Pleasure Cooker

Baked Eggplant and Goat Cheese

2010-03-22T19:05:00.002-04:00

My friend Alison is a foodie just like me. We exchange recipes back and forth, so when she started a food blog with her friend Janine called The Food that Sings, I knew I would find some amazing recipes. The very first recipe Alison posted was one I knew I would make soon. It was Eggplant Rollatini with Basil and Goat Cheese, and while I originally thought I would follow the recipe to the letter I ended up doing a cheater weeknight Lani version with...GASP!...jarred sauce! I usually make my own sauce, and will one day try the version Alison posted but for sake of time and what was in my pantry, jarred sauce it was.

I love eggplant parmesan and this was like the old favorite but kicked up a notch with goat cheese. I think goat cheese makes everything better!

Check out Alison's blog for the original (and way more gourmet!) recipe, and use the link to the left to go back often to see what the two of them have cooked up!

Baked Eggplant and Goat Cheese
Adapted from The Food that Sings

2 medium eggplants
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz. goat cheese (herbed or you can do like I did and just add some Italian seasoning)
A jar of your favorite pasta sauce (my choice...Classico Sweet Tomato Basil)

With a sharp knife cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices, discarding the outside ends (I ended up with 12 slices). Pat the slices dry and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

In a bowl stir together 1 cup of the mozzarella and the goat cheese (plus seasoning if you have plain goat cheese).

Arrange one layer of eggplant on the oiled rack of a broiler pan, and brush it with olive oil. Broil the eggplant under a preheated broiler about 4 inches from the heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it is golden. Turn the eggplant, brush it with some of the remaining oil, and broil it for 3 to 4 minutes more, or until it is golden. Transfer the eggplant to a large platter to cool and broil the remaining eggplant, brushing it with the remaining oil, in the same manner.

Cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with tomato sauce, and arrange a single layer of eggplant slices. Spread the cheese mixture over the eggplant, and cover with another single layer of eggplant slices. Cover with sauce and top with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20 minutes of until cheese is bubbly and browned.

Banana-Pineapple Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-02-17T21:04:00.005-05:00

I have become the birthday cake maker at work. It's a little bit nerve-wracking because every time I bring a cake in I feel like people are expecting really great things from me! This cake made me especially nervous because I kind of made it up and had no idea how it would taste. Thankfully, it was delicious! There is a bakery in Tampa that makes a Hummingbird Cake, and that was my inspiration for this (Hummingbird is the birthday girl's favorite!). What I really loved about this cake was that it was very light tasting and also light in calories!

Shout out to Kelly from My Sweet Life for the frosting recipe =)

Banana-Pineapple Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake

1 box butter yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tbsp butter, melted
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Add cake mix, eggs, applesauce and butter to a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed for two minutes. Mix in bananas and pineapple. Pour in baking dish. Bake for 33-35 minutes or until knife inserted in cake comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

1 box of 1/3 less fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
12 oz. fat-free cool whip

Beat cream cheese. Add vanilla and sugar, and beat until combined. Fold in whipped cream until combined. Frost cake and keep refrigerated.

Fettuccini Alfredo with Bacon

2010-02-17T20:54:00.004-05:00

Fettuccine Alfredo was my first favorite pasta dish. Growing up, we would go to Olive Garden and I would enjoy a big bowl of the pasta with an extra side of alfredo sauce to dip my breadsticks in. Then I got older and read something about this dish being a "heart attack on a plate". Hmmmm, that doesn't sound too healthy! So I have curbed my passion for my favorite pasta and very rarely eat it. So when I got an issue of Cooking Light in the mail and it had a recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo with Bacon I immediately tore it out and put in my recipe file. I pulled it out tonight and it was definitely a great, light version of my classic favorite.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Bacon
From Cooking Light

1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated fresh fettuccine (REALLY important to use fresh!)
2 slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I left this out)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings. Add garlic to drippings in pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Sprinkle flour over garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly; cook 2 minutes or until bubbly and slightly thick, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Gradually add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in salt and reserved 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add hot pasta to pan; toss well to combine. Sprinkle with bacon, parsley, and pepper.

Steak Tips with Peppered Mushroom Gravy

2010-02-10T19:22:00.004-05:00

I'm sure it's obvious that I love Cooking Light. This was in a recent issue, in the Superfast column. It was quick, easy and tasty...perfect for a weeknight meal.

Steak Tips with Peppered Mushroom Gravy
From Cooking Light

2 cups uncooked egg noodles (I used wheat)
Cooking spray
1 pound top sirloin steak, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 (8-ounce) package presliced baby bella mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. While noodles cook, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak; sauté 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan; cover. Melt butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in soy sauce. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Add pepper, salt, and thyme. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Return beef to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Discard thyme sprigs.

Herb Mustard Grilled Turkey Tenderloin

2010-02-10T19:09:00.004-05:00

I've had turkey tenderloin in the freezer for a few weeks, planning to make a Cooking Light recipe that involved stuffing and cranberry sauce. One night I needed a quick dinner though, so out came the turkey (the original recipe will still be made one day...it sounds delicious!) and I searched online for a marinade. This one was listed as a marinade for beef but it was amazing on the turkey, and healthy!

Herb Mustard Grilled Turkey Tenderloin
Adapted from Taste of Home

1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons stone ground Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice (omitted because I didn't have any)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon each dried oregano, rosemary, tarragon and thyme
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Turkey tenderloin

In a small bowl, combine the oil, broth, mustard, vinegar, sugar and seasonings. Pour into a large resealable plastic bag; add the turkey. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate overnight (I only had mine in the fridge for about 3 hours), turning bag once or twice.

Drain and discard marinade. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness. Let tenderloin stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Chicken Stuffed with Leeks and Goat Cheese

2010-01-31T18:48:00.003-05:00

I'm always looking for a way to improve basic chicken breasts, and I noticed this one in an issue of Cooking Light recently. The recipe called for spring onions, but mentioned you could substitute leeks. I love leeks and don't cook with them nearly often enough, so I used this recipe as my chance. As with anything with goat cheese, this was yummy!

Chicken Stuffed with Leeks and Goat Cheese
From Cooking Light

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced leeks (I used two)
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
1 tbsp. fat-free milk
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (I used 1/2 tsp. dried)
6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to pan; cook 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. Combine onion mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cheese, milk, and thyme in a small bowl, stirring with a fork.

Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket; stuff 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes; turn chicken over. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done.

Remove chicken from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced by half (about 2 minutes). Add broth, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 9 minutes). Serve with chicken.

Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

2010-01-31T18:34:00.004-05:00

I have been in a soup mood lately, and love how quick and easy soup is to make and how delicious. After making this pasta soup a few weeks ago, I was thinking that I would really like a soup with tortellini. I did some internet searching and found a recipe on Epicurious that sounded like a winner. It was! Chad and I both loved this, and enjoyed the leftovers over the next few days for lunch as well. I made a few changes for convenience (canned tomatoes instead fresh) and for our taste preference (left out green peppers).

Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup
From Epicurious.com

1 pound sweet Italian sausage or chorizo sausage, casings removed
1 cup chopped onion
2 large garlic cloves, diced
6 cups beef stock or canned broth
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 large zucchini, sliced
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tbsp. dried basil
1 tbsp. dried oregano
16 ounces purchased fresh cheese tortellini
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Sauté Italian sausage in heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat until cooked through, crumbling with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from Dutch oven. Add onion, zucchini and carrot to Dutch oven and sauté five minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook for one minute. Return sausage to Dutch oven. Add stock, tomatoes, wine, basil and oregano. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)

Add tortellini to soup and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Pasta, Beans and Greens Soup

2010-01-21T18:08:00.004-05:00

My aunt made this soup for us at a family gathering last year and Chad and I both thought it was delicious. When we had a cold snap a couple of weeks ago, I kept craving soup so I pulled out this recipe to make myself for the the first time. This is a really good soup, and if you wanted to make it even more filling, you could add some chicken. Perfect for a cold, wintery day!

I didn't realize this was a Cooking Light recipe when I made it, but I just looked at the original from my aunt and realized that is where she got it from. In the picture on their website, the soup looks really thick. As I was cooking it, I thought it was too thick and kept adding broth to thin it out. Make it to your liking!

Pasta, Beans and Greens Soup
From Cooking Light

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 (15.75-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)
1 (16-ounce can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 (10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add carrot, onion, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add the oregano, salt, pepper, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high; add pasta, beans, and spinach; cook 14 minutes or until pasta is done, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

New Year's Eve party!

2010-01-03T18:33:00.000-05:00

We had a great party at my friend Karen's house for NYE. I am our resident menu planner, and decided on an upscale finger food menu for our bash.

Are you ready to drool? We had....

Assorted cheeses, ham and scallion cheese ball and crackers
Hummus and Black Bean dip with pita
Blue Cheese Shallot dip with pita and carrots
Shrimp Cocktail
Chicken Feta Phyllo Cups
Beef Bruschetta with Carmelized Onions and Horseradish Cream
Red Velvet Cake Truffles
Cookie Dough Truffles

Sounds amazing, right?! Here are some of our favorites!

Beef Bruschetta with Carmelized Onion and Horseradish Cream

2010-01-03T18:15:00.005-05:00

For my friend Karen's baby shower I made a beef tenderloin sandwich with horseradish cream from Barefoot Contessa that was pretty amazing. When I started thinking about New Year's, I decided I wanted to adapt that recipe to an appetizer and here is what I came up with. These were awesome, and every single one was gone before midnight!

There are a lot of parts to this dish, but I prepared everything earlier in the day and assembled right before the party.

Beef Bruschetta with Carmelized Onion and Horseradish Cream
Adapted from Food Network

2 skinny French baguettes
olive oil
garlic powder

1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin
1 tbsp butter, room temperature
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

3 sweet onions, sliced thin
olive oil

1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

3/4 cup good mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
1/2 tbsp prepared horseradish
2 tbsp sour cream
Kosher salt

To prepare horseradish cream, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustards, horseradish, sour cream, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Keep in fridge until ready to assemble.

Preheat oven to 400.

Slice baguettes into 1/4 inch thick rounds (approx 40 pieces per baguette). Arrange on a baking sheet, brush with oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake 8-10 mintues until golden and crunchy. Set aside.

Put oven temp to 475. Mix butter and Dijon mustard. Spread over beef. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 14-16 minutes. Cover with foil and let rest for at least 20 minutes.

Heat olive oil in pan, and add onions. Cook until carmelized, about 15-20 minutes on medium low. Wrap onions in foil until ready to assemble.

Arrange tomatoes on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. When meat is finished, roast 15-20 minutes until soft.

Cut meat into small bite size pieces that will fit on toasts. You will need 80 pieces.

To assemble, arrange toasts on baking sheet. Heat oven to 400. Spread horseradish cream on toasts. Top with carmelized onions and a piece of beef tenderloin. Finish with a half of a roasted tomato. Bake for 5-8 minutes.

Chicken Feta Phyllo Cups

2010-01-03T18:06:00.004-05:00

This was a recipe that Karen first introduced us to a couple of years ago at cooking club. We all loved it and she decided to adapt it to mini appetizer portions for Christmas this year. It worked well with her family, so we did it again for New Year's Eve. She made the chicken mixture earlier in the day and then just filled the cups and baked, so it was the perfect party appetizer.

Chicken Feta Phyllo Cups
Adapted from Food Network

Coarse salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into small bite-size pieces
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, 10 to 12 pieces, chopped
2 boxes chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
8 ounces, feta cheese, crumbled
4 boxes mini phyllo cups (15 per package)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

To a skillet preheated over medium high heat add chicken, garlic and onions and season with salt and pepper. Saute 5 minutes, add the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach and cook another 3 to 5 minutes. Add feta and taste to adjust seasonings. This can be done earlier in the day and refrigerated until ready to assemble.

Fill the phyllo cups with the chicken mixture and bake for 8-10 minutes or until heated through.

Red Velvet Cake Truffles

2010-01-03T17:58:00.004-05:00

The inspiration for these came from my friend Shawna who baked these little balls of deliciousness for holiday gifts. I didn't have Shawna's recipe, so I used one from Bakerella, who has an amazing website! They are super simple, but messy and slightly time consuming. I promise they are well worth any trouble they take to make them!

Red Velvet Cake Truffles
From Bakerella

1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 oz. white chocolate chips
4 tbsp shortening, divided
wax paper

After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.) Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)

Melt milk chocolate with 2 tbsp shortening in microwave. Roll half of the balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

Melt white chocolate with 2 tbsp shortening in microwave. Roll the rest of hte balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

I stored mine in the freezer to harden the chocolate quickly before I put them out to serve at the party.

Cookie Dough Truffles

2010-01-03T17:52:00.005-05:00

After I decided on the red velvet truffles I wanted to make a second option, and thought a combo of cookie dough and chocolate sounded pretty good. People didn't know which one was their favorite, they were both delicious.

Note: These were VERY messy and VERY hard to shape. I don't know how the Taste of Home people got them in perfect little balls. Mine were more like mounds...they were sticky and hard to shape so to save my sanity I just kind of piled them on the wax paper =)

Cookie Dough Truffles
From Taste of Home

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
18 oz. chocolate chips (dark, milk, semi-sweet...your choice)
3 tablespoons shortening

In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour, alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips. Shape into 1-in. balls (or little monds like I did!); place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Loosely cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip balls in coating, allowing excess to drip off; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Store in the refrigerator.

Christmas Treats!

2010-01-03T17:37:00.005-05:00

For the holidays this year, Chad asked me to make some treats he could bring to each of his banks to share with the employees. I then called mom and told her I would be coming over for some serious baking! We put together some serious treat plates, and this was my favorite recipe.

