Country Challenge #2 - Argentina

ARGENTINA

Argentina was voted second highest in my poll for choosing February’s countries. I have really enjoyed researching Argentinean cuisine! Argentina was discovered by Spanish, though the Incas and other Native Americans were inhabiting the land when they arrived. Spain established Buenos Aires in 1580, and through the years, the cuisine was influenced by the French and Italian. Argentinean cuisine is truly a melting pot of many cultures, but it’s history is in the land, saturated in corn, wheat, the cattle, and their milk.

Asado (barbequed beef), empanadas, and dulce de leche are the most common and historical Argentinean dishes. They can be found in all of the regions of Argentina. I chose to make all of those because of the tradition, and I also chose many other recipes because they too are made with traditional ingredients, from Argentinean households. Barbeque pits are found throughout Argentina, with many types of meat, however beef is most common. The Argentinean per capita consumption of beef is highest in the world.

The two books I used were about all of South America, but each recipe had an excerpt about the history and the country it was from. I hope that you enjoy my selections. I found so many recipes to be appetizing, I could not visit Argentina in just one day!

Weekly Menu 3.1-3.7

This weeks country challange winner is: Argentina!

This weeks NASCAR race is in Las Vegas!

On the dinner menu this week:

Pumpkin Soup with Muenster and Cumin, Traditional Beef Empanadas

Chipotle Cheddar Sliders on made from scratch Sesame Yeast Rolls

Polenta Rellena con Jamon y Queso – Polenta with Ham and Cheese Filling, Spinach Salad
Carne Asado, Humita en Cacerola – Aregentine Humita Casserole, Peppers and Onions
Argentinean Pizza
Noquis de Espinaca – Spinach Gnocci, Chorizo, Salad
Portabella and Mozzarella Panini on Rosemary Foccacia, Butternut Squash Bisque

Also on the menu:

Alfajores (Dulce de Leche sandwich cookies)

Snickery Bars (TWD)

Pink Ribbon Rolled Sugar Cookies

Friday night pizza night, again!

Friday isn’t always pizza night, but it’s been working out that way lately, and will continue to be for a few more… One of JJ’s favorite dishes is Sausage and Peppers Rustica from Olive Garden. They don’t carry it on the menu anymore, but it was delicious. I decided to make it into a pizza because I love bell peppers, especially red. I buy them in packages of 6 at Sam’s club for about $5 (Which is a really good deal!). I also get my sausage from there – Asiago and Spinach Chicken Sausage. I add some sautéed red onion and it was delicious! I served this with a Caesar salad.

Sausage and Peppers Rustica Pizza

1 ball of pizza dough

2 tbsp. cornmeal

1 5 oz. can Italian style tomato paste

2 cups shredded 2% mozzarella cheese

1 large red onion, sliced

2-3 bell peppers, sliced

3 chicken sausage links, sliced

1 tsp. Penzeys pizza seasoning

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large pan, heat ½ inch water to a boil. Add in sausage and a drizzle of olive oil. Let sausage boil and the water will evaporate to poach it, then it will brown when the water is gone. When sausages are brown, let them rest on a plate before slicing.

Slice red onion and add to a sautee pan over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened.

Sprinkle board with cornmeal and roll out pizza dough. Place the crust on a pan, cover in tomato paste, then onions, top with cheese, peppers and sliced sausage. Sprinkle with pizza seasoning. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Quick trip to Morocco!

A few weeks ago I was watching Food Network, and saw a Moroccan beef stew made. It looked so delicious, mostly because of the array of spices used. I came up with the idea of making a bun-less burger instead of a meatloaf, because I love the way the grill brings out the aroma of the spices, and I didn't want buns as well as cous cous. I don't know that these are all traditional spices, (as I haven't yet researched Morocco), but they are spices that I enjoy. These could also be made into meatballs or meatloaf, or with a bun as a regular burger. I felt this burger needed a condiment, and chutney is a popular condiment in the Middle East, so I went with cranberry chutney because I have a big bag of dried cranberries in the pantry. This would also be great with Mango or Rhubarb. This meal really balances sweet and savory, and the acid brings a lightness to the beef.
I absolutely love cous cous! It is a blank slate that can be flavored a million ways. I buy it in bulk and flavor it myself, but there are boxes with seasoning packets in most grocery stores. This entire meal is so versatile, just switching a few spices here and there can take it to a few different ethnicities. That is what I love about learning a basic recipe like this, and why you should take the time to experiment and learn about herbs and spices! A variation -Spanish style, add some saffron to the cous cous, some diced peppers and onions, and fresh cilantro. For the burgers, use chili powder, cumin, chipotles, and oregano.

Moroccan Spiced Burgers with Cranberry Chutney, Pine Nut Whole Wheat Cous Cous, and Almond Green Beans

Burgers:

12 oz. 96% lean ground beef

1 tbsp. worstershire sauce

1/4 yellow onion, grated

1 tsp. coriander

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. allspice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cranberry Chutney:

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 tbsp. honey

1/2 cup water

1/4 red onion, minced

1/2 tsp. chili powder

Salt and pepper

Pine Nut Cous Cous:

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 cup whole wheat cous cous

salt and pepper

3 tbsp. pine nuts

1/2 tsp. parsley

Almond Green Beans:

1/2 lb. green beans, washed and ends cut off

2 tbsp. slivered almonds

1 tbsp. butter

Salt and pepper

Add all ingredients of the chutney to a small saucepot. Turn heat to medium, cover and simmer.

Bring a pot of water with a steamer in it to a boil.

Bring a small saucepot with chicken stock to a simmer.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat.

Add all burger ingredients in a bowl. Toss lightly to mix in spices. Shape into 4 patties. Lay each patty on the grill pan and cook for 7 minutes on each side.

Add green beans to the steamer basket, steam for 8 minutes, or until desired doneness.

Add cous cous to simmering water, cover and turn the pot off. Let couscous sit for 5 minutes.

Pull the green beans out of the pot, dump out the water, turn the burner off, add green beans back to the pot with butter and almonds. Toss to distribute. Uncover the cous cous, add pine nuts and toss with a fork to break up the cous cous. Season with salt and pepper.

Plate the cous cous, green beans, top with the burgers and spoon chutney over the burgers.

Stuffed and Rolled

I had some lasagna noodles in the pantry, so I decided to make rollatini instead of lasagna, just for a change. I usually like spinach in my lasagna, but I decided to go with artichokes tonight. They were great in the rollatinis!
I also had some sun dried tomatoes in the pantry, so I decided to stuff the chicken with them.
A little marinara tied the two together for a delicious meal! I also had some peas on the side, but JJ doesn't like peas, so they're not pictured.

