Above an Italian Restaurant

Summer Peach Cake

2011-09-06T20:12:00.004-04:00

When we first started this blog, I said I wasn't into making complicated desserts. I was just a mix and bake kind of a girl. This dessert is making a big fat liar out of me.

Perhaps having a cooking blog has pushed me to try a little harder in the dessert department. Or maybe I just wanted to use my new springform pan. Or maybe I just wanted to make something awesome with summer peaches while they're still here. The thing is, this dessert required way more effort than I'd normally want to expend for one little cake. It's a Cook's Illustrated recipe, so naturally, it has a thousand steps, yet it is also super-delicious. Trade-off.

It's probably not as complicated as making a peach pie, though. If you see me making double-crust pies on here, then you'll know I've officially lost my mind. You have to draw the line somewhere.

We had a little BBQ at our house over Labor Day weekend with John's family (hi Fred!), and this cake followed a pretty serious pulled pork dinner. A slice of this cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream was the perfect way to end the meal, and bid a fond farewell to summer.

Summer Peach Cake
from Cook's Illustrated

Note: If using farm-fresh peaches, you should omit the peach Schnapps (I omitted). Also, the addition of Panko breadcrumbs seems weird, but I promise you won't notice them in the cake. They help to absorb the excess juices so your cake won't get soggy.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds peaches , pitted and cut into 1/2 inch-thick wedges
5 tablespoons peach schnapps
4 teaspoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed (3 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs, finely crushed

Instructions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil spray. Gently toss 24 peach wedges with 2 tablespoons schnapps, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in bowl; set aside.

2. Cut remaining peach wedges crosswise into thirds. Gently toss chunks with remaining 3 tablespoons schnapps, remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in bowl. Spread peach chunks in single layer on prepared sheet and bake until exuded juices begin to thicken and caramelize at edges of sheet, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer sheet to wire rack and let peaches cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

3. Spray 9-inch springform pan with vegetable oil spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in bowl. Whisk brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and eggs together in second bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter until combined. Add sour cream, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract; whisk until combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined.

4. Transfer half of batter to prepared pan; using offset spatula, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Sprinkle crushed bread crumbs evenly over cooled peach chunks and gently toss to coat. Arrange peach chunks on batter in even layer, gently pressing peaches into batter. Gently spread remaining batter over peach chunks and smooth top. Arrange reserved peach wedges, slightly overlapped, in ring over surface of cake, placing smaller wedges in center. Stir together remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and remaining 1/8 teaspoon almond extract in small bowl until sugar is moistened. Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over top of cake.

5. Bake until center of cake is set and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack; cool 5 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Remove cake from pan and let cool completely, 2 to 3 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.

Serves 8 to 10

Download a printable recipe.

Yes, my plate does say, "Hot Mess"

Sherried Pineapple Pork Tenderloin

2011-08-31T21:06:00.002-04:00

My main motivation for making this recipe was that it would use up one of the 5 little cans of pineapple juice that have been taking up space in my pantry since we lived in our old apartment. I can't even remember what I originally bought it for. I had no idea that this would become a favorite in our house... I made it two weeks in a row, which is something I almost never do. And I might even make it next week, since I still have three cans of pineapple juice left. The sauce is so good that John convinced me that we needed to save the remaining two tablespoons of it, because surely we'd find something to dip in it. Oh, and did I mention that it's quick and easy to make?

The original recipe says that it serves four, but that's just silly. My portion was what you see above, so I'm going to say it serves two. If you've got more people to feed, this could easily be doubled. We ate ours with some delicious pear, walnut, and feta salad.

Sherried Pineapple Pork Tenderloin
adapted from Cooking Light: Fresh Food Fast

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1 lb. pork tenderloin
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 6oz can pineapple juice
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs dry sherry (you could substitute dry white wine)
1 tbs low-sodium soy sauce

Directions:

1. Rinse pork and pat dry with paper towels (you want it to be dry so it will sear properly). Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and coat with vegetable oil, add pork. Cook pork 3 to 4 minutes or until browned, turning occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook 10 minutes. Turn pork over, cook 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160 degrees.

3. Place pork on cutting board; tent with foil. Let it stand while you make the sauce.

4. Combine pineapple juice and remaining 3 ingredients; add to pan drippings. Bring to a boil; boil 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Slice pork and spoon sauce over slices.

Serves 2

Download a printable recipe.

Blueberry Scones

2011-08-27T19:14:00.001-04:00

I'm sure I will forever think of these as "hurricane scones." John and I were enjoying a few days at the Jersey Shore this week, and had to end our stay early due to the evacuations. The night before we left, we discussed what we wanted to eat while we were holed up during Irene, and scones seemed like good comfort food. We passed through Hammonton, NJ on our way home, which happens to be the blueberry capital of the world (or so it claims). So, we picked up some fresh blueberries at a farm stand and were ready for some stormy-weather baking.

If you've ever had a true British scone, these are not the same. They are also not the crumbly, dry American version you might pick up at Starbuck's. They are a bit crispy and sweet on the outside, and moist and tender on the inside. I thought they might be nice served with some lemon curd, but I didn't think it was worth going to the grocery store and fighting my way through the pre-storm crowds just to pick up a jar. You should have these with a cup of tea (preferably with milk, if you're going to be all British about it).

One somewhat unusual step in this recipe is to grate the butter. Make sure yours is good and frozen or this won't work so well. The rest of the process is kind of similar to making biscuits: you have to roll and shape the dough without over-working it. You'll definitely need a bench scraper if you're going to attempt this recipe. These are best eaten warm out of the oven, but you can freeze the dough once you've prepared it and heat them up when you're ready to eat them (further directions are below).

If you subscribe to Cook's Illustrated, you can check out a helpful video of how to make these scones on their website.

Blueberry Scones

from Cook's Illustrated

Note: It is important to work the dough as little as possible—work quickly and knead and fold the dough only the number of times called for. The butter should be frozen solid before grating. In hot or humid environments, chill the flour mixture and workbowls before use. While the recipe calls for 2 whole sticks of butter, only 10 tablespoons are actually used (see step 1). If fresh berries are unavailable, an equal amount of frozen berries (do not defrost) can be substituted. An equal amount of raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries can be used in place of the blueberries. Cut larger berries into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces before incorporating. Refrigerate or freeze leftover scones, wrapped in foil, in an airtight container. To serve, remove foil and place scones on a baking sheet in a 375-degree oven. Heat until warmed through and recrisped, 8 to 10 minutes if refrigerated, 16 to 20 minutes if frozen. See final step for information on making the scone dough in advance.

Ingredients

16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), frozen whole (see note above)

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (about 7 1/2 ounces), picked over (see note)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces), plus additional for work surface
1/2cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces), plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Score and remove half of wrapper from each stick of frozen butter. Following photo at left, grate unwrapped ends on large holes of box grater (you should grate total of 8 tablespoons). Place grated butter in freezer until needed. Melt 2 tablespoons of remaining ungrated butter and set aside. Save remaining 6 tablespoons butter for another use. Place blueberries in freezer until needed.

2. Whisk together milk and sour cream in medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in medium bowl. Add frozen butter to flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.

3. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; fold with spatula until just combined. With rubber spatula, transfer dough to liberally floured work surface. Dust surface of dough with flour; with floured hands, knead dough 6 to 8 times, until it just holds together in ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.

4. Roll dough into approximate 12-inch square. Fold dough into thirds like a business letter, using bench scraper or metal spatula to release dough if it sticks to countertop. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form approximate 4-inch square. Transfer dough to plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in freezer 5 minutes.

5. Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll into approximate 12-inch square again. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over surface of dough, then press down so they are slightly embedded in dough. Using bench scraper or thin metal spatula, loosen dough from work surface. Roll dough, pressing to form tight log. Lay seam-side down and press log into 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.

6. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

To Make Ahead:

After placing the scones on the baking sheet, either refrigerate them overnight or freeze. When ready to bake, for refrigerated scones, heat oven to 425 degrees and follow directions in step 6. For frozen scones, heat oven to 375 degrees, follow directions in step 6, and extend cooking time to 25 to 30 minutes.

Makes 8 scones

Download a printable recipe.

Fresh Corn Salad with Black Beans and Tomatoes

2011-08-12T16:11:00.001-04:00

Here's another recipe made during our stay at the Cook's Country house in Vermont. If you're looking for a great side dish to bring to a BBQ or picnic, look no further: this salad is healthy, full of ingredients that you can buy right now at your local farm stand, and it's easy to make. I made it extra-summery by grilling the corn rather than boiling it as the original recipe called for. I also added avocado, because it just seemed to make sense with the other ingredients. Fresh corn and tomatoes are the stars here, so please don't use the canned kind. The leftovers make a great filling for quesadillas and omlettes!

Fresh Corn Salad with Black Beans and Tomatoes
adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Ingredients:
Dressing:
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced (leave a few seeds in if you want it a little spicy)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Salad:
8 ears fresh corn , husks and silks removed
1 pint grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
6 scallions, sliced thin
1 avocado, diced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
Table salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

1. For the dressing: Shake all of the dressing ingredients together in a jar with a tightfitting lid.

2. Grill corn over direct heat until a few black marks appear (about 4-5 minutes), rotating occasionally. (or: cook the corn in 6 quarts boiling water until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.) Cut the kernels from each cob into a large mixing bowl using a paring knife. Add the tomatoes, beans, scallions, cilantro, avocado, dressing and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

To Make Ahead:

This salad can be prepared, covered, and refrigerated a day in advance (do not add the avocado until ready to serve). Before serving, bring to room temperature and freshen with a squeeze of lime juice. Add avocado, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 8

Download a printable recipe.

Summer Tomato Pie

2011-08-08T16:10:00.003-04:00

I can't take credit for making this delicious creation: my friend Kate made it while we were on our Vermont vacation (I can only take credit for eating it). I never get tired of fresh tomatoes (especially when they're layered with cheese), so I plan to make this myself before the summer is over. Served at room temperature, a slice of this pie with a fresh green salad makes an excellent dinner on a steamy August evening.

Tip from Kate: I used store-bought dough and it took the pie about 35-40 minutes to cook once the temperature was reduced. Also, I felt the bottom crust could have been more distinct, so next time I’m planning on baking the bottom crust briefly before adding the filling in step 3.

Summer Tomato Pie
from Cook's Country

Note: Visit Cooks Country.com for our “Double Crust Pie Dough”, or use your own recipe or store bought dough. If using store bought dough, bake the pie for 30 minutes after turning down the heat in step 4.

Ingredients:
2 (9-inch) pie dough rounds (see note)
2 pounds beefsteak tomatoes (about 4 large), cored and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 tsp cornstarch
1 & 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheese
4 scallions sliced thin

Directions:
1. ROLL DOUGH – On lightly floured surface, roll 1 dough round into 12-inch circle (is using store-bought dough, you do not need to roll either crust. Transfer to 9-inch pie plate, letting excess hang over edge. Cover w/ plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. Roll second round into 12-inch circle and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. DRAIN TOMATOES – Arrange tomatoes on paper towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle w/ salt. Let drain 30 minutes, then press tomatoes with additional paper towels until very dry.

3. ASSEMBLE PIE – Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place empty rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix mayonnaise, cornstarch, and 1 cup cheese in bowl well combined. Sprinkle remaining cheese over bottom of dough-lined pie plate. Arrange third of tomatoes over cheese. Spread half of mayonnaise mixture over tomatoes and sprinkle with half of scallions. Layer with another third of the tomatoes, remaining mayonnaise mixture and remaining scallions, then w/ remaining tomatoes.

4. CRIMP CRUST – Arrange top crust on pie. Press crusts together, then trim, fold and crimp edges. Cut four 2-by 1- inch oval vent holes in top. Place pie on heated baking sheet, bake for 10 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake until crust is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 3 hours. Serve at room temperature.

Yield: Serves 8

Download a printable recipe.

Vacation Photos

2011-08-03T10:14:00.002-04:00

John and I are back from our food-themed trip to the Cook's Country farmhouse in Rupert, VT. We cooked some pretty amazing meals in the set kitchen (not the best photo, but you can see the studio lights on the ceiling). Can't you just picture Bridget and Chris cooking right here?

The kitchen conveniently contained pretty much every cookbook and magazine ever published by the Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen people.

We cooked dinner every night we stayed there, except for the evening we had dinner at American Flatbread in Burlington (delicious pizza and beer! I highly recommend if you're ever in northern Vermont!). My friend Kate, who is an excellent cook, made her famous ribs one night. I don't know her recipe, but I'm pretty sure she laces them with some kind of addictive chemicals because just looking at this picture makes me jones for these:

Kate also made a tomato pie. Not the pizza kind you're thinking of if you live anywhere near Trenton, NJ, but an actual pie crust filled with layers of cheese and fresh summer tomatoes (this was a Cook's Country recipe, appropriately enough):

John and I made our spicy honey-brushed chicken thighs one night, and I made this fresh corn, black bean, and tomato salad as a side dish (from the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook):

When we weren't busy cooking delicious things, we kept ourselves occupied by reading in rocking chairs on the wraparound porch....

...and playing in the huge backyard:

If you're looking for a relaxing New England getaway, I can't recommend this place highly enough. I'll be back soon with some of the recipes mentioned above!

Barbecued Chicken Kebabs

2011-07-22T11:29:00.002-04:00

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you know that John and I are huge fans of Cook's Illustrated. This recipe is a perfect example of why we adore them: in order to keep the chicken pieces moist while grilling, the recipe tells you to coat them with pureed bacon. Weird, yet brilliant.

Although pureeing bacon might have been the nastiest thing I've ever done with my food processor, the resulting kebabs were phenomenal. We used chicken thighs, as the recipe recommends, but you can use breasts if that's your thing (just don't use breasts and thighs on the same skewer since they cook at different rates). I totally dig the homemade barbecue sauce from this recipe, but you could easily sub your favorite bottled brand if you want to save some time. Just don't skip the bacon paste!

We cooked ours on our charcoal grill, but I'm including instructions for a gas grill as well. Tomorrow we're heading to Vermont to stay at the Cook's Country house (see the previous post for more info), so stay tuned for lots of fabulous photos and recipes from our stay.

Barbecued Chicken Kebabs
from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:

Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup light or mild molasses
2 tablespoons grated onion
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar

Kebabs
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 slices bacon , cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 12-inch metal skewers

Instructions:

1. FOR THE SAUCE: Bring all ingredients to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce reaches ketchup-like consistency and is reduced to about 1 cup, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup sauce to small bowl and set aside remaining sauce to serve with cooked chicken.

2. FOR THE KEBABS: Toss chicken and salt in large bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

3. Charcoal grill: Light large chimney starter three-quarters filled with charcoal (4 1/2 quarts, about 75 briquettes) and allow to burn until coals are fully ignited and partially covered with thin layer of ash, about 20 minutes. Arrange all coals in even layer over half of grill bottom, leaving other half empty. Position cooking grate over coals, cover grill, and heat grate until hot, about 5 minutes. Scrape grate clean with grill brush. Gas grill: Turn all burners to high, close lid, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Scrape cooking grate clean with grill brush. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s).

4. While grill heats, pat chicken dry with paper towels. Combine sweet paprika, sugar, and smoked paprika in small bowl. Process bacon in food processor until smooth paste forms, 30 to 45 seconds, scraping down bowl twice during processing. Add bacon paste and spice mixture to chicken; mix with hands or rubber spatula until ingredients are thoroughly blended and chicken is completely coated. Thread meat onto skewers, rolling or folding meat as necessary to maintain 1-inch cubes.

5. Place kebabs over coals (or over the primary burner, if using gas) and grill, turning one-quarter turn every 2 to 2 1/2 minutes until well browned and slightly charred, 8 minutes for breasts or 10 minutes for thighs. (If flare-ups occur, slide kebabs to cool side of grill until fire dies down.) Brush top surface of kebabs with ¼ cup sauce; flip and cook until sauce is brown in spots, about 1 minute. Brush second side with remaining ¼ cup sauce; flip and continue to cook until brown in spots and instant-read thermometer inserted in center of meat registers 160 degrees for breasts and 175 degrees for thighs, about 1 minute longer. Remove kebabs from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve, passing reserved barbecue sauce separately.

Serves 6.

Download a printable recipe.

Cheesy Chili Mac

2011-06-08T20:57:00.002-04:00

Lately I've developed a keen interest in all things Cook's Country. If you're not familiar with this show, it's the sister show to America's Test Kitchen on PBS (they also publish a magazine with recipes). It's filmed at a farmhouse in Vermont, and the show focuses on down-home American food. John discovered that you can rent out the farmhouse where the show is filmed, so guess who is taking a Vermont vacation next month? John and I and a few of our friends are headed up to the lovely Green Mountains to enjoy a week of relaxing, cooking, eating, hiking, and more eating! The house is stocked with pantry items, cookbooks, and all kinds of kitchen equipment (as you might expect), and we plan to take full advantage of it! It's a food blogger's wet dream, really.

In the meantime, I've been recording the show and keeping an eye out for tasty-looking Cook's Country recipes, like this one for cheesy chili mac. This one caught my eye because it looked easy enough to make on a weeknight (it was), it only required one skillet, and it's full of cheese. John and I liked this so much that there was only a tiny bit leftover for lunch the next day (and it was delicious reheated).

