cakes look fancy.

Breakfast Casserole

2008-05-31T21:34:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to make a breakfast casserole for a while and my office was having a birthday party breakfast so I thought it was the perfect time. This can be made is about a million different ways and all would be awesome. Basis: bread, meat, eggs, cheese. I made it as neutral as possible but if I was making it for myself I would have added a couple veggies like asparagus and onion.

4 store brought croissants (you can use biscuits, rolls or bread)
8 eggs
1/2 c milk
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and chopped (any breakfast meat would be good or none if you like that scene)
8 oz grated cheddar cheese (yes that is a lot of cheese=)
Salt and pepper

Butter the baking pan. Cut or pull the croissants into bit size pieces. Crack eggs in a bowl and salt and pepper as you like and whisk. Sprinkle chopped bacon over croissants. I also spread a little cheese over the croissants. Pour eggs over everything. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top. Cover with foil and back at 350 degrees for about 20 mins or until the eggs are set up and not running in the pan. I refrigerated and heated back up the next day in a toaster over for about 20 mins. There were no left overs at work.

GIANT Cupcake

2008-05-31T21:24:00.000-07:00

No your eyes are not playing tricks on you that is a GIANT cupcake. I have seen the special giant cupcake pan a few times at different places. When my brother had a BBQ for his passing the CPA exam I knew ordinary cupcakes would not due and the giant cupcake pan would need to be added to my kitchen collection. The picture above was the test run and a comparison to a regular size cupcake liner. I used a cake mix and store bought frosting (so sue me) The pan in a top and a bottom and once baked you pop the top on to stump. I pulled out some cake from the bottom to fill with frosting to increase the cake to frosting ratio because I knew this would be my papa's main concern (the man loves his frosting). It was a huge hit with my brother and the kids at the party.

Scramble!

2008-05-31T21:16:00.000-07:00

I LOVE breakfast. I love cooking it and most of the time I only cook something for breakfast on the weekend so that makes everything better! I learned this method of "throw in some stuff with eggs" from my papa (actually I learned a lot of my cooking skills from him). I made this for just Mike and I so if you are making it for more than 2 adjust the quantity.

1/2 pound breakfast sausage
5 eggs
Handful spinach (about half a bag)
Grated cheddar cheese (or any cheese you like, pepper jack would be really good)
Salt and pepper

Brown sausage in large skillet. Crack eggs in bowls with salt and pepper to you liking and whisk. Add eggs to browned sausage and cook until eggs are still slightly wet (eggs continue to cook after heat is off). Turn off heat and add spinach. Fold spinach in until wilted. Add grated cheese over the top and enjoy! Easy and OH so good!

The Perfect Blondie...just like me ;)

2008-05-07T20:25:00.000-07:00

I have never had a blondie brown so I thought I would give them a try and I LOVE them.

1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups butterscotch (you could also use peanut butter chips) optional
1/2 cup chopped pecans (you could also use walnuts) optional

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray or grease and flour.

Put the sugar in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a small skillet or in the microwave in a glass measuring cup. Stir the butter into the sugar until smooth, cool to room temperature.

In another medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.

Beat the eggs into the sugar mixture. Add the flour mixture a bit at a time and mix until a smooth thick batter forms. Fold in the chips, as desired. The batter will be very THICK

Spoon the batter to the baking dish and spread to evenly. Bake until the blondies are light brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Mom's Macaroni Salad

2008-05-03T16:42:00.001-07:00

My mom makes the best macaroni salad. I don't think she has a technical "recipe". She just makes it. It is really light compared to the usual macaroni salad that is drenched in mayo. I know what goes in it so I gave it a go and I think I got pretty close. The best part of this recipe is that you can add more or less of the things you like and don't like. This is my list of ingredients feel free to change to your liking.

4 hard boiled eggs diced small
1 medium red onion diced small
3 stalks celery diced small
big handful bread and butter pickles diced small (you can also use relish or sweet pickles)
1 to 2 tablespoons pickle juice (optional)
1 pound macaroni pasta cooked
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayo
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a big bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy. Simple and oh so good.

Champagne Risotto

2008-04-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

I have never made risotto because I heard it was hard. It is a lot of work but not hard at all. We got a lot of champagne as wedding gifts and we really don't drink it so I found this recipe to use some of it and it was worth the work my arm went through stirring non-stop. I also added shrimp sauteed in olive oil and garlic.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (I needed 4 cups)
12 asparagus spears, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 shallot, finely chopped
3/4 cup Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
3/4 cup Champagne (I used 1 cup)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (I used 1/2 cup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Blanch the asparagus in the chicken stock for 2 minutes. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon. Set the asparagus aside and keep the chicken stock at a low simmer.

In another medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the shallot and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the Arborio rice and stir to coat in the butter. Continue toasting the rice, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes more. Add the Champagne and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in the asparagus, remaining butter, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately.

Cucumber Salad

2008-04-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

In my on going quest to get Mike to eat more veggies I made this cucumber salad. It is like a salad we get when we go out to sushi and he likes. I could eat it all day.

1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cucumber
1/2 carrot (I used a whole carrot)

Mix the white vinegar, black pepper, red pepper flakes and vegetable oil in bowl with sealing lid. Slice cucumber as thin. You can slice or grate the carrot, I grate it. Once everything is in the bowl put the lid on and shake to combined everything. It just gets better the next day. I like to try and make it the day before we are going to eat it.

Vicki's Mom's Pistachio Cake

2008-04-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

I stole this recipe from Vicki's blog. Very much worth stealing.