Artichoke Rollatini and Sun Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken

Rollatini:
6 whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 can artichoke hearts in water, drained very well and chopped
2 cups part skim ricotta
1 cup shredded 2% mozzarella
Salt and pepper
½ tsp. dried thyme


Marinara:
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper
1 5 oz. can Italian style tomato paste
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning blend
10 torn basil leaves


Sundried Tomato Pesto:
2 tbsp. sun dried tomatoes
10 basil leaves
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. hot water
Salt and Pepper


Chicken:
2 chicken breasts, butterfiled
½ cup panko bread crumbs
¼ cup Italian style bread crumbs


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in lasagna noodles.
Add olive oil, onions and garlic to a saucepot over medium. Season, add in tomatoes, and let simmer.
Mix ricotta, artichokes, ½ cup mozzarella, thyme, salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
In a blender, puree pesto mixture.
Mix bread crumbs together on a plate. Open chicken outside down into the plate to cover in bread crumbs. Spoon half the pesto mixture into each chicken breast, close. Ladle ½ cup of the sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Lay the chicken on top, and add a little more sauce over the top of the chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Put chicken in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Lay the cooked noodles on a baking sheet or cutting board. Spoon ricotta mixture into each, roll up and lay in another baking dish with a ladle full of sauce in the bottom. Arrange all the rolls in, cover with more sauce and cheese. Place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and melted.

PSA!

To all family, friends, and strangers...

Turkey breasts were on sale this week at Kroger, so I bought a 10 lb. turkey breast. Whoever comes to Hotel Wetherington first will be guaranteed a delicious Roast Turkey with all the fixings! Our weekends are open, first come, first serve!

End of PSA :)

Tuesdays With Dorie #1

I joined a Blog Baking Club last week. It is called Tuesdays with Dorie, and all recipes are chosen from the cookbook Baking: From My Home to Yours, By Dorrie Greenspan. Every week one member picks a recipe we all make, and it's posted on Tuesday.

Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/3 cup cake flour)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar

5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces

1/2 cup cold sour cream

1/4 cold whole milk

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans, preferably toasted

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Get out a sharp 2-inch-diameter biscuit cutter and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
Whisk the flour(s), baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a bow. Stir in the brown sugar, making certain there are no lumps. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips (my favorite method) or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You'll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pieces the size of everything in between-- and that's just right.
Stir the sour cream and milk together and pour over the dry ingredients. Grab a fork and gently toss and turn the ingredients together until you've got a nice soft dough. Now reach into the bowl with your hands and give the dough a quick gentle kneading-- 3 or 4 turns should be just enough to bring everything together. Toss in the pecans and knead 2 to 3 times to incorporate them.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Dust the top of the dough very lightly with flour, pat the dough out with your hands or toll it with a pin until it is about 1/2 inch high. Don't worry if the dough isn't completely even-- a quick, light touch is more important than accuracy.
Use the biscuit cutter to cut out as many biscuits as you can. Try to cut the biscuits close to one another so you get the most you can out of the first round. By hand or with a small spatula, transfer the biscuits to the baking sheet. Gather together the scraps, working with them as little as possible, pat out to a 1/2-inch thickness and cut as many additional biscuits as you can; transfer these to the sheet. (The biscuits ca be made to this point and frozen on the baking sheet, then wrapped airtight and kept for up to 2 months. Bake without defrosting-- just add a couple more minutes to the oven time.)
Bake the biscuits for 14-18 minutes, or until they are tall, puffed and golden brown. Transfer them to a serving basket.

Thailand -#3

One interesting thing I have found about Thai cuisine is they don’t have many desserts. There is an abundant amount of fruit that grows in Thailand, however, so I made a fruit salad as dessert. Many of the fruits I have not even heard of, and could not find in my market. I did my best to find as many as possible! This includes: Mango, Star Fruit, Pineapple, Kiwi, Bananas, and Plantains. Some other fruits in the market were Cantelope, Watermelon, and Pomegranate.
This website shows all of the different fruit, some common and some very unusual!
http://www.sawadee.com/thailand/food/fruits.htm

Thailand #2

“Green Curry is the most classic of Thai curries….The characteristic seasoning of a green curry is quite hot and salty” (Thompson, 318). This recipe is a combination of 2 recipes I found, Green Curry of Chicken with Baby Corn (Thai Food, 319), and Green Curry with Pork (recipe found here). I liked the baby corn of the first, and the eggplant in the second, so I combined them. I used tofu instead of chicken or pork, another common ingredient in Thai cooking. The rest of the two recipes are the same, combining coconut milk, fish sauce, and basil.

Green Curry with Tofu

1 14-oz. can coconut milk

3 Tbs. green curry paste

1 block of firm tofu, pressed

1 eggplant, peeled and cubed

8 oz. can baby corn

Fish sauce to taste

2 tbsp. palm sugar (I used brown sugar)

Thai sweet basil leaves

Do not shake the can of coconut milk before opening, so that the cream remains on top. Spoon about 2/3 cup of this thick cream into a medium-size saucepan and heat over medium to high heat. Reduce until smooth and bubbly and until oil begins to separate from the cream. Add the curry paste and fry in the cream for a few minutes to release the aromas. Then pour in the remaining milk. Bring to a boil and add the tofu. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes uncovered before adding the eggplant. Simmer a few minutes more, then stir in the corn. Season to taste with fish sauce (may not be needed if the curry paste is already salted). Add palm sugar to balance and enhance the spice and herb flavors to your liking. Continue to simmer until eggplant is tender. Stir in the basil and chillies (as desired for added hotness) and cook another minute. Serve hot over rice noodles.

California!

California is the location for today’s race! I tried to come up with something for today that showcases many of the products associated with California, like spinach, citrus, almonds, and cheese. California cuisine is also associated with fresh and healthy ingredients. If you can't find blood oranges, regular can be used. Blood oranges are tart, and taste like a cross between an orange and a grapefruit.

I use light butter in my pastries, and I don't ever have a problem with it. Light butter contains more water, which didn't effect this pastry, but some recipes should not use light butter, like some cookies and cakes.

Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Tart

&

Spinach Citrus Salad

Tart Filling:

1 long-necked butternut squash, sliced

2 large yellow onions

1 tbsp. butter

Salt and Pepper

4 oz. herbed goat cheese

¼ cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Salt and pepper

Crust:

2/3 cup wheat flour

2/3 cup all purpose flour

4 tbsp. light butter, diced and very cold

1 egg yolk

Up to 3 tbsp. ice water

Mix flours together in a bowl with butter. Use fingers to break up butter until the pieces are from the size of sand to a small pebble. Add the egg yolk and enough water to form a dough. Wrap in saran wrap and chill for half an hour.

While dough chills, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over low, add onions and softened until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Place 1 inch of water in a pot, place a steamer basket in and steam butternut squash slices for 15 minutes. Remove from the water and let them sit to cool.

Roll out crust and press into a tart. Poke the bottom with a fork to create a few holes. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Take out and let cool for 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.

Mix the onions with goat cheese, spread over the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange the butternut squash slices on top. Sprinkle the gruyere cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and cheese is melted.

