This was last week's recipe. Despite the hundred-plus recipes I've saved in my Google Reader or bookmarked, and my dozens of cookbooks, I couldn't find a recipe I felt like making. So, I started browsing Tasty Kitchen again, and found this chicken recipe.
30 Minute Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken
from Tasty Kitchen
Ingredients
1 lb. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 c. Flour
2 t. Paprika
1 t. Salt
1 1/2 T. Canola oil
2 whole lemons, juiced
2 T. Dark brown sugar
1 T. Fresh lemon zest
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F
Pound the chicken breasts thin. Set aside.
Combine the flour, paprika, and salt in a cake or pie pan. Drop each chicken breast in the mixture and toss to coat completely.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Drop each breast in the oil and brown on both sides (should only take about 4 minutes). Remove chicken breasts and keep warm on a plate.
Pour the lemon juice in the pan and stir to deglaze. Put chicken breasts in a casserole dish and pour juice on top. Sprinkle with brown sugar and lemon zest.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165F.
The Photo
Still no photos. Note to self: ask Alec to remind me to take photos of new recipes.
The Verdict
I didn't do a very good job with this one. I left the salt out of the flour mixture. Since I was only doing 2 chicken breasts, I only used one lemon. My pan was a touch too hot, so most of it evaporated when it hit the pan. So, I didn't end up with much sauce. I squeezed a little more juice on to the chicken once I put it in the baking pan. I was not exact with my measurements for the brown sugar and the lemon zest. I just sprinkled both of those over the chicken until I thought it looked good. In the end the chicken turned out a little dry, but since the pan was too hot, I think I overcooked it on the browning step.
Overall, though, we thought the flavors were good and I'll probably make this one again.
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Recipe(s) of the Week: New Year's Day Dinner
On New Year's Day, Alec and I had my cousins over for a light supper followed by a visit to the National Zoo for their Zoo Lights exhibit.
True to form, I served dishes that I had never made before.
I have never been one to eat the traditional (at least in the South) New Year's Day meal. I am just not a fan of collard greens or black-eyed peas. The cornbread is the only element of this traditional meal I like.
On New Year's Eve, I was catching up on my blog reading, and I saw a recipe for Black-Eyed Pea dip. It actually sounded good to me, so I decided it would be perfect for New Year's Day.
Zannie's Black-Eyed Pea Dip
from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Ingredients
1 (14-oz.) can black-eyed peas
1/4 whole onion, chopped fine
1/4 c. sour cream
8 slices jarred jalapenos
1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 T. salsa
Hot sauce, to taste
Salt & black pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Drain black-eyed peas and partially mash, leaving some whole.
Add all other ingredients, stirring to combine
Spread into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish & bake for 20-30 minutes until hot & bubbly.
Serve with tortilla chips.
PW notes that if you can find them, you can use canned black-eyed peas with jalapenos and eliminate the sliced jalapenos.
The Photo
I'm not really back into the swing of blogging, so I didn't take a photo.
The Verdict
Everyone really liked this dish. I'll definitely be adding it to future New Year's menus, and probably making it again before that!
Of course, I had some changes, substitutions and mistakes. I couldn't find the black-eyed peas with jalapenos and I did not feel like buying a whole jar of sliced jalapenos just for this recipe. I substituted a 4 oz. can of diced green chilies. I also totally forgot to add the salsa, but no one really missed it. I had some on hand, so it would not have been a big deal to use 3 tablespoons for the recipe. I'd say that if you don't have any on hand and don't have a use for it, it could easily be left out.
My main tip is: don't try to buy canned black eyed peas on New Year's Day! The store was very nearly out!
I also really wanted to use my fancy new slow cooker. I had already used it once earlier in the week just to make sure it worked okay. Ingrid had made white chicken chili over the Christmas holiday, and Alec suggested we have it for this meal. It was too late to call her and I was planning a fairly early-morning grocery run, so I was afraid she wouldn't get an e-mail in time. So, I turned to the Internet to find a recipe. I found this one on Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen site. I joined it a while back, but I have not used it much, except to save recipes featured in the Tasty Kitchen blog. I think this was the first time I'd actually made something I saved.
Crockpot White Chicken Chili
from: Tasty Kitchen
Ingredients
3 whole chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 whole onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15 oz.) cans white beans, drained
1 (15 oz.) can pink beans (pinquitos)
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies
2 c. chicken stock
1 whole jalapeno (seeded & minced)
2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. chipotle chili powder
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 c. finely crushed tortilla chips
2 c. shredded pepper jack cheese
Directions
Throw all of the ingredients, except for the cheese and tortilla chips, into your slow cooker.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4 hours. During the last 30 minutes, stir in the crushed tortilla chips and the shredded cheese and heat until the cheese is melted and the chili has thickened.
The Photo
Same story as above.
The Verdict
I think everyone liked this dish as well. This time I didn't make any mistakes, but I did have some changes and there are also a few things I'd do differently next time.
I didn't bother to cut up the chicken. I just threw the breasts in the cooker. Towards the end of the cook time, when I opened it up to add the cheese, I pulled out the chicken and shredded it up, then threw it back in.
I did my main shopping for this at Trader Joe's, and they didn't have the pink beans. I'd actually never heard of them, so I wasn't sure what my chances were of finding them. So, I grabbed a can of pintos instead. I did drain the pintos along with the white beans. Later, I saw the pink beans in the Mexican section of the regular grocery store, so I'll try those next time.
I'm used to not really stirring the ingredients when I do a slow cooker meal. Without really thinking, I just tossed the spices in. When I opened it up at the end, they were all still just sitting on top. I think that next time I will whisk the spices in with the chicken broth before I pour that in so they will be more evenly distributed.
I don't remember what kind of cheese I used, but it wasn't pepper jack. I might have done Colby jack or maybe just plain jack.
True to form, I served dishes that I had never made before.
I have never been one to eat the traditional (at least in the South) New Year's Day meal. I am just not a fan of collard greens or black-eyed peas. The cornbread is the only element of this traditional meal I like.
On New Year's Eve, I was catching up on my blog reading, and I saw a recipe for Black-Eyed Pea dip. It actually sounded good to me, so I decided it would be perfect for New Year's Day.
Zannie's Black-Eyed Pea Dip
from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Ingredients
1 (14-oz.) can black-eyed peas
1/4 whole onion, chopped fine
1/4 c. sour cream
8 slices jarred jalapenos
1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 T. salsa
Hot sauce, to taste
Salt & black pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Drain black-eyed peas and partially mash, leaving some whole.
Add all other ingredients, stirring to combine
Spread into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish & bake for 20-30 minutes until hot & bubbly.
Serve with tortilla chips.
