How to cook....Something

Yes, you will need your fat pants after eating this one

2009-11-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

Not long ago I was at our local library and I ran across a cookbook that I hadn't seen before....

...and I was totally excited to get it home and check it out.

Just a few pages in, I knew this book was for me. I have been interested in vegan baking and trying out new flours for a while now, and everything in this book looked so I have to make this now scrumptious.

And so that evening, while Peter and I were reading on the couch, I slid this book over to him. He flipped through it, then he zeroed in on one particular recipe:

I mean, seriously. How can you go wrong with something that combines chocolate cake, cookies, and frosting?

This cake uses several different ingredients I had never used before, two of them being garbanzo-fava bean flour and evaporated cane juice.

It also called for arrowroot and coconut oil, but I used cornstarch and canola oil instead.

So first, I preheated the oven to 325-degrees, then revisited kindergarten by tracing three circles onto sheets of parchment paper to line my three 9x3 cake pans.

Next, I whisked together the flours, cocoa powder, evaporated cane juice, potato starch, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Whew.

After that, I added the canola oil, applesauce, vanilla, and hot water to these ingredients and stirred until the batter was smooth.

Then I added the chocolate chips and stirred.

Next, I put equal amounts of batter into the prepared cake pans.

Bake at 325-degrees for about 24 minutes, rotating the pans half-way through.

Take out of the oven, and let them cool for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, gently lift them out of the cake pans and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Now it is time to start the frosting/cookie crumble process. Transfer one cake layer to your serving platter or cake stand, and spread a thick layer of frosting on it.

Then break up some of your favorite chocolate chip cookies and sprinkle them over the layer of cake.

Put the next cake layer on that, and repeat the process.

Finally, place the third layer on top of that and put a thick layer of frosting over the entire cake.

Then you finish that of with a good layer of crumbled cookies.

And there you have it.

Once you finish this cake, you will want to dive in right away and have a slice. Go ahead. Don't be shy.

Just make sure you have your fat pants on.

To make this cake, you will need:

3/4 cup garbanzo-fava bean flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups evaporated cane juice
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup arrowroot (or cornstarch)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup coconut oil (or canola oil)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup hot water
2 cups vegan chocolate chips
chocolate chip cookies
vanilla frosting (store bought or homemade)

Storage: This cake needs to be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. But I don't think it will last that long.

Gluten-Free Italian Almond Cake

2009-11-12T18:16:00.000-08:00

Be prepared. This cake is not the easiest thing in the world to make, but it is so worth it. And since it's not too sweet or sugary, it's the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea or coffee in the evenings.

Or for breakfast with your first cup of tea or coffee.

I have adapted this recipe from Nancy Harmon Jenkins book, Cucina Del Sole.

First, preheat your oven to 350-degrees, then grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Next, toast the slivered almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes, or until they are nice golden brown.

Cool, then transfer them to a food processor along with 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Process until the almonds are finely ground. Be careful not to over process, else your almonds will turn into almost paste.

Then set this aside while you continue with the rest of the cake.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar.

Add 1 cup of the almonds to the flour and stir well.

Then you might want to think about separating your eggs.

Set aside two more tablespoons of sugar, then put the rest in a mixing bowl and add the butter. Beat until the butter and sugar form a thick cream.

Add each egg yolk one at a time.

Continue beating until a thick, lemon-colored batter forms.

Carefully fold in 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/3 of the milk. .

Continue alternating between the milk and flour until they are gone, and all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Set this aside while you work on the egg whites.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.

Add the 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Fold in about 1/4 of the egg whites into the batter.

After that, gently fold in the rest of the egg whites just until they are combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and pop it in the oven for about 40-60 minutes.

The center should be firm to the touch and the sides should pull away from the sides a little bit.

It's best served warm sprinkled with a bit of powdered sugar on top.

To make the almond cake, you will need:

1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups of gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of gluten-free cake flour
1 teaspoon of xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature
5 eggs, separated
3/4 cup of milk
confectioners sugar for dusting

Gluten-Free Cream Puffs

2009-11-03T05:22:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I amaze myself.

There. I said it.

More often than not, after I make something....a meal or a baked goodie...I immediately start to critique it and think of ways to improve it. Especially with gluten-free things, because it is my quest to make delicious gluten-free equivalents of what Peter and Emma love but can no longer eat.

So one afternoon I decided to try my hand at making gluten-free cream puffs, using a recipe out of the book Pastry by Michel Roux.

And this time I was quite surprised by the results. They were so good, in fact, that I immediately made another batch, this one regular, just for myself.

Preheat your oven to 350-degrees, then you need to make the basic choux paste, which is a very simple pastry batter. To do this, you combine milk, water, butter, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan.

Bring to a boil over low heat.

Once it is at a boil, take it off the burner and gently sprinkle in the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely incorporated in the mixture.

Return the pan to the burner and stir over medium heat for about a minute, to dry out the paste a little bit.

After that, place the paste into a bowl and stir in each egg, one at a time, thoroughly mixing each egg into the paste before adding the next.

Once you are finished with that, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then make little mounds of the paste on the sheet, either with a pastry bag or using a teaspoon. Since gluten-free batter is thicker than regular flour, I would recommend using a teaspoon.

Just use about half a teaspoon of batter for each puff, like so:

Place each mound about an inch or so apart.

Next, brush each with an egg wash of 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of water.

Bake the puffs for about 20 minutes, or until the outside of each is dry and crispy.

Once they are completely cool, you can slice off each top to fill them, or you can use a pastry bag to fill each one with the custard or cream of your choice. I used a very sugary cream and piped a bit into each one.

They didn't last very long. During dinner Peter sneaked Emma one, and I told them that I would have to hide the rest. Emma's response?

"I have a very good nose to sniff them out!"

To make the cream puffs, you will need:

1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of water
8 tablespoons of unsalted butter, diced
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 generous cup of gluten-free all-purpose flour
4 medium or 3 large eggs
eggwash consisting of 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of water

A simple pork tenderloin dinner

2009-10-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been addicted to the pork tenderloin packs from Wegmans. It's a deal that is hard to pass up....4 lbs. or pork tenderloin for around $12. Usually one pound will feed us, so doing the math...it works out to around $3 a meal.

Not only is it cheap, but it is so versatile! Since it's the most tender and lean part of the pig, it lends itself to so many different ways of cooking. You can roast it, grill it, broil it, or pan sear it with pretty much any flavor combination you can think of. You can make it as fancy or as simple as you want.

Think of it like Forrest Gump does shrimp.

Pan searing it is by far the quickest way of cooking it, making this particular recipe a perfect no-fuss weeknight meal.

First, you heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced potatoes and season with salt and pepper.

Remember to stir them once in a while to prevent sticking and encourage even browning.

Cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes or so, until they are golden brown. Add 1/2 cup of water and continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporated.

Add the onions and continue to cook until the onions are tender.

Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and keep warm.

Slice the pork tenderloin into thin slices, maybe 1/2 inch thick or so, and flatten each slice with your hands.

Using the same skillet that you cooked the potatoes in, add another tablespoon or so of olive oil and cook the pork on each side until browned.

Slice a lemon and add the slices to the pork during the last 2 minutes of cooking.

And now you are ready to serve! Since I cannot make an unbalanced meal, I always make sure to have a vegetable of some kind with each meal. To keep it simple, I serve this with a mixed green salad, but feel free to use any vegetable.

What you'll need to serve 4 people:

3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 lb. of red potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 lb. pork tenderloin
1 lemon thinly sliced
1 small or medium onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

Mixed green salad or other favorite vegetable, to round out the meal.

Gluten-Free White Chocolate Cupcakes

2009-10-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

Recently, we discovered a new cupcake bakery in a nearby town and have made one or two purchases there in the past few weeks. They're delicious! But at $2.50 a pop, it isn't the cheapest place in town.

And imagine our surprise when we found out that they had gluten-free cupcakes! Could it be that we would be able to purchase bakery-fresh gluten-free cupcakes that I didn't have to slave over half a day? That was like a dream come true for me.

So last weekend Peter stopped there on his way back from a photography shoot to get dessert and he picked up two gluten-free cupcakes for he and Emma to try out.

The anticipation level was high when they were finally able to try them out. Emma was first, and she didn't like it. At all. I was a little surprised, because what kid doesn't like cupcakes? So I took a bite, and it had the taste and texture of sawdust.

Peter took a bite into his, and his icing fell off onto the table with a thud! Literally, the entire clump of icing fell off the cupcake!

So into the trash they went...all $7.00 worth. It was disappointing.

I felt really bad for them, so the next day I decided to make them something extra special. They both love white chocolate, so I consulted a cupcake cookbook and created a gluten-free version of a yummy looking cupcake.

So to start, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350-degrees and line a muffin pan with 12 liners.

Next, whisk together the gluten-free cake flour, Xanthan baking powder, and salt into a medium-sized bowl and set aside.

Next, stir the milk and vanilla together in the measuring cup and set that aside also. You'll need them both in a minute.

In a larger bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and sugar together with a mixer until it is smooth and blended thoroughly. Make sure you scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. This should take about 3 minutes or so.

Once this is done, set the speed of the mixer to low and add the flour mixture and milk mixture, alternating flour and milk. Mix just until blended and smooth. Then set this aside.

In a clean large bowl, beat the egg whites on medium speed until they are foamy. This will only take about 30 seconds to a minute. They'll look like this:

Increase speed to high and continue beating the egg whites until stiff peaks form. The egg whites should stick to the beaters.

Stir in about 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter.

Then fold in the rest of the egg whites just until they are blended into the batter.

Fill each cupcake liner with the batter.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are lightly browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean.

Set on a wire rack to cool.

Now comes the fun part. Making the white chocolate curls.

To do this, line a baking sheet with wax paper. Then holding the white chocolate block in one hand, use a vegetable peeler to scrape curls, making sure the curls fall on the wax paper.

You should end up with a good amount of curls.

Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about half an hour.

While the curls are in the freezer, it is time to make the frosting. To do this, you will need to melt the white chocolate (either with a double-boiler or in the microwave, whichever method you prefer). Make sure all the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Transfer this to a large bowl.

Add the softened unsalted butter, cream cheese, and vanilla to the bowl.

Beat on low speed until the mixture is smooth.

Then add the powdered sugar and mix for about another minute, until it is thoroughly combined and smooth.

Then just frost each cupcake.

By this time the curls should be set. Go ahead and take them out of the freezer and sprinkle over the cupcakes.

Here's a close-up.

Aren't they pretty?

And to get even fancier, sprinkle each cupcake with a little bit of powdered sugar.

Yes, these are extremely time and labor-intensive, but the looks of sheer joy on Peter's and Emma's faces made it all worth it.

This is what a gluten-free cupcake should taste like.

But don't let all the talk about gluten-free stop you from making these if you don't have to eat gluten-free. Just substitute my gluten-free cake flour with regular cake flour.

For The Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cups of gluten-free cake flour
1/2 teaspoon of Xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup of sugar
3 egg whites at room temperature

For the White Chocolate Curls:

6-8 ounces of white chocolate
Powdered sugar for dusting

For the White Chocolate Frosting:

3 ounces of white chocolate
1/4 cup of unsalted butter softened to room temperature
4 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

Almost famous cheeseburger sliders

2009-10-08T07:19:00.000-07:00

And so it was on a leisurely Sunday afternoon that Peter and I were watching one of my (and maybe even his) favorite shows on the Food Network....Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. That guy can really find some hole-in-the-wall places around the country, and most times the food looks so darn good.

This particular episode that we were watching left Peter really hungry for a good cheeseburger. Watch it for yourself and you'll see why.

But don't forget to come back.

Anywho, afterward he just went on and on about how good those burgers looked, and how hungry seeing those made him. Then he asked me what we were having for dinner and I told him leftover chicken pot pies from the night before and his face just fell. Like a kid who was taken to a candy store and then told they couldn't buy anything. I could tell he was thinking well I guess I will choke my way through dinner, but man those burgers looked good!

After the episode he went into the computer room and I went into the kitchen to finish up my baking. He was still talking about how good those burgers looked and oh man we should try them out someday.

