The Nosh Pit

Menu Plan Monday - May 23

2011-05-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

Getting back to the real world after a vacation is always hard. Cooking is not nearly as much fun in my own kitchen. This week, my beautiful sister-in-law and family are in town from Idaho. They are staying with my in-laws, but we are planning on hosting a day. My husband also returns to work this week, so breakfast and lunches don't have to be very involved. Since we're returning from vacation, even though I did well with maintaining my weight and not gaining (I'm utterly surprised), I'll be paying extra special attention to getting in my veggies, lean protein and whole grains.

Breakfasts (all include fresh fruit, juice and milk)
scrambled eggs and toast
fruity baked oatmeal
waffles
blueberry lemon breakfast pizza
green monster smoothies

Lunches (all include fresh veggies, fruit and milk)
sandwiches (turkey or tuna salad)
pita pizzas
green monsters

Monday: On the road home from Florida, eating out

Tuesday: Baked Ziti; salad; garlic knots

Wednesday: Grilled Pork Chops; mashed sweet potatoes; broccoli

Thursday: Homemade Veggie Pizza; salad

Friday: Individual Chicken Pot Pies; salad

I hope you all have a wonderful week. Make sure to check out OrgJunkie for more delicious weekly menu plans!

Vacation Eating on a Budget

2011-05-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

My family and I are in Florida right now. White sandy beaches, blue skies, warm breezes...everything Florida is known for. Aside from getting lost during my run this morning, it has been a nice time thus far.

Even though we've saved for this trip for a few months, we don't want to pour our entire vacation budget into restaurants. Here are some of the tips that I found most useful to maintain some semblance of a budget while on vacation.

1) Cook. I know it seems counterproductive to the idea of relaxation, but it saves an extraordinary amount of money. We opted for a condo with a full kitchen and then bought groceries when we arrived. I spent a bit more on food than I would have at home, but a lot of that is condiments and stuff that I don't normally have to buy. Food doesn't have to be fancy or take a long time, but making it yourself and using local ingredients is one of my favorite ways to save money.

2) Use Local Ingredients. During the summer, farm stands are everywhere. Peaches at Publix were $3.99/lb...locally grown, picked that morning peaches at the farm stand were $2 for a 3 pound bag. My family almost always finds local farm stands or farmers markets and then we decide our meals based on what looks tempting.

3) Use Savings Websites. A few months before we left, I subscribed to the local Groupon site and kept watch for restaurants or other fun things that we could enjoy as a family. I always checked restaurant reviews on Yelp.com before buying so we didn't end up with a dud. We enjoyed one of our Groupon coupons last night at a local pizza place (really yummy!) and walked out for $20 including tax and tip. The extra pizza will make a great snack for the family as well.

4) Check With the Front Desk or Visitors Bureau: If you're at a hotel or condo, most will have coupons or special deals available only to patrons. I asked the woman who checked us in and she handed me a stack of coupons good for everything from free appetizers, free kids meals or a percentage off the final bill. The locally owned restaurants want you to walk in their door and providing something for free is a really great way to make that happen.

We are eating out a few meals during the trip, but for the most part, will be eating in. Breakfasts will include egg and veggie scrambles, toast, smoothies and fresh fruit and we bought premium sandwich ingredients for subs and paninis for lunches. Spending $30 on really awesome sandwich ingredients that will last the week is far cheaper than hitting the local deli 5 times during the week.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have a margarita that needs to be sipped and feet that need to be put up oceanside.

Menu Plan Monday - May 16

2011-05-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

We leave today for Perdido Key, Florida for a week. We rented a condo that has a full kitchen so we won't have to eat out every day -- yay! I love having a break from cooking, but eating out for 7 days is a bit much for both my wallet and waistline. I've thrown together a few easy peasy meals that can be made in advance or quickly after a long day on the beach.

Monday: Pizza out

Tuesday: Tuscan Tuna and White Bean Salad in Pita Pockets; grilled sweet potatoes

Wednesday: Grilled Salmon, tossed salad

Thursday: Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, coleslaw, fruit salad

Friday: Out

Saturday: Going to the Pensacola Farmer's Market - will decide dinner based on what looks good

Sunday: Out

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Make sure to check out OrgJunkie for more delicious menu plans!

Menu Plan Monday - May 9

2011-05-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

This week is all about eating up our perishables before we leave for Florida next Monday. Bone-in chicken breasts are on sale this week, so a few meals will include those. We're grilling a few nights and having pasta a few nights (something we almost never do anymore). I continued through my pile of "to-make" recipes and let my sons help choose some that looked good to them.

Breakfasts: (all include fruit, milk and juice)
breakfast cookies
yogurt and granola
eggs and toast
overnight soaked oats
oatmeal

Lunches: (all include fruit and veggies)
turkey sandwiches on homemade wheat bread
leftovers
taco soup
chard wraps stuffed with tuna and egg salad

Monday: Beer can chicken, slow cooker baked beans, salad

Tuesday: Vegetarian Tortilla Pie

Wednesday: Tropical Island Chicken, broccoli salad, chia bread

Thursday: Sriracha Barbecued Chicken, roasted asparagus, salad

Friday: Meatball Lasagna (makes a TON!), salad

Saturday: Penne and Peppers with Chunky Meat Sauce, garlic twists, salad

Sunday: leftover buffet

I hope everyone has a great week! Make sure to check out OrgJunkie for more delicious weekly menu plans.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T08:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all my beautiful Mommies out there. I hope your day doesn't end up like this...

My sons and husband made me a cake...and promptly dropped it on the floor. I think Connor's face broke the fall. We all had a good laugh -- except for the perp.

Planning to spend my day with my family, doing a little shopping and eating an insanely decadent meal.

Have a fabulous day, moms!

Chicken Korma

2011-05-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

I have a relatively unhealthy obsession with Asian food. Not unhealthy like I eat mounds and mounds of it (not that I couldn't), but unhealthy that I would be completely fine with having it every single day for quite some time. Pretty sure I would be a prime candidate for a 12-step program.

The good thing about Asian food is that it is relatively easy to prepare at home. Several dishes have a lengthy list of ingredients, but they all come together pretty effortlessly.

Korma is a Northern Indian curry. It includes yogurt and nut or seed pastes/meals. They can be made vegetarian or not and the protein included can be changed to suit any tastes. Chicken was cheap this week, so I went that route.

Chicken Korma
serves 4

1 T. canola oil
1 red onion, sliced into rings
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 sweet potato, diced
2 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 1/4 c. chicken stock
1/4 c. plain yogurt
1/2 c. almond meal (make it yourself by whirring some raw almonds in the food processor until it resembles course flour)
1 head broccoli, florets removed and stems discarded
1 c. snow peas

cooked brown rice, to serve

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a wok or deep sided skillet. Cook the onions, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.

Add chicken and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes, until browned. Stir in garam masala, cumin and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

Add stock, yogurt and almond meal. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 8-10 minutes until sauce is creamy and the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Add broccoli and pea pods and cook for another 3-4 minutes. The vegetables should be tender-crisp.

Menu Plan Monday - May 2

2011-05-01T17:06:00.000-07:00

Wow, May already! I can't believe how fast 2011 is flying by! The Husband is in his last week of finals, then we have a week off before we leave for vacation in Florida. I can't freakin' wait for vacation! An entire week of white, sandy beaches, no house cleaning, big fruity drinks...oh my.

I'm finally starting to tackle my gigantic pile of recipes that I have put in the "to be made" category. Sifting through them, I couldn't believe I hadn't made some of these sooner. They sound so good!

Breakfasts: (all will include fresh fruit, milk, and juice)
Vanilla Cherry Breakfast Risotto
French Toast Sticks
oatmeal
overnight oats
Honey Yogurt Waffles

Lunches: (all include fresh fruit and veggies)
Chana Masala
turkey sandwiches
oven baked cheese and avocado sandwiches
taco soup
tuna wraps

Monday: Mini meatloaves and mashed potatoes (I'm going to doctor the meatloaf recipe a bit and use ground turkey); salad

Tuesday: Tomato Basil Hamburgers; roasted red potatoes; salad

Wednesday: Garlic Shrimp with Basil, Tomatoes and Red Pepper Flakes; whole wheat orzo; salad

Thursday: Lemon Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki and Feta; homemade whole wheat pita; Minty Watermelon Salad

Friday: Out for Pizza to celebrate finals being over!

Saturday: Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Pesto Goat Cheese Spread; cucumber tomato salad

Sunday: Late Mother's Day Lunch at Texas De Brazil

I hope everyone has a fantastic week! Make sure to check out the other weekly menu plans at Org Junkie!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

2011-04-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

To date, I believe I've made 32 different varieties of banana bread - plain jane, tropical, boozy, chocolate, and now peanut butter. I love peanut butter and banana sandwiches, so I thought making this bread was a pretty logical thing to do. Even better was the fact that the original recipe was relatively low in calories and added sugar. I hate putting my kids into a sugar coma first thing in the morning.

My husband and boys could eat banana bread for every meal. There are times when I make a loaf expecting it to be part of breakfast for the next several days and it ends up being eaten entirely by the end of the afternoon -- small bite by small bite.

I made a few small changes to the original recipe. I used low-fat greek yogurt instead of fat-free plain (fat makes food moist and flavorful! Let's not be afraid of it!) and substituted whole wheat pastry flour for the all-purpose flour. I also reduced the amount of brown and white sugar used. The end result was hearty, moist, flavorful and lightly sweet from the bananas.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup low-fat greek yogurt
1/3 cup creamy, natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoon chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms and side of a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, mix together bananas, greek yogurt, peanut butter, butter, eggs, and sugars. In another large bowl, mix flour, ground flax, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Make a small well in the flour mixture and add banana mixture to the well. Stir together until just combined. Add peanuts and stir to incorporate.

Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake until top is golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean -- about 1 hour, 5 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Final thoughts: I think next time I would roast the bananas in the skin for 20 minutes or so to deepen the banana flavor. There is a lot to be said for caramelized bananas.

Enjoy!

Menu Plan...Friday. Oops!

2011-04-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

This completely got away from me this week, but never fear, I have had my plan and we did a great job of sticking to it. This is one of the first weeks in a long time that we've had the appropriate meals on the appropriate days and didn't bump a meal to get take-out. Go us!

Breakfasts: (all can be paired with fresh fruit, milk and juice)
oatmeal with fruit (apples, pears, and blueberries)
honey yogurt waffles (batch cooked) (I have modified the recipe a bit and will post the modifications soon)
carrot cake pancakes (batch cooked)
scrambled eggs with cinnamon raisin toast

Lunches: (all can be paired with fresh veggies, hummus and fruit)
grilled cheese with avocado and tomato
broccoli chicken soup
turkey sandwiches
pizza pockets

Dinners:
Monday: Leftover Tequila Lime Fajitas; black beans

Tuesday: Fajita Quesadillas

Wednesday: Chicken Korma; brown basmati rice

Thursday: Shrimp and Cheddar Cheese Grits; asparagus

Friday: Red Beans and Rice

Saturday: easy dinner night for the kids - date night for me!

Make sure to head over to Org Junkie to check out other menus from people who actually got them in on time! Have a great rest of the week and weekend!