PW notes that if you can find them, you can use canned black-eyed peas with jalapenos and eliminate the sliced jalapenos.
The Photo
I'm not really back into the swing of blogging, so I didn't take a photo.
The Verdict
Everyone really liked this dish. I'll definitely be adding it to future New Year's menus, and probably making it again before that!
Of course, I had some changes, substitutions and mistakes. I couldn't find the black-eyed peas with jalapenos and I did not feel like buying a whole jar of sliced jalapenos just for this recipe. I substituted a 4 oz. can of diced green chilies. I also totally forgot to add the salsa, but no one really missed it. I had some on hand, so it would not have been a big deal to use 3 tablespoons for the recipe. I'd say that if you don't have any on hand and don't have a use for it, it could easily be left out.
My main tip is: don't try to buy canned black eyed peas on New Year's Day! The store was very nearly out!
I also really wanted to use my fancy new slow cooker. I had already used it once earlier in the week just to make sure it worked okay. Ingrid had made white chicken chili over the Christmas holiday, and Alec suggested we have it for this meal. It was too late to call her and I was planning a fairly early-morning grocery run, so I was afraid she wouldn't get an e-mail in time. So, I turned to the Internet to find a recipe. I found this one on Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen site. I joined it a while back, but I have not used it much, except to save recipes featured in the Tasty Kitchen blog. I think this was the first time I'd actually made something I saved.
Crockpot White Chicken Chili
from: Tasty Kitchen
Ingredients
3 whole chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 whole onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15 oz.) cans white beans, drained
1 (15 oz.) can pink beans (pinquitos)
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies
2 c. chicken stock
1 whole jalapeno (seeded & minced)
2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. chipotle chili powder
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 c. finely crushed tortilla chips
2 c. shredded pepper jack cheese
Directions
Throw all of the ingredients, except for the cheese and tortilla chips, into your slow cooker.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4 hours. During the last 30 minutes, stir in the crushed tortilla chips and the shredded cheese and heat until the cheese is melted and the chili has thickened.
The Photo
Same story as above.
The Verdict
I think everyone liked this dish as well. This time I didn't make any mistakes, but I did have some changes and there are also a few things I'd do differently next time.
I didn't bother to cut up the chicken. I just threw the breasts in the cooker. Towards the end of the cook time, when I opened it up to add the cheese, I pulled out the chicken and shredded it up, then threw it back in.
I did my main shopping for this at Trader Joe's, and they didn't have the pink beans. I'd actually never heard of them, so I wasn't sure what my chances were of finding them. So, I grabbed a can of pintos instead. I did drain the pintos along with the white beans. Later, I saw the pink beans in the Mexican section of the regular grocery store, so I'll try those next time.
I'm used to not really stirring the ingredients when I do a slow cooker meal. Without really thinking, I just tossed the spices in. When I opened it up at the end, they were all still just sitting on top. I think that next time I will whisk the spices in with the chicken broth before I pour that in so they will be more evenly distributed.
I don't remember what kind of cheese I used, but it wasn't pepper jack. I might have done Colby jack or maybe just plain jack.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Recipe of the Week for 3/7: Quickest Weeknight Tomato & Basil Pasta
This is another one from the Prudence Pennywise blog. I don't really have anything else to say in the way of introductions, so I'll just get right to it.
Quickest Weeknight Tomato & Basil Pasta
from Prudence Pennywise
Ingredients
1/2 lb. whole grain angel hair pasta
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 T. minced fresh garlic
1 T. dried basil or 1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. brown sugar
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese (plus more for passing)
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta in colander and let it rest there for now.
To the same cooking pot, add butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic & cook for 1 minute. Add dried basil (add fresh basil at the end), crushed red pepper flakes, brown sugar, salt & pepper. Stir in tomatoes with juices. Bring to a boil & simmer for 2 minutes. (Add fresh basil now if using.)
Add pasta back to pot and toss to coat. Stir in Parmesan. Pass more Parmesan at the table.
The Photo
There isn't one . . . I forgot . . . again
The Verdict
I think I halved this recipe for just Alec and me. I never measure my garlic, I just use a clove or two depending on the size. There's a strong possibility I didn't have any butter and just used all olive oil. I do remember very specifically that I used the low-sodium diced tomatoes and we both felt that it was too bland. So, either get the regular tomatoes or up the salt a little. I used dried basil because we didn't have any fresh. I'm sure it would be better with fresh basil!
Overall, I'd say this was an okay dish. I think I'll make it again, but add a touch more salt to the sauce and use fresh basil.
Quickest Weeknight Tomato & Basil Pasta
from Prudence Pennywise
Ingredients
1/2 lb. whole grain angel hair pasta
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 T. minced fresh garlic
1 T. dried basil or 1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. brown sugar
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese (plus more for passing)
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta in colander and let it rest there for now.
To the same cooking pot, add butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic & cook for 1 minute. Add dried basil (add fresh basil at the end), crushed red pepper flakes, brown sugar, salt & pepper. Stir in tomatoes with juices. Bring to a boil & simmer for 2 minutes. (Add fresh basil now if using.)
Add pasta back to pot and toss to coat. Stir in Parmesan. Pass more Parmesan at the table.
The Photo
There isn't one . . . I forgot . . . again
The Verdict
I think I halved this recipe for just Alec and me. I never measure my garlic, I just use a clove or two depending on the size. There's a strong possibility I didn't have any butter and just used all olive oil. I do remember very specifically that I used the low-sodium diced tomatoes and we both felt that it was too bland. So, either get the regular tomatoes or up the salt a little. I used dried basil because we didn't have any fresh. I'm sure it would be better with fresh basil!
Overall, I'd say this was an okay dish. I think I'll make it again, but add a touch more salt to the sauce and use fresh basil.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Recipe of the Week for 1/31 - Pioneer Woman's Ranch Style Chicken - Sorta
Where is this year going? If you know, please tell me! I can't believe I'm once again so far behind on my blogging. We were visiting M.K. and E last week and she was berating me (in a loving way, of course) for not writing very often. Apparently, I'm very popular among those who need a mental break. Raul once told me I should blog more often because he often checks the blog when he wants a break from work. He hasn't mentioned it lately, but then again he does have Facebook now, so maybe that occupies him.
Anyway, on to the recipe. This one comes from Ree, of Confessions of a Pioneer Woman. This is one of my favorite blogs (link on the right). The reason I used "sorta" in the title, is that as usual I made some changes to the recipe. The ironic thing about that is the very same week I made this, Ree wrote a post about making something exactly like someone else does, except for several modifications. I had to laugh since I had every intention of making her recipe the very next day, except with modifications.