Finally I went into the computer room and told him that if he went to the store to pick up some burger buns and potato chips I would defrost some ground beef and attempt to make what we just saw on TV. The end of our conversation went something like this:

Me: You sure are lucky. I've just spent all day in the kitchen cooking up gluten-free treats for the week, and now you want me to recreate something we saw on TV. From scratch.

Peter: You always say you like a challenge.

Me: I guess that is why I married you.

So anywho, he went off in search of burger buns and chips, and I searched online for the episode to make notes on what I needed to do. Please note that there are no measurements for any of this, because I just made this up as I went along. When you make this, just use approximate measurements, however much you think is a good amount.

There are two main aspects to this burger, a special basil mayo spread and an onion and garlic mixture that goes into the ground beef to make the burgers.

First I made the mayo spread. This consists of a bit of mayonnaise (maybe around 1/2 cup or so), about 1/4 cup of basil pesto (either store bought or homemade with just chopped basil and olive oil), salt and pepper to taste, and about 1/4 cup of deli-style mustard. Put all that into a bowl and mix together. Then set aside.

Next, I made the onion and garlic relish that gets mixed into the ground beef. To get it started, heat about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil (canola, vegetable, olive, etc) in a large skillet.

While that is heating up, dice one medium onion.

Place that in the skillet and then add 2 cloves of minced garlic, salt, pepper, and a good amount of Italian Seasoning.

If you don't have any Italian seasoning on hand, don't despair. You can make your own by combining equal parts (say 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon) of basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme in a small bowl and use some of that. But, seriously, make Italian Seasoning a staple in your pantry. You'll thank me for that little tip someday.

Then saute the relish over medium heat until the onions are nicely browned and your kitchen smells good.

You'll have to find your own cute little chef to help cook.

Once that is done cooking, set aside in a small bowl.

Now on the show, the chef had used an equal amount of ground beef and ground pork, but I had no ground pork on hand. So I just mixed the relish in with the ground beef and formed round balls.

Melt some butter on the same skillet that you sauteed the onions and then add the beef. Allow to cook for a few minutes before smashing down.

For those of you wondering, Emma doesn't like onions, so she just had a burger without the relish, just some Italian seasoning.

While those cook, go ahead and toast the tops of the burger buns briefly in another skillet with butter. Toast for just a minute or so, you don't want them to burn.

When the patties have browned nicely on one side, flip and brown on the other side.

Can you just see all the flavors at work here?

While the burgers are cooking, spread some of the mayo on the bun bottoms.

Then take some grated cheddar cheese and place that on top of the burgers.

Before taking the burgers off the skillet, place the bun tops on the burgers and cook cook for another minute or so. Then take the burgers off the skillet and place each one on a bun bottom, like so.

Serve with your favorite sides, such as fries or chips or whatnot.

Doesn't that look nice and juicy and delicious? Not only do they look delicious, but they really are. The basil-mayo mixture hits your taste buds first, then combines with the onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning to give your taste buds a real treat.

And now I think I should brush up on some Gloria Steinem and get back in touch with my feminist side. Not only did I make an entire meal from scratch even though I was planning on just reheating leftovers in order to give myself a break, but I had all the freaking ingredients in the house to make a spontaneous meal based on a show we just watched on the Food Network.

Everything you wanted to know about me....

2009-10-06T18:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome to How to Cook...Something! I'm Jacki, the one spending all of her time making messes in the kitchen. But usually those messes turn into something yummy, and when they do I share here on my blog.

I am a wife to great guy I met in Denmark, and mom to a cute little girl. I have undergraduate degrees in mathematics and electrical engineering, and am back in school to finish my education. Ten years from now I hope to have Dr. in front of my name. When I am not cooking I am reading.

I started this blog as a way to keep track of my cooking and baking attempts and to connect with other food lovers out there. Along the way it has taken on a life of it's own. But it's fun.

Here are some questions that some of my readers have asked me. If there's something you want to know that hasn't been asked yet, what are you waiting for? Go ahead, don't be shy!

As a wife to a Dane, and Mom to a Danish-American (edited by me to add - that makes me sound so cool!), what meals/dishes does your husband insist upon for celebrations or special occasions?

Right now, my go-to Danish meal for Peter is frikadeller, the most quintessential Danish meal out there. At Christmas time I make æbleskiver. Once in a while I even attempt to make rød grøde med fløde. But otherwise, I think I am lacking in this area. I don't think I make enough Danish food. And Peter would agree.

Do you add any special twists to the Danish meals make them yours?

Nope, Peter doesn't allow it. I have several Danish cookbooks that I have bought in Denmark, and Peter doesn't allow me to deviate from them at all. Even with the frikadeller. He has a fit when he sees the way I make it. I have to make things the way his mom does and grandma did.

How do you keep a Danish kitchen in the USA? What substitutions have you found that help your Dane feel at home?

I keep my kitchen pretty much how I would keep it in Denmark....filled with lots of meat, potatoes, and coffee! As far as substitutions go, the only thing we don't have and he misses like crazy is rugbrød. Haven't found anything remotely similar yet.

Where did you learn to cook?

Seven years ago, before I moved to Denmark and met Peter, I was living on my own and my recipe book consisted of taped in clippings of heating instructions from frozen and boxed foods. I hated to cook. When I moved to Denmark, I had to learn how to cook, because convenience foods were very expensive. So I consulted lots of online recipes and such, and became a marginal cook. Nothing fancy.

But then Emma was diagnosed with Celiac Disease back in 2007 and I was forced to learn how to cook everything - and I mean everything! - from scratch. As an engineer I am very analytical by nature, so I treated learning how to cook like any other subject I studied in school. I immersed myself in cookbooks, cooking magazines, read several blogs, and just experimented like crazy. Along the way I found out that I actually loved cooking and creating new dishes with different tastes and textures.

Now I can safely say I have a healthy obsession with cooking.

Can you give someone who is useless at cooking some tips on how to get better, and - more importantly - how to enjoy cooking?

To start with, don't try to make something that has 15 ingredients! Start simple, and work your way up from there. Steer clear of recipes that have hard-to-find ingredients. And especially don't pay attention when a recipe says it takes only 30-minutes or less. That is only if the person has been making it for a year; otherwise, it will take time to cook a new recipe.

Where can I find simple recipes that don't take a lot of time and don't need loads of ingredients?

Some of my favorite go-to chefs for simple ingredients are Giada de Laurentis, Rachel Ray, and especially Elie Krieger. You can find them all on the Food Network website.

Is cooking something you do with your husband and/or daughter? Or do you prefer to cook alone?

I do not mind someone helping me in the kitchen when I am cooking a meal, but baking? I definitely prefer to bake alone. Probably because it requires a lot of concentration when it comes to measuring and mixing.

Where do you want to go with your cooking? Is it just a hobby or something more?

I would eventually like to become a published food writer, and maybe even write a cookbook. But for now I still have loads to learn, and that alone will keep me busy for years to come.

Have you hand any memorable disasters in the kitchen?

Right off the top of my head...a spinach-stuffed meatloaf in Denmark that exploded in the oven. That was the worst, I think. That, and the first six months of learning to bake gluten-free. I made many cakes and cookies that fell apart and had the taste of cardboard and texture of saw dust.

Which dish are you most proud of having cooked, and why? My Grandma's Meatballs and Pasta Sauce, because that recipe came from her mom, who probably learned it from her mom back in Sicily, and so forth. It's my connection to all of them, and something I hope to pass down to Emma.

Do you prefer cooking main courses or desserts?

Both!

Which cuisine would you most like to master? Italian, with Danish a close second. French is the third.

Can you eat and enjoy the food you have cooked?

Sometimes I am my own worst critic and am not impressed with what I have made, but I really enjoy cooking something new and surprising myself at how wonderful it tastes.

If you could go out for a meal, what are your favorite dishes? We very seldom get to go out to eat because of Peter and Emma's disease, so for me any chance to not have to cook is a treat! I don't care what it is...as long as it is something I didn't have to cook!

Who clears the table if you've cooked?

We all pitch in to clear the table, but I do the dishes because I love to watch TV and wash dishes. Yes, I am weird.

What is your first cooking memory?

My first and favorite cooking memory is baking Christmas cookies with my dad every year on Christmas eve, and then eating them while coloring in some new coloring books. This picture has nothing to do with that, but it shows me at a young age cooking. And I think I was a cute little kid.

Can you remember what you cooked for Peter for the first time he stayed for dinner?

We hadn't been dating for very long, maybe a week, and he came over for dinner. I was not a good cook, so I just made pasta with jarred pasta sauce. Let's just say it wasn't my cooking skills that kept him around. He laughed at my cookbook.

If you had to cook a meal for the most important meal of your life, what would you cook?

A lemon-roasted chicken with garlic and sage potatoes, because it is hard to mess up a roast chicken. I get the skin real crispy and it is just yummy.

Gluten-Free Condensed Cream Soups

2009-10-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

One of the staples in my pantry, especially in the fall and winter, has always been condensed cream soups. Both Campbell's Cream of Chicken and Cream of Mushroom Soup, to be exact. I would buy them by the dozen and use them in pot pies and other creamy casseroles.

So imagine my despair when I realized that having to eat gluten-free meant no more Campbell's condensed soups. Sigh.

And imagine my sheer delight when I found this gluten-free condensed soup recipe from Bette Hagman that actually tasted good and was easy to make!

So now I will share it with you.

Powdered Soup Base:

To make the powdered soup base (which can be used for both the cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup), mix together:

1 cup non-instant powdered milk
1 cup rice flour
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chicken bouillon

Combine all ingredients thoroughly in an air-tight container and store in your refrigerator.

To Make the Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup:
Note: This makes the equivalent of 1 10-ounce can of condensed cream of chicken soup.

1. Whisk 8 tablespoons of the powdered soup base with 1/4 cup cold water in a sauce pan.

2. Add 1 cup of water and cook over medium high heat until soup thickens, stirring frequently.

Just use in your recipe as you would a regular can of condensed cream of chicken soup.

To Make the Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup:
Note: This makes the equivalent of 1 10-ounce can of condensed cream of mushroom soup.

1. Whisk 8 tablespoons of the powdered soup base with 1/4 cup cold water in a saucepan.

2. Drain the liquid from a 4-ounce can of mushrooms into a measuring cup. Add enough water to equal 1 cup of water. Add this to the saucepan.

3. Cook until soup thickens, stirring frequently. Then add the mushrooms.

You can use this soup in your recipe as you would a regular can of condensed cream of mushroom soup.

Dare I say these taste better than the Campbells? Try them out and you decide!

Pork Tenderloin with Almonds and Balsamic Vinegar

2009-10-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

I am not sure how many people share this sentiment, but I for one am happy for the season of chilly nights that we are moving into, for it gives me an excuse to make soups and stews and other savory dishes of winter.

This recipe was first published in 1837 in a cookbook written by the 19th century aristocrat and food writer Ippolito Cavalcanti, called Cucina Teorico-Pratica, (Cooking Theory and Practice) which is considered a cornerstone of Italian cuisine.

I found it republished in the book Gastronomy of Italy by Anna Del Conte and it is perfect for a chilly winter night. Its the perfect combination of sweet and savory.

And you know what? It actually isn't difficult to make at all. I think it's name and history makes it sound more intimidating than it really is.

First, you need to trim any excess fat off the pork tenderloins and cut them in half if need be. Then you heat butter and olive oil in a pan and add the pork:

Brown the tenderloin on all sides until they are nice and brown:

Bring wine to a boil in a separate sauce pan and and it to the meat along with a few tablespoons of hot water.

When the liquid has come to a boil, add salt and pepper and turn the heat down to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the tenderloin is cooked through.

While that simmers, combine the ground almonds, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Once the tenderloin is done, remove it from the pan and keep warm.

Add the almonds, cinnamon, and sugar to the pan, along with the balsamic vinegar.

Stir constantly for about 2 minutes until it starts to thicken slightly.

Add the butter and swirl it around the pan while it melts.

Cut the tenderloin into thin slices and return it to the pan for about 2 minutes or so, so that is can absorb some of the flavor from the sauce.

Serve with your favorite side dishes, though I recommend something that doesn't have flavors that will rival the savory sweetness of the tenderloin, such as rice.

