Butternut Miss This!

A few weeks ago, I went to a friend's 50th birthday party in Maine. Left Friday afternoon, returned home Sunday night about 10:30 pm. Did I mention I live in Virginia? Crazy long drive, but really great to see friends I haven't seen in a long time. I also got to attend a dinner party in a fabulous home right on Penobscot Bay, under a wonderfully starry sky, with a fire in the living room and met some really fun women. We had a yummy dinner of butternut squash soup with fresh whipped cream and chives, salad, crusty bread, and birthday cake (of course!) along with an assortment of desserts. Oh, and the wine. Mustn't forget about the wine. Which reminds me, I need to find out what that was...

I'm not much of a soup fan, unless it's really hearty. And this one was, so I set out to find a recipe that was easy, quick, and just as yummy. Made this one tonight...it was rainy, 55 degrees, and just a good day for a hearty soup. It's based on a recipe I found on FoodTV.com, yet attributed to Gourmet Magazine. And for the record, I do think that the collapse of Gourmet Magazine is a travesty. Even though I never was a subscriber..it's just one of those things that is assumed will always be, because it always was. So anyway, I took that recipe, and made a few super small changes...and it was delish. And hearty. And I will be making this one again!

Random question: If I take a recipe and change it slightly, does that make it mine?

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

(serves 4)

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 1/4 pounds)

nonstick vegetable oil spray (otherwise known as Pam)

1 sweet onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (yes, the freshly grated matters here)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups chicken broth

1-2 cups water, as needed (I didn't need or want)

salt and pepper to taste

sour cream (low fat or regular) and chives for garnish

Crusty bread (for dipping/sopping/soaking)

Directions

Cut squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Arrange the halves cut side down in roasting pan (or baking pan, doesn't really matter) that has been sprayed with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Bake squash in the oven for 45 minutes at 475 degrees (or 375 degrees for 40 minutes if using convection) or until very tender. Set aside to cool. When the squash is completely cool, scoop the flesh from the skin.

While the squash is cooling, saute the onion, ginger and butter in a saucepan, over moderately low heat, for 5 minutes or until the onion is softened. Add the broth and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, covered. Add the squash pulp to the sauce pan. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor, in batches, and puree until smooth. Add enough water to achieve the desired consistency (I like thick and hearty soup, so didn't add any water at all), and salt and pepper to taste. Return the soup to the sauce pan and cook over moderate heat until it is hot. Garnish each portion with the heaping teaspoon of sour cream and chopped chives (I used garlic chives because that's what we had growing in our mini herb garden).

When I next try this, I will be making fresh whipped cream. Just didn't feel like making it on the first go....and sour cream does work really well here, so do whichever works for you!

If you have a stick blender (like we do), you can puree the mixture in the sauce pan, and eliminate the need to transfer it to a blender or food processor, saving you time, aggravation, and dish washing. I'm all for that!

Best. Burger. Ever.

So, I'm in the middle of a party a week or so ago, and while we are munching on the yummy food the hostess has prepared, someone tells me about these burgers she made for dinner the other day. And, oh-my-gosh, do they sound flippin' delicious! And I made them the very next day for dinner. And they WERE. Except, here's my problem with making homemade burgers...I always make them too big. Like 1/2 pound burgers. Every single time. They just don't look big enough otherwise, or I think they are going to shrink up more than they actually do, or I dunno...whatever. I make them big. Really kinda too big. I'm just warning you..the temptation is there.

This recipe is easily cut in half or doubled, depending on what you need. I personally think the cream cheese/jalapeno mixture makes much more than you need in each burger...use any leftover for an added nacho or baked potato topping, or on top of a breakfast burrito, etc.

I seasoned the ground beef a little with some garlic powder and Worcester sauce. We topped our burgers with melted Gorgonzola, bacon, tomato and mayo. Made my mouth SO happy!

Jalapeno Cream Cheese Burgers

2 cups seeded and chopped fresh jalapenos

2 (8 oz) packages, cream cheese, softened

2 pounds ground beef

8 hamburger buns, split

Directions

Preheat a grill for medium heat. When hot, lightly oil the grate. In a medium bowl, stir together the jalapenos and cream cheese.

Divide the ground beef into 16 portions and pat out each one to 1/4 inch thickness. Spoon some of the cream cheese mixture onto the center of 8 of the patties. Top with the remaining patties, pressing the edges together to seal.

Grill for about 10 minutes per side, or until well done, taking care not to press down on the burgers as they cook. This will make the cheese ooze out. Serve on buns with your favorite toppings.

Olive this!

When I was in...oh, let's say 6th or 7th grade, we thought it was hilarious to get a classmate's attention from across the room, make eye contact, and mouth "olive juice". Because it looks like you are saying "I love you". You're doing it right now to see if I'm right, aren't you? Doing this either freaked out the person it was directed toward, or they burst out laughing. Or both. Ah, the good ole' days...

Anywho, the recipe below was served by one of my hostesses at a party this past weekend, and she kindly shared it with me. I also discovered this is an oldie but goodie...some version of this also appeared in an issue of Gourmet Magazine from 1969. It is a crowd pleaser, easy to make, and super yummy! And you get it, right? Olive this!=I love this!

OLIVE CHEESE BALL RECIPE
(courtesy of Brenda S.)