Ranch Style Chicken
adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Ingredients
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Turkey bacon (2 slices per chicken breast)
1/2 c. Honey
1/2 c. Mustard
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 t. Paprika
1/2 t. Salt
Smoked Cheddar cheese, shredded
Canola oil
Directions
Mix mustard , honey, lemon juice, paprika & salt and whisk until smooth. This will be the marinade for the chicken.
Rinse the chicken breasts & pat dry. Place each one between two sheets of wax paper and pound to 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick. Put the chicken & marinade in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate for 1-3 hours. (I know using bags to marinate isn't the most environmentally friendly technique, but I think it works best. Of course you can just put the chicken & marinade in a bowl & cover with plastic wrap.)
Just before the chicken is done marinading, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the bacon.
Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add 2-3 pieces of chicken. Cook 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove to a baking pan. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked.
After all the chicken is cooked, bake it in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven & top with bacon and shredded cheese. Return to oven & bake for 5 more minutes until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
The Photo
The Verdict
We really liked this! I used a German-style mustard since it's what we had on hand. We also had some applewood smoked cheddar left over from the Stuffed Onions so I used that as the cheese. Pioneer Woman uses Dijon mustard, real bacon and sharp cheddar cheese. She also cooks the chicken in bacon grease. But other than that, it's exactly the same! ;-)
Anyway, on to the recipe. This one comes from Ree, of Confessions of a Pioneer Woman. This is one of my favorite blogs (link on the right). The reason I used "sorta" in the title, is that as usual I made some changes to the recipe. The ironic thing about that is the very same week I made this, Ree wrote a post about making something exactly like someone else does, except for several modifications. I had to laugh since I had every intention of making her recipe the very next day, except with modifications.
Ranch Style Chicken
adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Ingredients
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Turkey bacon (2 slices per chicken breast)
1/2 c. Honey
1/2 c. Mustard
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 t. Paprika
1/2 t. Salt
Smoked Cheddar cheese, shredded
Canola oil
Directions
Mix mustard , honey, lemon juice, paprika & salt and whisk until smooth. This will be the marinade for the chicken.
Rinse the chicken breasts & pat dry. Place each one between two sheets of wax paper and pound to 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick. Put the chicken & marinade in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate for 1-3 hours. (I know using bags to marinate isn't the most environmentally friendly technique, but I think it works best. Of course you can just put the chicken & marinade in a bowl & cover with plastic wrap.)
Just before the chicken is done marinading, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the bacon.
Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add 2-3 pieces of chicken. Cook 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove to a baking pan. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked.
After all the chicken is cooked, bake it in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven & top with bacon and shredded cheese. Return to oven & bake for 5 more minutes until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
The Photo
The Verdict
We really liked this! I used a German-style mustard since it's what we had on hand. We also had some applewood smoked cheddar left over from the Stuffed Onions so I used that as the cheese. Pioneer Woman uses Dijon mustard, real bacon and sharp cheddar cheese. She also cooks the chicken in bacon grease. But other than that, it's exactly the same! ;-)
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Recipe of the Week for 1/17 - Stuffed Onions
I'm sitting here watching one of my favorite cooking-related shows, BBC America's Last Restaurant Standing, so I thought I'd try to catch up on my cooking-related blogging.
This recipe comes from one of the regular guest bloggers on The Pioneer Woman Cooks!, Kay from the Netherlands. Having gotten over my childhood hatred of peppers, I've been wanting to make stuffed peppers. However, Alec doesn't like peppers. So, when I saw this recipe, I thought it might be a good compromise.
I changed the recipe a bit from the original, mainly because it calls for ground beef, and since I don't eat beef, I used ground turkey. I've listed the recipe as I made it, the original recipe can be found here: Stuffed Onions, by Kay.
Stuffed Onions
adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks, guest blogger Kay
Ingredients
2 onions
1 clove garlic
1/2 pound ground turkey (half a package)
stale bread
1 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
1/3 c. grated cheese (we used an apple smoked cheddar. Kay also suggests Gouda.)
4 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
pepper
nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Season the turkey with salt, pepper, nutmeg and sweet chili sauce. Knead well.
Cut off the tops of the onions, peel them and cut a small slice off the bottoms so they won't fall over. Use a spoon to loosen the layers of the onion and scoop them out. Make sure you leave at least 1/3 inch of onion layer.
Roughly chop the onion you removed. Mince the garlic. Crumble up the stale bread.
Brown the turkey. Remove from the heat and drain it. Add some olive oil to the pan and cook the chopped onion for about 4 minutes, then add the garlic. Put the meat back in. Add the breadcrumbs. Stir to combine. Turn off the heat and add the grated cheese.
Set the onions in a baking dish and fill to the top with the meat mixture. Pour in the chicken broth until the onions are 1/3 to 1/2 covered in liquid. Loosely cover the dish with aluminum foil.
Bake onions for about 1 hour. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Take out the onions and spoon some of the broth over them. Put them back in the oven, uncovered for 20-30 more minutes, until the onions and topping are golden brown.
The Photo
Here's a photo of the dish. It looks a little lonely on the plate. I think we had rice with it, but I don't really remember.
The Verdict
First of all, the chili sauce was a bit difficult to find, even in our fairly well stocked grocery store. We asked the lady who makes the sushi there (yes, our grocery store has a sushi bar, and yes, it's good!) and she directed us to an Asian market (who knew we had one!). A very nice lady at the Asian market recommended her favorite brand of chili sauce (Caravelle) and we bought a huge bottle, for about $3. She says it's good just to pour over chicken and as a dipping sauce. So, I'll be experimenting with other uses.
And, hopefully I'll find some good ones, because we didn't love this dish. Apparently, Alec doesn't really like onions, either (he might have mentioned that when I suggested stuffed onions as a dish). I do like onions, but this was a little much for me. I did really enjoy the filling and so I might try doing something else with that, maybe as a turkey burger.
This recipe comes from one of the regular guest bloggers on The Pioneer Woman Cooks!, Kay from the Netherlands. Having gotten over my childhood hatred of peppers, I've been wanting to make stuffed peppers. However, Alec doesn't like peppers. So, when I saw this recipe, I thought it might be a good compromise.
I changed the recipe a bit from the original, mainly because it calls for ground beef, and since I don't eat beef, I used ground turkey. I've listed the recipe as I made it, the original recipe can be found here: Stuffed Onions, by Kay.
Stuffed Onions
adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks, guest blogger Kay
Ingredients
2 onions
1 clove garlic
1/2 pound ground turkey (half a package)
stale bread
1 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
1/3 c. grated cheese (we used an apple smoked cheddar. Kay also suggests Gouda.)