Cast of Characters:

1 1/4 pounds of pork tenderloin
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup of red wine
4 teaspoons of sugar
a pinch of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of very finely ground almonds

Optional:
2 tablespoons of elderberries
1 tablespoon of capers, rinsed

Four Cheese Pasta with Pancetta and Tomatoes

2009-09-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

The same day I tried the Caprese Flatbread at the Olive Garden for the first time, I also had a new pasta. I couldn't remember the name, but I remembered it had something to do with four cheeses and pancetta and tomatoes.

And a really cute little pasta.

I searched the Olive Garden's website, and - oh no! - they didn't have the recipe.

So what did I do? I figured I would have to create my own recipe. I thought about it, trying to remember all the tastes, and decided to go for it.

So here it is, my first attempt at creating my own recipe. Here goes.

First off, this recipe calls for using what is known as Campanelle pasta, which is small bell-shaped pasta. It is perfect when used for thick cream sauces such as this. The hollow center captures all the creamy goodness.**

Boil the pasta to al dente. While that is boiling, go ahead and shred the four cheeses. You'll need about 1/2 cup of each.

Next, go ahead and seed and dice the tomatoes. You can use whatever you want, I am sure to save time you could even used canned diced tomatoes. I chose to use up leftover Roma tomatoes from the Caprese Flatbread recipe.

An easy way to seed a tomato is to use a melon baller, like this:

Next, dice the pancetta, which is a type of dried, cured meat. You will need about 1/2 - 1 cup depending on if you want a subtle or full-blown flavor.

Once you are done with this, the pasta should be done. Drain it and set aside while you make the four cheese sauce.

First, melt the butter in a medium saucepan...

...then add the whipping cream...

Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Slowly stir in the grated cheeses. Reduce heat to low, and continue to stir just until all cheese is melted and the sauce is thickened. It is very important to keep stirring, else the sauce can scorch on the bottom.

Once that is done, add the tomatoes and pancetta and stir until it is mixed thoroughly. Add the drained pasta and stir until all the pasta noodles are covered.

Cast of Characters:

For the four cheese sauce:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

1 box (16-ounces) of Campanelle pasta**
pancetta, diced
2-3 tomatoes, diced

**To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute the Campanelle pasta with your favorite gluten-free pasta. I suggest using a penne pasta because the little ridges are perfect for capturing some of the sauce.

Olive Garden's Caprese Flatbread

2009-09-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been to a restaurant and wished you could recreate something you ate at home?

Then when you get home you figure it out and wonder "why didn't I think of that?"

This happened to me about two months ago. My mom and I were having dinner together at the Olive Garden, and it had been a while since I had been there. Since (until recently) they didn't have anything gluten-free on the menu, going there with Peter and Emma was out of the question.

I noticed a new appetizer on the menu called Caprese Flatbread and it sounded intriguing. We decided to order it and try it out.

After polishing off half of it, I knew I had to have it again. And soon. Since I didn't know when the next time was I would be there, I decided to do the next best thing.

Recreate it at home.

I was in luck! Olive Garden was gracious enough to put the recipe on their website, so I downloaded it and made it one day.

And now I shall show you how you can enjoy it from the comfort of your home.

First, you preheat your oven to 350-degrees F.

Then dice the Roma tomatoes into small pieces.

After that, place the diced tomatoes in a bowl and add chopped garlic, salt, pepper, basil, and 4 Tablespoons of olive oil.

Doesn't it look pretty?

Once you are done with that, stir it a bit and then set aside to marinate while you finish preparing the rest of the flatbread.

While that rests, take your pizza dough and roll it out into a rectangle. Drizzle some olive oil on top.

Pop the pizza dough into the oven for about 10 minutes. Take it out and let it cool for just a few minutes.

Once it has cooled for a few minutes, take a clove of garlic, cut it in half, and rub each half onto the bread to give it a slight garlic flavor.

Set that aside and increase the oven temperature to 450-degrees F.

After that, combine the mayonnaise and garlic powder in a small bowl. Or, like in my case, a measuring cup. Whatever works.

Stir it up and then spread it out over the pizza crust.

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the mayonnaise mixture, along with the tomato mixture that has been marinating. Make sure to train the tomatoes first.

Then sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over that.

Here's a close-up. Doesn't it look great?

Put the flatbread back into the oven for about 5 minutes or so, until the crust is golden on the edges and the cheese is bubbling.

Yum.

Cast of Characters:

8 Roma or plum tomatoes, diced
1 garlic clove
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
20 medium fresh basil leaves, stemmed and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
14 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
11 oz container of refrigerated thin crust pizza dough

Recipe courtesy of Olive Garden.

Lemon-Garlic Marinated Lamb Chops

2009-09-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

I have often wanted to try lamb, but was too unsure of the taste. I have seen it featured in recipe after recipe, and it looked good, but my question was if it would taste good. For a long time I had lumped it in the same category as veal. I've tried veal and I didn't like it, so therefore I wouldn't like meat that came from a baby animal.

And besides, have you seen pictures of lambs? They are cute.

But one day I steeled myself and went in search of lamb chops to use in a recipe I found in Ellie Krieger's cookbook, The Food You Crave.

Which, by the way, is an awesome cookbook.

But anywho, as I was saying, I found the chops and brought them home. The day I made this recipe I didn't tell Peter. I wanted to see if he would notice a difference in the meat.

It's rather easy to make; you can either grill them or broil them in the oven. I chose to broil them since I am not so handy with a grill.

So first, I put olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, salt, and pepper in a bag, added the lamb chops, and marinated them at room temperature for about an hour.

After that, I put them on the broiler pan, like so.

I then broiled them for about 10 minutes per side, and they were medium well. Feel free to grill/broil for as long as you want to.

And the verdict? Delicious! Emma scarfed hers down in record time, and Peter had a hard time believing it was lamb and not a tender piece of beef. They paired quite well with white rice and a salad of romaine leaves.

For the lamb chops you will need:

1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons of fresh (or bottled) lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of fine lemon zest (or the equivalent in dried)
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh (or 2 teaspoons dried) oregano
6 cloves of garlic, mincled
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
lamb chops (however many you need for your meal)

Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger and the Food Network.

Emma's Salad Dressing

2009-09-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'll admit. There are times the only reason I want to go to the Olive Garden (besides not having to cook and clean up the kitchen) is for their salad and bread sticks. I don't know, there is just something about them. I could make an entire meal out of just those two things.

So when I found this recipe in a recent issue of Food Network Magazine, I couldn't wait to try it out.

And apparently neither could Emma, because she is actually the one who made it. I just helped her measure all the ingredients; she did the rest.

And it is rather easy to make. Seriously, I almost feel silly posting it on here, other than the fact that I like the picture I took and want to show it off.

But here goes. You can either click here to go to the Food Network website, or you can continue reading.

For the dressing you will need:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons Miracle Whip
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Combine all the dressing ingredients and 1 to 2 tablespoons water in a blender or food processor; puree until smooth.

Viola! You have your dressing.

Now for the salad, I will leave that up to you. You can either do it the lazy way like I did and buy a pre-packaged American salad blend, or you can make your own. Just don't forget to jazz it up with red onions and croutons and tomatoes and peppers and stuff like that.

The verdict? It comes close. But it is still pretty darn tasty. After I took a bite I said "Wow, this is pretty good" to which Emma replied with a huge smile on her face:

"Thank you."

Melinda's Delicious Spinach Salad

2009-08-03T19:33:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we went to a cookout at our friends house to welcome home a good friend who is stationed right now in Iraq. He's back in Iraq now until next year. But it was good to see him reunited with his family.

While we were there I tasted a delicious spinach salad another good friend, Melinda, made. I think everyone at the picnic raved about it, it was that good.

So of course I asked for the recipe in hopes of recreating it. It's very simple and pretty much uses ingredients you will have in your pantry.

First off, you need to wash and dry your spinach, then put it in a large bowl.

Next, toast 1/2 cup of slivered almonds in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of butter.

Cook until golden brown.

If you prefer to do this in the oven, place the almonds on a cookie sheet at 350-degrees until golden brown.

Next, in a small bowl, stir together sugar, minced onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and canola (or vegetable) oil.

Melinda also added poppy seeds and sesame seeds, both of those I didn't have. But feel free to use them.

Once the dressing is thoroughly combined, add the toasted almonds to the spinach.

It is important to remember to add the dressing shortly before serving, else your spinach will wilt and taste mushy.

Cast of Characters:

1 16-ounce bag of baby spinach
1 Tablespoon of butter
3/4 cup of slivered almonds
1/2 cup of white sugar
2 teaspoons of minced onion
1/4 teaspoon of paprika
1/4 cup of cider vinegar
1/4 cup of white wine vinegar
1/2 cup of canola oil

Optional ingredients:

1 cup of dried cranberries
2 Tablespoons of sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon of poppy seeds

Mustard Pork Chops

2009-08-03T19:18:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been obsessed with mustard sauces poured over meats such as chicken and pork chops. I don't know why, but I am.

So when I borrowed a Nigella Lawson cookbook from the library, I knew I had to try one particular recipe. Mustard Pork Chops. Good thing I had three pork chops sitting in the freezer just waiting to be used.

Her recipe called for infused oil, and good thing I had read somewhere else how to make your own quickly.

You do this by adding the appropriate amount of olive oil (in this case 2 teaspoons) to the frying pan, along with a few cloves of garlic.

Sautee the garlic cloves until they are golden brown and the air around you is fragranced with garlic. Remove from the pan and discard.

Viola! Infused oil!

After that, add your pork chops to the pan and season with salt and pepper.

Fry the pork chops on both sides until nice and done. Remove them from the pan and keep covered.

Next, pour your hard cider (or apple juice, whichever you have on hand) into the frying pan to deglaze the tasty bits at the bottom.

Next, add the mustard and stir in the heavy cream

Cook for a few minutes and remove from heat.

Then simply pour some of the sauce over each pork chops and enjoy!

Cast of Characters:

Pork chops, about 1-2- ound total weight
2 teaspoons infused oil
1/2 cup hard cider
1 tablespoon grain mustard
1/3 cup heavy cream

Chicken and Arugula Pita Pockets

2009-08-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

One thing I love about watching the Food Network is being inspired to try a new ingredient.

A few weeks ago I was watching Giada and I don't know. Maybe I was just hungry or something, but that day she was making Chicken and Arugula Pita Pockets and they just looked really good.

So good I just had to make it that week.

Which is really strange because I am not a pita pocket kind of girl.

Unfortunately, I had to wait until I went to the grocery store, which was a few days later.

But the day after I bought all the ingredients I made these for dinner. And now I am hooked on the arugula pesto that is used for these pita pockets.

The best way to eat these sandwiches is with toasted pita pockets. So preheat your oven to 300-degrees and arrange your pita pockets on a tray.

While you are waiting for the oven to preheat, go ahead and make the pesto.

First, wash and dry about 2 packed cups of the arugula.

Next, put it in a food processor along with 1 clove of chopped garlic.

Process that until the arugula is finely chopped. While the processor is still running, slowly add 1/2 cup of olive oil and run until fully incorporated.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Add 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to taste.

Stir until thoroughly mixed.

By now your oven should be preheated. Toast the pita pockets for about 5-7 minutes.

In the meantime, dice 2 cooked chicken breasts and add the chicken to the pesto bowl along with 1/4 cup of mayonnaise and and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.

Stir thoroughly.

By now the pitas should be toasted. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool. While they are cooling, you can chop up some arugula and cherry tomatoes to go on top of the pitas.

To assemble each pita pocket, first fill it with a bit of the chicken mixture...

...then top off with the arugula and tomatoes.

Yummy and addictive, with very few ingredients needed to make a delicious sandwich.

The Cast of Characters

For the arugula pesto:

2 cups packed arugula
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken pita pocket:

2 pitas, halved and opened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup Arugula Pesto, recipe follows
2 cooked chicken breasts, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup arugula

Roast Chicken with Wilted Butter Lettuce and Peas

2009-07-15T20:00:00.001-07:00

Yes, yes, yes. I know you are probably wondering why I would want you to eat anything wilted. Especially lettuce. By now you have most likely conjured up images of limp, brown lettuce in your minds.

Let me explain.

When you wilt Butter Lettuce in white wine, it becomes elegant.

And down-right delectable.

This recipe came from my newest issue of Food Network Magazine. Does anyone else read this? I love it.