Spinach Salad:

4 cups baby spinach, washed

1/8 cup sliced almonds, toasted

2 blood oranges, segmented

1 grapefruit, segmented

½ cup mandarin oranges

¼ red onion, sliced

1/8 cup dried cranberries

Dressing:

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of remainder of oranges and grapefruit

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Mix the dressing together in the bottom of a large bowl. Toss the spinach in the dressing to coat. Top the salad with the remaining ingredients, serve immediately.

This photo shows the onions softening, the squash removed from the steamer basket, and the dough, post chilling.

This photo shows the crust in the tart shell, being pricked with a fork to keep the dough from bubbling up.

Taking on the Girl Scouts!

One of my co-workers brought in her niece's girl scout cookie order form, and of course I had to order a box. I couldn't believe one box was $3! I'm not even a big fan of girl scout cookies because I like a soft, chewy cookie. I don't like hard, store bought cookies at all. I told another co-worker that you can make girl scout cookies at home that taste much better, and you can make many more for the same price. She told me her favorite are Do-si-dos. I figured there would be a recipe online somewhere, and I found one here.
I think they came out tasting the exact same, just a bit more moist, which I liked. They are a bit bigger than girl scout cookies, but who doesn't like a bigger cookie?!
Enjoy these all year round!

Homemade Do-si-dos a.k.a. Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Cookies
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant or regular)

Filling
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350F.Start with the cookies. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.In a large bowl, cream together butter and peanut butter. Beat in the sugars until fluffy, then add in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in vanilla extract.Working at a low speed, mix in the flour, followed by the oats (if you don’t have quick-cooking, pulse whole rolled oats in the food processor to chop them up a bit).On a parchment-lined baking sheet, drop teaspoonfuls of batter (roughly 3/4-in. sized balls), leaving about 2 inches between each to allow for spread.Bake for about 10 minutes, until cookies are a light golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, making small holes in 1/2 of the cookies (for the tops of the sandwiches) before they set up. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cookies have cooled, make the filling.In a large bowl, cream together smooth peanut butter, butter and confectioners’ sugar until very smooth. Spread 2-3 tsp onto half of the finished cookies and sandwich with the remaining halves. If you chose to make yours with GS-lookalike holes in some of the cookies, use these as the tops of the sandwiches.Store in an airtight container.
Makes about 48 sandwich cookies.
Recipe taken from Baking Bites

It's going to be a long day...

JJ and I have been wanting to trade in his car for months, and we decided to finally go today. Neither of us have ever bought a car before, but I knew it was going to be a long, tiring process. I decided to make us a good, substantial breakfast. Rather than our normal oatmeal, I made Chocolate Oat Pancakes. I always add oats to my pancakes and waffles, and then I try to add something else to liven them up. I was in the mood for chocolate, as usual, and I thought about adding chocolate chips. Chocolate chips, however, are high in sugar, calories and fat. Cocoa powder is only 20 calories and no fat per tablespoon, and adds all of the wonderful chocolate flavor. It is bitter, however, so I added some splenda, but that can be ommited.

The pancakes worked, and so did our negotiating skills. We brought home a 2008 Mazda 3 and we couldn't be happier!

Chocolate Oat Pancakes

1 cup oats

1 cup baking mix (kroger low-fat)

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 egg

3 tbsp. cocoa powder

3 tbsp. splenda for baking, or 1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. vanilla

Nonstick spray

Maple Syrup

Sliced Strawberries

Powdered sugar

Preheat skillet to medium heat. Mix all pancake ingredients in a bowl. Ladle 1/4 cup circles of batter, cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Keep warm in a 250 degree oven. Serve with syrup, berries, and powdered sugar. Makes 8 pancakes.

Thailand - 1

This curry dish I found is similar to the curry dishes one would find being sold by a vendor in the streets. It would be served over Jasmine Rice. I found this dish appealing because I love red curry and bamboo shoots. This is very easy to prepare, and very tasty!

Red Curry with Chicken & Bamboo Shoots (Gaeng Phed Kai Sai Nawmai)

1 lb boneless chicken breast
1 can bamboo shoots, sliced
3 tbsp red curry paste
2 cups coconut milk
2 fresh red chili, sliced diagonally
1/2 cup Thai sweet basil leaves (bai horapah), torn
2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp palm sugar
Thai sweet basil leaves (bai horapah) for garnish

Wash the chicken, slice diagonally into 1/2 cm thick, 3 cm wide and 3 cm long pieces. Thinly slice the bamboo shoots (if not already sliced).
Pour 1 cup of coconut milk into a wok. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Add the curry paste, stir until red oil comes to the surface. Add the chicken and saute until it turns white and is cooked through.
Add the remaining coconut milk, follow with the bamboo shoots. Season with fish sauce, sugar, and salt and bring back to a boil. Sprinkle with kaffir lime leaves, chilies, and sweet basil leaves. Turn off the heat. Arrange on a serving dish and garnish with sweet basil leaves before serving.

Recipe taken firectly from Popular Thai Cuisine, Copyright 2002 Sangdad Books

Country Challenge #1 - Thailand

THAILAND

Thailand was voted as my first amazing race country! I have enjoyed researching Thai culture and food much more than I anticipated I would! One thing I learned is there are 4 main regions of Thailand, the North, Northeast, Central, and Southern. Each region uses traditional ingredients, as well as ingredients specific to the region. I have learned that most Thai dishes incorporate coconut milk and fish sauce, the basis of Thai cooking. Thai cooking is also traditionally very spicy, and Thai people often find that Americanized Thai food is not nearly as spicy as it should be. Luckily I love spicy food!

Seafood is very dominant in Thai cooking, however I don’t eat fish, so I chose to prepare chicken and tofu dishes. I was also surprised to find that Broccoli is not found in Thailand, however all of the Thai food I eat in America has broccoli. Another fact I was surprised by was noodles aren’t a traditional Thai ingredient. Pad Thai is an American version of Thai, and not at all authentic. Rice noodles are now found in Thai cooking in Thailand, they were most likely brought by the Chinese.

I hope you enjoy my selections and I very much appreciate everyone voting!

I have always used Thai Kitchen products. They taste great, they're authentic, and they always have coupons in the Sunday paper. Here are a few of the products I used:

Weekly Menu 2.23-2.29

This week's country challenge winner is: Thailand

This week's NASCAR race is in Fontana, California

This weeks menu is...

Gaeng Phed Kai Sai Nawmai - Chicken with Red Curry over Rice (Thailand)

Gkaeng Kiow Wahn Huu - Green Curry with Tofu, Eggplant over Rice Noodles (Thailand)
Butternut squash & Caramelized Onion Tart, Citrus & Almond Spinach Salad (California)
Artichoke Lasagna Rollatini, Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Stuffed Chicken
Moroccan Spiced Meatballs, Pine Nut Cous Cous, Green Beans with Almonds
Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Pizza
Mezzaluna (Chicken and Spinach Ravioli) in Tomato Cream Sauce, Caesar Salad

Also this week:

Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits from TWD

Thai Fruit Salad

Friday = Pizza

Friday night, it’s pizza night! I bought so many Pillsbury pizza doughs when they were on sale and I had coupons, I must use them up! You can use any type of pizza dough though, even a prebaked crust like Boboli. Pillsbury crust is fairly low in calories, only 160 for 1/6th of the pizza. Again, I’m using tomato paste instead of a sauce because I love the concentrated flavor.