36 small pimiento-stuffed green olives
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Asiago cheese

Drain olives. Adjust rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with bakers' parchment. Combine flour, paprika and salt. Blend together butter and cheese. Add the flour mixture, blending to form a smooth dough. Using a teaspoon of dough at a time, shape into a ball, then flatten dough in the palm of your hand and center an olive on the dough. Wrap the dough around the olive to encase it completely and roll in the palms of your hands to form a smooth ball. Place on the baking sheet and bake 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot or lukewarm.

This family recipe = summer

For as long as I can remember in my family (and no, I don't have long or short term memory problems)...summer has been quietly announced officially by the first batch of our homemade macaroni salad. Usually somewhere near Memorial Day weekend. Last year, I found myself giggling to myself when my then 6-year old came into the kitchen and said, "Hey! It must be summer--you're making macaroni salad! Tradition inadvertently and successfully passed on! Sometimes we call it macaroni salad, sometimes noodle salad. And I have NO idea why my family only made it during the summer, nor why I only make it during the summer. I just do, kind of like how I only make apple spice cake at Christmas time.

I just know this is the only kind of macaroni salad I like.

I made the first batch of the season shortly after Memorial Day. And have made 5 batches since....and we have eaten it all. We eat it for lunch. And sometimes I eat it for breakfast. I will need to make some more today. And probably 3 days from today. And then 3 days after that. Repeat. Until Labor Day weekend.

So, this is not your typical macaroni salad--there's no chopping involved, and you are probably not going to find a version of this already made at the grocery store.

It only has 3 ingredients, 7 if you want to count the seasonings. And I am totally guessing about the amount of seasonings---I eyeball it when I make it until it looks about right, especially with the parsley flakes. But we cannot stop eating it.

My Family Macaroni Salad Recipe

1 box of elbow macaroni

2 cans of tuna, drained

2-3 Tbsp. Hellman's Mayonnaise (Don't get me started on this. It matters. Just use it.)

1 Tbsp. Celery salt

1/4 cup Parsley flakes

Salt/Pepper to taste


Boil macaroni according to package directions, rinse with cold water and chill. If you are in a hurry, throw some ice cubes in it to chill it faster, or put them in the freezer for a few minutes..but you really want the noodles cold before you mix in the mayo, otherwise the noodles will just suck the mayo up and you will have to add more mayo.

Once you have chilled noodles, add everything else and mix it up. Adjust salt/pepper to taste...I tend to use more salt than pepper. And then let me know what you think!

Please, eat the whole pie

I think I've mentioned before that my husband loves pie. LOVES pie. A pie lover, he is. Pretty much any kind of pie. Are you getting the idea here?

We celebrated his birthday yesterday with a family dinner. And pie. Because he loves pie. (Did I mention that before?) And he got to eat an entire pie. Well, okay, everyone got their own individual pie, so it's truly not as gluttonous as that sounds. Nor is it as complicated as it sounds.

Actually?

Could. Not. Be. Easier.

I used a mix of raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. From a bag of frozen fruit we got at BJ's. Didn't thaw it either. Did I mention this could not be easier to make?

The biggest source of angst about this recipe is wondering if the ramekins you have are the correct size. Because they are not labeled, and unless you have an incredible memory for that kind of thing....hard to know. We bought new ones, which still weren't labeled, but were bigger than the ones we had. And prettier. And then we topped it off with vanilla ice cream.



Individual deep-dish berry pies (makes 4, easily doubled)
from: Food Network Kitchens Favorite Recipes (cookbook)

4 cups mixed berries, such as raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or stemmed and halved strawberries
1/3 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons instant tapioca
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 sheet frozen puff pasty (8 ounces), thawed
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees (F). Toss the berries with the 1/3 cup sugar, tapioca and vanilla in a large bowl. Divide the fruit among 4 6-ounce ramekins and dot each with some butter.

Using a pizza wheel or very sharp knife, divide the puff pastry sheet into 4 squares. Brush the outsides and rims of the ramekins with water. Lay a puff pastry square over the top of each ramekin and gently press the points that drape over the sides against the ramekins to seal. Lightly brush the tops with water and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake the pies on a baking sheet until the pastry is puffed and golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Cool at least 20 minutes before serving with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

These pies are best if served the day they're made. If you're not serving them right away, keep them at room temperature before reheating--don't refrigerate them or the crust will get soggy.

Make this if you LOVE chocolate!

So remember how I said a side benefit of my business is that I get to go to lots of parties? And eat lots of different party food? Yeah, well, here's another decadent creation discovered by one of my hostesses. If you are a chocolate lover...

You. Must. Try. This.

I don't even care what kind of Oreos you use (although probably also really good with the mint...), or what kind of chocolate you choose to dip them in. And yes, I know, the cream cheese ingredient might be making you wrinkle your nose up in doubt. But really, have I steered you in the wrong direction yet?

If you want to get all crazy and fancy like, dip them in one kind of chocolate, and drizzle another kind over the top.

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine, and Stacy U. for finding it and making it!

