Pecans, Pralines and a touch of Craft

New Blog

2011-02-17T15:26:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone, I have decided to move over to wordpress and rename my blog. Hope you enjoy it!

Mac and Cheddar Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli

2010-01-16T18:30:00.008-06:00

This is a great mac and cheese recipe if you are looking for a whole meal in one. We have had it a few times and when I made it last time I used the leftover chicken from my chicken dijonnaise. I am so glad I thought of this and it is a great way to use your leftover chicken (especially if your leftover chicken had mustard on it)!

I often watch Rachael Ray to get ideas for dinner and this is one of her mac and cheese recipes. Enjoy!

Mac and Cheese!

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan

1 pound chicken breast tenders, chopped (we used leftover chicken from our Chicken Dijonnaise)

salt and pepper

1 small onion, chopped (we used frozen diced onion)

1 pound macaroni elbows or cavatapi corkscrew shaped pasta twists

2 1/2 cups raw broccoli florets, available packaged in produce department (we used frozen florets)

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

3 cups whole milk

1 cup chicken stock

3 cups yellow sharp Cheddar

1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard

Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni.

Heat a medium pan over medium to medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Saute a couple of minutes then add onion and cook another 5 to 7 minutes until onions are tender and chicken is cooked through. Turn off heat and reserve.

To boiling pasta water, add pasta and salt to season the cooking water. Cook 5 minutes, then add broccoli and cook 3 minutes more or until pasta is cooked to al dente and florets are just tender.

While pasta cooks, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt, then add flour, cayenne and paprika and whisk together over heat until roux bubbles then cook a minute more. Whisk in milk and stock and raise heat a little to bring sauce to a quick boil. Simmer sauce to thicken about 5 minutes.

Drain macaroni or pasta and broccoli florets. Add back to pot and add chicken to the pasta and broccoli.

Add cheese to milk sauce and stir to melt it in, about a minute or so. Stir in mustard and season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli and cooked pasta and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings, transfer to a large serving platter and serve.

Chicken Dijonnaise

2010-01-16T17:51:00.006-06:00

My husband and I absolutely LOVE this dish. This is right up there with Chicken Marbella. In fact, it is from the same cookbook, The Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. This is a really nice, simple dish that we serve with rice and broccoli. We love to drizzle the sauce over the whole plate and dig in! Enjoy!

Chicken Dijonnaise

1 Chicken (2 1/2 to 3 lbs.), quartered-- I don't do this, I just buy chicken drumsticks and thighs since thats what my husband likes.

1/3 cup mustard- we use three types: Mild & Creamy dijon mustard (made with white wine), Harvest coarse ground with whole mustard seeds and Regular Dijon mustard (all three are Grey Poupon). Also this measurement is only for spreading on the chicken, we add more mustard when making the sauce to have more of it.

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup vermouth or dry white wine (we use the wine)

1/2 cup Creme Fraiche or heavy cream- we use the creme fraiche. For us you can buy it in 8oz containers and we use the whole container when making the sauce, so instead of a 1/2 cup we use 1 cup.

Salt, to taste

Coat the chicken with the mustard and set it in a bowl, covered to marinate at room temperature for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Arrange the chicken, skin side up, in a flameproof baking dish. Scrape out any mustard remaining in the bowl and spread it evenly over the chicken. Season lightly with salt and pepper and pour the wine around the chicken.

Set the dish on the center rack of the oven and bake, basting occasionally, until the chicken is done, 1 hour. You may have to bake the dark meat sections for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Scrape the mustard off the chicken and back into the backing dish (I always use a small sauce pan, it is easier for us). Transfer the chicken pieces to a serving platter, cover and keep warm.

Skim as much fat as possible from the cooking juices and set the baking dish over medium heat (or small sauce pan) This is where I add extra mustard (I always add equal amounts of all 3 kinds and I just add as much as I think will make enough sauce to our liking). Bring to a boil, whisk in the creme fraiche and lower the heat. Simmer the sauce until it is reduced by about one third, 5 to 10 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Taste, correct the seasoning if needed and spoon sauce over the chicken (and sides if you wish). Serve hot or at room temperature.

Yummy Steak

2010-01-11T22:05:00.004-06:00

One night we really wanted steak one night so I came up with this little recipe. It is really simple and tastes great.

I used these ingredients:

Fresh chopped Rosemary

chopped garlic

Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

I didn't measure anything out, just eyeballed it. First I salt and peppered them and then coated each side in the rosemary, garlic and worcestershire sauce. I let the steak marinate for about an hour before we cooked them.

It came out great! We did a simple baked potato as a side.

Do you remember "The Next Food Network Star" season that ended a while back?

2010-01-05T21:04:00.005-06:00

This recipe is from the last season of "The Next Food Network Star". My husband and I really liked the show and thought Melissa d'Arabian's pilot she auditioned with on the last episode was great and I decided to make her recipes from the show.

