My Little Kitchen

Ch-ch-ch Changes...

2012-01-01T16:51:00.001-05:00

This has been one awesome year. And while this blog has been good to me, it doesn't quite fit my lifestyle any longer.... Why?

Well...in the past year, I:

Joined a roller derby league.
Found my alter ego, Trauma Queen.
Skated my ass off 3-4 days a week.
Captained an amazing team all the way to the championships.
Bought a little house, moved.
Got married, moved into a bigger house.

Needless to say, I've been busy and struggling to find time to blog. I'm finally on a derby break and able to revamp my blog into something a little more...fitting! So if you haven't stopped following me already, please visit me at my new home...

It's a fun mix of food and the exciting sport I play, which allows me to hit girls. What's better? I hope to get back in the swing of cooking now that we are settling into our new home and finding a balance between family and derby! I've missed you, and I'm glad to return!

Note: The "kimdec.com" domain will eventually be retired and will redirect to cookinskates.com.

Roller Derby Stole My Heart :)

2011-05-19T11:44:00.001-04:00

Hi cooking friends! So sorry for the lack of updates here. I haven't stopped cooking but I have started something new that is taking up most of my free time - ROLLER DERBY!

I do manage to keep cooking, but it's usually recipes I've already posted. I miss cooking, and I've been a lousy friend and neighbor at times. But in derby, I found something physical that I absolutely love doing and I'm good at it. My derby family are such an amazing group of girls, and I'm so lucky to have the opportunity arise when it did. I'm also very lucky that I can bring Lilly with me, and that she enjoys skating just as much as I do.

See that pic? That's me in the white. I'm playing jammer position, and I'm fighting my way through the pack. The jammer is the position that scores the points for the team, and the blockers are always looking to block or hit the jammer out of play.

Our league is the Brandywine Roller Girls. In that league, we have 3 teams:

I was voted co-captain of the Brass Knuckle Betties. What an honor! These girls are incredibly talented and it blows me away to think of how much we've learned in 4 short months. We look great out there, and we are selling out every bout!

But this league is brand new, and we need sponsors. And that's why I'm reaching out to you, blogger friends. My derby name is Trauma Queen. It would mean the world if you could sponsor me!

A $5 donation would go to BRG, and you will get a "Jammer Star" in your name - placed on the wall at our home rink, Caln Skating Center.

Friends, please dig deep into those virtual sofa cushions and donate here. Indicate in the notes that you are sponsoring Trauma Queen.

If you'd like to sponsor the league at a corporate level, by all means, have a look at our sponsorship packet. Sponsorships begin at $250!

For my local friends, please try to make it to a bout - and when tickets go on sale, scoop them up quickly - each event sells out in days.

So thanks in advance, all! I hope to see you at the next BRG bout!

Hugs & hipchecks,

Trauma Queen

Chicken with Polenta & Veggies

2011-02-08T14:10:00.000-05:00

Is polenta a forgotten gem? I think it's one of the most underrated dishes around. Where's the appreciation? It's quick, it's filling, it's cheap, and it's tasty! Eat more polenta!

This is a great bellywarmer of a meal. Perfect for a winter weeknight, since it's so quick and easy!

Chicken

2-3 boneless chicken breasts
1 TB olive oil
kosher salt
ground black pepper
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 small can of corn kernels
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup orange juice
Garnish: parsley (optional)

Polenta

3-4 cups chicken broth
1 cup quick polenta (the cornmeal, not the log)
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 TB butter
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Season chicken with salt and black pepper.

Add the olive oil to a heavy deep skillet. Saute on each side until done, set aside. Cool and cut into thin strips.

Add bell pepper and onion to the pan, adding more oil if needed. Scrape all the brown bits from the chicken into the mixture. Saute til tender, then add corn. Stir in wine; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in juice, 1/2 cup broth, salt, and pepper to taste. Add chicken back in and simmer 10 minutes, covered.

Meanwhile, bring 3-4 cups chicken broth to a boil. Add about a cup of polenta and stir til thickened. Quick polenta cooks FAST, so be prepared to add the cream, parm cheese, and butter quickly. Spoon onto a plate, and top with chicken and veggies.

*TIP*
Don't make the polenta first, make it just before you're ready to serve. It congeals quickly.

Chicken and Flat Dumplings

2011-02-03T00:02:00.002-05:00

I have an opinion on Chicken and Dumplings. I don't believe dumplings are of the "drop" nature, although the name does suggest it. While drop dumplings are quick and easy, they are also dry, puffy, and tasteless. My first experience with chix & dumplings was the drop dumpling sort. I thought the meal was really something, that was until I had flat or "slippery" dumplings. The kind you roll out, not those made from Bisquik.

Now that you've heard my rant on dumplings, here's how to make it. It really isn't much harder than a drop dumpling, the only extra step is rolling out the dough...and you'll be glad you did.

3 lb chicken (I bought 2 halves from Carlino's)
1 medium onion - quartered
2 lemon slices
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot (or thyme will do)
1 bay leaf
salt/pepper
1 TB of Herbes de Provence
4-5 cups water, depending on size of chicken
Chicken broth (keep on hand in case you need some at the end to make more liquid)

Dumplings:

2 cups flour
3-4 tablespoons shortening
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup water (more if needed)

In a large dutch oven, add chicken, onion, lemon, salt, pepper, bay leaf, celery, carrot, water, and herbs. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour.

Remove the chicken and discard the onion, lemon, and bay leaf. Let the chicken cool and remove the meat from the bones. Add meat back to the pot and keep on low while you make the dumplings.

In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt and shortening. Using a pastry cutter or fork, incorporate the shortening into the flour until little beads form. Add the water gradually, and mix until a soft dough forms. The dough should still be crumbly and dry, but able to form a ball.

Turn the ball onto a floured work surface and flour your rolling pin. Roll out the dough until thin, and cut into squares with a pizza cutter.

Turn the heat back up on the chicken mixture, and add the dumplings. bring to a slow boil until the dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve!

What a satisfying winter meal, and one that I'm proud to post as my first recipe in a loooong time. Thank you for your patience, friends...I've been dealing with moving and getting settled into a new home!

More soon...K

Meeting Lidia...

2010-11-08T09:31:00.000-05:00

Lidia Bastianich was at my local Carlino's Market for a book signing on November 4th! I just adore her, and the fact that she never sold out to Food Network. She remains loyal to PBS, and she cooks with her Mamma - still!

I remember meeting her at Felidia, one of the restaurants she owns in NY. She was so gracious, and came up to out table to introduce herself and ask how our meal was. I was like a silly fan, grinning from ear to ear.

This time, I grabbed all 4 of my Lidia recipe books and shoved them in a backpack. My daughter and I donned our Wellies, and traipsed through the rain to Carlino's. I didn't have to wait long before she signed all four books (which I will give as gifts) and talked to me and my daughter. Kiddo was amazed that she was talking to someone she knew from TV.

Here she is! Love this special lady.

The Age-old question: Geno's or Pat's?

2010-10-24T19:37:00.005-04:00

PAT'S

GENO'S
(actual photos of my steaks!)

I was away on bizzness last week, and had some fun hanging out with co-workers. Since we had colleagues from all over the world, we made a point to make it to Geno's/Pat's to give them the classic Philly treatment. Because it wasn't enough that they served TastyKakes and soft pretzels during the breaks at the Sheraton...

I remember doing my own taste challenge back in my 20s, and I was curious to see if my taste buds had changed. So we piled in some taxis after a fun-filled, competitive night at Dave and Busters (I ran the pool table, by the way...), and headed to 9th & Passyunk Ave. Because it wasn't enough that we just had a buffet dinner at D&B...

At Geno's, I ordered my usual Whiz Wit (a cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz and fried onions, for you amateurs out there...get it right, there are rules to ordering.) Was it still the best? I put my vegetarian boss to work, and sent him across the street to get me the same from Pat's so I could taste them both at once...

I like ketchup on my steaks, and added some to the Geno's version. When I went to pump some ketchup onto my Pat's steak (at Geno's), I was scolded by a Geno's employee. Yeah, I'm serious.

So I walked back to my table with my tail between my legs, and chowed down. Here's what I determined:

Geno's
Cheese on the roll
Cheese is thinner consistency
Beef was easy to chew
Roll is soft and chewy...MMM!

Pat's
Cheese on the steak, not the roll. Makes it messier.
Cheese is thicker, kinda heavy.
Beef was chopped, yet tougher to chew.
Roll was good from what I remember.

So, my verdict? Just as it was when I was in my 20s....GENO'S! Even though they yelled at me :(

But, if you ask me where to find the BEST cheesesteak I've ever eaten, I'd send you to Claymont Steak Shop in my hometown of Claymont, DE. And here's a photo and link to their YELP page.

L's Spooky LT Lunch

2010-10-04T07:38:00.001-04:00

Mud Run!

2010-09-28T20:38:00.000-04:00

Yeah, so it's not food-related...but this blog needs an update! I have been slacking on the meals...I blame the universe, the heat, the lack of air conditioning, and a possible disturbance in the force. Whatever the reason, I'm hoping the fall season will whip me back into shape, where the creativity is concerned.

In the meantime, I wanted to share once of the most exciting experiences I've had to date...the Delaware Mud Run!

Picture the muddiest obstacle course, incorporated into a 5K race. We were Team Mud Luv and we came in 26th place out of 341 teams! 3000 runners that day, and we raised over $200,000 for Leukemia.

Here are some pics from the day...

Pickles!

2010-08-15T10:09:00.000-04:00

My neighbor Wende inspired me to try these refrigerator pickles. I grabbed a basic recipe, and added the extras. This is another example of an easy food that you just won't want to buy in the store again. Makes such a cute presentation in their little jars...you'll want to share with friends!

Wende had a great little "pickle party" where we enjoyed food, wine, and made pickles! It was a great little idea for a gathering.

12-14 pickling cucumbers
2 cups white vinegar
6 cups water
1/3 cup pickling salt
16 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
jalapeno peppers
black peppercorns
fresh dill weed
Ball Jars

Wash and dry your Ball jars.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, water, and pickling salt. Bring to a boil. This is your brine. Let cool, just so it's not piping hot.

In the bottom of each jar, add a good amount of dill, 1-2 garlic cloves, some jalapenos, and black peppercorns.

Cut your pickles however you wish, and add them to the jars, packing tightly. Top with more dill.

Pour in your brine that's been cooled, almost to the top. Seal the jars, but be sure to wipe the rims of any brine first.

Place in the fridge, and these will be ready in about 4-5 days!

Chicken-Zucchini Bake

2010-07-29T21:58:00.000-04:00

Another case of "Use whatchagot".