Oreo Bites
1 pkge Oreo cookies (any flavor)
1 8-oz pkge cream cheese
10 ozs chocolate chip (dark, semi-sweet, milk or white)

Empty bag of oreos in food processor and blend until fine crumbs form. Add the package of cream cheese and blend until completely mixed. Roll the mixture into 1.5 inch balls. Freeze for 30 minutes. Melt the chocolate over low heat, stirring continuously. When melted, dip the balls into the chocolate and then let cool on wax paper. Serve once cool or refrigerate until ready to serve. SO yummy!

Good thing I'm not a rabbit.

The thing is, for the most part, the only way I eat salad is if there is meat involved. And by involved I mean, on top, mixed all together, meat in most every bite. Definitely not on the side, or before or after a meal. Yes, I said after a meal (it's an old-style Italian thing, and you either know what I'm talking about or not. If not, don't worry about it. Really not important to this blog post). ANYway, for me, salad is either a meal with meat, or totally dispensable and not necessary. This is why I would not make it as a rabbit.

You know those nights when you just don't feel like cooking anything? Like, anything at all? But you still have to eat, right? Yeah, us too. So here's what we do. We try to keep flavored chicken sausage (e.g., The Casual Gourmet, Aidell's) in our refrigerator at all times, along with some chopped romaine lettuce. And ranch dressing. Do you see where I am going here?

Okay, so our favorites are the pecorino/romano blend, the feta/spinach and the mango/jalapeno. We slice the sausage on a slight diagonal and throw the pieces in a skillet to heat and brown them. Everything just looks better browned, doesn't it? Okay, so while they are browning (flip them over once at some point)--which only takes about 10 minutes, put chopped romaine in a bowl (at some point anyway--it really shouldn't take you 10 minutes to put lettuce in a bowl!). Once the sausage is browned, toss it on top of the lettuce, add some ranch dressing, and you have dinner. And only one pan and some bowls to clean up. It's even healthy, low-fat, South Beach diet friendly, and really is delicious.

Try it. Let me know which flavors you like, and if you chose a different salad dressing, tell me what and if you liked it!

A winner every time!

Long story short, my husband and I went to an engagement party/bridal shower a few years ago where the theme was the Kentucky Derby, based on the time of year and Derby enthusiasts that hosted the party. At that party, we developed a much deeper appreciation for Kentucky Bourbon. Oh, and traditional food. And then there was dessert. And we have not been the same since. In a good way.

When you think of the Kentucky Derby (go ahead, think about it for a minute...I'll wait.....) what things pop into your head? Horses? Big floppy hats? Mint Juleps? Derby Pie? That last one...the Derby Pie...that's what we are talking about! Which is not to say that I don't also enjoy horses, hats and mint juleps....oh, and the secret to the mint juleps? Keep stirring. Yeah, just make one and keep stirring. You'll see what I mean.

Okay, so the term "Derby Pie" is protected by copyright. So technically, we can't call this a Derby Pie---even if it really pretty much is. If you want the real, authentic thing, check out www.derbypie.com. It's an interesting story, and you should be prepared to pay upwards of $25-40 for an authentic Derby Pie delivered to your door.

Funny story about this pie (recipe below)...I made it for a preschool auction one year, and I think (someone correct me if I'm wrong!) it fetched over $100. For a pie. This pie. Go figure. But really makes you want to make it now, doesn't it? Just to see what all the fuss is about?

And really, it couldn't be simpler. And so yummy. Make your own crust if you want, but it's not necessary. And if you particularly like bourbon, drizzle some extra over the top once you slice it. And don't forget the vanilla ice cream. Or whipped cream. Or eat it by itself. You'll be tempted to have it for breakfast, particularly if you are a coffee drinker. I'm just sayin'.

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie (since I can't call it Derby Pie....)
Prep. Time:10 (I'm tellin' you...it's super easy!)
Total Time:50

4 whole eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. bourbon
3/4 cup white corn syrup
1 stick butter, melted
1 tbsp. flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips
1 pie shell

Beat eggs. Add next 7 ingredients to eggs. Place pecans and chocolate chips in a 10-inch pie shell. pour filling over. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes.

A new favorite

Really not sure what to say about this one, other than YUM. Want some back story? I found it because we were having dinner guests, wanted something with shrimp, and this one popped up on a Google search. Reviewed the recipe, decided it sounded good and it became our dinner plan.

Oh. My. It was beyond good. Better yet? We served it on a large platter, our foodie friend (Hi David!) stuck a fresh sprig of basil in the middle before we brought it to the table, and wow, did that look impressive. I'm totally doing that myself next time. And it's REALLY good. Definitely-going-to-make-again-good.

I believe we served this with a simple spinach, roasted red pepper, and Gorgonzola salad. Makes for a good, hearty yet light meal (how's that for an oxymoron?), that presents well and makes for good leftovers too.

Let me know what you think if you try it!

Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, 2008

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup white wine
1/3 cup clam juice
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.


In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the shrimp turn pink and is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp and set aside.

Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup parsley, and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, clam juice, and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the cooked shrimp, the cooked pasta, and the remaining herbs. Toss together until all ingredients are coated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve immediately.

This makes my mouth happy!

I likes me a good cheesecake. And here's the thing (for me, anyway)...if you are going to eat dessert, then eat dessert and don't worry about making it low fat, low calorie, etc. Just eat the darn thing, make it with real ingredients, and enjoy it. Nobody has ever gotten fat from eating the occasional full calorie dessert, piece of pie, or slice of cake. And you won't either. Now, if you want to eat nothing BUT dessert for 3 weeks, well, hey, more power to you, but don't expect to remain your slim ol' self. Capice?

