Gawd I love these. I only make them in the summer and am never sure why I don't ever make more at one sitting? Because Scott and I usually eat them all quite quickly? Possibly...
Roast Chick Peas
1 can chick peas rinsed and drained and drained on paper towels
1 T olive oil
1-2 roasted garlic bulbs (I roasted a bunch this morning for various recipes)
salt
chili powder
In a ceramic pie plate combine oil, garlic and spices. Mush up the garlic a lot so it will be evenly spread. Add chick peas. Roast at 350 for 1+ hours. Usually when the hour is up I just leave these in the hot oven for another hour or two.
I should say this makes about 1 cup of the finished product.
delicious. Perfect with a drink about 4 on a Sunday afternoon. Hmmmm... guess what I'm doing RIGHT NOW?!
Enjoy!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Clean Out The Fridge Pasta Salad
3 oz dry orzo - cooked
1 ½ cups chick peas
3-5 handfuls (handsful) baby spinach
3 T minced onion (red or vidalia)
1 pint roasted grape tomatoes (see note)
feta (or whatever cheese you prefer - I only had about 1/3 cup but it was fine.)
2+ T olive oil
juice of ½ large lemon
lemon zest of 1 large lemon - chopped finely
Place spinach and onion in bowl. While orzo is still hot - pour into bowl. Stir to partially "cook" spinach. Add in oil, lemon juice, zest, tomatoes and feta. Eat warm or cool.
Roasting grape tomatoes. I tried this both ways this weekend and prefered the 2nd.
1. Line cookie sheet with foil. Spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle w/ kosher salt. Roast at 250 for 1+ hour.
2. Line cookie sheet with foil. Spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle w/ kosher salt. Place in a preheated 450 oven and turn off heat. (I had just made tortilla chips - so my oven was nice and hot.) Leave in oven until they are roasted and slight caramelized.
In either case - as soon as they are done - put into a bowl to save all the yummy juices. You could also sprinkle a couple garlic cloves in with these and then have roasted garlic!
1 ½ cups chick peas
3-5 handfuls (handsful) baby spinach
3 T minced onion (red or vidalia)
1 pint roasted grape tomatoes (see note)
feta (or whatever cheese you prefer - I only had about 1/3 cup but it was fine.)
2+ T olive oil
juice of ½ large lemon
lemon zest of 1 large lemon - chopped finely
Place spinach and onion in bowl. While orzo is still hot - pour into bowl. Stir to partially "cook" spinach. Add in oil, lemon juice, zest, tomatoes and feta. Eat warm or cool.
Roasting grape tomatoes. I tried this both ways this weekend and prefered the 2nd.
1. Line cookie sheet with foil. Spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle w/ kosher salt. Roast at 250 for 1+ hour.
2. Line cookie sheet with foil. Spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle w/ kosher salt. Place in a preheated 450 oven and turn off heat. (I had just made tortilla chips - so my oven was nice and hot.) Leave in oven until they are roasted and slight caramelized.
In either case - as soon as they are done - put into a bowl to save all the yummy juices. You could also sprinkle a couple garlic cloves in with these and then have roasted garlic!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Greek Casserole
This is loosely based on a WW recipe - if the queen is coming to dinner you could likely call it Pastitso
1 large onion chopped (why do most of my recipes start this way?) I had a ½ of a HUGE red one so I used that
1-2 stalks of celery (optional but I like a little crunch)
1 t garlic powder or two cloves garlic
salt
pepper
½ t cinnamon ( I have to admit I am OUT of cinnamon so used some pumpkin pie spice and some extra nutmeg. Things just go CRAZY when Scott is out of town.)
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t cloves
3/4 lb ground meat, ground beef, sirloin, turkey. This time I actually used chicken thighs I ground in the food processor - because I wanted the ground texture, not a cubed one.
1 can diced tomatoes (fresh in season are wonderful)
1 glug white wine
3/4 lb (dry) pasta - cooked - used ziti this time
3 cups skim milk
3 eggs
1/4 cup cornstarch (does this stuff go bad? I've had the same box for *quite* some time now...)
nutmeg
salt
pepper
4 oz shredded white cheese - whatever you've got - I used an Italian blend this time
Brown onion, celery, garlic & spices until onion is soft. Add in ground meat and brown completely through. Add in tomatoes. Simmer while you make the rest of the dish.
Cook pasta. Set aside
Make white sauce. Simmer milk, eggs and cornstarch until thick. Add in seasoning. Add in cheese and stir until smooth. NOTE: I had about 1 cup extra white sauce and a DEEP layer of it on top - I think next time I will make about 1/2 of the recipe for it.
Spray casserole dish with Pam. Add in pasta. Layer in meat sauce. Top with white sauce. Bake at 350 until top is brown and bubbly. About 45+ minutes?
Seth and I loved this. Maya had plain pasta. Scott is away - I think it would not quite be his thing due to the white sauce.
