Fresh Berry Fun

I'm a big salty and sweet person. Peanut butter and chocolate. Pretzels and frosting. In fact, I just found this site that gives some other unusual combos: 24 Unexpectedly Awesome Sweet and Salty Combos.

Is there some combo you can't live without? Well, in that vein. I have a lot of recipes for sauces paired with meat that involve fruit. It gives you that natural sugar taste with the savory/salt aspect of whatever spices you rub on the meat.

I believe you could use this for more than just pork chops. Perhaps chicken or beef or even a pork roast, especially since it's a sauce you put on top at the end, after your meat is cooked.

 Blackberry Sauced Pork Chops

Ingredients:
1/2 c. blackberry jam/jelly                   1 tbsp. lemon juice                     1 tbsp. soy sauce
dash cinnamon                                   4 pork chops                               2 tsp. steak seasoning
2 tsp. olive oil                                      1 c. fresh blackberries

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the jam/jelly, lemon juice, soy sauce and cinnamon.
2. Cook and stir over low heat until jam/jelly is melted.
3. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with steak seasoning.
5. In a large skillet, cook chops in oil over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes.
6. Serve with sauce and blackberries. 

Obviously if you are using this for a roast, which will take longer to cook, I'd wait until your roast is close to coming out of the oven so that your sauce stays warm.

As always, have fun!

Mom's Favorites: Eating Healthy

Here's one more idea for tomorrow's big day. A grill recipe that packs a lot of flavor but is healthy too. Seafood lovers ... get ready for a fresh, sweet seafood recipe.

Seafood is always a great last minute meal as well as it usually is a quick defrost.  It only needs to marinate for about an hour and in the blink of an eye it cooks easily and quickly on the grill.  Pair it with a fresh fruit relish and you'll delight your mom for sure!

Brown Sugar Salmon & Strawberries

Ingredients:
1/3 c. packed brown sugar       1 tbsp. oil       1 tsp. ground mustard      1 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. salt                               4 salmon filets (5 oz. each)
1 tbsp. fresh mint                      1 tbsp. oil      1 tbsp. lemon juice            2 tsp. lemon peel
1/8 tsp. sugar         1 c. finely chopped strawberries            1 small cucumber, finely chopped

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients.
2. Rub over the flesh side of the salmon.
3. Refrigerate, covered, for an hour.
4. For the relish, in another bowl, mix mint, oil, lemon juice and sugar.
5. Add strawberries & cucumber. 
6. Toss to coat.
7. Place salmon on grill, skin side down.
8. Grill, covered, over medium high heat for 8-10 minutes or until flesh flakes easily with a fork.
9. Serve with the relish.

Now that you've had a week of easy recipes to guide you, go forth and celebrate your mom. And to all you moms, grandmas, aunts and surrogate moms out there - enjoy your day!

As always, have fun!

Mom's Favorites: Marinade the Easy Way or the Hard Way

Ok so tonight I'm going back to the marinade well with 2 different recipes that go excellent on chicken. For those of you who don't fancy yourselves as chefs, one will most definitely intimidate you more than the other. I say they are both easy to do .. you just need to get over your fear of strange ingredients. I highly recommend both as they have unique flavors and you'll think you just got some restaurant quality food!

Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce/Marinade

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped               2 tbsp. oil                      2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. water                                      1/4 c. peanut butter      1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. chili powder                          2 tbsp. lemon juice       2 tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender.
2. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
3. Add water, peanut butter, sugar and chili powder. 
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until slightly thick.
6. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, soy sauce and salt. 
7. Marinate your chicken in it and reserve some for dipping.

Tandoori Yogurt Marinade (get ready to check out your spice aisle!)

Ingredients:

1 tsp. chili powder            1 tsp. ground turmeric          1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. garam masala        1 tsp. cinnamon                    4 onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced    1 1/4 c. plain yogurt              juice of 2 lemons

5 tbsp. peanut oil             5 tbsp. tomato paste             2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. ginger                     2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Mix all the dry spices together.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir thoroughly.
3. Pour over meat and cover tightly.
4. Let marinate for up to 2 hours for fish/seafood or overnight for meat or poultry.

See....both are easy to whip up. But, I guarantee the Tandoori one has you quaking in your boots. You may just have to get adventurous in that spice aisle and/or the international aisle.  If you've ever had Indian food, you'll know this is well worth it. And, added bonus, for spending that extra money in the spice aisle, I promise you I will share my chicken tikka masala recipe so you have 2 reasons to keep garam masala and turmeric in your cabinet.

As always, have fun!