I made this one for dessert on Mother's Day, and it was delicious. It got lots of compliments, both on taste and presentation. It's a pretty cheesecake, and doesn't take an artist to swirl it all fancy like. Just don't swirl it TOO much, or you won't have any swirl factor, just really a pink cheesecake.

Couple things here...I'm not so much into the melting chocolate in a double boiler. I use the microwave. Do whatever makes you happy here, but I honestly don't think that it matters which way you melt it. And I like that (a) the microwave is quicker and (b) I don't have 2 extra pots to wash. Also? I used frozen strawberries, because, hey, we had them, and they get cooked down, so I'm not sure it matters all that much.

You really need to make this the night before because it needs overnight chilling time. But that's okay with me, because then that's one less thing to do if you are also making dinner. You can wake up in the morning and have already accomplished something! OOoo---dessert for dinner is DONE already. Whoo HOO! How often does that happen?

Oh, and my husband would like there to be more crust..it's kind of a thin crust. So, if you like a heavy crust on your cheesecake, then go ahead and double the crust recipe.

I didn't add anything else to this, because really, truly, it's enough. I suppose you could add some sliced strawberries fanned out on the plate to make it even more fanciful; but the chocolate crusted cheesecake on the bed of strawberry sauce is plenty pretty enough for me.

White Chocolate Cheesecake with Strawberry Swirl
(Cuisine at home, June 2003, Issue 39, p. 39)

Makes: One 9" cake
Total Time: 60–80 Minutes + Chilling

For the Sauce—


10 oz. fresh strawberries, hulled, quartered
3 T. sugar
2 T. strawberry preserves
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 T. water
2 t. cornstarch

For the Crust:
7 chocolate wafer cookies, crumbled
3 whole graham crackers, crumbled
2 T. sugar
Pinch salt
3 T. unsalted butter, melted

For the Cheesecake—
8 oz. white chocolate, chopped (or white chocolate chips)
3 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
Juice of 1/2 lemon S

Process berries, sugar, preserves, and lemon juice for the sauce in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth; whisk into berry mixture. Simmer to thicken slightly, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill until cold.

Preheat oven to 300° with rack in the center. Coat a 9" springform pan with nonstick spray. Process cookies, crackers, sugar, and salt for crust in a food processor until fine. Add butter as machine is running. Pat crumbs on bottom and up sides of pan. Melt chocolate for the cheesecake in a double boiler over barely simmering water. Remove from heat before totally melted—it'll smooth as it sits; set aside. Blend cream cheese and sugar with a mixer until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl periodically. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Blend in melted chocolate, vanilla, and lemon juice. Pour batter into prepared pan, then drizzle with 1/4 cup strawberry sauce. Swirl sauce into batter. Drag a skewer or knife tip through the sauce to create a marbled pattern. Don't over swirl you'll get a pink cheesecake.

Place pan on a baking sheet and bake until edges are set and puffed but center is still jiggly, 60–80 minutes; do not overbake. Turn off oven, crack door open with a wooden spoon, and cool cake inside 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool completely. Cover cake with a towel and chill overnight.

Slice cheesecake and serve with remaining strawberry sauce.

Fruit of the grill

I believe we have officially entered the beginning of grilling season here in Northern Virginia, from about now until November or so. I'm talking where you drive or walk around and can literally smell the food being cooked on the grills all over the neighborhood. Yeah, you folks who live in this area know what I'm talking about. Where you wonder, "Oooo..I wonder who's cooking THAT?" One of the benefits of living here, I suppose. Something has to offset the traffic congestion, pollen overload and cost of living, right?

Admittedly, my husband grills all year long, and has been known to shovel a path to the grill. NOT so much because we get so much snow, more so the ice on the deck doesn't cause a slipping and sliding problem. "Slip, slide and away...". Hey, that's the song that popped into my head. And now it's in yours too. You're welcome.

Anyway, when we do get snow (you know, that ONE time we get more than 4"), it's totally worth creating a path to the grill for this dessert. And if you have the grill going for dinner anyway, even better. And hey, it's spring, so unless you are in Australia (Hi Alan & Moira!) and heading into winter, there really is no excuse not to try this.

If you are serving this for guests, go ahead and do the prep ahead of time..slice the pineapple, cover and refrigerate until you need it. Toast the hazelnuts, they'll keep. Mix up the mascarpone and vanilla, Nutella (I can't imagine using another brand, so just humor me here) and cream easily reheats. If you prep all these pieces ahead of time, you can easily reassemble them into a wonderfully simple and delicious dessert. It presents well, and I haven't found a person yet that doesn't find it enticing!

(Serves 10-12, Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, available also on http://www.foodnetwork.com/)

Grilled Pineapple with Nutella cream sauce

2 pineapples, peeled, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices and core removed
2/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)
6 tablespoons whipping cream
Olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped toasted hazelnuts

Prepare the outdoor barbecue to medium-high heat. If you do not have a barbecue, you can use an indoor grill pan set to medium high heat. Lightly oil the grill. Grill the pineapple slices until heated through and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes per side. It's important to leave the pineapples on the grill, untouched so that you can create the grill marks.