1 large onion chopped (why do most of my recipes start this way?) I had a ½ of a HUGE red one so I used that
1-2 stalks of celery (optional but I like a little crunch)
1 t garlic powder or two cloves garlic
salt
pepper
½ t cinnamon ( I have to admit I am OUT of cinnamon so used some pumpkin pie spice and some extra nutmeg. Things just go CRAZY when Scott is out of town.)
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t cloves
3/4 lb ground meat, ground beef, sirloin, turkey. This time I actually used chicken thighs I ground in the food processor - because I wanted the ground texture, not a cubed one.
1 can diced tomatoes (fresh in season are wonderful)
1 glug white wine
3/4 lb (dry) pasta - cooked - used ziti this time
3 cups skim milk
3 eggs
1/4 cup cornstarch (does this stuff go bad? I've had the same box for *quite* some time now...)
nutmeg
salt
pepper
4 oz shredded white cheese - whatever you've got - I used an Italian blend this time
Brown onion, celery, garlic & spices until onion is soft. Add in ground meat and brown completely through. Add in tomatoes. Simmer while you make the rest of the dish.
Cook pasta. Set aside
Make white sauce. Simmer milk, eggs and cornstarch until thick. Add in seasoning. Add in cheese and stir until smooth. NOTE: I had about 1 cup extra white sauce and a DEEP layer of it on top - I think next time I will make about 1/2 of the recipe for it.
Spray casserole dish with Pam. Add in pasta. Layer in meat sauce. Top with white sauce. Bake at 350 until top is brown and bubbly. About 45+ minutes?
Seth and I loved this. Maya had plain pasta. Scott is away - I think it would not quite be his thing due to the white sauce.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Enchilada Casserole
This is a hit any time I make it. It has endless variations.
9+ corn tortillas (let me tell you the amusing story of how my husband bought 3 lbs of these babies...)
1 lb ground beef, turkey, whatever
1 large can mild enchilada sauce (if this were for grownups only I'd use medium) Green is good too but the store didn't have the brand of green I like
1 onion chopped
1 t garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1+ cups cooked rice - white brown whatever
4 oz sharp cheddar grated
Brown beef, onion and garlic until onion is nicely browned and meat cooked through
spray your favorite casserole dish with PAM.
Coat bottom of dish with some enchilada sauce. Layer with tortillas to cover in one layer.
Layer 1/2 meat, rice, beans, 1/3 cheese and sauce. Add another layer of tortillas and repeat. End with one more layer tortillas, sauce, and cheese.
Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes until nice and bubbly.
I made this last night and everyone also had some for breakfast today!
9+ corn tortillas (let me tell you the amusing story of how my husband bought 3 lbs of these babies...)
1 lb ground beef, turkey, whatever
1 large can mild enchilada sauce (if this were for grownups only I'd use medium) Green is good too but the store didn't have the brand of green I like
1 onion chopped
1 t garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1+ cups cooked rice - white brown whatever
4 oz sharp cheddar grated
Brown beef, onion and garlic until onion is nicely browned and meat cooked through
spray your favorite casserole dish with PAM.
Coat bottom of dish with some enchilada sauce. Layer with tortillas to cover in one layer.
Layer 1/2 meat, rice, beans, 1/3 cheese and sauce. Add another layer of tortillas and repeat. End with one more layer tortillas, sauce, and cheese.
Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes until nice and bubbly.
I made this last night and everyone also had some for breakfast today!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Passover Roast
By Sunday of Passover, which started on Wednesday, we were dying for meat. We tend to eat a TON of poultry this time of year. This is wonderful anytime though.
So - without further ado - Passover Roast!
1 medium size roast (I forgot to check the poundage)
2 large sweet onions sliced
2 -3 handfuls of baby carrots
½ c. red wine
½ c. water
2 T red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 - 2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic through the masher
salt
pepper
Preheat oven to 300.
Get the oil very hot in an oven proof dutch oven. Salt and pepper the roast. Brown the roast on all sides and add the onions in about ½ through this process to get them a little browned too. Add in the garlic & carrots. Add in all the liquids. Cover with an ovenproof lid.
Roast for 3-4 hours. I really don't think you can roast this too long. Try not to peek too often. After 2 hours check for liquid level and add another ½ cup wine if necessary.
Remove roast and let rest. Reduce pan gravy. Slice roast and serve with pan gravy, mashed potatoes and horseradish sauce. Be shocked if you have leftovers!
So - without further ado - Passover Roast!
1 medium size roast (I forgot to check the poundage)
2 large sweet onions sliced
2 -3 handfuls of baby carrots
½ c. red wine
½ c. water
2 T red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 - 2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic through the masher
salt
pepper
Preheat oven to 300.
Get the oil very hot in an oven proof dutch oven. Salt and pepper the roast. Brown the roast on all sides and add the onions in about ½ through this process to get them a little browned too. Add in the garlic & carrots. Add in all the liquids. Cover with an ovenproof lid.
Roast for 3-4 hours. I really don't think you can roast this too long. Try not to peek too often. After 2 hours check for liquid level and add another ½ cup wine if necessary.