But anywho, back to the cooking at hand.

As you can see, the bed of wilted lettuce isn't so nasty-looking, is it?

It's actually a pretty and delicious complement to the chicken. Not too overpowering; instead, it's a light for those warm summer nights.

And, it isn't that complicated to make.

First, preheat your oven to 350-degrees (177 C for my European friends) you take your 3-4 pound chicken, though you can do the same thing with chicken pieces if that is all you have in the freezer. No sense on spending more money than you need to.

Rinse it and pat it dry, then place it in a roasting pan.

Next, season the chicken cavity with lots of salt and pepper. Stuff lemon halves in there, along with garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. I didn't get a picture of this because it would be a rather ugly picture.

After that, get a little bondage going on by tying the chicken legs together with twine, then rubbing olive oil over the skin. Season with salt, pepper, and whatever other herbs and spices you have in mind. I used an Italian seasoning.

Place it in the oven for about an hour or so, depending on the cooking instructions that came with the bird. Or at least until a meat thermometer measures 165-degrees F.

You can go away and do something else now, but come back after half an hour. THen you will have to make the warm butter sauce.

To do that, place 1 cup of dry white wine (or apple cider if you don't have any wine), onion, bay leave, pepper and pinch of salt in a small sauce pan and simmer over medium heat until it becomes thick and syrupy.

After you have done this, place your frozen peas in some boiling water until heated through.

While those are cooking, prepare your butter lettuce (also called Bibb or Boston Lettuce) by cutting off the ends and washing, removing any leaves that don't look fresh.

Why butter lettuce? Because of what the name implies...butter lettuce has a sweet, buttery taste.

Once the butter sauce has thickened, whisk in 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and remove from heat.

Combine the lettuce, peas (drained, of course), and butter sauce in a large bowl and toss until the butter is slightly wilted.

Set that aside, and remove your chicken from the oven.

Carve and serve each piece on a bed of the lettuce and butter sauce.

Cast of Characters:

For the chicken:

3-4 pound chicken, rinsed and patted dry
1 lemon, halved
1 head of garlic, halved
fresh or dried thyme
4-6 bay leaves
salt and pepper
olive oil

For the lettuce and peas:

1 large head of Butter (or Bibb/Boston) lettuce
1 cup dry white wine (or unsweetened apple cider)
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper

Recipe courtesy of Food Network.

Cupcakes + Brownies = One Cute Little Hamburger?

2009-07-07T04:10:00.000-07:00

When we hosted our Father's Day BBQ last month, I decided (at the last minute) to make a special dessert. Something fun to eat. Needing some inspiration, I consulted one of my favorite baking blogs...Bakerella.

And guess what?

She had just the thing! These, right here, what she calls Fast Food Fun:

Now her Happy Meal also included fries and cute little containers, but since I decided to do this the day before the BBQ, I had no time to get too creative.

But go check out her blog. They're so cute!

Are you back? Okay. Great.

These little burgers are actually quite easy and fun to make. I guarantee you'll have fun. And probably need to go work out afterward if you are watching your waistline, since you will be snacking as you go along.

Basically, all you will need is your favorite boxes of yellow cupcake mix, brownie mix, and 2-3 tubs of your favorite white frosting. Oh, plus yellow, red, and green food coloring.

First things first, I had to break out the wine.

Why? Because I was going to start baking two dozen cupcakes (12 regular, 12 Glute Free) along with two batches of brownies (again, one regular and one gluten-free) at 9pm, I needed it.

But anywho....as I always do with my cooking and baking, I make the gluten-free batches first since I am (usually) starting with a clean kitchen. That way there are less chances of cross-contamination.

So, I make the gluten-free brownies. Lo and behold, I just so happened to find the new Betty Crocker Gluten-Free mixes!

That cut my work in half, at least. So I made them according to package instructions and while those were cooling I put in the cupcakes. Unfortunately, those had to be made from scratch. :sigh:

While those were baking, I cut out the little burger patties by using a round cookie cutter.

Technically, that is a round fondant cutter, but it worked.

See?

After you cut out your 12 burgers, you will see lots of brownie scraps in the pan. Go ahead and eat.

Once the brownies were done, I let them and the brownies rest while I made the next batch of baked goods.

Once everything was cooled, I started the next process of assembling the burgers. First, you split the cupcakes in half to make the burger bun.

Then you place a brownie patty on each bun bottom:

After that, you pipe on the green frosting to make the lettuce...

...and then the red and yellow for your ketchup and mustard...

Once you have piped all the condiments on each patty, place the bun tops on them...

Here's a close-up...

And then you bite into it....

They are so fun to eat.

So go ahead. Get creative.

Next time I think my Happy Meal will have to include milkshakes.

A scrumptious Scramble

2009-07-02T06:05:00.000-07:00

I think I might have to stop borrowing cookbooks from the library. Each time I do so, it costs me money.

No, not in late fees.

I end up running up to Borders and buying it!

My latest acquisition is the book The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger. I had read about her in an issue of Gourmet magazine and was interested in looking at her cookbook.

Once I started reading it, I was hooked. It's filled with easy, delicious recipes. And it's healthy food. I just won't tell Peter.

This recipe is no exception. You just add fresh tomatoes, onion, and dill to scrambled eggs and you end up with a savory dish that you can serve any time of day. It left me wondering "why didn't I ever think of that?"

First, you take your onion and sautee it in a medium skillet with a bit of oil for about two minutes. Then you add the tomato and cook for another minute or so, but not too long that the tomatoes begin to wilt.

Then you set that aside and toss it with a bit of dill.

Then you make your scrambled eggs, top with the mixture, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Almost too easy. But it changes both the taste and texture of the eggs, so it doesn't seem like you are eating dull, boring scrambled eggs.

And you won't feel guilty for serving it to your family for dinner. Because you were too worn out from a weekend of cooking and needed something easy to fix.

Enjoy!

Cast of Characters

1 teaspoon of olive oil
1/2 cup of diced onion
1 medium tomato (cored, seeded, and diced)
eggs
1 teaspoon of dried dill (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
salt and pepper to taste

Easy Morning Muffins with Raspberries

2009-06-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

The other day I decided to try out a recipe in one of my new cookbooks...

Now before I get into the recipe, let me just put in my 2-cents worth about this cookbook. Out of all the baking books I have borrowed from my library or bought from Amazon/Borders, this one is by far my most favorite. All the recipes look super yummy and they are easy to follow. Plus, there is all kinds of little helpful tidbits of information throughout.

It's actually something you can sit down and read for enjoyment.

Okay, now on to the recipe.

First, wash the raspberries so that they are sorta dry by the time you need them.

Then, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Once it is thoroughly combined, make a small well in the center. Whisking them aerates the flour a bit, and the well in the center helps make adding the wet ingredients easier.

The next step is to melt the butter in a medium skillet, along with the lemon zest. This enhances the flavor of the zest.

Turn off the heat and add the buttermilk.

Let this rest for a minute, then add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until thoroughly blended.

Now why go through all this trouble of melting the butter in a skillet and then adding the rest of the ingredients?

This is one of those little tidbits of information I learned from reading the cookbook. Basically, these additional steps bring all the chilled ingredients to a tepid temperature so that the melted butter does not become solid again upon contact with the milk or eggs.

Once that is done, add the wet ingredients to the center of the well you formed in the flour.

Then stir gently with a rubber spatula until the batter looks smooth and doesn't have any visible lumps or unmixed pockets of flour.

Then take your raspberries and fold those in gently.

Prepare a standard 12-cup muffin pan with either paper cups or lightly sprayed with cooking spray.

Using a large ice cream scoop, spoon the dough into each cup. To keep the dough from sticking in the ice cream scoop, squirt it with the cooking spray.

Sprinkle a bit of sugar and cinnamon over each and then bake at 400-degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until done.

Don't they look delicious?

And these are the gluten-free ones.

Cast of Characters:

2 cups of all-purpose flour**
1 teaspoon of xanthan gum**
2/3 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
pinch of salt
3/4 stick of butter
lemon zest
2/3 cup of buttermilk
2 room temperature eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 half-pint of fresh raspberries or 1 1/4 cup frozen
cinnamon

**To make gluten-free, use your favorite GF flour blend and don't forget to add the teaspoon of xanthan gum.

Mediterranean-Style Flank Steak with Chunky Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette

2009-06-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is a mouthful to say. But let me tell you, it is also a mouthful of flavor with each bite.

Around here we hardly ever eat a plain piece of meat. It has to have something on it....a gravy, sauce, rub, or salsa. During the winter months it is usually the sauces and gravies, but during the hot summer months I love to top my meat with salsas bursting with fresh flavors.

This recipe comes from the Spring 2008 issue of Fine Cooking's Fresh magazine. You can read the original recipe here. Or you can just follow what I do here.

First, you need to marinate the flank steak for a while. You do this by mixing oil, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper in a small bowl...

...then you rub this mixture all of the steak and let it sit for about a half hour at room temperature.

While this is resting, you can make the chunky tomato-basil vinaigrette...

...by tossing the tomatoes, shallots, basil, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, like this...

...and then putting it aside. It is important to keep it at room temperature. It'll be fine.

Next, take the flank steak that has been resting and place it in a large skillet. I used my cast-iron skillet. I love that thing.

Cook on both sides until done. This, of course, depends on your idea of done. I like my steaks medium-well.

When it is done, slice the flank steak across the grain, then top with the vinaigrette.

Each bite just bursts with flavor. Yummm...

Cast of Characters:

For the flank steak:
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of chopped herbs such as thyme, sage, rosemary, etc.
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
1 tablespoon of black pepper
1 flank steak

For the vinaigrette:
1 1/2 pounds of fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and sliced
1 large shallot, thinly slices
1/4 lightly packed cup of basil (or equivalent in dried)
1/3 cup of red wine vinegar
3/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper

(Gluten Free) Apple Coffee Cake

2009-06-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

I think I have mentioned it many times on this blog that Peter does not eat fruits very often. As in, never. And during the week he doesn't eat breakfast unless I pack it for him. So, for some time I have been sneaking in ways to get him to eat fruit by incorporating it into his weekday breakfasts that I prepare for him.

This recipe was found in some old cooking magazine out of a bunch I had snagged off of Freecycle. I don't remember the magazine, so I can't give out credit where credit is due.

These pictures are of the gluten-free version. You can make it "normally" by just omitting the xanthan gum that I refer to, and using all-purpose flour instead of the gluten-free blend.

The results will the same. I promise.

First off, you need to combine the flour (I used my Bette Hagman blend), baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum in a bowl (or in my case, a large measuring cup) and whisk it to combine thoroughly.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.

Add the flour to the creamed mixture slowly, alternating with the sour cream.

Your batter will look like this:

Next, take your peeled apples and chop them up. I opted to use my food processor.

Fold the apples into the batter.

Nope, doesn't look that appealing yet, does it?

Next, pour the batter into a prepared 13x9x2-inch cake pan.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter.

Sprinkle this on top of the cake batter, like so.

Bake at 350-degrees for 35-40 minutes. See, it's that easy.

Cast of Characters:

1/2 cup of butter, softened
1 cup of granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 cups of flour (GF or all-purpose)**
1 teaspoon of xanthan gum**
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of sour cream
1-1/4 cup of chopped and peeled apples

1 cup of packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons of cold butter

**You can use your favorite GF flour blend, but don't forget the xanthan gum!

Let's make it a Danish night...

2009-06-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

Let's face it. Meatloaf can get a little boring. But it is versatile. You can use a variety of ground meats and binding ingredients such as breadcrumbs or oatmeal, plus a variety of different spices and sauces. However, it takes just the right ingredients so that it doesn't turn out to be a tasteless loaf.

This version of it, Forloren Hare (Mock Hare) is a traditional Danish dish. It's typically served with potatoes and brown gravy. I served this dish with Hasselback Potatoes (Hasselback Kartofler). Recipe and pictures follow.

This particular recipe comes from a new cookbook I found at Borders called Danish Food and Cooking.

And it's not really that difficult to make.

First, I combined all the ingredients to make the meat mixture:

However, instead of milk, I used heavy cream, as the recipe called for it.

Then I placed the mixture in a greased 5x9 baking dish, and arranged the slices of bacon on top:

After that I placed it in the oven, preheated to 375-degrees and baked it for an hour.