While the pineapples are cooking, whisk the mascarpone and vanilla in a small bowl to blend. Set aside.

Combine the chocolate-hazelnut spread and cream in a small bowl and stir to combine. Place in a microwave on high for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds to blend well. Alternatively, you can combine the chocolate-hazelnut spread and cream in a small saucepan, set over low heat, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Heat until satiny smooth and easy to pour, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer the pineapple slices to a large platter. Drizzle the warm chocolate-hazelnut sauce over.

Dollop the mascarpone mixture atop. Sprinkle with the hazelnuts and serve.

Pie for dinner!

My husband LOVES pie. Really, ANY kind of pie. Kinda gets pie-eyed, but not in the drunk way so much as the food coma way. He totally loves pies, not nearly as much as he likes riding in a helicopter, but that's a whole different story.

And so when I told him we were having pie for dinner, I think I scored some points. Although probably not as many points as I would have if I had said, "We're having apple pie for dinner!".

But see, here's the thing. Emeril (yes, "BAM"!, that one) had a pie contest, and the recipe below was one that was featured. So really, how could I not try it? It's a good pie. It has a veggie in it, even. And you can have it for dinner without thinking, "Wow, I'm having a pie for dinner, and I should probably just slap this right on my hips/thighs/midsection to save time."

Couple of things though. That frozen mix of peppers and onions mentioned in the recipe? I found that really hard to find, hope you have better luck than I did. The good news is that the fresh substitution is below the main ingredients; the bad news is that you need to increase the prep time.

I haven't messed with this one a whole lot, but I would recommend slicing some black olives as an additional garnish. And I think you can omit the taco sauce garnish and throw some more salsa on top instead. Definately the guacamole, and hey, throw some more cheese on top if you want. If you are making this for kids to eat too, use the mild taco seasoning if they don't like spicy. If you like spicy, then put some spicy in or on it...sliced jalapenos or add your favorite hot sauce once your pie is on your plate.

If you want to get all fancy like...shred some lettuce, and make a bed to put the taco pie slice on top of, slap a dollop of sour cream, guac, and salsa slightly off to the side. And there you have it. Fancy-ish Mexican dinner--who knew, right?

Southwestern Taco Pot Pie
Recipe courtesy Barry Conway (also available on foodnetwork.com)
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Serves: 6


1 pound lean ground beef
1 (1.25-ounce) package Taco Seasoning Mix
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
1 (1-pound) package frozen green, red and yellow peppers and onions*
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (11-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup salsa
1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on package
8 ounces (2 cups) shredded cheese recommended: Colby/Monterey blend or Mexican blend

* If using fresh peppers and onions, use 1 1/2 cups chopped onions and 2 1/2 cups chopped peppers and increase prep time and stove top cooking time.

Garnish:
Sour cream
Taco Sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brown ground beef in large skillet over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain. Add taco seasoning mix and water; mix until ground beef is well coated.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan over medium high heat until hot. Add peppers and onions; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and drain excess liquid. Add garlic and onion powders, salt, pepper, corn, and salsa, stir well and set aside.

Prepare pie crusts as directed on package for 2-crust pie using 9-inch glass or metal pie pan.

Combine salsa and corn mixture with ground beef; mix well. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese evenly in bottom of crust-lined pan. Spread 1/2 of beef mixture evenly in pan over cheese, pat down. Sprinkle 3/4 cup cheese in pan and spread evenly with remaining beef mixture, pat down, top with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Top with second crust and flute; slit in several places.

Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cover edge of crust with strips of foil or a pie crust shield after 15 minutes of baking. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a drizzle of taco sauce. Also recommended: guacamole, salsa, and diced green chiles.

Feeling dippy?

One of the bonus benefits of having a home based business is that I get to go to a lot of parties, and try lots of different party foods. Yeah, I know, tough job, huh?

Anyway, dips of some sort tend to be popular because they are easy, yummy, and a pretty safe bet in terms of being a crowd pleaser. Guests can grab a bite when they are walking by, feeling free to wander around, chat with friends, etc. I've had lots of dips. There really aren't many dips I don't like. And I figured 3 was enough for one post....the dips I've listed below all reheat well, and/or store well.

If you like Buffalo wings, you will LOVE this Buffalo Chicken Dip! Full disclosure here: it's an odd orange/salmon color. Which is not generally a coveted color in a dip, but trust me here. This one is worth it. I admit my husband and I have eaten this for dinner more than once. With Fritos. I've also heard that this would be good as a burrito filling or over rice. Which would be a much better way to "convert" this into a dinner. Perhaps we will do that next time. And perhaps we will just eat the dang dip, fritos and all...

Buffalo Chicken Dip (from Jenny E., Dayton, OH)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
1 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
1 cup ranch dressing (can also substitute bleu cheese dressing--I don't, but you can)
1 block cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
Mix all ingredients together, top with an additional
1/2 cup of shredded white cheddar cheese if desired. --I put about 1/4 cup in the dip, and a 1/4 on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with Fritos, celery or carrot sticks.