Remove roast and let rest. Reduce pan gravy. Slice roast and serve with pan gravy, mashed potatoes and horseradish sauce. Be shocked if you have leftovers!
Monday, March 02, 2009
Breakfast Casserole
We actually had this for dinner Monday night. There were no leftovers....
5 eggs
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can milk
1-2 t good mustard
4-5 shakes hot sauce
½ - 1 lb sausage (you can use turkey breakfast sausage as I do, pork breakfast sausage, turkey or pork Italian sausage
5 slices good bread - cubed (My sister in law Sherry uses tomato rosemary focciacia sometimes)
1 cup shredded super sharp cheddar
Cook and crumble sausage. Drain well. Spray casserole dish and put bread cubes and then sausage in dish. Wisk eggs, soup and milk. Add in mustard & hot sauce. Wisk. Pour over bread & sausage. Top with cheese. Spray foil with Pam (or use no-stick foil) and cover tightly. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 for at least 1 hour if not 1 ½ hours. Uncover for last 15 minutes. Yum.
You could also add sauteed fresh mushrooms, or canned , finely diced onions or celery or all three. If you used Italian sausage, you could top with Mozzerella or provolone.
This will puff up and look awesome. It will also look like way too much food. People always love this and I rarely have leftovers. But it re-heats very nicely.
5 eggs
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can milk
1-2 t good mustard
4-5 shakes hot sauce
½ - 1 lb sausage (you can use turkey breakfast sausage as I do, pork breakfast sausage, turkey or pork Italian sausage
5 slices good bread - cubed (My sister in law Sherry uses tomato rosemary focciacia sometimes)
1 cup shredded super sharp cheddar
Cook and crumble sausage. Drain well. Spray casserole dish and put bread cubes and then sausage in dish. Wisk eggs, soup and milk. Add in mustard & hot sauce. Wisk. Pour over bread & sausage. Top with cheese. Spray foil with Pam (or use no-stick foil) and cover tightly. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 for at least 1 hour if not 1 ½ hours. Uncover for last 15 minutes. Yum.
You could also add sauteed fresh mushrooms, or canned , finely diced onions or celery or all three. If you used Italian sausage, you could top with Mozzerella or provolone.
This will puff up and look awesome. It will also look like way too much food. People always love this and I rarely have leftovers. But it re-heats very nicely.
Pot Roast Stew
So - I didn't have pot roast but I did have beef stew meat.
2 onions - sliced into sixths lengthwise
carrots - I had baby ones on hand - used about ½ bag
4 stalks celery - sliced into thirds
1 T olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves
1 lb beef stew meat
salt
pepper
sugar
wine
flour
Heat oil in a dutch oven until it is very hot. Meanwhile pat beef chunks dry and season with salt, pepper and sugar (the sugar gives it a GREAT carmelized sear). Sear the beef in two batches. Set beef aside. Add in wine - white or red - your preference. I used about ½ bottle of rose for this - cause it's what I had on hand. Using your garlic press, press garlic into wine. Add in veggies and beef. Cover with tin foil or ovenproof lid of dutch oven. Roast at 350 for 2+ hours. Remove meat and veggies. I use a big wok slotted spoon. Add more wine depending on how much is left and start it boiling. Make a slurry with 1/3 cup wine and 2-3 T flour. Add some hot wine into slurry and then add the whole thing into the dutch oven. Wisk to keep it smooth. Add back in meat and veggies and serve over mashed potatoes (as I did), egg noodles, good bread (for a pot roast hot shot), rice, whatever you have on hand!
I realized in the middle of the night - when I have all my great realizations - that the recipe I was cribbing off of called for a can of whole tomatoes - crushed. Totally forgot but this was great anyway. Scott loved it. There were no leftovers.
2 onions - sliced into sixths lengthwise
carrots - I had baby ones on hand - used about ½ bag
4 stalks celery - sliced into thirds
1 T olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves
1 lb beef stew meat
salt
pepper
sugar
wine
flour
Heat oil in a dutch oven until it is very hot. Meanwhile pat beef chunks dry and season with salt, pepper and sugar (the sugar gives it a GREAT carmelized sear). Sear the beef in two batches. Set beef aside. Add in wine - white or red - your preference. I used about ½ bottle of rose for this - cause it's what I had on hand. Using your garlic press, press garlic into wine. Add in veggies and beef. Cover with tin foil or ovenproof lid of dutch oven. Roast at 350 for 2+ hours. Remove meat and veggies. I use a big wok slotted spoon. Add more wine depending on how much is left and start it boiling. Make a slurry with 1/3 cup wine and 2-3 T flour. Add some hot wine into slurry and then add the whole thing into the dutch oven. Wisk to keep it smooth. Add back in meat and veggies and serve over mashed potatoes (as I did), egg noodles, good bread (for a pot roast hot shot), rice, whatever you have on hand!