Had some chix breasts from Lindenhof Farms, tomatoes and a giant zucchini from the garden. It's still hella-hot here and I wasn't feeling compelled to stand over a stovetop (for long, anyway...). So, an oven dish it was! The panko really gave this a fun crunch.

Oven at 400 degrees.

3-4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 egg

1 TB water

salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

1 cup panko crumbs (reserving some for topping)

4 TB olive oil

3-4 plum tomatoes

1 large zucchini

1 cup mozzerella cheese

4 basil leaves, chopped

In a shallow dish, beat together the egg, water, salt & pepper.

Place panko crumbs in a large zipseal bag.

Dip the chicken breasts into the egg mixture and add to the bag. Seal and shake to coat the chicken with the breadcrumbs.

Heat a skillet over med-high heat and add 2 TB of the olive oil. Cook the chicken 2-3 mins per side, or until each side is nicely browned. (It does not have to be cooked all the way, the oven will do the rest).

Remove the chicken, set aside. Add the zucchini, adding more oil if needed. Saute and transfer to the bottom of a 9x13 inch (greased) baking dish. Sprinkle with panko. Add tomatoes and top with 2/3 cup of the mozz. Add the basil. Sprinkle with more salt/pepper to taste.

Add the chicken, cover and bake for 25 mins. Uncover, add the rest of the cheese, and bake for 10 mins more. Remove from oven, garnish with basil.

And, if you don't like tomatoes...it's just as good without em :) Roasted red peppers are a nice replacement, too.

Summer

2010-07-11T07:49:00.001-04:00

Summer is having a strange effect on me. I'm not thinking about cooking right now, and I'm pretty sure it's due to the heat.

When I do cook, it's quick meals that I don't bother recording because, well, I'm just trying to get the belly full. But I did take pics! I didn't totally get lazy on you.

Here's some stuff I made, then ate:

A ribeye from Lindenhof Farm and some clams I grilled.

And here's a Puttanesca Pasta I whipped up on one of our 100-degree days. You can bet I was 2 seconds from an Italian temper tantrum, too...

Taquitos and Chimichangas make me happy...

Pasta Primavera

2010-06-28T18:09:00.000-04:00

OK, one more recipe... This was one I had in the archives from a couple weeks ago...

Isn't it pretty? I love colorful summer dishes like this, that are guilt-free and filling at the same time. Not to mention packed with good-for-you stuff :)

Ingredients can certainly vary, depending on the veggies you love! I used:

1 grilled chicken breast, cut into strips
1/2 pound spaghetti
couple turns of olive oil
1-2 marinated artichoke hearts, cut into fourths
1 yellow squash, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup of broccoli, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
fresh basil, chopped
juice of 1 half lemon
1/4 cup white wine *optional
Parmesan cheese, to taste

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking.

In a deep skillet over medium-high, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, onion and bell pepper. Saute until onion is translucent. Add in the squash, tomato, broccoli, and peas. Saute until crisp-tender. Add the artichoke and chicken. The squash and tomato should make a nice broth together. If too dry, add some wine or water, or chicken broth.

Add the pasta and toss. Sprinkle with the lemon, cheese, and basil.

A little break...

2010-06-28T09:26:00.000-04:00

It's wayyy too hot to cook in my kitchen right now. Rather than bore you with garden salads, I'm taking a break until it cools off :)

Comfort food.

2010-06-09T11:33:00.002-04:00

Had to share my lunch on this chilly day. :)

First batch of Limoncello this year!

2010-06-04T22:55:00.001-04:00

Go-To Cupcakes!

2010-05-23T21:41:00.000-04:00

Big thanks go out to Recipe Girl for both the cupcakes and the frosting recipes. I had one crazy Sunday, but had to get cupcakes made for Lilly's birthday celebration at school tomorrow. In my food snobbery, I refused to make a box mix or use canned frosting. So glad I did...I have everything already on hand, and there was really not much extra work.

The chocolate cupcakes were from RecipeGirl's Emergency Blender Cupcakes. There are moist, and delicious. They are so easy that there is no reason I wouldn't make this my go-to cupcake recipe!

I topped them with RecipeGirl's Buttercream Frosting. Reminds me so much of wedding cake frosting. Even though it's made with granulated sugar, you can't even detect it once it's all done. Smooth, creamy and buttery! Just how I love it :)

So, thank you Lori, for helping me appear to be somewhat of a baker!

Welcome, baby!

2010-05-20T21:48:00.000-04:00

Our first strawberry is ready for pickin'!

Growing and growing!

Garden Greens with Beets, Figs and Goat Cheese

2010-05-18T21:49:00.000-04:00

This salad has very special meaning to me, since it was made with lettuce from my first GARDEN at the West End Community Garden! The other ingredients make me happy as well, since they were all bought from local growers/vendors.

I used all the obvious ingredients:

honey chevre goat cheese
sliced beets
tomato
salad greens
dried figs
walnuts
cracked pepper

For a simple dressing, I used olive oil and a complimentary fig balsamic from A Taste of Olive.

Chilaquiles Revenge!

2010-05-16T22:25:00.000-04:00

Now, THIS is what you do when you have a ton of leftovers: Chilaquiles! I've made Chilaquiles before (thanks to my friend WWW), but these were like Chilaquiles on steroids! Talk about a Mexican explosion in your mouth! Your ingredients may vary, depending on what you may have left to use up, but here's what I used:

Ranchero sauce
4 corn tortillas (or use leftover tortilla chips!)
Rotisserie chicken leftovers
leftover bacon
leftover fresh mango salsa
black beans
shredded smoked cheese
barbecue sauce
cojita cheese
queso fresco
chopped cilantro

For the ranchero sauce (I like to make this just to have on hand. It's great for times like this, and I use it for huevos rancheros as well.):

28 oz can peeled tomatoes (in JUICE, not sauce. Use the juice, do not drain.)
2 chipotles in adobo sauce
about 2 Tablespoons of Canola oil
small red onion, minced
2 large or 3 small garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups chicken stock

In a blender or processor, pulse the tomatoes, reserved juice, and chipotles til liquefied.

Heat the oil in a deep skillet on med-high. Add the onion, cook till translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more. Lower heat if it's too hot.

Add the tomato mixture and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the stock, continuing to let it bubble on medium heat for about 20 minutes, until flavors blend and sauce is slightly thick. Season with salt. Add cilantro, remove from heat.

For the chilaquiles:

Heat a braiser or skillet on med-high. Add the corn tortillas and let them toast and harden. These will be your chips. Break apart, leave in the pan. (You can also bake these at 350, if brushed with a little oil.) It's OK if they don't get totally hardened, you just want to dry them out a bit. The tortillas get limp when the ranchero sauce is added, anyway.

Add the ranchero sauce, watch for splattering. See my pan? Yeah. Splattering.

Add the rest of the ingredients, as you would layer a pizza. Some cheese, some chicken, some beans, more cheese, ending with the bacon and cilantro. Drizzle the BBQ sauce, and cover so the cheese melts. I topped with my mango salsa.

Serve family style. Only thing missing here was the sour cream to cool things off. But MAN was it great! Very spicy from the chipotles, so watch that heat of you don't like a lot of spice.

Now, you tell me. Have leftovers ever been better?

Tangy Potato Salad

2010-05-16T21:45:00.002-04:00

I don't know about you, but I just think potatoes and vinegar go together. In the warmer months, I love a cold potato salad out of the fridge! The longer this sets, the better it is :) This made a pretty small portion, feeds 4-6.

This is a combination of the best salads I've encountered over the years. I especially like the use of celery seed, for a kid-friendly salad. Kiddies don't take kindly to biting into crunchy things in potato salad. Neither do some adults! If this is the case, just omit the onion and celery, and use the celery seed. (add a boiled egg of you wish!)

I love serving this in my pewter bowl. I chill it first, so it stays nice and cold!

I used:

3 large red potatoes
2 TB malt vinegar
3/4 cup organic mayo
1 tsp ground mustard
1 TB parsley, dried
2 sprigs of thyme
1 frozen Dorot garlic cube
1/4 cup red onion
1 tsp celery seed
1/4 cup celery, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
cracked pepper to taste

Put potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Boil until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and cool in a bath of ice water.

Dice potatoes into cubes, leaving skin on. Place in a bowl, and drizzle vinegar carefully, and evenly. Too much vinegar in one bite of potato could be strong! Toss to coat well.

In another bowl, combine the mayo, dried mustard, parsely, thyme, garlic, onion, celery seed, and celery. Mix well, and add to potatoes. Toss to coat, and add salt & pepper to taste.

Chill for a minimum of 1 hour prior to serving. YUM!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie - for Dummies

2010-05-15T17:13:00.001-04:00

Remember... I am NO baker. I do have a killer crust recipe, but I didn't have the time to spare today, PLUS, I've had a Trader Joe's pie crust in my freezer staring at me for eons. So, frozen crust it was. Good news for you AND me, since all I really had to worry about for this delicious pie was the innards. Yes, that sweet, tangy filling!

I found myself at the West Chester Grower's Market this morning, where the strawberries and rhubarb were ready for the pickin' (well, buyin'). I've never eaten rhubarb, much less cooked with it, so I wasn't sure what I was in for. But, this pie? It was nothing less than scrumptious. I hope my neighbors (and blog readers), Sean and Mia, didn't see me licking the serving knife.

I found a few different recipes, all very similar, but I made a mish-mash of them and came up with this:

2 1/2 cups of chopped fresh rhubarb
2 1/2 cups of sliced strawberries
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (this seemed like a lot, might cut it back to 1 cup next time)
2 TB Minute tapioca
1 TB flour
zest of one lemon
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg white
1 tsp water
Turbinado raw cane sugar (for decoration)

Oven at 425 degrees.

So, you've got the crust part covered, right? Good.

Line your pie plate's bottom with one round crust and chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, tapioca, flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, spice, and vanilla. Mix til coated.

Add filling to chilled pie crust, and cover with the remaining crust. Crimp edges to seal. Pierce top with a thin knife for venting, or cut out decorative cuts if you wish.

Mix eggwhite and water with fork. Lightly brush onto crust. Sprinkle the Turbinado sugar on top. They should be nice, big granules of sugar.

Cut a collar out of a piece of tinfoil, and cover the pie's edges. Place in oven for 15 mins. Reduce heat to 375, and bake for 45 more minutes, removing the foil at the last 10 minutes. Turn oven off. Let set for 15 more minutes.

Cool completely, then serve.

Camper's Skillet

2010-05-14T11:00:00.000-04:00

I'm back! Did you miss me?