Original Sin (Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups peanut butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
12 oz. chocolate chips

Melt butter with peanut butter. Alternately stir in graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar until fully blended. Press into an ungreased 9x13 pan.

Melt 1/2 cup butter and chocolate chips to make the chocolate glaze. Pour over peanut butter mixture. Chill completely before slicing.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2010-01-03T17:26:00.004-05:00

I have had some leftover homemade BBQ sauce in the freezer for a while and in the back of my mind I knew I wanted to make a BBQ chicken pizza. I love the one at California Pizza Kitchen, so that is what I used for my inspiration.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Boboli thin wheat crust
1 cup BBQ sauce (I love this homemade version because it has pineapple which gives the pizza a Hawaiian twist)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced and carmelized (cook in olive oil on medium low heat for 15-20 minutes or until deep golden)

Preheat oven to 375. Spread sauce on pizza crust (use more or less to your taste). Top with a layer of mozzarella, reserving about 1/4 cup. Layer onions then shredded chicken. Top with colby jack and reserved mozzarella. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.

German Potato Salad

2009-11-29T19:23:00.004-05:00

I stayed at Karen and Jon's this weekend and we decided to cook dinner instead of going out somewhere on Saturday night. Karen had boneless spareribs that she threw in the crockpot (so easy, love it!) and we decided to do pulled pork. I said I would make a side and thought I would do mac and cheese but then I remembered this great warm potato salad that my mom had made for dinner one night. I DO NOT like regular potato salad...something about cold potatoes just makes my stomach turn. But this is delicious and nothing like the old picnic staple you're probably used to eating.

German Potato Salad

2 pounds petite red potatoes
6 slices bacon
1/2 onion, diced
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
3/4 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper

Wash the potatoes and put them whole into a pot of water. Boil until tender and cooked through. Drain and cool slightly, then quarter.

Cook bacon until crispy and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in pan. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add flour and stir; cooking one minute. Add sugar, vinegar, water and salt. Cook until mixture is thick and bubbly. Toss with potatoes. Crumble bacon and mix in to potato salad. Add fresh ground pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Gratin of Cauliflower with Gruyere

2009-11-29T19:16:00.004-05:00

Chad's grandmother puts out a great spread for Thanksgiving, but I always like to contribute a side dish of my own. I usually make my Granny's broccoli cauliflower casserole, but decided to do something different this year. This an awesome Cooking Light recipe that I made last year for my family at Christmas. With all the food we ate on Thanksgiving it was nice to have something healthy and light (but still delicious!).

Gratin of Cauliflower with Gruyere
From Cooking Light

1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets (I used 2 heads)
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 teaspoons butter
1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°. Place cauliflower in a 2-quart broiler-safe baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; coat cauliflower with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until almost tender. Cool 5 minutes. Preheat broiler. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in panko. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese and chives. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until almost tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/4 cup cheese, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, parsley, and pepper. Pour milk mixture over cauliflower mixture; toss. Top evenly with cheese mixture. Broil 3 minutes or until golden brown and thoroughly heated.

Apple Bread Pudding

2009-11-29T19:08:00.003-05:00

My friend Kelly and I went to one of my favorite restaurants a few weeks ago. There has been a Brio in Orlando for a while, but we just got one in Tampa a few months ago. Our meal was great, and we decided to split one of their mini desserts. It was a tough choice, but we agreed on the apple bread pudding. I had never had bread pudding before, and this was absolutely delicious. Once I tried it, I knew I wanted to make it for Thanksgiving dessert. I searched around for a recipe and decided you can't go wrong with Emeril and I was right. This was sooooooo good. I didn't do the hard cider sauce with the recipe. Instead I opted for warm caramel sauce and ice cream. The perfect ending for a great meal!

Apple Bread Pudding
From Emeril Lagasse

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large eggs
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup apple cider
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 cups cubed stale raisin-cinnamon bread
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cubed (about 1 cup)
1 cup dried apples
caramel sauce
vanilla ice cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10 by 14-inch baking dish with the butter and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the cream, cider, sugar, melted butter, salt, and cinnamon, and whisk to combine. Add the bread, fresh and dried apples, and stir to combine. Pour into the prepared dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the bread is well saturated, up to 1 hour.) Bake until the top is golden brown and the center is firm, about 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and let sit on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Cut into pieces and top with ice cream and warm caramel sauce. Serve immediately.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

2009-11-09T20:01:00.004-05:00

It seems like the simplest meals turn out to be some of the best meals. I threw this together in the crockpot, went to work and came home to a delicious dinner. So easy and tasted like I slaved the stove!

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

3 lb. pot roast
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can water
1 envelope onion soup mix
2 tsp worsteshire sauce
1 1/2 lbs red potato, quartered
5 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 sweet onions, cut into large chunks

Put vegetables on the bottom of the crockpot. Put meat on top. Mix soup, water, onion soup mix and worsteshire. Pour in crockpot. Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours.

To make gravy:
1 cup of juice from crockpot
1 tbsp cornstarch

In a saucepan, mix 1/4 cup of the juice with the cornstarch. Add remaining juice and cook over medium heat until thickened.

Chicken, Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

2009-10-28T16:31:00.003-04:00

I love anything pasta, especially when it's baked and cheesy. I thought this was a good variation of traditional stuffed shells.

Chicken, Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

1 box jumbo shells, cooked and cooled
2 jars of tomato sauce, or make your own omitting the ground beef
1 lb. ground chicken, cooked and crumbled
12 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese
1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups 2% milk shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, divided
1 tablespoon dried basil

Preheat oven to 350. Mix ground chicken, ricotta, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup parmesan and dried basil in a bowl. Cover bottom of 9x13 baking dish with sauce. Stuff shells and place in a single layer in baking dish. Cover with remaining sauce, and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Stuffed Steak

2009-10-28T16:25:00.004-04:00

This is an old recipe that my mom used to make when we were growing up. This is so good and just tastes like good home cookin'.

Stuffed Steak

Thin sliced sandwich steak (I had six pieces)
1 package baby bella mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 medium sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1 envelope onion soup mix, divided in half
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350. Cook onions and mushrooms until soft, add garlic and cook one minute more. Add butter and melt. Add mushroom mixture to breadcrumbs, half of onion soup mix and parmesan cheese to make a stuffing. Lay one piece of steak on a cutting board and put 2 heaping spoons of stuffing on one end. Roll up and place seam side down in baking dish. Continue with all pieces of steak. If you have extra stuffing you can put it in the baking dish around the steak. Mix remaining onion soup mix with water and pour over steak. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Mac and Cheese with Bacon and Tomatoes

2009-10-25T16:29:00.002-04:00

I don't have a picture of this recipe, so you'll have to trust that it tasted as good as it sounds! We had a BBQ at a coworkers house before our football game last week, and I volunteered for mac and cheese. I've made a bunch of varieties (a few are here on my blog) and this one was a mixture of the best and also NOT one of my low-fat versions!

Mac and Cheese with Bacon and Tomatoes

1 box of elbow noodles, cooked and drained
5 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled with 1 tablespoon of grease reserved
1 sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded
8 oz. muenster, shredded
8 oz. montery jack, shredded
salt and fresh ground pepper
4 medium tomatoes, sliced
1 cup panko
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat milk and cream together in microwave until hot. Put reserved bacon grease in large pan on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute 5 minutes or until soft. Add flour, cook 1 minute. Whisk in hot milk mixture and cook until reduced by a third. Add shredded cheeses and stir until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix in with noodles.

In a seperate bowl, mix panko, parsley and parmesan with melted butter. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and add noodles and cheese mixture. Layer sliced tomatoes on top, and cover with panko mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Birthday Cake with Vanilla Custard, Raspberry Puree and Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-10-25T16:09:00.003-04:00

Now that is a looooong name for a cake! One of my coworkers had a birthday on Friday, and since I have become the cake lady for the office, he special requested his cake weeks in advance. He wanted custard and he wanted raspberry, so here is what I whipped up. This was absolutely delicious...it was light and not too sweet. Probably one of the best cakes I've made, if I say so myself. (I did cheat and use a box cake mix...it was a school night and I needed to cut a corner somewhere! I used a french vanilla mix.)

Birthday Cake with Vanilla Custard, Raspberry Puree and Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting
Custard adapted from Recipezaar
Raspberry Puree from Vegalicious
Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting from All Recipes

French vanilla cake, cooked in 9x13 pan, cooled and cut in two layers

As the cake cooks, prepare the custard and puree.

For the custard:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk, scalding hot
2 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the sugar, flour and salt together in a small saucepan and add the hot milk gradually, stirring constantly. Cook until the mixture thickens. Pour a small amount over the eggs and mix thoroughly; add back into the first mixture and cook for two more minutes. Remove from heat and cool; add vanilla. Put in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap so the wrap sits on the surface of the custard and creates a seal, refrigerate until completely cool.

For the puree:
2 cups frozen raspberries
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Put the raspberries, sugar and water in a small saucepan and cook on medium until raspberries break down. Mix the cornstarch with a little bit of water to form a paste and add to berries. Put in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap so the wrap sits on the surface of the puree and creates a seal, refrigerate until completely cool.

For the frosting:
1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth. While the mixture is still whipping, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl a couple of times while you continue whipping until the cream can hold a stiff peak.

To put cake together:
Put bottom layer of cake on platter. Spread custard on top of cake. Place second layer on top of custard. Using a wooden spoon, poke holes in the top of cake. Ladle raspberry puree over top of cake and spread to edges, letting the puree sink into the holes. Cover puree and sides of cake with frosting. Keep refrigerated.

Old Fashioned Chicken Potpie

2009-10-21T17:44:00.005-04:00

This recipe comes from one of my favorite sources, Cooking Light. I don't know what made me decide to want to cook a chicken potpie, but I'm glad I did! This was a bit labor-intensive, but it was really good. Don't be intimidated by making your own crust, it was super easy!

Old Fashioned Chicken Potpie
From Cooking Light

Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
3 tablespoons ice water
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Filling:
3 cups Chicken Stock, divided
2 1/3 cups cubed red potato (about 1 pound)
1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) sliced carrot
2 teaspoons butter or stick margarine
1/2 cup chopped shallots or onions
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup frozen petite green peas
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Dash of black pepper
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons 1% low-fat milk

To prepare crust, lightly spoon 1 cup flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1/4 cup flour, ice water, and vinegar in a small bowl. Combine 3/4 cup flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add vinegar mixture; stir just until moist. Press mixture gently into a 5-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with additional plastic wrap. Chill for 15 minutes. Roll dough, still covered, into a 13 x 10-inch oval. Place dough in freezer 5 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare filling, bring 2 1/2 cups Chicken Stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add potato and carrot; cook 2 minutes. Drain mixture in a colander over a bowl, reserving cooking liquid.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; cook 3 minutes. Lightly spoon 1/2 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup Chicken Stock; stir with a whisk. Add to skillet. Stir in potato mixture, reserved cooking liquid, chicken, peas, 3/4 teaspoon salt, thyme, and pepper. Cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Spoon chicken mixture into a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap from dough. Place dough on top of chicken mixture, pressing to edge of dish. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Cut 5 slits in top of crust to allow steam to escape. Gently brush crust with milk. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes or until golden. Let stand 10 minutes.

Mustard-Glazed Turkey Tenderloin

2009-10-21T17:35:00.006-04:00

While I was at the gym I was looking at a Parents magazine, and found this recipe for turkey tenderloin in an article about good nutrition. I've never made turkey tenderloins before and these were super easy and very tasty. Chad loved the mustard glaze...he was slurping it with a spoon once the turkey was gone! I made the green beans from a recipe from the magazine as well, but we didn't think it was that great of a green bean recipe.

Mustard-Glazed Turkey Tenderloin
From Parents Magazine

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 tsp black pepper, divided
3 tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard, divided
1 lb. turkey tenderloin
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt

Combine garlic, 1/2 cup broth, 1/2 tsp pepper and 1 tbsp mustard to ziplock bag, add turkey. Seal and marinate in the fridge for 4 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 375. Heat oil in an oven-safe skillet on medium-high. Cook turkey until browned on all sides; sprinkle with salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Add 1/2 cup broth and bake for 25 minutes. Remove turkey and set on plate, cover with foil to keep warm.

Make glaze: Combine 1/2 cup broth, 2 tbsp water and 2 tbsp mustard; pour into pan. Whisk or use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits and heat the glaze through. Cut turkey on a diagonal and pour on glaze.

Chicken Fried Rice

2009-10-14T16:38:00.005-04:00

I've decided Chinese food is such a great weeknight meal because it's so fast! I looked at a few fried rice recipes and came up with this one. It was easy and yummy...just like takeout but healthier since I controlled the ingredients.

Chicken Fried Rice

3 cups cooked and cooled brown rice (preferable cooked a couple of days prior)
vegetable oil or wok oil
3 large eggs
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce

Heat a wok (or large deep frying pan) on medium high heat and add some oil. Break 2 of the eggs into the wok and immediately scramble. Cook until done and set aside. Add more oil and add chicken to wok. Cook for 3 minutes or until golden. Add onion and garlic and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add carrots and peas, sprinkle ginger on chicken and veggies, and cook for 1 minute. Add a little more oil (about a tablespoon) and stir in rice. Scramble remaining egg, and stir into rice. Add soy sauce and oyster sauce and cook 3-4 minutes more. Add more soy sauce to taste.