Mom's Favorites: Ribs

I confess. I'm not a big red meat eater. I like a good steak now and then but it's not the thing that I "have to have". That's always made it interesting when we go to steak houses for dinner. At the Hilltop, I always got the seafood casserole. When we went to Ruth Chris for New Year's, I had salmon. When we go to Lonestar or Texas Roadhouse, I almost always get ribs. 

I love ribs and rubs and sauces. When they are done right, the meat just about falls off the bone! I'm also a sweet and savory kind of gal too, so my bbq sauce tends to run in the honey bbq family. Tonight's entry combines these two of my favorite things and adds a whopper of a hot kick with the chipolte!

Honey Chipolte Ribs

Ingredients:
6 lbs. pork baby back ribs   3 c. ketchup       2 bottles Guinness beer   2 c. bbq sauce
1 small onion, chopped      2/3 c. honey       1/4 c. Worcestershire       2 tbsp. dijon mustard  
2 tbsp. chopped chipolte peppers in adobo  4 tsp. ground chipolte pepper
1 tsp. salt                           1 tsp. garlic powder      1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1.  .Wrap ribs in large pieces of heavy duty foil.
2. Seal edges and grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 1-1 1/2 hrs.
3. In a large saucepan, combine the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until thick stirring occasionally.
5. Carefully remove ribs from foil and place over direct heat.
6. Baste with some of the sauce.
7. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 30 minutes or until browned, turning once and basting occasionally with additional sauce.
8. Serve with remaining sauce.

There's not much else to say except...YUM!

As always, have fun!                  

Mom's Favorites: Eat Your Veggies

Who among us got sick of hearing dear old Mom say "you have to eat all your vegetables." With my intense dislike of most all cooked vegetables growing up, this got to be an interesting adventure pretty quick.  I stuck with carrot and celery sticks and all things salad related. It was much safer.

In the meantime, sometime in my teens I discovered eggplant courtesy of the Chateau restaurant. Oh what I wouldn't give for some Chateau bread right now, but that's a whole different blog post! I ate eggplant parmesan by the truckload.  I had a friend tell me once while we were having a birthday lunch that I didn't have to eat it just because it was cheap. I laughed....I would take eggplant parm over chicken parm any day of the week!

So, here's a different spin on eggplant, still in the Italian family.

Eggplant Calabrese

Ingredients:
1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 in. pieces        1/2 tsp. salt                      1/3 c. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter          1 small onion, chopped        2 garlic cloves, minced    1 pkg mushrooms 
35 oz. can crushed tomatoes with basil              1 lb. bow tie pasta, cooked and drained
1 c. shredded mozzarella

Directions:

1. Place eggplant in a bowl and sprinkle with salt, stir to coat.
2. In a skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium heat.
3. Add onion and garlic and saute until lightly browned.
4. Add eggplant, mushrooms, salt and pepper.
5. Cook for 25 minutes, until tender.
6. Add crushed tomatoes - stir to combine and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Pour eggplant mixture over pasta.
8. Sprinkle cheese on top.

A tasty treat with no meat! As always, have fun!   

Mom's Favorites: Cinco de Mayo

Ok, so you are thinking ... what if Mom is crazy and doesn't actually want something cooked on the grill. Perish the thought I know! Well, here's another neat trick - use her own recipe on her. If it's a family favorite, then certainly it's one of her favorites or why would she cook it so much? 

So, in honor of my mom and Cinco de Mayo...you get one of her recipes. I don't know where she got, if she made it up or what but it's really easy and really good!

Taco Pie

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground meat             1/2 c. chopped onion            1 envelope taco mix
4 oz. green chilis              1 1/4 c. milk                           3/4 c. bisquick
3 eggs                               2 tomatoes, sliced                1 c. shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Grease a pie plate.
2. Cook beef & onion until brown and drain.
3. Add taco mix.
4. Spread in pie plate.
5. Top with chilis.
6. Beat milk, bisquick and eggs until smooth.
7. Pour into pie plate.
8. Cook at 400 for 25 minutes.
9. Add the cheese and tomato with 10 minutes left.

See...it's so easy you could call it easy bake pie...well I bet it tastes better than what came out of an easy bake oven. Just sayin!

As always, have fun!

Mom's Favorites: Jalapeno Popper Burgers

So, tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. How about some jalapeno in your dinner? Tonight and tomorrow are Mexican inspired dishes that Mom will be sure to love! And, of course, burgers on the grill are another Mom favorite so you really can't go wrong. 

Jalapeno Popper Burgers

Ingredients:
3 jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded       1 tsp. olive oil      3 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled           1 tsp. salt             2 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning                     1/2 tsp. pepper    1/4 tsp. paprika
2 lbs. ground beef or turkey                           8 buns, slices of jack cheese and lettuce leaves
1 large tomato, sliced                                    3/4 c. guacamole

Note: I changed this to reflect 8 burgers instead of 4. I found 4 1/2 lb burgers to be unwieldy. Let me know which way you do it.