4 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
pepper
nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Season the turkey with salt, pepper, nutmeg and sweet chili sauce. Knead well.
Cut off the tops of the onions, peel them and cut a small slice off the bottoms so they won't fall over. Use a spoon to loosen the layers of the onion and scoop them out. Make sure you leave at least 1/3 inch of onion layer.
Roughly chop the onion you removed. Mince the garlic. Crumble up the stale bread.
Brown the turkey. Remove from the heat and drain it. Add some olive oil to the pan and cook the chopped onion for about 4 minutes, then add the garlic. Put the meat back in. Add the breadcrumbs. Stir to combine. Turn off the heat and add the grated cheese.
Set the onions in a baking dish and fill to the top with the meat mixture. Pour in the chicken broth until the onions are 1/3 to 1/2 covered in liquid. Loosely cover the dish with aluminum foil.
Bake onions for about 1 hour. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Take out the onions and spoon some of the broth over them. Put them back in the oven, uncovered for 20-30 more minutes, until the onions and topping are golden brown.
The Photo
Here's a photo of the dish. It looks a little lonely on the plate. I think we had rice with it, but I don't really remember.
The VerdictFirst of all, the chili sauce was a bit difficult to find, even in our fairly well stocked grocery store. We asked the lady who makes the sushi there (yes, our grocery store has a sushi bar, and yes, it's good!) and she directed us to an Asian market (who knew we had one!). A very nice lady at the Asian market recommended her favorite brand of chili sauce (Caravelle) and we bought a huge bottle, for about $3. She says it's good just to pour over chicken and as a dipping sauce. So, I'll be experimenting with other uses.
And, hopefully I'll find some good ones, because we didn't love this dish. Apparently, Alec doesn't really like onions, either (he might have mentioned that when I suggested stuffed onions as a dish). I do like onions, but this was a little much for me. I did really enjoy the filling and so I might try doing something else with that, maybe as a turkey burger.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Recipe of the Week for 1/3 - Cheesy Cornbread Muffins
I've been really bad about keeping up with my blog over the last few weeks. I figured I'd bite the bullet and just get something posted. I actually still have recipes from 2008 to post, but I figure I'll just throw them in whenever and get on with 2009!
I have decided to continue my "one new recipe per week" resolution this year. I started off with some delicious muffins.
As my regular readers know, I love to entertain. I especially love to do it during the Christmas season. I enjoy decorating our house for the season, and it's nice when people other than Alec and I can appreciate it! But, it's always hard to find a good time during the season for a get-together since people have so many commitments. A few years ago, we hosted a gathering on the first Saturday in January. It worked out well, because I adhere to the tradition of leaving the decorations up until Epiphany on January 6th. Plus, it was nice to have one more festive occasion to top off the season.
This year, we planned to have a few friends over for a chili dinner & to help us polish off the Christmas cookies. It turned out only one could come, but we still had a nice evening hanging out and watching football!
I had copied this recipe for cornbread muffins from a magazine a few weeks before. I'm not sure what magazine it was though - I copied it while reading a stack of them in the bookstore! I'm fairly certain it was Paula Deen's magazine, though. The directions are very abbreviated because I wrote them down in the tiny notepad I keep in my purse and I didn't have much room.
Cheesy Cornbread Muffins
from Paula Deen's magazine, I think
Ingredients
1 (7.5 oz) box yellow cornbread mix
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/4 c. milk
1/2 t. salt
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Grease a 6-cup muffin pan.
Combine all ingredients.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Cool in pan for 5 minutes.
The Photo
Here they are!
The Verdict
We loved these! They were way better than the chili (note to self: sometimes, it's best just to cook what you know works and not try to mess around). I've already made them again. I'll probably make them any time I want to serve cornbread - they are so much better than just plain cornbread!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
2008 Wrap Up
Wow, I can't believe it's been a little less than a year since I stared this blog and outlined my resolutions for 2008. I'm proud to say I've kept them all.
Start a Blog
Well, this blog has 105 posts! I know I've neglected it of late, but with preparing for the holidays, work trips and training for Disney, I haven't had a lot of time to keep up with it. I hope y'all have enjoyed reading my ramblings.
Try a New Recipe Every Week
I haven't gone back and counted, but I think I've done this every week, minus a few when I was traveling for work or we were on vacation. I cooked the final one of the year yesterday. It's been a lot of fun to try new things and I'm happy to say that most of them have been a success! I actually still have a few that I haven't posted. I guess I'll have to get to them next year!
Start Running
I pretty much summed this one up the other day. I did go for a 10.45 mile run on Sunday and with a combination of running and walking, I finished in 2.5 hours and had an average pace of 14 minutes, 20 seconds per mile. I'm certain I'll do a fair amount of walking during the race, but I'm now actually confident that I'll finish (and maybe even have time to pause for some character photos)!
I wish everyone a safe, happy, healthy 2009!
PS - I have no resolutions for 2009 yet, except to keep the 2008 ones going strong . . .
Start a Blog
Well, this blog has 105 posts! I know I've neglected it of late, but with preparing for the holidays, work trips and training for Disney, I haven't had a lot of time to keep up with it. I hope y'all have enjoyed reading my ramblings.
Try a New Recipe Every Week
I haven't gone back and counted, but I think I've done this every week, minus a few when I was traveling for work or we were on vacation. I cooked the final one of the year yesterday. It's been a lot of fun to try new things and I'm happy to say that most of them have been a success! I actually still have a few that I haven't posted. I guess I'll have to get to them next year!
Start Running
I pretty much summed this one up the other day. I did go for a 10.45 mile run on Sunday and with a combination of running and walking, I finished in 2.5 hours and had an average pace of 14 minutes, 20 seconds per mile. I'm certain I'll do a fair amount of walking during the race, but I'm now actually confident that I'll finish (and maybe even have time to pause for some character photos)!
I wish everyone a safe, happy, healthy 2009!
PS - I have no resolutions for 2009 yet, except to keep the 2008 ones going strong . . .
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Recipe Catch-Up - 11/9 - Florentine Meatballs
I got this recipe from another blog I read, Jamie's McBlog. Like me, she writes about a lot of different stuff, including recipes she tries. She got this recipe from Rachael Ray, who is also one of my favorites.
The Verdict
The recipe calls for 1 1/3 pounds of turkey because that's what normally comes in a package of ground turkey, so don't worry about the weird measurement. For us, this made way more than 12 meatballs - more like 20. But, they froze really well. We really enjoyed the subs, and we ate the leftovers from this batch with spaghetti and sauce and they were equally as good. It's a simple recipe and I love that it makes enough for 2 meals! I've since made them again and we have half a batch in the freezer right now, which we'll probably eat the day after we get home from Orlando - which means I won't have to go to the store right away!
