Peach cobbler

• Our summer CSA brought us loads of peaches.  While I love a nice bowl of peaches, I needed to find another way to eat them.  My friend was coming over for dinner.  She is a bit of a healthy eating nut, so I thought how much healthier can you get than fresh fruit. 
• This cobbler is really only meant for two people, but it can fill up 6 if you top it with ice cream.  The little bit of orange zest gives it a great twist.  Yum.
•  
•  



Cobbler love

• Ingredients:
  3 tablespoons brown sugar
  2 teaspoons cornstarch
  1/4 cup water
  1/2 cups sliced fresh or frozen peaches
  1 tablespoon butter or margarine
  1 teaspoon lemon juice
  
  TOPPING:
  1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  2 tablespoons sugar
  1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  Pinch salt
  2 tablespoons milk
  4 1/2 teaspoons butter or margarine, melted
  1/4 teaspoon grated orange peel
  
  Directions:
  
     1. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Add peaches; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in butter and lemon juice.
     2. For topping, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Stir in milk, butter and orange peel. Transfer hot peach mixture to an ungreased 1-qt. baking dish. spoon topping over peaches. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

I always thought making ice cream was hard.  This was a cake walk.  No pun intended.  This is delicious and even my daughter loved it.  The salt definitely did not turn off the kids.

You really don't need an ice cream maker to make ice cream.  Just freeze a glass bowl before you start.
  
Adapted from Epicurious
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt such as Maldon
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
3 large eggs

Directions:

1.  Heat 1 cup sugar in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber. This takes 8-10 minutes.
2.  Add 1 1/4 cups heavy cream and stir until all of caramel has dissolved. There will be chunks of sugar still left.  You can filter this later and leave the chunks to show it's home made.
3.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in sea salt and vanilla. Cool to room temperature.
4.  Bring milk, remaining cup cream, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally.
5.  Whisk eggs in a medium bowl, and add half of hot milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour back into saucepan with caramel and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard thickens up and coats back of spoon (do not let boil). Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, then stir in cooled caramel.
5.  Pour custard into frozen glass bowl or freezer ice cream container.  Stir mixture and the freeze custard.  Once frozen transfer to an air tight freezer container.

Veal Osso Buco with Pappardelle

Fancy cooking night with friends...Seriously we cook from 4-8pm.  Each time we realize we should start earlier.  Last time we made yummy ravioli and lamb ragu pasta (sorry we were too hungry to take pictures).  This time we thought we would make it a bit easier. A dish that will cook with little intervention. WRONG.  We chopped before we braised in the oven.  Then we were so busy making pasta that there was little time to sit.  Result: Worth it!  This was so delicious that I used the left over sauce to make more pasta sauce the next day. 

Just in case you are wondering, veal shanks can be found by special order from your grocery store.  It's worth your time to call ahead to see if they have shanks in stock.  I called ahead to my local Whole Foods and they didn't call them veal shanks.  They called them Osso Buco.  Happy shopping and eating.  If this dish doesn't fill you out, check out the dessert we had ...Salted Caramel Ice Cream.


Recipe adapted from Epicurious

Veal shanks with Pasta

Ingredients:
Four 12-ounce veal shanks
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 cup dry red wine
4 cups veal stock or chicken stock
3 cups chicken stock
I can whole peeled tomatoes
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf


Directions:

1. Lay the veal shanks in a shallow baking pan and sprinkle liberally on both sides with salt. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Rinse the veal shanks of their salt and pat dry with paper towels. Wrap each veal shank once around the circumference so that it holds the bone and meat together in the center. Tie the twine with a good knot. Season the veal shanks with pepper.
3. Heat a large dutch oven over high heat. Put the oil into the casserole and let it heat.
4. Place the flour in a bowl and dredge the shanks through it shaking off the extra flour. Brown the veal shanks in the hot oil for about 5 minutes on each side, or until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
5. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the pan and cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook for about 2 minutes, or until reduced by half.
6. Add the stocks, tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf to the pan. Return the veal shanks to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the liquid boils, cover, transfer to the oven, and cook for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender and falling off the bones.
7. Remove the herbs from the braising liquid and discard. Let the veal shanks come to room temperature in the braising liquid. Remove the veal shanks and set aside. Strain the liquid to remove all vegetables and reserve the veggies. Bring the strained liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until reduced by a quarter. Using a skimmer or large spoon, skim off any grease or foam that rises to the surface. Return the strained vegetables to the liquid and taste for seasoning.
8. To serve, remove the twine, put a single osso buco (veal shank) in a bowl, and serve with a cup of  sauce and vegetables over it.