5 Minute Individual Potato Gratins

Vegetable spray

2 large russet potatoes, roughly peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese

2 green onions, finely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

¾ heavy cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray 8 muffin tins with vegetable spray. Layer potato slices, cheese, and onions into each muffin cup. Season with salt and pepper and top each gratin with 1 or 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Cover with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, removing the foil halfway through cooking time. Invert gratins onto plate and serve.

Flexible 4-Step Chicken for Family and Company - Rustic Lemon-Onion Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves,

1 teaspoon dried thyme, plus 1 small bunch fresh thyme, leaves chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup white wine, optional

1 cup chicken broth

3 lemons, juiced

1 to 2 tablespoons butter

Season chicken with dried thyme and salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the oil. Dredge the chicken in flour, add to the hot oil and saute until cooked through. Set chicken aside to rest on plate tented with foil.

In same saute pan, over low heat, add onions and fresh thyme and cook until aromatic.

In a measuring cup, measure out wine, if using, and broth, and add the lemon juice. Turn the heat up to high, and deglaze the pan with the broth mixture until starting to reduce.

Remove the pan from the heat and finish the sauce by whisking in butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Cinnamon Cake with Nutella Buttercream

2010-01-05T20:33:00.003-06:00

I used this recipe for my mom's birthday cake back in July (shows how far behind I am!!) I got this idea from these wonderful little cake bites that I have made before (didn't get a picture but they are soooo good!). If you get a chance read the blog, she has some amazing stuff on there especially recipes having to do with Nutella.

Cinnamon Nutella Cake Bites

Cake recipe from Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

Makes approximately enough cake for 2 8/9 inch rounds

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

double pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups whole milk

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2- 8 inch round baking pans, and line bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Place pan on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, the 2 1/2 cups sugar, the baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together milk, eggs and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture, and whisk gently until you have a homogenous batter. Now, using the whisk or rubber spatula, fold in the butter with a light touch until the butter is absorbed. You'll have a smooth satiny batter. Scrape the batter into the pans. Smooth the top. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until cake is puffed and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. A thin knife inserted into the middle will come out clean. Transfer cakes to a cooling rack, and let it rest for 15 minutes before unmolding them onto another rack. Peel off the paper, and cool to room temperature.

Nutella Buttercream

I believe I almost tripled the recipe to make sure I had enough..besides, who doesn't like snacking on buttercream??
1 cup unsalted butter, softened

3 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 cup Nutella

Mix butter until smooth and creamy. Add in Nutella and mix until nice and fluffy.

Add sugar 1 cup at a time until smooth. This will take about 3 to 5 minutes to get the desired consistency.

Carrot Ginger Cupcakes with Orange Ginger Frosting

2009-10-29T15:33:00.006-05:00

My absolutely wonderful brother sent me this recipe to include in my blog since I have been MIA for awhile. Unfortunately, he gave it to me a month ago! Sorry Earle! Well here it is and I can't wait to try it. Enjoy!

You can find the recipe here.

Here are the great pictures he sent:

What's been going on?

2009-10-29T15:06:00.003-05:00

So if you have wondered why I haven't been posting lately, it's because we are expecting! We are so excited and can't wait to find out what we are having in December. I am 12 1/2 weeks and due May 10, 2010.

I never thought that I would be one of those pregnant women who couldn't stand to cook early on in their pregnancy. I was sure this couldn't happen because I love food too much! Well it happened and I took a break from blogging. Now I am back and have lots of posts to catch up on. Please continue to enjoy reading my blog!

Nola Potatoes

2009-09-12T13:36:00.003-05:00

These potatoes are amazing! We had these with the ratatouille and some steak. I would definitely make these again!

Ratatouille

2009-09-12T13:24:00.002-05:00

I have made this a few times and I got it from one of the cooking blogs I frequent. It is an amazing dish and she is a phenomenal cook! Enjoy!

Before baking:

Beer Can Chicken

2009-07-23T19:47:00.006-05:00

I am so behind in my blogging but this recipe we made while in Colorado in July. This is one of those recipes that everyone makes at some point while they are up at the ranch, it is kind of like a tradition. The box for the beer can chicken said you only need one whole chicken, 1 12oz. can of beer, 2 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons of cajun spices (one tablespoon for the beer can and one to use as a rub on the chicken). Pretty simple and very good! I decided that I would add my own touch to this recipe so I went to the pantry and found a few things to add to the rub. Here is my version of the beer can chicken recipe:

Beer Can Chicken

For the Rub:

1 tbs. cajun seasoning

1/2 tbs granulated garlic powder

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

2 tbs. lemon juice

1/2 stick unsalted butter (melted)

Prepare the beer can with the beer (of course), worcestershire sauce and cajun spice. Set the beer can in the holder for the chicken. Place the chicken over it. Brush the chicken with the melted butter and mix the seasonings together for the rub in a bowl. With your hands or brush, coat the chicken completely with the rub. Also, take a quarter of an onion and stick it in the top of the chicken to keep the moisture from the beer mixture in and don't forget to put something to catch the juices that Cook the chicken on the grill on medium, indirect heat until the thigh juices run clear.