Boursin cheese

This cheese is a soft, herbed cheese. You can buy it at most larger grocery stores. It's delicious. And if I bought as much Boursin cheese as I use, I would be spending WAY too much moolah on cheese. It would be worth it, in my opinion. And I have another option, which having tried, I now prefer. Better on the wallet, better on the taste buds. Again, I don't have the specific source for the recipe....other than a Google search. I supposed I should say, "I Googled it." Since apparently Google has become a verb...but I digress.

Boursin-style cheese can easily be made at home. Which is not just more economical, but fresher and tastier to boot.

Homemade Boursin cheese
10-20 min prep, makes 3 cups (approximately)

2 garlic cloves
8 ounces butter, at room temperature
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (the real stuff, and freshly-grated)
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon chives
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Have cheeses and butter at room temperature. Crush garlic. Mix cheeses, butter and garlic. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Pack into a container just large enough to hold the boursin and store in refrigerator.

To serve, bring to room temperature. Good on crackers or crustini.

Or in creamed spinach OR with sliced grape tomatoes (place tomatoes in bottom of baking dish, layer about a cup of boursin cheese on top, and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees; serve with crustini, crackers, or fresh bread).

Also, really good probably a million other ways! And MUCH more economical than 8 bucks for 5.2 ounces. And truly not difficult. :)

Fiesta Dip

Everyone needs a quick go to---which is why I love this next option. If you like spicy, Fiesta Dip Mix gets mixed with mayo and sour cream at least an hour before you need it. This is a product from Tastefully Simple--let me know if you need a contact and I'll get that to you.

Bonus: the directions are on the bottle, so you can't ever lose it. Or if you do lose it, you couldn't have made it anyway because you don't have the mix either. The longer you let the flavors meld together, the better it is.

You can tone down the spice slightly by using less than the suggested amount; but know that this is meant to have some kick to it! Served with tortilla chips, or pita bread, or veggies....

Cookies for Breakfast?

Our family celebrates our daughters' birthdays with a day where the birthday girl gets to pick an activity for the family to do together on the weekend, and gets to choose where we will have dinner. Should the actual birthday fall on a weeknight, she also gets to choose dinner for that evening, and gets to open gifts that day.

Oh, and I also bring in a birthday treat for the elementary class to share at snack. Since we aren't having a "party" that friends from school can attend. No problem right?

Um, WRONG. This school year, snack time was before lunch, actually before 10:30 am. While my daughters both wanted me to bring in cupcakes or cookies, I can only imagine how much their teachers would want to strangle me if I brought in sugar laden cupcakes or cookies for 20 kids to inhale before lunchtime. And really, I don't care to be "the mom who sugared up the kids". After all, it was a school. It might go on my permanent record.

So, once again, I came up with a compromise. "What if", I said, "Mommy can find a breakfast cookie for your birthday treat?" "Sure!", they each said near their respective birthdays. And Mommy breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that her permanent record would not be amended in the near future.

And there you have it. That's the story of why I found the recipe below. I don't remember where I found it...I searched for "breakfast cookie" on Google and liked this one. It is easy, and the cookies are really good. It doubles easily, and really kinda sorta needs to be doubled. 24 cookies just isn't that many.

Grown ups totally love these. I've found that kids tend to either love them or um, not like them so much. The grape nuts, somehow, keep their crunchy goodness after the baking. I don't know how, ask Alton Brown...he'll either know or figure it out. I just know that the Grape Nuts add a very nice crunch to the cookie. The orange concentrate and zest adds a lovely flavor. There is sugar in the cookie batter, but it's not overwhelming. And so, half the kids in each of my daughter's classes this year said, "I don't like it. Don't you have any with chocolate chips?" And after I politely informed them, "No, honey, I don't", they skipped back to their table and ate whatever snack they brought to school that day. See? Doesn't matter much. Except, I knew I wasn't going to be in "trouble" with the teacher. And my kids love them and it was their birthday treat, so really, I didn't care if no one else ate them. I also knew they had all brought in snack anyway, so no one was going to *starve* before lunch.

Please try these breakfast cookies. They are good for when you are running out the door on the way to school, or as a snack for both kids and adults. I'm just warning you---if you serve them to kids who are expecting chocolate in cookies, they will probably not be thrilled. At least not initially.

They really are good though. Especially with coffee. But hey, don't give that to the kids. It might go on your permanent record.

Breakfast Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 tablespoon orange zest

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup wheat and barley nugget cereal (eg. Grapenuts TM)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, orange juice concentrate, and orange zest. Combine the flour and baking powder; mix into the fluffy mixture until blended. Stir in cereal. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove from cookie sheet for cooling. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.


How To Make Grape Nuts Cereal At Home (Oh, it can't be that difficult, and you probably have everything in your house already! I admit I haven't done this yet myself, but really...doesn't sound that complicated!)

3 1/2 cups sifted whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups milk

2 tbsp. vinegar

3/4 tsp. salt

Mix flour, baking soda, sugar and salt. Stir vinegar into milk and add to flour mixture. Beat until smooth. Spread dough 1/4-inch thick on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375F. oven about 15 mins. When cool, grind in a food processor. Don't dry out completely or you'll get flour. Let it finish drying after grinding. Before serving, mix in anything else you would like; nuts and fruit go especially well. Yeah, I wouldn't mix anything else in myself...I'm kinda like that. But hey, you're not me...go for it!

It's all in the crusting....