Summertime!

2011-04-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

and the livin' is eas-ay. dooo do de dooooooo...do do do do...

yeah...blame Pandora for that one.

Anyway, all singing aside, it is HOT here in Southern Louisiana. Air Conditioning has been on steadily for two weeks now and I can hear my utility bills skyrocketing.

To combat the heat, I bring The Boys to get snowballs (side note: the thought of having a snowball (cone) stand that is open year long is so foreign to me) and we go to the local fountain to splash around a bit.

Better sit down, cuteness is coming.

Now that he is old enough to eat it by himself...he is very possessive of his sour cherry, face-staining snowball.

Except when Big Brother asks for a taste...which he does frequently.

This is Big Brother's "Tasting" face....taste taste taste...*pensive stare off to the left*...VERY good!

I hope everyone is enjoying their warmer weather!

A Different Kind of Easter Dinner (Tequila Lime Fajitas)

2011-04-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

Months ago I started plotting our Easter dinner menu. I'm totally Type-A like that and usually have lists and lists by March of potential recipes....and then the tasting begins (my favorite part, obviously). This year, I thought I had everything planned out...and then I started perusing Tastespotting and that went out the window. The weather was looking promising and I thought it was the perfect day to grill. My husband's favorite food is steak (like most other men, I'm sure) and he enjoys it in every form imaginable. Steaks for the entire family would be a little pricey, so we opted for chicken and steak fajitas. Best.Idea.Ever.

They serve a ton (seriously, we could have had another entire family over and still had leftovers), are pretty economical and if done correctly, are way better than what you're going to get in most Tex-Mex restaurants.

First off, marinate the meat. Make sure you plan way ahead because they need to marinate for at least two hours. The longer the better. I let them marinate in the refrigerator for 7 hours. I scored the meat for maximum absorption.

Grill the meat. Get that heat as high as you can get it. You want to get a nice char on the meat (cancer be damned in this case). My perfect fajita steak is cooked to medium-rare. Unfortunately, these pictures are from a trial marinade run and we used a sirloin, I prefer either flank or skirt steak and used flank steak on Easter. Honestly, though, any beef marinated in lime juice and tequila is going to be pretty damn good. Especially if you employ the "one for you, two for me" mentality.

Veggies! I actually prefer doing my fajita veggies on the stovetop. They get nice and caramelized without getting burnt. I love onions, bell peppers and tomatoes.

Voila! Finished product. Whole wheat tortilla, a little shredded cheddar and some sour cream. I like to keep things simple. We also offered guacamole, tomatillo salsa and pico de gallo as topping options.

Tequila Lime Fajita Marinade
enough to marinate 3 pounds of desired meat or vegetables

1 bunch cilantro leaves
1 poblano pepper, seeds left intact
1/2 c. fresh lime juice (about 8 whole limes)
1/2 lime (use the ones from when you squeezed the juice out, you're just looking for the rind)
5 garlic cloves
2 T. olive oil
1/4 c. tequila
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

2-3 pounds of chicken, steak, shrimp, fish, vegetables, etc.

Remove stems from cilantro leaves and add to food processor along with the lime juice, half lime, garlic, olive oil and tequila. Process until smooth. Add cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper and process until incorporated. Pour on top of meat and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours, but preferably 6+.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter filled with friends, family and great food! I will be back tomorrow with more Not-So-Eastery dinner recipes (roasted poblano and cheddar cornbread anyone?)

Buckwheat Tabbouleh

2011-04-19T18:00:00.000-07:00

My entire family loves Greek and Lebanese food. We're fortunate to have a Lebanese restaurant in town that does a fabulous lunch buffet...and only charges my kids, who often eat as much there as most adults, $1 for all of the tabbouleh, mujadara, gyro and schwarma that their little bellies can hold.

Since I haven't been able to talk my husband into investing into a vertical spit (um, hello, that seems to be a pretty obvious purchase), I just have set about perfecting some of our other favorites. That is where tabbouleh comes in. Tabbouleh is such a great summer food - easy to prepare, fresh ingredients, easy on the waistline. I love a dish that doesn't require me to turn up the air conditioning.

There are many ways of preparing tabbouleh, some use bulgur wheat, some include mint. I like using buckwheat because of the nuttiness (that is such an overused adjective) that it brings, and I often skip the mint (because I've banned that land hogger from my garden). This recipe is based on a recipe for buckwheat tabbouleh from one of my favorite healthy bloggers, Oh She Glows. The ingredients included are much the same, but the preparation is a bit different. I like recipes that I don't have to babysit too much, so I've adapted her recipe to suit that purpose.

Buckwheat Tabbouleh
serves 4

1 cup raw buckwheat groats
2.5 cups of water

2 bunches parsley
1/2 cucumber, cut into large chunks
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into large chunks
2 cloves garlic
4 green onions, white and light green parts only
1 carrot, cut into large chunks

Juice of one large lemon
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

I prefer to cook my buckwheat in a rice cooker for ease. Into a rice cooker goes the buckwheat and water, flip the switch and let it do its thing. If you don't have a rice cooker (ahem, get one), you're free to use the stove top. Just boil the water, add the buckwheat, bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and let cook for 15-20 minutes.

After it is cooked, put it in the refrigerator to cool down a bit. Just until you have the rest of the ingredients prepped.

Again, look at me using modern day appliances to make life easier. My food processor is my best friend. It is one of the few wedding gifts that I actually use (the others are a set of chopsticks and a misto). Cut the stems off the parsley, though, no need to be precise, just hack the bunch off under the leaves and throw it in the food processor. Pulse a few times to give it a rough chop and then add the rest of the vegetables. Pulse 10-15 times until everything is nice and uniformly chopped. Again, you can do this by hand.

For the dressing, combine the juice of one large lemon and 2 T. olive oil. Whisk well.

Pour the vegetable mixture into a large bowl and add the buckwheat. Stir until well incorporated. Pour the dressing over and stir again. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to develop the flavors, OR, if you're like me and have waited until the kids are absolutely dying of hunger to even start dinner...serve it immediately, it will still be super tasty.

--

Note, I probably won't ever give exact measurements on salt and pepper because tastes vary so much. I usually fall on the lightly salted end of the spectrum.

Menu Plan Monday - April 18

2011-04-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

This week is more of the same - GHLF (gym, homeschool, laundry, finals prep for The Husband). It is starting to get hot here in Southern Louisiana, so our tastes are shifting away from heavy casseroles and more towards fresh, cool meals.

Monday: Chicken and Mushrooms in a Garlic White Wine Sauce, garlic roasted broccoli, herbed baked brown rice

Tuesday: Kale, Sweet Potato and Feta Tart in a Spelt Crust (based on this recipe), field greens tossed with fig balsamic vinegar

Wednesday: Buckwheat Tabbouleh, homemade whole wheat pita and roasted red pepper hummus

Thursday: Slowcooker Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage, tossed salad

Friday: Tequila Lime Flank Steak Fajitas, homemade pico de gallo and guacamole, corn tortillas, cumin and chipotle spiced black beans

Saturday: Chicken Korma , brown basmati rice

I hope everyone has a fantastic week. Make sure to head over to The Org Junkie for more menu plans!

Brick by Brick

2011-04-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

This house. I swear it would come crashing down in seconds if either Alex or I turned our heads for just a minute. The things that these kids think up just astounds me. Remember the old saying, your parents' greatest revenge is you having kids....so.true.

Just a few seconds ago, I found C2 wedging silverware that he had pilfered from the dishwasher (who the hell taught him to open that, anyhow?!) into the stem of the ficus tree and then scooping out the faux foliage around the base with a wooden spoon.

The list of house rules that I've had to start assembling just keeps getting longer and more outrageous. Boys are so gross and kid boys are even worse!

Want a little window into my reality?

Here are a few of the latest, most relevant house rules:

1. No peeing on your brother.
seems self explanatory, no?

amendment 1:
No peeing on your brother even if he peed on you first.
Ay. Have I mentioned that C1 is like, the best reasoner ever?He will totally follow in Alex's footsteps as a lawyer. I effin' hate it.

2. You can only touch your own wiener.
Why on earth....

3. Lotion does not belong on your wiener.
Well....until you're at least 10.

4. OR BUTTHOLE!
Come on kids, work with me here.

5. Your brother's diaper is not a toy receptacle.
...words don't even begin to explain the odd things I've found in his diaper.

Also, I learned recently that age 4 must be the universal boy stink age. We used to be able to get away with missing a bath every now and then. Now? I'm tempted to give him multiple baths per day.

They are so freakin' lucky they are cute.

repost from Torts and Tarts.

Like Sands Through an Hourglass, These Are The Days of Our Lives

2011-04-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

...Or something.

Surprise! I'm back!

Bringing you lots of new recipes and stories about being a homeschooling, stay-at-home mother of two boys.

Menu Plan Monday - July 19

2010-07-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

I haven't been neglecting you, Dear Readers...just been in a sort of funk. These past weeks have been filled with a lot of uninspired meals and flops. I've been trying to find a happy medium between my husband's extremely high calorie needs and my low calorie needs. Let's just say, I'm starting to get burnt out on smoothies.

Monday: chicken cheese steak saute (on hoagie rolls for the boys), mashed cauliflower, steamed garlic spinach

Tuesday: shrimp with homemade marinara, angel hair pasta, spaghetti squash, grilled zucchini

Wednesday: crockpot lasagna (best way to make it during the summer!!), veggie filled salad

Thursday: crockpot Thai curry, roasted broccoli

Friday: Asian glazed chicken (using breasts), spicy stir-fried green beans

It has been so hot around here that the crockpot and grill have become our best friends! I'm planning on attempting a twist on the crockpot lasagna using butternut squash, sausage and sage come cooler weather.

Caprese Bites

2010-06-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

I made these as an adult snack for my son's 4th birthday party. They were such a hit! So very simple, but really tasty and fresh. It was a great way to showcase my garden's fresh basil and cherry tomatoes.

Caprese Bites
serves as many or as few as you wish!

basil leaves
cherry tomatoes
small, fresh mozzarella balls (or cubed mozzarella)

frilly toothpicks

Take one frilly toothpick, thread a mozzarella ball, a basil leaf and a cherry tomato onto it. Repeat.

See! Easy.

Menu Plan - June 21

2010-06-23T05:53:00.000-07:00

Like I mentioned yesterday, this week is a come-down from a really hectic past few weeks. I am still getting into the swing of it.

So...I broke my menus up into specific days. My husband doesn't like to help plan menus unless he has something to aim for, and this is the easiest way I could think of to do that. We have sandwich night, soup night, 2 meatless nights, crockpot night and then 2 blanks to be used for whatever we feel like having. Obviously these aren't set in stone and will probably change from time to time, but it gives us something to shoot for.