Colorado Pictures

2009-07-18T14:45:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures from Colorado, can't wait to go back in August!

Photos are property of Blue Mars Photography, used with permission.

S'mores! and a Variation

2009-07-18T14:05:00.006-05:00

We recently went on a small vacation to our family's ranch in Colorado. It was our first time to go by ourselves and we had a blast! The next couple of posts are about the food I made while there. It was a nice and relaxing weekend in the mountains. I have also included some pictures of our beautiful surroundings! Enjoy!

Everyone knows how to make a s'more but incase you don't here it goes...

You need:

marshmallows

graham crackers

chocolate (preferably, hershey)

Over a fire, roast your marshmallows until they have reached your desired "doneness".

Take a graham cracker and break in half to make a "sandwich". Place a piece of chocolate on one and on top of that place your warm marshmallow and replace with the other side of graham cracker. Enjoy! So yummy!

Variation on a Theme- Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows with Crushed Graham Crackers

So not wanted to make s'mores again the same way the next night, I decided to try and recreate the s'more in another way.

This uses the same ingredients as above. For this I used about 10 marshmallows, 2 chocolate bars and 1 graham cracker.

Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate bars. While the chocolate is melting, take the graham cracker and put it in a freezer bag and close it up. Take a pan and beat it into tiny pieces, set aside.

When the chocolate has melted dip a marshmallow into the chocolate until it has been completely covered. Set the marshmallow on a plate to cool. Do this with each marshmallow until done.

Sprinkle the tops of the marshmallows with the graham crackers and set in freezer until completely cooled. Enjoy!

Oreo Cupcakes

2009-07-18T13:38:00.004-05:00

These were absolutely amazing!!! One of my favorite cookies is an oreo so when I found this recipe I had to try it. Also, while you are checking out the recipe, take a look at her blog, it is fantastic! I love seeing what she posts about. I hope you enjoy my pictures!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Peach and Strawberry Filling

2009-07-18T12:44:00.005-05:00

I have heard of people talking how wonderful the Magnolia Bakery vanilla cupcakes are and so I had to try them. I found the recipe on Food Network but decided to use this buttercream recipe. I added my own twist to the recipe by adding a fruit compote to the middle of the cupcake. This would also be good on pancakes (or french toast)!

Peach and Strawberry Filling

4 fresh peaches, chopped into small chunks

1/4 cup or so of strawberry whole fruit perserves

1 lemon, zested, with a small amount of juice

Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl then transfer to a small pan and reduce it down for about 15 minutes. While the filling is reducing, I started the cupcakes. When the cupcakes are ready to into the cupcake papers, scoop enough of the cupcake mixture to fill the paper half way up and then add a tablespoon full of the filling.

Fill the remaining paper with the cupcake mixture. Repeat with all 24 cupcake holders. Bake has directed in the recipe.

While the cupcakes were baking I made the buttercream recipe I have linked above. It is probably the best buttercream I have ever tasted!

The cupcakes were great!

Salmon with Peach-Mango Salsa

2009-07-17T15:01:00.004-05:00

I love fresh peaches and decided to try putting them on salmon. It was really good. I tried my best to include measurements for the ingredients but I just threw things together because they sounded good. It sure was good!

Salmon with Peach-Mango Salsa

2 pieces of Salmon

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

half of a freshly chopped shallot

2 freshly diced peaches (no skin)

2 tablespoons mango preserves

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Mix the parsley, shallots, peaches and mango preserves into a mixing bowl and set aside.

Preheat the oven for 375. Prepare a baking sheet with some olive oil and place the salmon on top so it won't stick to the pan. Salt and Pepper to taste. Spoon a little of the mixture on each salmon and put in the oven until salmon is done. (I didn't check my times.....)

Chinese Five Spice Chicken with Ginger-Scented Rice and Snow Peas with Almonds

2009-07-01T22:32:00.006-05:00

This is such a great dish! I have made it a couple of times before and it is very much a crowd pleaser! The recipe came from Bon Appetit magazine which I received a subscription gift from my Mother in Law. (I have THE best In-Laws ever!) I have used this particular issue on numerous occasions in fact, it is the same issue that my crab cakes came from! Enjoy!

Chinese Five Spice Chicken

4 garlic cloves, pressed

2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt (I used to taste, 2 tablespoons seems too much).

1 tablespoon freshly cracked pepper (I added this).