I realized in the middle of the night - when I have all my great realizations - that the recipe I was cribbing off of called for a can of whole tomatoes - crushed. Totally forgot but this was great anyway. Scott loved it. There were no leftovers.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Whole Wheat Bread
So - a slight whole wheat bread obsession - compliments of my husband - has overtaken me. He doesn't like the white bread I make. It's too dense and too white for him. (one of his solutions? Yellow food coloring. Really.)
So - I started with this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Six or so loaves later I think I've got it.
I used this yeast. I had the thought on about loaf 4 to use more yeast. This caught my eye at the grocery and I like the brand.
I proofed the yeast according to the package (1/4 cup warm water, 1/4 t sugar) BEFORE I added it to the flour mixture.
I used this whole wheat flour and added it first so that I would be sure to get the full amount in the bread.
I used this white flour and only added about 2 1/4 cups. But that always varies.
Wow - a whole wheat dough that actually rose! It responded to the second rising (a problem I'd been having) and baked up wonderfully. The loaf is almost gone - I made it Sunday and it's Tuesday.
Success!
So - I started with this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Six or so loaves later I think I've got it.
I used this yeast. I had the thought on about loaf 4 to use more yeast. This caught my eye at the grocery and I like the brand.
I proofed the yeast according to the package (1/4 cup warm water, 1/4 t sugar) BEFORE I added it to the flour mixture.
I used this whole wheat flour and added it first so that I would be sure to get the full amount in the bread.
I used this white flour and only added about 2 1/4 cups. But that always varies.
Wow - a whole wheat dough that actually rose! It responded to the second rising (a problem I'd been having) and baked up wonderfully. The loaf is almost gone - I made it Sunday and it's Tuesday.
Success!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Kale Soup
Lisa's making Kale soup on the WILL show and I've been thinking about it ever since she mentioned it. At Wal-mart on Saturday they had HUGE bags of triple washed kale. HUGE. about 16x12 inches. And I had a turkey kielbasa in the freezer so....
Smoked Turkey Kale Soup
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic - mashed
1 T olive oil
3 medium potatoes diced
1 cup white wine
2 cans chicken stock
1-2 cups water
1 Turkey Kielbasa (1 lb?) chopped
a lot of kale
salt
pepper
saute onions and garlic in olive oil. Add potatoes and saute the whole mess for a while. (I don't know why - but sauteing the potatoes in soups first makes them more palatable to me.) Add kielbasa and brown a bit.
Add white wine, and start ripping up and adding kale (I had about a 6" long piece of kale in soup at a restaurant recently and it was NOT GOOD.) Let kale cook down a bit. Add some more kale, the chicken stock. Cook down. More kale. Water. Cook down. More kale. I would guess I used about 1/3 of the bag of kale. Let kale simmer and cook down. It really doesn't ever get mushy (a la spinach).
I just had some for lunch. Tasty.
Smoked Turkey Kale Soup
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic - mashed
1 T olive oil
3 medium potatoes diced
1 cup white wine
2 cans chicken stock
1-2 cups water
1 Turkey Kielbasa (1 lb?) chopped
a lot of kale
salt
pepper
saute onions and garlic in olive oil. Add potatoes and saute the whole mess for a while. (I don't know why - but sauteing the potatoes in soups first makes them more palatable to me.) Add kielbasa and brown a bit.
Add white wine, and start ripping up and adding kale (I had about a 6" long piece of kale in soup at a restaurant recently and it was NOT GOOD.) Let kale cook down a bit. Add some more kale, the chicken stock. Cook down. More kale. Water. Cook down. More kale. I would guess I used about 1/3 of the bag of kale. Let kale simmer and cook down. It really doesn't ever get mushy (a la spinach).
I just had some for lunch. Tasty.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Exciting pieces of news:
Scott reports that Papa Del's now has signage up & equipment inside at their long-awaited restaurant at Village at the crossing.
Secondly - Seth won! Seth Won!! Seth will be cooking live on WILL TV, 3/9/09. He submitted his beef stew recipe and was the only child selected. I have never seen him so excited! Details to follow.....
Secondly - Seth won! Seth Won!! Seth will be cooking live on WILL TV, 3/9/09. He submitted his beef stew recipe and was the only child selected. I have never seen him so excited! Details to follow.....
Sunday, January 25, 2009
DARN! Taco Filling
This was a huge hit and I really wasn't paying attention when I was cooking it.... I *think* this is pretty close.
1 lb beef stew meat (I get ours from Marketday.)
1 can diced or crushed tomatoes
1 onion - diced
4-6 diced pickled jalapenos
1 cup chicken broth
½ -1 t sugar
salt
pepper
saute onions and peppers in olive oil. Season meat and brown in two batches. Add tomatoes & chicken broth. Simmer for 2-3 hours until the beef shreds. Use as taco, enchilada, mexican lasagna filling, etc.
And - I'm working on more pictures!
1 lb beef stew meat (I get ours from Marketday.)