If you're going camping, you can't help but have a big breakfast like this one. Or maybe you're just camping in the backyard, and still want all the good rustic tastes like a good camping trip brings. Here's how I made this awesome feast, and was able to have everything done in time for serving together in one big cast iron skillet:

3 red potatoes, cut into cubes, rinsed and dried
Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning
6 eggs
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 lb bacon
Olive Oil

Heat the cast iron skillet on the stovetop on medium - med high. Add the olive oil, and then the potatoes. Grind the seasoning over the potatoes. Don't flip these for while, you want a crisp edge before turning. Potatoes take the longest, so start these first. As you turn them, they will get drier edges and soft middles. When done, set aside in a bowl. Keep the pan hot, don't turn off the heat...eggs are next!

SIMULTANEOUSLY...

Oven at 400 degrees (I always do my bacon this way!)

On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, lay out the bacon in a single layer. Bake in oven until desired crispiness. I like mine crispy, so about 15 minutes, depending on how thick the cut is. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.

In the skillet, add a touch more oil (you shouldn't need much if you have a well-seasoned skillet.). In a large bowl, add the eggs and evaporated milk. (Salt & pepper if you wish). Mix well with a fork. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and scramble.

Remove from heat, and push the eggs to one side of the pan, allowing room to add the potatoes and bacon. Serve family style, with toast and butter.

Chester County Recipe Contest: I WON!

2010-04-21T15:42:00.002-04:00

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Woohoo! Many thanks to John from Avalon Restaurant for the great opportunity! What did I win? Dinner for 15 friends and my recipe on their spring menu!

I'm looking forward to my dinner with 15 guests...I wonder who will order MY dish?!

I was up against some hefty competition - 80 entries! Thanks to Mary from WCDish.com for the great write-up!

So....Who's coming to dinner??

Roccia Ricotta Pie

2010-04-20T11:13:00.000-04:00

This is a family recipe from the Roccias! I'd like to thank Lilly's Pop Michael for allowing me to post this gem of a pie on my blog. I can always count on him to impress me in the kitchen. Great for those Italian family get-togethers, or at Eastertime!

Oven at 325 degrees.

2 lbs whole milk ricotta - drained
1 lb marscapone cheese
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pint heavy cream
zest of one lemon
zest of one orange
1 TB cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 TB vanilla

In a large mixer, whip the cream first, set aside. In another mixer bowl, mix eggs and sugar. Add the zest, spices, and ricotta/marscapone. Beat until well blended, fold in the whipped cream.

Fight urge to scarf down all the batter.

Pour into a springform pan, treated with shortening and dusted with flour. Bake for about 1 hr and 15 mins. If is it still very jiggly when you move the pan, leave in for a few more minutes. If the starts to brown before it's done, cover with aluminum foil.

Note: This was delicious! I still had batter left, so I put the rest in a small casserole pan. The pic above is from that batch. This is a crustless pie and fabulous as is, but I think next time I might do a biscotti crust to mix things up a bit:

8 oz vanilla biscotti
6 TB melted butter
1 TB lemon zest

Grind the biscotti in a food processor. Add the butter and zest, process until crumbs are moistened. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom of the pan (avoid the sides). Bake until crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool before adding ricotta mixture.

And what more traditional than a family pie? Having the recipe written in the chef's handwriting:

Spicy Cajun Chicken Linguini

2010-03-29T12:22:00.002-04:00

I've been wanting to try a new creamy pasta with some kick! I remember eating something like this in one of our local restaurants (High Street Caffe), and wanted to try a version of that...

I had about 1/2 a rotisserie chicken left and needed to use it up. You could do this with cooked chicken breast strips, too.

1/2 rotisserie chicken meat, shredded
2 teaspoons of cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon Olive oil

*****************************

1/2 box linguini, cooked and drained

****************************

2 TB butter
1 TB olive oil
1/2 poblano pepper, sliced into strips
2 green onions, chopped (yellow onion would work well, too.)
1 small can of portobello mushrooms, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 TB of cajun seasoning
pinch of basil
pinch of kosher salt - to taste
fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 cups of light cream
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Add the first 3 ingredients to a ziploc bag and toss well. Set aside.

Start your pasta. If it is done before your sauce, drain and toss with some olive oil. Set aside.

In a heated deep skillet over medium high, add the butter and olive oil to the pan. When hot, add the poblano pepper and the onion. When onion starts to soften, add garlic. Stir until veggies are crisp tender. Add chicken, mushrooms seasonings. Stir to coat, and add the cream. Stir well until sauce thickens. This shouldn't take long. If sauce isn't thick enough, add some Parmesan cheese.

Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat.

This meal was entirely too yummy for its own good, and didn't last long.

*Note: If you are cooking fresh chicken breast, cook that in the butter and olive oil first, then set aside. Follow recipe as normal after this step.

Homemade Hostess Cakes!

2010-03-21T21:44:00.000-04:00

I take zero credit for these genius cupcakes, except for the fact that I actually baked, and they came out fantastic!

What a throwback to a fond memory - I'd never THINK of buying the Hostess version for my own child since they're full of chemicals, preservatives, and high fructose corn syrup. But it's definitely OK to recreate these in your own kitchen, right? Even if I used close to a pound of butter, sugar, and chocolate... right?

RIGHT!

Bridget NAILED this recipe - Go NOW to Bake at 350 for these delicious delights!

Baked Lime Tortilla Chips

2010-03-19T21:14:00.000-04:00

These are the healthy version of your favorite restaurant chips. Even crunchier! They're so simple and delicious, that I'm going to stop buying bagged chips.

Oven at 350.

6-8 corn tortillas

Lime infused Olive oil, or regular is fine

kosher salt

Add the oil to a small ramekin or bowl. Brush corn tortillas with olive oil on both sides, and stack neatly.

Cut with a pizza cutter into triangles.

Spread on baking sheet and salt one side of the chips. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and flip all the chips over and salt the other side. Return to oven until chips are slightly browned, bubbled, and crunchy.

Total cook time: 15-20 mins.

I served this with my Mango Salsa and my Classic Mojito!

I'm a finalist!

2010-03-16T10:09:00.000-04:00

I entered one of my favorite recipes into a local contest and out of 80 entries, I'm a finalist. Wish me luck!

Avalon Restaurant is seeking out home recipes for their Italian style restaurant. The winner gets their dish on the menu! I entered:

Orecchiette w/ Sausage, Tomato, and Spinach

Here's the article listing the finalists!

http://www.westchesterdish.com/2010/03/15/finalists-announced-for-avalon-recipe-contest-in-west-chester/

Braised Chicken all'Arrabbiata - Angry Chicken

2010-03-15T21:23:00.000-04:00

This translates to "Angry Chicken" in Italian. This recipe was recommended to me by a co-worker. He found it in Food & Wine Magazine and thought it was worth passing on. He was right! I've been wanting to make something with polenta as an alternative to pasta, and this fit the bill! It was wonderful!

This recipe was adapted from Food & Wine.

4 chicken breasts, pounded flat

salt and pepper

3 TB Olive oil

1 large red onion, chopped

6 garlic cloved, minced

1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flake

1 bay leaf

1 green pepper, diced

1 small poblano, diced

1 TB tomato paste

1 cup white wine

28 oz can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, chopped and juices reserved

2 TB red wine vinegar

2 tsp Herbes de Provence

Preheat oven to 400.

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In a large cast iron enamel braiser, heat the oil over med high. Add chicken, and brown on both side, but don't cook all the way through. Transfer to a platter.

In the remaining oil, saute onion, garlic, red pepper flake and bay leaf. Add more oil if needed. When onion softens, add the peppers. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and deglaze all the brown bits from the pan. Add tomatoes with their juice, vinegar and Herbes de Provence. Bring to simmer.

Add the chicken and nestle into the sauce. Place in oven and braise for 35 minutes.

Serve over soft polenta.

What a great change from the norm! I added some cream and butter to my polenta to make this extra yummy!

Pork Tamales

2010-03-05T14:55:00.000-05:00

Another "hats off" to the Mexican culture. This is one of the most economical meals, yet pretty labor-intensive. It's fun, and worth the effort if you have a Sunday to spare! I made the pork a day in advance, so I had plenty of time to assemble and steam the tamales.

Tamales are like mini cornbreads that are stuffed with meat and/or cheese, then wrapped in corn husks and steamed.

Shredded Mexican Crock Pot Pork

(1) 2 lb pork butt
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 poblano peppers, roasted and peeled
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 TB of adobo sauce
2 1/2 cups of water
1 cup chicken broth
Squeeze of 1/2 a lime

Heat a cast iron pot on med-high, and coat the bottom with olive oil. Sear the pork butt on all sides, and place into the crockpot.

Place the rest of the ingredients into the crock pot and set on LOW for at least 7 hours. Shred with fork when cooled.

Tamales
adapted from Joy of Cooking

1 - 4oz package of corn husks
3 cups of Masa flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 to 1 cup of shortening
2 1/4 cups of chicken broth, warmed
1 1/2 cups of shredded chihuahua cheese or queso fresco

In a large saucepan, add the husks and water to cover. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Weigh the husks down with a heavy plate to keep them submerged. Let sit for 1-2 hrs until pliable.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the masa flour and the baking powder. In another large bowl, beat the shortening until fluffy. About 2 mins.

Gradually add the masa mixture and beat on high speed. Slowly beat in the chicken broth, use about 2 cups. You may need more. Continue beating until dough looks like mashed potatoes, about 2 mins. The dough is ready when a 1/2 tsp of dough dropped into a glass of cold water floats.

Season with 1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste. Cover the mixture until the husks are ready.

Drain the husks, let dry. Set aside 16 of the biggest husks.

Place a steamer insert in the bottom of a deep stockpot. Fill the bottom with water to fill about 1 inch. Water should not touch the steamer. Line the bottom and sides of the steamer with more of the husks.

Start assembling the tamales by laying the husk rough side up on a work surface, with the pointed end closest to you. Spread about 1/4 cup of the masa into a 4-inch square, leaving a 1 1/2 inch border at the pointed end and a 1 inch border on all other sides.

Add some pork over top of the masa. Sprinkle with cheese.

Fold the left and right sides, the fold the pointed end up, and tie with a strip of husk.

Stand the tamales upright in the steamer, and repeat with the rest of the husks. Leave room in the steamer for expansion, and cover the tamales with husks. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, and steam over med heat until the husks peel away from the filling. 1 to 1 1/4 hours time. Add more water to pot if necessary.

Remove from heat, let stand covered for 5 mins. Serve!

Freeze for up to 1 month.