While that was baking in the oven, I took my potatoes and peeled them. Then I sliced them crosswise, about 3/4 of the way through. It is very important not to slice them all the way through.

Next, I placed them in a greased baking dish. I dotted each one with butter and sprinkled them with salt and pepper.

I placed these in the oven along with meatloaf and continued roasting them for another hour. I took the potatoes out of the oven after about an hour and sprinked them with grated Parmesan cheese.

Then I popped them back in the oven for another half hour.

And there you have it.

Mock Hare....

...with Hasselback Potatoes.

I don't think you can get any more Danish than that!

Cast of Characters:

For the Mock Hare
1 lb. of ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 1/2 cups of fine breadcrumbs (I used homemade gluten-free ones)
2 tablespoons of finely chopped onion
2 eggs
5 tablespoons of heavy cream
6 or so strips of uncooked bacon
salt and pepper to taste

For the Hasselback Potatoes
Potatoes (the amount depends on how much you want to make)
butter
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Herb Roasted Salmon with Yogurt Sauce

2009-05-31T08:59:00.001-07:00

About two weeks ago or so my dad bought some salmon for Emma and I from the commissary down at Quantico. We normally don't get salmon very often, as it is quite expensive at the grocery store. Tilapia is always our favorite standby as it is a rather cheaper alternative.

So when he brought over the salmon I couldn't wait for the opportunity and recipe to try it out. I did so in the May 2009 issue of Bon Appetit.

I had to change the recipe up a bit, since I was only making the salmon, not the rest. Plus, I didn't have ingredients such as tahini. So here's my version of it.

First, I mixed together the herbs (chives, dill, mint, and ground coriander) in a small bowl:

Then I whisked together 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of the lemon peel, and a dash of ground coriander) in another bowl:

Then I mixed together the yogurt, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, one minced garlic clove, and half of the herb mixture in yet another bowl:

I put this one in the 'fridge so it would stay cool and fresh.

After the mixing was done I took the salmon and marinated it for about 30 minutes with the oil mixture, making sure both sides were covered. I also sprinkled salt and pepper on both fillets.

Just before the fillets were done marinating, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees. Since I wasn't making the vegetables, I put the remaining herb mixture on the salmon and gently patted it down. The salmon felt so tender to the touch.

I popped those babies in the oven for about 15 minutes, until I knew it was done. But the time depends on how thick the fillets are.

When they are done, you will have this:

And let me tell you, it was delicious and perfect for a hot day. The salmon was fork tender and melted in my mouth.

Perfect.

Cast of Characters:

Salmon fillets
Chopped fresh (or dried) chives
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill (or the equivalent of dried)
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro (or the equivalent of dried)
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh mint (or the equivalent of dried)
1 teaspoon of powdered coriander
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon of grated lemon peel
1/2 cup of plain yogurt (you can use Greek if you so desire)

Yummy (gluten-free!) breaded chicken cutlets

2009-05-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

An Ode to Homemade Breadcrumbs, by Jacki.

I shall never buy store-bought breadcrumbs again.

I shall never buy them in a can. I shall never buy them in a bag.

I shall never buy store-bought breadcrumbs again.

Before having to go gluten free, I never gave another thought to it. I would just throw a can of them in the shopping cart and be done with it. I used those things
for everything...breading meats, making meatloaf, you name it.

Once I found out the price of tiny, little bags of those things, we no longer had breaded meats. I just couldn't justify the cost.

Then one day I had an epiphany.

Why don't I just make my own? I have bread, I have a food processor. It doesn't take much more than 5 minutes, and the food processor does most of the work.

So I defrosted some of my frozen bread heels (that I keep on hand for making meatballs) and placed those in the processor.

Please note that I am using the gluten-free bread in these pictures.

After about a minute, they looked like this:

Given the nature of gluten-free bread, the breadcrumbs come out a little denser than regular bread. But they work just as well. And you can use whatever kind of bread you wish.

As a note, I added freshly grated Parmesan cheese and ground rosemary to the breadcrumbs and mixed them together thoroughly.

Next, I took my chicken cutlets and dredged them in flour (this is my gluten-free flour blend).

Then I placed them in an egg wash.

Once the excess egg wash dripped off, I placed the cutlets in the breadcrumb mixture.

I made sure to coat both sides well.

Once I finished the gluten-free coated cutlets, I let these rest while getting the regular cutlets prepared. Given them a few minutes before frying also allows the breadcrumbs to really adhere to the meat.

Next, I added about a cup of canola oil to a deep skillet and heated it over medium heat. Then I added the cutlets in batches. You don't want to crowd them or they won't cook properly.

I let them cook for about 4-5 minutes (depending on the thickness) and then flipped them over.

When they were all done, I placed them on a serving tray, sprinkled them with coarse salt, and added lemon wedges. Emma loves to squeeze fresh lemons over her chicken.

Looking at that tray, can you guess which side is the gluten-free cutlets?

I'll give you a minute.

Here's a hint...

...the ones on the right-hand side. Hard to tell a difference, huh?

And there you have it...

Please smack my hand if I ever buy store-bought breadcrumbs again.

Cast of Characters:

8 thin chicken cutlets
2-3 large eggs (for the egg wash)
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups of fresh breadcrumbs
1 cup of canola oil
lemon wedges
coarse salt

Breaded Chicken Cutlet recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine.

Pan-Seared Beef with Sun-Dried Tomato Butter

2009-05-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

There's nothing I like to cook more than a big, juicy hunk of beef in my cast-iron skillet. But even that can get a little boring now and again, so I like to spice things up a bit.

So recently I had bought the new Fresh magazine from Fine Cooking and found the following recipe:

A quick survey of my freezer and fridge showed that I had all the ingredients on hand, so I went for it. Well, truthfully, the recipe called for beef tenderloins and I had a London Broil, but close enough.

First, I heated up some olive oil in the cast iron skillet and added the London Broil, seasoning both sides with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

I seared both sides for about 5 minutes each. Yes, it was really smelling good at this point.

After that, I put it in my roasting pan and cooked it for just a little while longer, at 350-degrees, until it was evenly cooked through.

While that was cooking, I made the sun-dried tomato butter. First, I took the softened unsalted butter and mashed it up a bit with a fork.

Then I minced some sun-dried tomatoes.

I sprinkled those on the unsalted butter, along with a dash of sherry vinegar.

Lastly, I mixed them together thoroughly and placed in in the refrigerator to chill.

Needing a side, I decided to make the Potato and Corn Mash from the Pioneer Woman. She's one awesome cook.

By the time I was done with that, the beef was done.

And there you have it.

And yes, the butter was actually very good with the beef. It added an unexpected tangy flavor to an otherwise boring cut of beef.

The cast of characters:

A small bunch of sun-dried tomato halves
1/4 cup of unsalted butter, well softened
1/4 teaspoon of sherry vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
Your favorite cut of beef

The recipe courtesy of Fine Cooking. Click there for more detailed directions.

Apple Cider Chicken

2009-03-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

This perfect combination of apples and chicken is a match made in heaven.

And it is rather funny how I can across it. I was doing dishes Sunday night and watching my cooking shows, and this is the recipe that Sunny Anderson just happened to be making. The smell of it was wafting out of my television screen and my mouth was watering.

So I immediately decided that that would be our dinner the next night. Just take a look, and you'll know why...

See what I mean?

So here's what you need to make it:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 large or 2 small apples, cored and sliced into wedges
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups of apple cider (or apple juice)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter
2 teaspoons of dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour (I used my gluten-free blend)
salt and pepper to taste

To make the apple cider chicken, you will need to:

Step 1: Heat the oil and one tablespoon of butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

Step 2: Salt and pepper the chicken breasts to taste:

Step 3: Place the chicken breasts in the pan and sear on each side, about 4-5 minutes:

Step 4: After they are done searing, remove them from the pan and set aside.

Step 6: Add the other tablespoon of butter to the pan:

And scrape up some of the brown bits while it melts.

Step 7: Next, add the apple wedges, diced onion, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves to the pan and sautee until the apple gets some color and the onion turns translucent:

This is when it really starts to smell good.

Step 8: Add the flour...

and stir for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture thickens.

Step 9: Place the chicken back in the pan between the apple wedges...

...then add the apple cider (or apple juice if you don't have any).....

Here's a close-up of a breast:

Step 10: Bring this to a boil, then cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes or so.

And when it is done, it looks like this:

You may serve this with whatever sides you wish, but I knew exactly what to do with mine. I served it on a bed of plain white rice and smothered it in some of the broth.

And it was good, saith the cook.

Mini frittatas....breakfast for dinner

2009-03-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

About once a week or so I get the urge to have breakfast for dinner. Whether it is waffles or pancakes or eggs, it's just comforting. And since we can't go to places like IHOP and Denny's for gluten-free reasons (did you know places like that might put flour in their scrambled eggs to make them fluffier?), we make our own versions here at home.

Recently I made these mini frittatas that I saw on an episode of Everyday Italian by Giada de Laruentiis. She's another one of my new favorite Food Network chefs.

These were light and perfect when paired with bacon and English muffins. However, if you have men or boys in the house, you might have to serve a little more. Shortly after dinner Peter was rummaging around the cupboards and pantry looking for snacks.

Okay, I admit. They are a dainty, feminine dish. But they are good. And easy.

So here's how you make them:

You will need:

8 large eggs (I used 10 because there were 2 left in the carton)
4 ounces of thinly sliced ham (I used 6 ounces of deli-style ham)
1/3 cup of freshly ground Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup whole milk (I used a bit more since I was using 2 more eggs)
salt and pepper to taste
parsley to taste

To make the mini frittatas you will need to:

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.

Step 1: Prepare two mini muffin tins (the ones with 24 cups) with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 2: Chop your ham into small pieces:

Step 3: Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper thoroughly.

Step 4: Add the ham and Parmesan cheese and give it another whisk to combine:

Step 5: Fill each muffin cup almost to the top.

Step 6: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the egg mixture puffs and is set in the center.

They pop out easily with a small fork or rubber spatula.

When they are done they look like this in the center:

Enjoy with your choice of sides.

Chicken fried pork chops. Enough said.

2009-03-30T04:26:00.000-07:00

So I recently started watching the Food Network and am already a huge fan of one of the chefs, Sunny Anderson.

She's cute, fun to watch, and the girl can cook!

Yesterday I tried out her Chicken Fried Pork Chops and they were delicious. Certainly not good for any diet you are on.

Besides, the only diet we follow around here is the gluten-free diet.

Anywho...chicken fried pork chops are what you would imagine. Pork chops that are breaded and fried like chicken.

And they turn out looking like this:

A nice crunchy outer coating with juicy, tender meat on the inside.

Yum.

Ready for the recipe?

To make chicken fried pork chops you will need:

Oil for frying (we use Canola)
4 bone-in pork chops, 1/2 to 1 inch thick
1 cup all purpose flour (I used my Bette Hagman blend)
1/2 cup of cornstarch
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of water
salt and pepper

To make the chicken fried pork chops you will need to:

Step 1: Pour enough oil in a deep skillet to about 1-inch thickness,

Step 2: While that is heating, prepare the pork chops by seasoning both sides with salt and pepper.

Step 3: Combine the flour and cornstarch in a bowl and combine thoroughly. If you are using a gluten-free flour blend, I recommend you add about 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum so that the flour binds together.

Why cornstarch? It's a trick I learned from Sunny. The cornstarch is what makes the flour all crispy. And it works!

Step 3: In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and tablespoon of water. Whisk thoroughly.

Step 4: Coat each pork chop with the egg mixture...

...shake off any excess liquid, then dredge in the flour until well coated on both sides.

Step 5: Let the pork chops rest on a wire rack for a few minutes, or until the oil is ready for frying.

Step 6: Place no more than two chops in the pan at a time to avoid over crowding. Cook for about 5-10 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness, until golden brown.

When they are done, they look like this:

Now Sunny served them with a pear chutney, but we are not chutney fans. So I served mine with Hasselback Kartofler and green beans.

Forbidden rice...sounds kinda kinky.

2009-03-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

While browsing through our local grocery store a couple of weeks ago, I decided to take a few minutes and check out some of the different varieties of rice they had on the shelves. We normally just eat white or brown rice, but I have been reading about the different heirloom rices now filtering into the US and was curious to try some out.