Pappardelle

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
3 eggs
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt

Directions:
1. In a pile of flour make a little bowl.  Place the 3 eggs in the middle of the bowl with the oil and salt.  With a fork, slowly break the yolks and start bringing in the flour.  Start massaging the dough until it is completely mixed.  Let it sit for 15-20 mins.
2.  Divide the dough to 4 pieces.  With the first piece start flattening to the point where you can run it through the pasta machine.
3.  Fold the resulting dough into thirds.  Continue thirds and decreasing the pasta machine thickness until you get to about level 6.  Then run it through once per level to desired thickness.  Cut each pasta sheet to two inches and toss in flour so it doesn't stick.  Repeat with the remaining dough. 
4.  Cook for 3-4 minutes in salted boiling water.

Cabbage and White bean soup

What to do with CSA veggies.  This is what has been perplexing me for the last 11 months.  I have radishes coming out of my ears. Last week's CSA delivered me cabbage.  No one likes cabbage.  All the noses in my house were turned up with the mention of cabbage.  I was determined to make something delicious with the head of cabbage.  And the search is on.  Creamed cabbage sounded appealing, but I wanted something that my daughter couldn't push to the side of her plate.  My sister mentioned cabbage and bean soup.  I started making the soup from Epicurious, but as the soup went along I started modifying.  Here is where I ended up.

Cabbage and Bean soup

Ingredients:
1 cup dried Navy beans
1 medium onion, peeled and left whole
10 ounces ham hocks sliced
6 slices of diced cooked bacon
3 qt water
6 fresh parsley sprigs
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 fresh thyme sprig
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 lb  Yukon gold potatoes cut to 1"
1 lb cabbage, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (6 cups)

Directions:
1.  An hour before cooking - Quick soak the beans, by putting them in a pot with water.  Bring to a boil for 5 mins.  Turn off the burner and let it soak for an hour. Then drain in a colander to use.  
2.  Bring ham hocks and pre-soaked beans and 3 quarts water to a boil in a wide 6- to 7-quart heavy pot, skimming off any froth, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour.
3.  Add bacon, onion, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and garlic and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until beans are almost tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
4.  Add potatoes and cabbage to beans, then simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
5.  Remove ham hocks. When ham hocks are cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones, then cut meat into bite-size pieces. Stir into soup with salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaf and onion.

Thanksgiving - Turkeylicious

Last year we spent the holiday at our neighbor's house. We ended up missing the left overs the next day.  This year I vowed that would not be the case.  So - I might have over done it.  For our mere family of four we have an almost 14 lb turkey!!  We will be eating turkey for days.

Isn't it always the dilemma? Brine, Butter, Rub?  Stuff? or don't Stuff?  Well I ended up doing a combo of 3 recipes.  I really enjoyed my turkey 2 years ago Brined Turkey with Sage Butter Rub. So brining the turkey was going to be in the plan.  However, I did hear some good things about cooking the turkey breast down to start.  I read Dry Brined Roasted Turkey and Juicy Roast Turkey.  So the plan is to brine, butter, stuff, cook upside down then flip.

I've also consistently screwed up the gravy and end up using premade gravy.  This year I was determined to make the best gravy ever.  Check out the gravy recipe - it turned out great!

Ingredients:

For the brine and turkey:
1 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
One 14-lb. fresh, natural turkey; giblets removed and reserved
Olive oil as needed
2 medium to large yellow onions, unpeeled and cut into eighths 
2 medium carrots, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 medium ribs celery, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 sprig each parsley, thyme and rosemary


For the buttering the turkey:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
1 TBSP chopped rosemary
2 TBSP chopped thyme
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

For basting the turkey:
1 cup of low sodium chicken broth

The day before make the brine in a large pot, combine the 1 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup sugar, and 8 cups of cool water. Put the pot over high heat and stir occasionally until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from the heat and let cool. Stir in another 8 cups of  water and chill the brine to room temperature.  Once the brine is cool, put the turkey in the brining bag brine breast side down - sans neck, giblets, liver etc.  Reserve these for the gravy!! Tie the bag up tight so the brine still covers the bird and put it in the fridge. I put mine inside a pot just in case the bag springs a leak.

1 hour before putting the turkey into the oven take the turkey out to make sure it gets to room temperature.  Make the butter herb run by mixing the butter and herbs together.  Drain and place on a deep V rack.  Dry the bird off and then start separating the skin from the mean gently.  Run the butter mixture between the skin and turkey breast.  With the remaining butter mixture, rub all over the external part of the turkey.