Cheesy Chili Mac
Adapted from Cook's Country, as seen on Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 pound ground turkey
2 cups water
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
8 oz (about 2 cups) elbow macaroni
1 1/2 -2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions:
Set a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Heat until shimmering. Add the onion, chili powder, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground turkey and cook until it is no longer pink.

Stir the water and tomato sauce into the ground turkey mixture in the pan. Add the pasta and stir to combine. Cover the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook until the pasta is al dente, stirring frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking. Adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a vigorous simmer.

Turn off the heat under the pan and add 1 cup of the cheese. Stir to incorporate/melt then season the dish to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining cheese (1/2 - 1 cup depending on how cheesy you want your dish) over the top and cover the pan again. Let stand for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Makes 4 servings

mmm... melty

Download a printable recipe.

Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread

2011-05-06T18:42:00.003-04:00

So I was going to make chocolate chip banana bread with the bunch of brown bananas sitting on my counter, but then Cooking Light posted a link to their best banana bread recipes on Facebook. And they had me at "marbled chocolate."

It's the same basic recipe as the chocolate chip bread, but instead of just throwing the chocolate chips in the batter, you melt them down, mix them with some batter, and then swirl the resulting chocolatey goodness into your bread. I made a few substitutions to the original recipe: I used white whole wheat flour in place of all purpose (so it's, um, healthy?), 2 eggs in place of the egg substitute, and vanilla yogurt in place of the regular.

The note on the Cooking Light recipe says to toast the bread, and smear it with peanut butter. Yes. Do this.

Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread
adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
2 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
2 eggs
1/3 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add banana, eggs, and yogurt; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.

Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters together using a knife. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 1 loaf

Download a Printable Recipe

Chicken Involtini with Prosciutto and Basil

2011-05-02T19:08:00.000-04:00

Grilled chicken breasts don't hold a lot of appeal for me... if I'm going to bust out the grill (ok, if John is going to bust out the grill), I want something a little more interesting than a bland old chicken breast. These chicken breasts, however, are totally not boring. They are stuffed with prosciutto, cheese, and basil, making them something special. Special enough for company, in fact... it was such a gorgeous day yesterday that we invited our friends over to enjoy some grilling and leisurely wine-sipping on the deck. Maybe it was the wine, but we all really loved these.

The only thing I would do differently the next time I make these is add more cheese! Only one slice is used per chicken breast, which seems a little skimpy. You need at least two in there. Also the grilling time called for in the recipe was 12 minutes... ours took over 20. I'm not sure if it was something with our grill or if I didn't pound the chicken flat enough, but be sure to test yours so as not to give your friends and family salmonella. We did the cut-it-open-and-see-if-it's-pink test, but an instant read thermometer would work too.

Chicken Involtini with Prosciutto and Basil
from Weber's Way to Grill

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 8 oz each
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 very thin slices prosciutto
4 thin slices provolone cheese, halved
8 large basil leaves, plus more for garnish
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups good-quality tomato sauce

Directions:
1. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat.

2. For each piece of chicken, use about 12 inches of plastic wrap. Place the chicken, smooth side down, to one side of the plastic, about 2 inches from the edge. Fold the remaining plastic over the chicken leaving an inch or so from the folded edge. This will allow the chicken to spread out as it gets thinner. Starting from the thick side, gently pound the chicken with the flat side of a tenderizer or the bottom of a small, heavy skillet, moving to different areas with every stroke until it is about 1/4 inch thick and just about double in size. Do not pound too hard or the chicken might break apart.

3. Season each piece of chicken on both sides with the salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Arrange the chicken with the smooth side down on a work surface.

4. Lay a slice of prosciutto on each piece of chicken. Then lay down 2 halves of the provolone and then 2 basil leaves. Carefully roll up the chicken, keeping it snug as you work. Tie 2 pieces of butcher's twine around each piece to keep it together. Trim the loose ends of twine. Lightly brush each rolled piece of chicken with the oil.

5. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the chicken over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until golden on all sides, about 12 minutes, turning a quarter turn every 3 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the tomato sauce.

6. Remove the twine from the chicken pieces, cut into slices, and serve warm in a pool of sauce. Garnish with torn pieces of basil.

Serves 4

Download a printable recipe.

Chicken Fried Steak!

2011-04-24T11:23:00.003-04:00

This is so good that it totally deserves the exclamation point! I make a lot of Italian themed dishes and all of them are arguably my favorite meal depending on my mood. This is probably my favorite thing I've ever made that didn't involve tomatoes. I've had chicken fried steak only a few times, and living in NJ and not Texas, it's hard to find restaurants that actually make it homemade. Apparently Texas restaurants serve over 800,000 chicken fried steak orders every day! Needless to say, our next trip to Austin is going to include a chicken fried steak dinner. So knowing what this dish should taste like, and not what I've eaten in local diners, I set out to find a few recipes.

There were several that looked good, but I settled on a tried and true recipe from our friends at Cooks Illustrated. Instead of using 6 small steaks, we used 2 good sized steaks, maybe 8 or 10 oz each, but kept the measurements of everything else the same. This allowed me to use a bit more batter on the steaks, a very good thing. Being bigger steaks, we cooked them one at a time, much easier this way I think. Another change we made to the recipe was we used a vegetable/corn oil blend instead of peanut oil. They didn't have peanut oil at the grocery store, and we didn't see the need to track it down just for this recipe.

As you can see, we served this with some delicious mashed potatoes and Bec's fluffy biscuits.

Tip: definitely use a dutch oven to cook these in. I used our trusty 12 inch cast iron skillet, and it got a little messy. If we had a gas cooktop, we'd probably be posting about a kitchen fire and not chicken friend steak.

Ingredients:
Steak
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 6 cube steaks , about 5 ounces each, pounded to 1/3 inch thickness
- 4 cups peanut oil (or enough to come up an inch in your dutch oven)

Cream Gravy
- 1 medium onion , minced
- 1/8 tsp dried thyme
- 2 cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press
- 3 Tbs unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3/4 tsp table salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- Cayenne pepper

Instructions:

1. For the steaks: Measure the flour, 5 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and cayenne into a large shallow dish. In a second large shallow dish, beat the egg, baking powder, and baking soda; stir in the buttermilk (the mixture will bubble and foam).

2. Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and sprinkle each side with salt and pepper to taste. Drop the steaks into the flour and shake the pan to coat. Shake excess flour from each steak, then, using tongs, dip the steaks into the egg mixture, turning to coat well and allowing the excess to drip off. Coat the steaks with flour again, shake off the excess, and place them on the wire rack.

3. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, set a second wire rack over a second rimmed baking sheet, and place the sheet on the oven rack; heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a large plate with a double layer of paper towels. Meanwhile, heat 1 inch of oil in a large (11-inch diameter) Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Place three steaks in the oil and fry, turning once, until deep golden brown on each side, about 5 minutes (oil temperature will drop to around 335 degrees). Transfer the steaks to the paper towel-lined plate to drain, then transfer them to the wire rack in the oven. Bring the oil back to 375 degrees and repeat the cooking and draining process (use fresh paper towels) with the three remaining steaks.

4. For the gravy: Carefully pour the hot oil through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot. Return the browned bits from the strainer along with 2 tablespoons of frying oil back to the Dutch oven. Turn the heat to medium, add the onion and thyme, and cook until the onion has softened and is beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the flour to the pan and stir until well combined and starting to dissolve, about 1 minute. Whisk in the broth, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the milk, salt, pepper, and cayenne; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until thickened (gravy should have a loose consistency—it will thicken as it cools), about 5 minutes.

5. Transfer the chicken-fried steaks to individual plates. Spoon a generous amount of gravy over each steak. Serve immediately, placing any remaining gravy in a small bowl.

Download a printable recipe here.

Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Roasted Asparagus

2011-03-28T19:57:00.000-04:00

I had a subscription to Everyday Food several years ago, and this is the one recipe that I've saved and made over and over again. Whenever spring rolls around and I start seeing asparagus on sale at the grocery store, I immediately think of this recipe. It's a snap to make... you combine the goat cheese and a little butter with hot pasta cooking water to make a creamy, no-cook sauce. Then toss it with your pasta and roasted asparagus. Easy peasy.

I usually leave out the chive garnish, just to make this that much easier. John, however, prefers to add crumbled bacon. Do what you will, but please don't make the same mistake I did the first time I cooked this: the recipe says to reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water, but then instructs you to only put 1/2 cup in the sauce (and add the rest incrementally, if needed). Since I often fail at reading directions, I dumped in the entire cup and half of water. The sauce was a little thin, to say the least.

Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Roasted Asparagus
from Everyday Food

Ingredients:

2 bunches asparagus (2 pounds total), tough ends removed
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
12 ounces cavatappi or other short pasta
1 small log soft goat cheese (5 ounces), crumbled
2 to 3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, for garnish

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Place asparagus on a large rimmed baking sheet; dot with 1 tablespoon butter, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes; cut into 2-inch lengths.

2.While asparagus is roasting, generously salt boiling water. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Set aside 1 1/2 cups pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.

3.In a medium bowl, combine goat cheese, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 cup pasta water. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk until smooth. Add goat-cheese mixture and asparagus to pasta; toss to combine, adding more pasta water if necessary for sauce to coat pasta. Serve pasta garnished with chives.

Serves 4

Download a printable recipe.

Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon and Balsamic Vinaigrette

2011-03-27T12:05:00.001-04:00

This might sound weird if you've never had a warm salad before, but I promise the spinach really holds up well to the warm dressing (dressing made with bacon fat, by the way). I'm just going to let the bacon convince you. Bacon bacon bacon. Just try it. It's really a very simple recipe without a lot of ingredients (no hard boiled eggs here... why does it seem like every spinach salad has to have those??). The recipe says it serves four as a first course, but John and I took down the whole salad as a side dish to our steak dinner.

Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon and Balsamic Vinaigrette
from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:
5 ounces baby spinach (about 6 cups)
2 slices bacon (about 2 ounces), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Place spinach in large bowl. Fry bacon in small skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes; transfer with slotted spoon to paper-towel lined plate, leaving fat in skillet. Return skillet to medium heat and add oil, onion, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add vinegar; swirl to incorporate. Pour warm dressing over spinach and toss gently to wilt. Sprinkle bacon over spinach; serve immediately.

Download a printable recipe.

Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce

2011-03-20T17:14:00.000-04:00

My slow cooker is an appliance that I really, really want to like, but it constantly disappoints me. Almost everything I've made in it has been completely underwhelming. So, when the America's Test Kitchen people came out with their new cookbook, Slow Cooker Revolution, I knew they'd be able to improve my relationship with the slow cooker. This recipe for bolognese sauce was definitely a good start. I've never made a traditional bolognese, but this was just as flavorful as anything I've had at a restaurant (and John couldn't get enough of it, so it's Italian-approved).

The folks at America's Test Kitchen always come up with creative ways to solve common cooking dilemmas, and this recipe is no exception. To prevent the meat from drying out during the long cooking time, they mix it with a panade of bread and cream before putting it in the slow cooker. The recipe (which I am posting as written) calls for meatloaf mix, but I ended up using a mix of ground beef and pork. I also ended up adding quite a bit of salt once this was done cooking, so next time I will probably add more than the recommended 1/2 teaspoon to the meat mixture before it goes in the crock pot.

I think the appeal of the slow cooker for many people is the time-saving element. On that end, this recipe does take some prep work (chopping and sauteing vegetables), so it might not be an ideal weeknight recipe. However, this recipe saves you time in that it makes a huge batch of sauce: enough to sauce three pounds of pasta! So, you can make it on the weekend and freeze the rest for a busy night. I know John and I are looking forward to eating these leftovers!

Big-Batch Bolognese Sauce
from Slow Cooker Revolution

Note: You will need a 6 quart slow-cooker for this recipe.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, minced
1 carrot, peeled and minced
1/4 cut minced celery
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
3 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
1 cup heavy cream
3 pounds meatloaf mix
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Melt the butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste, garlic, and thyme and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to slow cooker. Stir tomatoes into slow cooker.

2. Mash bread and heavy cream into a paste in large bowl using fork. Mix in meatloaf mix, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper using hands. Stir meatloaf mixture into slow cooker, breaking up any large pieces. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 9 to 11 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high.

3. Let sauce settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using a large spoon. Break up any remaining large pieces of meat with spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 14 cups

Download a printable recipe.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

2011-02-21T20:19:00.005-05:00

If Anthony Bourdain were judging these bars on Top Chef, I'm pretty sure he'd call them "perfect stoner food." Because these are basically Rice Krispie treats on crack. The bottom layer is Rice Krispies, pretzels, and marshmallow, topped with a peanut butter layer, then topped with a chocolate layer. And see all that crushed goodness on top? Crushed peanuts and pretzels. Awesome.

I've made these twice since John's sister-in-law, Brooke, posted these on her blog a few weeks ago. These are so good that John, myself, and two of our friends managed to take down a whole pan in one sitting. Just try to resist the salty, sweet, chewy, crunchy, peanutty goodness and eat only one. It cannot be done.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

adapted from Pampered Chef, as seen on ...And a Cookie for Dessert

Ingredients:

1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
3 cups mini pretzel twists (about 1 2/3 cups coarsely crushed), divided
3 cups crisp rice cereal
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), divided
1 bag (10.5 oz) miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup light corn syrup, divided
1 bag (10 oz) peanut butter morsels
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Directions:

1. Coarsely chop peanuts; set aside. Place pretzels into large resealable plastic bag; coarsely crush using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Set aside 1/3 cup of the pretzels. Place remaining pretzels and cereal in a large mixing bowl.

2. Place 6 tbsp of the butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 60-90 seconds or until melted. Add marshmallows; microwave on HIGH 60-90 seconds. Stir until marshmallows are completely melted. Immediately add marshmallow mixture to mixing bowl; mix well. Spread crust evenly in a 13"x9" pan; firmly press into pan.

3. Combine 2 tbsp of the butter and half of the corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 60-90 seconds or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in peanut butter morsels; mix until melted (mixture will be stiff). Spread peanut butter mixture over crust using an offset spatula.

4. For ganache, place remaining butter and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 60-90 seconds or until melted. Stir in chocolate morsels; mix until smooth. Spread ganache evenly over peanut butter mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts and reserved pretzels. Place in freezer 5-10 minutes or until ganache is set. Cut into 24 squares; cut squares in half.

Yield: 24 servings

Download a printable recipe.

Chicken Piccata with Lemony Orzo

2011-02-20T10:05:00.001-05:00

So, John's aunt has been ~~nagging~~ gently reminding us to update our blog, and she's right... we're slackers. So, this one's for you, Linda. This recipe is from the November 2010 issue of Cooking Light, and I've made it a few times since getting the issue in the mail. Chicken piccata (or, "chicken picante" as John's dad calls it) is a pan-seared chicken breast served with a lemon-caper sauce. And this particular version is quick, easy, and healthy. It's a good weeknight dinner for these reasons, and also because you can take out your workday frustrations by pounding your chicken into cutlets (and drinking the rest of the wine that you don't put in the sauce).

Plus, it's Penny-approved:

Chicken Piccata with Lemony Orzo
from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked orzo
2 tsp grated lemon rind
4 (4 oz) chicken cutlets
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tbs chilled butter, cut into small pieces
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1 tbs capers

Directions:
1. Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain. Stir in rind.

2. While orzo cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm. Add wine; cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add broth and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup.

3. Remove from heat; add butter, stirring until butter melts. Stir in parsley and capers. Serve over orzo.

Yield: 4 servings

Download a printable recipe.

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs

2011-01-27T19:47:00.000-05:00

So... how are those New Year's resolutions coming along? Uh, yeah... me too. If you want a quick, healthy, and tasty dinner to get you back on track, give this recipe a try. True, chicken thighs are not quite as lean as the breasts, but they're still quite healthy and they have a lot more flavor. And if saving money was one of your resolutions: chicken thighs are cheaper than the breasts, too.

John and I have made these a bunch of times, but somehow they've never made it to the blog. It's a quick and easy recipe... all you have to do is brush the spice rub on the chicken, broil for a few minutes, and then brush on the glaze (and you know I love a good glaze). These have that great sweet and spicy combo, but they're not too hot. We had ours with some green beans and Trader Joe's Harvest Grains.

P.S. We're on Twitter now, so follow us here, or click the button on the right. We'll be tweeting all sorts of delicious things. And by "we", I mean John, since I have virtually no understanding of how it works.

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs
from Cooking Light

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
Cooking spray
6 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat. Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side.

3. Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well. Remove chicken from oven; brush 1/4 cup honey mixture on chicken. Broil 1 minute. Remove chicken from oven and turn over. Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture. Broil 1 additional minute or until chicken is done.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 chicken thighs)

Download a printable recipe

Cast Iron Skillet Deep Dish Pizza

2011-01-14T20:44:00.003-05:00

Last week I got a craving for some deep dish pizza, which is understandable because all I ever make is Trenton style thin crust pizza. I didn't have a recipe but I knew I wanted Chicago style deep dish and I wanted to cook it in our trusty cast iron skillet. I looked around a little bit to see if I could find a secret recipe from Lou Malnati's somewhere, but of course there was none to be found. So I found my way over to the greatest cooking site on the planet, cooksillustrated.com. They had just updated their Chicago style deep dish pizza recipe last year, so I knew I could count on them, as per usual. Their recipe makes two 9 inch pizzas, but I wanted to use my 12 inch skillet, no big deal, I'll just make one large dough ball and one small dough ball. They also list their own tomato sauce recipe, but that's silly since I make my own tomato sauce and always have it on hand. Although, their recipe looks good and I wouldn't mind if you used it. Now let's talk about the crust on this pizza. Chicago style deep dish pizza has a buttery, biscuit-like crust, and that was the most important thing i wanted to get right with this pie. The key to this is laminating the dough. What is laminated dough you say? Well you get it when you press together alternating layers of butter and dough. Mmmm...butter. As you can see, it makes for a flaky, pastry like crust that holds up well to all the cheese and sauce. Go ahead and try this recipe tonight, you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients
Dough
3 1/4 cups (16 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 3/4 ounces) yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 package instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/4 cups water (10 ounces), room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted, plus 4 tablespoons, softened
1 teaspoon plus 3 tablespoons olive oil

Toppings
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (or Pecorino Romano, your choice) cheese
Pepperoni slices (or other toppings of your choice)
About 2 1/2 to 3 cups of your favorite tomato sauce
Fresh basil leaves

Instructions
1. FOR THE DOUGH: Mix flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook on low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add water and melted butter and mix on low speed until fully combined, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping sides and bottom of bowl occasionally. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is glossy and smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl, 4 to 5 minutes. (Dough will only pull away from sides while mixer is on. When mixer is off, dough will fall back to sides.)

2. Using fingers, coat large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil, rubbing excess oil from fingers onto blade of rubber spatula. Using oiled spatula, transfer dough to bowl, turning once to oil top; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in volume, 45 to 60 minutes.

3. TO LAMINATE THE DOUGH: Using rubber spatula, turn dough out onto dry work surface and roll into 15- by 12-inch rectangle. Using offset spatula, spread softened butter over surface of dough, leaving 1/2-inch border along edges. Starting at short end, roll dough into tight cylinder. With seam side down, flatten cylinder into 18- by 4-inch rectangle. Cut about 1/4 of the rectangle crosswise. (This small ball can be used for another small pizza. Just flatten into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic, and throw it in the freezer.)

Working with the bigger ball, fold into thirds like a business letter; pinch seams together to form ball. Return ball to oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in refrigerator until nearly doubled in volume, 40 to 50 minutes, or up to 6 hours. If you're going to use it another day, wrap tightly in plastic and freeze immediately.

4. Coat the skillet with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Transfer the dough ball to dry work surface and roll out into 15-inch disk about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough to pan by rolling dough loosely around rolling pin and unrolling into pan. Lightly press dough into pan, working into corners and 1 inch up sides. If dough resists stretching, let it relax 5 minutes before trying again.

5. Cut the mozzarella into strips and spread evenly over surface of dough. Add the pepperoni (or other toppings) on top of the cheese.

Spread about 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce over cheese and sprinkle the Parmesan over sauce. Bake until crust is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove pizza from oven, top with basil leaves, and let rest at least 10 minutes (preferably 20) before slicing and serving. Enjoy! Serves 2-3 people

Download a printable recipe here!
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Skillet Carbonara Casserole

2011-01-12T11:02:00.006-05:00

We decided to take a snow day today, even though we really didn't get more than 6 inches. I mean, who wants to wake up and shovel snow at 7am? So after Bec made me some delicious pancakes (another future blog post), I decided to stop being lazy with this blog and put up some delicious recipes we've made recently. My parents came over for a weeknight meal a few weeks ago, and this Skillet Carbonara Casserole from Cooks Country was a hit! It has all the delicious flavors of a spaghetti carbonara but it's a heck of a lot easier to make all in one skillet. We served it with my tasty Balls of Meat and a salad, and it made for a hearty meal. This recipe will definitely be in regular rotation.

Ingredients:
8 slices bacon , chopped fine
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread , torn into pieces
1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano
Salt and pepper
2 large eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
5 1/4 cups water
3 garlic cloves , minced
1 cup white wine
1 pound penne pasta

Directions:
1. FRY BACON Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate. Pour off fat from pan, reserving 3 tablespoons.

2. PREPARE TOPPING Pulse bread, ¼ cup cheese, ½ teaspoon pepper, one-quarter of crisp bacon, and 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat in food processor until coarsely ground. Whisk eggs, milk, remaining cheese, and ¾ cup water in medium bowl.

3. SIMMER PASTA Heat remaining bacon fat in empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and cook until reduced to ¼ cup, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining water, penne, and ¾ teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente, 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat broiler.

4. ADD SAUCE Off heat, add egg mixture and remaining crisp bacon to pan and toss to combine. Top with bread-crumb mixture and broil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Serve.

Download a printable recipe here!
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Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

2010-12-12T20:32:00.000-05:00

This year I had intended to make chai-spiced sugar cookies for my friends' annual holiday cookie swap. Then I changed my mind when I got to the grocery store and realized that the spices I needed were going to cost me $20. We've been trying to stick to a grocery budget since we bought our house, and somehow it didn't seem fair to purchase expensive spices when I won't let John buy his $4-per-can San Marzano tomatoes anymore (o, the sacrifices we've made). Luckily, I had just about everything I needed for these cookies already in my pantry.

Mexican hot chocolate has cinnamon in it, and often some chile pepper to add an extra kick. The chile powder is optional in this recipe, but if you do want to add some heat, make sure you're using chile (with an "e") and not chili (with an "i") powder. It's an important distinction. I omitted the chile powder, but I thought the cinnamon added nice warmth to these cookies without being overpowering. They're basically chocolate snickerdoodles.

Give these a try--they'll make a nice addition to your holiday cookie plate. If you're looking for other cookie recipes, check out last year's Christmas cookie posts:

Holiday Cookie Madness
Cookie Dough Truffles

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
from MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chile powder (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down side of bowl. Add eggs and beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined.

2. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, and chile powder (if using). Using heaping tablespoons, form balls of dough and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place, about 3 inches apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are set in center and begin to crack, about 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. (Store in an airtight container, up to 1 week.)

Makes 32 cookies

Download a printable recipe.
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English Cottage Pie

2010-12-12T08:29:00.002-05:00

We're back! We're no longer above the little Italian restaurant, but I can't say that we miss it. It's been quite a busy month, but we're (mostly) unpacked and loving our new house. After about a week of eating take out, we graduated to familiar, low-effort dinners. Now I'm finally getting my groove back in the kitchen and trying out some new recipes.

This cottage pie recipe from Cooking Light seemed like the perfect dinner for a chilly night. I made a shepherd's pie last winter, but we much preferred this one-it was easier to make and the flavors were a little more traditional (I say that like I have some authority on traditional English cuisine. Just play along. Jolly good then.).

I only made minor changes to the original recipe. Cooking Light often instructs you to saute your veggies in cooking spray. I think this is stupid, so I ignore them and use vegetable oil instead. I also used 1 teaspoon of dried thyme in place of a tablespoon of fresh. For the low-fat cheese called for, I really like Cabot 50% reduced fat cheddar. If there's anything I like more than a mashed potato crust, it's a cheesy mashed potato crust. Yum.

English Cottage Pie
adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 (8-ounce) package cremini or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
Paprika (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine flour and butter; stir well. Heat a large nonstick skillet and vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot; sauté 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove vegetables from skillet. Add beef to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in tomato paste, and cook 3 minutes. Stir in broth and pepper. Return vegetables to pan, and bring to a simmer. Stir in parsley, thyme, and salt. Add flour mixture, and cook for 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly.

3. Spoon meat mixture into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly. Combine the potatoes and half of cheese; spread the potato mixture evenly over meat mixture. Top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Yield: 6 servings

Download a printable recipe
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A Year of Blogging... and Some News!

2010-10-31T09:31:00.002-04:00

We're moving!!

It's hard to believe we've been blogging from our little apartment above an Italian restaurant for a whole year. I'm here to report that we won't be blogging from here for much longer... we'll be blogging from our new kitchen... in our new house! A few people have asked us if we're going to change the name of the blog now, but that seems like too much effort: the name stays!

We probably won't be doing too much blogging for awhile, so I'm going to list some of my favorite things we've posted over the past year (speaking of favorite things, did anyone see the Sound of Music cast reunite on Oprah this week?? Ah-mazing!). It was hard to choose, since I don't put anything on this blog if I don't genuinely enjoy it, but I've narrowed it down as best I could.

Bec's favorite things:

Salad:
Pear, Walnut, and Feta Salad

Appetizer:
Roasted Garlic Hummus

Soup:
Italian Sausage Soup

Italian dish:
John's Homemade Ravioli

Indian dish:
Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken dish:
Chicken with Israeli Couscous, Spinach, and Feta

Pork dish:
Indoor BBQ Pulled Pork

Vegetarian dish:
Eggplant Rollatini

Cookie:
Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies

Dessert:
Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Thanks for reading our little blog! I hope you've enjoyed our first year. Once we've moved (and unpacked the kitchen), we'll be back with lots of great recipes.
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Cheddar Corn Muffins

2010-10-10T18:06:00.000-04:00

For approximately five years now, my friend Stacie and I have been saying that we should take one of the cooking classes offered at Whole Foods. Last month, we finally made this happen and took a muffin-making class. The woman teaching the class shared some excellent recipes, including this one for cheddar corn muffins. The main thing we learned was not to overmix the muffin batter. I'd heard this before, but it helped to have someone demonstrate when exactly to stop mixing. I always have to mix until I can't see any spots of flour, but apparently I was over-mixing. When everything is just barely incorporated... stop! And you'll end up with fluffy, tender, delicious muffins.

We had some special guests for dinner last night: John's aunt Linda and uncle Mike. Linda is a faithful reader and commenter here on our blog, so we wanted to make a nice dinner for her. We made these to go along with our fabulous barbeque pulled pork. The muffins have an awesome crispy crust on the top, due to a generous sprinkling of cheddar before they go in the oven. There is more cheddar in the batter, along with some oregano and cayenne. The end result is a really tasty, savory muffin... I'll definitely be making these next time we have chili!

Cheddar Corn Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/4 cups sharp cheddar, grated

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray muffin tins. Combine all dry ingredients. Add half of the grated cheese.

2. In another bowl, mix together the melted butter, milk, and egg. Combine wet into dry, mixing only enough to incorporate the dry ingredients.

3. Fill muffin tins to 3/4 full. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and add an additional sprinkling of cayenne, if desired. Bake for 20 minutes, or until tops feel firm to the touch.

Makes 10-12 muffins.

Download a printable recipe
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Pasta with Tomato and Almond Pesto (Pesto alla Trapanese)

2010-10-06T20:11:00.001-04:00

Can I interest you in a fresh-tasting pasta sauce that requires no more effort than throwing a bunch of stuff in your food processor? I made a double batch of the pesto and froze half of it, which I would definitely recommend doing-it doesn't require any extra work, and you'll be glad you have it sitting in your freezer for the next time you need an easy dinner.

Pasta with Tomato and Almond Pesto
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:
1/4     cup slivered almonds, toasted
12     ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2     cup packed fresh basil leaves
1     medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1/2     teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/4     teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3     cup extra-virgin olive oil
1     pound pasta , preferably linguine or spaghetti
1     ounce Parmesan cheese , grated (about 1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

Instructions:

1. Process almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil, about 30 seconds.

2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.

3. Add pesto and ½ cup Parmesan to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with reserved pasta cooking water so that pesto coats pasta. Serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.

Serves 4

Download a printable recipe.
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Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Shallots

2010-09-19T10:12:00.001-04:00

Just when you've had it with summer and the f%#$*# air conditioning that barely works... bam, you suddenly find yourself having to wear a sweater when you go out at night. Ah, fall, how I've missed you. John's parents came over for dinner last weekend, and we wanted to cook something appropriate for the changing of the seasons. But before we get to that, allow me to introduce our newest (and tiniest) kitchen assistant, Penny:

Penny fits nicely in my apron pocket, and she looooves to eat. And now back to the cooking...

The finished dish looks pretty elegant, but it was relatively simple to prepare. You brown the pork tenderloin and then pop it in the oven while you prepare the pears and the sauce. The sauce contains pear nectar (find it in the International Foods aisle with the other Goya stuff), which adds just enough sweetness. We served this with some rice pilaf, roasted tomatoes and green beans, and my favorite fall dessert, apple squares.

Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Shallots
from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme plus fresh thyme sprigs for garnish
1 1 1/4-pound pork tenderloin
3 large shallots, each cut into 6 wedges through stem end, peeled
3 unpeeled small Bosc or Anjou pears, quartered, cored
4 teaspoons butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
3/4 cup pear nectar

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 475°F. Mix oil, garlic, and chopped thyme in small bowl. Rub mixture over pork, shallots, and pears. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and shallots; brown on all sides, turning, about 7 minutes. Transfer shallots to platter. Transfer pork to baking sheet (do not clean skillet). Roast pork until thermometer inserted into center registers 145°F, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add pears to same skillet and cook over medium-high heat until brown on cut side, turning once or twice, about 4 minutes. Transfer pears to platter (do not clean skillet).

Mix butter and flour in small cup. Add broth, pear nectar, and butter mixture to same skillet; boil until sauce thickens, scraping up browned bits, about 7 minutes.

Slice pork; arrange on platter. Surround with pears and shallots. Drizzle sauce over pork. Garnish with thyme sprigs.

Serves 4

Download a printable recipe.
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Peach Sangria

2010-09-11T07:09:00.003-04:00

My sangria is ~~why I get invited to parties~~ what people always ask me to bring to their parties. I brought this to my friends' Labor Day BBQ last weekend. I actually have special portable sangria pitchers for such occasions. I am serious about my wine cocktails, ok?

I also make a lovely red sangria, which we'll get to one of these days, but let's hang onto summer a little longer and talk about the peach sangria. This sangria is a bit sweeter than a red, and people who don't really even like wine that much (weirdos) love this. I was able to get a few end-of-season peaches at our farmer's market which I pulverized into peach puree using a stick blender. If you can't get good peaches, I've also used peach nectar (Goya makes this; it's usually in the International Foods aisle at the supermarket).

Don't buy expensive wine for this. Does it have a twist-off cap? Good-use it. Cheap Spanish table wine or a Sauvingon Blanc (I used the $3 Trader Joe's variety) will do nicely. As for the hard alcohol in this recipe, I usually leave out the brandy, but will sometimes substitute with Peach Schnapps or citrus vodka.

My favorite part of making sangria is cutting up all of the fruit. This recipe calls for sliced peaches, oranges, and apples, but feel free to throw in whatever you want. Berries, melon, or other citrus fruits would all work here. And most importantly... let the sangria sit in the fridge for several hours (preferably overnight) before you serve it. Trust me on this... if you taste it right after you mix it together, it's not going to taste that great. One day later, however, you will have something life-changing on your hands. Oh, and you might want to make a double batch.

Peach Sangria
adapted from FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:
1 bottle white wine
3 ounces brandy (optional)
2 ounces triple sec
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
2 ounces simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil for 2 minutes in a small saucepan) and cooled (leftover syrup can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 1 month)
3 ounces white peach puree (peel peaches, remove pit and puree in a blender with a small amount of water)
Fresh peaches, oranges, and apples sliced

Directions
Place all ingredients in a pitcher and stir to mix. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 48 hours. Serve over ice.

Download a printable recipe.
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Chef's Salad with Spinach, Chicken, and Gouda

2010-08-16T20:53:00.007-04:00

Having a salad for dinner is one of those things that always seems like a good idea... in theory. It's easy, it's healthy, and it generally doesn't require heating up your kitchen in the middle of August (that last part is particularly crucial if you blow a fuse every time you try to run the air conditioner and the TV at the same time--the apartment above an Italian restaurant is becoming less quaint by the day, people). But when it comes down to it, salad for dinner is kind of boring, right? This salad... definitely not boring. We've made this quite a few times this summer and it is going to stay in the regular dinner rotation.

In addition to the Gouda cheese mentioned in the title, we've also got some bacon and avocado going on in this salad. We've used turkey bacon a few times to make it healthier, but I suggest using the real stuff here. And while store bought croutons will save you some time, I highly recommend making your own (unless you have the aforementioned air conditioning problem and don't want to turn on your oven). Not only is it a nice way to use up some leftover bread, but they have a much more appealing texture than the croutons from a box (I made mine with some rosemary focaccia). This recipe makes more croutons than you'll need, so save the extras in an air tight container.

Chef's Salad with Spinach, Chicken, and Gouda

adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Garlic Croutons:

1 large clove garlic , minced to paste or pressed through garlic press (about 1 ¼ teaspoons)
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 slices white sandwich bread (6 ounces), cut into ½-inch cubes (1 ½ cups)

Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (1 small garlic clove)
1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
pinch table salt
pinch ground black pepper

Salad:

1 bag spinach salad blend

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves , torn into bite-sized pieces
1/4 medium red onion , sliced very thin

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1 medium avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 chicken breast, cooked and sliced into thin strips

4 ounces Gouda cheese (regular or smoked), sliced ¼ inch thick and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks

4 slices thick-cut bacon (or turkey bacon), cut into 1/4-inch strips, fried in medium skillet over medium heat until crisp, and drained on paper towels

Instructions:

1. For the croutons: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine garlic, salt, and oil in small bowl; let stand 20 minutes, then pour through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl. Add bread cubes and toss to coat. Spread bread cubes in even layer on rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet to room temperature.