Directions:

1. Brush jalapenos with oil. 
2. Grill, over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, turning occasionally.
3. When cool enough, finely chop.
4. In a small bowl, combine bacon, cream cheese, and jalapeno until blended.
5. In a large bowl, combine garlic, salt, lemon pepper, pepper and paprika.
6. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.
7. Shape into 16 thin patties.
8. Spoon bacon mixture on to half of the patties.
9. Top with the remaining patties and press edges firmly to seal.
10. Grill the burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 inn. from heat for 6-7 minutes on each side.
11. Top with cheese and cover and cook 1-2 minutes longer.
12. Grill buns, cut side down, until toasted.
13. Serve burgers on buns with lettuce, tomato and guacamole.

Mom's Favorites: Chili Lime Flank Steak

By now, you are realizing next Sunday is Mother's Day and that you've put off trying to figure out what to do to honor your mom for a bit too long. With gorgeous weather like this, I bet many of you are starting to grill your dinners. Perhaps mom would love a homemade meal, especially one off the grill. Besides, quality time of a family meal together is always high on any mother's list!

Chili Lime Flank Steak

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil                  2 crushed garlic cloves               1 tbsp. chili powder             
1 tsp. cumin                      1/2 tsp. pepper                            3/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. lime juice               1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce           1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. honey                    2 tbsp. chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Combine oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin and pepper in a bowl.
2. Warning: if you don't love a ton of heat in your marinade, cut the amount of chili powder down. This is a hot recipe.
3. Place steak in a shallow baking dish. 
4. Pour chili mixture over and spread to coat both sides.
5. Let sit 1 hour or cover and refrigerate overnight.
6. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with a 1/2 tsp. salt.
7. Grill 4-5 minutes on each side for medium.
8. Remove to cutting board to stand 10 minutes.
9. Combine remaining salt, lime juice, hot pepper sauce, vinegar, honey and cilantro.
10. Whisk until blended.
11. Serve with sauce on the side to drizzle over.

100 Posts ... 100 Cans

So, today's post is #100. It's hard to believe I've done this 100 days so far and even more so that I'm still enjoying the ride. 

I kept trying to think of a special way to commemorate the 100th post.  My friend Julie found the perfect connection. Andy Warhol and his 100 Cans painting. He was pretty famous for making art out of Campbell's soup cans, so in his honor, your dinner will be a piece of art too!

Mushroom Beef Stew

Ingredients:
1 lb. beef stew meat                1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix       2 4 oz. cans of sliced mushroms, drained
Hot cooked egg noodles

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except egg noodles in crockpot.
2. Cover and cook on low 8 - 10 hours.
3. Serve over noodles.

How easy was that? My one piece of advice is to keep an eye on that beef. All of my crockpot recipes seem to suggest long cook times. However, beef cooks up pretty quickly regardless. Even on low, you'll find it probably won't take nearly the 8 hours. It also depends on how you like your meat. If you need it well done, then I'm sure you'll probably end up closer to the 8 hours, but if you are like me and want the meat moist, it really is important to keep an eye on it.

As always, have fun!

Quick Dessert

Have a sweet craving that won't quit? Need a relatively quick and simple dessert you can take to a pitch in?  Perhaps you're just a cheese addict. Don't worry - this recipe will fill all your needs!

Dessert Cheese Ball

Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened            1/2 c. butter, softened              1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. confectionery sugar                  2 tbsp. brown sugar                  8 oz. chocolate chips
chopped pecans                                 graham crackers

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except pecans and graham crackers.
2. Roll into a ball and refrigerate until firm.
3. Roll ball in the chopped pecans
4. Serve with graham crackers.

Like I said, easy right? As always, have fun!

Sweet, Spicy and Cheesy?

Sometimes you don't have a reason for picking a recipe. Sometimes it's just luck of the draw as you flip through your box, hoping something will inspire you.  My sausage and potatoes recipes caught my eye but I don't really have anything profound to say about either. I will warn you the sausage patties come with some kick! Actually, both recipes do.

Paprika, red pepper, cayenne and hot sauce give these recipes some heat but I'm not a huge fan of heat, so know that the quantities listed won't leave you begging for water. Of course, you can always add in spice and heat if that's what you are into!