Florentine Meatballs
recipe from Rachael Ray, via Jamie's McBlog
Ingredients
1 box frozen spinach, defrosted in the microwave
1 1/3 lb ground turkey breast
1/2 of a medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large egg
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 c. bread crumbs
Olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Wring out defrosted spinach. Place turkey in a bowl and make a well in the middle of it. Add the spinach, onion, garlic, egg, milk, bread crumbs, Parmesan and salt & pepper to taste. Mix well and form into 12 large balls. Place on a non-stick cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Cook for 20 minutes in the oven until cooked through.
The Photos
I served them at meatball subs. Here's the sub with just the meatballs & a little tomato sauce:
And, here's the sub after I added some mozzarella cheese & more tomato sauce:
The Verdict
The recipe calls for 1 1/3 pounds of turkey because that's what normally comes in a package of ground turkey, so don't worry about the weird measurement. For us, this made way more than 12 meatballs - more like 20. But, they froze really well. We really enjoyed the subs, and we ate the leftovers from this batch with spaghetti and sauce and they were equally as good. It's a simple recipe and I love that it makes enough for 2 meals! I've since made them again and we have half a batch in the freezer right now, which we'll probably eat the day after we get home from Orlando - which means I won't have to go to the store right away!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Recipe Catch Up - Week of 10/25 - Whole Grain Penne w/ Sweet Red Pepper, Ginger & Feta
I've done it again - I'm behind on my recipes! Although, I don't think I've done one every week here lately, so I might not be as behind as I think. This was my last recipe for October. I found a new cooking blog to follow, Prudence Pennywise. She has good recipes, and she focuses on things that are (relatively) inexpensive. Just a little warning - she has music playing (one of my pet peeves) - and you have to scroll all the way to the bottom to turn it off. So, if you're at work, and you don't want anyone to know you're not working, mute your speakers before you click the link! Then, do what I do and read the blog in a reader, so you don't have to deal with the music on a regular basis.
Anyway, I had some Feta cheese left over from our Greek wraps the previous week, and I'd starred this recipe in my Google Reader, so I decided to try it.
Whole Grain Penne with Sweet Red Pepper, Ginger and Feta
from Prudence Pennywise
Ingredients
8 oz. box Penne Pasta
4 green onions (greens only)
1 (14.5) ounce can Italian Style diced tomatoes (blended smooth in blender)
1 large red bell pepper
1 small handfull fresh parsley (save some for garnish)
4 Tbsp cream or half and half
2-4 Tbsp Feta - crumbled
2 Tbsp finely chopped ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Remove the top, seeds and membranes of the pepper and slice into thin strips. Toss them into the saucepan & let them soften on low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, peel and chop the ginger & garlic. Start cooking the pasta.
Add the ginger & garlic to the saucepan and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper.
Chop 2 of the onions & add them to the sauce. Simmer on low heat, partially covered, for 5 minutes. Add 2-3 Tbsp of water if necessary to keep a sauce-like consistency.
Chop the parsley & add to the sauce. Let the sauce cook, partially covered for another 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat & set aside.
Plate the pasta, top with sauce and 1 Tbsp of cream per plate. Crumble 1/2 Tbsp of Feta on each plate. Garnish with parsley & serve.
The Photo
Anyway, I had some Feta cheese left over from our Greek wraps the previous week, and I'd starred this recipe in my Google Reader, so I decided to try it.
Whole Grain Penne with Sweet Red Pepper, Ginger and Feta
from Prudence Pennywise
Ingredients
8 oz. box Penne Pasta
4 green onions (greens only)
1 (14.5) ounce can Italian Style diced tomatoes (blended smooth in blender)
1 large red bell pepper
1 small handfull fresh parsley (save some for garnish)
4 Tbsp cream or half and half
2-4 Tbsp Feta - crumbled
2 Tbsp finely chopped ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Remove the top, seeds and membranes of the pepper and slice into thin strips. Toss them into the saucepan & let them soften on low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, peel and chop the ginger & garlic. Start cooking the pasta.
Add the ginger & garlic to the saucepan and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper.
Chop 2 of the onions & add them to the sauce. Simmer on low heat, partially covered, for 5 minutes. Add 2-3 Tbsp of water if necessary to keep a sauce-like consistency.
Chop the parsley & add to the sauce. Let the sauce cook, partially covered for another 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat & set aside.
Plate the pasta, top with sauce and 1 Tbsp of cream per plate. Crumble 1/2 Tbsp of Feta on each plate. Garnish with parsley & serve.
The Photo
The Verdict
As you can see from the photo, I added far more than 1/2 Tbsp of cheese. What can I say? We love cheese. I also do not remember blending the tomatoes in the blender. From the photo, it doesn't look like I did. I don't think it mattered much. We honestly did not get much of a ginger flavor, but the ginger I used had been in the freezer for a while.
Since Alec isn't a huge fan of completely vegetarian meals, I cut a couple of chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and sauteed them, then added them to the sauce.
Overall, though, we liked it and I want to make it again. I bought some ginger for this week's recipe, so maybe if I don't use it all, I will try this one again next week.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Recipe of the Week - Yogurt Parmesan Chicken
Yep, this is the recipe of the week for last week!! I am finally caught up. Well, kind of. The week of 9/20, I made a really good Mexican dish, which I kind of made up myself. I clearly remember writing down how I did it after the fact, but I can't find the document. So, I will have to make it again sometime and post it then. There won't be any recipe for this week, because I leave tomorrow for a work trip which leads directly into our vacation. I don't know if I'll blog during the trip. We'll see.
Anyway, I made last week's recipe on Monday. It's another one from the Stirring Performances cookbook.
Yogurt Parmesan Chicken
from Stirring Performances by The Junior League of Winston-Salem
Ingredients
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. green onion, chopped
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
8 chicken breasts
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 t. thyme
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 375.
For the sauce, blend well the yogurt, mayonnaise, onions and Worcestershire sauce.
Place the chicken in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Pour lemon juice over it.
Pour yogurt sauce over chicken. Then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 1 hour.
The Verdict
There is a photo of this, but Alec left the card reader at work, so I can't get it off the camera.
This dish was so yummy and really quite easy! I used Greek yogurt, because it was the only kind of plain yogurt that came in a single-serving container. I didn't want to buy a big thing of it knowing I wouldn't use it all in a timely manner. The single serving was 6 oz., and I used all of it. The recipe doesn't specify dried or fresh thyme; I used dried. I didn't really measure, I just sprinkled it over the chicken. Same with the lemon juice - I just used 2 small lemons and squeezed them right over the chicken. Then, I just used my microplane grater to grate some Parmesan over it. Although I only made 3 chicken breasts, I still made the full recipe of sauce. If I was going to do 8 breasts, I might double, or even triple the sauce recipe. It's so good, you'll want extra!