Monday: turkey and roast beef panini sandwiches, oven-baked sweet potato fries, salad

Tuesday: turkey white bean chili, homemade salsa, jalapeno corn bread

Wednesday: pinto beans and rice, homemade salsa, leftover jalapeno corn bread

Thursday: eggplant and tomato sauce with pasta, french bread, wilted spinach with garlic

Friday: creamy mexican chicken (recipe will be changed to make it lighter), rice, green beans

Saturday: black bean salad with grilled chicken

I'm still here

2010-06-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

We've been eating a buttload of take-out the past week or so. My mom was in town from Minnesota and my son had his 4th birthday party (hello, my name is over-planner). I'm a glutton for punishment apparently and ended up really overextending myself. I'm exhausted from staying up late so many nights sewing, baking and preparing. In the end, it was all worth it. He had an absolutely adorable birthday party that he just adored. I sewed him a pennant style birthday banner and can't wait to make more.

His party had a Candy Land theme. This was the invitation.

In true Candy Land fashion...

His cake. What a disaster! It was so humid! The buttercream didn't want to crust and the fondant didn't want to set. Top tier was an all-natural, strawberry cake with a strawberry buttercream. Bottom tier was a homemade vanilla funfetti cake with vanilla buttercream. Both were very well received!

It was a hot day! All the kids were sweaty from jumping in the fun jump.

Even the heat didn't stop him from getting excited about the fun new toys!

My youngest had a blast picking up forgotten candy and finishing it off. His favorite were the ring pops -- sweet pacifiers!

I'll have a fresh new recipe, perfect for the Summer's heat up shortly! Don't miss it!

Menu Plan...Tuesday

2010-06-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

With all the hustle and bustle preparing for my son's 4th birthday, I completely forgot about Menu Plan Monday yesterday. My mom is also coming into town to stay with us for a few days for his birthday, so I have double the stress.

Today is his actual birthday, and I'm sitting amongst a sea of wrapping paper and packaging. Every gift came with the proclamation "I always wanted that!" I have a feeling we're going to be watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles like 400thousand times today.

Monday: carnitas tacos, homemade salsa, black beans and rice

Tuesday: Incredible Pizza Company for C1's birthday

Wednesday: spaghetti and meatball soup (carryover from last week)

Thursday: grilled chicken and pesto pasta, salad

Friday: dinner out at Blue Dog Cafe (my mom's favorite restaurant down here)

I hope everyone has a fantastic week. I'm going to be busy busy until Saturday with C1's party, but I am trying to get new things up as I make them. I have a really great buffalo chicken wrap and some parmesan garlic pull-apart rolls that are to die for. Stay tuned!

As always, find more great menu plans at Org Junkie!

Spicy Sausage and Potato Soup

2010-06-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

My son really loves to cook. A few months ago, I bought him a kids cookbook. It's great except for the fact that most of the non-sweet foods are pretty bland...I guess that is why the recipes are considered kid food. I had a bunch of red-skinned potatoes leftover that needed to be used or thrown. I decided to make the potato soup in the kids cookbook. The picture in the book looked...white...and rather tasteless. I decided to jazz it up a bit, but still keep the recipe simple so he could help. My additions were simple but made for a really great, fast soup.

If you don't have an immersion blender, you can pour half the soup into a blender and then add it back to the pot. Be very careful when doing this. Hot liquids tend to explode out of the blender. Trust me on this. I would rather move than scrape black bean soup off of the ceiling again.

As for the sausage in the recipe, you're free to use what you wish. I used a pre-cooked habanero and monterey jack chicken sausage, but you could use a regular smoked sausage or even italian sausage. I would be interested to try vegetarian sausage crumbles as well.

Spicy Sausage and Potato Soup
serves 6

2 links sausage (if using uncooked sausage, remove from casing), chopped
1 1/2 lbs. potatoes, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups chicken stock
3 shakes hot sauce
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3/4 cup milk
1 T. butter
green onions and parsley to garnish

In a large saucepan over medium heat, brown the sausage. Add the potatoes, onions, celery, garlic, chicken stock, hot sauce and black pepper. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender.

When potatoes are tender, remove from heat. Run an immersion blender through it a few times until it is smooth, but still pretty chunky. You just want to make it kind of creamy. Add the milk and butter, stir until butter is melted. Serve with green onions and chopped parsley.

Menu Plan Monday - June 7

2010-06-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

Our week went very much not as planned last week so I have a lot of rollover meals plus a few new ones. I've been trying to rebudget our household, so I'm trying to see how small I can make our food budget. To save on food costs, I'm planning many more meatless meals and meals that can be stretched into one or two more meals.

My son is turning 4 in less than two weeks and I think I might have overextended myself just a smidge with all of the things I've planned for it. I need to get his birthday banner finished! Our meals this week reflect just how little time I have until his party.

Monday: dinner out to celebrate my son's birthday with his grandmother.

Tuesday: spinach and ricotta stuffed crespelles, salad and french bread

Wednesday: slow cooker pinto beans and sausage, brown rice, garden fresh green beans

Thursday: stuffed bell peppers, garden fresh cucumber and tomato salad

Friday: spaghetti and meatball soup, garlic and parmesan pull-apart bread

Have a fantastic week! Enjoy that Summer heat!

For more great recipes, visit OrgJunkie.

Adobo Chicken Salad

2010-06-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is my go-to salad during the Summer. It's so light and crunchy, but the flavors really pack a fiery punch. The chicken is mildly spicy but the cool salad really balances it out and cools it down. The fruit in the salad keeps it refreshing. I have all kinds of ideas for this salad, including adding grilled peaches or nectarines. yum!

The chicken is best marinated for a full 24 hours, but in a pinch just an hour or two will do.

Adobo Chicken Salad
Serves 4 as a main course

For the marinade:
Combine in food processor and process until smooth:

3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 T. ground cumin
2 T. chipotle chili powder
2 T. dark brown sugar
3 T. kosher salt
3 T. freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
6 T. orange juice
2 T. fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
4 dashes hot sauce
2 T. olive oil

Pour over chicken breasts in a large, resealable bag and refrigerate until ready to use.

For salad:

1 lb. chicken breasts, marinated in above marinade and grilled
2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 15 oz. can black beans (optional)
1 avocado, diced
1 mango, diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 recipe poblano-cilantro dressing

Grill chicken, cover and let rest 10 minutes. slice thin.

Combine chopped romaine with bell pepper, black beans, avocado, mango and cherry tomatoes. Toss until thoroughly mixed.

Top with chicken and dressing.

Strawberry Sorbet

2010-06-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

If this doesn't just define Summer, then I don't know what does. It's so refreshing and the berries are so perfectly ripe. It is so much healthier than ice cream because it is essentially just fruit and a bit of natural sweetener, yet kids gobble it up. The bright red color is beautiful. This could go easily from a backyard BBQ to a fancy dinner party with just a small change in presentation.

You could make this without an ice cream maker, but I find that sorbets made by just blending the fruit and then freezing it are more granular than ones made with ice cream makers. You make the call. I, for one, know that my ice cream reservoir will remain in the freezer this summer just for this sorbet.

Strawberry Sorbet

1 lb. strawberries, hulled and chopped (preferably organic)
1/2 cup organic agave nectar
1 T. fresh lime juice

Make sure the ice cream reservoir is completely frozen.

Hull your berries and roughly chop them. Add the berries, along with the agave nectar and lime juice to a blender. Blend thoroughly until smooth.

Add the berry puree to the ice cream reservoir and process according to the manufacturers instructions. When finished, put in the freezer for an hour or two to continue firming.

To make without an ice cream maker:
Blend berries as instructed with agave nectar and lime juice. Place in a freezer safe, plastic or glass container and freeze until firm, stirring periodically.

Creamy Poblano-Cilantro Dressing

2010-06-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

This dressing is so amazing. It's cool and crisp with a kick from the poblanos. It's really great on salad, and also good with cut vegetables as a dip. I grow extra cilantro in the garden so I can make it a lot. It is so incredibly simple and comes together in minutes.

I picked up this little dressing blender after I got my AeroGarden. It's the absolute best gadget ever. seriously. Add your dressing ingredients, hit button, eat.

Creamy Poblano-Cilantro Dressing

Combine in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth:
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 poblano pepper, seeded and quartered
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise (not miracle whip)
2 pinches of sugar

Use as desired....and you desire the adobo chicken salad I'm posting next!

Spinach, Caramelized Onion and Feta Quiche

2010-06-02T06:40:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in an old issue of Cooking Light. The original version used canned breadstick dough for the crust and the filling rested on a bed of hashbrown potatoes. It seemed a little heavy for a mid-day lunch, so I doctored it up a bit. I also replaced the breadstick crust with a pie dough crust because I'm a traditionalist.

The outcome was so savory and yummy. My husband and kids split 4 pieces between them....and I wonder why I can't keep food in the house.

Spinach, Caramelized Onion and Feta Quiche
adapted from Cooking Light
serves 6

1 T. butter
2 onions, halved and sliced thin
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
3 oz. feta cheese crumbles
2 large eggs
3 large egg whites
1 cup fat-free milk
1 prepared pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll pie crust and line a pie plate. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.

In the meantime, melt 1 T. of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat, add onions, salt and sugar. Cook, stirring frequently until golden - about 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine whole eggs, egg whites, milk, drained spinach, feta and caramelized onions. Pour into prepared pie crust and bake for 30-40 minutes or until egg is set in center. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Frozen Fruit Cups

2010-06-01T06:33:00.000-07:00

These are the absolute best. They are a perfect way to cool off on a hot, Summer afternoon. They are healthy, yummy, all-natural and devoid of any extra sweeteners. My kids love them as is and I like to use them as a smoothie starter with a dash of plain, fat free yogurt for a fast breakfast.

The little bowls are made by Nuby. I found them at Big Lots for $3.00 for a 6-pack. You could also use the little tiny 8-ounce Gladware containers, but I could never find them. These work well enough. Be creative in the container you put them in. Ice cube containers would make mini cups. Dixie cups would work, but wouldn't be reusable.

Frozen Fruit Cups
adapted from Once A Month Mom

1/2 can frozen 100% pineapple juice concentrate
1/2 can frozen 100% orange juice concentrate
2.5 cans water
1 cup blueberries (frozen are fine)
1 cup raspberries (frozen are fine)
1 cups strawberries, chopped
2 bananas, sliced
1 14.5 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained

Mix juice concentrates with water and mix until dissolved. Add fruit and stir to mix. Fill cups, cover and freeze. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or microwave for 20 seconds before serving to make it easier to eat.

To use as a smoothie starter:
Add 1 cup to blender along with 1/4 cup yogurt (I like fat free plain, but flavored would work as well). Add a touch of juice or water to get it moving and blend until smooth.

Menu Plan Monday - May 31

2010-05-31T08:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day! I hope you are all enjoying a day off of work and relaxing with those who matter most. Unfortunately, my husband has to work today. It's a short day, though, so we will be able to enjoy the day during the afternoon. The kids just got a new kiddie pool over the weekend, so I have a feeling we will be spending a lot of time in the backyard.

The heat has really set in lately and with that comes low appetites. Our meals this week are light and healthy.