Lasagna with Besciamella and Sausage

2010-03-05T12:11:00.000-05:00

This lasagna sure was time-consuming, but worth every minute! It's a mish-mash of a few different Lidia recipes from Lidia's Family Table. I did not make my own pasta for this, simply because it would have added even more time to the process. But, I did pick up some wonderful fresh pasta sheets from Carlino's Italian Market. They worked wonderfully with this dish.

I also went for an extra layer this time, and added Besciamella sauce. It definitely added a wonderful creaminess to the meal and it wasn't very hard or time-consuming to make.

What you'll need:

Pasta sheets, cooked
1 cup Italian sausage, cooked
Simple Tomato Sauce (recipe to follow)
Besciamella sauce (recipe to follow)
3-4 TB of butter (for the baking dish)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
6-8 oz of shredded mozzerella cheese
8 oz fresh ricotta
1 egg

Oven at 375F.

Prepare the sauces first, set aside to cool.

Remove the sausage from the link casing, and cook until brown and crumbly. Mix the ricotta with the egg, and set aside.

Prepare the pasta sheets, and cool in ice water. Spread them onto a cookie sheet that is lined with a kitchen towel so the water absorbs.

Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 square baking sheet with the butter, on all sides. Set up your "station" and get ready to assemble.

*Note, you can also use a 9x13 pan and increase the ingredients just a bit. The pasta is cut to fit this size, anyway. But I always find that a 9x13 pan makes way too much for a small household.

Layer the bottom of the pan with a little bit of sauce. Drizzle with the Besciamella.

Layer with pasta sheets, and spread on the ricotta/egg mixture.

Next, a layer of sausage.

Layer with more tomato sauce, bechemel, and the 2 cheeses...

Repeat the layers until the pan is full, folding over the pasta is needed:

Ready to bake...

And done. Let sit uncovered for 20 minutes to settle before cutting into squares and serving.

Simple Tomato Sauce
Good with: Pastas, Gnocchi, Baked Pastas

by Lidia Bastianich

(2) 35oz cans of San Marzano Tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped in small pieces
1 medium carrot, chopped in small pieces
1 rib celery, chopped in small pieces
6 TB olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried peperoncino (red pepper flakes)
1/2 tsp honey

Sieve the tomatoes through a mesh colander, pushing the flesh through, scraping against the sides to extract all pulp and juice.

Put the chopped onion, carrot, celery pieces into a food processor to finely mince.

Pour oil into a sauce pot, stir the vegetables over med-high heat. Add salt. Cook 3 mins or so to let them soften, but not brown.

Pour the tomatoes and juices into the pan and stir with the veggies. Rinse the bowl and the tomato cans with the water, and pour this into the pan. Stir in bay leaves, honey, and peperoncino. Turn up heat and cover. Bring sauce to boil, stirring, and check frequently.

Adjust the heat to maintain an active simmer. Cover and cook for 45 mins, stirring occasionally.

Remove the cover, raise heat to gradually reduce. Cook for another hour, stirring often to ensure no sticking. Turn heat down as sauce thickens. Add more salt if needed.

When sauce has reduced by about a quarter, and is concentrated but still pourable, remove from the heat. Let cool. Remove bay leaves.

Besciamella --- Bechamel, or Cream Sauce
by Lidia Bastianich

2 cups milk
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of white pepper
Pinch of grated nutmeg
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 TB butter
2 TB all-purpose flour
2 TB freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Pour milk into saucepan; add the seasonings and bay leaf. Bring almost to a boil and keep hot.

Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When butter foams, put in flour and whisk to form a roux. Keep whisking 3-4 minutes until the roux darkens a bit.

Pour in hot milk in a stream, stirring to mix the roux into it. Stir constantly until sauce boils. Adjust heat to keep a steady bubble as the sauce thickens (about 3 minutes).

Pour the sauce through a fine sieve, and add the grated cheese.

Can be used within 3-4 days. Do not freeze.

Mango Salsa (and how to cut a mango!)

2010-02-26T22:11:00.003-05:00

This salsa didn't last long. The flavors all mend together so perfectly...I served this with my homemade baked tortilla chips.

1 mango
½ cucumber, diced
¼ red onion, diced
½ jalapeno, diced
1 TB lime juice
⅓ C cilantro, chopped
salt/pepper to taste

Peel and chop the mango. Toss with remaining ingredients.

How to cut a mango:

Slice the "cheeks" off the sides, and cut criss-cross marks into the flesh. Invert the slice, and trim the cubes out.

Parma Rosa Veggie Pasta

2010-02-26T18:01:00.000-05:00

A quick, successful meal!

1 lb penne or pennoni
1/3 cup olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 package of your favorite frozen veggies
2 TB tomato paste
1 tsp oregano
salt/pepper to taste
1/3 cup light cream
1 frozen basil cube
1 3/4 cups of chopped tomatoes
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta and drain. Heat olive oil in a stainless skillet. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add the frozen veggies and saute briefly. Add tomato paste and oregano, salt, pepper, and basil. Cook about 5 minutes.

Add the pasta, cream, tomatoes, and cheese. Toss and serve immediately.

V-Day Menu featured in CCCN

2010-02-15T17:50:00.000-05:00

In print! This was a fun project...hoping to work with Mary at CCCN again soon :)

Kid-Friendly Cavatelli with Chicken, Peas & Carrots

2010-02-15T17:24:00.000-05:00

This was adapted from a Giada recipe. Get the original recipe here. I kept mostly everything the same, except I used mini cavatelli, and added some grilled chicken for protein. Lilly gobbled this up, but I thought it was missing something. Maybe that's why it's kid-friendly! Anyway, it gets great reviews on the site, so enjoy!

Valentine's Day Menu

2010-02-03T16:04:00.023-05:00

This is a very special entry for me! I was called upon by the fabulous Mary Bigham of WC Dish to create a menu for Valentine's Day. This menu will be featured in Wednesday's edition of Chester County Cuisine and Nightlife. Thanks for another great opportunity, Mary!

Valentine's Day. Even if it is a Hallmark holiday, it looks like it's here to stay - and with it comes expectations...am I right?

I wanted this menu to appeal to those who wanted restaurant quality food, without the hassle of reservations, babysitters, parking, crowds, prix fixe menus, not to mention the $$$$. It also works well because the courses are rich in taste, but light enough to avoid any after-dinner food comas!

I suggest cooking the meal together, after all, this is Valentine's Day. But if one person insists on taking over, let the other person be the taste-tester, bartender, and do easy jobs like slicing bread, assembling apps, etc.

On with the food!

Sparkling Pomegranate Fizz

1 Bottle Prosecco

1 Pomegranate

2 oz of POM Pomegranate Juice (or you can choose to juice the pomegranate seeds)

2 champagne flutes

cocktail rimming sugar, or 2 crushed red lollipops

If using cocktail rimming sugar, dampen the rims of each flute, then dip into the tin and rotate. Add 1 oz of POM to each glass, then fill with Prosecco. Garnish with a few pomegranate seeds.

********************************

Love Tap App: Fig, Chevre and Honey Creme
on Crunchy Baguette

While you two lovebirds are working closely in the kitchen, make this appetizer to munch. Figs and honey are known aphrodisiacs, so watch out for those love taps!

1 baguette (Toast the slices, or serve fresh!)

1 package of a local artisan goat cheese (Carlino's has a great selection.)

1 jar of honey cream

2-3 figs cut into wedges (or 1 small jar fig preserves)

Slice the baguette on an angle, into 1/2 inch slices. Spread goat cheese, then honey cream. Top with figs.

*************************

"Oh Baby, You're So Fresh!" Salad

Baby Spinach, fresh (enough for 2)

3/4 cup of POM pomegranate juice

1/4 olive oil

1/4 orange juice

3 TB of a good quality red wine vinegar

1 tsp orange zest

1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese (Support local!)

1/4 cup of pine nuts, toasted

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

kosher salt, pepper (to taste)

Toasting the pine nuts: In a dry skillet over medium low, add the pine nuts. Shake frequently to ensure even browning. Remove, set aside to cool.

The dressing: Place the POM in a saucepan over medium high heat, and reduce until it measures about 1/4 cup. Remove from heat, and whisk in the olive oil, OJ, vinegar, orange zest, salt & pepper. Continue whisking until blended into an emulsion. (You'll probably have extra to save for later.)

Mix it up: In a mixing bowl, add the greens, and drizzle dressing just to coat. Toss.

Plate it: Plate the greens, and top with the gorgonzola, pine nuts, and pom seeds.

**************************************

"Love Me Tender" Pork Loin

Ingredients (4 servings):

2-3 lb center cut pork loin

1 small yellow onion (peeled and slice in half)

1 fennel bulb (coarsely chopped) - Save stalks.

4 carrots (peeled, cut into large chunks)

5 red potatoes (cut into large chunks)

1 small sweet potato (peeled, cut into large chunks)

1 bottle of white wine (Choose one you'd drink!)

2 tsp Herbes de Provence

Kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste

Olive Oil

1 TB cornstarch

Preheat oven at 350°F.

Get a skillet hot over medium-high. Rub the pork with olive oil, salt, pepper. Add about 1 TB of olive oil to the skillet and add the pork to sear until browned on both sides.

Grease the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the fennel stalks in the center of the pan (your pork will rest on this). Place the seared pork on top of the stalks, and arrange the onion halves on either side. Add 1 cup of the wine to the pan. Cover with foil, and bake in oven for 45-mins to 1 hour, depending on the size of your roast.

Meanwhile: Toss remaining vegetables with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence.

Remove the pan from the oven, and check your wine level. If it seems dry, add more. Add the vegetables to your pan and return to the oven for approx 45 mins, covered. Remove the roast from the pan, wrap in foil, let rest. If there are a lot of pan juices, remove them and set aside.

Raise the oven temp to 400° Leave the vegetables uncovered in the pan, and return to the oven for browning. Bake for another 20-30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

While the veggies are roasting, heat the pan juices in a saucepan over medium-high. Mix the cornstarch with 1 TB of COLD water in a glass, and add to saucepan. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat, stirring until thickened.

Slice the pork, and serve with the gravy and the vegetables. Use the rest of the wine to drink with the meal. Leftover pork is great for sandwiches for the week!

*******************************

My Love is Hot Like Lava Cakes

Ingredients (4 servings):

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (or use a 70% dark chocolate bar)
1 1/2 sticks salted butter (diced, room temperature)
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
Butter for ramekins

Powdered sugar for heart design (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F

1. Melt chocolate on low flame in double boiler. Remove from heat. (If you don't have a double boiler, improvise by placing a glass bowl over a small amount of boiling water in a pot.)
2. Stir in diced butter, until melted and creamy.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar until blended.
4. Stir in melted chocolate. Gradually add the flour, stirring well.
5. Butter 4 individual ramekins (Tip: Use the butter wrappers!)