Variety is the spice of life, after all.

One that caught my attention right away was one called Forbidden Rice from Lotus Foods. It looked cool, and I thought that Emma would get a kick out of eating "purple" rice.

I read the cooking directions on the back, and turns out that it is no more difficult to cook than regular white rice.

So in to the cart it went, along with something else I can't remember right now.

Out of the package it kinda looks like mouse poop.

Like I said, it is quite easy to make. You just add the amount you want to make to the appropriate amount of water, cover, and boil.

It's very aromatic and leaves behind deep purple-colored water.

And the taste? Very good! It has a nice nutty, buttery flavor. I like it a lot.

So go ahead, give it a try some time.

Texas-Style Smoked Babyback Ribs

2009-03-23T18:21:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago we found a surprise at our local Safeway grocery store....10-pound boxes of pork ribs imported from Denmark! We never know ahead of time when Safeway will get these in...it is usually about 1 or 2 times a year. But when they do get them in, I race up there to buy a box. I'd buy more, but we don't have the freezer space for them right now.

For a funny history about them, click here.

But anywho, as soon as I bought them, I knew what we were going to do with them...try out the Texas-Style Smoked Babyback Ribs out of the Mario Tailgates NASCAR Style cookbook.

To make the ribs, you will need:

2-3 racks of babyback ribs
2 cups of Mario's Kick-Ass BBQ Sauce

For the rub:

1/4 cup of paprika
3 tablespoons of packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons of salt
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

To make the ribs, you will need to:

Two hours before you want to grill, prepare the ribs by...

Step 1: In a small bowl, mix together the paprika....

...salt...

...garlic powder...

...and cumin...

Make sure it is mixed well.

Step 2: Take your naked babyback ribs...

...and rub them well on both sides with the spice rub.

Yes, your hands will get dirty. But when you are done, they should look like this:

Step 3: Let these rest for 2 hours at room temperature, or wrapped overnight in the fridge in plastic wrap.

While these are marinating, prepare your grill with wood chips such as hickory or oak for the smoky flavor.

Step 4: Smoke the ribs for about two hours or so. If you are pressed for time, you don't have to smoke them for as long. But make sure they are cooked through!

Step 5: Enjoy them with a good bit of the Kick-Ass BBQ sauce and a nice selection of sides...and some nice cold beer. Or ice tea or your favorite carbonated beverage if you are not a drinker.

Mario Batali's Kick-Ass BBQ Sauce

2009-03-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from a cookbook my sister recently bought for me...Mario Tailgates NASCAR Style, written by the famous chef Mario Batali. We love to BBQ around here, and are always looking for new sauce and rub recipes.

And if Emma, Peter, my sister, and my Dad are to be believed, this is probably the best sauce I have made yet. Even better than my homemade Jack Daniels' BBQ Sauce and Smoked Apple BBQ Sauce.

Yes, I will post those recipes next time I make them.

I mean, Emma liked it so much she was eating spoonfuls of it while it was still simmering in the pot.

With eighteen ingredients going into this sauce, some might call it a pain-in-the-ass to make. And to tell you how hopeless of a cook I actually am, I had all eighteen ingredients on hand. But actually, it is quite easy to make.

Here's how you do it...

To make the BBQ sauce, you will need:

1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 cups of ketchup
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup of water
1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon jiuce
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons of packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons of molasses
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of liquid smoke
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce
Small pinch of cinnamon

Whew. Did I forget anything? I sure hope not.

To make the BBQ sauce you will need to:

Step 1: Place all ingredients in a large saucepan, stir together until well combined, and bring to a boil over medium heat.

To do this, I placed the onion and garlic in a food processor and pulsed until finely chopped.

Then I added the 2 cups of ketchup:

Then I added the orange and lemon juices:

Then added the rest of the ingredients, stirred, and simmered for about 10 minutes or so.

Don't forget to stir it frequently, to avoid it sticking to the bottom.

Once it is done, let it cool, then refrigerate for up to one week. We used it on the Texas Style Smoked Babyback Ribs.

Another tip is to use it in a slow cooker with a pork loin or chunk of beef. Makes excellent BBQ pork or beef sandwiches that way.

Creamy French Onion Dip

2009-03-19T16:53:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite snack foods is some delicious French onion dip scooped up with salty potato chips (Utz are gluten-free, btw!). Unfortunately, I do not like many of the French onion dips out there on the market, and many are not gluten-free, so I got inspired a couple of weeks ago to make my own from scratch.

And it was good, saith the cook.

I found the recipe in the current issue of Food Network Magazine. Before I go on, I must ask if you have picked up a copy yet. If no, do yourself a favor. I got so many ideas and recipes to try out! If not, don't worry. You know I'll be posting my food adventures here.

But anywho...as I was saying...I got this recipe courtesy of the Food Network Magazine. You can check out the original recipe by clicking here.

Or you can just keep reading...

To make the French onion dip you will need:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 onions, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings
2 large shallots, sliced into -inch-thick rings
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Chives, finely chopped, for garnish

To make the French onion dip, you will need to:

Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes, then chop the onion mixture into 1/4-inch pieces. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

celery salt, Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Fold in the onion mixture. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Garnish with chives and serve with potato chips.

Step 1: Place the butter in a large pan and melt over medium-high heat.

Step 2: Add the onions and cook until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Step 3: Add the shallots and cook for about 10 more minutes, until the mixture turns a darker brown.

Step 4: Add the garlic and cook for another few minutes, until everything is dark brown and caramelized.

Remove from heat and let cool.

Step 5: Chop the onion mixture well. I used a food chopper, but you can do it yourself or with a food processor. It's your choice.

Step 6: After you have chopped up the onions, mix the sour cream...

...mayonnaise...

...celery salt, salt, pepper...

...and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl...

Mix well.

Step 7: Add the onion mixture...

...and again mix well.

Step 8: Garnish with fresh or freeze-dried chives and refrigerate until ready to eat.

And most important - Enjoy!

Lemon Roasted Chicken

2009-03-09T19:09:00.000-07:00

This chicken recipe is one that I turn to time and time again because it is relatively easy and quick to prepare, yet bursts with flavor. You don't really even need to consult the recipe. And you can use any chicken pieces you want...thighs, legs, breasts, or a combination of all. Just make sure they are bone-in. For me, it all depends on what is one sale that week.

It's a variation of one I found in an old Martha Stewart magazine.

To make the lemon chicken, you will need:

Four or more chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, or legs)
1 or 2 lemons, quartered
salt and pepper to taste
oregano
olive oil

See? Not many ingredients!

To make the lemon chicken, you will need to:

Preheat the oven to 400-Degrees.

Step 1: Prepare the baking sheet by dabbing a little bit of olive oil on the pan:

Step 2: Quarter the lemons:

(As a note, I had more pictured here than needed, because I was going to use them for something else later on)

Step 3: Place the chicken pieces on the baking sheet, then squirt lemon juice over them:

You can either squirt a lot or a little on each, depending on how lemon-y you want your chicken to taste.

Step 4: Tuck used lemon wedges between the pieces of chicken, like this:

Step 5: Brush olive oil over the chicken pieces, then add salt, pepper, and oregano:

Step 6: Place baking sheet in the oven and cook for 30-45 minutes, or until the juices run clear when each piece is pierced with a fork.

This chicken can be served with a number of side dishes. One I recommend is my Cubed Potatoes with Garlic and Sage.

Cubed potatoes with garlic and sage

2009-03-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite root vegetables to eat are potatoes. They are delicious and extremely versatile. You can fry or bake or boil them dozens of ways. This particular recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, Fast Food My Way by Jacques Pepin.

It's a quick potato dish that combines two of my favorite herbs...garlic and sage. The garlic, however, isn't added until the last 10 minutes of cooking, and the cloves are added whole, instead of minced or chopped. This gives the potatoes a mild but distinctly garlic taste.

To make the cubed potatoes, you will need:

Roughly 1 1/2 pounds of baking potatoes, peeled and diced (1-inch cubes)
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
2 tablespoons of canola or corn oil
several garlic cloves, peeled
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons of shredded sage leaves, or the equivalent in dried

To make the cubed potatoes, you will need to:

Step 1: Peel and cube the potatoes, then rinse them in cool water.

Make sure you drain them well.

Step 2: Heat the butter and cooking oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat:

Step 3: Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally so that they brown on all sides.

Step 4: Shortly before they are finished cooking, add the garlic and cover the skillet.

Cook for another 10 minutes over low heat. Then add the salt, pepper, and sage. Toss well before serving.

These potatoes go well with any sort of roasted meat, especially chicken.

Carol Fenster's Gluten Free Flour Blend

2009-03-07T08:49:00.000-08:00

I use this gluten-free flour blend when I want baked goods to have a bit more texture and taste than a general all-purpose flour. Again, it can be used as a substitute for all-purpose flour cup for cup. Don't forget to double or triple the recipe if you plan on using it a lot.

1 1/2 cups of sorghum flour
1 1/2 cups of potato starch (NOT potato flour, there is a difference)
1 1/2 cups of tapioca flour

To combine, place all flours in a large bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Transfer to a large storage container or large plastic food bag.

Lemon Yogurt Muffins

2009-03-05T05:01:00.001-08:00

If you can't tell from my recent recipe postings here, I am on a muffin kick. I love them, and so does the rest of the family. There's just something about sitting down with a cup of hot tea or coffee and a yummy muffin or two.

I found this recipe in a little gem of a cookbook, The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham. Gourmet Magazine had recently reviewed in their Cookbook of the Month column so I decided to check it out of the library and give it a go.

Bottom line: I am going to buy this cookbook. There are so many recipes I want to try!

But anywho....on to the recipe.

I chose this one based on the fact that it had the word lemon in the title. Lemon is a favorite of mine and Emma's. In the description, Marion says that they are not too sweet and go good with hot tea. She is right. However, I prefer my muffins to be a little sweeter than this, so next time I am going to experiment with using vanilla flavored yogurt and perhaps using a bit of lemon extract or juice. Something to jazz them up a little more.

Oh, and they are best served warm. So I always pop mine in the microwave for a few seconds.

As a note, I made two batches of these. One regular and one gluten-free. The pictures you see here are of the "gluten" muffins, but the gluten-free muffins look and taste very similar.

To make the lemon yogurt muffins, you will need:

For the muffins:
2 cups of all-purpose flour**
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of honey
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups of plain yogurt
1/4 cup of butter, melted
1 tablespoon of lemon zest

For the lemon syrup:
1/3 cup of lemon juice
1/3 cup of sugar
3 tablespoons of water

**For the gluten-free muffins I used the Bette Hagman flour blend

To make the lemon yogurt muffins you will need to:

Preheat oven to 375-degrees.

Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Step 2: In another, somewhat larger bowl, combine the sugar, honey, eggs, yogurt, melted butter, and lemon zest.

Whisk thoroughly.

Step 3: Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and beat until thoroughly combined.

Step 4: Spoon the batter into prepared muffin tins and fill each cup about 2/3 of the way full.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Step 5: While these are cooling, prepare the syrup by combining the lemon juice, sugar, and water into a small sauce pan.

Step 6: Bring to a boil for one minute, then set aside.

Step 7: Gently poke each muffin with a small fork two or three times.

Step 8: Drizzle 2 teaspoon fulls of the syrup over each muffin.

Eat immediately, or store in an airtight container for later consumption. Just don't forget to heat them up first.

Yummy banana chocolate chip muffins

2009-02-19T04:43:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest pleasures I get out of life right now is browsing through the cooking section of the library and finding a new cookbook to read. I am sure that Amazon likes it, too, since I usually end up buying many of the cookbooks I check out of the library.

Recently I found Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, and I snatched it up with glee. There was nothing revolutionary about it, but I enjoy finding new ways of making old favorites.

Like these...

...banana chocolate chip muffins.

Doesn't it look scrumptious? And you want to know a secret?

That is the gluten-free one.

Doesn't look gluten-free, does it?

When I find a new recipe to try out that isn't originally gluten-free, I will make it using all-purpose flour to begin with, that way I know what it is supposed to look, feel, and taste like. Then I match up one of my gluten-free flour blends to re-create it for Peter and Emma.