Monday: Southwest Chicken Salad with Green Chili Dressing

Tuesday: Carnitas Tacos with all the fixings

Wednesday: Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Crespelles, tossed salad, french bread

Thursday: Brazilian Black Beans with rice

Friday: Red Bell Peppers Stuffed with Rice, tossed salad,

Lunches include:
Spinach and Feta Quiche
Tuna Salad
Chicken, Spinach and Feta Mini Calzones

Breakfasts:
Baked Oatmeal
Scrambled Eggs with Scallions and [garden fresh] Tomatoes
Mango with Strawberries, Blackberries and Lime

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! For more menus, check out Orgjunkie.com

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

2010-05-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

It seems like every time I make cookies, I end up making chocolate chip...which isn't a bad thing, but I've been craving something different. I stumbled across some white chocolate macadamia nut cookies on Annie's Eats the other night and remembered the bag of Ghirardelli white chocolate chips in the pantry that I've had for ages. It always was cast aside in favor of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. I looked around at other recipes and formulated what I thought would fit my family's tastes best. We're a chunky cookie family and this cookie is loaded with big hunks of salty, rich macadamia nuts and sweet, creamy white chocolate.

I love that Husband has a job where I can send the cookies to work with him. Having these in the house would be far too much temptation!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
makes 24

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz. white chocolate chips, or bar, chopped
6.5 oz. macadamia nuts, chopped coarsely

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Stir in egg and vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture. When thoroughly mixed, add the white chocolate and chopped nuts. Stir to combine.

Drop cookies by heaping teaspoonfull onto an ungreased baking sheet, about two inches apart.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until very lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet.

Store in an airtight container.

Sophi P. Cakes Cupcakes

2010-05-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

Today was the grand opening of Sophi P. Cakes in Lafayette, Louisiana. They advertised cupcakes, quiche and cheesecake being available. I'm always interested in trying new, exciting flavors so I loaded the kids up and went to check it out. The flavors available were pretty picked over, which was disappointing. I was expecting a lot of fun flavors and there were a few, but too few.

We tried three flavors. Peanut Butter Cup, Classic Red Velvet and a Kahlua/Cappucino.

Here are my notes on each.

Peanut butter: Cake has good texture, not overly rich or chocolatey. Kind of forgettable in flavor, but moist. Icing: I would have expected a peanut butter frosting, but it was a chocolate buttercream - really light on the chocolate. It had good texture, albeit a bit grainy. Sort of bland tasting. It was filled with more chocolate buttercream with chopped peanut butter cups, which was really the best part. I think it would have been better overall with peanut butter frosting.

Red Velvet. Cute cupcake. Cake is bright red, sort of dry with a tight crumb. Nothing spectacular. I'm really particular about Red Velvet. I've tasted it everywhere. I missed that delightful little tang from the vinegar. The cream cheese frosting was excellent though. Nice texture, nice tang. It was filled with a bit more cream cheese frosting, which I could have passed on. It tipped the scales on the frosting to cake ratio...but I realize that is completely my opinion and a lot of people really love a ton of frosting.

Kahlua/Cappucino: The frosting is really sweet, nice texture, nice boozy aftertaste. I want to think it has chocolate in it, but I can't really taste it. The cupcake tastes like a vanilla cupcake with a shot or two of kahlua...which isn't a bad thing. This cupcake wasn't labeled and the person working the counter didn't really know anything about it...so I'm lost as to what they were aiming at with this variety. The overwhelming flavor was kahlua...so I'm going with that. It was overall pretty good. Too big to really finish though as the flavor became a little cloying after awhile.

They had two sizes of cupcakes available, small for $1.69 and large for $2.89. The large could definitely be split between two people because it is so sweet.

Overall, I was unimpressed. The cake tasted like it was from a box mix and if I am going to pay money for something...it had better be better than what the average home baker can make. The frosting was decent, tasty, had nice texture but it wasn't something I would call outstanding. The entire experience was rather uninspired. I only wish the shop would have had their more exotic flavors available for purchase. There were many tags that sounded interesting.

They do make beautiful cakes though, although nobody could really give me any answers about pricing or anything.

I do hope that the kinks get worked out as Lafayette really could use a decent cupcake shop.

Taco Rolls

2010-05-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

I had my doubts about these the first time that I made them. They were excellent...but putzy. Mama doesn't have time during the week to be putzing with lunch. I loved the flavor enough to give them a second try and this time, they were great all around. I used a different bread dough and they were much easier to handle. The recipe makes a ton and they are very filling, so one recipe will make lunch for a few days...which I love.

You could easily substitute refrigerated or frozen bread dough, but I love the texture and flavor of homemade dough. I haven't tried anything that could compare, but in a pinch the pre-made stuff will do. I would normally use whole wheat bread dough, but I ran out of whole wheat flour. Feel free to use your favorite whole wheat bread recipe.

The cream cheese/sour cream mixture cuts the spice of the taco seasoning and adds a creaminess that my kids really loved. The green onions added a fresh element and a crunchy texture.

Taco Rolls
makes 20-ish rolls

1 recipe bread dough
1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
1 package taco seasoning
2/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
4 oz. neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese), softened
2 T. light sour cream
2 green onions, chopped

Prepare bread dough according to recipe directions.

While dough is being prepared, brown ground beef or turkey in a large skillet. Drain the fat off and add 2/3 cup water and the entire taco seasoning packet. Stir until combined. Reduce heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is gone. Let cool completely.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Roll the dough in a large rectangle, about 18 inches x 10 inches. If the dough is too spongey to roll, let rest a few minutes and try again.The dough shouldn't be too thin or it will tear. Aim for 1/4-1/2 inch all around.

Combine the cream cheese, sour cream and chopped green onions in a bowl. Spread over dough rectangle leaving a 1-inch border around the edge of the dough.

Top cream cheese mixture with ground beef and finally the cheddar cheese.

Roll up cinnamon roll style - starting with the long edge closest to you. Pinch the edges to seal.

Slice into 1/2-inch slices with a serrated knife. Some of the filling with inevitably fall out, so just stack it back on top of the roll after it is placed on the baking sheet. Place 2-inches apart on a large, greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes or until golden and the dough is cooked through.

Menu Plan Monday - May 24

2010-05-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

I can already tell that this is going to be one hell of a week. I was up until nearly 3 this morning with random allergy attacks and sinus headaches. I've been battling a sinus infection all week and I'm still dealing with residual head-poundies. I sit here pounding coffee in hopes that it might give me just a tad bit of patience with my kids today, but I realize I might be fighting a losing battle and am considering shipping them to their grandmother's house for the day. Ah. Sweet reprieve. I'm also considering actually doing my Spring cleaning this week. I have lists and lists that I've developed from Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook...I think I might be over my head on this. The first thing I noticed that told me this book wasn't for me was the fact that actually folded her fitted sheets...wait...you mean not everybody just rolls them up into a rectangular-ish form and stuffs them in the linen closet?

Needless to say, the menu this week includes a lot of slow-cooker and prepare-ahead meals. My favorite kind!

Monday: 3 bean turkey chili in the crockpot, jalapeno cornbread

Tuesday: Eggplant parmesan, salad, french bread

Wednesday: Roast, mashed potatoes, salad

Thursday: Green chili turkey burgers, sweet potato fries

Friday: Buffalo sweet potato and blue cheese grilled pizza, caprese salad

Lunches:
Taco Roll-Ups
Chicken, Spinach and Feta Calzones
Buffalo Chicken Wraps

Breakfasts:
Baked Oatmeal
Banana Bread
Berry Scones

You can find more menus here. Have a fantastic week everyone!

Barbacoa

2010-05-20T07:08:00.000-07:00

If I could eat this for every meal for the next two weeks, I would. It is so versatile. Roll it up in a burrito, put it over some lettuce for a salad, put over rice, add cheese, onions and salsa. It's spicy and full of flavor.

The heat tolerance in this family is pretty high. The baby would eat a lot of this as long as he had a cup of milk handy to wash away the lingering heat. Feel free to add fewer chipotle peppers if you don't like it quite so hot.

I served this two nights, the first night over brown rice with corn salsa, avocado and purple onion. The second night, I made tex-mex black bean salad and topped it with barbacoa. Both are equally delicious and had my husband coming back for seconds, thirds, fourths...every time he took more, he kept commenting on how great it was.

I chose to make this in a slow cooker. It would work in the oven too, but I'm not very hands on when it comes to adding more water to the roasting pan. I usually forget and my meat comes out looking more like a hockey puck than dinner. There is a bit of initial preparation, but then it cooks all day (and makes your house smell fabulous!). I used a trimmed sirloin tip roast, feel free to use your favorite cut or whatever is on sale that day. I love slow cookers because you can add a
shoe leather piece of meat and at the end of the day, it's melt in your mouth tender.

Beef Barbacoa
serves 10 generously

4 lbs. sirloin tip roast, trimmed of all visible fat
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
8 cloves of garlic
1/2 onion, quartered
4 chipotle peppers
3 T. adobo sauce (the liquid with the chipotle peppers)
1 T ground cumin
1 T. ground oregano
1/2 tsp. all spice
3 bay leaves
1 cup water

Place the garlic through the all spice in a blender or food processor (my mini food processor worked wonderfully) and process until it turns into a thick paste.

Season your roast liberally with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown roast on all sides (you may need to cut it into smaller pieces to fit into the pan).

Add the roast to slow cooker along with the spice paste, bay leaves and water.

It took 6 hours on high to get the meat to shredding consistency. It would probably take 8-10 on low.

When beef is tender, remove from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Add back to slow cooker to coat with juices.

Serve and enjoy!

Toddler Treats

2010-05-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

My youngest son flew under the radar and became a picky eater. My husband and I both came to the realization the other day when we noticed that the only things he really wanted to eat were bread and candy. I think my husband and I both took it for granted what a wonderful eater our 4 year old is and just assumed that since we started our 16-month old the same way (with Super Baby Food) that he would turn out the same way. WRONG. With his new ability to run and his never wanting to eat, he was losing weight fast.

We've had to install some new rules around here. no candy. no sweets until this picky behavior is gone. He fought it for about 5 minutes yesterday and has fallen into line nicely. He ate an entire turkey sandwich, half an avocado and 4 strawberries after a little prodding. This morning, he had oatmeal sweetened with agave nectar and coconut oil with blueberries and a berry smoothie (with a little avocado mixed in) and loved every bite.

I think we had second child syndrome a little too much in this instance and really needed to get back to the basics nutritionally that we've always considered so important with our kids.

I made these for snacks today. They have lots of good fat, whole grains and use dried fruit and honey to sweeten. They really were a hit and I suspect they will become a favorite with both kids. Best thing? The 4-year old made them almost entirely himself.

Granola Toddler Treats
makes 20 1-inch balls

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup ground nuts (my kids prefer pecans)
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
4 T. honey or agave nectar
1 beaten egg
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup dried fruit, chopped fine (we've tried prunes, apricots, dried pears and cranberries and all have been excellent!)

Mix all dry ingredients. Mix honey, peanut butter and vanilla into dry mixture. Add more honey to moisten ot dried oats to dry if necessary. Form into small balls. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. They will keep in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

To make granola bars, press mixture into an 8x8 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, cool and cut into bars.

I'm editing this after some thought. I need to add that honey and nuts are not appropriate for children under 1 year of age. If you are making these for younger children, omit the nuts entirely and increase the wheat germ to 1/2 cup. Omit the honey, and use either agave nectar or just leave the sweetener out completely - it really isn't necessary. Replace the peanut butter with 1/4 cup melted butter or 1/4 cup mashed banana.