Sweet & Spicy Sausage Patties

Ingredients:
1 tsp. onion powder           1 tsp. garlic powder      1 tsp. red pepper           1/2 tsp. fennel
1/4 tsp. paprika                  1 tsp. salt                      1/4 tsp. black pepper     1 lb. ground meat
1 tbsp. & 1 tsp. brown sugar                                   1 tsp. olive oil

Directions:

1. Mix your meat with all the seasonings.
2. Portion it into 8 balls.
3. Flatten each ball to 1/8 in. thick.
4. Heat oil over medium high heat.
5. Sear patties on one side until caramelized about 2 minutes.
6. Flip to cook 1 minute more.

Cheesy Vacation Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 potatoes, sliced 1/8 in. thick          oil and salt, to taste             

pico de gallo:  2 roma tomatoes       2 scallions              1 tsp. hot sauce      1 tsp. lime juice

                       1/8 tsp. cumin            1/8 tsp. cayenne

casserole:       1 tbsp. unsalted butter         1/2 c. jack blend cheese         1/2 c. mozzarella

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375.
2. Fry potatoes in 1 inch of oil, 3 minutes on each side.
3. Season with salt.
4. Prepare the pico de gallo in a bowl and set aside.
5. Butter an 8x8 pan.
6. Layer half the potatoes then half the jack blend cheese, then half the pico de gallo and half the mozzarella.
7. Repeat the layers, ending with mozzarella.
8. Bake until cheese melts (app. 18 minutes).

So there you go, a pair of fun recipes that aren't super hard to put together.  Oh and I absolutely don't remember why they are called vacation potatoes. As always, have fun.

Kid Friendly Vegetarian

Most kids love burgers, spaghetti and meatballs, hot dogs, pizza, chicken fingers etc. The thought of making them eat a vegetarian meal might make you quake and quiver. Vegetables are not fun! They don't taste good! And of course they are healthy! What are we thinking? Well, with feeding a family, sometimes you need to make your meals stretch and your grocery budget would be helped out quite a bit by one night a week not having to pay pesky meat prices.

So, I give you a casserole with a lot of flavor and a lot of ways to keep the budget under control as well as keep it healthy.

Tomato Sour Cream Casserole

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped                               2 tbsp. oil              1 lb. 12 oz. can of tomatoes
1 pkg. mexican style sloppy joe seasoning     4 oz. green chilies, chopped
5 1/2 oz. package Doritos, slightly crushed    3/4 lb. monterey jack cheese, grated
1 c. sour cream                                               1/2 c. cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Saute the onion in oil.
2. Add tomatoes, seasoning mix and green chilies.
3. Simmer, uncovered, 10-15 minutes.
4. In greased, deep 2 qt. casserole dish, layer ingredients in the following order: sauce, doritos, jack cheese, sauce, jack cheese.
5. Top with sour cream.
6. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake 10 minutes longer.

Ways to make it healthy:

• Use fresh tomatoes instead of canned to cut your salt intake.
• Use lowfat cheese
• Use lowfat sour cream.

Ways to spice it up:

• Switch up the sloppy joe seasoning with chipolte or hot spices.
• The original recipe recommends nacho cheese doritos but I say use your favorites.
• Use pepper jack cheese.

As always, have fun!

Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Rolls

I really had no good blog topic in mind tonight, so I figured why not go through my chicken recipes. I mean, chicken is kind of an easy default. Even picky eaters usually don't have an issue with chicken. In fact, as an event planner, I've often joked about the "rubber chicken" dinners you get at most hotel functions. 9 times out of 10 the chicken is not in fact overcooked. It's more that because it's so user friendly that most big groups go with it.  In fact, I've tried some sauces and vegetables with chicken that are typically out of my comfort zone at events and found that I really like them! It's just sometimes tiring to have chicken at every meal.

Tonight's recipe is one of those out of my comfort zone instances, mostly because of the choice of veggie. Once I find I like something, I tend to beat it to death, so you get yet another asparagus recipe!

Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Rolls

Ingredients:
8 fresh asparagus spears            2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (abt. 5 oz. each)
1 tbsp. dijon mustard                   4 fresh sage leaves               2 slices provolone cheese
2 slices deli ham                          1/4 c. flour                             1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs               1/4 c. parmesan cheese       1 1/2 tsp. butter
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil                         1/4 c. white wine or chicken broth

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, bring 1/2 in. of water to a boil. 
2. Add asparagus and cover and boil for 3 minutes.
3. Drain and immediately place in ice water.
4. Drain and pat dry.
5. Flatten chicken to 1/4 in. thick.
6. Spread mustard over one side of each breast.
7. Down the center, place two sage leaves, a slice of cheese, a slice of ham and 4 asparagus spears.
8. Fold chicken over asparagus and secure with toothpick.
9. Place flour and egg in separate shallow bowls. 
10. In a third bowl, combine bread crumbs and parmesan.
11. Dip chicken in flour, egg then breadcrumb mixture.
12. In a large skillet, brown chicken on all sides in butter and oil.
13. Transfer to an 8 in. square baking dish coated with cooking spray.
14. Add wine to skillet, stirring to loosen brown bits from pan.
15. Pour over chicken.
16. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

As always, have fun!