Happy Friday!

Mediterranean Pizza

1 pizza dough ball or crust

2 tbsp. corn meal

1 5 oz. can tomato paste, Italian style

½ red onion, sliced

10 green olives, sliced

½ 15 oz. can artichokes in water, drained and chopped

1 red bell pepper, sliced (roasted or fresh)

6 slices prosciutto, cut in strips

½ cup feta cheese crumbles (I use fat free sun-dried tomato)

1 ½ cups shredded 2% mozzarella cheese

1 tsp. Penzey’s pizza seasoning

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Place dough on a baking sheet sprinkled with corn meal. This isn’t necessary, but adds a nice crunch to the bottom. Using a small spatula, spread the tomato paste over the pizza. Top with the 2 kinds of cheese, then with the onions, artichokes, olives, red pepper and finally the prosciutto and seasoning. I like the prosciutto on top so it gets crispy. Bake for 15 minutes or so.

Making up the baked goods... round 2!

Since my last make up a baked good recipe was semi-successful, I couldn't help but try again! I used many of the same elements, but created something a bit different. Again, pretty healthy, and very delicious. Next time I'd probably make muffins with this batter instead. I love the tang of sour cream in baked goods, so I threw it in with everything else! The bread is pretty dense, a result of using whole wheat flour. It's not very sweet, but I toasted it and drizzled a little honey on it and it was so good. Peanut butter might also be good on it.

This bread basis is so versatile, next time I might try pineapple and coconut, orange, almonds and cranberry, or blueberry and pecans!

Apple, Cinnamon and Oat Bread

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups apple sauce
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. light sour cream
3 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup oats
1/2 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Beat sugar and apple sauce until combined and light. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Add vanilla, sour cream, baking powder and cinnamon. Beat 20 seconds until combined. Add in flour, oats and walnuts, fold with a spatula to combine. Pour into a greased loaf pan (or muffin liners) and bake for 50 minutes.

Spice up your life!

I normally don’t use my crock pot much, but 3 times in one week – wow! My office is right next to the fire station in Bloomington, though, and every time I hear the sirens go off, I’m convinced my townhouse is burning down! This meal doesn’t require a crock (as many don’t, it’s just more convenient) but it makes the meal much better. Again, I go home at lunch so I work in 4 hour increments, but this can be done all at once if necessary over 8 hours. I love shredded chicken in enchiladas, but it takes a while to cook the chicken when I get home, and then bake the enchiladas. This method speeds up the process. If you don’t have a crock, you can poach the chicken and cook the veggies separately before filling the tortillas.

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

1 large chicken breast

2 cups chicken stock

4 tsp. chili powder

4 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. corriander

2 tsp. salt

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained

2 bell peppers, any color

1 red onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups enchilada sauce (store bought or recipe here)

1 cup cheddar cheese

Corn of Flour Tortillas

Lettuce

Tomato

Sour Cream

Put chicken, stock, salsa and half of spices in a crock on low. Cook for 4 hours. Drain and shred chicken.

Add chicken back to crock with black beans, peppers, onions, garlic, and remaining spices. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 375.

Put half of the sauce on a plate. Dip the tortillas in the sauce to coat, lay in a baking dish, fill with some of the chicken filling and cheese, roll and repeat. Top with the remaining sauce and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes until melted and bubbly.

Top with lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.

How spoiled is JJ? I planned to use corn tortillas, but he only wanted flour, so on the left is corn tortillas for me, and right is JJ's flour tortillas. Either way, they taste great! The flour do hold up a bit better though.

I feel like chicken tonight...

The basil in my Aerogarden is pretty overgrown right now, so I wanted to make pesto to use most of it up. I love pesto with peas and pasta. My favorite cut of pasta is orecchiette, it works amazingly with peas because the peas sit in the disk and look like little oysters.
I also had some leftover asparagus, which is good with pesto as well. To round out the meal, I chose a pan roasted chicken stuffed with prosciutto and provolone. By first pan frying it, the skinless chicken develops a crispy skin, and seals in the juices. Then I finish it off in the oven and it gets really tender. I’ve found that by stuffing the chicken, when the cheese oozes out and is melted, that’s when the chicken is finished cooking.
Remember to use an oven safe pan to prepare the chicken!

Pesto & Pea Orrecchheti with Prosciutto and Provolone Stuffed Chicken

½ lb. orrecchetti

½ lb. asparagus spears, chopped

1 cup frozen peas

½ cup pesto (fresh or prepared)

Parmesan cheese

½ cup reserved pasta water (if pasta is dry)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 slices provolone cheese

2 slices prosciutto

Salt and pepper

½ tsp. dried herbs of choice (rosemary, thyme)

1 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt heavily.

Heat a oven safe skillet over medium high, add olive oil.

Butterfly chicken breasts and pound out. Stuff with 1 slice each of provolone and prosciutto, fold back over. Season each side, place in pan carefully. Let the first side brown, about 3-4 minutes, flip carefully so the stuffing doesn’t come out, and cook 2 minutes. Turn heat off and place pan in the oven. Roast for about 15 minutes.

Add pasta to boiling water. During the last minute of cooking, drop in asparagus and peas to blanch them. Take ½ cup of the pasta water and set aside. Turn heat off, drain pasta and veggies, and pour back in the pot. Add in pesto and stir to combine. If the pasta is dry, add cooking water.

Plate and sprinkle with cheese.

Remove pan from oven (remember, it’s HOT) and serve chicken.

Basil Pesto:

2 cups basil leaves
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup parmesean cheese
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Add first 5 ingredients to a food processor or blender, pulse until chopped small, turn on and stream in olive oil until it reaches desired consistency. I like mine thicker and less oily.

Another cold night, another warm soup...

If you read my blog often, you'll see that I like to recreate meals I've had in restaurants. I do this for many reasons – the restaurant isn't in Bloomington, I wanted to add ingredients to the dish, I wanted to make a salad a main course, it's expensive to go out to eat, I can make the recipe healthier, I can explore cooking new ingredients, and the list goes on and on! For tonight's dinner, it was a combination of there isn't one here, I wanted to make a soup a main course, and I wanted to add to the dish a bit.
Carrabba's was the first restaurant JJ and I ever went to together. There wasn't one in Hickory, the closest was in Huntersville, NC, so we would drive there once a month on a Saturday night for dinner and dessert. Going to Carrabba's became an event for us! We both love their chicken dishes (marsala for me, rosa maria for him), the garlic mashed potatoes, and of course, the sausage and lentil soup. It is very spicy and very delicious. I decided to recreate this dish as a main course, as it is a first course at the restaurant. I use turkey sausage balls rather than bulk pork sausage (leftover from the calzone recipe). I like to serve this with beer bread to help soak up the broth. I suppose it would be more fitting to call it a stew, as it is thick, but that can be changed by simply adding more stock or water.