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder- I probably used closer to 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons.

1 cut-up chicken (8 pieces; about 3 1/2 pounds) – I used thighs and legs (about 10 pieces).

1 large onion, peeled, cut into 16 wedges

Combine garlic, salt, olive oil, and Chinese five-spice powder in large bowl. Add chicken pieces; turn to coat. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange onion wedges in 13x9x2-inch roasting pan. Arrange chicken, skin side up, atop onions. Roast until chicken is cooked through, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 50 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Arrange chicken and onions on platter and serve.

Snow Peas with Toasted Almonds

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed- The store didn’t have any so I used Sugar Snap, the were great and I also made a 1 pound not a half.

2 teaspoons minced shallot

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and Pepper to taste- I added this.

Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add almonds and cook until golden and fragrant and butter begins to brown, stirring frequently, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add snow peas and shallot; sauté until snow peas are crisp-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; add lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and serve.

Ginger-Scented Rice

1 3-inch-long 1-inch-thick piece fresh ginger, peeled, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces- I used ground ginger… I didn’t really measure, I would a guess maybe 1 tablespoon.

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Using garlic press, squeeze enough fresh ginger into small bowl to measure 1 1/2 tablespoons juice with pulp. (Remember, I used ground ginger, so I skipped this step.) Transfer ginger to small saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cups water, rice, butter, and salt to same pan. Cover; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat; let rice sit 10 minutes. Uncover; fluff rice with fork.

4th of July Flag Cake

2009-07-01T09:38:00.008-05:00

This past weekend, my husband and I went to the lake and we had so much fun with my mom, grandma and my adorable little niece. We were celebrating the 4th together and I decided to make a flag cake I saw in a magazine. It was so good! I did tweak the frosting a bit because it tasted like powdered sugar, it felt griddy and not what I thought it should taste like. Here is the link to the actual recipe (from Family Circle) and this is what I added to the frosting:

Add:

4 oz. cream cheese

add 1 more tablespoon of milk

add 2 more tablespoons of lemon juice

add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest

The rest of the recipe was fine but this really made a difference to the frosting! Enjoy my pictures!

Rachael Ray’s Brandied Tarragon Cream Chicken (Chicken a la Vallee d'Auge), Camembert Rice and Beautiful Summer Salad

2009-06-26T09:49:00.010-05:00

This is another one of those meals you could have over and over again! Sometimes I watch Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals and want to make what she is cooking. This was definitely one of those times! The way she was describing the flavors, I felt like I could smell them through the TV!!!! I paired this dish with a simple summer salad I made, I was going to add mandarin oranges but the chicken smelled so good I forgot!

Rachael Ray’s Brandied Tarragon Cream Chicken (Chicken a la Vallee d'Auge) and Camembert Rice

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 1/2 cups rice

3 cups chicken stock

4 ounces Camembert cheese, cut into small pieces (I found this next to the brie in my local grocery store and I removed the rind of the cheese before putting it the rice)

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast (we only had 3 pieces, no biggie)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

1/4 cup calvados or applejack brandy (I used applejack brandy)

6 large white mushrooms, thinly sliced (I bought the packaged sliced kind-one little packaged crate is enough)

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves (I used 2 ½ to 3 tablespoons, really brings out all the favors)

In a medium sauce pot over medium heat melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add rice and toss to coat, toast 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.

Add stock and bring to a boil. (At this step I decided to pour in 1 ½ tablespoons of the Applejack brandy right from the bottle- it really gave this a great flavor and I plan to do this again the next time I make it). Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 18 minutes, fluff with fork and stir in Camembert to melt.

While the rice cooks, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge chicken lightly in flour and shake off any excess.

Brown chicken 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Remove chicken and reduce heat a little and melt in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Sauté the shallots 3 minutes until soft but not browned.

Remove pan from the heat, add the brandy and ignite with a long kitchen match until the flame subsides.

Return pan to the heat, add mushrooms and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add wine and reduce 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cream and tarragon and slide chicken back into the pan.. Reduce heat to low and simmer 8 to 10 minutes. Place rice and chicken with sauce on a plate and enjoy!

Quick and Beautiful Summer Salad

1 package of Fresh Express Field Greens Salad (or whatever brand you can buy)

1 yellow bell pepper, julienned (not thin)

½ pint to 1 pint strawberries, sliced

1 cucumber sliced

1 package of cherry tomatoes, tomatoes sliced in half

Champagne dressing (enough to lightly coat the salad and to taste)

Salt and Pepper

Take a large salad bowl and combine all ingredients together until well combined, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and then add the dressing. Yum!