Ingredients for Cake:

1 package yellow cake mix
1 package instant pistachio pudding
3 eggs
1 cup club soda
1 cup oil

Ingredients for Frosting:

1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 package instant pistachio pudding
1 envelope dream whip

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix all cake ingredients together, mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan (I made them in regular sheet cake form and cupcake form). Bake for 50 minutes (see cake package for baking times on cake or cupcakes). Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Turn onto rack and cool completely. Blend all frosting ingredients with an electric mixer and beat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Cut the cake into 2 layers, frost in between layers, then reassemble the cake and frost the outside. Keep cake refrigerated

Artichoke Chicken

2008-04-21T18:40:00.001-07:00

I am trying to get Mike to eat more veggies so I tried this artichoke chicken and he loved it!

1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (I used 1 cup)
2/3 can of artichoke hearts, chopped roughly
1 teaspoon garlic powder (I used 1 tablespoon)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mix mayo, parmesan cheese, artichoke hearts and garlic powder in bowl.
Spread over chicken and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until top browns slightly.

Roasted Asparagus

2008-04-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

I love asparagus and roasting is it is really easy!

one bundle asparagus
olive oil
salt
pepper

First bend one spear of asparagus until it breaks on it's own toward the bottom. Trim the rest of the spears to match. I also peel the asparagus. Arrange on cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15- 20 minutes.

Turkey Florentine Meatballs/loaf

2008-02-24T17:59:00.000-08:00

I have made this recipe in meatloaf form and mini meatball form for parties. Both are great. The meatballs are also really good with spaghetti.

1 box frozen spinach, defrosted in the microwave
1 1/3 pound (1 package) ground turkey breast
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large egg
1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup bread crumbs, 3 handfuls
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2 palm fulls
Coarse salt and black pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wring defrosted spinach dry in a clean kitchen towel. Place turkey in a bowl. Add the spinach, onion, garlic, 1 large egg,1/4 cup milk, bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper. Mix well. Form into 12 large balls, tons of mini balls or meatloaf. Arrange on a nonstick cookie sheet and roast 20 minutes (meatloaf will take longer), or until cooked through. I add marinara sauce for dipping.

Chicken Salad Wraps

2008-02-24T17:39:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite recipes ever. Very simple to make if you have a small food processor or some of time to chop. Very much worth it. It is designed to be a wrap but is also good as a sandwich.

10 cups coarsely shredded coocked chicken (from about 3 store bought roasted chickens)
2 cups roasted red, drained, patted dry, and coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups paper-thin slices red onion
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups (about) Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Salt and freshly ground pepper
24 butter lettuce leaves (from about 3 large heads)

I usually chop the bell peppers, and onion in my mini food processor. Place shredded chicken in large bowl. Add chopped bell peppers, red onion, almonds, caper in bowl and mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper as you like. Dress with red wine vinaigrette as desired. Remove butter lettuce leaves from head and place spoonful of salad wrap and enjoy!

Red Wine Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil

Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and blend until emulsified.

Chicken-Chorizo Stoup

2008-01-04T19:22:00.001-08:00

I honestly can't stand to listen to Rachel Ray talk but I really like some of her recipes. I found this one while looking for something with chicken and roasted red peppers. I really scored here! YUM

1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bit size pieces (I used chicken breasts)
Salt and Pepper
3/4 pound chorizo sausage, diced (the kind I usually buy was all gone so I got chicken andouille)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic roughly chopped (I used more because I LOVE garlic)
1 red bell pepper, chopped (I used roasted red peppers)
1 medium onion, chopped
6 small red potatoes, diced (I used yukon golds because that is what I had)
1-15 ounce can fire roasted chopped tomatoes
1-15 ounce can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 quart chicken stock

Heat olive oil in large stock pot. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to olive oil. Lightly brown chicken for 2 to 3 minutes. Add chorizo and garlic. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Add peppers, onions and potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, then stir in tomatoes and kidney beans. Add chicken stock and bring soup to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 5 additional minutes. Top with cheese if you like, I do!

Yum Yum Beef Stew-Crockpot

2007-12-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

I have made my first crock pot meal and it was a hit! We had a few friends over and I was nervous but everyone loved it! Very easy!

2 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup flour
2 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
head of garlic (we really like garlic but you can use less) minced
4 potatoes cut into bite size pieces
1 pound (small bag) baby carrots sliced in half
1 16 ounce can beef broth
1 can condensed French onion soup plus one can water
1 12 ounce bottle Amber Bock beer

Place flour in ziplock bag with beef stew meat. Coat the beef stew meat with the flour. Heat the oil in a skillet. Add beef stew meat to skillet and brown for 3 to 5 mins. Place beef stew meat in crock pot. Add garlic, potatoes, carrots, beef broth, french onion soup plus one can water and beer to crock pot. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or until vegetables are tender.

G-ma's Alligators

2007-12-09T20:42:00.000-08:00

These no bake cookies are a HUGE family favorite. My aunt kept the recipe hidden for a long time from everyone but shared it with me for the first time last Christmas. I have heard them called haystacks by other people but I had never encountered them before Grandma A made them. It took me few trials to get the just right . Make sure you do not over boil or under boil or they will not set up right.

1 stick margarine
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
3 cups Quick Quaker Oats
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Bring margarine, cocoa, milk and sugar to a boil and boil 1 minute (no joke 1 min only!) Take off burner and add oats, peanut butter, walnuts and vanilla. Spoon by teaspoon onto waxed paper. Let set up and enjoy :)