Sausage and Lentil Stew with Cheddar and Herb Beer Bread

Stew:

8 oz. dried lentils, soaked overnight

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, minced

2 sliced carrots

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

2 15 oz. cans chicken stock

8 oz. cooked turkey sausage balls or bulk pork sausage, browned

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1/2 to 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning blend

The night before making this dish, soak the lentils in a large bowl of water. The next morning, drain the lentils, add all ingredients to a crock pot. Turn heat to low and simmer for at least 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese. (I also have added finely diced bell pepper and grated zucchini to this, celery could also be added).

Beer Bread:

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. brown sugar

1 12 oz. beer

1 tsp. dried herbs, your choice

¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients (except beer) in a bowl to evenly distribute. Add in beer and stir for no more than 1 minute, until ingredients are combined. Pour into a greased loaf pan, bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown. If desired, brush with melted butter during the last 10 minutes of baking.

Comforting Classic

Growing up, I remember spending a lot of time in the kitchen with my mom. She’s a great cook, and I learned many of my basic skills from her. One of her classics is good, Italian meat sauce. She also taught me how to make delicious meat balls. As I’ve grown, our tastes have branched off a bit. I don’t like chunks of cooked tomato in my sauce, so I only used crushed, she liked diced. Also, I like a sweeter, more concentrated sauce. For the meatballs, I’ve lightened them up a bit as well. She also doesn’t like fresh herbs, but I absolutely love fresh torn basil in my sauce. Zucchini sticks are so delicious, but they’re deep fried and not so healthy. I like to use whipped egg white and bread crumbs, then bake the sticks to get them really crispy. If you really want the crunch, try to find panko bread crumbs! Most markets carry them, they're mixed in with the asian foods, usually in a plastic bag with the noodles.
Usually my weeknight meals take no more than 30 minutes to make, but this one is closer to an hour, it just depends on how fast you can work through the ingredients. After eating this dinner tonight, JJ & I can honestly say these were the most moist, tender, and delicious meatballs we've ever had! I've made them a million times this way... but for some reason tonight they came out perfectly!

The image below is the meatballs simmering in the sauce, with the pasta being tossed in. It's very important to use a large skillet so everything can be tossed together. The pasta will really soak up the sauce when it's drained and immediately tossed in the sauce.

Spaghetti and Meatballs & Baked Zucchini Sticks with Marinara

½ lb. Barilla plus spaghetti

Sauce:
¾ yellow onion, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 5 oz. can Italian style tomato paste (minus 2 tbsp. for meatballs)
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
5 torn fresh basil leaves
Grated Parmesan cheese

Meatballs:
12 oz. 96% lean ground beef
¼ yellow onion, grated
1 egg white
¼ cup breadcrumbs (or more)
2 tbsp. tomato paste
Salt and pepper
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Zucchini Sticks:
2 egg whites, whipped to a foam
1 cup panko bread crumbs
¼ cup Italian style bread crumbs
½ tsp. salt¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 zucchini, julienned

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Preheat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, onions and garlic. Soften for about 5 minutes. Add seasonings, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes. Fill crushed tomatoes can half way with water, swirl the can to collect all of the tomato bits, and pour into the pan. Turn to low, cover and simmer.
Add all the meatball ingredients to a bowl, gently toss to combine. Shape into 12 balls and place on a baking sheet. Put into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Combine zucchini breading ingredients in a shallow dish. Whip egg whites in a bowl until they foam. Toss zucchini in the egg whites, then toss in the bread crumbs. Transfer to a baking sheet.
Remove meatballs from the oven, put zucchini sticks in and turn the oven up to 450 degrees. Bake for about 20 minutes, until crispy and brown.
Drop the meatballs into the simmering sauce to finish cooking.
Drop pasta in the boiling water and cook 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain, and add to the sauce. Toss to combine all ingredients. Tear basil leaves into the skillet, add parmesan and toss to combine.
Plate pasta in a shallow bowl, add zucchini sticks around the sides.
Pour extra sauce over zucchini sticks if desired.

Daytona!

NASCAR is something very special to JJ and I. In many ways, it’s what brought us together! Friends of mine took me with them to a NASCAR race in Charlotte, NC, for my High School graduation gift in October of 2002. I fell in love with the area as we drove through the Carolinas, and I knew I would have to go to school down there. I found a small Lutheran school in Hickory, about 1 hour northwest of Charlotte, and my heart was set on going there.
JJ and I met at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, NC, in the lobby of our dorm watching the Bristol night race on the big screen. He sat down on the couch next to me, and we began talking and found out that our favorite drivers (Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon) were teammates. That led to a date – a trip to the Hendrick motorsports complex. Which led to many more dates, and of course, the rest is history…
One of JJ and my favorite things to do is go to the races, and spend every Sunday afternoon from mid-February to November watching the races. During last year’s finale, Homestead, I couldn’t help but think how great a Cuban sandwich sounded, and that is what began this year’s NASCAR Challenge – Every week I will prepare a Sunday dinner (or Saturday, depending on when the race is) that is known for being popular or historical to that certain location.



First up, Daytona! JJ, and all of his family, are from St. Augustine, FL, about 45 minutes North of the Daytona International Speedway. Every time we go to JJ’s house, we stop by Daytona for the July 4th race (pictured above), or just a visit. There are a few restaurants in the area that we always frequent – Sonny’s and Woody’s, both southern barbeque. It seemed only fitting that for Daytona I make Sloppy Woody’s – the signature dish of Woody’s! Here is the description taken from the website:
“Our Signature Sandwich. This signature dish has been the number one choice of Woody's patrons since the very beginning. The ultimate Bar-B-Q sandwich, our Sloppy Woody is a tangy combination of our smoked pork, beef and turkey simmered in our special Bar-B-Q sauce and piled high on a toasted bun.”
I couldn't get a single turkey cutlet, so I substituted a chicken breast. I also used Sticky Fingers Barbeque sauce, popular in the Carolinas. At Woody's, they have 4 different BBQ sauces at the table, and you mix up your own creation. JJ and I like the Carolina Sweet BBQ and the Carolina Classic (mustard-vinegar base) the best. We usually choose fries and salad for our sides, so I decided to go for sweet potato fries, our favorite, and a wedge salad, a popular southern side.
Enjoy my take on a Sloppy Woody, and enjoy the Daytona 500!

Sloppy Woody’s, Sweet Potato Fries, and Wedge Salad

Sloppy Woody's:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, finely diced

1 slice of pork tenderloin, finely diced

1 piece of steak, finely diced

1/2 cup Sticky Fingers Carolina Classic BBQ Sauce

1/2 cup Sticky Fingers Carolina Sweet BBQ Sauce

1 cup chicken stock

2 buns, split and toasted

Place all meats and sauces in a crockpot on high. Simmer for 6 hours. Add more sauce and stock if it gets too dry. Woody's meat stays mostly cubed and in tact, but shreds a bit, the meat will be very tender will do this naturally.