I served it over cous cous, with a side of broccoli.
Anyway, I made last week's recipe on Monday. It's another one from the Stirring Performances cookbook.
Yogurt Parmesan Chicken
from Stirring Performances by The Junior League of Winston-Salem
Ingredients
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. green onion, chopped
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
8 chicken breasts
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 t. thyme
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 375.
For the sauce, blend well the yogurt, mayonnaise, onions and Worcestershire sauce.
Place the chicken in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Pour lemon juice over it.
Pour yogurt sauce over chicken. Then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 1 hour.
The Verdict
There is a photo of this, but Alec left the card reader at work, so I can't get it off the camera.
This dish was so yummy and really quite easy! I used Greek yogurt, because it was the only kind of plain yogurt that came in a single-serving container. I didn't want to buy a big thing of it knowing I wouldn't use it all in a timely manner. The single serving was 6 oz., and I used all of it. The recipe doesn't specify dried or fresh thyme; I used dried. I didn't really measure, I just sprinkled it over the chicken. Same with the lemon juice - I just used 2 small lemons and squeezed them right over the chicken. Then, I just used my microplane grater to grate some Parmesan over it. Although I only made 3 chicken breasts, I still made the full recipe of sauce. If I was going to do 8 breasts, I might double, or even triple the sauce recipe. It's so good, you'll want extra!
I served it over cous cous, with a side of broccoli.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Alec's Birthday & the Recipe for the week of 9/13
For Alec's birthday, I made a dish I've been wanting to try for quite some time. But, I knew it wasn't the sort of thing you'd make for just two people, so I had to wait for an occasion where we'd have guests. I invited a few friends for a small dinner party and eagerly pulled out this recipe!
It's a baked pasta dish, but with a twist - you bake it in a puff pastry shell, using a springform pan.
In the interest of time, so I can get caught up, I'm just posting the link:
Baked Angel Hair with Eggplant
from Giada DeLaurentiis, The Food Network
The Photo
It's a baked pasta dish, but with a twist - you bake it in a puff pastry shell, using a springform pan.
In the interest of time, so I can get caught up, I'm just posting the link:
Baked Angel Hair with Eggplant
from Giada DeLaurentiis, The Food Network
The Photo
Here's a photo of the dish, before I cut & served it. The glass bottom of my springform pan fit perfectly onto my pewter tray. I initially had a cake knife out out to cut it, but we ended up having to use a chef's knife. The cake server worked well, though! I wish I'd taken a picture of a slice; it looked really cool!
The Verdict
I made one change, which was to leave out the eggplant. Neither of us is really a fan. I considered artichoke hearts as a substitute, but ultimately decided the turkey sausage would be enough. (If you have an idea for a substitute, leave me a comment and maybe I'll try it next time!)One mistake I made was that I didn't read the recipe thoroughly enough and I missed the part where you are supposed to let the pasta mixture cool before you put it in the pastry shell to bake. We ended up having to shove it in the fridge (which I know is a bad idea, as it brings down the temp in there but I didn't have time to wait).
I suggest putting a sheet pan on the rack below the springform pan. I guess some grease from the sausage dripped into the bottom of my oven. I didn't notice, until the next time I went to use the oven and smelled an awful burning smell. That resulted in two rounds with oven cleaner and a couple of nights of baking dinner in the toaster oven. Basically, it was a huge mess, which could be avoided by having something to catch the drips!
We ended up letting it sit for longer than 20 minutes and I was concerned it would be cold, but it was still hot & steamy.
Everyone at the party raved about the dish! There were 2 portions left over and I had them for lunch over the next couple of days, heating them up in the toaster oven (I don't think using the microwave would be successful.
More Photos
Here are a few more photos of the event.
The Cola Cake, all decorated.
The table, set for dinner
A close-up of the place setting. I used my New Yorker cartoon plates as the salad plates.
The bar area. I lined up 3 TV trays and draped them with a full-size table cloth.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Recipe Catch-Up - Week of 10/6 - Cola Cake
This recipe was inspired by a trip to Cracker Barrel. We went for breakfast one day, and Alec noticed a card on the table advertising their Coca-Cola Cake. Since we were there for breakfast, he didn't get it, but I mentioned I thought I'd made one before. I remember my friend J. had a Coca-Cola cookbook, and we tried a few recipes from it the summer I lived with her & her family. Anyway, all this led to the suggestion that I should make the cake for Alec's birthday, which was coming up. (If you don't know, Alec is a huge fan of Diet Coke and Coke Zero!)
So, I set out on a quest to find a recipe. Ultimately, I found it in the place I should have looked to start with - the Coca Cola website! They actually have a great section of recipes using their products.
I decided I was not about to make a brand-new kind of cake for a party without testing it out first. Since we were going to Kansas to see M.K. and some friends, I decided to make one and take it with us.
Cola Cake
from Coca-Cola Recipes
Ingredients
For cake:
2 c. sugar
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. small marshmallows
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 T cocoa
1 c. Coca-Cola
1 t. baking soda
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
For Frosting:
1/2 c. butter
3 T. cocoa
6 T Coca-Cola
1 box (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar (note: this is 4 cups)
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, sift sugar and flour. Add marshmallows.
In saucepan, mix butter, oil, cocoa and Coca-Cola. Bring to a boil and pour over dry ingredients; blend well.
Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk just before adding to batter along with eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well.
Pour into a well-greased 9 x 13-inch pan and bake 35-45 minutes. Remove from oven and frost immediately.
To make frosting, combine butter, cocoa and Coca-Cola in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and pour over confectioners' sugar, blending well. Add vanilla extract and pecans. Spread over hot cake. When cool, cut into squares and serve.
The Verdict
One thing I read on the AllRecipes website while I was looking for the recipe was that this cake is very sticky, and it does best baked in the 9 x 13 pan and served from there. I really wanted it to look like a real birthday cake, though, and use my new cake-decorating skills to decorate it. So, I came up with the idea of using a springform pan. For good measure, I lined the pan with parchment paper, which I "glued" to the sides of the pan with cooking spray. I wanted to spray it with Baker's Joy, but my canister was all clogged up so I skipped that on the test cake & hoped for the best, but it worked fine. The cake was a little lopsided on top, but it still looked okay.
I only used 3/4 c. of pecans, because that's how the brand I like to buy is sold, and I had a coupon for buy one, get one free of that size. But, it was more than plenty!
I didn't take any pictures of this version, but I will have some to share in the post about Alec's party!