Photo Disclaimer

2009-06-24T19:07:00.002-05:00

I love to take pictures of my food and my wonderful husband is a fantastic photographer (see his website here) and has taken lots of my pictures. However, if you have noticed a difference in the quality of my photos over the last couple weeks, it is because I have been using my iphone. Chad's camera has been out of commission and so I have had to resort to other measures. Thanks for understanding!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

2009-06-24T18:40:00.006-05:00

My husband and I absolutely love corned beef and cabbage! We used to go to a restaurant in the town where we lived that had amazing corned beef and cabbage. This is my interruption of that recipe (I wish I could have theirs too!). Enjoy!

Heather’s Yummy Corned Beef and Cabbage with Potatoes and Carrots

1 packaged corned beef roughly 2.5-3lbs with spice pack (when you pick up the package of beef you should see the spice pack on the bottom)

1 16oz bag of small carrots

6 (or so) Red potatoes cut into quarters

½ head of napa cabbage chopped into pieces

1 ½ tablespoons of peppercorns

½ cup brown sugar

2-3 sprigs of dill (chopped)

1 can of Guinness

½ cup heavy cream (roughly 2 tablespoons reserved)

Place the corned beef and spice pack in a dutch oven. Cover with water just until corned beef is covered. Follow directions on the package for the corned beef. That being said, after an hour of cooking, add the brown sugar, peppercorns (whole) and Guinness.

Meanwhile, put chopped cabbage in a sauté pan with butter, olive oil and salt and pepper. Keep on medium heat until cabbage softens.

Towards the last 30 mins of cooking time add in the potatoes and in the last 15 minutes of cooking time add in the carrots.

Take the potatoes and carrots out of the dutch oven and put them in a bowl. Add the chopped dill and pour the cream over the potatoes and carrots, just enough to coat them. Mix together and add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Remove the corned beef from the dutch oven and place on a cutting board and slice pieces to about a ¼ of an inch in thickness.

To serve, arrange corned beef, cabbage and potatoes and carrots on a plate. Spread a few dollops of the creamy mustard sauce on the corned beef and serve!

Creamy Mustard Sauce

4 tablespoons creamy Dijon mustard with white wine

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons heavy cream

In a small bowl, add the 2 mustards and mix well. Slowly pour in the cream. Only add enough cream so that the consistency is creamy but not soupy.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ice Cream

2009-06-23T00:51:00.001-05:00

This was amazing!!!! I made it last week and I can't wait to make it again. Here is the recipe, I didn't change anything so here is where I got the recipe. Hope you enjoy my pictures!!!

Caprese Salad

2009-06-23T00:27:00.001-05:00

This is one of my favorite things to eat, so fresh and so simple, one of life's pure delectable treasures. There are many versions out there and I would recommend trying all of them. Sometimes I serve mine in bowls cut up in pieces but most of the time I do it this way, sliced and pretty. The colors are so vibrant and the presentation is great!

Caprese Salad

3 beefsteak tomatoes

1 bunch of basil

1 ball of fresh mozzarella

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Slice tomatoes and mozzarella into roughly 3/8 of an inch and set aside. Take the basil and pinch off the leaves, as many as needed for the layering of the salad (when you begin layering you will get a better feeling as to how many you will need). I usually just get a few ready and pick off more of the basil later.

To layer the salad, get a small platter and layer tomato first, then mozzarella and then basil. Repeat until all ingredients are used equally. After the layering is finished, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste all over the salad. Finally drizzle a fair amount of olive oil over the layers. Enjoy!

Meal Planning Edit

2009-06-18T10:34:00.000-05:00

So last night we discovered that our corned beef was spoiled so we decided to have left over Chicken Marbella instead. I made a Caprese Salad to go along with it. Pictures to be posted soon! Tonight I am going to stop by the store and make the corned beef. Can't wait!

What's for Dinner?

2009-06-16T22:24:00.000-05:00

I am going to try and post what we are planning to have for the week as far as meals go. So here it goes:

Sunday: Pork Chops in a Creamy Champagne Sauce with rice and broccoli

Monday: Lemon Pepper Chicken with pan sautéed cabbage

Tuesday: Chicken Marbella with brown rice and mashed potatoes

Wednesday: Corned Beef and Cabbage served with a creamy mustard sauce and Red Potatoes, Cabbage, and Carrots in a dill cream sauce

Thursday and Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Stadium food, going to see FC Dallas vs. Columbus Crew

Our Favorite Chicken Dish

2009-06-16T21:40:00.000-05:00

This dish has got to be our absolute favorite chicken dish of all time (maybe even favorite of any dish!). Sure, when you first read the ingredients you see some odd things but it is good! My husband is sort of picky about food and he loves it! The recipe comes from a fantastic cookbook called "The Silver Palate Cookbook" and it is by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. I have three favorites when it comes to cooking: Ina Garten, Giada De Laurentiis, and this cookbook. There are so many wonderful recipes, you can't go wrong!