Yes, that means I have to do twice the amount of baking. And yes, that means I get to do twice the amount of taste-testing.

Yummm...

So ready to learn how to make these? The original recipe called for a teaspoon of espresso powder, but I skipped that part. But other than that, it is a straight-forward and rather easy recipe to follow. I was able to make both batches in about an hour.

To make the banana chocolate chip muffins, you will need:

1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour**
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

**To make this gluten-free, substitute the all-purpose flour with the same amount of your favorite gluten-free flour blend. I used Carol Fenster's Sorghum Flour Blend. I also added 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum.

To make the banana chocolate-chip muffins, you will need to:

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees and spray a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Or use muffin liners.

Step 1: Select 3-4 medium bananas, like this...

...and mash them really good, like this...

Step 2: In the same bowl, add the sugars...

...butter...

...and milk and egg.

Then mix thoroughly.

Step 3: In another bowl, add the flour (and xanthan gum if making it gluten-free), baking soda, and salt.

Whisk together just until combined.

Step 4: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Then gently fold in the chocolate chips...

Step 5: Fill each cup about 3/4 of the way full and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.

They will come out of the oven looking like this...

...then breaking them open...

Go ahead, give them a try. They go great with a cup of coffee.

Wine-braised chicken

2009-02-15T19:09:00.000-08:00

I recently found this recipe in the February/March issue of Fine Cooking, and they described it as a modern take on coq au vin, a classic French dish of chicken cooked in red wine. It called for things such as shallots and pancetta. And they used white wine instead of the usual red variety.

I did not have pancetta or shallots on hand, but I really wanted to try it out because it looked so good on the cover. So I bill this as Jacki's version of coq au vin.

And you know what? Even without the pancetta, it was delicious.

So here is my version of the recipe. To get the original, click here.

To make the wine-braised chicken, you will need:

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
2 small or 1 large onion, sliced
2 cups of fruity white wine
3 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
salt and pepper
dried parsley, to taste
dried thyme, to taste

To make the wine-braised chicken, you will need to:

Position rack in the bottom third of the oven and pre-heat the oven to 300-degrees.

Step 1: Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Step 2: Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and arrange the chicken skin-side down in the dutch oven.

Cook until skin is browned, around 5 minutes. Then flip over to brown the other side for about 5 more minutes

Step 3: Remove chicken from the dutch oven and keep warm on a plate while you repeat the process with the next batch.

Step 4: Heat 2 more tablespoons of olive oil in the dutch oven and cook the onions until they are lightly browned.

Then add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Make sure to stir the onions and garlic frequently!

Step 5: Add the wine along with the parsley, thyme and bay leaf to the pot and scrape the bottom of the dutch oven in order to loosen all the brown bits.

Step 6: Add the chicken to the pot and arrange in one or two layers.

Step 7: Add the broth to the pot, then transfer the pot to the oven.

Bake for about 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is tender and nearly falling off the bone.

Step 8: Transfer the chicken to a platter and bring the sauce to a boil for about 15 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper if desired.

Enjoy!

Cheese Puff Crackers

2009-02-10T06:39:00.000-08:00

After a year of eating gluten-free, we have pretty much found substitutes for all of the foods Emma used to love.

Except Goldfish crackers.

We have found different brands of gluten-free crackers, but none come close to the crunchy goodness of those little goldfishes. Most taste like the cardboard box they come in, and the "good" ones come at a steep price.

So the other day I came across a cheese cracker recipe I had printed off a while ago and forgotten about, and decided to try it out.

They were a big hit with Emma, but she calls them cheese puffs instead of crackers, since they are puffy.

As a note, I doubled the recipe, but I am sharing the recipe as it would be for a single recipe.

To make the cheese crackers, you will need:

4 ounces of cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup of softened butter
3/4 cup of cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of milk
3/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
your choice of dried herbs or spices for the topping

To make the cheese puffs, you will need to:

Preheat oven to 400-degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper

Step 1: Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly, until it resembles a fine crumb.

Step 2: Add the milk and beat well, until it forms a dough.

Step 3: Roll dough out on a lightly-greased surface to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into small squares or use cookie cutters.

I used our Wilton Mini Noah-s Ark cookie cutters.

Step 4: Place crackers on a baking sheet and prick with a fork. Season lightly with salt or other toppings of your choice.

Step 5: Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until the edges are slightly browned. The bottoms will have more color than the tops.

Now that I know the recipe is easy and Emma likes them, I am going to experiment with different cheeses. I think parmesan might be good to dunk in soups.

Enjoy!

Baked Apple Crisp

2009-02-10T04:39:00.000-08:00

You know those books out there, like Simply Delicious, that teach you ways to trick your kids into eating more fruits and veggies by hiding it in their favorite foods?

Yeah.

In our house, Emma is not the problem. She loves fresh fruits like apples...pears...grapes. Peter is the one that will not eat his 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day. He will simply not eat any kind of fruit or vegetable unless it is cooked.

So I get him to eat apples by hiding them in things like pies and apple crisps.

He takes these apple crisps to work with him and eats them as his breakfast. They are also delicious served with a scoop or two of ice cream in the evenings. This recipe is based on a recipe I found on the Joy of Baking website, but I have omitted some of the ingredients like nutmeg and pecans.

To make the apple crisps, you will need:

These can be made in any sort of dish you have on hand...a 9-inch deep dish pie pan, an 8x8 glass baking dish (like Pyrex) or individual ramekins.

Topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I used my favorite gluten-free blend)
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of salt
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/3 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats, not the quick-cooking kind. (I used the gluten-free Bob's Red Mill brand)

Filling:

2 1/2 pounds (approximately 6 cups) of apples, peeled and sliced
1-2 tablespoons of light brown sugar

To make the apple crisps, you will need to:

Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Grease baking dish(es) with butter or cooking spray.

Step 1: Place flour in a food processor.

Step 2: Then add the brown sugar.

Step 3: Then add the granulated sugar.

Step 4: Then add the cinnamon and salt (and nutmeg is you so desire)

Step 5: Then add the butter, cutting it into chunks.

Step 6: Last, add the rolled oats.

Step 7: Process until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Step 7: After you have prepared the topping, peel and core the apples. Arrange them in your serving dish(es).

Step 8: Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples.

Step 9: Bake at 375-degrees for 30-40 minutes (20-25 if using individual serving dishes), or until the apple crisp is nicely browned and the juices are bubbling. Cool for about half an hour before serving.

Turkey Burger Drumsticks

2009-02-04T04:38:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I will allow Emma to eat like a kid and make her something fun to eat for dinner. Usually I am very picky about what she eats, and make sure to always include some combination of meat, starches, vegetables, fruits and grains with every meal. I guess that is why, at 4 years old, she gets all excited about eating steak for dinner.

So the other night I made a fun meal for her that I found out of the February 2009 issue of Rachel Ray Magazine....turkey drumsticks. She loved them. So did Peter for that matter. I had to keep reminding him that they were for her.

It's a very easy recipe to make, requiring only 4 ingredients, wooden skewers, and a pan to fry them in!

So let's get started.

To make the turkey drumsticks you will need:

1 lb. of ground turkey
1 can (5 ounce) of evaporated milk
2 cups of crushed cornflakes or other cereal (I used gluten-free rice crispies)
12 small cubes of medium-hard cheese (I used 3 mozzarella cheese sticks)

See, I told you it doesn't require much!

To make the turkey drumsticks you will need to:

Step 1: Mix the turkey, 1/4 cup of evaporated milk, and 2/3 cup of crushed cereal in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Then divide the turkey mixture into 12 small balls.

Step 2. Take one cube of cheese and slide it onto a skewer. Repeat until you have finished all 12.

Step 3. Take each mound of turkey and form it into a 3-inch oval around the cube of cheese, like this:

Step 4. Dip each drumstick into the remaining evaporated milk.

Step 6. Then dip each drumstick into the remaining crushed cereal.

Step 7. Heat 2 tablespoons olive or cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat and fry the drumsticks until done.

Serve immediately.

Now that I know Emma likes them, I am going to experiment with different cheeses and dipping sauces.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

2009-01-28T19:19:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: The author of this blog is not responsible for any weight gained by looking at the following pictures, or through the consumption of these yummy treats.

I found this recipe via a new baking blog that I have discovered, Bakarella, which is now my favorite baking blog. Bakarella is pure eye candy. Go on, check it out. But just don't forget about my humble little blog. Please.

But anywho, back to the brownies. These brownies combine two of the most popular baked goods around...chocolate chip cookies and fudgy brownies. Heavenly. And, really, what else do you need to know, other than that they are delicious and you should make them?

The recipe originated from Betty Crocker, but of course since I have to make things gluten-free, I used our favorite gluten-free chocolate-chip cookie dough recipe and a package Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Brownie Mix.

So, to make the cookie dough brownies, you will need:

A batch of your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough mix
A batch of your favorite brownie mix
A package of your favorite chocolate frosting

Easy enough, right?

To make the brownies, you will need to:

Step 1: Prepare the cookie dough and brownie mix according to directions.

Step 2: Drop cookie dough into the brownie nix by rounded teaspoon or tablespoon, depending on how large you want the drops of dough to be.

The pan I am using is a Christmas from my parents...a square muffin-type pan. I love using it...makes perfectly-sized portions. Unless you are Peter and you eat two at a time because you claim they are too small.

Step 3: Bake the brownies according to directions and let cook before frosting.

Step 4: Make cookies with any left over cookie dough.

Tilapia with romaine lettuce and lemon

2009-01-28T19:01:00.001-08:00

This recipe is based very loosely on a recipe I found in the recent issue of Martha Stewart's Every Day Food. I say loosely because I did not have salmon or escarole, as the recipe called for. I had tilapia and romaine lettuce. Thus, my recipe is called Tilapia with romaine and lemon.

And I must say that, even though I do not know what escarole tastes like, and what the salmon with the escarole should taste like, I was rather pleased with my substitutions. It was a very pleasant tasting dinner. Even my sister, who hates fish with a passion, admitted that it smelled good while it was cooking.

So, to make the tilapia with romaine, you will need:

4 tilapia fillets (or salmon)
2 head of romaine lettuce (or escarole)
1 whole lemon
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup of water
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

To make the dish, you will need to:

Step 1: Thinly slice the lemon, onion, and garlic.

Step 2: Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot. Cook the onion and garlic over medium heat until golden brown.

Step 3: Stir in the lettuce and 1/2 cup of water. Arrange the fish fillets over the lettuce, season with salt and pepper, and then place two slices of lemon over each fillet.

Step 4: Cover the Dutch oven and cook until the fish is done, about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Slow-Cooked South Carolina Pulled Pork

2009-01-24T18:59:00.000-08:00

I am not really a sandwich kind of girl, but I do make an exception for pulled meat sandwiches (such as pulled pork or beef or BBQ chicken) on delicious, crusty buns. So I am always looking for new ways of creating old favorites.

This particular recipe is from the January 14, 2009 issue of the Washington Post Food Section, and as the name suggests, it is made in a slow cooker. My mouth watered while reading it, so I knew I had to try it. And lucky me, I had a pork roast just waiting for an occasion such as this.

To make the pulled pork, you will need:

3 pound boneless pork shoulder
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 teaspoons of hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon of onion salt
2 tablespoons of paprika
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons of pure chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

To make the pulled pork, you will need to:

Step 1: Combine the onion salt, paprika, 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar, chili powder, allspice, and black pepper in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the mixture, and rub the rest over the pork. Wrap in plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for an hour or overnight.

Step 2: Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and brown the pork roast on all sides.

Step 3: When finished browning, transfer the roast to the slow cooker.

Step 4: Add the vinegar and remaining tablespoon of spice mixture to the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.

Step 5: Pour this mixture over the pork roast.

By this time your kitchen is going to smell heavenly.

Step 6: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-10 hours, until the pork is fork tender. I cooked mine for about 8 hours and it probably should have gone longer. But we were hungry.

Step 7: Take the pork roast out of the slow cooker and cut into 1/2-inch slices.

Step 8: Use a fork or two to shred the slices into bite-size pieces.

Step 9: Put the pieces into a bowl, then add any accumulated juices from the slow cooker to the bowl and stir.