1 can diced or crushed tomatoes
1 onion - diced
4-6 diced pickled jalapenos
1 cup chicken broth
½ -1 t sugar
salt
pepper
saute onions and peppers in olive oil. Season meat and brown in two batches. Add tomatoes & chicken broth. Simmer for 2-3 hours until the beef shreds. Use as taco, enchilada, mexican lasagna filling, etc.
And - I'm working on more pictures!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Chicken Tetrazzini
This was an attempt to get everyone to eat the same thing for dinner. If I make something very very basic (chicken breasts or steak with [plain] pasta) everyone will eat it. But really - how often can you eat that....
Everyone did eat this. Maya, Scott and I loved it. Seth tolerated one serving and filled up on Clementines. I'm not sure what I'm going to do when that season is over.
Adapted from a Weight Watchers recipe
8 oz. pasta ( I used angel hair broken into thirds) cooked al dente
2 Market Day chicken breasts - cubed
1 onion - chopped fine
2 stalks celery - diced large (the better to pick it out...)
2 T flour
1 cup skim milk
3-4 oz sharp cheddar - separated
Potato Chips [because Seth will eat ANYTHING with potato chips]
Saute chicken in a bit of olive or canola oil. Set aside. Saute veggies and add flour. Cook flour for 3-4 minutes. Add milk and ½ the cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.
Pam a casserole dish. Mix everything together. top with chips and the rest of the cheese [grated]. Bake at 375 for approx. ½ hour. I made this the night before and once again - was SO happy to have a dinner to pop in when I got home.
Everyone did eat this. Maya, Scott and I loved it. Seth tolerated one serving and filled up on Clementines. I'm not sure what I'm going to do when that season is over.
Adapted from a Weight Watchers recipe
8 oz. pasta ( I used angel hair broken into thirds) cooked al dente
2 Market Day chicken breasts - cubed
1 onion - chopped fine
2 stalks celery - diced large (the better to pick it out...)
2 T flour
1 cup skim milk
3-4 oz sharp cheddar - separated
Potato Chips [because Seth will eat ANYTHING with potato chips]
Saute chicken in a bit of olive or canola oil. Set aside. Saute veggies and add flour. Cook flour for 3-4 minutes. Add milk and ½ the cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.
Pam a casserole dish. Mix everything together. top with chips and the rest of the cheese [grated]. Bake at 375 for approx. ½ hour. I made this the night before and once again - was SO happy to have a dinner to pop in when I got home.
Friday, December 12, 2008
What are YOU doing tomorrow?
I'm making these two recipes. I counted and I have 24 small and 12 large goodie bags to make!
Puppy Chow
My kids love this stuff. It goes for $4 for about a 3 cup container at our County Market grocery - and it's so easy to make at home. My friend Maggie calls it Trash because she coats it with powdered sugar in a trash bag. I have my eye on a 1XL Glad bag to do my mixing this year. I'll likely make 4x this recipe in two batches.
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Butter
1 cup Chocolate Chips
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
9 cups Crispix cereal
1-1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
1. Combine peanut butter, butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Microwave for one minute then stir to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Stir well.
3. Pour over cereal. Coat with powdered sugar.
Buckeyes
My friend Judy from Chicago calls these diabetic coma cookies. When I was growing up in Ohio these were a standard at holiday parties. Once my girlfriends and I made a game of counting how many one of the mom's at the party ate. It. Was. A. LOT. These freeze perfectly.
1 lb. box powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. smooth peanut butter
1/2 c. soft butter
3 c. Rice Krispies
dark chocolate or whatever you prefer
Put peanut butter and powdered sugar into bowl. Melt butter, blend into peanut butter until smooth. Add Rice Krispies and combine. Cool for a bit for easier handling. Coat hands with butter and form mixture into "small" balls. Return to refrigerator to re-cool.
Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave. Once balls are cooled, insert a toothpick as a "handle" and dip 1/2 of peanut butter ball into chocolate. Place onto waxed paper and allow to cool. I have NO idea how many batches of these I'll make, probably at least three.
Puppy Chow
My kids love this stuff. It goes for $4 for about a 3 cup container at our County Market grocery - and it's so easy to make at home. My friend Maggie calls it Trash because she coats it with powdered sugar in a trash bag. I have my eye on a 1XL Glad bag to do my mixing this year. I'll likely make 4x this recipe in two batches.
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Butter
1 cup Chocolate Chips
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
9 cups Crispix cereal
1-1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
1. Combine peanut butter, butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Microwave for one minute then stir to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Stir well.
3. Pour over cereal. Coat with powdered sugar.
Buckeyes
My friend Judy from Chicago calls these diabetic coma cookies. When I was growing up in Ohio these were a standard at holiday parties. Once my girlfriends and I made a game of counting how many one of the mom's at the party ate. It. Was. A. LOT. These freeze perfectly.
1 lb. box powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. smooth peanut butter
1/2 c. soft butter
3 c. Rice Krispies
dark chocolate or whatever you prefer
Put peanut butter and powdered sugar into bowl. Melt butter, blend into peanut butter until smooth. Add Rice Krispies and combine. Cool for a bit for easier handling. Coat hands with butter and form mixture into "small" balls. Return to refrigerator to re-cool.
Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave. Once balls are cooled, insert a toothpick as a "handle" and dip 1/2 of peanut butter ball into chocolate. Place onto waxed paper and allow to cool. I have NO idea how many batches of these I'll make, probably at least three.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Perhaps I need to get out more?
Two cool things I came across at lunch today.
One - from a children's Hannukah cookbook - grate the potatoes for your latkes over a colander and let them drain. Amazing! I just never thought of this.
Two - from a co-worker's plate of holiday goodies - she took a picture of the plate then put on labels for all the items, printed it out and taped it to the cover. Amazing again! Like a map of a box of chocolates.
Two cool cooking things in 1 hour! Fun!
One - from a children's Hannukah cookbook - grate the potatoes for your latkes over a colander and let them drain. Amazing! I just never thought of this.
Two - from a co-worker's plate of holiday goodies - she took a picture of the plate then put on labels for all the items, printed it out and taped it to the cover. Amazing again! Like a map of a box of chocolates.
Two cool cooking things in 1 hour! Fun!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Three (or more!) Cheese Lasagna
This is a hit at potlucks with kids.
12 pieces dry lasagna (NOT the "no-boil" kind)
2 jars of your favorite pasta sauce
1 medium container cottage cheese
1 medium container ricotta cheese
shredded mozzerella, provolone, maybe a little cheddar to make 8-16 oz. - depending on how cheese-y you are feeling.
1 egg
These are the bare bones ingredients. I usually doctor up the sauce with by sauteing some onions, garlic & mushrooms in olive oil first, and adding some wine or balsamic vinegar.
Mix all the cheeses except for about 4-6 oz of the shredded, with the egg. You could add a little parsley too if you wanted.
Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Ladle in one cup sauce (A 1 cup ladle is a MUST in any kitchen!) Line pan with uncooked lasagna, breaking pieces to fit as necessary. Top with ½ of the of the cheese mixture. Top with 2 cups (approx) of the sauce. Repeat with lasagna, cheese & sauce. Add one more layer of lasagna and sauce and top with reserved cheese.
THIS IS THE KEY TO THIS RECIPE: Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray. Tightly and completely cover the pan with the foil. You can make ahead and refrigerate at this point.
Bake at 350 for 1 1/4 to 1 ½ hours. Remove foil and broil a couple minutes if you like your cheese browned.
For potlucks - this is a nice non-meat dish that kids love. If just the family is eating - I would add some ground sirloin to the sauce - browning with the onions, etc.
yum.
12 pieces dry lasagna (NOT the "no-boil" kind)
2 jars of your favorite pasta sauce
1 medium container cottage cheese
1 medium container ricotta cheese
shredded mozzerella, provolone, maybe a little cheddar to make 8-16 oz. - depending on how cheese-y you are feeling.
1 egg
These are the bare bones ingredients. I usually doctor up the sauce with by sauteing some onions, garlic & mushrooms in olive oil first, and adding some wine or balsamic vinegar.
Mix all the cheeses except for about 4-6 oz of the shredded, with the egg. You could add a little parsley too if you wanted.
Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Ladle in one cup sauce (A 1 cup ladle is a MUST in any kitchen!) Line pan with uncooked lasagna, breaking pieces to fit as necessary. Top with ½ of the of the cheese mixture. Top with 2 cups (approx) of the sauce. Repeat with lasagna, cheese & sauce. Add one more layer of lasagna and sauce and top with reserved cheese.
THIS IS THE KEY TO THIS RECIPE: Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray. Tightly and completely cover the pan with the foil. You can make ahead and refrigerate at this point.
Bake at 350 for 1 1/4 to 1 ½ hours. Remove foil and broil a couple minutes if you like your cheese browned.
For potlucks - this is a nice non-meat dish that kids love. If just the family is eating - I would add some ground sirloin to the sauce - browning with the onions, etc.
yum.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Getting Ready for the Holidays
Just thinking about cooking for them them is fun for me. This is what I typically make - recipes to follow throughout the next couple weeks:
Cheddar Jalapeno Crackers - from my single days
Poor Girl's Turtles
This is what the kids love to make - although Seth wants to try something "real" this year. Cover a pan with mini pretzel twists. Top each with a Rollo. Put in oven for 3 minutes on 300 - watching very closely. Remove from oven and carefully press a pecan half into each one. Cool and enjoy! Make WAY more than you think you will need. Unwrapping the rollos is a highly recommended activity for kids ages 4-ish on up. Just give them a limit of how many they can eat while unwrapping.
Buckeyes - cause you know, you can take the girl out of Ohio but you can't take the Ohio out of the girl.