Chicken Marbella

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup pitted prunes

1/2 cup pitted spanish green olives (don't worry if the olives have pimento, use as is)

1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice (I use a whole 3.5 oz jar of capers with juice- just dump the whole thing)

6 bay leaves

1 head of garlic, peeled and finely pureed (I use my little food processor to puree, takes no time at all)

1/4 cup dried oregano

coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 chickens (2 1/2 pounds each), quartered (I just get a bunch of chicken pieces, I don't reduce the rest of the recipe if I don't have enough chicken)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup fresh italian parsley

Combine all ingredients except for the brown sugar, wine and parsley in a large bowl. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Arrange the chicken in a single layer in one or two large shallow baking pans (I don't do this, I use one dish and it usually contains 10-12 drumsticks and thighs and sometimes things overlap and it is fine). Spoon the marinade over the chicken evenly (This is what the book says but the chicken should be covered in it and go into the pan when you put the chicken in).

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the brown sugar and pour the white wine over the chicken.

Bake, basting frequently with the pan juices, until cooked all the way through (50 mins to an hour).

Take the pan out of the oven and sprinkle the parsley over. Serve.

I like to take to make some rice (tonight I cooked some brown rice) and a veggie and spoon the pan juices over it. It is so good! We have the ingredients on hand all the time to make this so we can have it whenever we want. It is so easy just take 10 mins the night before and put it together. Then when you are ready for dinner, take it out of the fridge, put the sugar and wine on and bake! So yummy!

Banana Nut Bread

2009-06-15T23:01:00.000-05:00

I having been wanting banana nut bread for a really long time. I didn't want to buy some in the store and I have never made it before so I thought I would try. It came out really nice! The recipe I used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose white to be a little more healthy. I also used mini loaf pans instead of one regular pan. If you use a regular pan, follow the original recipe as far as baking time goes. This bread has really nice flavor and I will definitely make it again! Here is the original recipe.

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 soft, ripe bananas, mashed

Cream sugar and shortening; add eggs, flour, baking soda, bananas, and chopped nuts. Pour banana bread batter into 4 greased and floured mini loaf pans; bake at 350 for 45 mins-55 mins, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on wire racks and enjoy!

Pork Chops in a Creamy Champagne Sauce

2009-06-15T16:07:00.000-05:00

This a great recipe when you want something different and special. We like it for an everyday day type of meal. No need to splurge on the champagne, we use Korbel or something like that. It isn't expensive and still has a good taste to drink with our meal. The original recipe is located here.

Pork Chops in Creamy Champagne Sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 pork loin chops (about 5 ounces each)

1/4 cup chopped shallots

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 cup sparkling wine or dry Champagne

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and black pepper and add to hot pan. Cook 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove pork from pan and set aside.

To the same pan, add shallots and cook 2 minutes, until soft. Add thyme and tarragon and cook 1 minute, until fragrant. Add sparkling wine and cook 1 minute.

Whisk flour into milk and add to pan. Return pork to pan and simmer 3 to 5 minutes, until pork is cooked through and sauce thickens.

Serve the pork with the sauce.

I made broccoli and rice to go along side. The sauce tastes good over everything we made to go with the pork! Enjoy!

Chocolate-Hazelnut Gelato

2009-06-13T12:04:00.000-05:00

My husband and I love gelato! On our honeymoon in Rome, we would end every night by the Trevi Fountain with gelato in hand.

I have tried to make this particular gelato a couple of times but with no luck...something wasn't right. Well that something was apparently not letting the custard mixture cool long enough in the fridge. Well, I am happy to say this past week, we have a creamy and wonderful gelato in our freezer (its almost gone too!).

Mac and Cheese

2009-06-09T23:41:00.000-05:00

This Mac and Cheese recipe is one of our all time favorites. It is a "Everyday Italian" recipe (Giada De Laurentiis is awesome!!!) I have always made this recipe to the letter, but not tonight! I decided that I would mix it up and add and substitute some things..... Instead of ham, I choose chicken and I added fresh minced garlic and a dash of cayenne. The original recipe can be found here.

Mac and Cheese

Butter, for greasing dish

12 ounces wide egg noodles

2 cups heavy cream

2 1/2 cups whole milk

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups (packed) grated Fontina

3/4 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan

3/4 cup (packed) grated mozzarella

4 or 5 chicken tender pieces

3 garlic cloves, minced (next time I might add another to make 4- we love garlic!)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Butter a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Drain well, but do not rinse.

Heat some olive oil (extra virgin) in a pan on the stove over medium heat. Take 4 or 5 chicken tender pieces and slice them into small pieces. Season with salt, pepper and a small amount of cayenne pepper and put in the pan. Cook all the way through. Set aside.