You know, I love a good crusted chicken. Don't you? There's just something about a juicy chicken breast surrounded by a hearty crust. The thing is, I could never get that to happen when I made crusted chicken at home. It was good, yes, but not that true crusting that says, "Hold on to your tastebuds, this is going to be good!"

So a few months ago, I get this "sample" magazine in the mail. I usually recycle those without looking at them. Not sure why I looked at this one, but I am so glad I did. It was a sample issue of Cuisine at Home (more on why I really like this magazine in another post), and I decided to try their crusting chicken recipe. And it was good. REALLY good. And my tastebuds were happy.

I've made this one several times (actually a variation, which I will post another time) and it always comes out great. It is always a really good crust. Are you getting that I think this is a really good crust? Just checking.

This isn't a difficult recipe, just requires a little planning for the resting time. You're not actively prepping and preparing this for an hour, there's a 20-30 minute period where the chicken needs to rest.

Don't know why it needs to rest. You're doing all the work. Perhaps it's just giving you a chance to grab a glass of wine? Thoughtful, no? Oh, okay, the resting is giving the breading mixture time to set, which apparently makes all the difference, along with the combo saute/oven baking. The resting part is important, so use that time to clean up, prepare the rest of your meal, or have a glass of wine.


Crusted Chicken Breasts
Receipe courtesy of Cuisine at Home)
(makes 4 pieces, takes about 1 hour)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6-8 oz each)

For the dipping mixture:
2 egg whites
2 tsp. cornstarch
Juice of 1/2 lemon

For the crusting mixture:
1 cup coarse dry bread crumbs (see below)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
zest of 1 lemon, minced
3 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Halve each chicken breast lengthwise and lightly pound the pieces to an even 1/2 inch think. Blend egg whites, cornstarch and lemon juice in a wide shallow dish, set aside. Combine bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, and zest in a second wide shallow dish. Crust chicken breasts. Let chicken rest at room temperature on a rack for 20-30 minutes to set the crust. Saute chicken in oil in a large, nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until chicken is golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Carefully turn over with a spatula, and transfer the skillet to the oven to finish cooking. Roast chicken just until done, about 8 more minutes.

Bread crumbs: the kind of crumbs are really important here. You need a rustic-type loaf, with a chewy, fairly soft, holey interior. Ciabatta is ideal. Cut the bread into cubes, leaving crust on, then use a food processor to get them crumb size. Work in batches, and don't overfill the bowl. The crumbs will not be a uniform size, and that is what you want. Dry the crumbs on a baking sheet for 10-15 minutes in a 200 degree oven until they're completely dried but not toasted. Freeze extra crumbs in a resealable bag. ---I do this a loaf at at time, so I always have fresh bread crumbs...doesn't take long at all for them to defrost, and they don't freeze themselves into a solid mass, so it's easy to scoop out however much you need and toss it back in the freezer.

A different kind of muffin

A few years ago, I had a friend who had difficulty getting her son to eat meat of any kind, but he would eat anything in a muffin. So, I started looking to see if there was anything out there that might help, and discovered the following recipe. Unfortunately this discovery wasn't so helpful for my friend at the time, but this has become a staple in our house!

Why do I love this one so much? Because I nearly always have everything I need for it, even when I haven't planned for it, it is quick to assemble, is wonderfully moist and doesn't require the hour or so of cook time that a meatloaf requires. If you have convection, it requires even less cooking time. (You'll have to figure that part out yourself, I'm not so good at remembering the conversion formula).

Also? My kids love that it is a "muffin". They KNOW it's meatloaf. But it's a MUFFIN. And it makes portioning easy, looks a little more interesting on the plate than a slice of loaf. Who doesn't like a muffin? Why do you think everyone knows "The Muffin Man"? Yeah, okay, I couldn't resist that last sentence. I tried. Even deleted it once. And then I put it back. :)

The Smashed Potatoes (also from Rachel Ray) is a great complement and works well in the time prep frame. Start the water boiling and get the potatoes in the pot before you start prep for the muffins, finish it while the muffins cook, and voila! both parts done when you are ready to serve!

I typically throw some frozen peas or corn in the microwave to serve with the meatloaf muffins and potatoes; add whatever your favorite veggie is. Use fresh, use frozen, do whatever makes you happy. I'm just saying.

I haven't tried this yet, but how fun would it be to cook these as mini-muffins? (Remember that the cooking time will need to be reduced---I'm guessing to less than 10 minutes; convection folks, you are on your own for this one!). Drop a dollop of smashed potatoes on top, and sprinkle some peas or stick an asparagus top in it, and you've got appetizer size portions! OR get your fancy on and stick a sprig of rosemary in it instead of a veggie! You know that everyone loves a good meatloaf!