Inside the turkey place one sprig of thyme, rosemary and parsley. Put half of the onions, carrots, and celery inside of the turkey and the other half in the roasting pan.  Now that everything is in the turkey tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Tuck the wings behind the neck and under the turkey. Flip the turkey over breast side down, on the V rack. Pour 1 cup of water in the roasting pan. Roast for 60 minutes.  Very carefully flip the turkey over so the breast side is up.  I used loads of paper towels so I did not burn my self.  This really is a two person activity if you have an extra set of hands around.  After you flip the turkey baste it with the broth or juices from the pan.  Baste the turkey every 30 mins.  Roast the turkey for another 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the turkey registers at 165 degrees. I know technically it is supposed to be 170 degrees, but the turkey will keep cooking when you take it out of the oven.

Transfer the turkey to a carving board tent it loosely with foil, and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes while you make the gravy. Remove the twine before carving. 

Gravy
Adapted from Fine Cooking
Yields 4 cups gravy.
Turkey neck, gizzard, tail, and heart
2 Tbs.  vegetable oil
1 large onion, cut into 2-inch chunks
Kosher salt
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 rib celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 bay leaf
2 large sprigs each fresh thyme and flat-leaf parsley
8 to 10 black peppercorns
Pan drippings and juices from one roast turkey
Low-sodium canned chicken broth
6 Tbs. all-purpose flour
6 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
Chop the turkey neck into three to four pieces with a cleaver. Chop the gizzard in half. Toss only the neck, gizzard and onion into a sauce pan with oil. Make sure everything is coated in oil.  Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.  Add 4 cups of cold water, carrot, celery, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover, and reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer for 30-40 mins. Strain the broth from the bones and vegetables and let cool while you wait for the turkey to be done.


Once the turkey is done add the broth to the roasting pan.  Deglaze all the drippings by heating the roasting pan on the stove top and use the broth to scrape off the drippings.  Pour all the juices and drippings into a 1 quart heatpoof measuring cup.  Watch as the fat rises and the juices go to the bottom.  Siphon off the fat and throw it away.  You should have about 4 cups.  If not add some chicken broth.  Whisk in the flour to thicken up your gravy.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  You shouldn't need that much salt. Add 6 thyme sprigs and simmer for 5 minutes.  Strain the gravy one more time and serve.

Mixed Seafood Risotto

After a long hiatus from the blog I thought I needed to come back with a bang.  Don't worry I have been cooking.  Just haven't been posting. This recipe I've had for about 9 years.  Every time I make it I love it.  I used spinach instead of arugula.  The soviet safeway down the street didn't have fresh scallops.  So for this today's rendition I just used jumbo shrimp.  However - do try the scallops!  Just looking at the picture I want to make it again.  I think the flavor really comes from the veggie broth and shrimp shells - don't for get to drain out the shells. Enjoy! 

Risotto

3/4 lb shrimp
3 tbsp olive oil
6 cups fish/vegetable stock
8 scallops
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 1/2 cups italian short grain rice
4 plum tomatoes seeded and diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper
3 tbsp butter
3 oz arugula leaves
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley

1.  peel shrimp. leave tails. reserve shells, remove veins. 1 tbsp oil add shells and cook till pink.  add stock.

2.  heat 1 tbsp oil in heavy pan.  add scallops and sear 2 mins on each side.  remove scallops.  add shrimp and cook 3 mins. remove shrimp.

3.  lower heat to medium.  add 1 tbsp oil add onion and saute 2-3 mins till translucent and stir in red pepper flakes and garlic.  cook 1 min stir in rice and stir until grains make clicking noise.  add wine and stir 2 mins.

4.  add stock until liquid is absorbed slowly.  add tomatoes and season to taste until rice is al dente and consistency is runny.  remove from heat. stir in shrimp, butter, arugula, parsley.  Place scallops on the surface and cover and rest for 3 mins. 

5.  transfer scallops to bowl and set aside.  stir risotto.  taste and add just seasoning.  stir again and spoon in bowls and top with scallops.

Fig and Blue Cheese Squares

These little bites are a nice play of sweet and savory.  The blue cheese is a nice balance the sweetness of the fig spread.  The fig spread I found was a fig orange spread at the grocery store.  It can be found near the cheeses.

Ingredients

One 14-ounce package all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen but still cold
1/2 cup fig preserves
3/4 cup crumbled Blue cheese (4 ounces)


Directions

1. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry to a 16-by-11 1/2-inch rectangle. Trim to form a 10 1/2-by-15-inch rectangle. Transfer the pastry to a large rimmed baking sheet and cut into 1 3/4-inch squares; you should have about 48. Freeze the squares until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange 12 squares on the sheet and cover with more parchment paper. Top the squares with another baking sheet, bottom side down. If you have another pair of baking sheets, repeat with 12 more squares. Bake the squares for about 35 minutes [ keep an eye on these - mine puffed up so much I had to take them out to smush them down!] , until the pastry is golden. Transfer the squares to a rack to cool. Repeat to bake the remaining squares.