Black and White Chocolate Cake

2009-10-14T16:27:00.005-04:00

My secretary's birthday was last Friday and I totally forgot =( I promised her a fabulous cake for Monday, so I spent the weekend looking through my Dorie Greenspan baking cookbook for a great cake. Lisa mentioned she liked white chocolate, so when I saw this recipe I thought it would be perfect. This was one of the most difficult things I have ever baked and I definitely had a few issues. I forgot the salt in the cake...oops!...and I had a really hard time getting the white chocolate whipped cream to thicken. This is the second time I've had some whipped cream issues, and just like the last time I was terrified I would overwhip it and turn it to butter! This time I think I underwhipped and it was pretty thin. It kind of ran off the cake when I tried to frost it, but was better once it firmed up in the fridge.

I didn't eat much of this cake because I'm not really a chocolate eater, but everyone said it was amazing. Chad, who is a tougher critic, thought it was ok but a bit dry. He did eat it later that night though and Dorie mentioned in the recipe that it was best eaten after 3 hours in the fridge.

Black and White Chocolate Cake
Dorie Greenspan Baking: From My Home to Yours

For the Cake
2 cups cake flour (I couldn't find this so used all-purpose)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 sticks (10 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

For the Dark Chocolate Cream
2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
6 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
2-1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces, at room temperature

For the White Chocolate Whipped Cream
6 ounces premium-quality white chocolate (such as Valrhona Ivoire or Guittard), finely chopped
1-1/2 cups heavy cream

Chocolate shavings or curls, dark or white or a combination, for decoration (optional)

Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To Make the Cake:
Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then unmold, remove the paper and invert to cool to room temperature right side up on the rack.

To Make the Dark Chocolate Cream:
Bring the milk to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, cornstarch and salt until thick and well blended. Whisking without stopping, drizzle in about 1/4 cup of the hot milk – this will temper, or warm, the yolks so they won’t curdle – then, still whisking, add the remainder of the milk in a steady stream. Put the pan over medium heat and, whisking vigorously, constantly and thoroughly (make sure to get into the edges of the pan), bring the mixture to a boil. Keep at a boil, still whisking, for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Whisk in the melted chocolate, and let stand for 5 minutes. Then whisk in the pieces of butter, stirring until they are fully incorporated and the chocolate cream is smooth and silky. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the cream to create an airtight seal and refrigerate the cream until chilled, or for up to 3 days. Or, if you want to cool the cream quickly, put the bowl with the cream into a large bowl filled with ice cubes and cold water and stir the cream occasionally until it is thoroughly chilled, about 20 minutes.

To Make the White Chocolate Whipped Cream:
Put the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl and put the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir frequently to melt the chocolate evenly. Meanwhile, bring 1/2 cup of the heavy cream to a boil.

When the white chocolate is melted, remove the bowl from the pan. Pour the hot cream into the melted chocolate and let it sit for a minute. Using a small spatula, stir the chocolate gently until it is smooth. Let it sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature – it can’t be the least bit warm when you add it to the whipped cream.

Working with the stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup heavy cream only until it holds the softest peaks. Turn the machine to high, add the cooled white chocolate all at once and continue to beat until the whipped cream holds firm peaks. Turn the whipped cream into a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap gently against the surface to create an airtight seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 6 hours.

To Assemble the Cake:
If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. Slice each layer horizontally in half. Place one layer cut side down on a cardboard cake round or on a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.

Remove the dark and white chocolate creams from the refrigerator and whisk each of them vigorously to loosen and smooth them. With a long metal icing spatula, spread enough dark chocolate cream (about 1 cup) over the cake layer to cover it completely. Top the cream with another cake layer, cut side up, and cover this layer with white chocolate whipped cream, making the white layer about the same thickness as the dark layer. Cover with a third layer, cut side up, and cover with another cup or so of the dark chocolate cream. (You’ll have some dark chocolate cream left over – use it as a dip for madeleines or sables.) Top with the final layer of cake, cut side down, and frost the sides and top with the remaining white chocolate whipped cream. If you’d like to decorate the top with chocolate shavings or curls, do it now.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Serving: Remove the cake from the fridge about 20 minutes before serving. Use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to cut it. Though the cake is particularly good with coffee or tea, it also goes well with a sweet or sparkling dessert wine.

Storing: While both the dark chocolate cream and white chocolate cream can be made ahead and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator, once assembled, the cake is best after about 3 hours in the fridge. However, it can be refrigerated overnight – just cover it loosely and keep it away from foods with strong odors.

Mongolian Beef

2009-09-16T08:08:00.004-04:00

Elly Says Opa is a great food blog with AMAZING pictures. I'm almost embarrassed to post my picture of the recipe because her's is so much better! Oh well, no matter what it looks like, it tasted great. Mongolian Beef is my favorite entree at P.F. Chang's and while this didn't have the crispiness and the sauce was a little different, I thought this version was a great one...it was on par with a take-out Chinese version. Best of all, it was quick and easy! A perfect weeknight dinner. I served this with brown rice and salad with ginger dressing.

Mongolian Beef
From Elly Says Opa

I followed the recipe exactly except for the meat...my grocery store's flank steak was HUGE so I got skirt steak instead, and only used 2 tbsp of corn starch.

1 lb skirt steak, sliced across the grain
2 tbsp corn starch
3 tsp. canola oil, divided
1/2 tsp grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp (heaping) red pepper flakes
2-3 large scallions, sliced

Pat the steak pieces and make sure they’re dry; then, toss the steak and cornstarch together. Be sure all pieces are fully coated, but shake off excess corn starch. Mix together the soy sayce, water, brown sugar and red pepper flakes.

Heat half the oil in a wok at medium-high heat and add the ginger and garlic. Once fragrant (30 seconds or so), add the soy sauce mixture. Cook for about 2 minutes and transfer to a bowl.

Turn the heat up on the wok and add the remaining oil. Add the beef and cook, stirring until just browned. Pour the sauce back in and let it cook with the meat. Let the sauce thicken to your liking, and then add the green onions in just before plating.

Mustard-Herb Pork Tenderloin

2009-09-09T18:24:00.008-04:00

I love pork tenderloin, but I seem to always make it the same way. I wanted to find a new recipe and went searching on Cooking Light to find one. I liked this one because it seemed easy and used ingredients I usually have or could sub with pantry items. Although Chad said this was good, he didn't give me his usual two thumbs up. I think he's crazy though because Mike, Kelly and I all thought it was really good! I do think I cooked it a little long...I don't have a meat thermometer because SOMEONE broke it so I was worried it would be too pink but it ended up not pink enough. Oh well, still tasty!

Mustard-Herb Pork Tenderloin
Adapted from Cooking Light

1/2 cup panko
2 tablespoons dried parsley
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450°. Combine the panko, parsley, cheese, and thyme in a shallow dish. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Combine Dijon mustard and garlic in a small bowl. Rub pork with mustard mixture, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

Place the pork on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink). Let stand for 10 minutes. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Mushroom Bruschetta

2009-09-02T20:20:00.004-04:00

I had everything to make a chicken lasagna but when Chad decided to go watch the Red Sox, I threw that plan out the window...too much work for just me. I had some frozen meals but they didn't really sound appetizing so I looked around in the fridge for something delicious. I had some baby bellas that were for the lasagna and a bit of goat cheese leftover from veggie paninis last week. These inspired me to create a mushroom bruschetta. There's a great wine bar in downtown Tampa that has mushroom bruschetta with goat cheese and I love it. This was a good weeknight home-cooked version.

Mushroom Bruschetta

A container of sliced baby bellas, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Olive Oil
Butter
Fresh ground pepper
Goat cheese
Bread of choice, toasted (I had rosemary ciabatta rolls)

Heat pan on medium-high heat. Add a few drizzles of olive oil and a generous pat of butter. Add mushrooms and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and pepper and saute for one minute more. Add a small pat of butter and stir until melted.

Spread goat cheese on bread, and top with a generous amount of chopped mushrooms. Enjoy with a nice glass of white wine...at least that's what I did!

Note: Since I had bread with rosemary in it, I didn't add any spices to the mushrooms. If you use a plain bread, you could add some thyme or rosemary to the mushrooms.

Weekend Breakfast

2009-08-31T16:59:00.005-04:00

I love making breakfast on the weekends. My favorite is biscuits and gravy, but sausage egg casserole is a really close second! I don't really measure so these are guess-timates, but it's really hard to mess this up. It's the perfect recipe for a crowd since you can prep it all the night before and throw it in the oven in the morning. You can definitely tailor it to your tastes...change the cheese, meat or add veggies. I made a huge casserole for Chad to take to work on Friday so he returned the favor and made a little one for us to eat Saturday morning. So this picture is his masterpiece (he added tomato)!

Sausage Egg Casserole

10 eggs
1/2 cup milk
fresh ground pepper
Half a loaf of long French baguette, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 lb. breakfast sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Whisk the eggs with the milk and pepper. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the bread on the bottom of the dish. Spread the sausage on top, and layer the cheese on top. Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 375. Remove foil and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, or until eggs are set and top is golden.

Grilled Peaches

2009-08-16T16:03:00.003-04:00

At our last girls' weekend in Hilton Head, my aunt brought a basket full of peaches. My mom grilled them and we had grilled peaches with ice cream and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I couldn't believe how grilling the fruit could make it just totally amazing. Since we were already grilling the steak, I figured it would be a perfect night for grilled peaches.

Grilled Peaches

Peaches, cut in half and pit removed
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Melted butter

Place peaches cut side up in a baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Drizzle with melted butter. Grill cut side down for 5-10 minutes or until fruit begins to soften and you can see the grill marks.

And it has to be served over ice cream!

Flank Steak with Chimichurri

2009-08-16T15:54:00.003-04:00

One day last week I decided I really, really wanted steak with chimichurri. This is not something I eat often or usually crave but it just hit me that I wanted some. When I lived in South Florida, there was a great Argentinian restaurant in Hollywood Circle that had great chimichurri. I did some online searching and decided on this recipe from Michael Chiarello. I just made the chimichurri sauce listed, and left out the bay leaves because I couldn't find any fresh at the grocery. The smoked paprika gave it a funky orange color, but this was so good. Chad said his favorite moment of the day was the moment the chimichurri first hit his tongue!

Flank Steak with Chimichurri
from Michael Chiarello

1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the parsley, bay leaves, garlic, paprika, oregano, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until combined. Put the sauce in a glass or plastic container, using as needed. Chimichurri will last for up to 1 month, refrigerated. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

We put the chimichurri on grilled flank steak. I simply rubbed the steak with olive oil, salt and pepper and grilled until medium. Let rest for 5 minutes and slice thin across the grain.

London Broil with Red Wine Mushroom Gravy and Roasted Fingerlings and Carrots

2009-08-01T09:04:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was the five year anniversary of when Chad and I met. We had an unusual quiet Friday night in, and I had planned this delicious dinner so I wouldn't miss going out to eat so much. London broil is a cheaper cut of beef, but I think it needs a really good marinade or gravy to go with it. This one is probably one of the best I've tried. Chad and I both agreed that these were the best carrots we've eaten, and the potatoes weren't bad either! Fingerlings are my new favorite potato.

London Broil with Red Wine Mushroom Gravy and Roasted Fingerlings and Carrots
Gravy recipe from Robbie's Recipes

London broil
Montreal Steak Seasoning
olive oil

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (I use baby bellas)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup red wine
2 cups beef broth
1 tbsp cornstarch (I didn't have any so I used 2 tbsp flour)
1/4 tsp dried rosemary - crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
salt

Rub London broil with olive oil and steak seasoning. Grill until desired temperature.

For gravy, sauté mushrooms in olive oil until liquid evaporates; remove from heat. In saucepan, whisk together wine, broth, and cornstarch then stir in rosemary, pepper, thyme, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. When sauce begins to thicken, stir in mushrooms. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until meat is ready.

For potatoes and carrots:
1 bag fingerling potatoes
1 bag baby carrots
olive oil
fresh ground pepper
salt
rosemary

Preheat oven to 400. Toss potatoes and carrots with olive oil, pepper, salt and rosemary. Put in a single layer on a baking sheet and cook for 45 minutes or until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.

Homemade Pizza

2009-07-31T09:56:00.003-04:00

I'm in a book club, and July was my month to host. We read P.S. I Love You, and after we ate and discussed the book we watched the movie. So for my food for the night I did pizza so we could have pizza and a movie night. I had a whole wheat crust recipe from my friend Jenn that I've had before and is absolutely delicious (and good for you!) and I found a sauce recipe in Cooking Light. All the girls bought different toppings and everyone got to make their own pizza. Dinner was a hit!

My favorite topping combination...artichoke hearts, diced tomato, baby portobellas, mozzarella and goat cheese. YUM!

Homemade Pizza
Crust recipe from Jenn Quilty, sauce from Cooking Light

Crust

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat gluten
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 packet of rapid rising yeast
1 tsp of Splenda (3 packets)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix by had for at least 15 minutes and make into a dough ball. (I use my KitchenAid mixer with a dough hook...so much easier if you have one!) The dough will be really sticky.

Let stand in the bowl for 15 minutes at room temperature. Set oven to 450 to preheat.

Spray the dough with cooking spray. Roll out the dough and place on a pizza pan. Top with sauce, cheese and toppings. Cook on middle oven rack for 15-17 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted.

Sauce

7 tbsp water (I left this out because I wanted it to be thick)
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
1 14.5-ounce)can petite-cut diced tomatoes, undrained
1 6-ounce)can tomato paste

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk.

Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

2009-07-13T11:54:00.003-04:00

I love having breakfast on weekend mornings, and one of my favorite things to make and eat is sausage gravy. I try to make mine not TOO bad for you by using lowfat milk and reduced fat sausage. This recipe is so easy and so delicious. The picture doesn't do it justice because beige food just does not photograph well!

Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
Makes enough gravy for about 5 biscuits

1 package (the roll kind) Jimmy Dean reduced fat sausage
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
3 cups 1% milk
fresh ground pepper
1 package biscuits (I use the Pillsbury Golden Wheat biscuits)

Saute sausage in a large pan, crumbling as it cooks. Once the sausage is cooked through, sprinkle the flour over the sausage and stir. Cook for about one minute. Whisk in milk and add fresh ground pepper (this is the only seasoning so I use a lot). Bring to a bubble then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer while you cook the biscuits. To serve, split a biscuit and top with the sausage gravy.

Note: If you feel the gravy is too thin, you can take out a few spoonfuls and whisk in some more flour then add back to the pan. Also, if you let the gravy simmer for a good bit of time it will usually thicken up.

Mozzarella-Stuffed Grilled Portobellos with Balsamic Marinade

2009-07-09T19:33:00.006-04:00

I absolutely love mushrooms of any kind, especially big meaty portobellos. This recipe is from Bon Appetit which is a great magazine. Here is the original recipe, I made a few changes (and mistakes!) based on what I had on hand. We had this with just a salad, and it was a perfect light meal.

Stuffed Grilled Portobellos

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
6 large portobello mushrooms, stemmed

1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 cup cubed fresh mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoons thyme
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter, melted

Whisk oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and 1 garlic clove in small bowl for marinade. Using spoon, scrape out gills from mushrooms and place mushrooms on rimmed baking sheet. Brush marinade over both sides of mushrooms, arrange hollow side up, and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Mix panko, next 5 ingredients, and remaining 2 garlic cloves in medium bowl. Drizzle butter and remaining teaspoon vinegar (I forgot to add the vinegar...oops!) over panko mixture and toss. Divide panko mixture among mushrooms, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges and packing down slightly. Place mushrooms on grill, stuffing side up; cover grill and cook until cheese melts and juices bubble at edges of mushrooms, rearranging mushrooms occasionally for even cooking (do not turn over), about 6 minutes. I put mine under the broiler at the end to crisp up the stuffing. I also drizzled balsamic glaze once they were done.

Back to blogging!

2009-07-09T19:28:00.002-04:00

After a long time away from the blog, I am back! After hearing from my fans...well, ok my one fan Karabeth =) I have decided that I miss making fun new things and putting them on my blog for the world to see. Plus it helps keep all my recipes organized. So here goes...

Pork and Broccoli Stir Fry

2008-11-03T18:45:00.003-05:00

I've been in the mood for a stir fry lately, and in the past when I've made them I've used a bottled stir fry sauce. I wanted to make it a little healthier so I searched online for a recipe on Cooking Light. I found this one, made a few modifications, and voila! Dinner is done. I don't have a picture, but it looked delicious, I promise.

Pork and Broccoli Stir Fry

2 vertically sliced sweet onions
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
3 pork loin chops, cut into thin slices and lightly coated with flour
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup chutney (I used a peach vidalia chutney, mango would be good too)
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
Cooked angel hair pasta

Mix the chutney, chicken broth, soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl, place to the side. Place a large wok coated with wok oil over medium-high heat. Add sweet onion; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the sweet onion from pan; place in a bowl. Recoat pan with wok oil. Add broccoli; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add broccoli to sweet onion. Recoat pan with wok oil. Add pork and red pepper; stir-fry 4 minutes or until pork loses its pink color. Reduce heat. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in onion mixture, noodles and sauce; cook 1 minute.

Chicken Spanakopita Burgers

2008-10-20T18:36:00.006-04:00

I stumbled across this Rachel Ray recipe a couple of years ago, and it's one of my favorite ways to use ground chicken. I usually don't eat this on a bun (the burger pictured is Chad's), I just eat the patty with some basil aioli. There is so much flavor in the burger, it doesn't need much to accompany it!

Chicken Spanakopita Burger

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, plus some for drizzling
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped,
1 red onion, 1/2 chopped, 1/2 thinly sliced
1 box, 10 ounces, frozen spinach, defrosted
2 teaspoons dried oregano, lightly crushed in the palm, divided
1/4 pound feta crumbles
1 1/3 pounds ground chicken or ground turkey breast, 1 package
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. To one side, add a little extra-virgin olive oil and a tablespoon of butter. When butter melts, add the chopped garlic and chopped red onion and cook 5 minutes. Transfer the onions and garlic to a bowl to cool. Return pan to heat.

Wring the defrosted spinach dry buy twisting it in a clean kitchen towel over your sink. Separate the spinach as you add it to the bowl with cool onions, garlic and season with 1 teaspoon of oregano. Add in feta crumbles then chicken or turkey, grill seasoning and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Mix and form into 4 patties, 1-inch thick. Raise heat on pan to medium-high. Add patties and cook 6 minutes on each side.

For basil aioli: mix basil pesto with mayo.

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

2008-10-13T19:41:00.003-04:00

After the weekend BBQ, we have a ton of grilled chicken leftover. I love BBQ chicken potato skins, so thought a BBQ chicken quesadilla would be tasty. What a great combination...these were great!

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

3 large tortillas
2 cups cooked BBQ chicken
mushrooms
sliced onions
shredded cheese (I used cheddar and colby jack)
BBQ sauce

Heat a pan over medium heat, and saute onions and mushrooms. When they are fully cooked, add chicken to warm it up. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Heat a griddle pan over medium heat. Spray with olive oil. Heat tortilla on one side for about 1 minute. Flip and layer cheese and chicken mixture on top. Drizzle with BBQ sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes (tortilla will brown). Fold in half and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Serve with BBQ sauce and sour cream.

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette

2008-10-12T19:38:00.004-04:00

Our good friends Courtney and Eric had a baby in June, and they came from Orlando for the weekend to introduce Luke to the Tampa crew. I wanted to do upscale BBQ, so I searched for a good grilled chicken recipe that was different. I found this Bobby Flay recipe on Food Network and it sounded good, so that was the winner. The color of the vinaigrette was a little interesting, but it was really tasty. I will make this again.

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette
from Bobby Flay

For the roasted garlic-oregano vinaigrette:
8 cloves roasted garlic
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (oops! I forgot this!)

Combine garlic, vinegar, oregano, parsley, honey and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and process until emulsified. Stir in the red chile flakes.

Rub chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill chicken, arrange on platter and drizzle immediately with vinaigrette.

BBQ Chicken

2008-10-12T19:34:00.003-04:00

I wanted to make regular BBQ chicken just in case the green sauce didn't appeal to some people =) so I called mom for some tips on making a dry rub. She just rattled some ingredients off, and I put this together with what I had on hand. I put it on the chicken early in the day and let it sit, then basted with BBQ sauce when it was grilling. Delish!

BBQ Chicken

For dry rub:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tbsp. Montreal steak seasoning
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. garlic salt

Mix together and rub into your chicken. Grill, and baste with favorite BBQ sauce.

Mashed Baked

2008-10-12T19:28:00.003-04:00

This is a Paula Deen recipe, and features her usual stick of butter (plus cream cheese, sour cream, colby jack cheese) so it only comes out for special occasions. It was great for our BBQ since I could make it ahead of time and pop it in the oven when it was time for dinner. Everyone loved them!

Mashed Baked
from Paula Deen

4 cups frozen hash browns
1 (7.6-ounce) package butter and herb mashed potato mix
1 stick butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I use colby jack)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups boiling water
2 cups prepared French-fried onion rings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a pot of water to the boil and add the hash browns. Cook for 5 minutes and drain. In a large bowl, mix together the cooked hash browns, mashed potato mix, butter, cream cheese, jack cheese, sour cream, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Stir in the boiling water. Place in a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle the onion rings over the casserole and bake for about 5 to 8 minutes longer until onions are golden brown.

100th Post!

2008-10-12T19:08:00.004-04:00

So this is my 100th blog post, pretty amazing! It's been over a year since I started and while I've had some slow periods, I've kept up with it pretty well. The best thing about this blog is that it inspires to try new recipes all the time so I have stuff to add! And once I've made something and blogged about it, I can easily access it to make it again and also can share it with friends.

In honor of my 100th post, I wanted to do my top 5 posts...so here they are in no particular order =)

1. Our first anniversary was this past July 14th, and we decided to have dinner in. Our steaks with gorgonzola and crab cakes were just as good as any restaurant, and we got to enjoy spending a quiet evening together.

2. I love entertaining and cooking for friends, and this recipe from my mom for Chicken Marbella was soooo good and great to make for company since all the prep is done the night before.

3. I love looking on other people's blogs for inspiration, and Elly's is a favorite. Her pasta with shrimp and goat cheese sauce is one of my favorite pasta dishes and inspired me to get creative with my own pastas and sauces.

4. Even though I only participated in Tuesday's with Dorie for a short time, her cookbook is full of amazing recipes. The Brown-Sugar Apple Cheesecake and La Palette's Strawberry Tart are two of my favorites!

5. I love to cook (obviously) and am excited that my friends also enjoy cooking. I am a part of 2 cooking clubs, one here in Tampa and the original group back in Orlando. My friends have contributed some great recipes that are featured on my blog...Karen's chicken lasagna, Jenn's tilapia (well, actually I guess it's Keith's!), and Kelly's chocolate eclair cake. And I can't forget my favorite inspiration and go-to person for the perfect recipe for anything, my mom! LOTS of recipes on this blog come from her, but this chicken salad is one of my favorites.

So I hope everyone has enjoyed reading my blog as much as I've enjoyed publishing it. Please leave comments when you visit, I love seeing who's been here and what they like!

Lani

Spinach Mushroom Quiche

2008-10-12T18:57:00.004-04:00

For our last Orlando cooking club, Karen was the hostess and we decided to do a brunch. She had a great menu, and two of my favorites were this quiche and the fruit salsa below. I'm so lucky that Chad will eat whatever I put in front of him...when I told him we were having quiche and fruit salsa for dinner, he said "Sounds great!". Which it was!

Spinach Mushroom Quiche

5 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained (I used fresh)
1 (6 ounce) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled (I only had plain so I added some Italian herbs and garlic powder)
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
4 eggs, beaten (it overflowed at cooking club so I used 3 eggs!)
1 cup milk (and 3/4 cup of milk)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion in butter until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in spinach, mushrooms, feta and 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into pie crust. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into the pastry shell, allowing egg mixture to thoroughly combine with spinach mixture. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining Cheddar cheese, and bake an additional 15-20minutes, until set in center. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

2008-10-12T18:50:00.003-04:00

This was delicious...I would eat this for breakfast, brunch, a snack, dessert, you name it. Chad loved it as well and it was very easy to make. This recipe makes a lot, so I halved it since it was just the two of us.

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
1 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups cinnamon sugar

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes.

Tilapia with Lemon Pesto and Oven Roasted Tomatoes

2008-10-07T18:56:00.007-04:00

I saw this on Elly Says Opa! and knew I had to try it. I love making KQ's tilapia, but was ready for a new fish dish to put in the rotation. This was simple to make and cooked quickly, perfect for a weeknight meal. I loved the roasted tomatoes with the pesto flavor. I still think KQ's is on top, but this is a great 2nd.

Tilapia with Lemon Pesto and Oven Roasted Tomatoes
From Elly Says Opa!

1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes (I had Campari tomatoes, so I used those)
5 cloves garlic, peeled/smashed
2 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp pesto
1 lemon (I only used half)
3 tilapia filets, about 6 oz.
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425. Toss the tomatoes and the garlic with the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Roast for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, juice the lemon and reserve both the juice and the juiced lemon. To the juice, add the pesto and stir to combine. Season the tilapia with salt and pepper and then spread the pesto mixture on top of the fish.

Take the pan of roasted garlic and tomatoes out of the oven and nestle the cut lemon into the pan. Place the tilapia on top of the lemon and tomatoes and put back in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the fish is flaky and no longer opaque. Spoon the tomatoes over the fish.

Grilled Potato Skins

2008-09-14T20:29:00.002-04:00

I was watching Food Network the other day and saw Paula Deen do a show with her son Bobby that was all grilling foods. They made these potato skins and I knew that I had to try them. They were absolutely delicious. I was wary about how crispy they could actually be when cooked on the grill, but they were very crispy...better than fried I think! I always eat my potato skins with BBQ sauce, and these were no exception. Chad says between these and the crash hot potatoes he never wants a baked potato again!

Grilled Potato Skins

4 russet potatoes
4 tablespoons butter, melted
minced garlic
Salt and pepper
shredded Cheddar
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
sour cream

Preheat oven at 350. Clean and bake potatoes in oven for 1 hour. When done, allow to slightly cool and cut into halves.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Scoop out the pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch thick shell for the toppings. Put garlic in melted butter. Cut the potatoes into quarter wedges, brush with butter and season with salt and pepper. Place on grill and cook until crisp, about 10 minutes. During the last few minutes of grilling, remove potatoes and place on a cookie sheet. Top the potatoes with cheese and bacon and place back on top of grill.

Apricot Pork Loin

2008-09-14T17:11:00.005-04:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've blogged. My poor little site has been neglected. Now that the move is completed and life has settled down a bit, I'm going to catch up on all my posts that I've been meaning to do and make a resolution to blog more frequently.

Last week I had Kelly over for dinner and made her my apricot pork. I don't know if this recipe started with my mom or my Aunt Carm, but it's a regular in our house. It's great for company as well, because it's so easy and you don't have to stand in the kitchen and cook it...it's an impressive dish that is simple to prepare.

Apricot Pork Loin

pork loin roast or pork tenderloin
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 package onion soup mix
2 tbsp. honey mustard

Preheat oven to 375. Mix preserves, soup mix and honey mustard in a small bowl. Line a baking dish with foil, leaving enough overhang to fold over the pork and make a packet. Place pork in dish and cover with preserve mixture. Seal foil around meat, and bake until pork is cooked through. Slice and serve with juices.