So, I set out on a quest to find a recipe. Ultimately, I found it in the place I should have looked to start with - the Coca Cola website! They actually have a great section of recipes using their products.
I decided I was not about to make a brand-new kind of cake for a party without testing it out first. Since we were going to Kansas to see M.K. and some friends, I decided to make one and take it with us.
Cola Cake
from Coca-Cola Recipes
Ingredients
For cake:
2 c. sugar
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. small marshmallows
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 T cocoa
1 c. Coca-Cola
1 t. baking soda
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
For Frosting:
1/2 c. butter
3 T. cocoa
6 T Coca-Cola
1 box (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar (note: this is 4 cups)
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, sift sugar and flour. Add marshmallows.
In saucepan, mix butter, oil, cocoa and Coca-Cola. Bring to a boil and pour over dry ingredients; blend well.
Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk just before adding to batter along with eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well.
Pour into a well-greased 9 x 13-inch pan and bake 35-45 minutes. Remove from oven and frost immediately.
To make frosting, combine butter, cocoa and Coca-Cola in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and pour over confectioners' sugar, blending well. Add vanilla extract and pecans. Spread over hot cake. When cool, cut into squares and serve.
The Verdict
One thing I read on the AllRecipes website while I was looking for the recipe was that this cake is very sticky, and it does best baked in the 9 x 13 pan and served from there. I really wanted it to look like a real birthday cake, though, and use my new cake-decorating skills to decorate it. So, I came up with the idea of using a springform pan. For good measure, I lined the pan with parchment paper, which I "glued" to the sides of the pan with cooking spray. I wanted to spray it with Baker's Joy, but my canister was all clogged up so I skipped that on the test cake & hoped for the best, but it worked fine. The cake was a little lopsided on top, but it still looked okay.
I only used 3/4 c. of pecans, because that's how the brand I like to buy is sold, and I had a coupon for buy one, get one free of that size. But, it was more than plenty!
I didn't take any pictures of this version, but I will have some to share in the post about Alec's party!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Recipe Catch Up - Week of 8/16 - Turkey & Cheddar Macaroni
We are going on vacation soon, so I am determined to catch up on my "recipe of the week" posts before we do. That way, when I get back, I can share photos and stories from the trip! Not to mention updating the status of my running (it's not good, which is why I don't like to talk about it!)
I got this recipe from the "Grubfest" episode of Paula Deen's show. I love that episode, only in part due to the fact that her sons, Jamie and Bobby are on it. Boy, are they cute! I've had this recipe in my Food Network "recipe box" for quite some time and was reminded of it when the episode ran again. The original recipe calls for beef, but since I don't eat it, I substituted turkey.
Wayne's Beef & Cheddar Macaroni
from Paula Deen, the Food Network
The Photo
Here it is - doesn't it look yummy?
I got this recipe from the "Grubfest" episode of Paula Deen's show. I love that episode, only in part due to the fact that her sons, Jamie and Bobby are on it. Boy, are they cute! I've had this recipe in my Food Network "recipe box" for quite some time and was reminded of it when the episode ran again. The original recipe calls for beef, but since I don't eat it, I substituted turkey.
Wayne's Beef & Cheddar Macaroni
from Paula Deen, the Food Network
The Photo
Here it is - doesn't it look yummy?
The Verdict
This was really good. Alec liked it a lot! As I said, I substituted turkey for the beef. I also cut the recipe in half, and it was still enough to fill my 9 x 11 casserole, so it was more than plenty of food for the two of us! I ate on it several days for lunch.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Recipe Catch Up - Week of 8/9 - Chicken Parmesan
I am very excited to share the awesome dinner party I threw last weekend for Alec's birthday. But, before I do, I am making myself finish catching up on the Recipe of the Week backlog. Also, I have not downloaded the pictures from the dinner and I don't know where Alec put the card reader.
Anyway . . .
The week of 8/9, I tried my hand a Chicken Parmesan. I got the recipe from a cookbook I've had for 2.5 years, but haven't used yet, Stirring Performances from the Junior League of Winston-Salem. How I got it is actually kind of a funny story.
First, two pieces of background. When I lived in Winston-Salem, I was very active in the women's circle at my church, along with one of my best friends. Alec and I went back to Winston-Salem to get married in December, 2005 and were there for about a week before the actual wedding. So, when I was telling my friend (who was also a bridesmaid) when we were coming to town, I was very excited to find out that the circle Christmas party would be the same week. This party was always one of the highlights of my holiday season. I loved the women in my circle and we always had a great time at the party, eating yummy food and playing a vicious game of "dirty Santa." It might have been a church group, but we took our gift stealing very seriously!!
Even though I had a ton of wedding stuff to do, I decided there was no way I was going pass up the opportunity to attend the party. During the "dirty Santa" I opened, on my first try, a copy of Stirring Performances, which had recently been re-released by the Junior League. My mom had this cookbook when I was growing up, and I always loved to look at it. I was very excited to get it. The problem was, I had an awfully long time to defend it before the game was over. I successfully did so with plenty of pouty comments like "I'm getting married on Saturday, don't you think I need a cookbook?" and "I have always, always wanted this book" and "Doesn't everyone already have it?". Plus, plenty of hugging it to my chest and trying to hide it. Fortunately, there was plenty of snowman stuff (I don't know what it is about these gals and their snowmen, but they always cause good-natured fights) to go around and I got to keep it!
I then proceeded not to use it for 2.5 years. Maybe my excitement was overrated. Really, I think it was because I always thought it was full of really difficult, gourmet recipes. I remember mom using it for special occasions. But, when I finally looked through it, I realized that there's plenty of easy, everyday stuff in there, like this Chicken Parmesan.
Now that you're convinced I'm never going to get around to the actual recipe, here it is:
Chicken Parmesan with Herbed Tomato Sauce
from Stirring Performances by The Junior League of Winston-Salem
Ingredients
3/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1/3 c. fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
4 chicken breast halves
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/4 t. oregano
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. basil
4 slices mozzarella cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Wash chicken and dip in egg, then coat in bread crumb mixture.
Heat oil in a skillet and saute garlic over medium heat. Add chicken and brown 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and drain on paper towels.
Arrange chicken in 5x8-inch casserole. In a small bowl, stir seasonings into the tomato sauce and pour over chicken. Top with mozzarella slices.
Cover casserole and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve.
The Verdict
(No pictures. I forgot.)
The only thing I would do differently is maybe reduce the amount of breadcrumbs a bit. I might try Panko breadcrumbs next time. I just thought it needed to be a little less "bready." I also used grated mozzarella b/c I forgot to buy slices and it's quicker to grate from the block of cheese than to cut it into a bunch of slices. Thus, it melted a lot faster and was pretty much incorporated into the sauce by the time it was done.