6. Pour the chocolate mixture into the ramekins, leaving a little room at the top.
6. Cook for about 10 minutes.
7. Tip ramekins upside down onto dessert plates and serve, or serve straight from the ramekins.

Optional design: Cut out a heart stencil from any kind of paper or doily, and place atop the dessert. Add powdered sugar into a sifter and sprinkle over the stencil.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

*************************

Shopping List

Prosecco

White Wine

Pomegranate

POM Juice

Baguette

Goat Cheese

Gorgonzola Cheese

Honey Cream

Figs

Pine Nuts

Pork Loin

Baby Spinach

Fennel

Sweet Potato

Herbes de Provence (spice aisle)

Pantry List:

Olive Oil

Salt/Pepper

Rimming Sugar (optional) or 2 lollipops

Red Wine Vinegar

Onions

Carrots

Potatoes

Cornstarch

Baking chocolate

Butter

Eggs

Sugar

Flour

Powdered Sugar (optional)

Ice Cream (optional)

Parmesan Parsley Potatoes

2010-02-03T14:37:00.000-05:00

Another healthy version of french fries to keep off the winter L.B.s! These are a great side to just about any meat or fish. Or...

Add these to your Superbowl menu with some sour cream and chives!

You'll need:

2 russet potatoes
about 1/4 cup of olive oil
fresh parsley
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt

Over at 425F.

Put a baking sheet in the oven and get it nice and hot while you prepare the potatoes
Wash and dry the potatoes. Rub each potato with some of the oil, and coat lightly with kosher salt.
Cut each potato into wedges. (Cut in 1/2 longways, then cut each half into fourths. Each potato should yield 8 wedges.)
Add the potato wedges to a bowl, and add the olive oil, and a little more salt. Toss to coat.
Place the potatoes on the hot baking sheet in a single layer (they will sizzle!). Bake for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Shake the pan occasionally to ensure even cooking.
Remove potatoes from oven, and place back into the bowl. Toss with fresh parsley and Parmesan.
Serve!

Ice Cream Cupcakes!

2010-02-03T12:41:00.000-05:00

I can't even bake, so I won't pretend this was my idea. LB's little friend was having a birthday celebration at school, and she wanted our help making this fun version of a cupcake! Found somewhere on the innernets, but I don't know where. I just have the print out at my fingertips, and I'm copying it here for you to enjoy, with some changes I made on my end.

You'll need:

1 baking sheet
1 box of cake mix
water/vegetable oil/eggwhites - follow measurements on cake mix box
1 box of 18 ice cream cones (flat bottom)
2 containers of frosting
Sprinkles for decorating
3 ziploc bags (1 for batter, 2 for frosting)
1 empty pizza box for transporting

Oven at 350F.

Make the cake batter according to box directions.

Place cones on baking sheet. Add the batter to a ziploc bag and seal. Snip off a small hole in the corner and squeeze the batter into the cups for easy filling. Fill each cone a little more than 3/4 full. See how much I filled them?? I'd fill them just a liiiittle bit more next time! They didn't puff up as much as I would've wanted them to.

These instructions say to bake for 15-20 minutes. But mine were still very wet in the center. I think we ended up baking these for about 30 mins. Just keep a close eye on them, and when a toothpick inserted comes out clean, they are done. COOL COMPLETELY, or you will have a melty mess.

Take a pizza box, and cut 18 "X"s into it. fold the tabs in and you'll have a nice snug place for each cone. Transfer the cones to the pizza box and get ready to decorate.

Add the frostings to the 2 ziploc bags. Snip a corner off, to form a pastry bag, and squeeze the frosting onto the cones in a spiral to form the shape of a soft-serve cone.

Decorate!

Does this face say it all, or what?

*A tip for transporting*
We made a makeshift "tent" over the cupcakes with chopsticks and ClingWrap.

Panko Herb-Crusted Flounder

2010-02-01T15:55:00.001-05:00

In the spirit of the new year and bandwagons of health and fitness, I present to you: a nutritious dindin. I wanted a thick whitefish for dinner, and the local fish monger only stocked frozen Chilean seabass. I had no time to wait, and defrosting fish in a microwave is a major food faux pas. Instead, the nice man at Hill's Seafood in Exton steered me to the fluke flounder. It was just what I was looking for.

You'll need:

1 lb Fluke flounder

1/4 cup of olive oil

3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

2 garlic cloves, chopped (or frozen Dorot cubes)

Kosher salt

Cracked pepper

1 large handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon butter

Oven at 400 F

Add olive oil to a heated skillet over medium high. Add panko, parsley, garlic, salt & pepper. Stir until breadcrumbs are browned.

Grease an 8x8 in glass pan. Add the flounder and gently coat the top with half the panko mixture. Layer with tomatoes. Add the rest of the panko and dot with butter cubes.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until fish is cooked through. Internal temp should be 140 F. Serves 4.

I served this with my Peppery Arugula Salad and Parmasean Parsley Potato Wedges.

Roasted Vinegar Potatoes

2010-01-25T11:31:00.000-05:00

Do you love boardwalk fries doused in malt vinegar? ME TOO! But these are the next best thing without the guilt. Say hello to Roasted Vinegar Potatoes!

You'll need:

1 small sack of baby potatoes, cut in halves or quarters (I chose TJ's Teeny Tiny Potatoes)

1/4 cup of a GOOD quality red wine vinegar (or malt vinegar)

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup olive oil

2 good sized pinches of kosher salt

black pepper

Oven at 350 degrees. Place an ungreased cookie sheet into the oven to get it hot.

In a bowl big enough to hold the potatoes, add the vinegar, cumin and chili powder. Toss potatoes into the mixture. Let soak for about 10 mins.

Add the olive oil, salt and pepper to the potatoes and toss again. Scatter onto the preheated cookie sheet (Watch, they sizzle!) and roast for about 40 mins to1 hour, depending on the size of your potatoes. Turn occasionally.

Serve warm.

I served these with my Skirt Steak with Chimichurri and it was a great compliment to the vinegar in the chimichurri.

Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

2010-01-24T21:04:00.009-05:00

Chimichurri is an Argentinean marinade or dressing for steak. There is a red version as well, but I've only had the pleasure of enjoying the green. My first taste was a jarred one, and while it was really good, this one packed a much fresher, flavorful punch. The texture was completely different from the jarred as well.

Skirt steak is so tasty because of the amount of fat it bears. It's a long, thin cut of beef from the "plate" section of the cow. It's the same steak that is typically used in Mexican cuisine for fajitas, and Chinese use it for stir-fry dishes. Taste and cook time make skirt steak a great choice. Flanks are usually about 4 inches by 1 ft long or more.

You'll need:

1 skirt steak

For the chimichurri:

1/2 cup red wine vinegar (make sure it's a GOOD quality - a nice, deep red.)

juice from 1/2 lemon

3/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (stripped from stems)

2 garlic cloves

1/3 cup olive oil

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

Throw the first 5 ingredients into a blender and puree.

With the blender running, slowly add the oil (through that little hole!), peppers, and salt.

Done!

If you want another layer of flavor, add 1/2 a poblano pepper to the mix!

Store in the fridge for up to 1 day, or freeze extra for next time!

I served this with my Peppery Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and Roasted Vinegar Potatoes.

Peppery Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

2010-01-23T21:27:00.001-05:00

This salad is simply one of my favorites for many reasons:

It goes with just about any meal (beef, italian, chicken, etc)
It's not complex, yet full of flavor.
Since arugula (a.k.a. rocket) is a sturdy green, you can make it about 30 minutes ahead of time while dinner is cooking, and it won't wilt.
It's a nice, peppery, leafy green that's packed for of good-for-you-stuff.
It's stupid easy.

Tonight I had it with my Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce (recipe to come). Great compliment to the dish.

You'll need:

2 nice handfuls of arugula (rocket), rinsed and spin-dried.
Juice of half a small lemon
2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Cracked black Pepper

Squeeze the lemon into a bowl and add the oil. Whisk until blended into a milky-yellow emulsion. Drizzle over the arugula and toss well. Top with cracked pepper.

Making Homemade Yogurt

2010-01-21T15:58:00.002-05:00

In my quest for eating more organic/less processed foods, I wanted to try making my own yogurt. I figured my daughter could benefit from it too (that is, if I could get her to eat more than one bite). I found this cute little yogurt maker online, made by Salton, for about $20. All together now..."Awwwww."

The process was easy, but time-consuming. Definitely a Sunday project.

You'll need:

4 cups of fresh, organic 2% milk
1/3 cup of non-fat instant dry milk
1/2 cup organic yogurt (this will be your starter)

In a medium saucepan, add the milk and the dry milk (Dry milk creates thicker yogurt and takes less time for fermantation). Slowly bring up the heat and get the mixture hot over medium-low. Keep stirring, and DO NOT BRING TO A BOIL.

Once the milk is hot, but NOT boiling (170 degrees if you're using a thermometer), remove the pan and place it in your refrigerator (on a dishtowel so you don't melt your shelves) and let it cool to about 110 degrees (lukewarm). Stir every few minutes. It should be in the fridge for about 20 mins total.

Remove the milk from the fridge and add in the yogurt (starter), stirring slowly. You'll want to blend the yogurt thoroughly, but don't use too much vigor while stirring to avoid bubbles.

Turn on your yogurt machine.

Remove all the lids from the jars, and drop about a tablespoon of your favorite preserves in each jar, for a "fruit on the bottom" treat. If you like cooking with yogurt, leave some plain.

Gently pour the mixture into each glass, leaving about 1/4 inch space at the top. Fasten the lids, and place the jars in the yogurt maker and cover. Leave for 8-10 hours.

When time is up, refrigerate your jars until set.

It's a good practice to keep a 1/2 cup of your end product to use as a starter the next time you make it.

Mmm! How rewarding! And I love bringing these cute, little jars to work with me!

My recipes featured in our local foodie paper!

2010-01-15T10:42:00.004-05:00

Woohoo! I've been mentioned in Chester County Cuisine and Nightlife again! They are featuring 3 of my favorite recipes, and I even roped in the help of my former boss (a.k.a. favorite wine connoisseur) for some wine pairing suggestions.

Big thanks to the "Big Ham", Mary Bigham from wcdish.com :)

Click the picture above for a larger view of the article :)

Yay me!

Chorizo and Roasted Potato Hash

2010-01-09T19:22:00.001-05:00

This is totally a breakfast meal, but I made it for dinner. What a comfort meal! Serve with salsa, or sour cream, or just by itself, but it's really satisfying. I'll definitely be eating this again for bfast tomorrow, but I'll top it with an overeasy egg. MMM.