Crash Hot Potatoes

2008-09-14T17:03:00.003-04:00

Any potato is a good potato to me, but these were pretty special. The baked potato inside with the crunchy, salty outside was a perfect combination. This definitely beats out a plain old baked potato, and it was just as easy to make.

Crash Hot Potatoes
From The Pioneer Woman Cooks

16 small, round potatoes with skin left on (I only had russet so I picked out the smallest ones)
olive oil
salt
pepper

Add the potatoes to a large pan of salted water. Bring to the boil. Simmer briskly for 15 minutes or until potatoes are almost cooked. Remove potatoes from the pan and place on a baking tray. Using a masher or the back of a big spoon, gently squish each potato until they are half intact, half broken up. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt (a lot!) and pepper. Roast in a very hot (450) oven for 15-20 minutes. I added some shredded cheddar cheese about five minutes before they were done, and served with sour cream.

Pork with Sweet Pineapple BBQ sauce

2008-09-14T16:57:00.003-04:00

For my friend Daniela's 30th birthday we threw her a luau. I was excited to plan a menu that fit the theme, and knew I wanted to include my pineapple bbq sauce. It goes perfect with pulled pork.

Pork with Sweet Pineapple BBQ sauce

large pork loin roast

Place pork in crockpot and cover with liquid. Cook on low for 8 hours. Shred and return to crockpot and moisten with sauce, saving some to pass on side. Serve on Hawaiian sweet rolls.

For sauce:
28 oz. ketchup
1/2 box brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
3 tablespoons worsteshire sauce
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
juice from one lemon

Mix all ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.

Crab Rangoon

2008-09-14T16:51:00.003-04:00

I love, love, love crab rangoon. When Kelly made it for a get-together that Chad and I were out of town for, I was really bummed that I missed it. I thought it would be good for the luau party, and people ate them up. I should have made a double batch because they went quick. I bought imitation crab meat to cut down on costs, but when I make these again I will use real crab meat.

Crab Rangoon
From My Sweet Life

8 oz cream cheese, softened
3 green onions, finely chopped (I used about 6)
1 cup of crab meat
1 tbsp of hot sauce (Sriracha)
1 package of wonton wrappers

Preheat oven to 400. Mix all ingredients well in bowl, except wrappers. Put about a teaspoon and a half of mixture in center of each wrapper. Twist wrapper and pinch to seal. Place won tons on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake until they start to brown - should be about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with sweet chili sauce (we used the Smack My Sweet Ass and Call Me Sally from Tijuana Flats...yum!).

Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

2008-09-14T16:44:00.005-04:00

These were simple to make, were good for the party because you could prep ahead and were really good. Perfect party food! The picture looks pretty bad...it was hard to try to take food pictures in the middle of a party =)

Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
From Paradise Found Online

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves
1/2 pound bacon
1 can pineapple chunks
teriyaki sauce/marinade

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Wrap with about 1/3 slice of bacon, thread onto toothpick, and top with pineapple chunk. Marinate for 4 hours or longer in teriyaki sauce. Preheat oven to 375. Place marinated appetizers onto foil lined baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is done and bacon golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

2008-09-14T16:35:00.002-04:00

Brussel sprouts are a vegetable people love to hate, but I love it. I think if you cook it the right way it's absolutely delicious. This is my second favorite way to prepare brussel sprouts (my favorite way is here). This is also really good with broccoli.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts, trimmed and cut in half through the stem
olive oil
salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon

Preheat oven to 400. Toss brussel sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. During the last few minutes of baking, heat olive oil in a small pan and saute garlic. Toss sauteed garlic with roasted brussel sprouts and squeeze fresh lemon juice over.

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

2008-09-14T16:28:00.003-04:00

This was a breakfast from one of my many trips this summer. My mom, aunts, cousins and I went to Hilton Head for a girls weekend and this was a highly requested dish from all of us. I didn't actually make this one, so credit goes to my mom!

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

2 packages flaky layers biscuits
1 box cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups granola
1 stick melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a bundt pan (if you don't have one you can use a loaf pan). Mix the brown sugar and granola in a bowl. Take a biscuit, separate in half and put a spoonful of cream cheese in the middle. Pinch biscuit back together so the cream cheese is enclosed in the biscuit. Dip biscuit in melted butter and roll in granola mixture. Place upright in pan. Repeat with remaining biscuits, fitting them all tightly in baking dish. Pour rest of melted butter over the top of the biscuits and sprinkle with remaining granola. Bake for 30 minutes or until biscuits are cooked through and coffee cake is golden brown.

Carmelized Shallot Blue Cheese Dip

2008-09-14T16:18:00.003-04:00

This was also from my girls trip to Hilton Head. The aunts, mom and I all love snacking on dips, and this was a favorite of the weekend. It's really easy to make and tastes delicious.

Carmelized Shallot Blue Cheese Dip
From Epicurious

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/4 cups thinly sliced shallots (about 4 ounces)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
4 ounces blue cheese, room temperature

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallots. Cover and cook until shallots are deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool.
Whisk together mayonnaise and sour cream in medium bowl to blend. Add blue cheese. Using rubber spatula, mash mixture until smooth. (I used the blender, and when I've made it at home I use my food processor) Stir in caramelized shallots. Season dip to taste with salt and pepper. Cover dip and refrigerate until flavors blend, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Serve dip chilled or at room temperature. It's great with pita chips or veggies.

Pizza Bagels

2008-08-05T18:45:00.004-04:00

I have not blogged in a long time...July was my month of travels, and I was up and down the East coast, from a Bahamas cruise to Hilton Head to Boston. And even though we've been back for a week, the dinners at the Trecida house have been pretty unexciting because I haven't gotten paid for 2 months so we're eating cheap! But now that the summer is over and I'm back to work hopefully the food will get more interesting around here.

Tonight, though, we had a dinner that shows that cheap eats can still be delish. There is a great bagel/sandwich shop in Tallahassee called Bagel, Bagel that we hit up every time we go up for an FSU game. Back in my college days I didn't eat sandwiches (I was weird, I know) so I always got their pizza bagel. This is my re-creation. The topping ideas for this are endless, this is just what we used.

Pizza Bagels

2 bagels, toasted
cream cheese
favorite jarred sauce (I used Newman's Own Marinara)
sliced tomatoes
meat of choice (I used ham)
Italian seasoning
mozzarella or provolone cheese slices

Preheat oven to 375. Spread each toasted bagel half with cream cheese. Spoon on sauce. Add meat and slices of tomato, sprinkle with Italian seasoning and top with cheese slice. Place on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.

Our 1st Anniversary Dinner!

2008-07-15T09:38:00.006-04:00

Chad and I celebrated our first anniversary yesterday! I can't believe it's already been a year...it seems like we were just walking down the aisle. We're going to Boston next Wednesday to celebrate, so we decided we would just make dinner at home on our actual anniversary. We drank some wine, ate a delicious dinner and watched our wedding video. It was an awesome night, and I'm so lucky to be able to share these moments with such a wonderful man!

The table set-up, with roses from Chad

Great wine Karen and Jon brought us back from Greece

The food!

Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Sauce

2008-07-15T09:31:00.003-04:00

I love beef tenderloin steaks, and there is nothing better than adding cheese to make something good even better. I went to a cooking class in Orlando with my mom at a place called Truffles and Trifles and we made this gorgonzola sauce that is absolutely fabulous on steak. This recipe is to make enough for a party so I usually half or quarter it for fewer people.

Gorgonzola Sauce

2 cups heavy cream
3-4 ounces gorgonzola (or other good blue cheese)
3 tbsp. fresh grated parmesan
fresh ground pepper

Bring heavy cream to a full boil, and continue cooking on a rolling boil for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cream should thicken up like a cream sauce. Remove from heat and stir in cheeses and pepper. Serve immediately.

For our steaks, we just shake a little Montreal steak seasoning and grill.

Lani's Ultimate Crab Cakes

2008-07-15T09:08:00.004-04:00

When Chad and I first decided to have our anniversary dinner at home, I knew I wanted to make homemade crab cakes. I have wanted to make them before, but when I saw crab meat was $15.99 for 8 oz. I figured I would wait for a special occasion! My mom has used Tyler Florence's Ultimate Crab Cake recipe before and liked, so I thought I would try that. But as I kept looking I saw some recipes on Epicurious, Cooking Light and even the back of the crab meat container that I thought looked good. So I decided to do a combo of them all and come up with my own recipe.

These were soooo good. My mom had made the suggestion to break up the crab a little instead of leaving the jumbo lumps, and when Chad shopped for the crab meat he found one called "Special" which the seafood guy told him refers to the cut of the meat...it was more shredded. And it was $5 cheaper, which was a bonus! We decided we liked how the crab was shredded throughout the cake. It actually tasted like the ones we used to buy at the Publix seafood counter but have since been discontinued. This recipe made 4 crab cakes, so we ate 2 and froze 2 for later.

Lani's Ultimate Crab Cakes

4 slices of white bread, crust removed
1 egg white
2 tbsp. mayo
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped fine (flat-leaf)
1 green onion, chopped fine
6 shakes hot sauce
3 shakes Worsteshire sauce
fresh ground pepper
8 oz. crab meat
3/4 cup panko crumbs

Tear the bread and process in the food processor until you have fine crumbs. Place in a bowl. Add egg white through ground pepper and stir. Gently fold in crab meat.

Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper. Form 1/4 of the crab mixture into a cake and dip each side in the panko crumbs. Lay on wax paper. Continue with the rest of the mixture. (This part is really messy and the crab cakes will be pretty sticky.) Place cakes in the fridge until you're ready to cook them (at least 30 minutes).

Heat large pan on medium-high heat. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil, and pan-fry the crab cakes until they are golden brown on both sides (about 8 minutes per side). Serve with remoulade sauce.

Grilled Zucchini

2008-07-15T09:04:00.005-04:00

This is a really easy way to prepare zucchini. If you don't want to fire up the grill, this can also be baked in the oven.

Grilled Zucchini

2 zucchini, sliced length-wise
olive oil
white wine vinegar
dried oregano
fresh ground pepper

Place all zucchini in a large plastic bag, and add marinade ingredients. I probably use about 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp. oregano, and a few turns on the pepper grinder. This is one of those that I just throw it all in. Let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes or more. Grill for 5-7 minutes on each side (depending on the thickness of your zucchini).

Wedding Cake - 1 Year Later

2008-07-15T08:59:00.006-04:00

I have to say that I had my doubts that a cake would last a year in the freezer and still taste edible, let alone good. Lucky for us, not only was it edible, it was DELICIOUS! I only had a small piece at the wedding so I was happy to get a whole piece all to myself.

The only thing I did to the cake was to place it on a paper plate, wrap it really well with plastic wrap, then wrap the whole thing with a lot of aluminum foil. We put it in the fridge for about 48 hours, then on the counter for about 3 hours before we ate it.

Lemon-Raspberry Swirl deliciousness

The best birthday cake ever!

2008-07-08T09:40:00.006-04:00

There is a deli in Tampa called Wright's, and they have some really good cake. My favorite is the Hummingbird Cake (I like it so much I served it at my rehearsal dinner!). When my mom asked what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday, I knew she would be the one to recreate this for me. I found a recipe on Oprah's website and forwarded it to my mom. Like everything my mom makes, it was absolutely delicious. We were up in Keaton for the weekend, and even though I'm trying to eat healthy, I had a piece for breakfast and a piece for dessert every day!

And thanks mom and dad for the new camera...my pictures are so much better now!

Hummingbird Cake

Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 5 bananas)
1 cup drained crushed pineapple
1 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup (4 ounces) finely chopped pecans (she didn't use these...no nuts for me!)

Icing:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar (about 4 1/2 cups sifted)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

To make the cake, position racks in the center and bottom third of the oven and preheat to 350°. Lightly butter two 9" round cake pans, sprinkle evenly with flour and tap out the excess. (If you wish, butter the pans, line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, then flour the pans and tap out the excess.) Mom didn't have 2 round cake pans in Keaton so she used a 9x13.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, stir or whisk the bananas, pineapple, oil, eggs and vanilla until combined. Do not use an electric mixer. Pour into the dry mixture and fold together with a large spatula just until smooth. Do not beat. Fold in the pecans. Spread evenly into the pans.

Bake until the cake springs back when pressed in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the cakes to wire racks and cool for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks (remove the parchment paper now if using). Turn right side up and cool completely.

To make the icing: Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until combined. On low speed, gradually beat in the sugar, then the vanilla, to make a smooth icing.

Place 1 cake layer, upside down on a serving platter. Spread with about 2/3 cup of the icing. Top with the second layer, right side up. Spread the reaming icing over the top and sides of the cake. The cake can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and stored, uncovered in the refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

And because I love it so much, a picture of my birthday/anniversary present from my wonderful husband, a matching band to compliment my wedding and engagement rings. He's the best! =)

Sausage, Broccoli and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

2008-07-03T08:10:00.003-04:00

Before I went grocery shopping this past weekend, Chad and I looked through the freezer to see if we had anything we could use for meals and Chad pulled out a package of venison sausage we had gotten from my dad. I usually make sausage with peppers and onions on a roll, but decided this time I would use it for pasta. I had a recipe pulled out from my Cooking Light magazine that used shrimp, and I thought the sausage would substitute well. I changed up the recipe a bit, but I couldn't find the original one online. So you'll just have to trust that the changes I made were for the better (if you're not into venison...shrimp, chicken or turkey sausage would be great). This pasta was delicious...yet another meal that Chad proclaimed to be the best I've ever made! =)

Sausage, Broccoli and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

1 lb. venison sausage, casings removed
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes (if packed in oil, drain as much as possible)
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup light cream cheese
noodle of choice
1 cup chopped broccoli
parmesan cheese

Put water on for noodles. Heat a large pan on medium heat, and cook sausage. When the sausage is mostly cooked through, add onions and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Start the noodles. Add sun-dried tomatoes and saute for 1 minute. Add broth, wine and cream cheese. Cook for about 5 minutes, and then turn to medium-low. When noodles have about 4 minutes left of cooking time, add chopped broccoli. Drain noodles and broccoli and toss pasta with sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.