Food & Family

No recipes today. Just a few quick stories.  Today I celebrate a woman who welcomed me into her family within moments of meeting me for the first time. A woman who cried tears of joy when Jeremy and I announced our engagement at Thanksgiving dinner at her house. A woman who a lot of people are missing right now. Rest in peace Grandma Marge.

A lot of my memories right now seem to involve food. I think that's because all great family events and holidays seem to always have a strong food component. 

The first time I met Marge and my mother in law Suzi - we met for lunch. I stressed for hours about the right outfit and what I would say that wouldn't make me look like a buffoon. Do I remember most of what happened that day? Heck no! I remember Marge sitting across from me asking me questions and pestering the waitress about exactly what was in every dish and thinking she was hungry then not and changing her mind quite a bit. I even remember she got the appetizer sampler because I couldn't imagine she would eat it all but she insisted that's what she wanted. Guess who got to take 2/3 of it home at the end of the dinner date because she didn't eat it and knew it would go to waste if she took it home.

Remember that happy tears Thanksgiving I mentioned earlier? Another great memory ... especially for those of you who know how much I struggle to find Turkey Day food I actually eat. I loved going to Grandma's house for dinner because she made her noodles.  Nothing made me happier than having turkey, Grandma's noodles and Grandpa's scalloped corn (courtesy of Aunt Judy). In fact, I'd always go back for multiple helpings. As I sit here and think about it, I wonder why I never asked her how she made them - it would be a great addition to my cooking skills.

My mom came up with a great idea for my bridal shower that my new family carried over into their shower as well. Everyone brought a recipe for me to start my recipe box. I've got some great ones including Marge's Meatloaf. Though, my friend Julie and I laughed as I read it and Marge shouted out about how I needed to know she was not the Marge in question. It was a family friend, I think, and though it wasn't her personal recipe, it was one of the family favorites.

In recent years, we did less cooking at Grandma's house and more going out to eat. That was always an adventure as Grandma could never decide what she wanted. She also had to ask the poor waitress a million questions about the menu. When she finally decided what she wanted, she almost never ate even half of it and usually sent home the leftovers with us. That's just Grandma Marge!

All in all, we're pretty lucky. We both had really great grandparents that love us very much. I imagine they're all hanging out together now, watching over the whole crazy lot of us. Marge had more than her fair share of health issues, so I do firmly believe she's finally at peace. That doesn't make the loss any less as there are so many of us still here that will miss her dearly as she was one of a kind.

Hug your loved ones a little tighter and tell someone what they mean to you. Make your favorite dish or maybe a loved one's favorite dish. Food and family go hand in hand.

Asian Pot Roast

Pot roast. Everyone knows how to make it or know someone who does.  It's kind of a staple "meat and potatoes" dish for most families. You know me well now by reading these posts, well enough to know I won't make your standard pot roast and I'll make it nice and easy.

That's right - make sure your crock pot is clean and you are prepared to smell your dinner for a few hours as it slow cooks.  Why fire up that oven when the weather is nicer? You'll thank me for these crock pot recipes when its 90 degrees this summer and the thought of a hot oven in a hot house just makes you crazy.

Asian Pot Roast

Ingredients:
10 oz. white mushrooms, sliced           1/2 c. chicken broth              1/4 c. soy sauce
2 tbsp. chopped fresh ginger                6 cloves garlic, halved          2 lb. eye of round roast
2 tbsp. canola oil                                  2 tbsp. cornstarch                 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
scallions, thinly sliced, optional

Directions:

1. Combine mushrooms, broth, soy sauce, ginger and garlic in crock pot.
2. Pat roast dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Warm oil in a skillet on medium high heat.
4. Brown beef on all sides, about 8 minutes total.
5. Transfer to crock pot and turn to coat with soy sauce mixture.
6. Cover and cook on low until tender 6 to 8 hours.
7. Transfer roast to cutting board and tent with foil.
8. Let rest for 15 minutes. 
9. Whisk cornstarch and 1/2 c. of the liquid from the crock pot together.
10. Add the liquid back to the crock pot, whisking until sauce thickens (1-2 min).
11. Whisk in vinegar. 
12. If sauce is too thick, you can whisk in 1 or 2 additional tbsp. of chicken broth.
13. Slice your meat and serve with the sauce.
14. Top with scallions if you like.