Adapted from a recipe found on The Crepes of Wrath.

2 links of chorizo sausage, removed from the casing
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
4 red potatoes, quartered
3 eggs, beaten
1 TB enchilada sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper flake
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Adobo seasoning
1/4 cup + 1 TB extra virgin olive oil

Oven at 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss the potato quarters with the 1/4 cup of EVOO, salt, pepper, red pepper, garlic powder, and adobo.

Scatter the potatoes onto a greased cookie sheet and place in oven. Roast for 20 mins, tossing often.

While potatoes are roasting, get a stainless steel pan hot on med-high. Add the 1 TB of EVOO. Saute the peppers and onions until crisp-tender. Add the sausage and crumble with a wooden spoon. Cook for at least 8-10 mins. When sausage is cooked thoroughly, add the enchilada sauce to the eggs and whisk. Add egg mixture to pan, and scramble til egg is cooked through.

Add potatoes to pan when egg is cooked. Serve with your choice of salsa, sour cream, buttered toast, etc. A great idea is topping it with another fried egg. SO having this for breakfast tomorrow!

Easy Beef and Shrimp Stir-Fry

2010-01-05T14:18:00.000-05:00

This was dreamed up as a result of leftovers from New Year's Eve. I made a hanger steak and some steamed shrimp, but had a lot left over. And born, was this yummy stir-fry!

I'm typing this by memory, so bare with.

left over steak, sliced thin

leftover shrimp, cut into bites

1 bag of Harvest Hodgepodge from TJ's

Rice (I used Organic Brown Rice from TJs - frozen)

1 TB Olive Oil

3 TB Lite Soy Sauce

1 tsp fresh ginger (I used frozen Dorot cube)

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup beef broth

1 tb . cornstarch

1 tb. water

Add the soy, ginger, sugar to a bowl. Marinate the meat in the mix.

In a HOT stainless steel pan, add Olive Oil and frozen veggies. Stir fry til crisp tender. add the meat, marinade and shrimp.

Stir til hot. Add broth. Combine the cornstarch and water, add to pan. Stir till thickened and serve over cooked rice.

If I had more ingredients, it could have been a better sauce. But, this was tasty and did the trick!

Layered Cabbage, Sausage & Potato Casserole

2010-01-05T13:47:00.001-05:00

This is adapted from a Lidia recipe, from the book "Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy". She uses beef, but I though sausage would be a great alternative. I halved the measurements to make a smaller casserole.

Oven 425 degrees.

1 TB rubbed sage
2-3 sprigs of rosemary - stripped from the branch
6 garlic cloves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 TB Kosher Salt
1 lb red potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 links of mild italian sausage, removed from the casing
1/2 stick butter
1/2 head of cabbage, cored and sliced into 1/2 inch shreds
1 cup white wine
1/2 lb of fontina cheese, shredded

In a food processor, mince the sage, rosemary, garlic, 1/8 cup of the EVOO and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt into a paste (pestata).

Add the potatoes to a large bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1 TB EVOO, and a bit of the pestata. Toss well to coat.

With the sausage removed from the casing, place in a bowl and add some of the pestata for flavoring. Careful not to douse it.

In a 1 quart casserole dish, brush with EVOO and 1 TB of butter. Arrange 1/2 the potatoes in a single layer, then top with 1/2 the cabbage. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Distribute all the sausage, in a single layer, over the cabbage. The casserole dish should be about 1/2 full. Press everything down with a wooden spoon if it's over 1/2 way full.

Dot the top of the sausage with small cubes of butter, using about 1 1/2 TB. Add the other half of potatoes on top of the sausage. Add the rest of the cabbage. Season with salt again. Stir all of the remaining pestata into the white wine and pour into the casserole. Dot with the rest of the butter.

Tent the casserole with foil, but ensure the sides are sealed. Set in the oven and bake about 2 hours until meat and veggies are tender and almost all liquid is absorbed.

Remove the foil, and sprinkle the fontina over the top. Bake for another 15 mins until cheese is melted, bubbly and brown.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve family style.

Roast Beef

2009-12-28T16:58:00.000-05:00

I'm not a huge beef eater, but I love the smell of a roast in the oven. I served this roast with Smashed Potatoes and oven-roasted carrots. YUM!

3 lb. top round roast

Seasonings:
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 TB Herbs de Provence
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
1 tsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a small bowl, combine ingredients and rub onto the roast.

Place roast fat side up, in a 9x 13 pan and add 1/4 inch of water.

Cook in in the oven for about 2 1/2 hours. For medium-rare, the internal temperature should be 140°F. For medium, it should be 155°F.

Remove roast from oven and tent with foil. Let sit for 15 mins before carving.

Homemade Playdough!

2009-12-25T21:58:00.001-05:00

In my daughter's kindergarten class, the moms take turns making playdough for the classroom. It was my turn, and while I was a little worried how it would turn out, I was pleasantly surprised!

It's FUN and EASY to do with your kids. Best of all, it's safe if digested. This playdough, if kept in an air-tight container, won't dry out!

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups iodized salt
3 cups of water
2 TB vegetable oil
1 TB cream of tartar
few drops of food coloring or unsweetened "Kool-Aid" 1pkg.

Mix first 5 ingredients in a large saucepan (everything but the food coloring).
Cook over medium low heat, until the dough starts to form a thick dough. Remove from heat. Let cool a bit, but handle while still warm.

Place on a wood cutting board and break into balls. Add a few drops of food coloring to each ball, alternating colors. I used the NEON pack of food coloring and made purple, pink, green and blue.

Store in an air tight container. Enjoy this fun project with your kids. Lilly loved kneading the dough and watching the dough take on the colors!

White Turkey Chili

2009-12-21T15:34:00.000-05:00

Hi! I've missed you too! I've been in one of my cooking slumps, which doesn't mean I haven't been cooking - so much as I haven't been cooking anything NEW. A lot of repeats, and I'm not going to bore you with those!

This one was a winner, and a great wintry meal. Adapted from Simply Recipes. Serves 3-4.

1 - 15 oz. can white cannellini beans (drained)
1.5 cups of chicken stock
1 clove garlic, mashed
1/2 large onion, minced
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 - 4oz can green chilis - chopped
1.5 cups diced turkey breast
kosher salt/white pepper to taste
shredded cheddar and tortillas to garnish

Combine beans, stock, garlic and half the onions in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes. Add additional stock or water to your preference.

In a separate skillet on medium heat, add oil and let the pan get hot. Add the pepper and remaining onions and cook til tender. Add green chilies and seasonings. Mix thoroughly. Add to bean mixture. Add turkey and salt to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes or more (up to 30 mins) until the chili has thickened.

Other suggested garnishes: Avocado, green onion, queso fresco, cilantro.

My Savory Stuffing

2009-11-30T15:29:00.002-05:00

I loooove me some stuffing at Thanksgiving time! This is my go-to recipe every year and it's just delicious! No apples, no sausage, no pecans, no oysters, no giblets....just plain ol' savory goodness from a mirepoix and some spices... enjoy!

4-5 cups or so of dried bread cubes (This year I used Trader Joe's cubes, which were a mixture of white bread and cornbread)
mirepoix - equal amounts of finely chopped celery, onion, and carrot) I chopped about 3/4 cup of each.
3/4 stick of salted butter
2 mushrooms chopped (optional - I added these for flavor only)
3 1/2 cups of chicken broth
2-3 TB fresh or dried parsley
2 TB sage (or to taste)
1 TB thyme (or to taste)
kosher salt and pepper to taste

In a deep skillet on med high, melt the butter. Add the mirepoix and mushrooms. Saute until tender. Melt in more butter if this is a little dry.

In a mixing bowl, add the bread cubes and mirepoix mixture. Toss to coat. Add parsley, sage and thyme. Toss to coat.

Add the chicken broth, a little at a time, tossing thoroughly. Adjust to your liking...I like mine on the moist side, so I sometimes add more depending on the amount of bread cubes. Give it a taste test, and add more sage/thyme if necessary. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Adding rosemary is a nice touch, too.

Place in a covered casserole dish and bake for 40 mins.

Enjoy!

Creamed Cauliflower

2009-11-29T21:30:00.001-05:00

This is a Thanksgiving must for me! I first had it at my MIL's house when I was married. I did my best to recreate it by memory, and I think I've nailed it...thanks Judy!

1 head cauliflower
2 Tb. butter
2 Tb. flour
1 c. 2% milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Cracked black pepper on top, or season throughout with white pepper

Cut the cauliflower into large florets. In a pot large enough to hold the cauliflower, add the cauliflower and cover with water. Bring to boil. Boil until fork tender.

Drain, and let cool in a colander for easy handling.

Either chop the cauliflower by hand into small bits, or use a hand-cranked processor to accomplish this. Set aside.

For the sauce:

In a deep-sided skillet, melt the butter. Add the flour and make a roux. Add the milk a little at a time, constantly stirring with a whisk. Add the chicken broth and season with salt. Keep stirring with the whisk until the mixture is thickened and remove from heat. Add in the cauliflower and stir to coat.

Serve with cracked pepper on top.

Simple! Awesome side for any dinner, but especially Thanksgiving!

Papa DeC's Ham & Bean Soup

2009-11-14T19:12:00.000-05:00

This is another childhood favorite of mine. I remember my dad doing most of the cooking, and his specialty was crockpot meals. This was one I would wait ALL day for, and when it was ready, I'd devour bowl after bowl. I loved the big chunks of ham and the creamy limas. It's thicker and tastier the 2nd day, too!

Yes, it's good, but it's also CHEAP and EASY.

1 meaty ham hock
1 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
8 cups water
1 bag of Goya Large Lima beans
kosher salt / cracked black pepper

Combine all in a crockpot and cook on low for at least 8 hours. Remove ham hock and separate the meat from the bone, returning the meat to the crock. Season with salt and pepper. Careful with the salt, since the ham is already salty.

Enjoy this childhood fave of mine!

Silky Pumpkin Bread

2009-11-14T13:16:00.007-05:00

I have been on a huge pumpkin kick. Can you blame me? It's FALL! I even stopped by Fennario's today and had the barista conjure me up a Pumpkin Latte. It was heaven!

But, back to the bread. I'm not a huge pumpkin pie fan, plus I wasn't into the idea of scarfing down all those calories. So, I searched for the perfect bread recipe, and I think I found it! This one is adapted from a recipe on AllRecipes.com. It's SO moist, and full of flavor. Try it with some apple butter, or melted butter.

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 small bag of chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Grease and flour 5 mini loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the greased pans.
About 10 minutes in, top with walnuts if desired.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Homemade Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes!