3. Return as many cooled squares as will fit to a baking sheet. Top each square with 1/2 teaspoon of the fig preserves. Sprinkle with the Blue cheese and bake for about 5 minutes, until the Stilton is melted. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Steak And Chimichurri Toasts

So is it chimiChurri or Chimichurri.  Which C gets the harder accent? Either way, this was the first time I made this sauce.  I never really understood how it could add to the flavor of meat.  I am a purist when it comes to steak. I like to taste the rareness of the beef.  Vampire-like I know.  However, this sauce does add a little something something.  It's not too spicy as it only has a little crushed red pepper.  You can add more if you like the kick!



Ingredients:
1 cup packed fresh parsley 
3/4 cup olive oil 
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 
2 tablespoons dried oregano 
2 teaspoons ground cumin 
1 teaspoon salt 
2 garlic cloves, minced 
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper 
2 1-pound pieces flank steak
1 16-ounce thin French-bread baguette, cut into 40 slices Additional olive oil

Directions:
1.  Blend parsley, 3/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, oregano, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, minced garlic, and crushed red pepper in processor until smooth. 
2.  Place meat in large glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush meat with 2 tablespoons chimichurri sauce. Cover steaks and remaining sauce separately and refrigerate at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
3.  Preheat oven to 450°F. Place bread slices on large baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Bake until just firm, about 5 minutes. Transfer to large platter.
4.  Preheat broiler. Transfer meat to rimmed baking sheet and broil until cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to cutting board. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut each steak along grain in half. Cut each half crosswise against grain into 10 slices. 
5.  Top each bread slice with 1 piece of meat. Spread each with some chimichurri sauce; place on platter. Spoon remaining sauce into small bowl and place in center of platter. Serve warm or let stand up to 2 hours at room temperature.

Smoked Salmon Toasts

These little bites were a hit.  I used Echo Falls smoked salmon.  The red onion adds a little bit of sweetness and the caper adds a little bit of tartness.  The sesame melba toast adds nutty crunchiness. 

Tiny bites of goodness

Ingredients:
1 package Sesame Melba toasts
1 small container cream cheese
1 package smoked salmon
Capers
Red Onion sliced

Directions:
Lay out crackers on serving tray, and spread each with an equal amount of cream cheese. Remove salmon from packaging and cut into thin strips. Place one strip on each cracker in the shape of a squished “S”. Press a few capers into the expose cream cheese and top with a small slice of red onion. Garnish with fresh dill if desired. Keep in refrigerator and serve wine tasting appetizer within 15 to 20 min.

Wine Party: Chicken-Liver Pate

 We just had a great wine tasting party this past weekend.  Great turn out, great friends and great wine!  I dunno about you, but I've always had issues balancing a glass of wine with a plate of food.  So I wanted to make little bites that went well with wine since we would be drinking alot of it.  The next several posts will be appetizers and desserts that I served at the party.  This pate is creamy and delicious. The apple in it makes it a little sweeter than the store bought pates I've had before.  Beware, this makes alot of pate, but it can be frozen and used within a couple of weeks.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 pound chicken livers, trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 small Granny Smith apple—peeled, cored and finely diced
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
5 large egg yolks
Toasted baguette slices

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 300°. Butter four 1-cup ramekins. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the bacon and cook over moderate heat until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate. Add the chicken livers to the skillet, season with salt and white pepper and cook over moderate heat until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the plate.
2. Add the onion, apple and allspice to the skillet and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion and apple are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine. Put the apple-onion mixture into a blender and let cool to room temperature.
3. Add the bacon and chicken livers to the onion-and-apple mixture in the blender, along with the half-and-half, egg yolks and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Blend until very smooth. Pass the mixture through a coarse sieve into a large glass measuring cup. Pour into the prepared ramekins and transfer to a small roasting pan. Add enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins, cover loosely with foil and bake the chicken-liver mousse for about 1 1/2 hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the mousse registers 155°. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let cool to room temperature.
4. Cover and refrigerate the ramekins until the mousse is chilled, preferably overnight. Serve with toasted baguette slices

Chicken Curry Casserole

This is a fabulous casserole.  I had a whole rotisserie chicken to work with so I made two and gave one to a friend. I made some changes to add more vegetables and swapped out the mayo for sour cream to lighten it up.  The original recipe is linked below.  The curry gives it a little something special :)  Once a Month Mom also gives directions below on how to freeze this for a future dinner.