Whisk the cream, milk, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl to blend. Stir in 1 cup Fontina, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, chicken, garlic, and parsley. Add the noodles and toss to coat. Transfer the noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Toss the remaining 1 cup Fontina, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1/4 cup mozzarella in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the noodle mixture.

Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts and begins to brown on top, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Chip and Strawberry Pancakes

2009-06-09T12:09:00.000-05:00

I had lots of leftover strawberries from my french toast that I made the other morning so I decided pancakes were in order! This was very good and husband tested and approved! (He isn't that big on strawberries-- or fruit-- for that matter). He really liked them and asked if I could make them again soon. Yay!

The recipe is from Food Network and I added sliced strawberries and semi-sweet chocolate chips. We also added some homemade whipped cream on top! Yum!

BBQ Pulled Pork

2009-06-08T22:34:00.000-05:00

3.5 lbs. of pork shoulder + 1 Bottle of Dr. Pepper Barbecue Sauce= One very happy Husband!

There were lots of inspiration and help with this pulled pork recipe but the main thing was this Dr. Pepper Barbecue sauce we use. We have used it on chicken mainly but now it will be used to make this recipe! Talk about finger-licking good and messy! The smells coming from the crockpot all day were so yummy it was hard to wait until it was all done! Also, I must thank my wonderful mother and brother for the crockpot!!!! It is so awesome and it will get lots of use!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I will say right off the bat, I didn't measure the seasonings that I put on the pork. I just did enough until it looked covered. I used for this recipe:

1 3.5 lbs. pork shoulder

1 cup water

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Chili Powder (a lot less than the others at least half)

1 bottle of Dr. Pepper Barbecue Sauce

2 store bought Kaiser rolls

I put the pork shoulder in the crockpot on the lowest setting after seasoning with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder all over the cut of meat. I then poured 1 cup of water over it in the crockpot.

I covered it for approx. 1 1/2 hours and then turned the pork over and turn it on high. A couple of hours later I turned the heat back down to low and turned the shoulder over again.

After another couple of hours it was starting to get tender, so I took out the bone and removed most of the liquid. I then started to shred the meat and pour half of the bottle of sauce and replaced the lid of the crockpot.

About 6 hours into cooking (so 30-45 mins later), I shredded some more of the meat (the last that really became tender) and pour the last half of the barbecue sauce on it and mixed it in with the pork. I let it sit covered on low heat while I got the plates and sliced the rolls open. It was so good!!!

Dill Fingerling Potatoes

2009-06-08T16:28:00.000-05:00

I made these potatoes from Barefoot Contessa. I didn't change anything so I am only going to post the link and the pictures I took.

Also, I have included some pictures of the table last night and our cake. The cake was really good considering it has been frozen for a year, we were quite surprised!

Rosemary-Garlic Steaks with Arugula, Tomatoes and Parmigiano-Reggiano

2009-06-08T15:43:00.000-05:00

I saw this recipe on Rachael Ray the other day and thought this would be the perfect dinner for our one year anniversary. It was the best steak I had ever had! It was so juicy and delicious and the salad was great too! The original recipe can be found here.

Rosemary-Garlic Steaks with Arugula, Cherry Tomatoes and Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 London Broil steaks, 1-inch thick, about 10 to 12-ounces each

2 cloves garlic, cracked from skin and halved

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons

4 sprigs rosemary very finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper or grill seasoning, if desired

4 cups arugula leaves

1 pint multi-color, yellow or red cherry tomatoes, halved

1 lemon

Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating

Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high to high.

Rub room temperature meat with cut garlic. Drizzle the meat with olive oil, rub with rosemary and season liberally with salt and pepper or grill seasoning. Cook steaks 4-5 minutes on each side for medium rare, let rest.

Dress greens and halved tomatoes with the juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper. Place salad next to steak on plate and garnish with long grates of cheese made with vegetable peeler.

My Husband's Favorite Mimosas

2009-06-08T14:48:00.000-05:00

When we were dating, we would go to a favorite restaurant all the time. They had amazing food and the bartender made fantastic drinks. One drink that we liked was a Mimosa but it was a little different then your traditional orange juice and champagne. I don't know if the bartender put anything else in the drink to make it taste the way it did, but this is my version of what he made. I made these for our 1 year anniversary breakfast along with the french toast to surprise my wonderful husband.

No Ordinary Mimosa

1 bottle of any sparkling rosé (or you can use a brut)

1 jar of maraschino cherries in juice

orange juice

Take two champagne flutes and pour each half way up with champagne. Next, pour in the orange juice until the glasses are full. Drop in one cherry in each glass and let it float to the bottom. Take a small spoon and get some of the juice of the maraschino cherries and pour a tiny bit into each of the glasses. Enjoy! And of course, you can repeat this process if you want another glass or two......