2009-11-14T12:42:00.005-05:00

As far as I know, Tastykakes are a tri-state thing. At least they were. Maybe it's expanded to an East Coast thing. Either way, it's a crime that the whole world doesn't have access to these things. For me, they were a childhood favorite, and some GENIUS came up with a homemade version without all the preservatives, chemicals, and hydrogenated oils! I heart YOU, whoever you are!

Recipe:

1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten well
1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp. butter, melted
2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
12 oz. MILK chocolate chips

2 tbsp Crisco
1 Jar Creamy Peanut butter

Grease 2 cookie sheets. Beat eggs, butter and sugar together. Stir milk and vanilla together. Mix with eggs. Add dry ingredients and mix til blended. Pour into greased cookie sheets and level evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes on top level. Spread with peanut butter while still warm, then refrigerate at least 1/2 hour. When cool, melt 12 ounce chocolate chips and the Crisco in the microwave and spread on top of the peanut butter. Cut into serving sizes before chocolate cools completely.

I freeze these and pop one into Lilly's lunches each day as a small, portion-controlled dessert. Makes a LOT, so these are nice for parties.

Glazed Butternut Squash

2009-10-31T21:32:00.000-04:00

When I tell you I could not stop eating this when it came out of the oven, it's an understatement. Nothing says FALL like some butternut squash!

1 butternut squash (serves 3-4 as a side dish)
3 TB melted butter
1/8 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Oven 400.

Slice off both end of the squash. With a potato peeler, peel the outer skin of the squash. Slice in half longways, and scoop out the seeds. Cut into 1-inch cubes and place in a 9x13 baking pan.

Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to coat. Roast for 40-50 mins, tossing every so often.

Ask me if I have leftovers.

Recognition :D

2009-10-27T14:09:00.002-04:00

Did you see? The founders of Laptop Lunches featured my Halloween Lunch on their blog yesterday!

http://laptoplunch.blogspot.com/2009/10/ghoulish-halloween-lunch.html

How exciting!

Halloween Laptop Lunch!

2009-10-26T11:30:00.002-04:00

So I'm back from my slump and thought I'd share a cute lunch I made for Lilly today...

Witchy fingers (recipe from Recipegirl.com) with gummi tarantula
Apples with scary marshmallow teeth!
Ghostly egg salad sandwiches with eyes made with black food marker
Babybel cheese moon with bat ring (over baby carrots)

For more Laptop Lunch ideas, see my Flickr set!

Making Homemade Pasta

2009-09-29T12:47:00.003-04:00

Got a pasta crank sitting around? If not, this can be done with a rolling pin, too. Making homemade pasta couldn't be simpler, and it's the perfect thing to do on a Sunday. 3 ingredients, an hour of your time, and you could be eating pasta YOU made yourself. How gratifying! There is nothing like eating the real deal. Much lighter than any box pasta! I got this recipe from Lidia Bastianich's Family Table.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
3 eggs + 1 yolk
2 TB olive oil

Beat the eggs and the oil together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, add the flour. Add the egg mixture to the flour and mix with a fork until clumped. Make a ball of dough with your hands. On a floured working surface, start kneading your dough until it gets dense and shiny. It should not be sticky, if it is, add more flour.

Your dough should look like this. Wrap it in plastic wrap, and let rest for 30 minutes at room temp.

After resting, cut the dough into fourths. Take one piece and wrap the rest so it doesn't dry out.

Make a work surface, complete with pasta crank, bowl of flour for sprinkling, kitchen towels for layering, and a floured baking sheet for your pasta nests. It's good to do this while the dough is resting.

Pass the dough quarter through the pasta crank on the widest setting (#5). Pass thru once, and fold into thirds. Turn, and pass through again. Do this about 8x, continuously folding and turning the dough.

Turn the crank down 2 notches, to setting #3. Pass through once more.

Turn pasta crank to setting #1, thinnest setting. Pass through once more.

You'll have beautiful, long, thin sheets, keep them nicely floured, and continue with the rest of the dough. Layer the strips between kitchen towels, being careful not to let any pasta touch each other. The dough will get drier and easy to work with.

Once you have all your strips ready, move the crank to the pasta setting of your choice. I chose wide pasta - like fettuccine. Crank your strips through, catching the pasta strands on the other side.

Start piling up "pasta nests", sprinkling liberally with flour.

Beautiful pasta!

Boil some water, add pasta. Only takes a minute til it's ready!

Plate and serve with your favorite Sunday sauce.

More Laptop Lunches...totally obsessed.

2009-09-22T12:35:00.002-04:00

I love this thing so much, I bought one for myself. Lilly gets excited to see what is under the lid each day! Here are some lunches you may have missed...

Lilly's lunch:

Meatball/mozz skewers, homemade granola bar, corn on the cob, edemame, bear-shaped egg,
organic vanilla yogurt with colored sprinkles!

My lunch:

Turkey chili (with cheese), corn on the cob, edemame,
bear-shaped egg, arugula salad, homemade granola bar.

Lilly's lunch:

tri-color letter pasta, meatball/mozz skewers, bunny-shaped egg,

edemame/carrots, vanilla yogurt with chocolate sprinkles.

My lunch:
chicken salad w grapes, TJ's organic vanilla yogurt with homemade granola,
pita chips with hummus, bunny-shaped egg, edemame, tomatoes.

For more Laptop Lunch ideas, see my Flickr set!

What's in YOUR fridge? I'll show you mine if you show me yours!

2009-09-20T19:28:00.001-04:00

I'm putting it out there today and offering you a glimpse of my fridge. I am always interested to see what people eat and buy. It's fascinating to me! I always get new ideas, too. So...I thought I'd make this a fun one and call it a meme.

I am tagging some of my favorite peeps because I wanna know what's in their fridges! No obligations, just a chance for fun! If I haven't tagged you and you want to show your goodies, by all means!

Enjoy!

Some items on the top shelf: TJ's Organic Wheat Bread, TJ's organic vanilla yogurt, mozz balls in brine, free-range chicken broth, ciabatta bread, 1/2 a lemon

2nd shelf down: Bota Box Wine pinot grigio, fresh mint and thyme, TJ's tuscan pane bread, TJ's whole wheat pitas, organic strawberries, organic milk.

3rd shelf down: Brita, light sour cream, light cottage cheese, Lindenhof Farm ground turkey, organic rotisserie chicken, TJ's tilapia, farm fresh eggs.

Drawer #1: Fresh basil. Babybel cheese, yogurts, cheeses
Drawer #2: Fruits, limes, lemons, waters for lunches.
Drawer #3 (not shown): All my fresh greens - lettuce, cukes, peppers, cilantro, parsley, arugula, baby spinach

So...I wanna see these fridges:

Pam - For the Love of Cooking
Chris - Nibble Me This
WWW - Words Words Words
Lori - The Recipe Girl
Blonde Goddess - The Blonde Goddess
Eric - SubEWL
Dr. Zibbs - That Blue Yak

I am looking forward to peeking in YOUR fridge!

Laptop Lunches!

2009-09-18T11:02:00.001-04:00

My new favorite thing! What a great idea...bento lunches for kids (and adults)...and if you are conscious, you can make them completely litter-free, helping to reduce the amount of cafeteria waste. You can get SO creative with these! I've had this thing for 2 days, and I can't wait to get up in the morning and start making lunch :)

Organic Vanilla Yogurt from TJs (with sprinkles), Organic red grapes, homemade whole-wheat zucchini bread, gummy penguins from TJs, Whole wheat Goldfish, rabbit and bear-shaped bologna & cheese on TJ's Organic Wheat bread, and organic chocolate milk. Almost totally organic and litter-free!

Heart-shaped bologna & cheese, cheez-its, fresh pasta with olive oil, cheese wheel, apple slices with peanut butter, baby carrots.

To get your own laptop lunchbox, go where I go: The Healthy Cottage

For more Laptop Lunch ideas, see my Flickr set!

Another Pasta Carbonara

2009-09-17T20:22:00.002-04:00

I really didn't want to mess with a classic, so I followed the classic recipe, adapted from Emeril Lagasse:

1/2 pound imported pancetta, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh linguini, cooked al dente
4 large eggs, beaten
Salt
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

In a large saute pan, over medium heat, cook the pancetta until crispy, about 6 minutes. Remove the pancetta and drain on paper towels. Pour off all of the oil except for 3 tablespoons. Add the garlic. Season with black pepper. Saute for 30 seconds. Add the crispy pancetta. Add a tiny bit of pasta water to deglaze the pan. Add the hot pasta. Saute for 1 minute. Season the eggs with salt. (If your eggs are COLD, and you are adding them to a hot pan, DO THIS: Add a couple spoonfuls pasta water to temper the eggs to a warmer temperature.) Remove the pan from the heat and add the eggs, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble. Add the cheese and re-season with salt and pepper. Mound into serving bowls and garnish with parsley.

Gnocchi Bolognese

2009-09-13T10:02:00.002-04:00

Two great things that go great together! My homemade basic ricotta gnocchi and bolognese sauce.

I had both frozen, so this made for a quick and delicious chilly-weather meal.

Enjoy!

Easy Lemon Chicken Penne

2009-09-13T09:48:00.002-04:00

This was one of those quick pantry meals I pulled out of my you-know-what. Had 1 leftover chicken cutlet from the weekend, and the rest fell into place. You probably have all the ingredients too! Would be great with grilled chicken as well.

3/4 box of dried penne
1 chicken cutlet, battered and fried crisp, cut into strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic (I used 2 cubes of frozen mashed garlic from Dorot)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 big handful of baby spinach
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

For the chicken cutlet:

Butterfly cut one chicken breast and pound thin. Beat one egg in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix 1/4 c bread crumbs, some salt, pepper, dried parsley, and parmasan cheese. Dip the chicken into the egg, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture.

In a large saucepan, start the water for your pasta.

Meanwhile, heat a deep skillet on med-high. Add a couple turns around the pan of olive oil. When oil is hot, add the chicken, brown on both sides and set aside.

Shh. Yes, that is my wine glass! I love to cook with the same wine I'm drinking.

Cook your pasta to package instructions, drain and set aside while you're cooking the sauce...

For the sauce:

Add the 3 TB of olive oil to the same pan you cooked the chicken in. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to pan and saute until fragrant. Add the wine and simmer for about a minute. Add the cooked pasta and the spinach. Toss until the spinach wilts. Turn heat off.

Remove pasta to a large bowl. Squeeze the lemon into the pasta and toss again. Slice the chicken into strips, and arrange atop the penne. Give the chicken a nice squeeze of lemon too. Before serving, top with Parmesan.