Sugared Walnuts - both this and the fudge are recipes my mother and I always made
Fudge - always always dedicated to my maternal grandpa Ray Wheeler
Potato Latkes
potatoes
onion
carrots
oil
egg
salt & pepper
flour
grate potatoes, onion and carrot. If you want to get all fancy, place them all in an old dish towel and squeeze the moisture out. This involves help from your husband and makes him feel all strong and macho. If you don't want to be all fancy, just add into bowl and use the technique described later. Add in egg(s) salt & pepper, and a little flour.
Heat oil. Fry one latke first to ensure the oil is hot enough. This is one for the trashcan. It never turns out right. I find that smaller latkes work the best. Fry latkes and place on an oven-proof plate in layers of paper towels. Place on low/warm in the oven. Serve with applesauce and sour cream. We like to have horseradish in our sour cream.
If you do not remove moisture from the potatoes, quite a bit will accumulate in the bowl. I tilt the bowl and try not to get too much of it in the latkes when I scoop out the potatoes.
Puppy Chow also known as Trash - a delightful combo of chex mix, peanut butter, chocolate and powdered sugar. A recent discovery and a new fav of the kids.
Seth and I are looking for cookie recipes to add to our holiday favorites. Any ideas?
Cheddar Jalapeno Crackers - from my single days
Poor Girl's Turtles
This is what the kids love to make - although Seth wants to try something "real" this year. Cover a pan with mini pretzel twists. Top each with a Rollo. Put in oven for 3 minutes on 300 - watching very closely. Remove from oven and carefully press a pecan half into each one. Cool and enjoy! Make WAY more than you think you will need. Unwrapping the rollos is a highly recommended activity for kids ages 4-ish on up. Just give them a limit of how many they can eat while unwrapping.
Buckeyes - cause you know, you can take the girl out of Ohio but you can't take the Ohio out of the girl.
Sugared Walnuts - both this and the fudge are recipes my mother and I always made
Fudge - always always dedicated to my maternal grandpa Ray Wheeler
Potato Latkes
potatoes
onion
carrots
oil
egg
salt & pepper
flour
grate potatoes, onion and carrot. If you want to get all fancy, place them all in an old dish towel and squeeze the moisture out. This involves help from your husband and makes him feel all strong and macho. If you don't want to be all fancy, just add into bowl and use the technique described later. Add in egg(s) salt & pepper, and a little flour.
Heat oil. Fry one latke first to ensure the oil is hot enough. This is one for the trashcan. It never turns out right. I find that smaller latkes work the best. Fry latkes and place on an oven-proof plate in layers of paper towels. Place on low/warm in the oven. Serve with applesauce and sour cream. We like to have horseradish in our sour cream.
If you do not remove moisture from the potatoes, quite a bit will accumulate in the bowl. I tilt the bowl and try not to get too much of it in the latkes when I scoop out the potatoes.
Puppy Chow also known as Trash - a delightful combo of chex mix, peanut butter, chocolate and powdered sugar. A recent discovery and a new fav of the kids.
Seth and I are looking for cookie recipes to add to our holiday favorites. Any ideas?
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Sick Mom Crockpot Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts - frozen is okay (of course we use Marketday)
1 box rice pilaf
several splashes of your favorite zesty italian dressing
spray crockpot with Pam
put in chicken and splash with dressing
add 1 cup water
put in pilaf and seasoning packet
add another cup water and splash again with dressing.
Cook on low all day. Splash with some more dressing if it seems to be getting dry.
This was a hit with the kids and not just cause I served it with whole cranberry sauce. I used the dressing to keep the chicken moist - mostly cause that's usually what I marinate it in and the kids love it. The pilaf comes out sort of risotto-y. Very comforting when you are sick.
After I put this on to cook I took some Nyquil and slept all day. I was SO HAPPY to have dinner all ready to go!
1 box rice pilaf
several splashes of your favorite zesty italian dressing
spray crockpot with Pam
put in chicken and splash with dressing
add 1 cup water
put in pilaf and seasoning packet
add another cup water and splash again with dressing.
Cook on low all day. Splash with some more dressing if it seems to be getting dry.
This was a hit with the kids and not just cause I served it with whole cranberry sauce. I used the dressing to keep the chicken moist - mostly cause that's usually what I marinate it in and the kids love it. The pilaf comes out sort of risotto-y. Very comforting when you are sick.
After I put this on to cook I took some Nyquil and slept all day. I was SO HAPPY to have dinner all ready to go!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Chicken Tortilla Soup
I had some at the new Houlihan's a month or so ago and knew it was something I could re-create at home. Both the kids love this.
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion - chopped
1 small can of those little peppers found in the hispanic food aisle (the real name is TOTALLY escaping me at the moment.)
2 T olive oil
3-4 ribs celery chopped
1 pattypan squash (I threw this in cause I had some on hand from the farmer's market - totally optional)
2-3 cloves garlic - put through press
brown onion, celery, garlic, peppers in olive oil. Add in cubed chicken about 1/2 way through.
Add: 1/4 - 1/2 c white wine and a squirt of lime juice
Add: 1 of those huge cans of chicken stock - or homemade stock (which I am out of - guess what I'm doing NEXT weekend...)