So, there you have it. Since it's an Asian recipe, my first thought was pairing it with rice, but you don't have to.  You could do it as a stand alone or with your favorite veggie. Any time I have something with a sauce or a gravy, I do rolls because I love sopping up the liquid with a hot fresh roll.  Or you could even just pair it with a salad. 

As always, have fun!

Life...

So I just looked and realized I haven't blogged since Tuesday. I don't really have a good reason obviously since it took me until today to realize it.  I don't have an inspired idea for a blog post except that Sunday morning breakfast could be a great family tradition to start. In that vein, you might not want to get up and cook a full breakfast first thing, so here's a grand idea. Prep it before you go to bed and throw it in the oven when you get up.  In the time while it's baking, you can get the rest of your morning routine out of the way.

French Toast Strata

Ingredients:
4 c. day old French/Italian bread, cubed        1/3 c. raisins        3 oz. cream cheese, cubed
3 eggs                1 1/2 c. milk              1/2 c. maple syrup                 1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. sugar      1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a 11x7 pan, add an even layer of bread.
2. Sprinkle raisins and cream cheese.
3. Beat eggs in a bowl.
4. Add milk, 1/2 c. syrup and vanilla.
5. Mix well and pour over bread.
6. Refrigerate overnight (min. 4 hrs.)
7. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over bread.
8. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
9. Enjoy!

So, even though i took a few days off for "life", I'm back to remind you to have fun while you cook!

Grilling Time

With that headline, I'm sure you are expecting BBQ chicken or ribs or burgers or something equally yummy on the grill. I'm starting small with mushrooms. 

Why mushrooms you ask? They are yet something else I learned to like when I got older. I have had a lot of people poke fun at me for my weird food issues, but mushrooms remind me of a time where I had some fun of my own. The jerk that I'm thinking of this time used to just push my buttons for the sheer thrill of it. So, one night, we were playing the "What vegetables does Alyson eat?" game and yours truly belted out a convincing argument that mushrooms in fact a vegetable even though we all know they are a fungi. Boy did that irritate him! Anyone who knows me would have figured out pretty quick I was just sticking to this lame argument because I was getting a reaction. I just can't help myself - I have a sick sense of humor!

Ok, so back to my yummy mushrooms .....

Grilled Wild Mushrooms with a Teriyaki Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. fresh shitake mushrooms                    1/2 lb. fresh wild mushrooms        
10-12 scallions, cut into 1 1/2 in. lengths       bamboo skewers, soaked in cold water for 1 hr.

Dressing:
1/2 c. soy sauce                  1/3 c. rice wine          3 tbsp. water           2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil   1 1/2 tbsp. minced fresh ginger

Directions:

1. Trim the stems of the mushrooms, rinse lightly and drain thoroughly.
2. If the caps are particularly large, cut them in half.
3. Thread 2 mushrooms and 3 scallion sections alternately on each skewer, starting and ending with scallions.
4. Arrange skewers on a cookie sheet.
5. Combine the dressing ingredients in a saucepan.
6. Heat until boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
7. Use 1/3 to liberally brush the mushrooms and scallions with the sauce.
8. Pour the remaining 2/3 in a serving bowl.
9. Once your grill is fired up, make sure the grate is about 3-4 inches from the heat.
10. Arrange the skewers and cook, turning frequently, about 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crisp at the edges.
11. Arrange on a serving platter and serve the dressing warm for dipping.

Now that the weather is nice, I'll be posting more grill recipes and fresh fruit desserts. There's nothing better. As always, have fun!

Making Candy in the Microwave?

I always get people giving me funny looks when I say I make homemade candy. It's too much work! You have to have a stupid candy thermometer and a whole lot of patience! This past Christmas I did crockpot candy and tonight I share microwave candy, proving that you really can make homemade stuff without driving yourself crazy.

Cinnamon Peanut Brittle

Ingredients:

1 c. sugar            1/2 c. light corn syrup          2 c. salted peanuts        1 tsp. butter (no subs!)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon    1 tsp. baking soda          1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. In a 2 qt. microwave safe bowl, combine sugar and corn syrup.
2. Heat, uncovered, on high for 4 minutes and stir.
3. Heat 3 minutes longer.
4. Stir in peanuts, butter and cinnamon.
5. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 30-60 seconds or until mixture turns a light amber color.
6. Quickly stir in baking soda and vanilla until light and foamy.
7. Immediately pour onto a greased baking sheet and spread with a metal spatula.
8. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm.
9. Break into small pieces and store in an airtight container.

This is a sweet and crunchy candy, good for gift giving.  It's got a nice glossy appearance and is packed with peanuts but uniquely flavored from most peanut brittle because of the cinnamon.