Menu Plan Monday - May 17th

2010-05-17T08:00:00.001-07:00

It is that time again, folks. Monday. The start of a whole new week. My husband found a job for the summer so a huge stress burden has been lifted from my shoulders and once again, I can see the week for what it is: a beautiful blessing. The family is healthy this week (cross my fingers) and the weather looks promising. We have a lot of fun things planned.

Monday: turkey sloppy joes, whole wheat hamburger buns, broccoli slaw, baked sweet potato fries

Tuesday: tilapia curry stew, jasmine rice

Wednesday: beef kheema, brown rice, balsamic roasted carrots

Thursday: barbacoa from last week repurposed into bbq beef sandwiches, salad, grilled veggie kebabs

Friday: Root vegetable cobbler with chive biscuit topping (lightened, recipe posted soon), salad

My lunches this week include:
thai roll-ups and veggie wraps

Our breakfasts include:
apple pie muffins, mango madness fruit salad and fluffy whole wheat pancakes with triple berry sauce

I hope everyone has a blessed and safe week.

Low Fat Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-05-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

I brought this to a luncheon and it received rave reviews. I don't know if they fawned over it because it was legitimately good, or because they are my friends and they love me. It WAS excellent though. It wasn't too sweet and was incredibly moist. The cream cheese icing was great and the layer on top was just the right amount. If you prefer more frosting on your cake, you're free to ice the sides or just layer it up more on top. My family isn't big into icing and this was the perfect cake to frosting ratio for us. I was iffy on making the icing because it didn't include butter and I didn't know how it would hold up, but it was delicious and was very substantial. This will be my go-to spreading cream cheese icing, as I didn't miss the butter at all. The only consideration I might have is that it probably wouldn't pipe very well.

In the end, this is a flavorful, healthy, delicious take on a carrot cake.

Skinny Carrot Cake
adapted from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
makes 16 good-sized slices or 24 cupcakes

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup flaked, sweetened coconut
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. all-spice
2 Tbsp. canola oil
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups grated carrots (I process mine in the food processor to make them less chunky)
20 oz. canned, crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese), softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, mix together the flours, sugars, coconut, baking soda, salt and spices. Stir well with a whisk.

In a medium bowl, combine the oil, eggs and vanilla. Stir well. Add grated carrots and pineapple and stir well. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Fold in pecans.

Spoon batter in a greased 8"x3" round cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 38-48 minutes. It is ready when it is firm to the touch in the center and the sides start to pull away from the pan. Cool cake completely before turning out of the pan.

To make the frosting:
Beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Ice cake when cool and top with pecans.

Tex-Mex Black Bean Salad

2010-05-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

Summer is quickly creeping up on us here in Southern Louisiana which means it is time for cold food. Not heating up my house with the oven is another obstacle that I need to get around when it's time to feed the family. This salad has proven to be a favorite. It is on the menu at least once a week during the summer. It makes a really great light lunch and a great side to some grilled chicken for dinner. My husband also likes it as a midnight snack, but that doesn't say much about the dish. There aren't many things that man won't eat.

This salad is spicy, creamy and refreshing. It has enough protein and good fat to fill you up and keep you that way, yet is full of whole foods so it won't expand your waistline.

Tex Mex Black Bean Salad
serves 4 as a main course, 6 as a side

1 15.5 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
1 10 oz. bag frozen corn, thawed
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 avocado, diced
3 green onions, chopped
small handful of cilantro, chopped
juice from 1 lime
1/2 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together except the avocado. Let chill for at least an hour and add the avocado right before serving to avoid browning.

Homemade v. Store-bought: Pop-Tarts

2010-05-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

This really shouldn't be much of a battle. Store-bought poptarts are...bland? dry? fake? full of processed ingredients? all of the above. They are pretty good at 2:30 in the morning after too many beers but that is about it. My husband does have a soft spot for the strawberry ones, but only without icing but honestly, who actually likes THAT cardboard.

I've been doing a lot of researching for these poptarts. I wanted them to be delicate and flaky, sweet but not overly sweet. The end result fit the bill perfectly.

I filled them with a brown sugar and cinnamon filling, but you could fill them with any flavor of jam you want or even nutella. omg. nutella.

Homemade Pop-Tarts
makes 8

Dough:

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 cup vanilla sugar (regular sugar works as well)

1 cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes

1 egg, lightly beaten with a fork

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Combine flour and sugar in the bowl of the food processor. Add chilled butter & whiz till breadcrumb like mixture forms,.

With a fork, vigorously stir in the lightly beaten egg until all the dry ingredients are moistened and a dough starts to pull together and form a ball.

Scrape up the dough together, re-flour the surface lightly and work very briefly and quickly until you have a smooth, homogeneous dough. If the dough is too sticky, refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.

Filling:

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 T. cinnamon

1 T. all-purpose flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

Stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Set the egg aside for assembly.

To Assemble:

When the dough is chilled enough to roll it out, roll on a well floured surface into a rectangle 1/8" thick. Trim the edges. You're going to want 16, 3"x4" rectangles, and you may have to roll the scraps several times to get these. If the dough starts to get too sticky, just chill for another 10-15 minutes.

On each rectangle, brush lightly with the beaten egg. This will be the inside of your pastry. The egg will help keep the edges sealed during baking. Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling in the middle of the rectangle. Place a second rectangle on top of the first, pressing gently with your fingers around the perimeter. Seal the edges with the tines of a fork. Repeat with remaining tarts.

Gently place tarts on a greased baking sheet. Refrigerate for 15 minutes while your oven preheats to 350 degrees.

Remove tarts from fridge and bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden. Watch carefully during the last few minutes of baking, they go from golden to blackened in no time at all.

They really don't need icing, but if you want to add some mix together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 T. milk or heavy cream and a dash of vanilla extract. Drizzle over the tarts.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-05-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

In keeping with my plan, I joined Org Junkie again this week for her Menu Plan Monday weekly round-up.

I planned for some things that I am really excited about trying this week. I also planned for some great lunch and breakfast items as my husband is home with us this week.

Sunday: homemade manicotti; homemade french bread

Monday: beef and black bean enchiladas (recipe coming soon); homemade corn tortillas; salad

Tuesday: barbacoa beef in the crock pot (variation of this); brown rice; plantain chips

Wednesday: leftover barbacoa beef; southwestern black bean salad (recipe coming soon)

Thursday: Shrimp fried rice; salad

Friday: turkey sausage, kale and white bean soup; garlic swirl bread

My lunches include:
Chicken salad pitas and Vegetable quiche

Breakfasts:
Apple Pie Muffins
Whole Wheat Pancakes with blueberry compote
Green Smoothies

I hope everyone has a fantastic week. The weather is supposed to be beautiful down in South Louisiana this week. I'm going to take every available minute to enjoy the weather with my family while my husband is home.

Apple Pie Muffins

2010-05-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

Every week, it is tradition that I make a big batch of muffins. They turn into quick breakfasts and easy snacks.

I found this recipe when I was planning my menu last week and knew it would be perfect. Sweet enough to fight that mid-afternoon craving and hearty enough to make a breakfast that lasts until lunch. The baby in the family ate like 17 of them in one sitting. The original recipe called for all white flour, twice the butter and twice the sugar. I reduced the butter and sugar, and added whole wheat flour and hoped for the best. The outcome was still a sweet, delicious muffin with a tender crumb. The topping is optional, but makes them crunchy and really homey.

Apple Pie Muffins
makes 18 large muffins

Batter:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups diced apples

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 T. butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For batter:
Whisk together egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla. Stir in sugar. Without mixing, add flour, baking soda, salt and apples. Stir until just combined. Do not over-mix.

For topping:
Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Mix in melted butter until crumbly.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle with topping.

Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes.

Perfect Homemade Pizza

2010-05-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

Doesn't that look amazing?

I say perfect homemade pizza because I don't have access to an 800 degree brick oven. If I did, though, it would be the best pizza ever.

I've always been let down with my homemade pizzas. There was always some element that wasn't quite up to par and it left me wanting our favorite restaurant's pizza. This time, the stars aligned and it was delicious. I couldn't imagine spending the money to get it at a restaurant anymore.

The combination of toppings isn't important, though we do have our favorites. You can substitute what your family likes. The important parts are the crust, sauce and addition of roasted garlic. nom nom nom. The crust does take some time, so you need to plan ahead. It is best to make it the day ahead to really let the flavors develop. If you don't, it won't be the end of the world, but the results after letting it rest are out of this world.

The sauce is from scratch. I've tried to make it from scratch before and it was too tomatoey, too bland...this time, I used a recipe from Cooking Light and improved on it. I just can't even tell you how important a good sauce is. You will never go back to the jarred stuff after making this. I really think that it would work in the crockpot as well. Just throw all of the ingredients in a small crockpot and let cook on low for the day.

Andiamo a mangiare!

Pizza Crust:

adapted from Cooking Light

1 cup warm water (100-110 degrees), divided

12 oz. bread flour (about 2 1/2 cups)

2 tsp. dry yeast

4 tsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided

cooking spray

Pour 3/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into measuring cups; level with a knife.. Add flour to 3/4 cup water; mix until combined. Cover and let stand 20 minutes. Combine remaining 1/4 cup water and yeast in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly. add yeast mixture, oil, and salt to flour mixture; mix 5 minutes or until a soft dough forms. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover surface of dough with plastic wrap lightly coated in cooking spray. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Remove dough from refrigerator. Let stand, covered, 1 hour or until dough comes to room temperature. Punch dough down. Roll dough out to a 14x11-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Press dough into bottom and partially up sides of a 13x9 inch metal baking pan coated with cooking spray.

Basic Pizza Sauce

inspired by Cooking Light

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

5 cloves roasted garlic (learn how to roast garlic here - you will need two heads)

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes (go for the good stuff. San Marzano, Tuttorosso)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried basil

Our favorite toppings include turkey pepperoni, green bell pepper, fresh tomato, red onion, mozzarella cheese, roasted garlic and fresh basil.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Spread the cloves of one head of garlic onto the unbaked crust. Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded mozzarella over the sauce Spread pizza sauce evenly over cheese, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Arrange toppings as desired. Sprinkle with some chopped, fresh basil. Cover with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until crust is golden. Makes 8 very filling rectangles.

Whatever toppings you decide to use, do not forget about the roasted garlic crust or the fresh basil. They turn an ordinary pizza into a restaurant-quality, out of this world pizza.

Whole Wheat Garlic Swirl Bread

2010-05-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

I needed something to round out our meal last night and thought a nice bread would work just fine. I wasn't in the mood to deal with bringing the kids to the supermarket and I was sick of plain old whole wheat bread. My husband's favorite bread is garlic bread, so I decided to make a variation of that. What I came up with should probably be considered a World Wonder. I had to physically restrain myself from eating half the loaf. It made the house smell amazing too. I used the bread machine which made the entire recipe minimal as far as effort goes. This will be on our menu often.

This was the scene in my kitchen the entire time it was baking.

I won't lie and say that I wasn't doing the same thing.