2. For the vinaigrette: Whisk ingredients in medium bowl until combined.

3. For the salad: Combine salad mix, basil, and onions in large serving bowl. Add dressing and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken and cheese over center of greens; sprinkle with bacon, avocado, and croutons and serve immediately.

Makes 2 dinner-sized salads (plus extra croutons)

Download a printable recipe.

M&M Blondies

2010-08-11T20:20:00.001-04:00

I wanted to bake some blondies to bring to a coworker's baby shower, so I set about looking for an easy recipe. My first stop was, of course, my Cook's Illustrated bible (aka, The New Best Recipe). The recipe was indeed pretty simple, but it called for walnuts and white chocolate chips. Those ingredients are all well and good in other applications, but I feel like when it comes to most baked goods, they are wasting valuable real estate that could be taken up by chocolatier things. So I did what any chocolate-candy lover would do and swapped them out for M&M's. And the results were kind of amazing.

Note that the second step of the recipe asks you to fit your baking pan with foil. This is a nice technique to get the blondies out of the pan easily, but if it seems like too much work for you then please butter and flour as per usual.

M&M Blondies
adapted from The New Best Recipe

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter ( 1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
2 large eggs , lightly beaten
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup M&M's

Instructions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet (if using extra-wide foil, fold second sheet lengthwise to 12-inch width). Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.

4. Whisk melted butter and brown sugar together in medium bowl until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in chocolate and M&M's and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula.

5. Bake until top is shiny, cracked, and light golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes; do not overbake. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil overhang and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Makes 36

Download a printable recipe.
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Guacamole Salad

2010-07-30T18:43:00.001-04:00

Avocado is one of those foods I had almost no interest in until a few years ago. Now I feel like I'm making up for all those wasted, pre-avocado years... if an entree at a restaurant comes with a mere slice of avocado, I'll probably order it. I love to find ways to sneak it into my sandwiches and salads (Ever try a bacon, avocado, and tomato sandwich? Nom.). If you swoon over avocado too, you'll want to try this guacamole salad.

This is kind of a deconstructed guacamole (yes, I have been watching a lot of Top Chef): diced tomato, avocado, jalapeno, and onion are tossed in a lime dressing. And just to make it different, the recipe also calls for some black beans and yellow pepper. If you can get local tomatoes, try out the yellow ones... they are so sweet and tasty. This is one of those recipes where you can easily play with the quantities to suit your tastes (I used less jalapeno and onion than the original, and also added some fresh cilantro).

Guacamole Salad
adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ingredients:
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2 inch diced
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup small-diced red onion
1 Tbs minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (about 1 pepper)
1/2 tsp freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2 inch diced
chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Place tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and cayenne and pour over vegetables. Toss well.

Just before serving, fold in avocado. Check seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Serves 6

Download a printable recipe.
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Salted Caramel Ice Cream

2010-07-10T06:45:00.000-04:00

It was 104 degrees earlier this week. What other option did I have?

This honestly wasn't the easiest ice cream I've ever made, but it was definitely best. There were lots of mixing bowls involved. It required making both a custard and caramel on the stove top. It took forever to chill the mixture before I could put it in the ice cream maker. But I'd do it all over again-this was crazy delicious.

Here's a tip for you other caramel-making novices: when you add the cream to the sugar, keep the heat at medium. It bubbles like crazy, so I made the mistake of turning the heat down a little bit, and the caramel siezed up. I ~~almost cried~~ got a little worried, but turning the heat back up fixed the problem. It took a little while to melt it all down, but no harm was done.

We just ate this by itself, but I think it would be amazing scooped on a brownie or alongside some apple pie.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream
from Gourmet

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt such as Maldon
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
3 large eggs

Directions:

1. Heat 1 cup sugar in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber.

2. Add 1 1/4 cups cream (mixture will spatter) and cook, stirring, until all of caramel has dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and stir in sea salt and vanilla. Cool to room temperature.

3. Meanwhile, bring milk, remaining cup cream, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally.

4. Lightly whisk eggs in a medium bowl, then add half of hot milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil). Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, then stir in cooled caramel.

5. Chill custard, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours. Freeze custard in ice cream maker (it will still be quite soft), then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up.

Yield: Makes about 1 quart

Download a printable recipe.

Portobella Mushroom Burgers with Shoestring Fries

2010-07-08T17:25:00.002-04:00

Tonight's blog post is a new favorite of ours, portobella burgers! Since the farmers market opened over a month ago, I've made it a point to stop by the local mushroom guy's booth every week and buy some fungus. Usually it's the oyster / shitake blend, sometimes its the giant portobella caps. We made these a few weeks ago and sadly didn't take pictures (we do that a lot), and they were so good that we knew we'd be making them again. The portobellas are nice and meaty and the combination of the dijon mustard, swiss cheese, and avocado is quite tasty! I suggest anyone who's afraid of mushrooms, or isn't so sure they like them, to try this recipe, it's a guaranteed thumbs up.

We needed a side dish and what better side is there with a burger than french fries? I've made these a couple times, and I'm a big fan. They couldn't be easier to make, and are quite tasty with just salt and pepper. You could go nuts and add all kinds of seasonings to them, but we'll stick to the tried and true recipe here. The trick is to soak the fries in water before you bake them, it has something to do with the starches and helping them cook better, I don't know, but I know it works! Hey, I read it in Cook's Illustrated, and I'll believe anything they tell me. ;)

Portobella Mushroom Burgers

Ingredients:
4 or 5 large portobella mushroom caps
4 slices of swiss cheese (or about 3/4 cup shredded swiss)
1/2 avocado (sliced into strips)
dijon mustard
2 kaiser or challah rolls, sliced in half and toasted
canola oil cooking spray
salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium high heat and coat the bottom with a little bit of canola oil cooking spray. While skillet heats, remove the stems and gills of the mushrooms using a spoon.

Place the portobellas stem side up in the skillet and spray a little cooking spray on each cap, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-8 minutes (cooking time depends on the thickness of each mushrrom cap) until bottom of mushroom starts to brown and a little liquid starts to collect inside cap of the mushroom. Flip each cap, spraying with cooking spray, and salt and pepper each.

Cook for another 5-8 minutes until they have browned nicely and shrunk in size. Top each cap with cheese, evenly divided, turn off the heat and cover the skillet. Cheese should be melted nicely in 2-3 minutes.

Remove from skillet and place on toasted rolls with dijon mustard and sliced avocado. Enjoy! Makes 2 burgers.

Download a printable recipe here!
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Shoestring French Fries

Ingredients:
2 russet potatoes (cut into 1/4" strips using a knife or mandolin)
canola oil cooking spray
salt & pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut potatoes into strips and place in a large bowl. Cover the fries with cold water and let them soak for about 10 minutes. Drain the water and dry the fries completely on sheets of paper towels. Place the fries in a single layer on baking sheets that were sprayed with cooking spray. It is important to put them in a single layer and not piled on top of each other. Spray a little cooking spray on the fries, then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for about 30 minutes or until fries are golden brown. You can flip them after 20 minutes, but it is not necessary. Note: You can also make sweet potato french fries, as you can see, but be careful not to overcook them. They take less time to cook (about 15-20 minutes) and burn easily, so keep your eye on them.

Serves 2.

30 Minute Tortellini Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Arugula, and Pine Nuts

2010-07-06T17:03:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but I have no desire to eat a bowl of hot pasta when it's almost 100 degrees outside. I do, however, have no issue with scarfing down a bowl of cold pasta. This tortellini salad is a great meal for those summer nights when you can't bear to eat anything hot. This is quick and easy to throw together, and it's got two of my favorite summer foods: tomatoes and basil. You could easily play around with this recipe to suit your tastes. Don't like arugula? Use baby spinach. Can't bear to have a meal without meat? Add some grilled chicken. And may I suggest some feta in place of the Parmesan?

It's supposed to be scorching hot all week, so give this one a try.

30 Minute Tortellini Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Arugula, and Pine Nuts
from The Best 30 Minute Recipe

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and ground black pepper
2 (9 oz) packages fresh cheese tortellini
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups baby arugula
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions:
1. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot.

2. Meanwhile, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, basil, shallot, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl large enough to hold the entire pasta salad. Halve the cherry tomatoes, set aside.

3. Add the tortellini and 1 tablespoon salt to the boiling water and cook according to package directions, until tender. Drain, shaking off excess water.

4. Add tortellini and tomatoes to bowl with the dressing and toss. Cover and refrigerate until cooled, at least 15 minutes (15 minutes will give you lukewarm pasta; go longer if you want it cold).

5. Before serving, stir in arugula, Parmesan, and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4 to 6

Download a printable recipe.
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Healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins

2010-07-05T10:25:00.000-04:00

Yes, these muffins are kinda healthy. They contain whole wheat flour, bananas, blueberries, and even wheat germ. I made them even healthier by swapping out half of the butter for yogurt (I needed the rest of the butter to slather on the finished product. Obviously.). And by some miracle, they do not taste like tree bark. In fact, they are delicious. It must be all of the sugar.

Healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins
adapted from marthastewart.com

Ingredients:

1 cup white whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas (about 1 pound)
1/3 cup reduced-fat (2 percent) milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mash bananas with a fork (you should have 3/4 cup); stir in milk, yogurt, and vanilla.

3. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. Fold in frozen blueberries.

4. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Let cool in pan 10 minutes; transfer muffins to a rack to cool 10 minutes more.

Makes 12 muffins.

Download a printable recipe.
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Chicken Milanese with Spring Greens

2010-06-22T21:33:00.001-04:00

Between birthdays, graduations, business trips, and concerts, June has proven to be a busy month for John and I, not giving us much time to cook together. We've been cooking mostly quick and simple dinners lately, and I thought this one was worth sharing. The chicken is pounded flat (if you don't own a meat mallet, go get one... beating the crap out of your dinner is so much fun!), coated in a mixture of bread crumbs and Parmesan, and then quickly pan fried. It's served with greens tossed in a light lemon vinaigrette... a perfect meal for the first day of summer! I used Panko breadcrumbs for this recipe to make the coating extra-cripsy, but regular breadcrumbs would work too.

Chicken Milanese with Spring Greens
from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon minced shallots
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
Dash of sugar
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cups packed spring mix salad greens
2 lemon wedges

Preparation:

1. Combine juice, vinegar, shallots, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and sugar; let stand 15 minutes.

2. Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet.

3. Combine breadcrumbs and cheese in a shallow dish. Place flour in a shallow dish. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Sprinkle chicken with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Dredge chicken in flour; dip in egg white. Dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place chicken on a wire rack; let stand 5 minutes.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes. Turn chicken over; cook 2 minutes or until browned and done.

5. Add 2 teaspoons oil and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to shallot mixture; stir with a whisk. Add greens; toss gently. Place 1 chicken breast half and 1 cup salad on each of 2 plates. Serve with lemon wedges.

Makes 2 servings.

Download a printable recipe.
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Bucatini with Mushrooms

2010-06-05T11:12:00.003-04:00

If you've never tried Bucatini or Perciatelli pasta before, run out and buy some right now. It's such a fun noodle to eat! At first glance it looks like a thick spaghetti, but upon closer inspection, you'll notice a tiny hole running right through the center of the pasta. I don't know what it is about that hole, but it makes the pasta have such a wonderful texture. This is the first time I've eaten this pasta, and I can tell you for sure that this will always be stocked in the AboveAnItalianRestaurant.com pantry!

This recipe is from Cooking Light once again, and when Bec showed it to me, I was all about it. I've been wanting to eat more mushrooms and learn a few staple mushroom recipes, and this is definitely going to be a staple. We got the mushrooms from the farmer's market, a crimini & oyster blend, which is where I got my new love / interest in mushrooms. We got some portobellas last weekend and made delicious portobella burgers with avocado and swiss cheese. Recipe to come, and oh yeah, they were delicious.

Anyway, this dish was great, wonderful mushroom flavor and the pecorino-romano cheese to top it off is a perfect accent on this meal. The recipe calls for Bucatini, but we couldn't find any, so we got Perciatelli made by DeCecco. It's the same pasta, as far as i know, just a different name. The hole in these pastas must allow for more sauce and deliciousness to get into the pasta itself, because each strand was so flavorful, I couldn't get enough. So without further ado, I give you the recipe for my new favorite pasta and mushroom dish...

Bucatini w/ Mushrooms
adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce)
2/3 cup boiling water
8 oz uncooked bucatini
3 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 Tbs butter
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
2 (4-oz) packages exotic mushroom blend, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs dry sherry
2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp truffle oil
Sage sprigs (optional)

Directions:
1. Rinse porcini thoroughly. Combine porcini and 2/3 cup boiling water in a bowl; cover and let stand 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup soaking liquid. Chop porcini.

2. Cook pasta with 1 tablespoon salt in boiling water 10 minutes or until al dente; drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.

3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots, mushroom blend, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in porcini, sherry, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates.

4. Finely grate 1 ounce cheese; crumble remaining cheese. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in pasta, 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup reserved porcini soaking liquid, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup grated cheese, cream, chopped sage, and pepper; toss well to combine. Drizzle with truffle oil; toss. Place about 1 1/4 cups pasta mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with about 1 tablespoon crumbled cheese. Garnish with sage sprigs, if desired. Serves 4. (or 2 really hungry people)

Download a printable recipe here!
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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

2010-05-30T11:37:00.001-04:00

We usually eat all of our bananas before they can get to that overripe stage that's perfect for baking. However, last weekend we ended up with some lovely brown-spotted bananas in our fruit bowl, begging to be made into a tasty baked good. I had never made banana bread before, so I pulled up a recipe on the Cooking Light website. I made a few changes: using vanilla yogurt instead of the regular, and adding a handful of chocolate chips to the batter. This doesn't taste "light" at all (probably because there's half a stick of butter in it; ahem), and we've been enjoying it for breakfast all week long.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (2-3 bananas)
1/3 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 1 loaf

Download a printable recipe.

Strawberry Almond Cream Tart

2010-05-24T22:19:00.001-04:00

I immediately flagged this recipe when I saw it in Cooking Light last month, knowing that I'd be able to get fresh strawberries soon. After picking up a bunch at our farmer's market, I decided to whip this up since we had the rest of the ingredients at home. The end result was a light, delicious dessert with all of the flavors of a strawberry cheesecake (just with more strawberry and less cheesecake).

I made a few changes: I used a mix of regular and cinnamon graham crackers for the crust, and added a splash of Amaretto instead of the almond extract. I also used more strawberry glaze than I was supposed to (a tasty mistake, mind you). For some reason the original recipe instructs you to make the glaze, and then tells you to use half of it on your tart and save the rest for another use. Since I can't read, I just dumped most of the glaze on the tart before I realized I wasn't supposed to. No one complained. So, use as much as you like. If you have any leftover, try it on pancakes or ice cream.

The only problem I had with this was that I wasn't able to cut a nice-looking (ie., triangular) slice. The middle of my crust was too soft, so I probably needed to bake it a little bit longer. It may also have helped if I used a tart pan rather than a pie plate, but we don't seem to own a tart pan.

John and I just polished off the last two slices in order to fill the void in our hearts from the end of our favorite tv series, Lost. I think I'm going to need to make more...

Strawberry Almond Cream Tart
adapted from Cooking Light

Crust:
36 honey and/or cinnamon graham crackers (9 sheets)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 teaspoons water
Cooking spray

Filling:
2/3 cup (about 5 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon almond liqueur

Topping:
5 cups small fresh strawberries, hulled and divided
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare crust, place crackers in a food processor; process until crumbly. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, butter, and 4 teaspoons water; pulse just until moist. Place cracker mixture in a 9-inch round removable-bottom tart pan lightly coated with cooking spray, pressing into bottom and up sides of pan to 3/4 inch. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack.

3. To prepare filling, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla extract and almond liqueur in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over bottom of tart shell.

4. To prepare topping, place 2 cups strawberries in food processor, and process until smooth. Combine strawberry puree, 2/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; cook 1 minute. Remove glaze from heat. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

5. Combine the remaining 4 cups strawberries and juice; toss to coat. Arrange berries, bottoms up, in a circular pattern over filling. Spoon half of glaze evenly over berries (reserve remaining glaze for another use). Sprinkle nuts around edge. Cover and chill 3 hours.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Download a printable recipe.
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Rosemary Focaccia

2010-05-23T15:08:00.001-04:00

Fresh herbs seem to be another one of those things that I'm always struggling to find uses for so that they don't go to waste. We bought rosemary for a recipe and had quite a bit leftover, so I thought I'd make this focaccia to go along with John's homemade ravioli.

As someone who is inexperienced with bread-making, I found this really easy. My dough rose beautifully and then baked to perfection. There is rosemary in the dough and more sprinkled on top before baking, so this has lots of flavor. It's not overly oily like a lot of focaccia I've had, and was the perfect thing for mopping up extra sauce.

We had our friends over to help us eat this carb-fest, and still had lots of bread leftover. My plan for these leftovers? Croutons!