Wedge Salad:

1 head iceberg lettuce

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

4 strips center cut bacon, diced, cooked and drained

2 tbsp. light blue cheese dressing

2 tbsp. blue cheese crumbles

Cut iceberg head into wedges. Drizzle 1 tbsp. of dressing on each, top with half of the remaining ingredients.

Sweet Potato Fries are from the freezer section.

Throwdown loser :(

I was watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay last weekend, and it was battle chocolate chip. His competitor's cookies won the throwdown, but the recipe wasn't published, so I used his recipe. The cookies came out pretty well, I had the same problem as he did though, they pancaked. I used my air bake cookie sheets, and they pancaked, I tried using my cheap, nonstock, generic cookie sheets, and they came out much better... so good luck! I don't know that I'd use this recipe again, I've definitely had much better cookies from other recipes. Sorry, Bobby, I still LOVE your food!

The recipe can be found here, I used regular light and dark brown sugar instead of the muscavado, and chips instead of chopped bars, everything else was the same.

Easy Valentine's Dessert

JJ's favorite dessert is Bananas Foster, so I had to make it for him for Valentine's Day. I didn't really measure when I was making this, but it's the kind of thing you can just approximate.

2 tbsp. light butter

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

pinch of ground cinnamon

2 under ripe bananas, sliced

1/2 cup Captain Morgan's spiced dark rum

1 cup non-fat vanilla frozen yogurt

Melt butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium. Add in brown sugar and cinnamon, melt together about 3 minutes. Add in bananas, gently toss to coat. Add in rum, and light on fire. Wiggle the pan while the flame cooks off. Put back on the heat and simmer until the sauce is caramel like. Spoon over frozen yogurt, serve immediately.

My First Blog Event - Eat to the Beat!

As I've ventured into the world of food blogs, I learned about blog events. It's sort of like my country challange, but it's an event for many people to be a part of. I love Elly of Elly Says Opa!, her blog is great and her food is photographed so well, it's mouthwatering! I knew I wanted this to be my first event because 1. it's Elly's, and 2. it's about music and food!

The event is Eat to the Beat, and Elly's instructions were to create a dish in honor of a song. I knew right away what I had to make, because I've been wanting to make it for so long - Pineapple Upside Down Cake! My absolute favorite movie is 50 First Dates. The movie is wonderful, but the soundtrack is AMAZING! I love every song on it. The movie takes place in Hawaii, so all of the music has an islandy feel. There are a mixture of old songs, new songs, remakes of old songs, and a song from the movie. Listening to the music in the dead of winter keeps me hopeful that it will warm up someday!

Thanks, Elly for creating this wonderful event!

As I've become more comfortable baking in the kitchen, I've been healthy-editing existing recipes from foodnetwork. It's a tricky thing to do with baking, but I decided to make my own recpe for this cake! As I've been trying to with most things lately, I made a lighter cake. By no means will I say this is healthy because there is a bit of sugar, but there isn't much fat. The end result was pretty good. JJ said he missed the gooey, buttery topping in the pineapple, but overall it was a decent cake.

Lightened-Up Pineapple Upside Down Cake

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup applesauce

2 eggs

1 cup flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup skim milk

2 tbsp. spiced rum

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

7 slices fresh pineapple

21 marischino cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 10 in. cake pan with nonstick spray. Lay pineapples in the pan, 3 cherries in each center, and sprinkle with the brown sugar.

In a stading mixer, combine sugar, applesauce, and eggs. Beat for 2 minutes. Add cinnamon, salt, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup flour. Mix for 20 seconds. Add 1/4 cup skim milk, mix for 10 seconds, add 1/2 cup flour, mix, add the rest of the milk, mix, add the wheat flour, mix, add the rum, and mix. Use a spatula to scrape down sides and combine anything stuck to the bottom. Be careful to not overmix. Spread on top of the pineapple mixture, and bake for 40 minutes.

Let cake sit 10 minutes, then invert onto a cake pedistal. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Note - The wheat flour leaves this cake a bit gummy, so all white flour can be used, the wheat flour is just to make it a bit healthier.

Valentine's Day Dinner

The table all set for dinner

Quality ingredients are what make this fondue delicious

The fondue and the dippers!

JJ and I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day a few days later because of our schedules. We love fondue, especially the Melting Pot. There isn't one here though, and dinner can run upwards of $100, so we decided to do fondue at home. I got this fondue pot a few months ago, and have only used it once for a gorgonzola dipping sauce at a party I hosted. I used a basic fondue recipe found in the recipe book included with the pot, and came up with dippers that we love.

Gruyere and Emmenthaler are somewhat expensive cheeses, but they are so worth it! I like to buy my fine cheeses at Sam's club. They're very inexpensive there, and they have a great selection. I usually cut the cheese into a few pieces and freeze them individually for use later on. The Gruyere was about $10 for 1.2 lbs., and the Emmenthaler was $6 for .5 lbs. This is the original recipe, which I halved since it was just the two of us.

The wine I chose was a gift from my mom to JJ and I. It is called Bear's Lair, which is significant to us because we're the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears, and there's a snack food/cafe' at our school called the Bear's Lair!

Classic Cheese Fondue from the Cuisinart Electric Fondue Pot Recipe Booklet

1 lb. Gruyere cheese, grated

3/4 lb. Emmenthaler Cheese, grated

6 tsp. cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1 clove garlic, smashed

2 1/4 cups white wine (not Chardonnay)

2 1/2 tsp. Kirchwasser

Place the grated cheeses in a large bowl and toss to combine. Add the cornstarch and mustard and toss to coat the grated cheeses completely.

Rub the bottom of the lower half and sides of the fondue pot with the garlic clove. Discard the garlic. Add the wine and turn the setting to 5. Bring the wine to a simmer, while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, stir in the cheese a handful at a time. Do not add more until the last handful is melted. When it is all added, reduce the temperature to 3 and add the kirchwasser.

I served this fondue with:

Chicken sausage, sliced and browned

Steamed broccoli

Granny smith applie wedges

9 grain bread

Celery sticks

Carrot sticks

Blanched asparagus spears

Weekly Menu 2.17-2.23

Classic Fondue with Dippers, Bananas Foster Sundaes
Sloppy Woody’s, Sweet Potato Fries, Wedge Salad
Pesto, Asparagus, and Pea Orechetti with Prosciutto and Stuffed Chicken
Spaghetti and Meatballs, Zucchini Sticks
Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
Mediterranean Pizza
Sausage and Lentil Soup, Cheddar and Herb Beer Bread

Also this week:

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Throwdown Chocolate Chip Cookies

Clean out the fridge night!