Garlic Swirl Bread
makes 1 large loaf

Whole Wheat Bread:
3/4 cup water
3 T. butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. yeast

Add to bread machine in the order listed, taking care not to wet the yeast. Set to dough cycle and let finish.

Garlic Swirl ingredients:
3 T. butter or margarine, melted
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. italian seasoning

combine garlic, parmesan cheese and italian seasoning. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.

When dough cycle is complete, remove from bread machine and place onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a rectangle no larger than 9 inches wide. With a pastry brush, evenly coat dough with melted butter. Sprinkle with garlic and parmesan cheese mixture. Roll starting with the long side. Pinch the ends closed and place into greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake 10 minutes at 450 then reduce heat to 350 and bake for 30 minutes longer, or until bread is golden and sounds hollow when tapped.

You should probably let this cool completely before slicing, but I'm not really into following rules. My swirl separated because I cut it when still boiling lava hot. It was worth it. SO good.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-05-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

I've decided to join the Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie. I'm usually good about getting my menus planned in advance, but there are some weeks that I drop the ball and we end up eating take-out. Take-out isn't good for my waist line or my pocketbook, so becoming a part of this is my motivation to make sure it gets done.

We're nearing the end of the month and looking to eat up what we have in the freezer, fridge and pantry before we go out shopping once again. I stocked up on meats earlier in the month, so I have plenty left.

My husband is also going through law school finals this week (good luck!) so everything has to be easy to prepare on a moment's notice. I have no idea when he will be getting home each day and when he does get home, he's starving!

Monday: sweet and spicy chicken in the crock pot (freezer meal), brown rice, tossed salad

Tuesday: quesadillas using leftover sweet and spicy chicken, mexican rice

Wednesday: personal grilled pizza - toppings of choice, tossed salad

Thursday: Red beans and sausage, brown rice, tossed salad

Friday: Red beans and cornbread casserole - a variation of this using leftover red beans and sausage, broccoli slaw

Not a really impressive menu this week, but fast and healthy. Sometimes we all need a week off!

Health food to start the week

2010-05-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

I always like to start my week off on a good, healthy foot. Smoothies have been my go-to breakfast for a few weeks now. After some tweaking, I found a recipe that was excellent. It was sweet, packed with nutrition and it kept me full until lunch. I really like smoothies because they are an easy way to get in a lot of your fruit and vegetable servings and they don't weigh you down. I never feel like I should take a nap after a smoothie.

This recipe is a green smoothie. Don't let the color or the spinach throw you off. It packs a big nutritious punch and you can't even tell it is there.

You're getting so much Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Potassium with this smoothie. It is a great immune booster with all of the Vitamin C!

Also, as far as taste goes, I served it to the toughest of critics -- my kids. They both loved it and asked for more. My 3-year old loved the green color.

Green Smoothie
Serves 1

1/2 banana, peeled and broken into chunks
1/2 peach, frozen is fine
3 strawberries, hulled
1 kiwi, peeled and quartered
1 large handful raw baby spinach
enough liquid to get it moving (I usually use water, but you can use milk, almond milk, orange juice)
1/4 cup plain yogurt (feel free to substitute with flavored)

Put all of the fruits in the blender along with a little liquid. Pulse until smooth. Add baby spinach and, if necessary, a little more liquid. Pulse until well incorporated and the spinach is very finely chopped. Add yogurt and pulse a few more times until mixed.

Sunday Morning Pancakes

2010-05-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

Excuse me if I start to trail off, it is the breakfast coma setting in. Long night last night and rough morning with the kids warranted something decadent for breakfast....and this isn't even bad for you! In moderation of course. Don't eat the entire butter roll and then get mad at me when your pants don't fit.

I've tried many pancake recipes. I always gravitate towards whole wheat pancakes because they seem to fill me up faster and keep me full longer. Yay for unprocessed foods!

The best part about the pancakes is they are quick and easy. Tangy from the buttermilk and a bit nutty from the flour. Feel free to experiment with additions. My family is particularly fond of bananas added just before they get flipped so the bananas caramelize a bit. You could easily add blueberries, chocolate chips, peaches...get creative!

This morning, these pancakes were a vehicle for this amazing butter I made last night. I ran across a recipe for strawberry butter, but wanted to improve on it. I have a boatload of basil growing in my garden and love the combination of strawberries and basil. It might sound a little odd, but trust me. The basil adds such a refreshing touch to the strawberry and butter combination. It really cuts the richness of the butter. Feel free to experiment with the amounts of sugar or omit it completely if you have really sweet berries. I only had frozen but am anxious to try it with fresh. Unfortunately fresh berries never last long as my kids are scavengers at heart and can sense whenever they are in the house. If you are using frozen berries, it is imperative that they are thawed.

Let's get to it, shall we? Hungry kids await.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes
serves 4

1 cup whole wheat flour (use whole wheat pastry flour if you don't want the look of whole wheat)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
3 large egg whites
2 tsp. oil
1 T. honey
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, create a well and add wet ingredients. Stir until just mixed. Don't over-stir!

Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Use 1/4 cup measure to spoon out batter. When the batter starts to bubble, add your additions if you wish (bananas, chocolate chips, peaches..) When the edges set, flip.

Top with syrup, jam, honey or my favorite Strawberry-Basil Butter!

Strawberry-Basil Butter

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries (frozen MUST be thawed)
4 basil leaves
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined. Spoon into a bowl and refrigerate until firm. I would recommend making this the night before so it has time to set up.

Have a great Sunday! I'm going to work on picking up the pieces...

Amazing Shrimp Curry

2010-05-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

I can't extol the virtues of this enough. I could probably eat it 3-4 times a week and be completely happy. Shrimp is low calorie, high in flavor and cooks fast! It is really versatile as well, from a simple grilled shrimp salad to this flavorful, fiery shrimp curry. The possibilities are really endless.

The comes together fast. 15 minutes from start to finish. The most time intensive part is cooking your accompanying rice or tossing a salad. It is probably faster than sitting in the line at the drive-thru and MUCH more figure friendly.

This is a pretty basic coconut curry and would be a perfect slate for any of your favorite vegetables. Of course, you can just leave the vegetables out but they provide bulk and filling fiber without many calories. Opt for the veggies, your waistline and heart will thank you. Possible additions: sugar snap pea pods, julienned carrots, parboiled sweet potatoes, eggplant, etc. etc. etc. You could even change up the protein and make it with chicken, though I am partial to the shrimp. I love the subtle sweetness it provides.

Coconut Curry Shrimp
serves 4

1 tablespoon canola or peanut oil
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 tablespoons thai red curry paste
1 pound large shrimp (20-30 works fine)
6 oz. light coconut milk
2 teaspoons fish sauce (optional, but it really makes the dish)
5 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
kosher salt to taste

In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion and saute until just starting to get soft, about 2 minutes. Add curry paste and saute 1 minute until it just starts to get fragrant and is well incorporated. Add shrimp and garlic, season with a few pinches of kosher salt and saute about 2-3 minutes. Add coconut milk and fish sauce and mix well. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 2-3 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through. Remove from heat and mix in green onions and cilantro.

I served this with jasmine rice and a green salad.

Enjoy!

No-Bake Strawberry Lime Cheesecake

2010-04-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

I wanted to call this a margarita pie, but there isn't any tequila..and let's face it, a margarita with no tequila is just a lime slushy.

So, I started out with a no-bake cheesecake recipe from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes , which is seriously my favorite food blog right now. I obsessively check it to see if she has posted anything new. I've made a TON of things from it and they have all been phenomenal.

The original cheesecake was really good, but my husband isn't a huge fan of cream cheese (I have yet to figure out what planet he is from) so I knew that if I was going to make something that he would be excited about eating (read: I wouldn't have to eat the entire thing) I would have to jazz it up a bit. The end result was tangy and refreshing. It retained that creamy quality that I loved about the original, but had enough other flavors going on that it didn't overwhelm your mouth.

I think I just drooled a bit writing that. It is so, so good.

Strawberry-Lime No-Bake Cheesecake
Adapted from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
serves 8

8 oz. Cool-Whip Free (or whip your own heavy cream to stiff peaks, it won't be WW friendly this way)
8 oz. neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese), softened
9-inch reduced fat graham cracker pie crust (or make your own from the recipe here and just use Reduced Fat graham crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
zest from one lime
10 medium strawberries, hulled and halved

The easiest way to make this is in a food processor. I will include a blender/hand mixer version as well.

In the bowl of your food processor with the S blade, add the neufchatel cheese, Cool-Whip, sugar and lime juice. Pulse until just blended. Add the lime zest and strawberries. Pulse until blended and smooth. Don't worry if there are some small chunks of strawberry, they end up being little surprises in each slice.

Spoon mixture into pie crust, cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

If you don't have a food processor, it is still easy, but just takes a few more steps. Add strawberries to blender with just enough water to get it moving. Pulse until smooth.

In a large bowl put cream cheese, Cool-Whip, sugar and lime juice. Whip with a hand mixer until fluffy. Fold in lime zest and strawberries. Continue as written.

Sweet and Savory Citrus Chicken Fingers

2010-04-29T21:23:00.000-07:00

Oh, these are excellent. I wasn't paying attention one day and bought chicken fingers instead of chicken breasts. Instead of just using them instead, I thought I would make something special with them. They were a hit for lunch. They also froze really well, and were fast and easy to reheat later.

Sweet and Savory Citrus Chicken Fingers
makes about 20 strips

For marinade:
1/2 cup orange juice marinade
4 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of crushed red pepper flake

1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast tenderloins, or chicken breasts sliced lengthwise into strips

For coating:
5 cups frosted flake cereal
3/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (if using sweetened, omit brown sugar)
1 T. light brown sugar
1/2 T. curry powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Toss the chicken together with the orange juice concentrate, garlic and crushed red pepper.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs.

In a large bowl, combine the frosted flake crumbs, coconut, brown sugar, curry powder. Before beginning, set aside half the frosted flake mixture.

Dip the chicken into the egg and then into the crumb mixture. Place coated chicken on a greased, or parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat, adding more crumb mixture as needed.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until crispy and baked through.

To freeze: bake, and then flash freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. When frozen, place into a freezer bag. To reheat, either microwave or bake until warm.

Cow Pie Cookies

2010-04-29T20:21:00.002-07:00

These cookies look disgusting...but are so, so tasty. Ooey gooey and filled with chocolatey, coconutey, peanut buttery goodness. I could eat them all day. Thankfully C1 loves to make them for me. As yummy as they are, the absolute BEST part about them is that they are no-bake and only dirty one pot. Talk about convenient. They do take a bit of time in the refrigerator or freezer though, so plan accordingly. I recommend having them on hand at all times in case that craving hits. My son can do most of this recipe himself with supervision.

Cow Pie Cookies
makes 20 cookies

4 Tablespoons butter or margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sweetened, dried coconut flakes

Combine butter, brown sugar, cocoa powder and milk in a large saucepan (large enough to hold all of the oats and such). Bring to a boil and keep at a boil for 3 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture looks smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, peanut butter, oats and coconut. Drop in large spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or freeze for 2. Keep cool as they start to melt when they get warm.