TWD: Apple Cheddar Scones

2008-07-01T14:31:00.006-04:00

This week the Tuesday with Dorie recipe was apple cheddar scones. I like scones, but thought the apple and cheddar was an interesting (weird) combination. But I made the scones as the recipe stated and I thought they turned out pretty good. They weren't over the top wonderful, and I think I would tweak the ingredients next time I make them, but the overall flavor of the dough with the cornmeal was good. I think my problem was that neither the apple nor the cheddar was a very strong flavor, so it didn't really stand out much. Maybe making an all the way savory (more cheddar and rosemary?) or all the way sweet (more apples and sugar with cinnamon?) would be better. And these babies definitely taste best right out of the oven...but don't all baked goods?

So I would say this recipe was a success because I am no longer intimidated by scones (although the sticky dough made it difficult to work with) and I have a good base recipe for the next time I make them. To see the recipe check out The Floured Apron.

Honey-Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders

2008-06-30T14:53:00.004-04:00

Last week, after searching through my older Cooking Light cookbook, I came across a bunch of recipes that sounded tasty and were good for you. One of those was the honey-pecan crusted chicken. I made this using chicken tenders instead of the breasts and drumsticks the recipe called for, and it was delicious! It also cooked extrememly quickly since the tenders were so skinny. Chad and I both thought that these would be great on a salad.

Honey-Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders

salt
pepper
boneless, skinless chicken tenders
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 1/4 cups finely crushed cornflakes
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken. Combine honey, mustard, paprika and garlic in a small bowl. Combine cornflakes and pecans in a shallow dish (I crushed up the cornflakes and pecans together in my mini food processor). Brush both sides of chicken with honey mixture; dredge in cornflake mixture. Place chicken on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat the chicken with cooking spray. Cook at 400 for 15 minutes or until done.

Banana-Pineapple Bread, the light version

2008-06-30T14:44:00.006-04:00

I submitted my mom's banana-pineapple bread to one of the What's Cooking recipe exchanges, and it was made with rave reviews by Lauren. I had one lonely black banana, so I thought I would make banana bread muffins, but since I already had cheesecake this weekend I wanted to make them light. A few substitutions, and voila! The same deliciousness with less fat and sugar.

Banana-Pineapple Bread Muffins

(I halved my usual recipe and made 6 muffins)

1/2 cup Splenda
1/4 cup applesauce
1 egg
1 overripe banana, mashed
1 cup Bisquick
1/4 cup crushed pineapple
nuts (if you want them...I made 1/2 and 1/2)

Preheat oven to 350. Beat first 3 ingredients until fluffy. Add banana and mix well. Add Bisquick and pineapple and beat until all ingredients are incorporated. Add nuts if wanted. Spoon mixture into greased measuring cups and bake for 30 minutes. Best served warm with butter!

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

2008-06-30T14:38:00.004-04:00

Ok, so I'm supposed to be eating healthy, but I had blueberries in the fridge I needed to use, company coming in town and it was the weekend. You have to indulge every now and then! I watched Tyler Florence make these a few weeks ago and thought they looked good, and they were! Creamy, very lemony with a touch of blueberries. I would put even more blueberries on these next time.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Tyler Florence's recipe, directly from Food Network.

For the base:
Butter, for greasing
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
9 graham crackers
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs
2 lemons, zested and juiced
About 1/2 cup sugar, eyeball it
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

For the base:

Grease the bottom of a 9 by 9-inch baking pan with butter. Then place parchment paper over the top, pressing down at the corners. In a food processor, process the sugar, cinnamon and graham crackers until you have the texture of bread crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a couple of times to fully incorporate. Pour into the lined baking pan and gently pat down with the base of a glass. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until golden. When done set aside to cool.

For the filling:

Add cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar to the food processor and mix until well combined. It should have a smooth consistency. Pour onto the cooled base and then cover with blueberries. They will sink slightly but should still be half exposed -- as the cake bakes they will sink a little more and break down.
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until the center only slightly jiggles. Remove from the oven and cool completely before refrigerating for at least 3 hours. Once set, remove from pan using the parchment lining and slice into 10 rectangular bars. Dust with powdered sugar.

Summer Garden Frittata

2008-06-26T10:56:00.004-04:00

On to day #3 of healthy eating, and Cooking Light's Summer Garden Frittata. This was delicious, and very easy to make; another great weeknight dinner. The tomato topping really made the whole dish. I will make this again for dinner, experimenting with different veggie combinations, and it would be great for a weekend breakfast. The portion size is big...this was only supposed to feed two but we had a quarter of it left over. I served it with roasted asparagus.

Summer Garden Frittata

1 cup chopped tomato
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried basil (fresh is definitely best)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup cooked small seashell macaroni (about 1/2 cup uncooked)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
5 large egg whites, lightly beaten (I used egg beaters in place of eggs)
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons reduced-calorie margarine (I used butter...I don't like margarine!)
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups diced zucchini
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; stir well. Set aside. Combine macaroni and next 4 ingredients (macaroni though egg yolk) in a medium bowl; stir well. Set aside.

Melt margarine over medium heat in a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet coated with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic; sauté 4 minutes. Add zucchini; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in macaroni mixture; spread evenly in bottom of skillet. Cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until almost set.

(If using a skillet with a plastic handle, wrap handle of skillet with foil.) Place skillet in oven, and bake at 450° for 5 minutes or until almost set. Sprinkle with cheese; bake an additional minute or until cheese melts. (Oops, I'm just reading this and realized I put the cheese on before I put it in the oven!) Top each serving with 1/2 cup tomato mixture.

Yield
2 servings

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 329(30% from fat); FAT 10.9g (sat 4.3g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.7g); IRON 2.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 125mg; CALCIUM 250mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.4g; SODIUM 656mg; PROTEIN 23g; FIBER 3.8g

Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

2008-06-25T16:22:00.005-04:00

I've been wanting to make fish tacos for a while, and that was my plan for this week...but when I went to the grocery store they had a huge bag of shrimp on sale for $4.99, so my fish tacos became shrimp tacos. The mango salsa is from my friend Amber (who served it with must fancier tuna steaks), and the slaw I just kind of made up on my own. These were pretty good, but I think I would have like flour tortilla betters. Damn those whole wheat tortillas being better for you! This made 4 tacos with a little extra salsa left over.

Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

For shrimp:
28 medium shrimp
Emeril's essence
quarter of a lime
olive oil

For mango salsa:
1 mango, finely diced
4 big spoonfuls crushed pineapple with juice
1/2 red pepper, finely diced
1/2 jalepeno, seeded and finely diced
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
juice from 1/2 lime
finely chopped cilantro to taste

For cabbage slaw:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vinegar
1/4 tsp sugar
chili powder to taste
coleslaw mix

4 tortillas, heated

Make the mango salsa the night before or at least in the morning before dinner so the flavors have time to blend. Just mix all the ingredients and chill.

For the cabbage slaw, mix mayo, sour cream, vinegar, sugar and chili powder together. Add coleslaw and stir (you want it to be pretty creamy, so just add coleslaw mix a little at a time until you think it's right).

Heat a pan on medium high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with some olive oil, the juice of the lime, and as much Emeril's essence as you like...more for hot, less for mild. Cook shrimp about 5 minutes.

Spread slaw on tortilla, top with 7 shrimp and mango salsa.

The start of my healthy week - Bruschetta Chicken

2008-06-25T16:11:00.003-04:00

I'm going on a cruise in 2 weeks, so I'm trying to drop those few extra pounds before I go (and because I know I will put on a few pounds with all that yummy food on the boat!). This week, I planned all my meals to be light and healthy but still hopefully satisfying. This is one I've made before, but I decided to leave out my beloved fresh mozzarella cheese for the sake of losing weight. It was very difficult. This is a great weeknight dinner because it comes together in a flash. There are a ton of variations out there that I've seen for bruschetta chicken, and here is mine!

Bruschetta Chicken

4 thin chicken cutlets, marinated in balsamic viniagrette dressing
2 tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, diced
fresh basil, chiffonaded
olive oil

Mix the tomatoes, garlic and basil in a small bowl, and add a little olive oil and fresh pepper. I like to do this a few hours prior to dinner and let it set in the fridge. When ready to eat, heat a skillet on medium high heat. Cook chicken on both sides until done. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add tomato mixture to pan and cook about 1 minute until warmed. Serve tomato topping on chicken.

I served this with zucchini...I sliced it into long thin planks, and threw it in a big plastic bag with olive oil and lots of lemon pepper. Bake at 400 on a cookie sheet for however long the chicken takes.

Scallops Provencal

2008-06-16T16:50:00.004-04:00

I absolutely love scallops, and when I saw this recipe on Kelly's blog, I knew I had to make them. I had a bag of bay scallops that we caught last year in Keaton during scallop season, so I was ready to go. This was good and light, and a great way to use the bay scallops. We find that they are hard to cook because they are so small and can over cook really easily. Bay scallops are wonderful with pasta. Next time I make this, I think I will use chicken broth along with the wine because it was a bit strong.

Scallops Provencal

1 lb of fresh bay or sea scallops
Salt and freshly ground pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
4 tbsp of butter
1/2 cup of chopped shallots (2 large)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp dried parsley leaves
3/4 cup of dry white wine
1 lemon, cut in 1/2
pasta of choice, cooked al dente (I used angel hair)

Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper, toss with flour, and shake off the excess.

In a very large saute pan, heat 2 tbsp of the butter over high heat until sizzling and add the scallops in one layer. Lower the heat to medium and allow the scallops to brown lightly on one side without moving them. Then turn and brown lightly on the other side. This should only take 3-4 minutes. Add the rest of the butter to the pan with the scallops, then add the shallots, garlic and parsley and saute for 2 more minutes, tossing the scallops with the seasoning. Add the white wine, simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring slowly and letting the wine reduce. If you have lemon, squeeze the lemon on the scallops and serve over the noodles with fresh parmigan cheese.

Tag, I'm it!

2008-06-11T17:34:00.002-04:00

My good friend Kelly at My Sweet Life tagged me earlier this week! I feel like a kid on the PE field who was waiting to get picked for a team...I've seen this in other people's blogs and wanted someone to pick me, pick me! Thanks Kelly for making me feel like a member of the cool kids club =)

The rules:
Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

What was I doing ten years ago?
Ten years ago I had just finished up my sophomore year at Florida State University. I was home in Orlando for the summer working with my best friend Karen at a little restaurant called Julie's.

What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today?
Well, the day is almost over but here is what my list was this morning...
1. Work...today was Teacher Interview Day
2. Go to the gym...I've been so good lately!
3. Update my blog
4. Dentist...yuck
5. Out to dinner with Chad and my MIL

Five snacks I enjoy:
1. Cheese
2. Wheat thins
3. Chips and homemade onion dip
4. Cape Cod dark russet chips
5. Strawberries or grapes

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Pay off debt
2. Buy an awesome house (actually, 2 houses - 1 in Tampa, 1 in Orlando)
3. Travel a LOT
4. Help out family
5. Donate to charity

Places I've lived:
Most recent listed first...
1. Tampa, FL
2. Orlando, FL
3. Ft. Lauderdale, FL
4. Tallahassee, FL
5. Orlando, FL

Jobs I've had:
Most recent listed first...
1. Assistant principal
2. Teacher
3. Catering/Convention Services Assistant
4. Wedding Planner
5. Assistant Buyer

Tag, now you're it!

Ashlee from A Year in the Kitchen
Amber from Amber's Delectable Delights
Ally from Culinary Infatuation
Cara from Cara's Cravings
Lauren from Lauren's Kitchen

Chicken Marbella

2008-06-11T15:13:00.006-04:00

My mom made this dish a couple of months ago and said it was so good...I've been wanting to try it ever since. I invited some friends over for dinner so I would have an occasion to make it, and now I wish I hadn't waited so long! This is one of the best chicken dishes I've had in a long time, and will be an addition to my "favorite meal" cooking rotation. It's a very good meal to make for company, because you can prep it all the night before and just throw it in the oven when you're ready to start dinner. And I highly recommend mashed potatoes as a side...the pan juices were great on the potatoes.

Chicken Marbella

1 whole chicken, cut up (this dish really needs skin-on chicken to keep the meat moist)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Italian seasoning
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup dried apples
1/2 cup craisins
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white wine
1 bag carrots, peeled and julienned

Combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, garlic and dried fruit in a bowl. Place the chicken in a large bowl with lid. Pour olive oil mixture on top of the chicken, and let marinate in fridge overnight.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375. Arrange carrots on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place chicken and marinade with fruit on top. Sprinkle with brown sugar, and pour wine around chicken. Cover with foil. Bake for 50 minutes, occasionally basting with juices. Remove foil and cook for 10 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

TWD: La Palette's Strawberry Tart

2008-06-10T22:46:00.001-04:00

I love fruit desserts, so I was excited when the pick for Tuesday's with Dorie was a strawberry tart. I was also looking forward to making homemade dough...a first for me! This was definitely a learning experience, and there were a few moments when I was worried that it wasn't going to turn out well. I started with the crust, which took forever to mix into what I expect a dough mixture to look like. The receipe said after you put the butter in, it should have crumbles the size of peas and oatmeal...weird way to put it, but ok...after 10 minutes of mixing (well, really probably only 4 or 5 but it felt long!) still no peas and oatmeal. I mixed it a little with my hands and turned the mixer back on and voila! It resembled crust dough. Who knows how that happened, but whatever I did worked.