Rosemary Focaccia
from Cooking Light

Note: The rosemary steeps in boiling water; be sure to let it cool to 100° to 110° before adding the yeast so your dough will rise correctly. Sea salt and kosher salt have larger crystals than regular salt, so either adds a nice crunch to the top of the bread. But be sure to use regular salt in the dough for best results. You don't need to use all of the egg and oil mixture on top of the dough; spread enough to coat the top, and discard any extra. Use remaining bread for sandwiches, or cut into 1/2-inch cubes and bake at 350° for 15 minutes (or until toasted) to make croutons for salads.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
1 tablespoon honey
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon water
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

Directions:

Combine boiling water, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and honey in a large bowl; cool to 100° to 110°. Sprinkle yeast over honey mixture; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 3 1/4 cups flour, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 teaspoon salt to honey mixture, stirring to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down. Pat dough into a 14 x 12-inch rectangle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 20 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350º.

Uncover dough. Make indentations in top of dough using handle of a wooden spoon or your fingertips. Combine 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon water, and egg yolk; brush over dough. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with remaining rosemary and sea salt.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 14 servings

Download a printable recipe.
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Spring Vegetable Risotto

2010-05-20T23:32:00.003-04:00

I'm happy to say that our local farmer's market opened up recently, providing fresh inspiration to cook some new dishes. There aren't a whole lot of local vegetables available in New Jersey this time of year, but we did find some asparagus that became the basis for this dish. John's parents came over last weekend for a belated mother's day dinner, and we put together this risotto, along with a rosemary and garlic pork loin (recipe to come).

Risotto is becoming one of my favorite things to cook. While it does require a lot of attention, I'm really coming to enjoy the process of adding a little stock, stirring, waiting for it to absorb, adding some more stock, sipping some wine (I had to open a bottle anyways...), stirring, etc. And this particular recipe calls for a gremolata topping, which apparently is a posh way of saying "smooshed up herbs and lemon zest". It was a nice touch, and you use the stems from the herbs to add extra flavor to your broth. I loved how this turned out, and it was a perfect excuse to cook up some spring veggies.

Spring Vegetable Risotto
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Gremolata:
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves , stems reserved
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves , stems reserved
1/2 teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon

Risotto:
1 pound asparagus , tough ends snapped off and reserved, spears cut on bias into 1/2-inch thick pieces
1 large onion, diced, and 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
3 cups water
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (see note)
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup), plus extra for serving
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon

Instructions:

1. For the Gremolata: Combine ingredients in small bowl and set aside.

2. For the Risotto: Chop tough asparagus ends into rough 1/2-inch pieces. Bring asparagus ends, roughly chopped onion, reserved parsley and mint stems, broth, and water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Return strained broth to saucepan; cover and set over low heat to keep broth warm.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add asparagus spears, pinch of salt, and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add peas and continue to cook 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to plate and set aside.

4. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add diced onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently, until fully absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. When wine is fully absorbed, add 3 cups hot broth to rice. Simmer, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and bottom of pan is almost dry, about 12 minutes.

6. Stir in about 1/2 cup hot broth and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 3 minutes; repeat with additional broth 3 or 4 times until rice is al dente. Off heat, stir in remaining tablespoon butter, Parmesan, and lemon juice; gently fold in asparagus and peas. If desired, add up to 1/4 cup additional hot broth to loosen texture of risotto. Serve immediately, sprinkling each serving with gremolata and passing Parmesan separately.

Serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a side dish/first course.

Download a printable recipe.
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Buttermilk Bread

2010-04-29T21:04:00.004-04:00

Ever buy buttermilk for a recipe and then wonder what the heck you're going to do with the rest of it? It seems to only come in unnecessarily large containers (which makes me wonder... do people actually drink buttermilk??). I mean, I love pancakes, but there are only so many I can eat. So, I looked for some alternate uses for buttermilk and came across this recipe from Cook's Illustrated. I have no expertise whatsoever when it comes to baking bread from scratch, but this was very easy to do... you just need a mixer with a dough hook to do all of the hard work for you. The buttermilk makes this a bit richer than a regular white bread, and honey adds a hint of sweetness. It was great for peanut butter sandwiches, french toast, and just smeared with butter (but what isn't good smeared with butter?).

Buttermilk American Loaf Bread
from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups bread flour, plus extra for work surface
2 teaspoons table salt
1 cup buttermilk, cold
1/3 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons honey
1 package rapid-rise yeast (also called instant yeast)

Instructions:
1. Adjust oven rack to low position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Once oven temperature reaches 200 degrees, maintain heat 10 minutes, then turn off oven heat.

2. Mix flour and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook. in 1-quart Pyrex liquid measuring cup, Mix cold buttermilk and boiling water together (temperature should be about 110-degrees), add butter, honey, and yeast. Turn machine to low and slowly add liquid. When dough comes together, increase speed to medium (setting number 4 on a KitchenAid mixer) and mix until dough is smooth and satiny, stopping machine two or three times to scrape dough from hook if necessary, about 10 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface; knead to form smooth, round ball, about 15 seconds.

3. Place dough in very lightly oiled bowl, rubbing dough around bowl to lightly coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; place in warm oven until dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes.

4. Form dough into loaf by gently pressing the dough into a rectangle, one inch thick and no wider than the length of the loaf pan. Next, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn dough seam side up and pinch it closed. Place dough in greased 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan and press gently so dough touches all four sides of pan.

5. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside in warm spot until dough almost doubles in size, 20 to 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees, placing an empty loaf pan on bottom rack. Bring 2 cups water to boil.

6. Remove plastic wrap from loaf pan. Place pan in oven, immediately pouring heated water into empty loaf pan; close oven door. Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted at angle from short end just above pan rim into center of loaf reads 195 degrees, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove bread from pan, transfer to a wire rack, and cool to room temperature. Slice and serve.

Makes one 9-inch loaf.

Download a printable recipe.
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Indoor Pulled Pork with Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce

2010-04-18T17:30:00.003-04:00

At 8:30 AM on Saturday, while most normal people were sleeping or eating breakfast, John and I headed to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for our weekend food project of pulled pork. ("indoor" pulled pork, as we live in an apartment with no outdoor space). I sent John to the meat section while I groggily staggered up to the coffee bar for my caffeine fix. A few minutes later, John comes waltzing over, clearly pleased with the giant pork butt he picked out. We wandered around for about 10 more minutes looking for Liquid Smoke, finally found it by the barbecue sauce, then we checked out. And yes, we cracked inappropriate jokes about pork butt all the way home (Hahaha... "cracked"! See what I did there?). We're mature.

I call this a project because it took all day to make. Granted, most of the day, the pork is spent either brining or cooking, so it does not require constant attention. And at the end of the day, every last minute was worth it. We could barely muster any coherent sentences as we took our first bites: "MMM. So... mmm... wow... mmm... ohmygosh... tastymmmyummm." There are so many layers of flavor: the brine infuses the meat with the liquid smoke flavor, the spice rub adds a little kick, and the homemade barbecue sauce was just ridiculously good (you mix in some of the pork cooking liquid, which I think is the key ingredient here).

This makes a lot, but a quick Google search told us that pulled pork freezes well, so you don't necessarily need to have a big crowd to help you eat it. Serve on rolls to make sandwiches, or just eat it straight up.

Indoor Pulled Pork with Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce
from Cook's Illustrated

Note: Sweet paprika may be substituted for smoked paprika. Covering the pork with parchment and then foil prevents the acidic mustard from eating holes in the foil. Serve the pork on hamburger rolls with pickle chips and thinly sliced onion. Instead of the sauce recipe here, you can use 2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce thinned with ½ cup of the defatted pork cooking liquid in step 5. The shredded and sauced pork can be cooled, tightly covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat it gently before serving.

Pork:
1 cup plus 2 teaspoons table salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 boneless pork butt (about 5 pounds), cut in half horizontally (see step by step below)
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons smoked paprika (see note)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce:
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup light or mild molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:
1. FOR THE PORK: Dissolve 1 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and 3 tablespoons liquid smoke in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge pork in brine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

2. While pork brines, combine mustard and remaining 2 teaspoons liquid smoke in small bowl; set aside. Combine black pepper, paprika, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and cayenne in second small bowl; set aside. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.

3. Remove pork from brine and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub mustard mixture over entire surface of each piece of pork. Sprinkle entire surface of each piece with spice mixture. Place pork on wire rack set inside foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Place piece of parchment paper over pork, then cover with sheet of aluminum foil, sealing edges to prevent moisture from escaping. Roast pork for 3 hours.

4. Remove pork from oven; remove and discard foil and parchment. Carefully pour off liquid in bottom of baking sheet into fat separator and reserve for sauce. Return pork to oven and cook, uncovered, until well browned, tender, and internal temperature registers 200 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 1½ hours. Transfer pork to serving dish, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.

5. FOR THE SAUCE: While pork rests, pour 1/2 cup of defatted cooking liquid from fat separator into medium bowl; whisk in sauce ingredients.

6. TO SERVE: Using 2 forks, shred pork into bite-sized pieces. Toss with 1 cup sauce and season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Download a printable recipe.
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Maple-Ginger Glazed Chicken Breasts

2010-04-17T16:15:00.000-04:00

I'm not entirely sure why, but lately I've become obsessed with things that are glazed. Savory things, too, not just cakes and donuts. I went through some cookbooks as well as my favorite recipe websites and just typed in "glazed", and came across a lot of interesting recipes. I settled on these glazed chicken breasts for dinner this week because they were easy and I had all of the ingredients on hand. The glaze had a lot of flavor for not having a lot of ingredients, and was a nice way to dress up an otherwise pretty boring piece of chicken. Maple syrup adds sweetness, soy sauce adds a savory component, and ginger and cayenne add a little kick.

Maple-Ginger Glazed Chicken Breasts
from America's Test Kitchen Fast & Fresh Recipe Card Collection

Ingredients:
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (NOT pancake syrup!)
1 tbs. soy sauce
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 tbs. vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Combine syrup, soy sauce, ginger, and cayenne in a small bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low and add syrup mixture to skillet. Simmer, turning chicken once or twice to coat, until glaze is slightly thickened and chicken is cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve.

Download a printable recipe.
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Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese

2010-04-14T08:26:00.001-04:00

The employees at my local Quizno's know my order. If I don't come in for awhile, they ask where I've been. I'm pretty sure the owner wants to set my friend up with her son. It's very sweet, but probably an indication that I was eating lunch out a tad too often.

In an effort to kick that habit, I try to make a big batch of something-or-other at the beginning of the week so that I have leftovers for a few days. Baked pasta dishes are always awesome when reheated, so I thought I'd give this recipe a try. I printed it out in January when I was on my Cooking Light rampage, but never got around to making it (probably because John had just gotten his pasta maker and was cranking out homemade ravioli... mmm!).

This was definitely a good choice... it was just as good for lunch as it was for dinner. The only change we made was using mild Italian turkey sausage, rather than the hot.

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese
from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 (1-pound) package uncooked ziti (short tube-shaped pasta)
1 pound hot turkey Italian sausage links
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the pasta, and set aside.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Yield: 8 servings

Download a printable recipe.
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Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-03-29T20:50:00.001-04:00

Last month, John and I spent a relaxing weekend in Lancaster County, PA (also known as "Amish Country"). In addition to horse-drawn buggies, bonnets, and towns with oddly suggestive names (Intercourse and Blue Ball.... haha), Lancaster County is also home to the Wilbur Chocolate Factory. It was at this wonderful place that I picked up two beautiful bags of chocolate chips. One bag of chips ended up in my Samoa Bars, and the other sat in the pantry, waiting for their higher calling. That calling came on Saturday when I clicked over to the Cook's Illustrated website, where these Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies were a featured recipe.

The cool thing about this recipe is that you melt the butter, so you don't have to wait around for your butter to come to room temperature like with most cookie recipes. You actually have to melt it and cook it until it's just brown... then you whisk it with sugar to form a delightful caramel-y base for your cookies.

While calling them "perfect" might be overstating things a bit (I still have yet to find the "perfect" chocolate chip cookie), I would say that these cookies are pretty fantastic. Thick, chewy, and a little crispy around the edges... how can you go wrong?

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)

1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

3/4 cup chopped pecan or walnuts, toasted (optional)

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)

5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Makes 16 Cookies.

Download a printable recipe.

Chipotle Bean Burritos

2010-03-26T18:28:00.003-04:00

John and I have been enjoying a lot of recipes from my Cooking Light subscription lately (and our pants are fitting better for it, I'm happy to say). While perhaps not as exciting as, say, tiramisu, these burritos have a lot of other admirable qualities: they are tasty, healthy, and easy to make. Plus, it's hard to come by a cheaper protein source than beans (and John says he didn't miss the meat). We stuck to the recipe, but you could definitely add additional spices or toppings (I was a little disappointed that I didn't have an avocado on hand to roll up in these). We used regular tortillas, rather than the low-fat ones called for in the recipe, but I doubt it made too much of a difference in the calorie count (with the low-fat tortillas, you're looking at 360 calories per burrito). And the regular tortillas probably taste better... just sayin'.

Chipotle Bean Burritos
from Cooking Light (Jan/Feb 2010)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (or 1/2 teaspoon regular chile powder and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
1 (15-ounce) can organic black beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, drained
3 tablespoons refrigerated fresh salsa
6 (10-inch) tortillas
1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 3)
1 1/2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
6 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
6 tablespoons light sour cream

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in chile powder and salt; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/3 cup water and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salsa. Partially mash bean mixture with a fork.

2. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup bean mixture into center of each tortilla. Top each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons cheese, 1/4 cup tomato, 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon onions, and 1 tablespoon sour cream; roll up.

Makes 6 burritos.

Download a printable recipe.
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Eggplant Rollatini

2010-03-17T20:06:00.007-04:00

Sometime within the last year or two I realized that I actually really like eggplant. That's as long as it's prepared and cooked properly. I was afraid of it as a kid, as I'm sure most kids are, and never thought to try it again until recently. I'm not sure where I saw or read how to prepare eggplant, but I thought I'd give it a try a couple weeks ago and decided on eggplant rollatini. I didn't follow a recipe, just an idea I had of what I wanted it to be, and like most foods I love, it involves tomato sauce and ricotta cheese! I used my tomato sauce recipe and the ravioli filling recipe for these, the rest is made up by yours truly. Not exactly rocket science here, just a little common sense and a little suggestion from Bec to bake the eggplant instead of fry it. Good idea my dear. This is a great recipe to use up the leftover ravioli filling and extra tomato sauce from your last Italian feast!

Ingredients:

Tomato sauce
Ravioli filling
1 Eggplant
Italian-seasoned Bread Crumbs (about 1 1/2 cups)
2-3 eggs
fresh mozzarella cheese
salt
fresh basil (optional)

Directions:

Cut off the two ends of the eggplant and peel with a vegetable peeler. Next bust out your mandolin and play a tune, uhh, oh, wrong mandolin. Set the mandolin for 3/16" setting and cut up the entire eggplant into slices. If you don't have a mandolin, you can use a banjo instead. I mean you can just use your big knife and try to cut thin strips about 3/16" thick. Now lay out all the slices on a wire rack and sprinkle both sides liberally with table salt. This step is necessary to remove the bitterness and some of the moisture from the eggplant. Let them sit for 15 minutes while you pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Now rinse the eggplant with running water removing the salt and pat dry.

Next in a couple big bowls or plates, add the bread crumbs to one and the eggs to the other and beat them well. Now dip each strip of eggplant in the egg and then the bread crumbs, coating evenly, and lay them on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes until they just start to turn golden brown. Check the underside to make sure they are not burning. You can flip them after 5 minutes if they are starting to brown on the bottom.

Add enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish. Once the strips are cooled for a couple minutes you can now work with them. Take a big tablespoon of ricotta filling and place it on one end of the eggplant, then roll them up and add them to the baking dish.

Add tomato sauce to the top of the rollatini's, just enough to cover most of them. Then place some mozzarella strips on top covering each one.

Bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese starts to melt quite a bit, then put under the broiler for a few minutes just until the cheese starts to brown nicely. Keep your eye on it and don't walk away, this happens very quickly. Sprinkle with a chiffonade of basil and let cool for a few minutes so it's not too runny, or just dig right in, your call. Serves 4.

Download a printable recipe here!
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Roasted Garlic Hummus

2010-03-14T14:51:00.002-04:00

This hummus contains a triple punch of garlic: there's roasted garlic, garlic-infused olive oil, and a garlic chip topping. The recipe requires two (!) whole heads of garlic. And the longer you let it sit in the refrigerator, the more garlicky it becomes. Don't be scared... this is really, really good. We didn't find the garlic flavor to be overpowering at all.

If you've never made your own hummus, you should give this a try. I think it's a lot smoother, creamier, and more flavorful than the pre-packaged stuff. Plus, squeezing the roasted garlic out of its skin is delightfully therapeutic.

Serve this with pita wedges or fresh veggies. And, um, maybe some mints.

Roasted Garlic Hummus
from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:
2 heads garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , plus extra for drizzling
2 thinly sliced garlic cloves
3 tablespoons juice from 1 to 2 lemons
1/4 cup water
6 tablespoons tahini , stirred well
1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas , drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Pinch cayenne
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:
1. Remove outer papery skins from garlic; cut top quarters off heads and discard. Wrap garlic in foil and roast in 350-degree oven until browned and very tender, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat olive oil and 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves in small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer garlic slices to paper towel-lined plate and set aside; reserve oil. Once roasted garlic is cool, squeeze cloves from their skins (you should have about 1/4 cup).