Stuffed French Toast with Strawberry Compote

2009-06-08T14:13:00.000-05:00

I wanted to make something really special for our anniversary yesterday and got this recipe from a person on a cooking board I frequent. I made some changes of my own and if you would like to see her original post go here.

I hope you enjoy! It was really delicious!

French Toast:

2 eggs, beaten well 

½ cup milk, I used 1% organic milk  

seeds from 1/4 of a vanilla bean 

pinch nutmeg 

bigger pinch cinnamon 

2 tbs. honey 

4 slices of bread, I used Central Market Honey Wheat 

2 tbs. butter, plus another tbs. if needed

½ package of regular cream cheese, sliced into 6 flat pieces

First, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla bean, nutmeg, cinnamon and honey in a mixing bowl. Then, lay bread slices out on a large 9×13″ pan. Pour mixture over the bread. After 5 minutes or so, flip bread and let soak some more. In a pan, melt the butter (med-high heat). Add bread and cook about 3 min on each side until starts to brown. If you need more butter, add the extra butter. After the bread is done, set aside to make the compote and whipped cream.

Strawberry Compote:

In the original post, it calls for lemon balm. I couldn't find any lemon balm so I substituted some mint and lemon zest. It turned out well.

1 qt. fresh strawberries 

2 tbs. brown sugar

zest of most of one lemon

2 sprigs fresh mint

Add strawberries and brown sugar to pan, mash with fork, on medium heat. Stir often, keep mashing strawberries as you go, let come to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until sauce reduces and thickens a bit, add in mint and lemon zest. Cook for about 5 minutes more.

Whipped Cream:

Take a 1/2 cup heavy cream and a little vanilla and beat it until beautiful stiff peaks.

Plating:

Place one piece of french toast on a plate, add 3 slices of cream cheese side by side on the middle of the bread, leaving an area around the edge of the bread clear. Put the other piece of toast on top. Cut the toast diagonally to see the cream cheese filling. Take part of the compote and lay it out on top of the 2 pieces of toast on the plate and then add whipped cream on top. Do the same thing with the other french toast.

One Year Ago We Got Married!

2009-06-07T14:12:00.000-05:00

One year ago, my husband and I got married. It has been an exciting and wonderful year together! We have, in one year (give a couple months), celebrated both our birthdays (we are 1 year and 4 weeks apart), I graduated, moved (twice: once to another city and once in the same city but our first house!), went to Rome and we loved every minute of it!

Here is a picture of the top layer of our wonderful wedding cake! Still looks yummy! That is our dessert tonight!

Citrus and Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

2009-06-06T23:49:00.000-05:00

I had wanted to make pork tenderloin but didn't know how I wanted to prepare it and I sort of just made this up. It was what I had on hand and it was so good! I would definitely make this again!

Citrus and Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin

olive oil

salt

pepper

2 teaspoons orange peel, grated (really it is whatever you think will cover your tenderloin)

2 teaspoons rosemary, finely chopped (again however much you think will cover the tenderloin)

2 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic

pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

Place pork tenderloin on baking pan and season all sides with salt and pepper. Add enough olive oil to coat pork on all sides.

In a small bowl combine, orange, rosemary and garlic. With your hands, take mixture and spread evenly all over pork tenderloin. Last, take small pinch of cayenne pepper and season top of the tenderloin just for an extra little kick.

Bake the tenderloin until medium rare (usually 145-150 on meat thermometer).

Enjoy!!

Mini Crab Cakes

2009-05-29T19:34:00.000-05:00

Mini Crab Cakes from Bon Appetit Magazine, April 2009

I made this delightful little crab cakes not too long ago and were quite pleased with them. They are really good and super easy to make. The only thing I did differently was I used claw meat instead of lump. It is just as good and less expensive!

Makes 24 mini crab cakes

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 large egg

1/4 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

4 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided

1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Large pinch of cayenne pepper

6 oz fresh lump crabmeat, picked over, patted dry, coarsely shredded

1 cup panko(Japanese breadcrumbs)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pans

Fresh chives, cut into pieces

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth. Add ¼ cup Parmesan and egg; beat to blend. Beat in sour cream, citrus peels, 4 teaspoons chopped chives, coarse salt, and cayenne pepper. Fold in crabmeat.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 2 mini muffin pans. Toss panko, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons chopped chives in small bowl. Drizzle 1/4 cup melted butter over, tossing with fork until evenly moistened. Press 1 rounded tablespoon panko mixture into bottom of each muffin cup, forming crust. Spoon 1 generous tablespoon crab mixture into each cup. Sprinkle rounded teaspoon of panko mixture over each (some may be left over). Bake crab cakes until golden on top and set, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Run knife around each cake and gently lift out of pan.

Arrange crab cakes on serving platter; sprinkle with chives

Enjoy!

Welcome!

2009-05-29T18:56:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my blog! Hope you find lots of good things to eat!