I pressed it into my new tart pan, and put it in the fridge to be ready to bake for my dinner guests the next day.

Then I started reading other TWDer's experiences with the crust, and panicked. So many people said their crust was hard and crumbly, and they thought it was because they pressed it in the pan too hard. I tried to gently press the dough in and leave it so "the edges of the pieces cling to one another" but doesn't lose the crumbly texture...that is easier said than done. I figured there was no changing it now, and I just hoped for the best. Into the oven in went.

At this point I was joined by my favorite baking friend Kelly, and we continued on with the tart. She thought it smelled great as it was baking and I have to agree. I let it cool to room temperature while she cut the strawberries, and then we were ready to put on the jam.

I thought that if it was really hard, putting the jam on a couple of hours before eating it might soften it up a bit. Kelly and I both thought that this tart was already looking delish (as was that glass of wine in the background).

Now on to the whipped cream. Since this is a very simple tart, I thought it was important to use high quality ingredients, and therefore I should make homemade whipped cream. I was worried that I wouldn't like it because I do like my whipped cream sweet, but I just added more sugar and it was perfect. It took Kelly and I a little while to figure it out, but now I know you just have to let it mix for a LONG time to get creamy...and I shouldn't stress out too much about it turning to butter =)

Homemade Whipped Cream (also from Dorie)
1 1/2 cups very cold heavy cream
6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Mix the cream and sugar slowly together until the cream starts to thicken. Start slow and increase the speed as the cream gains texture. Based on other tips I saw, I put my mixer bowl and beater in the freezer for a bit before I started. I made this ahead of time, and it held up just fine in the fridge until we were ready for dessert.

Finally, after our fabulous dinner (see above) and some fun game time, we were ready for the tart. It was well worth the wait! I absolutely loved this tart, and will make it again and again. I'm excited to try new fruit variations.

From Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours
See the recipe here

Chicken Artichoke Panini

2008-05-27T20:55:00.005-04:00

I absolutely love paninis, and got a panini press back before they were all the rage. One of the first paninis I created was this one, and I would say it's still one of my favorites. This panini is very easy to make, so it's a perfect weeknight meal.

Chicken Artichoke Panini

1 package of Italian style chicken strips
1 can of quartered artichoke hearts, drained
4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
4 tbsp. basil pesto
8 slices of your favorite bread
olive oil

Spread one tablespoon of pesto on 4 pieces of bread, and top with chicken, artichokes and cheese. Brush the outside of each sandwich with olive oil, and place on panini press. Grill until golden and the cheese is melted.

Party Potatoes

2008-05-27T20:47:00.004-04:00

A few of Chad's good friends came in town for Memorial Day, which means we had a crazy weekend of drinking, going out and hanging out in the sun. The beach was beautiful on Saturday, and then Sunday we had a pool party and BBQ. Greg made some amazing ribs, Robby did a low country boil and all the girls brought sides. One of my contributions? Party potatoes. Or picnic potatoes, hashbrown casserole, whatever you want to call it. My mom used to make these for a breakfast potato casserole when she was catering...it's a versitile little dish. When I made them Sunday, they wouldn't all fit in the baking dish, so I threw some in a loaf pan for me, Chad and his mom to enjoy with dinner Monday.

Party Potatoes

1 bag frozen diced hashbrown potatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 large onion, finely diced or grated
2 cups shredded cheddar, divided
1 tsp. garlic salt
ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Mix the soup, sour cream, onion, half of the cheese, garlic salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in potatoes, and place in a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for 45 minutes or until cheese is golden.

Broccoli Salad

2008-05-27T20:42:00.002-04:00

This is another salad from Stacy's summer salad cooking club night, and it was perfect for the Memorial Day BBQ. I had this the next day and it actually tasted better because all the flavors had combined.

Broccoli Salad

2 heads of broccoli florets
1 large red onion, diced
1 lb. of bacon, cooked and chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. vinegar (I only had apple cider vinegar, so I used that)

Put broccoli, onion, bacon and cheese in a large bowl. Mix mayo, sugar and vinegar in a small bowl, pour over the broccoli and mix well. Chill at least 2 hours.

Caprese Burgers

2008-05-21T16:16:00.005-04:00

I saw a post by Ashlee on the What's Cooking board a few weeks ago for Italian burgers. It looked fabulous and I've been thinking about them (and the zucchini sticks below) ever since! I made a few changes to her originial burger recipe and they turned out pretty darn good. Thanks for the inspiration!

Caprese Burgers

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
10-20 leaves fresh basil, chiffonaded (I love basil, so I put a lot)
4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
basil pesto
hamburger buns

Mix the beef, garlic, Italian seasoning and basil in a large bowl. Divide mixture into four equal parts. Working with a quarter of the meat, divide that portion in half and make two equal patties (they should be somewhat thin because you will put them together to make one burger). Repeat with remaining portions. Place one slice of cheese in the center of four patties. Place the remaining patties on top and pinch around the edges to seal. Grill for 10-15 minutes or until desired temperature. Toast buns, smear with pesto and top with a burger and tomato slices. (I like mine open-faced, so no top bun for me.)

Zucchini Sticks

2008-05-21T16:13:00.004-04:00

These were also from Ashlee's blog, but I decided they were just perfect the way she made them so this is her recipe exactly. Chad and I LOVE zucchini, and both agreed we could eat these all the time.

Zucchini Sticks

2 egg whites, whipped to a foam
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 zucchini, julienned (mine were small so I used 3)

Heat oven to 450. Combine zucchini breading ingredients in a shallow dish. Whip egg whites in a bowl until they foam. Toss zucchini in the egg whites, then toss in the bread crumbs. Transfer to a baking sheet (I used a wire rack so the air would circulate and they would get crispy all over). Bake for about 20 minutes, until crispy and brown. Serve with marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

TWD: Brown Sugar-Apple Cheesecake

2008-05-20T16:44:00.009-04:00

For my second Tuesday with Dorie, the pick was Traditional Madelines. I guess these are a French cookie-type dessert, and to make it you need a special pan. It was a good thing for me (and my budget) when it was announced that if you didn't have a pan you could go back and pick any of the previous week entries that you had missed...which for me is a lot, since I just joined the group last week. After looking through the many recipes I decided on this Brown Sugar-Apple Cheesecake, which was fabulous. I had a guest baker, Kelly, which made making it even more enjoyable because we chatted and drank wine as we baked away. The only bad thing about this dessert is it takes forever to cook, and then to cool and chill, so after all that work yesterday I just got to taste it this afternoon. But it was worth the wait!

Brown Sugar-Apple Cheesecake, from Dorie Greenspan

For the Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

For the Apples
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
3 large Golden Delicious or Fuji apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths(I used Fuji)
2 tbsp (packed) light brown sugar

For the Filling
1 1/2 pounds (three 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, at room temperature (I used 2 regular and 1 light)
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
6 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp apple cider (I used 2 tbsp. apple juice because I couldn't find cider)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract (oops! ran out so only used 1 tbsp.)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream (I used light)
1/3 cup heavy cream

Caramel to drizzle on top

To Make the Crust: Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 1/2-inch springform pan.

Put the graham cracker crumbs in the food processor. Pulse in the sugar, then pour over the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are moistened. Turn the crumbs into the springform pan and, using your fingertips, firmly press them evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan as far as they’ll go. Put the pan in the freezer while you preheat the oven. (The crust can be covered and frozen for up to 2 months.)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the pan from the freezer and wrap the bottom tightly in aluminum foil, going up the sides. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the crust is set and lightly browned. Transfer to a rack to cool while you make the apples and the filling. Leave the oven at 350 degrees F.

To Make the Apples: Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the foam subsides, toss in half of the apple slices and cook, turning once, until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the apples with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and cook them, turning, just until coated, another minute or so. Scrape the apples onto a plate, wipe out the skillet and repeat with the remaining apples. Let the apples cool while you make the filling.

Getting Ready to Bake: Have a roasting pan large enough to hold the springform pan at hand. Put a kettle of water on to boil.

To Make the Filling: Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium speed, scraping down the bowl often, for about 4 minutes, or until it is velvety smooth. Add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes. Beat in the cider, vanilla, and cinnamon. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes in. Finally, beat in the sour cream and heavy cream, beating just until the batter is smooth.

Pour about one third of the batter into the baked crust. Drain the apples by lifting them off the plate with a slotted spoon or spatula, and spoon them into the pan. Cover with the remaining batter and, if needed, jiggle the pan to even the top. Place the springform pan in the roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 30 to 45 minutes, covering the cake loosely with a foil tent at the 45-minute mark. The cake will rise evenly and crack around the edges, and it should be fully set except, possibly, in the very center–if the center shimmies, that’s just fine. Gently transfer the cake, still in the pan, to a cooling rack and let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it for at least 6 hours; overnight would be better.

Run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the crust, open the pan’s latch and release and remove the sides.

Kelly and I making the cheesecake...check out her blog here

Love the apples in the middle of the cheesecake

That's a whole lot of cheesecake to eat!

Recipe Exchange

2008-05-19T20:45:00.006-04:00

I participated in a recipe exchange on the cooking message board that I frequent...this was supposed to be made like 2 weeks ago so I'm a little behind. Sorry! I am not good at making recipes as directed, so of course I changed it up a bit. It was kind of ironic because this exchange was family recipes, and the one I received was Great Grama's Chicken Eureka...and in modifying it I used my Granny's Broccoli Casserole recipe. So it's two family recipes rolled into one! This was a good, easy weeknight home-cooked meal.

*Note - My camera is on it's last leg...the focus is all out of whack. So until I get a new one (hopefully for my b-day, hint, hint!) I have to live with blurry pictures. =(

Chicken Eureka

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 head of broccoli florets
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used Healthy Request)
1/2 cup light mayo
1/4 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
a few dashes of Worsteshire sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese, divided

Mix the soup, mayo, sour cream, parmesan and Worsteshire in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup of cheddar. Put the broccoli in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, and then layer the chicken on top. Spoon the soup mixture over the chicken and broccoli, and sprinkle with remaining cheddar. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until cheese is golden. I served this over brown rice.

My first Tuesday with Dorie!

2008-05-13T08:52:00.000-04:00

This is my first week participating in a baking group called Tuesday's with Dorie. It's a group of internet food bloggers who all own Baking: From my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan, and choose a recipe to bake and blog each week. I love to cook, but am not the best baker so I thought this would be a good way to practice some skills. After looking through the cookbook, I think this will be a challenge for me because I am a tiny bit particular (but getting better!) about what I eat. Take for example the choice for this week, Florida Pie. I was thinking key lime deliciousness, but Dorie adds the hated coconut to her pie. I was just going to make it as the recipe stated and bring it to work, but I really want to taste what I slave over so I decided to modify it a bit instead. So here is my version of Florida Pie, with raspberry instead of coconut. And whipped cream instead of meringue.

Florida Pie, adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Graham cracker crust (2 cups of graham cracker crumbs mixed with 4 tbsp. melted butter and pressed in the bottom and sides of pie pan)
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
4 large egg yolks
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh Key (or regular) lime juice (from about 5 regular limes)
cool whip, or fresh whipped cream
fresh rasperries to garnish

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment of a silicone mat.

Put the cream and jam in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the cream is reduced by half and the mixture is slightly thickened. Scrape the raspberry cream into a bowl and set it aside while you prepare the lime filling.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl beat the egg yolks at high speed until thick and pale. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the condensed milk. Still on low, add half of the lime juice. When it is incorporated, add the remaining juice, again mixing until it is blended. Spread the raspberry cream in the bottom of the graham cracker crust, and pour over the lime filling.

Bake the pie for 12 minutes. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes, then freeze the pie for at least 1 hour.

Right before serving, top pie with whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

My key lime guts, after being juiced (I needed a lot of key limes for 1/2 cup of juice)

My first homemade graham cracker crust...so easy

Added the raspberry cream

Key lime on top

Delicious

Beer Can Chicken

2008-05-12T20:40:00.006-04:00

I've been wanting to make this for a while now, and I don't know why I waited so long because it was SO easy! Rub on some spices, pop the chicken on a can of beer and throw it on the grill. Delicious! There is one thing I will do different next time...my chicken had an opening on the top, so I think some of the moisture escaped. Next time I will throw a lemon or something in there to block it up and keep all the juiciness in the chicken. This is from the Food Network.

Beer Can Chicken

3 to 4 lb. whole chicken
oil (I used olive oil)
salt
pepper
favorite dry spice rub (I used Montreal Steak Seasoning)
can of beer (I used Budweiser)

Heat grill to medium-high. Remove all the insides of the chicken. Wash and pat dry. Rub with oil, then rub inside and out with seasonings. Pour out (or drink!) half of the beer, and place the can on a baking sheet. Plunk (that is the wording from the Food Network recipe!) the bird cavity over the beer can. Place on the grill, off to the side so it's not directly over the flame. Balance the chicken on it's two legs and the can like so...

Cook for about 1 1/2 hours with the cover on, or until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees in the breast area. Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Raspberry Chicken with Goat Cheese

2008-05-01T17:16:00.003-04:00

So if you look at my blog regularly you have come to notice that I use a lot of goat cheese. I just love the stuff...I made a BLT sandwich recently and even put goat cheese on that! One of the first dishes I had with goat cheese was from a really good restaurant in Orlando, the Lake Eola Yacht Club. It's sinced closed, but the Raspberry Pork Tenderloin with Goat Cheese is still one of my favorite meals. This is basically the same thing, but with chicken.