Adapted from: Once a Month Mom

Chicken Curry Casserole

Ingredients:
10 ounces cream of celery soup
1/4 cups onion, diced
1/4 cups low fat sour cream
1.5 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon curry
2 cups rotisserie chicken, pulled
1 cup cooked broccoli, drained & chopped
1 cup chopped carrot 1/2"
1 cup diced potato 3/4"
1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces flaky refrigerated biscuits


Topping
1/4 cups sour cream
1 egg
1 teaspoon celery salt
.5 teaspooons salt


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Par boil the carrots, broccoli and potato until semisoft.  In a deep dish 8×8 pan combine chicken, broccoli, soup, onion, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce and curry. Mix well. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Separate biscuits and each in half (see pictures). Arrange biscuit halves around edge of hot casserole, cut side down (see pictures). Place topping over biscuits. Bake at 375 degrees for an additional 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Freezing Directions:In a deep dish 8×8 pan combine chicken, broccoli, soup, onion, salad dressing, Worcestershire sauce and curry. Mix well. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. (DO NOT BAKE as you do above.) Separate biscuits and each in half (see pictures). Arrange biscuit halves around edge of casserole, cut side down (see pictures). Place topping over biscuits. Cover and freeze. To serve: Do NOT thaw. Bake covered with foil at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for another 20 minutes or until biscuits are cooked and golden brown.

Spicy Tex-Mex Chicken Cobbler

Spicy Tex-Mex Chicken Cobbler

Going through the recipes I made this past month to post.  I realized a few things. 1. I made a lot of casseroles 2. I cooked a lot with rotisserie chicken 3. I cooked but had no time to post!


This casserole was delish!  It is definitely not the normal casserole.  It is the casserole with Flavah.  The topping tasted like a cheddar bread. This is one recipe that will definitely find its way back to the table again soon.

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and onions with lime juice and cilantro
1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
2 cups rotisserie chicken shredded
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose baking mix
1 large egg
2/3 cup milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, divided
2 avocados, sliced
1 tablespoon lime juice
Sour cream
1 can of corn drained

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Saute onion in hot oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in beans and next 8 ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.

Combine baking mix, egg, and milk in a medium bowl, stirring until smooth. Fold in 1/2 cup cheese and 1/4 cup cilantro; pour over simmering chicken mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in topping comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and remaining 1/4 cup cilantro. Sprinkle avocado slices with lime juice, and arrange over cobbler. Serve with sour cream.

Salsa Pasta Salad

Salsa Pasta Salad

What to bring to pot luck???  That is always the question I am faced with. What tastes good now and an hour from now....  Well I had to bring a pasta salad dish for the Judges to eat at my daughter's gymnastics meet.  The pasta salad was to be served with chili.  Yes this is an odd combination.  Allrecipes.com did not fail me.  This pasta salad turned out wonderfully.  The parents and the judges loved it.  The only sad thing was there wasn't any leftover to bring home.

Ingredients:
2 cups dry rainbow radiatore pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives
3 tomatoes, diced
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar 

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
 

Directions:1.     In a large pot with boiling salted water cook radiatore pasta until al dente. Drain.
2.     Meanwhile, combine chopped onion, bell pepper, olives, tomatoes, and green chilies in a large bowl.
3.     In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, cilantro, garlic salt, lemon juice, vegetable oil, sugar and chili powder.
4.     Mix cooked pasta with vegetables. Toss with cilantro dressing and serve.

Peanut butter bars

Peanut and Chocolate are my two favorite things.  If I could bottle a Reese Peanut butter cup and drink it all day I would.  But then I would probably passout of sugar shock.  Anyway.  This snack/dessert is super easy and a little goes a long way.  I would not be able to eat more than two without a glass a milk in one sitting.  Ok - maybe I ate three.  But I'm sure it was a special occasion.    I forget where I got this recipe, but whereever I got it - Thanks!  Enjoy.

Peanut butter bars

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Icing:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:
1.  In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugars and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda and salt; gradually into creamed mixture and mix well.

2.  Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

3.  Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

4.  Combine icing ingredients; drizzle over the top. Cool completely. Cut into bars. Yield: 3-4 dozen.

Beef Lo Mein

I'm still working on my dishes for Chinese New Year.  One must have noodles in the feast.  It represents longevity.  I made this dinner during "snowmegaddon".  My husband came home after sitting in the car for 5+ hours in Mario Kart like traffic.  He sat down to eat this dish and thought it was fabulous.  I'm pretty sure the dish is good but I think he might have been hungry as well. My 11 year old loved the dish of course because it is made mostly of noodles.