Very light and lemony! The crispy chicken really highlights the meal. Enjoy!

Apologies and a lesson.

2009-09-12T08:24:00.003-04:00

You may have noticed that my blog has been taken over by hostile spammers, trying to sell pharmaceuticals. I would like to apologize to anyone linking to me, since those posts may have shown up in your sidebar.

Blogger is absolutely NO help (no number to call), and nothing in their Help Forum describes the problem I'm having. And even if you do get as far as filling out a form with a choice that's close to yours, you still receive an automated email, basically stating, "you're screwed".

I couldn't figure out how to stop it. No matter how many times I changed my password, it was still happening. That's when I realized it had to be an "inside job".

So I took a look from another perspective this morning, and realized that I have mailToBlogger enabled, and it was set on the default setting. Easy for anyone to figure out. The word "mail" should be changed to anything but "mail", else hackers can figure out how to post their spam on your precious site.

I was about to export my blog and start over, when this dawned on me. It's only been a few minutes though, so I'm crossing my fingers that this was the fix.

A word to the wise: Change the default "mail" in your MailToBlogger setting! Under Settings>>Email & Mobile>>Posting Options>>Email Posting Address.

Baked Zucchini Fritters

2009-09-08T21:14:00.005-04:00

I bought one of those ginormous zucchinis from West Chester Grower's Market for $1.00. With it, I managed to make a sidedish of grilled zucchini for dinner one night, 2 loaves of whole wheat zucchini bread, and these babies...

Baked Zucchini Fritters

3 cups of shredded zucchini (I used a mandolin)
1 TB basil, dried
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp oregano
1-2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup italian bread crumbs
1/4 white onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup asiago (or parmesan) cheese
Olive oil
salt & pepper

Oven at 425 degrees

Shred the zucchini in a box grater or mandolin. If the zucchini shreds are really wet, wring out the shreds in a dishtowel or cheesecloth.

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.

Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil. Make 8-10 patties and place on the sheet. Drizzle tops of patties with more olive oil.

Bake in oven on one side for about 15 mins. Flip each patty then bake 10 mins more or until crispy.

Serve as a side, or with marinara sauce. Kid friendly! Lilly gobbled these up!

Chicken Scarpariello

2009-09-08T14:16:00.005-04:00

This was adapted from a Lidia Bastianich recipe. If you don't know Lidia, she's on PBS every Saturday and she is an incredible chef of Italian cuisine. I just love watching her program...she's very soothing and her foods are full of flavor, yet rarely complex. Simple, Italian rustic meals.

4 boneless thighs (cut into cubes)
2 Italian sausage links (I used a broccoli rabe version - remove sausage from casing and crumble)
Olive oil (a couple turns around the pan)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 pickled cherry peppers, seeds removed and chopped coarse
1 - 2 longhots (peppers) - I used jarred.
handful of spinach
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken stock
1/2 box of Orecchietti pasta
salt & pepper to taste

Cook your pasta, drain and set aside.

In a deep skillet on med high, add olive oil. Season the chicken with salt & pepper, and add to pan. Cook til browned, and remove from pan, set aside.

Add the sausage to the pan, and more olive oil if needed. Once cooked through, set it aside with the chicken.

Time to put all those yummy brown bits to work! Add the garlic and peppers, and saute for 1 min. Add vinegar and scrape all the brown bits from the pan. This is called "deglazing the pan".

Cook til vinegar is reduced by 1/2, and add the wine. Reduce again. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add in the chicken, sausage and spinach and toss to coat. Add in the pasta, toss all together.

Spiiicy! But in a really yummy way :)

Italian Summer Squash

2009-08-25T12:50:00.003-04:00

Have a gargantuan zucchini or an abundance of squash in general? Make this zesty Italian version of summer squash. Good as a side, or serve with pasta. Don't forget the crusty buttered bread to mop up all the yummy broth!

I used a huge zucchini, and some patty pan yellow squash I had.

Lots of zucchini/squash (peeled and chopped into chunks)
1 small onion, or 1/2 large (chopped big)
1 tomato, chopped small, plus its juices.
1 garlic clove
1 TB oregano
Olive Oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Over med high heat, add the oil to coat the bottom of a deep skillet. Add garlic, saute til fragrant.
Add onion, saute til almost translucent. Add tomatoes, squash, salt, pepper, and oregano. Cover and simmer on med-med high for about 20 mins. Stir occasionally. The squash and tomatoes wil make their own savory broth.

Serve with pasta or as a side. Enjoy! (Excuse the photo, it was done with my iPhone.)

Beef Taquitos

2009-08-22T21:33:00.004-04:00

This is one of those quickie meals I whipped up one night I was craving Mexican. I have tons of that shredded beef in the freezer. I happened to have some corn tortillas, chihuahua cheese, sour cream, and some leftover ranchero sauce. Perfect!

I wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 30 seconds to make them pliable.

In a corn tortilla, add the beef and cheese. Roll tightly. If it wont stay, fix with a damp toothpick. Spray with Pam Canola Oil, and bake on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven, for about 7 mins, then flip. Bake for another 7 minutes.

Serve with desired sides.

Eggplant Parmesan

2009-08-18T21:23:00.003-04:00

I don't enjoy eggplant. It's probably one of the only foods I've completely managed to avoid. It doesn't offend me, I just don't enjoy it. I find it tasteless, and the texture is unpleasant.

But when someone proudly hands you an eggplant from their own special garden, you can't turn it away.

Since I'm not a huge fan, I am not familiar with the different varieties. But I'm pretty sure I used a graffiti eggplant. It had a short, wide base and kinda striped. It wasn't big, but it sure went a long way.

The only thing I could think to make with it was Eggplant Parmesan. It would surely mask the lack of taste, and hopefully the crispy edges would override the weird texture.

What a pleasant surprise! I liked this meal so much, I'd never turn my nose up at another graffiti eggplant :) Here's what I did...

Eggplant Parmesan

1 graffiti eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 cup of italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs + 1 tsp water, whisked in a bowl
olive oil
salt
pepper
any marinara sauce (I made mine from a 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes)
fresh mozzerella

Heat a non-stick skillet on med high and coat the bottom with a good amount of olive oil.

In a deep plate or bowl, add the breadcrumbs. Mix in the Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to the mixture.

Dip the eggplant rounds in the egg mixture, then coat with the breadcrumbs. Do this for all the rounds.

Add the rounds to the skillet, and fry on each side about 3-5 mins or until browned and crispy.

Plate onto a nice pool of marinara sauce, and top with more sauce and cheese.

I served this with a side of whole wheat pasta - very satisfying!

Serves approx 3.

Short Rib Ravioli

2009-08-10T11:24:00.008-04:00

For the filling, follow this recipe. Set aside the sauce that is leftover - you will use this as a base for your ravioli sauce.

Shred the meat and set aside in a bowl for stuffing the ravioli.

Make the dough:

3 large eggs (lightly mixed)
2 cups flour

In a kitchen mixer with a dough hook attachment, mix the eggs and flour until a sticky ball forms. If it's very wet, add a little more flour. If it's too dry, add a tiny bit of scrambled egg. Sprinkle some flour on your work surface and knead the dough until it's workable, but no longer very sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Break out that pasta crank!

Set the crank to #1 setting and break off a handful of dough. If it's still very sticky, sprinkle with some flour. Pass the ball through the crank, then fold and pass through again. Do this until you have a nice, wide strip like in the picture above. Time to set crank to #2 setting. Sprinkle with flour, and pass though once again. Set to #3, pass through again. Set to #4, pass through again. You can stop here if you like a thicker ravioli, or change the setting to 5 if you like them thinner, but the dough is harder to work with. I did mine on #4.

**Keep the reserve pasta dough covered until you are ready to roll it out**

Once you have a long, wide strip of pasta, lay it flat on the table and start placing about a tablespoon of beef filling about 3 inches apart, but only do this down half the length of the pasta. Grab the opposite end of the dough and fold it over the side with the filling. Press gently, removing any air pockets around the filling.

With a pizza cutter, cut squares around each ravioli and put the excess dough back under the plastic wrap to reuse.

Lift each ravioli off your work surface gently with a spatula, then crimp the edges with a fork. Place on a floured platter and refrigerate uncovered for up to a couple hours. When ready to cook, boil for 12-14 minutes.

Sauce:

Reserve short rib sauce
1/2 cup marinara
1/4 cup beef broth

Take the reserve sauce from the short rib recipe, and place it in a large skillet. Over med heat, add about 1/2 cup of any marinara sauce. Let simmer for about 10 minutes until it thickens, then add the broth. Let thicken if desired, add more broth for a thinner consistency. Season to taste. Serve over ravioli and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

How to remove the membrane from a rack of ribs.

2009-08-06T11:30:00.002-04:00

I updated the Braised Baby Back Ribs post with pics that show how to remove the membrane on the baby back ribs prior to braising. Some skip this step, but I think it makes for a super tender result.

Limoncello Ready!

2009-08-04T20:55:00.002-04:00

Molto bene! It's a beautiful thing. I had to make extra this time...many parties on the Italian side to attend!

Guinness Bangers and Mash!

2009-08-04T13:31:00.004-04:00

This is a "meat & potatoes" meal if I ever saw one. It was eeeeasy, but there is one thing I would do differently next time...

Bangers
2 bangers (mild italian sausage would do) - I got these bangers at Booth's Corner Farmer's Market
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 can Guinness beer
2 TB olive oil
1 TB butter

Mash
5 red potatoes, peeled with some red left, and quartered.
1/4 cup milk
1/8 cup half and half
2-3 Tablespoons butter
Salt
Pepper

Fill a large pot half way with water, and add the potatoes. Sprinkle some salt in the water. Once boiling, boil for 15-20 mins or until potatoes are fork tender. Depends on how big you cut the potatoes.

In the meantime:
In a large, deep-sided skillet, pour the Guinness and turn heat to med. Add the bangers. Poach the bangers until the Guinness starts to evaporate. (NOTE: I let the Guinness completely evaporate, but I wouldn't do this again. It left a strange aftertaste on the banger.)

While the bangers are poaching:
Heat the oil and butter in a skillet and saute the onion til nicely browned.

When Guinness is about 1/2 way evaporated, remove the bangers and add to the onion pan for some browning.

While bangers and onions are browning:
Strain the potatoes and dump into a mixing bowl. Add the milk, cream, butter, salt & pepper and mix until mashed. (I used my Kitchen Aid).

Serve the bangers & onions over the mash. Don't forget the Guinness to wash it down!

When life gives you lemons....

2009-07-29T19:26:00.004-04:00

Make limoncello! These lemon peels will be steeping in vodka for about 10 days. To be continued :)