Raspberry Chicken with Goat Cheese

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
chopped fresh thyme, or dried thyme
2 shallots, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
fresh ground black pepper
4 oz. log of herbed goat cheese

Season the chicken with thyme, salt and pepper. Cook in olive oil in a big skillet until chicken is cooked through. Remove from pan and keep warm. Deglaze the pan with a tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the shallots and cook 2 minutes. Add the rest of the wine, the preserves, vinegar and lots of fresh pepper. Stir until the preserves melt, and let simmer until sauce is thickened. Spoon sauce over chicken and top with a pat of herbed goat cheese.

Green Beans with Mustard Vinaigrette

2008-05-01T17:12:00.004-04:00

This is an easy way to fancy up some green beans. It's not my most spectacular side, but it uses basic ingredients and whips up in no time. I'm really starting to love Dijon mustard...it's so versitile!

Green Beans with Mustard Vinaigrette

1 lb. of green beans, washed with ends trimmed
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
ground black pepper

Boil or steam the green beans to your desired level of crispness. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and mustard in a small microwave safe bowl and add pepper to taste. Microwave for 30 seconds. Toss vinaigrette with cooked green beans.

Alice Springs Chicken

2008-04-28T20:41:00.004-04:00

I love Outback, and even though I haven't ever ordered this chicken there, I have always thought it sounded really good. I know there are tons of copy-cat recipes out there, so I searched and found this one that I thought sounded good. I invited Kelly (nestie me&mb) over for dinner because her husband was out of town, and her, Chad and I sat outside in the beautiful weather and REALLY enjoyed this meal. The honey Dijon marinade and sauce for the chicken was so good, and I'm not a huge honey mustard fan. For our version, I didn't use parsley and Kelly is a silly girl who doesn't like mushrooms so we left it off her piece.

Alice Springs Chicken

1 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup honey
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. lemon juice
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used two and butterflied them, they were huge)
1 package baby bella mushrooms
6 slices bacon, cooked
shredded cheese (I used colby jack)
salt and pepper

Place the mustard, honey, olive oil and lemon juice in a food processor or mini-processor. Process until smooth and thickened. Pour half the mustard over the chicken breasts and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Reserve the rest for later.

Cook chicken, either on the stovetop or on the grill (we grilled and it was great). While the chicken cooks, saute the mushrooms. Once the chicken and mushrooms are done, place chicken breasts on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Brush with some of the reserved marinade, and top with mushroom, bacon and cheese. Heat in the oven until the cheese it melted, about 7 minutes.

Roasted Red Potatoes

2008-04-28T20:33:00.003-04:00

This is one of the first things I started making back in college that people would say, "Wow, you're a really good cook!" I am very proud of my delicious roasted potatoes and think they compliment any type of meat main dish. I always make more that I think I will need of these because this is the type of side you just can't stop eating. I am usually still picking them off the pan as I wash the dishes! The quantity below is to serve 4.

Roasted Red Potatoes

1 1/2 lbs. red potatoes, washed and chopped (the thicker you chop, the longer they need to cook)
1 envelope Good Seasons Garlic and Herb salad dressing mix
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 to 1/2 cup of olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Put the potatoes, dressing mix and parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Add olive oil and toss, adding more oil as needed to get the potatoes good and coated. Coat a baking sheet with a LOT of cooking spray (these potatoes like to stick) and place the potatoes on a single layer. Bake for an hour or until potatoes are golden with a crunch on the outside, but soft in the middle.

Apple Turnovers

2008-04-22T17:01:00.003-04:00

I love apple desserts. I saw this on a blog, Sweet, Savory, Southern, and thought they looked good and really easy. They were both. I think if I made them again, I would use both pieces of puff pastry and make bigger triangles or rectangles, because I love the filling and I couldn't get as much apples in the middle as I would have liked!

Apple Turnovers

2 medium apples, peeled and diced (I used Gala)
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp flour
4 pats butter (just a thin slice)
2-3 Tbsp prepared cinnamon sugar
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (12×9 sheet)
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a baking sheet and set aside (I used my silicon baking mat). Carefully unfold the sheet of puff pastry on a clean, lightly floured surface. Cut into 4 even squares. In a bowl, combine apple, sugar, cinnamon and flour. Spoon the mixture onto the center of each puff pastry square leaving a small border around the filling. Place 1 pat of butter on top of the filling in each pastry. Brush the edges around the filling with the beaten egg. Next, fold into triangles. Using a fork, press the edges together to seal. Make 2 slits in the top of each pastry. Brush the top with the egg and sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 20 min, until the pastry puffs and is golden brown. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Homemade Onion Dip

2008-04-22T16:49:00.006-04:00

This is seriously the most addicting dip ever. I think I make it at least once a week, and sometimes (like this week), two! I learned this from my mom, but I think it started with Aunt Carm. The first time I made it I didn't think it was that good...I undercooked the onions and the garlic. You want the onions very browned and the garlic very mushy so you can mash it up really well. This was delicious at the beach this past weekend for Mike's birthday. Yum!

Homemade Onion Dip

1 large sweet onion (like Vidalia)
1 head of garlic
24 oz. sour cream (I use light)
juice from half a lemon
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Cut the ends off the onion, and cut the onion in half from top to bottom. Cut into thin slices. Put the onions in a single layer on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil (I drizzle it over and then toss with my hands). Cut the top 1/3 off the head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and put in a foil packet. Put both in the oven, baking the onions for about 30 minutes (or until many are dark brown in color) and the garlic for 45 minutes (or until the cloves are nice and soft).

Using a fork, remove the cloves and put into a bowl (or you can do like my mom does and just squeeze them all out!). Mash the garlic with a fork, and then stir in the sour cream. Add the onions and mix, then add the juice from the lemon. Let sit in the fridge for a couple of hours to chill and for the flavors to mix. Stir before serving with ridged chips.

Pasta with turkey sausage, artichoke and sun-dried tomato

2008-04-14T19:38:00.006-04:00

This is my favorite Giada recipe. It's so light, but with so many delicious flavors. And it combines many things I love...pasta, artichokes, sun-dried tomato, basil, cheese. Chad loves it too, but I'm starting to think he's biased because he tells me every time I make him dinner that it is his favorite meal! I stay pretty close to this recipe, but any changes are in italics.

Pasta with turkey sausage, artichoke and sun-dried tomato

3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, 2 tablespoons of oil reserved (many times I just use ones in the bag, not packed in oil)
1 pound Italian hot sausages, casings removed (I use sweet because I don't like hot)
2 (8-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts (frozen is hard to find and expensive, I just use 1 can of quartered hearts)
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
16 ounces fusilli pasta (I use whole wheat rotini)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, plus additional for garnish
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (I leave these out)
8 ounces water-packed fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed, optional (not optional for me!)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces with a fork, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl. Add the artichokes and garlic to the same skillet, and saute over medium heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fusilli in boiling water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta (do not rinse). Add the pasta, sausage, 1/2 cup Parmesan, basil, and parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve, passing the additional Parmesan cheese alongside.

Broccoli and Ramen Noodle Salad

2008-04-13T20:07:00.006-04:00

Last week we had cooking club in Orlando, and Staci was the host. She did a theme night of summer salads (great idea!) and this was one of the 4 she showed us how to make. It was definitely my favorite...I think I had about 3 helpings! One thing to note...as I was making the dressing, I tasted it to see how the flavors were because I halved the recipe. It did not taste good at all! I threw it on the salad and hoped for the best because I knew I had made it correctly. Luckily, once it sat in the fridge and mixed with the salad it was still the delicious concoction I remembered. (And Chad wants everyone to know that the fresh-caught, pan-fried trout in the background was caught and cooked by him!)

Broccoli and Ramen Noodle Salad

1 bag of broccoli slaw mix
1 package chicken flavored ramen noodles
2 stalks green onion, chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup white sugar
1/8 cup or 2 tbsps. olive oil
3 tbsps. cider vinegar

In a large salad bowl combine the slaw, broken ramen noodles and green onions. Whisk together the sugar, oil, vinegar and ramen seasoning packet. Pour over salad and toss evenly to coat. Refrigerate until chilled; top with sunflower seeds before serving.

Eggplant Un-Rollatini

2008-04-08T08:08:00.007-04:00

I've been wanting to make eggplant rollatini for a while, but I like to cut my eggplant slices thick so you can really taste it, and I also bake my slices instead of frying them, so I didn't know if they would be that rollable. So I decided to throw them in a casserole dish layered like a lasagna and voila...eggplant un-rollatini. It was pretty easy to make, and I think I cut down on a lot of prep time since I didn't have to roll individual eggplant slices. This was delicious...anything that combines the Italian flavors of lasagna has to be tasty!

Eggplant Un-Rollatini

3 medium eggplants, washed and sliced
Italian bread crumbs
eggs and milk for dipping eggplant
bottled sauce or make your own (my recipe is here, minus the ground beef)
15 oz. container of part-skim ricotta cheese
8 oz. light cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonaded
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

Lay eggplant slices on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 20 minutes and then brush salt off. Pre-heat oven to 400. Beat eggs with milk in a shallow dish, and put eggplants in a second shallow dish. Dip slices in egg mixture, then dredge in breadcrumbs and lay on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, turning once. Turn oven down to 350.

Mix ricotta, cream cheese, basil, and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese in a mixing bowl. Cover bottom of casserole dish with sauce, then layer half the eggplant. Top eggplant with ricotta mixture and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella. Layer with remaining eggplant, top with sauce and rest of mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, uncovering for last 5-7 minutes to brown cheese.

I made it to 50!!!

2008-04-01T19:58:00.003-04:00

The post below represents the 50th post on my blog! I am really proud of my little piece of cyber-space. Even though it might not be widely read, I have found it to be a great outlet for my cooking obsession. It helps keep my recipes all in one place, and gives me a reason to search out fun, delicious and new blog-worthy dishes. If you are reading this, thanks for sharing in the past 50 posts with me!

Chicken-Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

2008-04-01T19:46:00.004-04:00

I saw this recipe in the latest edition of Cooking Light, and pulled it out right away to try. Like most Cooking Light recipes, it didn't disappoint. Although I wouldn't quite call it a salad, it was a perfect light and quick weeknight dinner. Chad loved it and ate 3 helpings as usual! The original recipe can be found here, and my recipe with a few modifications is below. This would feed 4 people.

Chicken-Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
3 cups chopped grilled chicken breast strips, heated (such as Tyson)
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 can artichoke bottoms, drained and chopped
chopped fresh basil
chopped fresh oregano
3 tablespoona extravirgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt
black pepper
4 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Combine pasta, chicken, and the next 5 ingredients (through oregano) in a large bowl; toss well. Combine oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle vinegar mixture over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle each serving with a tablespoon of cheese.

My first Easter feast!

2008-03-23T19:43:00.005-04:00

Chad and I had his mom over for Easter dinner today, so I had the chance to cook my first full holiday meal on my own. Kinda scary, but it turned out great. I had decided to do a Southern menu, with ham, macaroni and cheese, squash casserole, fried okra, cucumber salad and cornbread. Everything went well together, and most everything was delicious. Chad and I are still working on our fried okra recipe, so I'm not posting that yet (but we did still eat it, coated with ketchup because Heinz makes anything taste delicious!).

Apricot-Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

2008-03-23T19:33:00.004-04:00

This was my first attempt at making a ham and it turned out pretty good. I don't know how much the glaze added to the ham...I didn't recognize a strong flavor, but the overall taste of the ham was awesome. I love ham on holidays, it reminds me of my granny. The glaze is originally from All-Recipes.

Apricot-Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

Fully-cooked ham (I used a 5 lb. bone-in ham)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup apricot jam
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
Place the ham cut side down onto a sheet of aluminum foil. Mix together the brown sugar, apricot jam and mustard powder in a small bowl (I used apricot preserves so added a little water to make it thinner). Brush onto the ham using a pastry or barbeque brush. Reserve any leftover glaze. Enclose the foil around the ham and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 2 hours in the preheated oven. Apply the remaining glaze 20 minutes before the ham is done.

Squash Casserole

2008-03-23T19:31:00.005-04:00

This was our favorite thing on the table this year, and will definitely be added to my holiday dinner casserole rotation. It's from Paula Deen, with a slight modification to kick it up a notch!

Squash Casserole

6 cups large diced yellow squash and zucchini
Olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream
black pepper
salt
garlic powder
Emeril's Essence
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed Ritz crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Saute the squash in a little oil over medium-low heat until it has completely broken down, about 15 to 20 minutes. Place the cooked squash in a colander. Squeeze excess moisture from the squash. Set aside.

In a medium size skillet, saute the onion in butter for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and mix all ingredients (spices to taste) together except cracker crumbs. Pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish and top with cracker crumbs. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Macaroni and Cheese

2008-03-23T19:25:00.004-04:00

I love mac and cheese and when I decided to make it for Easter, I knew I was going to go all out (meaning full fat!), so I searched and found this recipe on Food Network. I made a few substitutions for convenience and price, and probably shouldn't have. I used bagged shredded cheddar and 6 cheese Italian blend, and I thought the sauce was a little gritty. I think it would have been better with higher quality cheeses. Now I know...

Macaroni and Cheese

1 tablespoon salt, plus more for pasta water
1 pound large elbow macaroni
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
16 oz. shredded cheddar
6 oz. shredded 6 cheese Italian blend
2 cups panko

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In large pot filled with water add 3 pinches of salt and the macaroni and place over high heat. Bring to a boil and let cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Sprinkle flour over butter and cook 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat, whisking until a roux or paste forms. Add cold milk and whisk vigorously until dissolved. Cook sauce on medium-low heat until thick and bubbly. Add heavy cream, all cheeses, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper. Cook until cheeses are fully melted, stirring occasionally.

Add cooked macaroni to cheese mixture and mix thoroughly. Place macaroni mixture in a 13 by 9 baking dish and top with bread crumbs. Place in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.