2. Combine lemon juice and water in small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk together tahini and garlic cooking oil in second small bowl or measuring cup.

3. Process chickpeas, roasted garlic puree, salt, and cayenne in food processor until almost fully ground, about 15 seconds. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, add lemon juice-water mixture in steady stream through feed tube. Scrape down bowl and continue to process for 1 minute. With machine running, add oil-tahini mixture in steady stream through feed tube; continue to process until hummus is smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.

4. Transfer hummus to serving bowl, sprinkle toasted garlic slices and parsley over surface, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand until flavors meld, at least 30 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Makes about 2 cups.

Download a printable recipe.
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Pear, Walnut, and Feta Salad

2010-03-06T19:42:00.003-05:00

Salad is not normally something I get too excited about... I like it, sure, but I usually throw one together as an afterthought when I realize I should have something green with my meal. This, however, is one crave-able salad. My friend Martha made this for a dinner party a few weeks ago. The original recipe called for blue cheese, but Martha made a brilliant swap-out for feta. The dressing is really bright, and all of the textures and flavors are well balanced. This has become my go-to salad for company. People actually ask for seconds of this! Even people who aren't really "salad people". Give it a try, and don't skimp on the feta...

Pear, Walnut, and Feta Salad
adapted from epicurious

Dressing:
3 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tbs. shallot, minced fine
1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried thyme)
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Salad:
1 bag mixed baby greens
1 large ripe pear, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Directions:
Whisk first four salad dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss greens with just enough dressing to coat, then top with pear, feta, and walnuts. Divide into bowls and serve with remaining dressing.

Makes about 4 servings.

Download a printable recipe.
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Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts

2010-03-03T21:43:00.002-05:00

As you may have noticed, we've been eating a lot of desserts around here lately. So, in the interest of balance, here's another recipe from the Cooking Light files. This is from the current issue and it has all kinds of good things in it... pasta, pine nuts, and pork products. The one thing I found weird about the recipe was that it has you toast the pine nuts and cook the pancetta in the oven (these are things I'd normally think to do on the stove). However, we followed the recipe and it came out great (but I still think you don't really need to turn on your oven for this). Final verdict? This is a satisfying dish that's easy to prepare, and it's only 385 calories per serving, so eat up!

Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts

from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked cavatappi pasta
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp. minced garlic
3 tbs. pine nuts
2 oz diced pancetta
2 tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions; add asparagus to pan during last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain. Sprinkle pasta mixture with garlic; return to pan, toss well.

While pasta is cooking, arrange pine nuts in a single layer on a jelly roll pan. Bake for 3 minutes or until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Place in a small bowl.

Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees.

Arrange pancetta on jelly-roll pan. Bake for 6 minutes or until crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts, pancetta, and cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Download a printable recipe.
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French Onion Soup

2010-02-26T16:08:00.002-05:00

John and I had been wanting to make French onion soup for awhile now, but we didn't own the appropriate broiler-safe bowls. I found some a few weeks ago at the Crate and Barrel Outlet, so we decided to break them in on Sunday night when John's dad came over for dinner (you actually can make this without the broiler safe bowls-see the recipe for instructions).

I thought that French onion soup got its dark brown color from beef broth, but this recipe called for mostly chicken broth. It turns out the color comes from caramelizing the onions until they are a deep, rich brown. The caramelization takes a long time, but is mostly done in the oven. Warning: your home is going to stink of onions. And you probably will too. But it's worth it. I mean, check out all the cheesy goodness going on here:

Best French Onion Soup
from Cook's Illustrated

Note: Sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, will make this recipe overly sweet. Be patient when caramelizing the onions in step 2; the entire process takes 45 to 60 minutes. Use broiler-safe crocks and keep the rim of the bowls 4 to 5 inches from the heating element to obtain a proper gratinée of melted, bubbly cheese. If using ordinary soup bowls, sprinkle the toasted bread slices with Gruyère and return them to the broiler until the cheese melts, then float them on top of the soup. We prefer Swanson Certified Organic Free Range Chicken Broth and Pacific Beef Broth. For the best flavor, make the soup a day or 2 in advance. Alternatively, the onions can be prepared through step 1, cooled in the pot, and refrigerated for up to 3 days before proceeding with the recipe.

Ingredients:

Soup:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 3 pieces
6 large yellow onions (about 4 pounds), halved and cut pole to pole into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Table salt
2 cups water , plus extra for deglazing
1/2 cup dry sherry
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (see note)
2 cups beef broth (see note)
6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
1 bay leaf
Ground black pepper

Cheese Croutons:
1 small baguette , cut into 1/2-inch slices
8 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)

Instructions:

1. For the soup: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray inside of heavy-bottomed large (at least 7-quart) Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Place butter in pot and add onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, 1 hour (onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume). Remove pot from oven and stir onions, scraping bottom and sides of pot. Return pot to oven with lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring onions and scraping bottom and sides of pot after 1 hour.

2. Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat. Using oven mitts to handle pot, cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until liquid evaporates and onions brown, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing heat to medium if onions are browning too quickly. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until pot bottom is coated with dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary. (Scrape any fond that collects on spoon back into onions.) Stir in 1/4 cup water, scraping pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are very dark brown. Stir in sherry and cook, stirring frequently, until sherry evaporates, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in broths, 2 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, scraping up any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper.

4. For the croutons: While soup simmers, arrange baguette slices in single layer on baking sheet and bake in 400-degree oven until bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

5. To serve: Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set individual broiler-safe crocks on baking sheet and fill each with about 1 3/4 cups soup. Top each bowl with 1 or 2 baguette slices (do not overlap slices) and sprinkle evenly with Gruyère. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Download a printable recipe.
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Tiramisu

2010-02-25T21:21:00.002-05:00

America's Test Kitchen has a standard approach to all of their recipes: they find common problems with traditional recipes and then they test a billion different versions until they arrive at the "perfect" one (and they do usually come up with awesome, fool-proof recipes). Sometimes I think the problems they make up for recipes are a little exaggerated, but I completely agreed with their assessment of the most common tiramisu fail: too soggy. And, as usual, their recipe solves the problem... you can see in the picture above that the ladyfingers are still cakey, and not overly saturated with coffee. It's all about quickly dipping them in coffee, rather than letting them soak. Since the rest of the tiramisu is basically just a creamy custard, you need the texture of the ladyfingers to hold up so that you're not eating a big pile of mush.

This was fun to make, and it doesn't require baking; however, you need to refrigerate it for at least 6 hours before serving (we let ours set overnight). Also, John and I could not find the espresso powder called for in the recipe, so we left it out. I'm sure it would have a stronger coffee flavor if we used it, but I don't think the dish suffered without it.

Lest you think we ate the whole pan of tiramisu ourselves, I should tell you that we made the tiramisu for John's mom's birthday dinner. We had a delicious Italian feast: John made his homemade ravioli and meatballs, and his sister-in-law, Brooke, made a tasty caprese salad... yet somehow everyone managed to save room for dessert. Well, everyone except for John's nephew, Charlie, who could not have been less interested in the tiramisu:

Oh well, I guess he's not old enough for rum-laden desserts yet...

Tiramisu

from America's Test Kitchen: Best of 2009

Note: Brandy and even whiskey can stand in for the dark rum. The test kitchen prefers a tiramisù with a pronounced rum flavor; for a less potent rum flavor, halve the amount of rum added to the coffee mixture in step 1. Do not allow the mascarpone to warm to room temperature before using it; it has a tendency to break if allowed to do so. Be certain to use hard, not soft ladyfingers.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups strong black coffee , room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
9 tablespoons dark rum
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 pounds mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup heavy cream (cold)
14 ounces ladyfingers (42 to 60, depending on size)
3 1/2 tablespoons cocoa , preferably Dutch-processed
1/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate , grated (optional)

Instructions:
1. Stir coffee, espresso, and 5 tablespoons rum in wide bowl or baking dish until espresso dissolves; set aside.

2. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat yolks at low speed until just combined. Add sugar and salt and beat at medium-high speed until pale yellow, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula once or twice. Add remaining 4 tablespoons rum and beat at medium speed until just combined, 20 to 30 seconds; scrape bowl. Add mascarpone and beat at medium speed until no lumps remain, 30 to 45 seconds, scraping down bowl once or twice. Transfer mixture to large bowl and set aside.

3. In now-empty mixer bowl (no need to clean bowl), beat cream at medium speed until frothy, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Increase speed to high and continue to beat until cream holds stiff peaks, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes longer. Using rubber spatula, fold one-third of whipped cream into mascarpone mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Set mascarpone mixture aside.

4. Working one at a time, drop half of ladyfingers into coffee mixture, roll, remove, and transfer to 13 by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. (Do not submerge ladyfingers in coffee mixture; entire process should take no longer than 2 to 3 seconds for each cookie.) Arrange soaked cookies in single layer in baking dish, breaking or trimming ladyfingers as needed to fit neatly into dish.

5. Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers; use rubber spatula to spread mixture to sides and into corners of dish and smooth surface. Place 2 tablespoons cocoa in fine-mesh strainer and dust cocoa over mascarpone.

6. Repeat dipping and arrangement of ladyfingers; spread remaining mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers and dust with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa. Wipe edges of dish with dry paper towel. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 to 24 hours. Sprinkle with grated chocolate, if using; cut into pieces and serve chilled.

Download a printable recipe.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies

2010-02-11T21:38:00.002-05:00

Mmm... don't you just want to stuff one in your face RIGHT NOW?? That's what I'd be doing if I wasn't saving these for a Valentine's Day chocolate pot luck at work tomorrow (my job does have its perks). Of course I sampled a few, and can tell you that these are so rich and moist, with just enough raspberry flavor (there's a little bit of jam in the brownie batter, plus more swirled into the cream cheese layer). For those of you who were wondering, the texture is more on the "cakey" side than the "fudgey" side.

I don't think I have ever made brownies from scratch since I'm totally content with whipping up a batch of Duncan Hines (or Ghiradelli, if I'm feelin' fancy). However, I saw these brownies in the August/September issue of Cook's Country and immediately flagged them for the Valentine's pot luck (I struggle planning meals for a week, yet somehow can plan desserts months in advance). Despite the layering involved, these came together a lot quicker than I expected. This recipe is definitely worth trading in the box for.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies

adapted from Cook's Country

Filling:

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg yolk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Brownies:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup raspberry jam

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 inch square baking dish with foil, allowing excess to hang over pan edges. Grease foil. Process cream cheese, vanilla, sugar, and egg yolk in a food processor until smooth.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, microwave the butter until melted, about 1 minute. Whisk in 1/4 cup of jam and let it cool slightly. Add the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla to the chocolate mixture, stirring until combined. Whisk in the flour mixture until incorporated.

Microwave the remaining jam until warm, about 30 seconds; stir until smooth. Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan. Dollop filling over batter and spread into an even layer. Dollop warm jam over filling, and, using the tip of a knife, swirl the jam through the filling. Spread remaining batter evenly over the filling.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few dry crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. Using the foil overhang, lift brownies from the pan, and cut into 1 1/2 inch squares. Serve (brownies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 days).

Download a printable recipe.
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John's Super Delicious & Healthy Granola Bars

2010-02-10T17:01:00.006-05:00

Alrighty then. So I've been slowly changing my diet since the new year and I have to admit that I am feeling better and actually losing a little weight. The problem is I love to cook and obviously eat, and it's hard to find delicious yet healthy things to snack on. Well, I'm discovering it's not really that hard, it just takes the self discipline to stop buying all the sugary snacks at the grocery store. I love nuts (that's what she said) especially almonds and peanuts, and I wanted to work them into some sort of granola bar. As a long time fan of the great and knowledgeable Alton Brown, I was inspired by his weight loss, albeit a little too much weight loss if ya ask me. He finally did an episode a couple weeks ago about how he changed his diet and it got me thinking about what I should be eating everyday. I wanted to read more on the topic, so the other night I bought Michal Pollan's book, Omnivore's Dilemma. I've barely scratched the surface of it, but the basic gist of it is to eat more whole foods. Super foods, if you will. Some of my favorite things actually are super foods: avocado, dark chocolate, almonds, salmon, spinach, tomatoes, and green tea. Now if I can incorporate those along with all the other healthy whole foods into my diet, I'd be on my way to some great health. And with the help of my sweetheart, Bec, I'm gonna get there!

We went to Trader Joe's the other night and I wanted to raid their dried fruit and nut aisle. I came home with almonds, sunflower seeds, oats, dried blueberries, and dried cherries. All the nuts were raw, nothing added, and the fruit was dried, nothing added either. They had some other "dried" fruit there that had some oil and sugar added, but I steered clear of those. The whole goal here was to get the most pure ingredients I can, with absolutely no preservatives or weird chemicals. I had some walnuts and wheat germ at home, as well as the rest of the ingredients, so I was set. I followed the recipe completely, except I added a 1/3 cup of walnuts, and I used whole almonds lightly chopped instead of Alton's recipe calling for sliced almonds. They came out great, lots of fruit, lots of nuts, not too sweet, and they actually held together pretty nicely.   I even went so far as to calculate the nutritional facts based on the ingredient packaging. I cut these into 18 bars, and they seem to be the perfect size for a light lunch or mid-day snack.

makes 18 bars - Nutritional info per bar (approximate):

208 Calories / 11g Fat / 31g Carbs / 4g Fiber / 5g Protein

Not too bad, and there are no weird chemicals in there, and most of that fat is the "good" fat from the almonds. Sure, you can tweak the recipe and put whatever fruits and nuts you want in there. You could also get crazy and add a scoop or two of your favorite protein powder to boost the protein numbers. I'm guessing they would still come out pretty good as long as you kept the fruit and nut ratios the same. Actually, the recipe called for 6 1/2 oz of dried fruits, but didn't have a volume measurement listing, I just used the entire bag each of the the cherries and blueberries, and they came out to just over 2 cups. Probably a lot more than the recipe calls for, but I'm happy with how they came out. FYI, the nutritional info is based on what I actually put in them, so it should be very close to accurate. Now without further ado, the recipe...

Granola Bars
based on Alton Brown's recipe
Ingredients:

    * 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
    * 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
    * 1 cup chopped raw almonds
    * 1/3 cup chopped raw walnuts
    * 1/2 cup wheat germ
    * 1/2 cup honey
    * 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
    * 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
    * 2 tsp vanilla extract
    * 1/2 tsp kosher salt
    * 2 cups dried cherries and blueberries

Directions:

Butter a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture and the liquid mixture to a large bowl, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine.

Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Download a printable recipe here!
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Samoa Bars

2010-02-10T11:52:00.003-05:00

Still waiting for your Girl Scout Cookie order to come in? I'm all for supporting the Girl Scouts (I used to be one!), but sometimes I need more immediate cookie gratification. I spied this recipe on another cooking blog, and was pretty excited to try making my own version of Samoas (sometimes they're also called Caramel DeLites). Samoas are little round cookies topped with toasted coconut and caramel, then drizzled with chocolate.

While these aren't difficult to make, they do take a lot of time due to all of the steps involved (luckily there have been a lot of snowy days spent indoors lately). You have to make each layer of these bars separately, so most of the prep time is spent waiting for things to set, cool, etc. These bars replicate the flavors of the Samoas really well. The one change I would make next time is to use a little less of the cookie crust. I felt that these needed a higher caramel to cookie crust ratio in order to be perfect. I'm posting the original recipe, but play around with the amounts as you like. Also, the recipe calls for "good" caramels... the only ones I could find were made by Kraft. They melted nicely and tasted awesome, so I'm going to say that they easily qualify as "good". Don't knock yourself out looking for anything fancy.

Samoa Bars

spotted on Joelen's Culinary Adventures, originally from Baking Bites

Cookie Base:

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

First, make the crust.

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepapred pan and press into an even layer.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

Topping:
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.

Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled.

When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).
Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.

Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes about 30 bar cookies.

Download a printable recipe.
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Peanut Butter and Nutella Muffins

2010-02-05T07:56:00.000-05:00

Listen up, readers... today is a very, very special day. It's World Nutella Day. You heard that right... a whole day devoted to chocolatey, hazelnutty, spreadable goodness. I dare say it's better than Christmas.

Bloggers Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle from Bleeding Espresso declared February 5th "World Nutella Day 2010" - a day to celebrate, to get creative with, and most importantly, to EAT Nutella. If you caught the recent crepes post, you know that Nutella holds a special place in my heart. So I am warmly embracing World Nutella Day by sharing a recipe for Peanut Butter and Nutella muffins.

This is adapted from Cooking Light's recipe for Peanut Butter and Jelly muffins. I ended up filling half of the muffins with Nutella and half with the jelly... they are delicious either way. The Nutella doesn't soak into the muffins as nicely as the jam does, so it might be fun to swirl it into the muffins next time. For now, the problem is solved by spreading some extra Nutella on top!

Peanut Butter and Nutella (or Jelly) Muffins
adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (about 3 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray
1/4 cup Nutella (or your favorite jam... or some of each!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, sugars, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk and next 4 ingredients (through vanilla); add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Fill each cup half full with batter. Spoon 1 teaspoon Nutella/jam into each cup. Spoon remaining batter on top to cover Nutella/jam (be extra careful during this step... the jam has a tendency to leak out).

Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

Download a printable recipe.
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Chicken Tikka Masala

2010-02-04T21:09:00.001-05:00

Chicken tikka masala, for those of you who are unfamiliar with Indian cuisine, is chicken cooked in a lightly spiced tomato cream sauce. Apparently, it's not even an authentic Indian dish... it was invented in Scotland and is unofficially considered Britain's national dish. That said, you'll find it in pretty much every Indian restaurant, and it's always a safe bet. I think it's a good "starter" curry for people who are a little afraid of Indian food, as it's not too spicy and very, very tasty.

I had never made chicken tikka masala before (and have very little experience cooking Indian food), but since it was an America's Test Kitchen recipe, I figured I couldn't go wrong. It was a bit of a project to make this dish (there are a lot of ingredients and a lot of steps), so it's more appropriate for a weekend meal, but totally worth it. While it wasn't exactly like what you'd find in a restaurant, it was pretty close... and amazingly delicious and satisfying. Make sure you serve this along with some basmati rice.

I tried a little too hard to up my Indian-cooking cred and also attempted to make naan (an addictive flat bread) to accompany this dish. However, our broiler wouldn't heat up again after we broiled the chicken, so that never happened. If you want to try making your own naan, check out this website... there's a very helpful instructional video along with the recipe. Otherwise, Trader Joe's sells really good frozen naan!

Chicken Tikka Masala

from The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2009

Ingredients:

Chicken Tikka:

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

1 cup plain, whole-milk yogurt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Masala Sauce:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, minced (about 1 cup)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 serrano chile, ribs and seeds removed, chile minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

2 teaspoons sugar

Salt

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. For the chicken: Combine the cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the spice mixture, pressing gently so the mixture adheres. Place the chicken on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.

2. For the sauce: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cream and return to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and cover to keep warm.

3. While the sauce simmers, adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position (about 6 inches from the heating element) and heat the broiler. Using tongs, dip the chicken into the yogurt mixture (it should be covered with a thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on a wire rack set in a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiling pan. Discard the excess yogurt mixture. Broil the chicken until the thickest part registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer and the exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through cooking.

4. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into the warm sauce (do not simmer the chicken in the sauce). Stir in the cilantro, season to taste with salt, and serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Download a printable recipe.

Stir-Fried Cashew Pork

2010-01-31T10:23:00.002-05:00

This recipe made me wonder why we don't make stir fry more often. It's so easy and versatile, and a good way to use up any leftover meat or veggies you have hanging around in the fridge. There's really no need for those icky bottled stir-fry sauces either... you can make your own with just a few ingredients. Expect to see more stir fries in upcoming posts!

This dish features pork tenderloin (tip... it's easier to slice into strips if it's a little bit frozen), cashews, and snow peas in a simple sauce, served over jasmine rice. What did John have to say about it? "Are you going to put this on the blog?? I want to make it again but I don't want to forget about it!". Men have such a special relationship with pork products, don't they?

Stir-Fried Cashew Pork
adapted from America's Test Kitchen 30-Minute Suppers

Ingredients:
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup water
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 pork tenderloin (3/4 - 1 lb.), cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 cup snow pea pods
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted cashews, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions:
1. Combine hoisin sauce, water, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. In a large non-stick skillet, heat about 2 tsp. of oil over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the pork and cook until no longer pink (about 2 minutes); transfer to a plate. Repeat with another 2 tsp. of oil and remaining pork.

2. Add remaining oil to skillet and heat until shimmering. Cook peas until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, and cook for an additional 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the sauce, cashews, and pork to the pan and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Click here for a printable recipe.
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Spaghetti alla Carbonara

2010-01-30T14:13:00.002-05:00

I was discussing Belgian beers the other day with some friends, and it got me thinking about some good food pairings. In the past I've always enjoyed Belgian beers with a nice steak, but I wanted something different. For those that don't know, Belgian beers are amazing. They are full bodied, complex beers, often fruity and very aromatic. A true joy to drink. Some people love to talk about wine, I love to talk about, and drink, Belgian beers. In our discussions, we knocked around some ideas about salt crusted fish, spicy seafoods, and anything with lots of bacon. The thoughts of bacon led me to think of Spaghetti Carbonara! Oh yeah. I would get to use my new pasta maker to make fresh spaghetti, and try a new recipe of something that was sure to be delicious.

I had this bottle of Delirium Nocturnum in the fridge just begging to be opened and enjoyed, and I knew it would go perfectly with the salty, bacony, goodness that is the Spaghetti Carbonara. The Nocturnum is a great example of a fine Belgian strong brown ale. So many flavors can be detected in it, from apples and berries, to raisins and bittersweet chocolate. I love it. I could start a blog on Belgian beers if I wanted to, but there's probably a million of those already. As if there aren't enough food blogs! :) Anyway, as usual I turned to the tried and true recipes of Cook's Illustrated's The Complete Book of Pasta & Noodles. The book is 450+ pages of pretty much every kind of pasta dish and sauce you can imagine. I use their basic recipe for all the pasta I've made so far (ravioli, spaghetti, and fettuccine), but this was the first time I used a real sauce recipe.

It turned out great, especially with the strong Belgian beer to wash it down. If you're in the mood for a salty, bacony, pasta dish, this is it!

Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti (I used my homemade spaghetti)
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/4 pound thick cut bacon, diced into 1/4" pieces
1/4 cup dry white wine (or 1/4 cup Belgian beer!)
3 large eggs
1 cup grated pecorino romano cheese (Locatelli)
2 Tbs minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot for cooking the pasta. Cook until al dente.

2. While the water is boiling, heat the oil and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the garlic is golden, about 3 minutes, and discard. Add the bacon and cook until just beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the wine (I used the Belgian beer) and simmer until the alcohol aroma has cooked off, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and keep warm.

3. Lightly beat the eggs with the cheese and parsley in a large serving bowl.

4. Drain the pasta, leaving it slightly wet, and transfer it to the bowl with the egg mixture. Immediately toss the pasta with the egg mixture to coat evenly. Stir in the bacon mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Note (this is in the book, so I guess I should post it here too.):
This recipe contains raw egg. Because of the threat of salmonella, food safety experts advise against serving raw eggs to the very young, the elderly, and those whose immune systems are compromised. The rest of us eat them at our own risk.

Download a printable recipe here!
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Crepes!

2010-01-27T20:43:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure exactly what prompted me to make crepes the other night. Perhaps it was the lonely jar of Nutella in the pantry, calling out for some attention. Maybe I felt like reminiscing about my travels in Paris by recreating one of my favorite French treats. Or maybe I was craving something sweet but wasn't up for baking anything. Whatever the reason, it was definitely the best idea I had all weekend. I was literally dancing around the kitchen with glee while eating these (those photos have been conveniently left out of this post).

These are easy to make once you get the hang of flipping them (you'll inevitably ruin a few while you figure it out-don't worry, you'll still have plenty of batter left for the good ones). We filled ours with Nutella and strawberry jam, but use whatever you like. Hmm... I think I still have some batter left in the fridge...

Sweet Crepes
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:
2     large eggs
1     cup milk
6     tablespoons water
1     cup bleached all-purpose flour
1/4     teaspoon table salt
2     tablespoons granulated sugar
1     teaspoon vanilla
3     tablespoons unsalted butter , melted, plus extra for brushing pan

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients (except extra melted butter) in food processor or blender until smooth batter is formed, 3 to 4 seconds. Transfer batter to covered container; refrigerate at least 2 hours or, if desired, up to 2 days.

2. Gently stir batter if ingredients have separated. Heat 6- to 7-inch crepe pan or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brush pan bottom and sides very lightly with butter, which should sizzle when it hits pan. When butter stops sizzling, pour 2 1/2 tablespoons (you may have to adjust this depending on how big your pan is) batter into pan. Swirl the batter until it coats the bottom of your pan.

3. Cook until mottled brown on bottom, loosening crepe from pan side with table knife or metal icing spatula to check doneness, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip loosened crepe quickly with fingertips or spatula; cook until spotty brown on other side, about 30 seconds longer.

4. Place cooked crepe on plate and repeat cooking process with remaining batter, brushing pan as necessary, every two to three crepes. (Crepes can be double-wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 months.) Spread on your favorite fillings, fold it up (I prefer folding into quarters) and enjoy!!

Download a printable recipe.
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Sichuan Pork Noodles

2010-01-24T21:21:00.001-05:00

Here's a winning weeknight recipe for you, from America's Test Kitchen 30-Minute Suppers. Ground pork is cooked in a slightly spicy sauce and tossed with noodles (we used linguine since we couldn't find the Asian noodles called for in the recipe). The sauce has ginger and chili-garlic sauce for a little bit of spice, and peanut butter to add some depth. This was different, in a really good way, and I know we'll be making it again.

John cooked this, so when I asked him if he had anything to say about it, he replied, "It was awesome. And I liked the peanut butter sauce very much." So there you have it.

Sichuan Pork Noodles
from America's Test Kitchen 30-Minute Suppers

Ingredients:
1 pound ground pork
3 Tbs. rice vinegar
3 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. chili-garlic sauce
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 Tbs. oyster sauce
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
Salt
1 pound dried Asian noodles or linguine
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Combine pork, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and chili-garlic sauce in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk broth, peanut butter, oyster sauce, remaining vinegar, and remaining soy sauce.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add pork mixture and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth mixture and simmer until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon of salt and noodles to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water, drain noodles, and return to pot. Add sauce and toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Download a printable recipe.
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Turkey Chili

2010-01-19T21:56:00.004-05:00

Chili is one of my favorite things to make: it's hearty, comforting, and you can cook your whole dinner in one pot. But perhaps most importantly, it affords you an opportunity to make corn bread.

This is a fairly standard turkey chili recipe, except that you add your ground turkey in two separate batches. The first half is browned along with the onions and pepper. Once you've added your tomatoes and let the chili simmer for about an hour, you drop the rest of the turkey in, in small chunks, and then simmer it some more. This method results in a slow-simmered, yet still chunky, chili.

We don't make our chili too hot around here, but you can add more cayenne and/or red pepper flakes if you're feeling spicy. And don't forget the toppings! This recipe recommends serving your chili with lime wedges (a different but tasty addition). I'm partial to a little bit of cheese, cilantro, and avocado as well.

Turkey Chili

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)

1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoons ground coriander

pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch cayenne pepper
1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey
1 (15.5-ounce) can dark red kidney beans , drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes , with juice

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Table salt

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add half the turkey; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and 1 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Pat remaining 1 pound turkey together into ball, then pinch off teaspoon-sized pieces of meat and stir into chili. Continue to simmer about 40 minutes longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until turkey is tender and chili is dark and slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning with additional salt. Serve with lime wedges and condiments if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Download a printable recipe

Chicken with Israeli Couscous, Spinach, and Feta

2010-01-12T19:28:00.003-05:00

I have an unhealthy obsession with feta cheese. Whenever I make salads for John and I, I always top them with a generous sprinkle of the stuff. John never wants to eat as much feta as I give him, so he always lets me finish his (which I greedily gobble up, pretty much licking the bowl for every last glob of salty, cheesy goodness). You'd think I'd just give him less, but I enjoy our arrangement.

But anyways, when I saw this recipe in my new Cooking for Two cookbook, I wanted to try it right away. I love finding non-salad uses for feta. And Israeli couscous just seemed like fun (but you could use orzo if you don't agree).

Needless to say, I loved this. I love the classic Mediterranean flavors of lemon, olive oil, and garlic. The Israeli couscous has an interesting texture, and the feta added a nice punch to it. I know I'm going to want to make this dish again and again.

Chicken with Israeli Couscous, Spinach, and Feta
from Cooking for Two

Ingredients:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 (6 to 8 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
3 Tbs. olive oil
3/4 cup Israeli couscous (or orzo)
1 shallot, minced (about 3 Tbs.)
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 Tbs.)
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest plus 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
6 oz baby spinach (about 6 cups)
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Directions:
1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper; dredge with flour, shaking off the excess.

2. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken until well-browned on the first side, about 6 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken, reduce the heat to medium, and continue to cook until the thickest part of the breast registers 160 to 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer (6 to 8 minutes longer). Transfer chicken to a plate, tent loosely with foil, and let rest in the warm oven.

3. Wipe out the skillet with paper towels. Add 1 tbs more oil and the couscous to the skillet; toast over medium heat until light golden (about 2 minutes). Stir in shallot, 2 tsp. of the garlic, 1/4 tsp. of the lemon zest, and 1/8 tsp. of the red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

4. Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until liquid is absorbed and couscous is al dente (8 to 10 minutes).

5. Meanwhile, whisk together 1 Tbs. of the lemon juice and remaining olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.

6. Stir in the spinach, one handful at a time, into the skillet and cook until wilted (about 5 minutes). Off the heat, stir in the feta and remaining lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide couscous between two plates, top with chicken, drizzle with lemon juice mixture, and serve.

Serves 2 (duh).

Download a printable recipe.
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Italian Sausage Soup

2010-01-10T11:02:00.001-05:00

This soup is awesome because:

1. It's quick and easy to make. The only thing that required chopping was the basil, which took all of 20 seconds (I made this on Friday night. Fridays are usually when I have no energy or patience left for cooking, so this was perfect).

2. There's fresh spinach in it, so you don't even feel like you have to have to make a salad to go with this. The only accompaniment you need is crusty bread. Mmm... lazy.

3. It's hearty, healthy, and tasty, without being too heavy.

My only critique of this recipe is that I think they're being a little stingy with the serving size. They say this serves 4, but I think you really get three dinner-sized bowls of soup out of the recipe. If you're really cooking for four, you should increase the amounts.

This is the last of the week's Cooking Light recipes-I hope you've enjoyed them!

Italian Sausage Soup
from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
8 ounces hot or sweet turkey Italian sausage
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1/2 cup uncooked small shell pasta
2 cups bagged baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions:
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan, and cook about 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain; return to pan.

Add broth, tomatoes, and pasta to pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Remove from heat; stir in spinach until wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and basil.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups soup, 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, and 1 1/2 teaspoons basil)

Nutrition Info:
CALORIES 216 (30% from fat); FAT 7.1g (sat 2.6g,mono 2.5g,poly 1.8g); IRON 3.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 52mg; CALCIUM 153mg; CARBOHYDRATE 20g; SODIUM 1020mg; PROTEIN 17.4g; FIBER 1.6g

Download a printable recipe.
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Chipotle Pork Soft Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

2010-01-09T10:11:00.000-05:00

Yes, another recipe from the Cooking Light files. They definitely got something right here by pairing the spicy pork mixture with the sweet fruit salsa. I made the salsa the day before in order to save myself some time, so I found these to be pretty easy to put together. John and his friend both had seconds, so the dish is certainly man-approved. Warning: eating fresh pineapple in winter will make you yearn for beaches and tropical locales. So much so, that you'll be pouring yourself a rum drink (or two) shortly after dinner. Cheers!

Chipotle Pork Soft Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

from Cooking Light

Salsa:
2 cups minced pineapple
1 cup minced apple
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt

Tacos:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed

Directions:

To prepare salsa, combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir until well blended. Cover and chill.

To prepare tacos, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes or until pork loses its pink color, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth and next 7 ingredients (through chipotles). Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer 10 minutes or until liquid is nearly evaporated. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Serve pork mixture with tortillas and salsa.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 tortillas, 2/3 cup pork mixture, and 1/2 cup salsa)

CALORIES 391 (19% from fat); FAT 8.3g (sat 1.8g,mono 3.6g,poly 2g); IRON 3.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 74mg; CALCIUM 161mg; CARBOHYDRATE 50.8g; SODIUM 420mg; PROTEIN 29.3g; FIBER 6.9g

Download a printable recipe.

Homemade Ravioli

2010-01-08T21:36:00.005-05:00

One of the things I've always wanted to do in the kitchen was to make fresh pasta. Well for Christmas this year, Bec bought me my very own pasta machine! Not the silly Ron Popeil machine, although we did buy one for my mom when I was a kid, but a real hand-crank Italian pasta machine. I've been seeing chefs on PBS make their own pasta since I was a kid and they made it look so easy. Well, guess what, it IS easy! 2 cups of flour, 3 eggs, 30 seconds in the food processor, and viola!, you have fresh pasta dough. You have to knead it for a minute or two until it's smooth, then let it rest for at least 15 minutes before you roll it into whatever pasta you want. This pasta machine (made by Atlas) comes with two "cutters", fettuccine and spaghetti. Of course you can just roll it into thin sheets for lasagna or ravioli or whatever other stuffed pasta you want to make. I will be tackling tortellini at some point soon.

I've made fettuccine and spaghetti three times now, and am feeling pretty confident handling the dough so I thought I'd give ravioli a try. It came out so well I decided to blog it instead of wait until I've perfected it, since they came out almost perfect! You can make a big batch of these and freeze them, they'll be the best frozen ravioli's you've ever had. I used this recipe below and had leftover pasta dough, next time I make it, I will double the filling recipe. I think there were 22 ravioli's in this batch, I could have gotten 24 if I rolled out a little more dough though. So next time I'll be getting close to 50! Who wants to come over and eat some ravioli?

Pasta Dough (from Cook's Illustrated's The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles)

Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, beaten

Directions:
Pulse the flour in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade to evenly distribute. Add the eggs; process until the dough forms a rough ball, about 30 seconds. (If the dough resembles small pebbles, add water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time; if the dough sticks to the side of the workbowl, add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and process until the dough forms a rough ball.)