Adapted from Epicurious
Lo Mein with Beef
1/2 lb. fresh Chinese lo mein noodles
3 large dried black mushrooms
3/4 lb. flank steak
1 to 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 cup peanut, vegetable, or corn oil
1/2 cup shredded bamboo shoots
1/2 cup any kind of chopped cabbage
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
1 tablespoon chinese cooking wine
2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
1/2 cup chives, cut into 2-inch lengths
3 cups bean sprouts, rinsed and drained

1. Drop noodles into a large quantity of boiling water, at least 2 quarts, and cook 3 1/2 to 5 minutes until tender. Do not overcook. Drain and rinse well under cold water. Set aside.

2. Place the mushrooms in a bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let stand 15 to 30 minutes or longer, then drain and squeeze the mushrooms to extract most of their moisture. Cut off and discard the tough stems and thinly slice the cap.

3. Place the meat on a flat surface and cut it across the grain into the thinnest possible slices. Place the slices in a bowl and add the oyster sauce, cooking wine, 1 tbsp soy sauce, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Mix to coat meat with the oyster sauce mixture.

4. In a wok or skillet, heat the 1/2 cup peanut, vegetable, or corn oil, and when it is warm, not hot, add the beef and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Drain the beef in a sieve-lined bowl and keep the drippings; remove oil from wok and reserve.

5. Heat 2 tablespoons of this reserved oil in the wok to almost smoking. Then add the bamboo shoots and mushrooms and cook, stirring, over high heat about 15 seconds. Add the cabbage, sugar and salt. Cook, stirring, about 1 minute, remove vegetables from wok.

6. Add the beef drippings and an additional 3 tablespoons of reserved oil to the pan. Turn the heat to high, and when hot add the noodles. Cook, stirring, about 20 seconds. Add the bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and light soy sauce. Cook about 15 seconds, stirring, and add the chicken broth and dark soy sauce. Cook, stirring, about 8 minutes, then add the chives, bean sprouts, and beef. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.

7. Add the remaining sesame oil, toss to blend, and serve hot.

Skinny Italian Spinach Meatballs

 My daughter loves the spaghetti and meatballs. Then again I am pretty sure 99% of children love spaghetti and meatballs.  One of the challenges with the noodles dish is that it is difficult to make sure they eat vegetables with it.  Unless you have salad on hand, other vegetables are hard to coax into those mouths.  These meatballs are surprisingly delicious and you really don't notice the spinach.  I probably could have passed them off as regular meatballs!  I got this recipe from Gina's Skinny Recipes.  You can make this dish and freeze half to have another day!

 

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1 tbsp olive oil
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of all liquid
2 slices whole wheat bread
1 large egg
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese (or your favorite Parmesan Cheese)
salt and pepper

Tomato Sauce
1 tsp olive oil
3 cloves smashed garlic
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 onion (don't chop)
salt and pepper

1.  Wet bread with water then mash up with your hands. Add to large bowl and combine with chopped beef, chopped spinach, egg, garlic, parsley, grated cheese, salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients well until thoroughly combined. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, measure meat, then divide in two so that each meatball is 1/8th of a cup. Roll into little meatballs.

2.  In a large pot, add olive oil and heat on medium. When hot add smashed garlic. When garlic is golden brown, add tomatoes, onion, salt and pepper and cover, reduce heat to low.

Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, add 1 tbsp olive oil on low heat. When oil is hot add as many meatballs that will fit, cook on low, turning often so that all side get browned. Cook until the centers are cooked through. When finished, place on a dish lined with paper towels to blot any excess oil.  
3.  Drop meatballs into sauce and continue cooking the remaining meatballs, repeating the process. When all meatballs are in the sauce, simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes. Discard onion and serve.  The longer you cook the more flavor of the meat goes into the sauce.  (I simmered for 40 mins)

New York Cheesecake

Who doesn't love cheese cake?  I made this cheesecake during the holidays.  I had so many things in my refrigerator that I ended up storing this cheese cake in my dutch oven box outside on my grill.  Thank go squirrels don't like cheesecake.  I have experimented with all sorts of cheesecakes including a minicheesecake with a chocolate cookie crust - I'll have to post about that one soon.  This by far is the fancy cheesecake with a fancy taste.  It was rich and creamy and not dry.  I used sugar free cherry pie filling so I felt better about eating a slice of this cheesecake.  Anyway within 3 days this cheesecake was gone...every last crumb.  I'm guess my guests really liked it too.

Adapted from Fine Cooking

Cherry topped cheesecake

Serves twelve to sixteen.