Meatloaf Muffins with Barbecue Sauce
Recipe from Rachael Ray (my adaption in italics)
Prep Time: 10 min, Cook Time: 20 min, Serves: 6

Ingredients
1 2/3 to 1 3/4 pounds ground sirloin --meatloaf mix is yummy too, if you happen to have it...I usually always have ground beef in the freezer
1 medium onion, cut into chunks --I often use 1 TBSP dried minced onion instead
2 ribs celery from the heart of the stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces --I often omit
1 green bell pepper --I often omit
1 large egg plus a splash of milk, beaten
1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick) --I use Tastefully Simple's Garlic Garlic, if you need a rep, let me know.
1 cup smoky barbecue sauce --or non-smoky barbecue sauce, doesn't matter much
1/2 cup tomato salsa --I use ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Put ground beef into a big bowl. Put onion and celery into a food processor. Cut the bell pepper in half, rip out the seeds and throw them into your garbage bowl. Cut the pepper into a few pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse the processor blades to finely chop the vegetables into very small pieces then add them to the meat bowl. Add egg, beaten with milk, bread crumbs and grill seasoning to the bowl. Next, mix together the smoky barbecue sauce, the salsa and the Worcestershire sauce. Pour half the sauce mixture into the bowl with the meatloaf mix. Mix the meatloaf together with your hands. Wash up. Brush a 12-muffin tin (1/2-cup each) with vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil. Use an ice cream scoop to help you fill meat into a each tin. Top each meat loaf with a spoonful of extra sauce. Bake about 20 minutes. Cut open 1 muffin to test that the middle is cooked through.

While meatloaf muffins bake, finish making Smashed Potatoes and Cream Cheese:

Smashed Potatoes and Cream Cheese:

2 1/2 pounds small red potatoes or baby Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 cup half-and-half or whole milk
8 ounces plain cream cheese or veggie cream cheese, cut into pieces
10 chives or 2 scallions, chopped or snipped with kitchen scissors --leave out if you don't have them on hand, still delicious!
Salt and pepper

Boil potatoes until tender, 15 minutes. While the water boils and when the potatoes are cooking, you can be working on the meatloaf recipe. When the potatoes are tender, drain them and return them to the hot pot to let them dry out a bit. Mash potatoes with half-and-half or milk using a potato masher. Add in the cream cheese and smash until the cheese melts into the potatoes. Then add chives and scallions and season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Welcome to the start of....something!

Well, HELLO. I'm happy to "see" you here, and just a tad surprised at the same time.

A friend suggested that I do a blog (you know who you are!), because of dinners and recipes that I post elsewhere, which always sound good to her, and admittedly, I often get comments on. Our kids (ages 6 and 7) are adventurous eaters, open to trying lots of things, which is something we've encouraged since they began eating solid food, and we are thankful that it is something they have remained interested in! The upside is that they have fairly sophisticated palates compared to most kids their age. The downside is that they would like to have sushi every night, and frequently request smoked salmon for breakfast! And yes, of course they eat macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, and peanut butter and jelly too.

So, after some thought and some questioning of my husband and some other friends, here I am, giving it a try.

Here's the deal. My husband is a MUCH better cook than I am, always has been, always will be. I do like to cook and enjoy easy, tasty meals. The kind of meals that you could serve to guests but that isn't so "special" that guests are the only time that the meal gets served. Know what I mean?

For the record, I don't use a knife "properly", still have to look up how to cook some things, and probably can't accurately tell you what the difference is between "finely chopped" and "minced" is. Nor do I care to. (It honestly can't matter that much.) This isn't so much a blog to teach you how to cook, and most (if not all) of the recipes I will be posting are not my own creations.

I do hope that you will find some helpful ideas, expand your meal options, and perhaps even laugh while reading now and again.

I'd also like this to be a more interactive forum than just a typical blog, and welcome your comments. Let me know what you think, what you like, what you would like to see more or less of, and if you try a recipe (one of these or one of your own!), I'd love to hear about that too!

I'm starting with Rioja Chicken from the Southern Living At Home Slow Cooker Cookbook. Why? Because it's pretty darn fantastic, and takes 15 minutes (or less) to assemble in the crockpot. And it's truly difficult to mess it up. AND makes your house smell AMAZING!

This one is good for family dinners or guests, and leftovers reheat well. It does take 8 hours (1 hour on high, 7 hours on low), and the chicken literally falls off the bone.

Rioja wine, a dry red wine produced in the Rioja region of Northern Spain, gives this dish its characteristic flavor. But if you don't want to use alcohol, replace the wine with another cup of liquid (either orange juice or chicken broth). I just can't guarantee that it will be as good--as the saying goes, I cook with wine, and sometimes even put it in the food.

Also, if you're short on time, this chicken dish can be cooked on the high-heat setting for 4 hours.

Notes after "---" are adjustments I've made when making this.

Rioja Chicken-Crockpot Recipe

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

8 chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), skinned

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 cup pitted prunes (about 3 1/4 ounces) --- I go a *little* heavy on these

1/4 cup pimento-stuffed olives -- I put in about a 1/2 cup, because I love them so much

2 tablespoons minced fresh or 2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind --- or 3 drops of concentrated lemon juice

1 bay leaf

1 cup orange juice

1 cup Rioja or other dry red wine --- Rioja definitely best!

2 tablespoons honey

2 cups hot cooked wild rice blend or long-grain rice --- I use Jasmine rice

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour mixture. Place garlic in bottom of an electric slow cooker. Arrange chicken over garlic; add prunes, olives, thyme, rind, and bay leaf.Combine orange juice, wine, and honey; pour over chicken. Cover with lid; cook on high heat for 1 hour. Reduce heat setting to low; cook 7 hours. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with parsley.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 thighs, 1 cup sauce, 1/2 cup rice, and 2 tablespoons parsley)