As always, have fun!

Coffee in your Morning Routine

When I say coffee, I'm not talking Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks. I'm not even talking a hot or cold beverage. Coffee is a great baking tool!  I love mocha flavored stuff and I love espresso and cappuccino, so adding them to some muffins gives you a great flavor change, which coincidentally would go great with a hot or cold cup of coffee!

Cappuccino Muffins

Ingredients:

Muffins:  2 c. flour          3/4 c. sugar      2 1/2 tsp. baking powder           1 tsp. cinnamon
              1/2 tsp. salt      1 c. milk            2 tbsp. instant coffee granules  1/2 c. butter, melted
              1 egg. beaten   1 tsp. vanilla    3/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Spread:  4 oz. cream cheese, cubed        1 tbsp. sugar       1/2 tsp. instant coffee granules
              1/2 tsp. vanilla                             1/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine the spread ingredients.
2. Cover and process until well blended.
3. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
4. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
5. In another bowl, stir milk and coffee granules until coffee is dissolved.
6. Add butter, egg and vanilla and mix well.
7. Stir into dry ingredients just until moist.
8. Fold in chocolate chips. 
9. Fill greased on paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full.
10. Bake at 375 for 17-20 minutes.
11. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
12. Serve with spread.

I had something similar to this when I worked in Boston at the coffee shop across the street from the State House.  It was one of my favorite things! I highly recommend these, especially if you are a coffee lover.

As always, have fun!

Did You Know I Eat Broccoli

Well, some broccoli anyway. Like this recipe and one other. But that's a start right? In this case, I'd say the cheese probably helps a lot!

Hot Broccoli Cheese Dip

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter               2 onions, chopped                2 4 oz. cans of sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. flour  5-6 oz. garlic cheese, cubed 2 cans of cream of celery soup
2 10 oz. pkgs. of broccoli spears, chopped            french bread cubes and bell pepper strips

Directions:

1. Melt butter in skillet.
2. Add onion and mushrooms and saute until translucent.
3. Stir in flour and cook 2-3 minutes.
4. Place mixture in crock pot.
5. Stir in soup, cheese and broccoli.
6. Cover and cook on high until cheese is melted, stirring frequently.
7. Turn to low and cook for 2-4 hours or until ready to serve.
8. Serve with french bread cubes and bell pepper strips.

As always, have fun!

Veggie Soup I Like

With my fear of all cooked vegetables growing up I didn't eat a lot of vegetable soups. In fact, most I wouldn't even try. I'm enjoy fresh produce in my soups now though - and the more unusual ingredients seem to win me over more! Usually, they are pretty quick to make too which is an added bonus.

Zucchini & Tomatillo Soup

Ingredients:

For the zucchini:    2 c. chopped zucchini       1 c. vegetable stock      2 garlic cloves, minced

                              4 sprigs fresh thyme

For the tomatillos:  1/2 lb tomatillos, husked and cleaned         1/2 small red onion, cut in half

                               2 tbsp. olive oil                                            salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. In a medium pot, combine the zucchini, stock, garlic, thyme.
3. Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes. R
4. Remove thyme and discard.
5. Place the tomatillos and onion on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
6. Toss with your hands to coat all sides.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Roast until golden but not charred, 20-24 minutes.
9. Put the tomatillos and onion along with any remaining oil in a blender.
10. Add a spoonful from the cooked zucchini mixture and blend until smooth.
11. Keep doing this until everything is blended.
12. Pour everything back into the pot and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
13. Can be served warm or chilled.
14. Garnish with cilantro if you want.

I've only tried it warm. I haven't been too adventurous with cold soup but it seems like it would be a perfect summer dish. Fresh from the garden produce into a cool soup to stay cool in the hot summer sun. Win win!

As always, have fun!

Just One of Those Days

Did you ever have one of those days where nothing sounds good? You look in your cabinet and you are quite sure there's just nothing good to eat. Maybe, you don't even feel that hungry. Whatever the case may be, hopefully by now you are amassing quite a box of recipes to flip through on those days. I do that a lot. I just flip and flip until something catches my eye. 

Today was one of those days - so here's a filling munchie for those nights where you don't want a full meal or a great appetizer for your next dinner party.

Hot Spinach Spread with Pita Chips

Ingredients:
2 c. shredded monterey jack cheese  10 oz. chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed                           2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3/4 c. chopped onion                                     1/3 c. 1/2 & 1/2 
1 tbsp. finely chopped & seeded jalapeno     6 pita breads (6 inches)
1/2 c. butter, melted                                       2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
2 tsp. ground cumin                                       1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients.
2. Transfer to a greased 1 1/2 qt. baking dish.
3. Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.
4. Meanwhile, cut each pita bread into 8 wedges.
5. Place in 2 15 in. x 10 in. x 1 in. baking pans.
6. Combine the butter, lemon pepper, cumin and garlic salt.
7. Brush over pita wedges.
8. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until crisp.
9. Serve with spinach spread.