Yields one 9-inch cheesecake.

For the graham cracker crust:

5-3/4 oz. finely ground graham cracker crumbs (I bought the box of graham cracker crumbs)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

5 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted; plus 1 teaspoon melted butter for the pan

For the cheesecake:

4 8-oz. packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1-1/3 cups granulated sugar

1 Tbs. all-purpose flour

4 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the topping:

1 can of cherry pie filling

Very important note:

Before you cook you need to make sure your cold ingredients are at room temperature (about 4 hours): the cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream. 
Make the crust: 

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Stir in the 5 Tbs. melted butter until thecrumbs are evenly moistened. 
2. Dump the crumbs into a 9-inch springform pan that’s about 2-1/2 inches deep and press them firmly into the bottom and about 1/2 an inch up the sides. 
3. Bake until the crust is fragrant and warm to the touch, 5 to 7 min.; it’s fine if the crust starts to look golden, but it shouldn’t brown too much. Let the pan cool on a rack while you prepare the cheesecake batter.

  
Make the cheesecake batter:

1. With a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese with the sugar atmedium-low speed until the mixture is smooth and somewhat fluffy, about 2 min. Scrape the bowl. On low speed, beat in the flour.
    
2. One at a time, beat in the eggs on low speed, mixing the batter for only 15 to 20 seconds after each egg is added, just until it’s incorporated, and scraping the bowl each time. Don’t overbeat.
    
3. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat at low speed until well combined, about 30 seconds. The batter should be smooth with no lumps.

       
Bake the cake in a water bath:

1.  Wrap the outside of the pan tightly with two sheets of extra-wide (18-inch) heavy-duty aluminum foil to make the pan waterproof. Brush the inside rim of the pan with a light coating of the remaining 1 tsp. melted butter, taking care not to disturb the crust. Pour the batter into the prepared crust; it should cover the crust completely and come to within about 1/2 inch of the pan’s rim. Put the springform pan in a roasting pan and carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan until the water reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake at 350°F, without opening the oven door for the first hour, until the top of the cake is golden brown and doesn’t wobble in the middle when the pan is nudged (a little jiggle is fine), about 1 hour 10 min. to 1 hour 15 min. (The cheesecake will be gooey in the middle; don’t worry, it will set as it cools.)

Let the cake cool:

1. Remove the cheesecake pan from the water bath, remove the foil wrapping (you may need anextra set of hands for this), and set the pan on a wire rack. Run a thin-bladed knife around the inside rim of the pan to free the cheesecake from the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool onthe rack until barely warm.
2. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours or overnight. The cheesecake will firm up during chilling.

Serve the cheesecake:

1. Run a thin-bladed knife around the inside rim of the pan again—taking care not to disturb the crust—to loosen the chilled cheesecake. Unclasp and remove the side of the springform pan,and then use a wide spatula to transfer the cake to a serving plate.

Pan seared steak - a must for the carnivores out there

9 Month old reaching for the steak

This may be the best steak ever.  I know that my husband is still raving about it as he smacks his lips thinking about it.  I found this recipe on my sister's blog.  My sister said it was delicious and she isn't much of a red meat person.  So I figured I have to try it.  I typically grill my steak and am known for grilling in the below freezing weather.  However, I have been making alot of excuses this winter to not grill.  Regardless, this steak is definitely tops on my list.  I had a choice between making porterhouses or filets (I know tough life).  I chose to make the porterhouse and boy was it yumyum for my tumtum.   Other than the change of cut, I totally followed her recipe. 


Here it is:

Pan-Seared Steaks

Yummy and juicy steak

adapted from Cook's Illustrated May 2007 with help from Helen Rennie at Beyond Salmon
 

Steak (at least 1-1/2 inches thick cut)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Pat steaks dry with paper towel. Consider tying steaks with twice make whole piece an even 1-1/2 inches thick. Season entire surface of steaks liberally with salt and pepper. Place steaks on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet; transfer baking sheet to oven. Cook until instant-read thermometer inserted in center of steak registers 90 to 95 degrees for rare to medium-rare, 20 to 25 minutes, or 100 to 105 degrees for medium, 25 to 30 minutes.


2. Heat oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until smoking. Place steaks in skillet and

Seared to perfection

sear steaks until well-browned and crusty, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, lifting once halfway through to redistribute fat underneath each steak. (Reduce heat if fond begins to burn.) Using tongs, turn steaks and cook until well browned on second side, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer all steaks to wire cooling rack and reduce heat under pan to medium. Use tongs to stand 2 steaks at a time on their sides. Holding steaks together, return to skillet and sear on all sides until browned, about 1 1/2 minutes. Repeat with any remaining steaks.