Serve on a crusty bun with your favorite side dishes. I chose to serve french fries from 5 Guys. I don't make everything I serve from scratch.

Rhubarb Brown Sugar Crumble

2009-01-22T04:42:00.000-08:00

I will admit that I am not a fan of rhubarb. It's a strange plant. It looks like a fruit, but it is actually a vegetable. And it is too tart for my taste. I prefer the sweet taste of strawberries and raspberries. But Peter is a big fan of it, having grown up with a grandmother who grew it in her garden and made yummy treats out of it. Believe me, I have heard all the stories.

Come to find out, rhubarb has been around for a long time. The Chinese cultivated it centuries ago for medicinal purposes. They used it to treat stomachaches and fevers and traded along with tea. I am sure this is how it made it's way around the world. It wasn't until the 19th century that people began cooking with rhubarb, finally deciding that, when sweetened, it can make some tasty desserts.

Cooking with rhubarb is not easy; it requires just the right amount of sweetener to bring out its earthy flavor. Too much sugar and you ruin it.

So one day I finally gave into Peter's hints, and immersed myself into learning how to cook rhubarb. I found this recipe in the Spring 2008 issue of Fine Cooking, and I must say it was a success. I still don't like rhubarb, but Peter gobbles it up. Guess that means it's good.

To make the crumble you will need...

FOR THE TOPPING:
1 cup of all-purpose flour (or your favorite gluten-free flour blend)
1 cup of lightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats (or your favorite gluten-free brand)
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

FOR THE FILLING:
2 lbs. of rhubarb
1 cup of lightly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup of cornstarch
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
2 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon of salt

To make the Rhubarb Brown Sugar Crumble you will need to...

Step 1. Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350-degrees F.

Step 2. Grease an 8x8-inch square glass baking dish with 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter.

Step 3. Combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor and pulse several times to combine. Then add the butter and pulse until it has a coarse texture, like this:

Step 4. Clean and trim the rhubarb, then slice into approximately 1/3-inch pieces, like this:

Step 5: In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt, like this:

Step 6. Stir mixture with a large spatula until the rhubarb is evenly coated, like this:

Step 7. Scrape the rhubarb mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the topping, covering evenly.

Step 9. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned and the juices are bubbling around the edges. Cool for about an hour on a wire rack.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. I am told that is delicious.

Grandma's Italian Meatballs

2009-01-07T19:43:00.001-08:00

While the sauce is simmering, you must prepare the meatballs. I will warn you, this is not a quick process. It takes time. But it is so worth it.

Much like she did with the pasta sauce, she instilled in me many things while making the meatballs. First, only use 80% ground beef. Nothing more, nothing less. They need just the right amount of fat. Second, save the ends (heels) of all loaves of bread from now on. You will need them for the meatballs. Third, I need a kitchen scale because she is adamant about using exactly 2 lbs. of ground beef. Otherwise, the ratio of meat to other ingredients will not be right. Fourth, use only Romano Cheese, no Parmesan or the like. Romano. Fifth, do not add onions.

Note: This recipe calls for 4 lbs. of ground beef. If you do not want to make that many meatballs (but trust me, you will), just cut the ingredients in half.

To make the meatballs you will need:

* 4 lbs of 80% ground beef
* 2 eggs
* 5 bread heels (but if you don't have heels, slices will do)
* 3 cloves of minced garlic
* Romano CHeese
* Parsley
* Salt and Pepper to taste

To make the meatballs, you will need to:

Step 1. Add meat to a large bowl.

Step 2. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3. Add eggs.

Step 4. Add 1 handful of parsley, or more if desired.

Step 5. Add Romano cheese.

By now everything should look like this:

Step 6. Soak the bread slices in some water, squish, drain, then add to the ground beef.

What is the purpose of the soaked bread?

Remember the episode of Friends with Ross' special sandwich with the moist maker? Yeah, these slices of bread are the moist makers.

Step 7. Mix all ingredients together by hand until well combined.

If the meat mixture feels to sticky to you, add a little bit of water. The mixture should feel "springy," not sticky. This is something you just feel, and will understand once you've made this a dozen times.

The mixture should look like this:

Step 8. Prepare the pan for frying by putting a good amount of corn or canola oil in a cast-iron pan. A regular non-stick skillet will do, but the meatballs cook best in a cast iron skillet.

Test the oil by placing a small amount of meat in it. Once it starts to sizzle, you know it is ready.

Step 9. Form meatballs into 2-inch round balls.

Step 10. Space meatballs far enough apart so that you have room to turn them.

Step 11. Add minced garlic to the pan.

Step 12. Turn and cook thoroughly.

As you are done with each batch, put them in a bowl and set aside. Do not take out any of the brown bits cooking in the pan. Add more oil if needed and continue cooking meatballs in batches until they are all done.

Step 13. When you have finished cooking all the meatballs, add a can (28-ounce) of water to the skillet.

Step 14. Carefully scrape up all the brown bits at the bottom of the skillet.

Step 15. When all the brown bits are scrapped from the pan, add the gravy to the sauce. Then stir to combine. This is what gives the sauce its rich, meaty flavor.

Once you have done this, add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, so that the sauce cooks into the meatballs.

Grandma's Pasta Sauce

2009-01-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

This pasta sauce recipe comes from my Grandma, Margaret, who learned it from her mom, Grace, as a young girl. My great-grandma immigrated to the US in 1912, when she was 16 years old.

In true old Italian cooking, my grandmother does not measure her ingredients. She feels them, and knows she has enough when the amount in her hand feels right.

While my grandma showed me how to make the sauce, she instilled in me three things. The first being that her mother never used onions, so don't add onions to the recipe. That is a sacrilege. Second, do not use cheap brands of diced tomatoes or tomato pasta. She swears by Hunts or other brands such as Furmano's. Third, you cannot make the sauce without making the meatballs. Trust me, you will see why.

Note: This recipe makes roughly 4 quarts of spaghetti sauce, enough for 2-3 meals. If you don't want to make that much, just use half of each ingredient.

Note #2: It is best to serve this over Penne pasta. The little grooves in the pasta allow for just the right amount of sauce to stick to it.

To make the pasta sauce, you will need:

* large stock pot
* 2 cans (28-ounces each) diced tomatoes, pulsed once in a food processor
* 2 cans (12 ounces each) tomato paste
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 tbsp of corn or canola oil
* 2 tsp sugar
* 2 handfuls of dried parsley (see accompanying picture)
* 1 handful of sweet basil (see accompanying picture)
* 1 handful each of salt and pepper (see accompanying pictures)

To make the pasta sauce, you will need to:

Step 1. Add cooking oil to the stock pot.

Step 2. Add minced garlic and cook for approximately 1 minute, until fragrant.

Step 3. Add tomatoes and 2 cans of water.

Step 4. Add tomato paste. A nifty little trick my grandma showed me is to open both ends of the can and then push through.

Don't forget to scrape it all out of the can.

Then stir to combine all the ingredients.

Step 5. Add a handful of salt.

Step 6. Add a handful of pepper.

Step 7. Add handful of basil.

Step 8. Add 2 handfuls of parsley, crunching each before you add it to the pot.

Step 9. Add the sugar and stir thoroughly. If it is too thick, add more water.

Step 10. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on medium low while you make the meatballs. Sit occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If the sauce becomes to thick for your liking, you can add a little more water.

Step 11. Prepare the meatballs while the sauce is simmering.

The easiest thumbprint cookies

2009-01-01T19:01:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe in the December 2008 issue of Everyday Food, and decided to try something other than my usual repertoire of basic sugar cookies.

And now I am going to add this recipe to my cookie baking rotation. They were delicious! And the good thing is that you can be very versatile with the filling. I chose crushed candy canes and chocolate chips, but you can really add anything you want...jams, jellies, nuts, whatever.

To begin you will need the following ingredients...

1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, warmed to room temperature
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 large egg yolks (do yourself and save the whites for the egg wash)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour

To make the cookies you will need to...

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and salt until the mixture is light and fluffy.

2. Add the yolks one at a time, and scrape the bowl after adding each one.

3. Add the vanilla.

4. Turn the mixer to low and add the flour slowly. Mix just until combined.

5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until firm. This will give you about an hour to go do something else.

6. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.

7. On parchment- (or silicone-) lined backing sheets, drop the dough onto the baking sheet. Use a small 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon to gently press down each center.

8. Fill each center with a small amount of filling.

8. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until done.

9. Enjoy!

Honey Glazed Carrots

2009-01-01T18:53:00.000-08:00

Bored with cooking carrots the same way all the time? Looking for a way to jazz them up?

I was, too, until I found this super easy recipe from the November 2008 edition of Everyday Food. In just 4 easy steps you can whip up sweet, delicious carrots.

First, you will need:

* 1 tbsp vegetable oil
* 2 lbs of carrots, cut into 1-inch circles (or, if you are lazy like me, just buy the already sliced crinkle-cut carrots)
* 1 cup canned chicken broth or water
* 1/2 cup of honey
* 2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
* 2 tbsp butter
* salt and pepper to taste (I left out the pepper)

Then here's what you do:

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat, then add the carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, until they soften and start to turn brown.

2. Add the broth, honey, vinegar and season with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

3. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until the liquid is syrupy. This step took me about 15 minutes.

4. Remove the skillet from the burner, then add butter and stir until the butter has melted. Then enjoy!

Little lemony drops of goodness

2009-01-01T18:45:00.000-08:00

Those who know me well know I love anything lemon. Lemonade, lemon meringue pie, lemon chicken...you name it. So when I found this recipe in a recent magazine, I was excited to try it out.

They are fluffy lemon drops covered in a tart lemon glaze. Y-u-u-m.

Don't they look cute?

Ready to bake?

Here's what you'll need to get started:

For the lemon drops
mini-muffin pan(s)
1 box (18-ounce) lemon cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounce) instant vanilla pudding mix
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup of milk

For the lemon glaze
1 box (1 lb) confectioners sugar
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup hot water

And here's what you'll need to do:

1. Preheat oven to 325-degrees and coat muffin pan(s) with non-stick spray

2. For the lemon drops: beat all ingredients in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed for several minutes until the batter is smooth.

3. Transfer the batter into two 1-gallon ziplock bags. Seal and snip the corner.

4. Pipe batter into prepared muffin pan(s), filling each cup about half way.

5. Bake for about 12 minutes or until done. Cool on a wire rack. Continue until all batter is gone.

6. For the lemon glaze: beat all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.

7. Place wax paper under the wire rack.

8. Dip muffins into glaze to coat tops and sides. Place back on the wire rack until gaze is set.

9. Place each lemon drop into a decorative mini-muffin liner, careful not to eat too many as you do this. Believe me, it is tempting.

These can be stored in an airtight container (with wax paper between each layer) for up to one week. Or you can freeze them unglazed for up to three months.

But you know what? I don't think they will last a week around our house.

Photography courtesy of Peter. Food styling courtesy of me.

Classic Minestrone Soup with Pasta

2009-01-01T14:35:00.000-08:00

There's nothing better on a cold, dreary day than a steaming bowl of homemade soup. And I am always looking for new ways of making my old favorites. Here is a recipe I found in the Soups and Stews Winter 2008 edition of Cook's Illustrated. It is versatile, relatively easy to make, and full of flavor.

Feel free to mix it up with your favorite veggies and other add-ins such as rice instead of pasta.

So here is what you will need:
* 2 cups of carrots, peeled and diced
* 2 small onions, peeled and diced
* 2 medium celery stalks, trimmed and diced
* 2 medium zucchini, trimmed and diced
* 3 cups spinach leaves, cut into thin strips (or get the frozen like I did)
* 1 can (28-ounce) diced tomatoes, drained
* 8 cups chicken broth (I used Progresso Chicken Broth, because it is gluten-free)
* 1 can (15-ounce) can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
* 1 cup macaroni pasta, cooked

Here is what you do:
1. Bring vegetables, tomatoes, chicken broth and 1 tsp. salt to a boil in a large pot .
2. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until the vegetables are tender (about an hour).
3. Add beans and cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Ladle into bowls and add desired amount of pasta. I do this so that the pasta doesn't get limp or soak up all the broth.

Storage hints:
Refrigerator: Soup can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days
Freezer: Soup can be frozen for up to one month. I always make more than we will eat and freeze the rest for quick lunches.