Pizza Pockets

2010-04-29T20:21:00.001-07:00

It is embarrassing to look at the date of my last post. Life sure has a way of getting in the way of blogging sometimes (those kids, man, they sure like to hang around!) We've also started our first year homeschooling. Factor in a one year old who will just not.sit.still.ever. and a husband in law school, it all adds up to a mama who doesn't have much motivation to sit and blog. Cooking has been more about sustenance than art.

I have missed it. Cooking gives me an outlet, and blogging gives me even more of one. There is something about having some good music on, a glass of wine and a big knife that I just adore.

So, Dear Readers....or probably more like Reader, let us get to it! I have so much that I want to share with you and so many recipes that I've been dying to make.

--

This is my 3-year old's favorite thing in the entire world. The possibilities are endless with the different fillings. My favorite is a chicken, spinach and fresh mozzarella version while my sons like the basic pepperoni, sauce and cheese version.

Everyone has their own favorite pizza dough recipe. I make mine in the bread maker for ease and consistency.

Crusty Pizza Dough
adapted from The Bread Machine Cookbook

1 1/3 cups water
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
2 cups bread flour
2 cups whole wheat flour (I like stone ground)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. yeast

Add ingredients in order given to bread machine pan. Start dough cycle.

Pull off small balls, just enough to fit in the palm of your hand and roll into a circle about 6 inches in diameter.

Add 1 T. of your favorite marinara or pizza sauce - jarred is fine. I've also used pesto and alfredo sauce before with wonderful results. Let your imagination work on this one.

Add 1 T. of cheese. The pictures show a plain, pepperoni pizza pocket. I've used a mozzarella, but shredded it myself because I find that it just melts better. If I am feeling particularly decadent, I will go for fresh mozzarella and Parmesan. oh my yum.

Now is where you can really let your imagination flow. Fill it with whatever you like on your pizzas. Olives, vegetables, chicken, ham, pepperoni, sausage....just remember that you have to seal the pizza pocket after you are done filling, so don't go too crazy. I've opted for simply pepperoni in this one, but my favorite includes cooked chicken, some fresh baby spinach, a basil leaf and fresh Parmesan.

After you are finished filling it, fold it in half and seal the edges with a fork.

Place sealed pockets on a baking sheet. Make sure your oven is preheated to 400 degrees and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden and crispy. The seals will most likely break open a bit and spill some filling out, but they are still really tasty.

These are great for cooking with kids. My 3-year old can make these almost by himself. He loves to put the filling in and seal them up.

I usually serve them with extra pizza sauce for dunking.

Quick and Easy Mandarin Mu Shu Pork

2010-04-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

In the name of time, I decided to forgo making mandarin pancakes and used flour tortillas instead. It made for a quick and easy dinner perfect for busy weeknights.

They are very flavorful and the use of pork tenderloin leaves them low in fat. Skip the tortillas and they are low in carbs as well.

Quick and Easy Mandarin Mu Shu Pork
serves 6

12 8-inch flour tortillas
6 T. reduced sodium soy sauce
2 T. corn starch
1.5 lbs. pork tenderloin
2 tsp. cooking oil
1 tsp. hot chili oil OR crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups packaged, shredded cabbage with carrot (coleslaw mix)
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup sliced green onions
plum sauce to serve

Wrap tortillas tightly in foil. Heat in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until warm and soft.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together the soy sauce and cornstarch. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into bite-size strips. Add the meat to the soy mixture; toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Pour cooking oil and chili oil or crushed red pepper into a medium skillet. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Stir-fry meat and garlic in hot oil for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of cabbage, the sprouts, and green onions. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until meat is slightly pink in the center and vegetables are crisp tender. Remove from heat.

Place the remaining cabbage in the centers of the tortillas. Spoon the pork mixture over the cabbage. Roll up burrito style. Serve with the plum sauce.

Indian Butter Chicken - Lightened

2010-04-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

Ah. Butter Chicken. Spicy, rich, flavorful...fattening.

My jeans have been fitting better lately, and I would like to keep it that way. After The Husband and I went to an Indian restaurant, I've been having a craving for Butter Chicken but have been too scared about botching my diet to make it. I decided to give in...but experiment a little.

The result was just as creamy and flavorful as the original, and about 600 calories per serving lighter. That is something I can work with!

I served with coconut basmati rice to combat the spice of the chicken.

Indian Butter Chicken - Lightened!
serves 4

1/4 cup butter, divided
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 can evaporated skim milk
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. garam masala

1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks
1 T. vegetable oil
2 T. tandoori masala (if you cannot find this, substitute hot curry powder)

cilantro for garnish

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Stir in onion and cook slowly until caramelized. Add in garlic and cook for one minute longer. Remove from pan and set aside.

Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet along with tomato sauce, evaporated milk, cayenne pepper, salt and garam masala. Bring to a simmer (do not let it boil, the milk will break), then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in caramelized onions.

While the sauce is simmering, toss cubed chicken with vegetable oil and spread on a large baking sheet. Season with tandoori masala (or curry powder). Bake until no longer pink in the center, about 12 minutes. Once done, add the chicken to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes longer.

Garnish with cilantro.

Chicken Marsala

2010-04-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again. Time for short days and brisk evenings. Time for hearty, full-flavored foods.

The star in this chicken marsala is the mushrooms. Slowly simmered in the marsala until they soak up every last bit of flavor. I could eat a plate of them by themselves.

The chicken stays moist and falls apart at the touch of a fork. No knives necessary.

With this recipe, err on the side of caution and make more than you think you should. It will be eaten.

Chicken Marsala
serves 6

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 T. olive oil
3 T. salted butter
1 onion, sliced thin
1 lb. white mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 cup marsala wine -- use real marsala wine for the best flavor, avoid the cooking wine. The differences of flavor are inexplicable.
1 cup chicken stock
minced fresh parsley for garnish

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large heavy skillet heat oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown chicken in 2 batches, transferring with tongs to a large plate as browned.

Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and sauté onion and mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated. Add Marsala and cook mixture, stirring, until Marsala is almost evaporated. Add broth and chicken with any juices that have accumulated on plate and simmer, turning chicken once, until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken with tongs to a platter.

Simmer mushroom sauce until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and salt and pepper to taste, stirring until butter is just incorporated. Spoon mushroom sauce around chicken and sprinkle with parsley.

Asian Lettuce Cups

2010-04-29T20:13:00.000-07:00

I've been on an Asian bender lately. Bulgogi, curries, you name it, I've made it. I've made some great recipes and some not so great ones. This stood out - it is easy, quick and flavorful.

My family eats these up like nobody's business. It is also great cold for lunch the next day.

Asian Lettuce Cups
adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen
serves 6-8

1 T. vegetable oil
3 T. minced shallots or red onion
2 T. minced garlic (3-4 cloves)
2 T. fresh ginger, grated (I keep my ginger, peeled, in the freezer and then just grate what I need)
2 lbs. ground turkey (all white meat is preferable)
4 T. soy sauce, low sodium
1 T. sriracha, or other chile-garlic sauce
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 small can water chestnuts, chopped
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1 large head or 2 small heads butter lettuce (iceberg works too, but is harder to eat)

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more.

Add ground turkey to the pan, break apart and spread out with a wooden spoon. Add soy sauce and sriracha. Cook until turkey is browned and cooked through - about 5 minutes.

After turkey is cooked, add water chestnuts and chopped cilantro. Cook 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Serve turkey filling and lettuce leaves in separate bowls. To eat, fill lettuce leaves with turkey filling and sprinkle with peanuts.

I served this with roasted carrots and wheat berries

Coconut Pineapple Cream Tart

2010-04-29T20:12:00.002-07:00

This got a resounding "WOW!" from my husband and son. The last bits were eaten over the sink before bed with the knife used to cut it.

The original recipe called for shortening in the crust. Shortening in pie crusts is the way to go. I know butter would seem like the best choice, but shortening produces the flakiest, most flavorful crust. That being said, I used butter simply because I did not have the shortening on hand. Boy, it was a flavorful crust. It tasted like a shortbread cookie, and while it wasn't as flaky as shortening would have been the flavor worked well with the filling.

Coconut Pineapple Tart
adapted from Cooking Light
serves 8

Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
3 T. ice water
2 T. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter, cut into small chunks

Filling:
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple in pineapple juice, drained and juice reserved
1/4 cup sugar
1 T. cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 T. cream of coconut
1/4 tsp. coconut extract
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 carton whipping cream
2 T. sugar
1/4 cup flaked, sweetened coconut, toasted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1/4 cup flour and water; stir with a whisk until slurry is blended.

Combine 3/4 cup flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add slurry; mix with a fork until flour mixture is moist.

Press mixture gently into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap, and cover with additional plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into a 12-inche circle. Freeze ten minutes.

Remove one sheet of plastic wrap, and fit dough into a 9-inch tart pan coated with cooking spray. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Cut excess dough off edges of tart pan. Line dough with aluminum foil and arrange pie weights or dried beans on foil. Bake at 425 degrees for 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove pie weights and foil from crust; cool crust on a wire rack.

To prepare filling: put pineapple, reserved juice, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high until thickened. Spoon into prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour until set.

In a saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add milk and bring to a slow boil. Cook one minute, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add about 1/3 hot custard to beaten eggs, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return egg mixture to pan. Cook two minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove mixture from heat; stir in cream of coconut and extracts. Spoon mixture on top of pineapple mixture. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap and chill until set (about two hours).

In a large bowl, beat whipping cream and sugar until firm peaks form. Spread evenly over filling.

Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

2010-04-29T20:12:00.001-07:00

While I do make meat lasagna once in awhile, this is my go-to recipe. It is light and doesn't require running 10k afterward just so you can fit into your pants in the morning.

Preparing the eggplant is the key to this being a really great lasagna. The bigger the lasagna, the more crucial this step. The bigger an eggplant gets, the more bitter the seeds become. Preparing it takes most of the bitter liquid out of the seeds and instead of the eggplant slices getting mushy, they stand up to the roasting and have more of the consistency of lasagna noodles.

Feel free to include whatever vegetables you have lying around. I've used broccoli, fresh and frozen spinach, fresh tomatoes, green beans, etc.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
Serves 8

1 large eggplant, cut vertically into 10 slices
salt

2 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 pound white mushrooms, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil, chiffonaded
2 T. olive oil
1 large (32 oz.) can whole tomatoes
3 T. tomato paste (I use concentrated tomato paste in a tube)
1 t. sugar
salt and pepper to taste

2 cups low fat cottage cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 T. dried basil
2 T. dried parsley
1 t. fresh cracked black pepper

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Prepare the eggplant by salting liberally after slicing. Wait 20-30 minutes until all of the excess moisture is drawn from the slices. Rinse with water and pat dry.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put vegetables onto a roasting pan and toss with 1 T. olive oil. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Set aside. Roast eggplant slices on another baking sheet at the same time.

While vegetables are roasting, heat 1 T. olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, sugar, parsley and basil. Stir occasionally until the tomatoes are broken down and heated thoroughly. Stir the roasted vegetables into the tomato sauce. Adjust flavors (you may need to add a bit more sugar if it is too acidic, or salt if it needs more flavor).