You can keep this fairly healthy by using lowfat cheeses and a butter substitute.  Making your own pita bread is healthy as well. I used to not even like spinach but somewhere along the line I began to like spinach artichoke dip and this seemed like a fun alternative.

As always, have fun!

Leftovers Maybe?

How was your Easter? Is your belly full of chocolate? How about that Easter dinner?

It's the morning after and you're just hoping you have enough leftovers so you don't have to cook tonight. Or, maybe, you ate so many yummy treats that you want something quick, simple and healthy. Or, maybe, it's a little from Column A and a little from Column B. So, I'm keeping this post short and sweet.

Salad. You usually can't go wrong with a salad. You can have it on your own or as a side. Or you could even just cut up some of your leftover meat and throw it in.  Any way you look at it, a salad is a simple option when you just don't feel like cooking.

Evergreen Salad

Ingredients:
lettuce                          1 green apple             1/2 c. toasted pecans          1/2 c. pine nuts       3/4 c. dried cranberries

Dressing:                      1/2 c. cider vinegar     2 tsp. dijon mustard            1/4 c. orange juice
3/4 c. olive oil                1 tbsp. honey

Directions:

1. Use as much lettuce in your salad as you want - I'm not a huge fan, but I tend to use romaine.
2. Chop the apple.
3. Mix the lettuce, apple, pecans, pine nuts and dried cranberries in a bowl.
4. Mix the dressing ingredients together and drizzle over salad.
5. Serve.

I hope the Easter Bunny was good to all of you. As always, have fun!

Easter Morning Breakfast

It's Easter morning. You've got kids who want to get into their Easter baskets and go on egg hunts. You have food to prepare for that crowd coming in the afternoon.  The last thing you want to think about is breakfast I'm sure. However, considering how busy your day will get, I think a nice Easter breakfast is a great tradition to start.  This sweet and savory casserole is super quick to fix and won't take long in the oven, so dig in!

Maple Bacon Oven Pancake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. bisquick                        1 tbsp. sugar                3/4 c. milk                    2 eggs
1/4 c. maple syrup                     1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar              1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine bisquick, sugar, milk, eggs, syrup and 1/2 c. cheese.
2. Mix well.
3. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 10-15 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with bacon and remaining cheese.
6. Bake 3-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
7. Serve with additional syrup if desired.

Happy Easter everyone - enjoy your day! And as always, have fun!

Candy Cake

What's your family tradition when it comes to dessert? Most holidays, there is the pie of choice. I wanted to do something different, especially with Easter focusing on all those candy treats from the Easter Bunny. This candy cake is easily customized to your taste preference. Use some Cadbury Mini Eggs, or MnMs or even Reeses. Perhaps you'll do a combination!  Nevertheless, you now can have your cake with candy too!

Candy Cake

Ingredients:
3 1/2 c. flour             1 tbsp. baking powder            1/2 tsp. salt           2 sticks unsalted butter 2 c. finely chopped candies (snickers, almond joy, reeses, etc.)         1 1/2 c. sugar
4 large eggs, separated  2 tsp. vanilla extract         1 1/4 c. milk         1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Icing:          4 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped           1/2 c. heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Butter and flour a nonstick Bundt pan.
3. Sift 3 c. flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, toss candies with remaining 1/2 c. flour.
5. Using an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat butter and sugar until light (3 minutes).
6. Add yolks, one at a time.
7. Beat in vanilla.
8. Beat in a 1/3 of flour mixture, followed by 1/2 of milk.
9. Repeat, ending with flour mixture - do not overmix.
10. In a clean, dry bowl using dry beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
11. Stir candies and 1/3 of egg whites into batter.
12. Fold in remaining whites.
13. Spoon into bundt pan.
14. Bake until toothpick comes out clean (50-60 minutes).
15. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, then unmold cake.
16. Icing: Place chocolate in a bowl.
17. Warm cream in a pan over medium heat until just boiling.
18. Pour over chocolate and let stand for 1 minute.
19. Whisk until smooth.
20. Let cool slightly, then pour over cake, allowing excess to drip over sides.

Make sure you are stocked up on your breakfast supplies. I'll be offering up a pancake recipe tomorrow morning that you won't want to miss. It could become your new Easter tradition! (Hint: have ingredients normally a part of a pancake recipe plus bacon and cheese) As always have fun!