Simmer for 1-4 hours.
Add in: 2 large flour tortillas sliced into thin strips.
When ready to serve slice up two more tortillas, lay on baking sheet and spray with olive oil spray. Cook at 375 until brown (watch closely).
Ladle piping hot soup into bowls or mugs. Add in: 1 T fat free 1/2 & 1/2 (Optional - again - I had it on hand). Sprinkle with tortilla crunchies and shredded cheese (if you like!)
This is going to be great later this week when it gets cold here. The leaves are changing, fall weather is almost here. This is why I love the Midwest and will never leave.
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion - chopped
1 small can of those little peppers found in the hispanic food aisle (the real name is TOTALLY escaping me at the moment.)
2 T olive oil
3-4 ribs celery chopped
1 pattypan squash (I threw this in cause I had some on hand from the farmer's market - totally optional)
2-3 cloves garlic - put through press
brown onion, celery, garlic, peppers in olive oil. Add in cubed chicken about 1/2 way through.
Add: 1/4 - 1/2 c white wine and a squirt of lime juice
Add: 1 of those huge cans of chicken stock - or homemade stock (which I am out of - guess what I'm doing NEXT weekend...)
Simmer for 1-4 hours.
Add in: 2 large flour tortillas sliced into thin strips.
When ready to serve slice up two more tortillas, lay on baking sheet and spray with olive oil spray. Cook at 375 until brown (watch closely).
Ladle piping hot soup into bowls or mugs. Add in: 1 T fat free 1/2 & 1/2 (Optional - again - I had it on hand). Sprinkle with tortilla crunchies and shredded cheese (if you like!)
This is going to be great later this week when it gets cold here. The leaves are changing, fall weather is almost here. This is why I love the Midwest and will never leave.
Obsessed
I know - I've made challah 3 times in the past 5 weeks or so.
This is the original recipe I've always used and it's really the best one I can make. This is "Scott's" recipe - from the News-Gazette and it pre-dates me - so it's from before 1995!
Scott's Challah
7 - 7 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 T active dry yeast (I use 2 packets)
2 c water
1/4 c sugar
1/4 margarine
2 t kosher salt
3 eggs
1 egg
raisins, popppy seeds, sesame seeds (optional)
Combine water, sugar and margarine in a saucepan and heat until just barely over body temp (a tip from Alton Brown I recently tried. Apparently I had always heated my water too hot!)
Meanwhile - mix 3 c flour and yeast in stand mixture with hook. When water mixture is just hot enough add to flour and mix well. Add in 3 eggs. Add in flour 1 cup at a time until the dough is moderately stiff and elastic - mixing for 6-8 minutes.
Place in clean oiled bowl and let rise until double. Divide dough into thirds and each third into thirds again. Work in raisins at this point if you are using. Braid into three loaves. If it's a holiday - make into a round loaf. Otherwise you may leave straight. Let rise until double again. Brush with beaten egg and top with seeds if desired. Bake in 350 - 375 degree oven for about 28 minutes. Knock on loaf when it looks done - if it sounds hollow - it's done (a tip from Cathy Holcomb.) Cool on wire rack.
This is delicious. My kids could eat nothing but this with butter for days when it's fresh. It also makes wonderful french toast when it's not so fresh. (mix egg, 1/2 & 1/2 or milk, vanilla, a splash of oj. Soak slightly stale slices of challah and grill until golden brown.)
This is the original recipe I've always used and it's really the best one I can make. This is "Scott's" recipe - from the News-Gazette and it pre-dates me - so it's from before 1995!
Scott's Challah
7 - 7 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 T active dry yeast (I use 2 packets)
2 c water
1/4 c sugar
1/4 margarine
2 t kosher salt
3 eggs
1 egg
raisins, popppy seeds, sesame seeds (optional)
Combine water, sugar and margarine in a saucepan and heat until just barely over body temp (a tip from Alton Brown I recently tried. Apparently I had always heated my water too hot!)
Meanwhile - mix 3 c flour and yeast in stand mixture with hook. When water mixture is just hot enough add to flour and mix well. Add in 3 eggs. Add in flour 1 cup at a time until the dough is moderately stiff and elastic - mixing for 6-8 minutes.
Place in clean oiled bowl and let rise until double. Divide dough into thirds and each third into thirds again. Work in raisins at this point if you are using. Braid into three loaves. If it's a holiday - make into a round loaf. Otherwise you may leave straight. Let rise until double again. Brush with beaten egg and top with seeds if desired. Bake in 350 - 375 degree oven for about 28 minutes. Knock on loaf when it looks done - if it sounds hollow - it's done (a tip from Cathy Holcomb.) Cool on wire rack.
This is delicious. My kids could eat nothing but this with butter for days when it's fresh. It also makes wonderful french toast when it's not so fresh. (mix egg, 1/2 & 1/2 or milk, vanilla, a splash of oj. Soak slightly stale slices of challah and grill until golden brown.)
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