Turn the dough ball and small bits out onto a dry work surface; knead until the dough is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap (or place in a sandwich bag) and set aside for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours to relax.
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Ravioli w/ basic Ricotta filling (also from Cook's Illustrated's The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles)

Ingredients:
1 batch of fresh pasta dough (see above)
1 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. (Can be covered and refrigerated overnight.)

Cut off about 1/6th of the pasta dough, flatten into a rough disc shape and feed it through the widest setting of your pasta machine. Fold dough into thirds, rotate 90 degrees, and feed through pasta machine again. Repeat. Next roll through widest setting twice, if the dough is at all sticky, sprinkle with a little flour. Continue feeding dough through center of machine, each time closing the rollers one step. Continue until you've rolled it through the smallest setting. You want the sheet to be about 4 inches wide, so trim the edges with a pizza cutter or sharp knife so its a rough rectangle. Place small balls of filling (about 1 rounded teaspoon) in line on the pasta sheet 1 inch from the bottom, leaving 1 1/4 inches between each ball of filling.

Fold over the top of the pasta and line up with the bottom edge. Seal the bottom and two open sides with your finger. Use a fluted pastry wheel to cut along the two sides and bottom of each ravioli.

Place on a floured cooking sheet until you are ready to cook them. Use plenty of water to boil your ravioli, do not overcrowd the pot. If used right away, they only take 2-3 minutes to cook. You can make large batches and freeze them on cookie sheets, then transfer to freezer bags once frozen, for longer storage. Just add a minute or two to the cooking time when cooking frozen. Serve with your favorite tomato sauce!

Download a printable recipe here!
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Baked Potato Soup

2010-01-04T21:13:00.002-05:00

Oh, Monday-After-a-Long-Weekend, how I hate you. You bring nothing but bitter cold weather, the beginnings of a sinus infection, and numerous trivial annoyances at the office. And yet you suddenly ceased to bother me after I had a bowl of this amazing baked potato soup from Cooking Light.

It's honestly absurd that something this good could be considered "light." Bake your potatoes the night before, and this comes together for a quick weeknight meal. Make this soon, and don't skip the bacon... it adds the perfect salty crunchiness, in the way that only bacon can.

Ingredients:
4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 ounces)
6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Cracked black pepper (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°.

Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 8 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons onions, and about 1 tablespoon bacon. Garnish with cracked pepper, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups soup, 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons onions, and about 1 tablespoon bacon)

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 329 (30% from fat)
Fat: 10.8g (sat 5.9g,mono 3.5g, poly 0.7g)
Protein: 13.6g
Carbohydrate: 44.5g
Fiber: 2.8g
Cholesterol: 38mg
Iron: 1.1mg
Sodium: 587mg
Calcium: 407mg

Download a printable recipe.
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Cincinnati Turkey Chili

2010-01-02T08:49:00.001-05:00

So here we go with the first of several Cooking Light recipes to help us all get off to a good start this new year. I'd never had this kind of chili before, but I like the idea of serving chili over spaghetti. I also have a special fondness for cinnamon in savory dishes. As a special treat, John whipped up some homemade spaghetti while I went to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients. He just got his pasta maker a week ago, and he's already got the whole pasta-making thing down to a science.

John and I both enjoyed this... it's a warm and comforting meal for a cold winter day. It's not hot at all, so add more chili powder if you want a little more kick. We served ours with corn muffins... yum.

Cincinnati Turkey Chili
from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
4 ounces uncooked spaghetti
Cooking spray
8 ounces lean ground turkey
1 1/2 cups prechopped onion, divided
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped semisweet chocolate
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; set aside.

2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add turkey; cook 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add 1 cup onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in chili powder and next 5 ingredients (through allspice); cook 1 minute. Add broth, beans, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate and salt. Serve chili over spaghetti; top with remaining 1/2 cup onion and cheese.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup spaghetti, 1 1/2 cups chili, 2 tablespoons onion, and 3 tablespoons cheese)

And in case you keep track of this sort of thing, here's the nutrition info:

CALORIES 408 ; FAT 13.8g (sat 6.6g,mono 4.3g,poly 1.7g); CHOLESTEROL 67mg; CALCIUM 237mg; CARBOHYDRATE 47.4g; SODIUM 765mg; PROTEIN 24.5g; FIBER 7.9g; IRON 3.7mg

Download a printable recipe.
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Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

2010-01-01T15:27:00.006-05:00

Happy New Year! I thought I'd get in an indulgent recipe before I go on my upcoming Cooking Light blogging streak.

I finally got my dream appliance, a Kitchen Aid mixer, for Christmas (thanks Mom and Dad!). So now I have no excuse to not make decadent baked goods, right? I found the recipe for these cupcakes in another one of my Christmas gifts: a Barefoot Contessa Cookbook from John's mom (Ina Garten's cookbooks are so beautiful, by the way... I want to try just about every recipe in them).

The only change I made was making mini cupcakes instead of regular-sized ones. I served them up at our New Year's party last night, so I wanted them to be bite-sized. If you go the mini cupcake route, try baking them for 12-15 minutes (and it will make about 4 dozen of them!).

The results? Everyone loved these. Personally, I thought the cake part was perfectly good, but the real star here was the peanut butter frosting. Luckily, when I was done frosting all of my cupcakes, I had plenty left over to pipe straight into my face. Don't judge, you know you'd do it too.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing
from Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ingredients:
    12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
     2/3 cup granulated sugar
     2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
     2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
     2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
     1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature
     1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
     2 tablespoons brewed coffee
     1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
     1 cup good cocoa powder
     1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
     1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
     Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing, recipe follows
     Chopped salted peanuts, to decorate, optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended.

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frost each cupcake with Peanut Butter Icing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if desired.

Makes 16 cupcakes.

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing:

     1 cup confectioners' sugar
     1 cup creamy peanut butter
     5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
     3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
     1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
     1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Isn't she beautiful??

Download a printable recipe.
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Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T13:48:00.001-05:00

Somehow, word got out that John and I like to cook. It looks like there will be much to blog about in 2010. Keep an eye out for John's adventures with his new pasta maker. I will be keeping myself busy with the newest additions to my cookbook library (America's Test Kitchen! Ina Garten!! Julia Child!!!).

All this, and we haven't even opened the gifts from my family yet. I hope next year Santa gets us a bigger kitchen...

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas!!

Cranberry Orange Mini-Loaves

2009-12-21T21:01:00.003-05:00

Still looking for some last-minute holiday gifts? Make your friends and family some of this cranberry bread. Everyone knows that carbs make the best gifts. Unless your friends are on the Atkins diet, in which case, they shouldn't be your friends anyways.

In a Sandra Lee-esque moment, I bought a bunch of Christmas-themed mini loaf pans for $1 each (no, I did not create a matching tablescape). If you live near a Christmas Tree Shop, you might be able to find some yourself. I had made a regular sized loaf of cranberry bread a few weeks ago just to test drive the recipe. I made it extra festive and tasty this time around by adding more cranberries and sprinkling the tops of the loaves with turbinado sugar before baking. This recipe makes one regular sized loaf, or four mini loaves.

Cranberry Orange Bread
adapted from How to Cook Everything

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp. cold butter, plus more for greasing the pan
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1 egg
1 1/2 cups cranberries, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan(s).

2. Stir together the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into bits, then use a fork or 2 knives to cut it into the dry ingredients until there are no pieces bigger than a small pea (you can use a food processor for this step, but not for the remaining steps).

3. Beat together orange juice, zest, and egg. Pour into dry ingredients, mixing just enough to moisten; do not beat, and do not mix until the batter is smooth.

4. Fold in the cranberries and pecan, then spoon the batter into loaf pan(s). Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For one large loaf pan, bake about an hour. For mini loaves, bake about 40 minutes. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Download a printable recipe here.

Slow-Cooker Indian Butter Chicken

2009-12-20T13:18:00.001-05:00

I was supposed to go to my company's holiday party on Saturday night but it was canceled due to a huge snow storm. When I found out the party was off, I was actually pretty excited because all I really wanted to do this weekend was stay in, cook lots of delicious things, and re-watch Season 5 of Lost. Check out all the snow we got here at the Italian restaurant:

In the past, I haven't had much luck with Indian food or with cooking anything in the slow-cooker. However, my luck changed for the better with this curry. This was easy to do, and so warm and comforting on a blustery, snowy weekend. I know that curry is not really the most photogenic food, but I promise if you like Indian food, you'll love this recipe. John, while scarfing this down, said, "I think Indian food has now replaced Mexican food as my second-favorite type of cusine" (Italian is first, if you hadn't figured that out). Despite all of the spices in this dish, it wasn't hot at all, but you could turn up the heat by using a hot curry paste (I used mild) or adding the optional cayenne pepper.

The ingredient list might seem a little intimidating if you've never cooked Indian food before. However, I was able to find everything at Wegman's (they have a well-stocked International Foods section). One thing to note is that cardamom is really expensive (Wikipedia says it's the third most expensive spice in the world, after saffron and vanilla). I found a giant bag of cardamom pods at a local Indian grocery store for a much better price than what Wegman's was selling it for. Um, if anyone knows what to do with a surplus of cardamom pods, please let me know.

We served this over white basmati rice, with some naan bread and samosas on the side (both found frozen at the Indian grocery... bonus!).

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

recipe adapted from Meal Planning 101

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

15 green cardamom pods (strung together with a needle and thread or wrapped in cheesecloth: see photo below)

2 tsp. curry powder

1 Tbsp. curry paste

1 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional, if you like it hot)

2 tsp. tandoori paste

1 tsp. garam masala

1 can coconut milk

1 can tomato paste

1 cup plain yogurt

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, brown onions, garlic, and chicken in oil over medium heat. Cook just until onions are soft and the chicken is no longer pink. Pour this into your slow cooker, then add the remaining ingredients (except for the yogurt).

2. Mix gently and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. About a half hour before serving, remove your cardomom pods and stir in the yogurt. Season with salt, if needed. Let it cook for the remaining half hour, then serve over rice.

Makes about 6 servings

Download a printable recipe.
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The Best Chicken Parmesan in the World

2009-12-19T15:06:00.009-05:00

Yep, I'll say it, it's the best. I challenge anyone to make a better chicken parm. I've been perfecting this recipe for several years now and I think I've got it down pretty good. The key to the recipe, besides my homemade tomato sauce, is the breading to chicken ratio. I believe Bec has mentioned that before on the blog, well this is the recipe that started it all. Isn't all cooking about ratios anyway? A lot of Italian restaurants pound the crap out of the chicken breast so it's so thin that it's impossible to NOT over cook. I'd rather have a nice tender piece of meat that tastes delicious, than a burnt piece of crusty chicken. If you're like me, then this recipe is for you.

So once again, I'm including two recipes in one, the chicken parm of course, and my tomato sauce recipe. Now, let me start by saying I rarely measure anything in the kitchen, unless on the off chance I'm baking or following some new recipe. Like I said, its all about the ratios. Also, use good ingredients, I can't stress this enough. Use the good fresh mozzarella, not that pre shedded in a bag crap. Also, you should use imported DOP certified San Marzano tomatoes. The difference between these and anything else is night and day.

Chicken Parm

Ingredients
Chicken breasts, cut into strips (one breast yields 3-4 strips)
Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
Locatelli (Pecorino Romano) cheese, grated
Eggs
Butermilk or heavy cream
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Vegetable Oil (optional)
Tomato sauce (recipe follows)
Mozzarella cheese (fresh, cut into thin pieces)
Basil (fresh or dried)

Directions

Cut the chicken breasts into strips and trim off any fat and that annoying hard white cartilage thing that’s in the breasts sometimes. On a big plate or bowl, break 2-3 eggs and scramble them a little bit and add a few tablespoons of buttermilk. In another big plate or bowl, spread out a good amount (1 1/2 cups) of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. On the same plate, mix in half that amount (3/4 cup) of grated Locatelli. Mix the cheese and bread crumbs thoroughly.

Now dip the chicken strips one at a time in the breadcrumb mix, then in the egg, then another dip in the breadcrumbs. Make sure to get a good coating of the breadcrumbs the second time. When they are all coated, they’re ready for the oil. Now most of the time I bread the chicken the night before and keep them in the fridge, I also find that they fry more evenly when I keep them chilled at least for an hour or so. But you can fry them right away, just the same.

In a nice big frying pan, coat the bottom of the pan with about a quarter inch of oil (I use about half extra virgin and half vegetable) and get it hot . Now fry the strips for about 3 minutes on each side until they get a nice golden crust. Place on a plate with a couple paper towels to sop up the excess oil. Note: You can stop here and enjoy these as some of the most delicious chicken tenders you've ever had.

In a 13 x 9 pyrex, or similar size oven safe pan, spoon in enough tomato sauce to coat the bottom, and lay in the strips to form a nice layer. Add a bit of tomato sauce over the chicken, not covering them completely. I like some crispy bits without the tomato sauce covering every bite. Add the pieces of mozzarella over the chicken, and top off with a little dusting of Locatelli.

Bake in the oven until the cheese melts throughout and just starts to brown. (350 degrees for 25-30 minutes) Finish browning the cheese under the broiler, but be careful not to burn the cheese!

When its still hot, sprinkle with basil (fresh if you have it) and serve.

John's Tomato Sauce

Ingredients
2 28oz. cans DOP Certified San Marzano peeled tomatoes (I like Cento brand)
extra virgin olive oil
small onion, diced fine
3 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup good red wine (make sure its a good wine you plan on drinking)
kosher salt
Locatelli (Pecorino Romano) cheese
Fresh Basil

Note: The important thing about this sauce is the tomatoes. The DOP San Marzano’s are every bit worth the hefty price tag. I’ve tried a lot of different brands, and these are the hands down winner. Once you try them, you won’t use anything else. (these below are Organic, I bought a ton of them because they were on sale at Whole Foods for $3.29 / can.)

Directions
Coat the bottom of your sauce pot with a good amount of extra virgin olive oil. Turn the flame to a medium simmer. Add in a half cup of finely chopped onions and cook until they are just translucent (about 8 minutes), then add in the garlic. (Now I have been known to cheat here when I don’t have fresh garlic or an onion on hand, I get nearly the same results with a tablespoon or so of garlic powder and just a little bit less of onion powder. After all, this sauce is all about these tomatoes). You only want to cook the garlic for a minute or two, do not burn it!

Next add the two cans of tomatoes. Fill each can halfway with water and pour back into the sauce, making sure to get all the bits from the can into the sauce. Add the wine now too, as well as a couple heavy pinches of salt. Stir well and cover for 15 minutes or so to soften the tomatoes, then turn down the flame to a low simmer and uncover. Since the tomatoes are whole, you need to get a potato masher and start crushing the tomatoes. I usually do this for a couple minutes every so often as the sauce cooks. Eventually you’ll have the sauce to whatever level of chunkiness you prefer. (This sauce can take anywhere from a half hour to 2 or more hours to cook, its really up to you. The longer you cook it, the thicker its going to get because all that water is evaporating.) When the sauce is how you like it, add in a half cup of grated Locatelli, add more or less, depending how cheesy you like. Check the seasoning, you may want to add a bit more salt or cheese, or even a splash or two of wine.

Stir it in well for a few minutes, then add in a tablespoon or 2 of fresh or dried basil and serve.

Download a printable copy of the tomato sauce recipe here!

Download a printable copy of the the chicken parm recipe here!
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Vegetarian Bolognese with Whole Wheat Penne

2009-12-15T20:02:00.002-05:00

Lately I've been having a difficult time zipping up pants that fit just fine last winter. I have no idea what might have caused this unfortunate predicament, but it seemed like a good time to order a subscription to Cooking Light. I found this recipe in my first issue, under the heading "Savoring Umami." After cooking this dish, I still don't really know or care what umami is. The important thing is that I had delicious (and healthy!) leftovers for lunch this week.

I liked this recipe, and more importantly, John liked this recipe. While John might never voluntarily cook anything without meat in it (except maybe apple pie), he's been quite receptive to most of the vegetarian recipes I've thrown his way. This has lots of finely chopped mushrooms in it, which give the sauce a meaty texture. The sauce gains plenty of flavor from all of the vegetables and a splash of red wine. I didn't make too many adjustments to the recipe, but I did add some garlic... it just seemed like an obvious addition to the list of ingredients. I used a dried wild mushroom blend in place of the porcinis, and ground them up in a mini food processor since I don't own the spice grinder that they suggest using.

If you like this recipe, stay tuned... come January 1, I'll be blogging a whole week's worth of Cooking Light recipes in honor of America's favorite New Year's resolution.

Vegetarian Bolognese with Whole Wheat Penne
Adapted from Cooking Light

1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/4 ounce)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 (8-ounce) package cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (28-ounce) can organic crushed tomatoes with basil, undrained
1 (2-inch) piece Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind
16 ounces uncooked whole-wheat penne (tube-shaped pasta)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Place dried mushrooms in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground.

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and mushrooms; sauté 10 minutes. Add wine; simmer 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add 1/4 cup warm water and next 4 ingredients (through cheese rind) to onion mixture. Stir in ground porcini. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes. Keep warm. Remove rind; discard.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Toss with sauce and serve, topping with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Download a printable version.
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