As it is posted, I plan my menus a week at a time. I also do my food shopping a week at a time. Almost every week, we make it through without having to run to the grocery store for something. This week, I had planned breakfast for dinner on Friday night. Unfortunately, we had used up most of the milk, so I had to improvise. JJ was working a late game, and he told me he wasn't really in the mood for waffles and a fritatta, so I made waffles for myself with the little milk we had, and baked ziti for him, one of his favorites. The waffle recipe I completely made up as I went along, so I'm going to try to get my measurements right. The baked ziti is a no-brainer, but quite delicious, made with pantry staples.

Oatmeal Spiced Waffles

&

Baked Ziti

Oatmeal Spiced Waffles:

1 cup baking mix (I used kroger brand light baking mix)

1/2 cup oats

1 egg

1 cup water

1/4 cup skim milk

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 cup sugar free syrup

1 banana, sliced (or strawberries, blueberries, etc.)

Mix all ingredients (except syrup and berries) in a bowl, ladle onto a waffle iron.

Makes 4 standard round waffles.

Baked Ziti:

1/2 lb. ziti (or penne or any short cut pasta)

1 1/2 cups marinara

1 1/2 cups part skim ricotta

1/2 cup mozzarella

1/4 cup parmiggiano reggiano

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook pasta until al dente, combine with ricotta, sauce, and half of cheeses in a baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

Spicy Valentines

JJ and I are celebrating Valentine's Day on Saturday, so tonight's dinner is just a regular one. I decided to make this dish because I had a little red curry paste in the fridge I wanted to use up, as well as some chicken. I first saw a recipe similar to this made by Tyler Florence, but I have changed the ingredients and quantities to fit my taste. Many cooks have their own version, but they're all relatively similar. Add more or less curry paste to adjust the heat, we like it hot!

Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce, Steamed Veggies and Brown Rice

Chicken and Marinade:

1 lb. chicken tenders or breasts, cut to tenders size

½ 15 oz. can light coconut milk

1 tsp. ground turmeric

1 tbsp. fish sauce

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp. red curry paste

Peanut Sauce:

½ 15 oz. can light coconut milk

1/4 cup natural peanut butter

1 tbsp. red curry paste

1 tbsp. brown sugar

Salt and Pepper

Juice of half of a lime

Assorted Asian Vegetables (I was in the mood for red peppers, water chestnuts, snap peas, and baby corn)

2 cups quick cooking brown rice

Chopped scallions for garnish (or peanuts, cilantro, lime)

Mix marinade ingredients in a food storage container, add chicken and marinade for 1-4 hours. Heat a saucepot to medium-low heat. Add all sauce ingredients and slowly incorporate as it heats up. Keep at a low simmer for at least 15 minutes, until thickened.

Right before serving, add lime juice and stir.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat, grill chicken tenders for 5 minutes on each side.

Cook rice according to package.

Steam vegetables or sautee until desired doneness.

Plate rice first, then vegetables, then chicken, spoon sauce over, and garnish with chopped scallions (or cilantro, crushed peanuts).

More Valentines!

I made these chocolate cupcakes to bring to work tomorrow for Valentine's Day. They're a basic chocolate cake recipe found at the Hershey's website, here, with a Strawberry Cream Cheese icing I made up. And by the way, I just tonight discovered the Hershey's recipe website, definitely look forward to many more recipes from there to show up on my blog!

Strawberry Icing:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup cream cheese

1/4 cup strawberry jam

4 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat together butter and cream cheese, mix in jam, then vanilla, and finally confectioner's sugar a bit at a time. Add more sugar if the icing is too runny.

30 Minutes to Germany

Both my mother’s and father’s families are German. I love German culture and especially German cuisine. It’s a shame there isn’t more German food served in restaurants the way italian, mexican, and other ethnic foods are! I rarely cook German food, but I’m trying to divulge into the traditional and delicious cuisine of my ancestors. I’m taking it little by little, and this is an easy, familiar German meal. A traditional German side is Applesauce, so I am just using a no sugar added applesauce on the side from the grocery store.

Brats with Sauerkraut, German Potato Salad and Applesauce

Beer Brats and Sauerkraut:

2 light wheat hotdog buns

2 turkey bratwurst

1 beer (Leinenkugels) or 2 cups water

1 15 oz. can sauerkraut

4 tbsp. Gulden’s spicy brown mustard

Heat a large skillet over medium. Add beer or water and bring to temperature. Add brats to the beer and simmer for 20 minutes, until warmed through. In small sauce pot over low, bring sauerkraut to temperature. Serve brats on a bun, top with sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard.
German Potato Salad:

2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced

3 slices of center cut bacon

½ yellow onion, diced

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup potato water (more or less)

1/4 cup cider vinegar

Put diced potatoes in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes until tender. Drain, but save ¼ cup of the water. While potatoes are boiling, add bacon to a pan over medium heat. Sautee for about 8 minutes, until bacon is crisp. Drain grease, lay bacon on a paper towel to drain, add onions to pan. Sautee over medium-low for 5 minutes, until softened. Add bacon, potatoes, vinegar and seasonings. Add water until potato salad reaches desired consistency. Taste for seasonings, and adjust. Serve warm.

Restaurant Favorites

Like anyone, JJ and I love eating out, however it’s quite pricey, and you cannot control the amount of fat/calories in your food. I like to recreate meals that we’ve had at our favorite restaurants for the challenge, and also so I can tweak it a bit so it’s exactly what I want to eat. The blue cheese chopped salad is something I’ve had at outback. From what I can remember, it is just lettuce, pecans, blue cheese, and scallions with some sort of little crunchy tortilla strips. I love pairing blue cheese and pear, so I thought that would be a good addition, as well as cucumber and peppers, salad staples. I had some leftover Chinese rice noodles from PF Changs night, and I decided to sub those for the tortilla strips. I think what I love the most about this salad is the blue cheese dressing is a vinegar based dressing, which I much prefer over a mayo base. I think it tastes pretty similar! I also added grilled chicken for protein and balance.
The sweet potatoes were a Texas Roadhouse inspiration. JJ loves their cinnamon-honey butter, and I think it’s pretty good too. Sweet potatoes are much healthier than russets, and match wonderfully with the butter. They’re not complex, but the combination of flavors is delicious. I don’t think TR adds vanilla to their butter, but I like a little vanilla with my whipped sweet potatoes.