Combine the cottage cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese, pepper, parsley and basil. Make sure egg is thoroughly mixed.

Assemble by putting down a few spoonfuls of the sauce mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Lay 5 slices of eggplant side by side. Cover with half the cheese mixture. Top with half of the sauce. Cover with 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers once more, ending with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Breakfast on a Stick!

2010-04-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

We are missing the Minnesota State Fair this year. Boo-hoo. In honor of it, I made Breakfast On A Stick for a special weekend brunch.

On a whim, I bought a giant box of french toast sticks at Sam's Club. The thing about Sam's, I never think about how I'm going to store the giant boxes when I get home. The french toast sticks took up three quarters of my freezer space. I only had space for ice. Instead of eating all of the chicken and steaks in one day, I decided to use up a bunch of the french toast sticks and this was a great way to do so.

My son enjoyed it because it could be served and eaten in front of Curious George. Anything that doesn't take him away from cartoons is a big hit in his book. It was also sweet enough that it didn't need to be dipped, although I served it with both applesauce and real maple syrup.

French Toast and Fruit Skewers
serves 4

30 french toast sticks or 6 pieces of french toast cut into 5 pieces, cut those sticks into thirds
fresh fruit (I used grapes, bananas, raspberries and granny smith apples)
wooden skewers, halved

Cut or break skewers in half.

alternate pieces of french toast with pieces of fruit.

Serve with apple sauce and/or syrup for dipping. Jam would be good as well!

big hit!

The Most Basic Chicken Salad: Improved

2010-04-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

With Summer in Louisiana dragging on like it tends to do most days call for light, cool recipes. Chicken salad is a favorite around here. I tend to make tons of different variations hoping for something better, but I always come back to this recipe. I was supposed to take a pretty picture...but it was eaten before I could. It is that good.

This is what was left after Dr. hubs and C1 had their way with it.

I use a rotisserie chicken because it is easy. If you are in the mood and don't mind heating up the house, don't hesitate to roast some chicken breasts or hell, even a whole chicken! Don't say it took too long, though, because I churn this thing out in 5 minutes flat.

Curried Chicken Salad
serves 4

1 rotisserie chicken, any flavor
1 15 oz. can mandarin oranges
15 grapes, halved
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I tend to favor almonds, but cashews and pecans are both excellent)
2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise (use the real stuff)
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
2 t. parsley (don't measure, just throw some in)
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by pulling all the meat off of the chicken. Use only the white meat or a combination of white and dark. Throw the carcass in the freezer for stock.

Add chicken, oranges, grapes, nuts, and celery to a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine mayonnaise, curry powder, brown sugar, parsley, salt and pepper. Add mayonnaise mixture to chicken mixture. Combine and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (a few hours is best).

I like to have it on toasted whole grain bread, dressed with spinach and honey mustard.

Spicy Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

2010-04-29T20:04:00.000-07:00

Talk about a satisfying sandwich! This sandwich is based on a Cajun Chicken Caesar Sandwich recipe from Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely. I love her cookbook. It was a Christmas gift from my Sister-in-law and I've used it religiously ever since. So much so that it is falling apart at the seams and I'm considering ditching the duct tape and having it rebound.

Spicy Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
serves 6

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 T. cumin
1 T. chipotle chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano (preferably mexican, but regular will do)
1 tsp. sucanat (crystallized sugar cane juice - if you don't have this, substitute an equal amount of brown sugar)
1/4 lb. peppered thick cut bacon, cooked
caesar dressing (use bottled or make your own - it doesn't make a lot of difference in this recipe)
romaine lettuce
Parmesan cheese
tomatoes (optional)
6 hoagie buns
3 T. butter
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the cumin, chili powder, oregano, garlic and onion powders and sucanat - rub on chicken breasts. Place on a baking sheet and roast until no longer pink and juices run clear - approximately 25-30 minutes.

Cut hoagie buns and slather 1/2 T of butter on the cut sides. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top of the butter and place cut side up in the oven until toasted - 5-6 minutes.

When the chicken is finished roasting, slice and assemble the sandwich. Spread some Caesar dressing on the toasted sides of the bun. Place a few slices of tomato and some lettuce on a bun, top with a slice or two of bacon and a few slices of chicken. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and serve.

I served this with fresh tomato slices and roasted red potatoes.

Kids Choice Night: Taco Stuffed Shells

2010-04-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight was my 3 year old son, C1's turn to choose what we had for dinner. It was a mighty big leap of faith to let him choose - there is no telling what we will end up having. Last time I let him choose, he wanted toothpaste and toddler vitamins. I'm sure it would have tasted fantastic. When he chooses real food, it is almost always mexican - or spaghetti. Tonight he chose the best of both worlds with Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells. I first found the recipe on Blog Chef and modified it just a bit to suit our tastes (and what we had on hand).

This is ultimate kid food. Easy, quick to prepare and fun! It is small enough that they can hold it in their hands (after it cools of course) - which makes it fun finger food for lunch the next day. C1 can prepare a lot of it by himself (save for the parts that need to be done on the stove or in the oven) and really likes to crush the chips over the top.

Taco Stuffed Shells
Serves 4

1lb ground beef (or ground turkey, I usually use whichever is on sale)
1 package taco seasoning (I make my own and just use 1/4 cup, recipe here)
1 4 ounce package neufchatel cream cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese)
12 large pasta shells
1 cup salsa (I usually make my own, my favorite salsa recipe is here)
1 cup taco sauce (I use Rotel if I don't have taco sauce on hand)
1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 cup Monterey jack cheese (shredded)
1 ½ cups tortilla chips (crushed)
shredded lettuce, tomatoes, chopped black olives, onions, sour cream, etc. for garnish

In large skillet, brown ground beef. When browned, add taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water. Add neufchatel cheese and stir occasionally until melted and thoroughly incorporated. While the ground beef is browning, put a large pot of water to boil and prepare pasta shells according to manufacturers instructions. Set both aside to cool.

(note, the mixture was fully cool and the burner off before he stirred it)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare a baking dish (I use a 8x11-inch glass dish) by spreading the taco sauce on the bottom of the dish. When the ground beef and shells are cool, fill the pasta shells with a tablespoon or so of the ground beef mixture and set into the baking dish.

Put a little salsa over each shell and then cover with crushed tortilla chips (hell yes I used generic...hubs hasn't graduated from law school yet!) and cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

As C1 would say "MMMM, dat's good Momma!"

oh.mah.gah. Chocolate Truffle Cake

2010-04-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

I present to you: Chocolate Truffle Cake.

The Chocolate Truffle Cake is an almost flourless cake with loads of decadent chocolate. To say it is chocolaty is an understatement. It is most definitely a "to be shared" type dessert.

I had two bars of Sharffenberger dark chocolate that I was saving for a special occasion. What better time than the launch of my blog to dive in. I wanted something that would showcase the chocolate, and this did so beautifully.

I garnished with raspberries and whipped cream, but thought strawberries or even oranges would be great. I think the next time I make it, I'll add some orange zest to the batter to cut the richness a bit and add another layer of flavor.

Chocolate Truffle Cake
This recipe yields 1 8-inch round cake

5 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Sharffenberger 70% dark chocolate)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder (the recipe specified dutch-process but I did not have any on hand, so I used Hershey's special dark)
2 T. all purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
4 large egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar
confectioners sugar, whipping cream, fresh berries to garnish

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Grease an 8x2-inch round cake pan )not a springform and line the bottom with parchment.

Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Combine the sugar (2/3 cup), cocoa powder, and flour in a small heavy saucepan. Stir in just enough milk to make a paste, then stir in the rest. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent scorching. Reduce the heat and simmer very gently, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Immediately pour the hot mixture over the chopped chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is completely smooth. Whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla.

Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup sugar gradually, and continue beating on high speed until the peaks are stiff but not dry. Use a rubber spatula to fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining whites. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly.

Bake for exactly 30 minutes, the top of the cake will have a thin crust and the interior will still be gooey. Set the cake pan on a rack to cool completely, then refrigerate until chilled, or overnight. Invert the cake onto a plate and peel off the paper liner. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve with whipping cream and berries.

YUM!

Corsican Beef Stew

2010-04-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

This is fabulous. Really fabulous. There are many beef stew recipes out there and they are much the same - give or take a few baby carrots or cream of something soups. This beef stew recipe abandons tradition in favor of garlic, bacon, mushrooms and wine...lots of wine.

When I ate it, I tasted the smokiness of the bacon first, then the tang of the tomato paste and the background was amok with the piquant rosemary and the earthy mushrooms. The cinnamon really shone in this recipe, there wasn't much but it really rounded out the flavors. Just a small sprinkling of good Parmesan on top really made a difference. The mushrooms and onions slightly melt into the wine and create a mellow, mouthwatering gravy that coats the pasta wonderfully.

This recipe serves 4 - or 2 if you have a husband like mine

Ingredients:

6 garlic cloves
2# stewing beef, cut into 2 inch pieces
4 oz. thick bacon cut into strips
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, sliced
1# portobello mushrooms
1-1/2 cups dry white wine
2 Tbsp passata (see note)
pinch of ground cinnamon
sprig of rosemary
1 bay leaf
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt
ground black pepper
1# of large, tubular pasta (I like rigatoni)

Cut three of the garlic cloves into thin strips and insert into the pieces of beef by making little slits with a sharp knife. Push the pieces of bacon into the beef with the garlic. Season the meat with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan, add half the beef and brown well on all sides. Repeat with the remaining beef. Transfer to a plate. Add the sliced onions to the pan and cook until lightly browned. Crush the remaining garlic and add to the onions with the meat.

Stir in the white wine, mushrooms, cinnamon, rosemary and bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook gently for about 30 minutes, stirring often. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer very gently for 3 hours, until the meat is very tender.

Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling, salted water for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Lift the pieces of meat out of the gravy and transfer to a warmed serving platter. Drain the pasta and layer in a bowl with the gravy and cheese. Serve with the meat.

note: passata is a cooked tomato concentrate. You may be able to find it in a well stocked Italian supermarket or just substitute tomato paste.

Buttered Bruschetta

2010-04-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

Whether you pronounce it broo-she-ta or broo-ske-ta, one thing is true: It is delicious. Bruschetta just screams summer. This bruschetta is different as it is made with butter instead of olive oil and the bread is pan fried instead of broiled. The result is crispy, garlicky, rich bread with a refreshing topping of juicy tomatoes and pungent basil. Finish with a little lemon zest and Parmesan cheese.

Makes about 25 if you use a baguette, 6 if you use a french bread

Ingredients:

4 T. salted butter
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 baguette or french bread, sliced
1 large tomato (I used a medium sized brandywine), chopped
15 basil leaves
2 T. balsamic vinegar
lemon zest and/or Parmesan cheese to finish
salt and fresh cracked pepper

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic. Add bread in a single layer. When bread gets golden and crispy, remove from pan and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, add tomatoes. Chiffonade basil and add to tomatoes. Add balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon tomato mixture on top of bread rounds. Garnish and serve immediately.