3. Transfer steaks to wire cooling rack and let rest, loosely tented with foil, for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Shrimp Potstickers with Soy Sauce Ginger dipping sauce

My co-worker made a very observant statement.  There are no chinese recipes on my blog.  Well here you go Ng-ng. Chinese new year is around the corner...the Year of the Rabbit.  I took a trip to the chinese grocery store this weekend to get stocked up.  Now I need to try out my recipes before I have my friends over for a little feast.  First to try out are these easy to make potstickers.  My sister claimed that Cooks Illustrated has great recipes because they try out all types of recipes and post the best one.  I hate to say it but sometimes my little sister is right.  These potstickers were super easy to make and disappeared really quickly.  Next time I might try to offer a couple different dipping sauces.  This particular one is delicious but it over powers the shrimp.

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Ingredients
                          
Potsticker Filling   
3 cups minced napa cabbage leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound peeled, deveined shrimp chopped very finely
6 tablespoons minced scallions (about 4 medium scallions, white and green parts)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 medium clove garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1 egg , lightly beaten
1 package round dumpling wrappers
vegetable oil for frying

                      
Instructions

1. Toss cabbage and salt in colander or mesh strainer set over medium bowl. Let stand until cabbage begins to wilt, about 20 minutes; squeeze out all the water from the cabbage. Combine cabbage and all other filling ingredients in medium bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until mixture is cold, at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
2. In the round wrapper place a rounded tablesppon of filling in the center.  Wet the edge of the wrapper with water and then fold in half so it is a half moon.  Make sure to pinch the edges together and no air bubbles are trapped inside.  At this point you can refrigerate or freeze in a single layer to make later.
3. Add 2 teaspoons oil to 12-inch nonstick skillet and quickly spread oil with paper towel to distribute evenly. Arrange 12 dumplings in skillet, lying flat on one side, with all seams facing same direction, overlapping just slightly, if necessary. Place skillet over medium-high heat and cook, without moving, until dumplings are golden brown on bottoms, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add 1/2 cup water to skillet, and cover immediately. Cook, covered, until most of water is absorbed and wrappers are slightly translucent, about 10 minutes. Uncover skillet and increase heat to medium-high; cook, without stirring, until dumpling bottoms are well browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes more. Turn off burner and slide dumplings from skillet onto double layer paper towels, browned side down, to blot excess oil. Transfer to platter and serve immediately. Repeat with remaining dumplings and oil.

Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
              
1/4    cup soy sauce
1/4    cup rice vinegar , unseasoned
2 1/2    teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4    cup water
1/2    medium scallion , minced
2    teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1/2    teaspoon sesame oil
1/2    teaspoon chili oil

              
Instructions           

   1. Bring soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and water to boil over medium heat, stirring briefly, until sugar dissolves. Pour into bowl; stir in scallion, ginger, and sesame and chile oils. Serve.

Minestrone Soup

It is still very cold here and at the end of a long day I want something warm in my belly.  For Christmas I got the best present ever.  A Dutch oven.  I have used the new dutch oven like more times than I can count on my fingers.  I love it!  I barely even put it away before I am making another creation with it.  I'm really glad I didn't get a heavy one and that my mom talked me into one that is a bit lighter.

Veggie Wednesday dinner tradition has continued.  This week I made this hearty minestrone and ended up having enough for left overs the next night. Even my 11 year-old thought the minestrone was delicious. My husband did think it would taste with a bit of ham.  We served it with little biscuits on the side.  It is hearty enough that you won't go looking for a snack a couple hours later since you missed the beef, chicken or pork in the meal. Enjoy!

2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 small russet potato, medium dice
2 medium celery stalks, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1 medium bay leaf
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
1 can french cut green beans or 1/2 lb green beans trimmed
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup frozen peas
4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup ditalini, tubettini, or other small pasta
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley (from about 1/2 bunch)
Grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese, for garnish

• Heat butter and oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Once butter foams, add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add potato, celery, carrot, and bay leaf and stir to coat. Cook until celery is just soft, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices, season with salt and pepper, stir (scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan), and cook until juices are almost completely reduced, about 2 minutes.

• Add half of the green beans, half of the zucchini, half of the peas, and the broth and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until zucchini just begins to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in reserved beans and bean-cooking liquid; remaining green beans, zucchini, and peas; pasta; and half of the parsley and simmer until the pasta is al dente, about 10 to 15 minutes.

• Remove from heat, stir in remaining parsley, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed. To serve, place soup in bowls, sprinkle grated cheese over top, and season with freshly ground black pepper.