Blue Cheese Chopped Salad with Grilled Chicken

&

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon-Honey Butter

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped finely
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
½ cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 pear, peeled and finely diced
1/4 cup cinnamon pecans (recipe follows)
1/3 cup blue cheese vinaigrette (recipe follows)
¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
½ cup crushed Chinese rice noodles
2 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
1 tbsp. grill seasoning
2 sweet potatoes
2 tbsp. cinnamon-honey butter (recipe follows)

Blue Cheese Dressing:
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. vinegar (white, champagne, apple cider)
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. sour cream (or fat free buttermilk)
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. sugar
¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
Combine all ingredients until smooth and incorporated. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a few days.
Cinnamon Pecans:
1/4 cup pecans (or walnuts work well too)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp. brown sugar
¼ tsp. cinnamon
Melt butter and brown sugar in a small nonstick skillet. When combined, turn heat off and toss nuts and cinnamon in mixture.
Cinnamon-Honey Butter:
4 tbsp. light butter at room temp.
1 tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Tiny splash of vanilla extract
1 tbsp. brown sugar
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, leftovers can be stored in the fridge for weeks.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Poke the potatoes a few times with a fork all over. Bake directly on the oven rack for 50-60 minutes, until tender.
Season chicken breasts on each side and cook on a grill pan for 6-7 minutes on each side. Take of the grill and let it rest and cool.
Mix lettuce, pepper, cucumber, scallions, pear, noodles and half of the dressing in a big salad bowl. Top with pecans, then with grilled chicken. Add blue cheese crumbles and the remainder of the dressing on top. Serve immediately.

Gooey Goodness!

One of the things I miss most about living in New York was the calzone. When I think of a pizzeria, all I see is a calzone oozing white ricotta and mozzarella… so delicious! I haven’t made calzone in such a long time, and I had some pizza dough in the fridge so I figured I’d change it up with a calzone. JJ told me he wanted sausage in them, and while pork sausage is great, it’s really high in fat and can make the calzone oily. He really likes the little sausage balls, so I told him I would make some with turkey and come up with a sausage spice blend and he wouldn’t know the difference. The predominant flavor in sausage is fennel seed, so I went from there and came up with a spice blend. I made a whole pound of sausage, half will be used next week so I froze it. These little sausage balls are great to keep on hand for soups, pastas, frittatas, and pizza.

The calzone should be closed, but I used to much dough on one and ran out on the other, which is why you can see the filling!

Spinach and Sausage Calzone

1 ball of pizza dough

Flour for rolling

2 cups ricotta cheese

1/2 8 oz. box chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained

½ lb. sausage (I made mini sausage balls, recipe follows)

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup shredded parmiggiano reggiano

1 egg

Salt and Pepper

Crushed Red Pepper flake

1 cup basic marinara, warmed through

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine ricotta, spinach, sausage, cheeses, seasonings and egg in a bowl.

Roll out pizza dough into 2 rounds. Place half the filling in each round, fold over and seal the edges. Place on a pizza pan, brush with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.Serve with warm marinara for dipping.

Turkey Sausage Balls

1 lb. 99% fat free ground turkey breast

1 tbsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. black pepper

2 tbsp fennel seed, toasted

1 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Toast fennel seeds in a nonstick skillet for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Add all spices to a coffee grinder or blender and grind to desired consistency. I leave some fennel seeds intact, but mostly ground. Mix 2-3 tbsp. of the mixture to the ground turkey, combine thoroughly, but do not overwork the meat. Roll into balls and bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

Italian Deliciousness!

This recipe is a classic chicken parmesan, but it's baked not fried. The pasta was inspired by a Giada recipe found here. It is a nice warm, filling, but not too heavy dinner. I make my own basic sauce and keep it in the fridge for a week or two at a time, but a good jarred sauce can be substituted (recommended Newman's Sockarooni).

Baked Chicken Parmesan and Penne with Eggplant Puree

1 lb. chicken cutlets
1 cup flour
1 egg
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup basic marinara
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 lb. penne (recommended Barilla plus)
1 eggplant, peeled and diced

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper
1 roasted red pepper
1 cup basic marinara
1/4 cup parmiggiano reggiano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
10 basil leaves, torn

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Arrange 3 plates, one with flour, on with beaten egg, one with bread crumbs. Dredge chicken in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Place in a baking dish. Top with marinara and cheese. Bake 25 minutes until cheese is melted and golden and chicken is crisp and brown.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place eggplant on a cookie sheet, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt heavily, drop in penne and cook 10-12 minutes. Drain and save 1 cup of the pasta water, set aside.
Place eggplant in a food processor and puree with red pepper and some pasta water.
Add pasta back to pot, add marinara, red pepper flake, olive tapenade, and eggplant puree. Taste for seasoning, plate, top with parmiggiano reggiano and basil

Valentine's Treats

This past Christmas, I was planning to make tons of cookies for all of my family and friends, but it was right after my wedding and all of my baking supplies were at home from when I made my wedding cake. I decided to delay my bake-a-thon, and make Valentines packages for everyone.

The packages consist of:
Coconut White Fudge Truffles
Peanut Butter Hearts
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Kahlua Dark Chocolate Truffles
Strawberry Jam Thumbprints
Outrageous Brownies
Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti
Banana Spritz Hearts

Coconut White Chocolate Fudge Truffles

For these, I use the basic fudge recipe on Jet Puff marshmallow cream jars. I make the fudge according to the package, but substitute white chocolate for regular, and coconut extract for vanilla. I shape the fudge into balls, dip them in white chocolate, and roll in coconut. JJ calls them snowballs, they're delicious!

Peanut Butter Hearts

I made up the recipe for the filling based on cake filling/icing. They resemble a Reeses.

Peanut Butter Hearts

3 cups dark chocolate chips (recommended Ghirardelli)

4 tbsp. butter

1 cup peanut butter

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup peanut butter chips

Heat a large glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. Add chocolate chips and stir until just melted. While chocolate is melting, add butter, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla to a mixing bowl and mix until combined and smooth. Scoop into a piping bag with a small round tip (wilton #4). Pour melted chocolate into a squeeze bottle. Squeeze a light coating in the bottom of the mold, put in the freezer for 1 minute, remove and pipe peanut butter in the center of the heart. Squeeze chocolate to cover and fill the heart. Put back in the freezer for 3-5 minutes. Pop out of the mold and lay on wax paper. Repeat process until you’ve used up all the chocolate and peanut butter mixture.Melt peanut butter chips over double boiler and pour into another squeeze bottle. Drizzle over hearts, let hearts cool and harden, store in bags or food storage containers.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Recipe found here

Banana Spritz Hearts

My mom makes banana spritz christmas trees with her cookie press and they're my favorite Christmas cookie. I couldn't have Valentines subbing for Christmas cookies without them, so I thought I'd make them hearts instead. I used a cookie press for these cookies, which can be quite a headache, but the key is to make sure the dough is cold, and the cookie sheet isn't hot.

Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti

I used Giada's recipe, found here, but I didn't use the pistachios. I also drizzled pink white chocolate over the biscotti, but didn't photograph the final product. (This photo is the biscotti after I cut the log, but before the second bake).

Strawberry Jam Thumbprints

The recipe I used can be found here. These are a classic cookie that was very popular this past Christmas. They were on the cover of Gourmet, and there were recipes in Bon Apetit, Cooking Light, and other cooking magazines I subscribe to. They looked so good I just had to make them.

Not photographed: Outrageous Brownies, recipe found here

Kahluah Dark Chocolate Truffles, recipe found here