Overall, though, it was a successful dish. Alec said he could eat it every week. Which I guess is a pretty strong endorsement. I haven't made it since then, but I have it on the list for next week!
Anyway . . .
The week of 8/9, I tried my hand a Chicken Parmesan. I got the recipe from a cookbook I've had for 2.5 years, but haven't used yet, Stirring Performances from the Junior League of Winston-Salem. How I got it is actually kind of a funny story.
First, two pieces of background. When I lived in Winston-Salem, I was very active in the women's circle at my church, along with one of my best friends. Alec and I went back to Winston-Salem to get married in December, 2005 and were there for about a week before the actual wedding. So, when I was telling my friend (who was also a bridesmaid) when we were coming to town, I was very excited to find out that the circle Christmas party would be the same week. This party was always one of the highlights of my holiday season. I loved the women in my circle and we always had a great time at the party, eating yummy food and playing a vicious game of "dirty Santa." It might have been a church group, but we took our gift stealing very seriously!!
Even though I had a ton of wedding stuff to do, I decided there was no way I was going pass up the opportunity to attend the party. During the "dirty Santa" I opened, on my first try, a copy of Stirring Performances, which had recently been re-released by the Junior League. My mom had this cookbook when I was growing up, and I always loved to look at it. I was very excited to get it. The problem was, I had an awfully long time to defend it before the game was over. I successfully did so with plenty of pouty comments like "I'm getting married on Saturday, don't you think I need a cookbook?" and "I have always, always wanted this book" and "Doesn't everyone already have it?". Plus, plenty of hugging it to my chest and trying to hide it. Fortunately, there was plenty of snowman stuff (I don't know what it is about these gals and their snowmen, but they always cause good-natured fights) to go around and I got to keep it!
I then proceeded not to use it for 2.5 years. Maybe my excitement was overrated. Really, I think it was because I always thought it was full of really difficult, gourmet recipes. I remember mom using it for special occasions. But, when I finally looked through it, I realized that there's plenty of easy, everyday stuff in there, like this Chicken Parmesan.
Now that you're convinced I'm never going to get around to the actual recipe, here it is:
Chicken Parmesan with Herbed Tomato Sauce
from Stirring Performances by The Junior League of Winston-Salem
Ingredients
3/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1/3 c. fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
4 chicken breast halves
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/4 t. oregano
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. basil
4 slices mozzarella cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Wash chicken and dip in egg, then coat in bread crumb mixture.
Heat oil in a skillet and saute garlic over medium heat. Add chicken and brown 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and drain on paper towels.
Arrange chicken in 5x8-inch casserole. In a small bowl, stir seasonings into the tomato sauce and pour over chicken. Top with mozzarella slices.
Cover casserole and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve.
The Verdict
(No pictures. I forgot.)
The only thing I would do differently is maybe reduce the amount of breadcrumbs a bit. I might try Panko breadcrumbs next time. I just thought it needed to be a little less "bready." I also used grated mozzarella b/c I forgot to buy slices and it's quicker to grate from the block of cheese than to cut it into a bunch of slices. Thus, it melted a lot faster and was pretty much incorporated into the sauce by the time it was done.
Overall, though, it was a successful dish. Alec said he could eat it every week. Which I guess is a pretty strong endorsement. I haven't made it since then, but I have it on the list for next week!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Recipe Catch Up - Week of 8/2 #2 - Black Bean & Corn Salad
We had a pool party to go to, and the main dish was going to be barbecue. I had checked ahead of time and those in charge of ordering the food were pretty sure they had only ordered beef, pork and ham. None of which I will eat. So, I decided to bring a salad. I found this black bean and corn salad on the Food Network site.
Black Bean and Corn Salad
from 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray, Food Network.
Once again, I forgot to take a photo.
The Verdict
It was good, but not fabulous. I got compliments on it at the party, but I wasn't super happy with the flavors myself. I forgot that I was out of cumin, so I substituted some Mexican oregano I had left over from another recipe. So, the flavor was slightly different that intended in the original recipe. I personally was not a fan of the red onion. I think if I make it again, I will use a sweet onion. I used a mixed yellow and white corn, I think from Bird's Eye that was really good.
This brings me to the last of the recipes I listed in my update at the beginning of August. Of course, I'm still behind because now it's September. So, the recipes I still have to update for you are:
Week of 8/9: Chicken Parmesan
Week of 8/16: Turkey & Cheddar Macaroni
Week of 8/23: I didn't do one, our schedule got all out of whack
Week of 8/30: Cola Cake
Black Bean and Corn Salad
from 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray, Food Network.
Once again, I forgot to take a photo.
The Verdict
It was good, but not fabulous. I got compliments on it at the party, but I wasn't super happy with the flavors myself. I forgot that I was out of cumin, so I substituted some Mexican oregano I had left over from another recipe. So, the flavor was slightly different that intended in the original recipe. I personally was not a fan of the red onion. I think if I make it again, I will use a sweet onion. I used a mixed yellow and white corn, I think from Bird's Eye that was really good.
This brings me to the last of the recipes I listed in my update at the beginning of August. Of course, I'm still behind because now it's September. So, the recipes I still have to update for you are:
Week of 8/9: Chicken Parmesan
Week of 8/16: Turkey & Cheddar Macaroni
Week of 8/23: I didn't do one, our schedule got all out of whack
Week of 8/30: Cola Cake
Recipe Catch Up - Week of 8/2 - Spaghetti Carbonara
This was another Robin Miller recipe from Food Network
I didn't really make an changes, so I'll send you to straight to the Food Network website:
Spaghetti Carbonara
from Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller on the Food Network
The Photo
Here's a photo. Doesn't it look yummy? I served it just with bread from our fabulous grocery store bakery.
The Verdict
This was so good! I loved it, Alec loved it! And, it was super easy. My one change was to use angel hair pasta instead of spaghetti, because we like it better.
The only thing I will say is stay pretty true to the amount of cheese in the sauce. I recently made it again, and there was just a bit of a chunk of Parmesan cheese left, so I used it all, without really measuring. It was clearly way more than 1/4 cup, because the sauce was way too thick. It was almost the consistency of paste! But, I just thinned it out with some more milk and it was all good.
I didn't really make an changes, so I'll send you to straight to the Food Network website:
Spaghetti Carbonara
from Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller on the Food Network
The Photo
Here's a photo. Doesn't it look yummy? I served it just with bread from our fabulous grocery store bakery.
The Verdict
This was so good! I loved it, Alec loved it! And, it was super easy. My one change was to use angel hair pasta instead of spaghetti, because we like it better.
The only thing I will say is stay pretty true to the amount of cheese in the sauce. I recently made it again, and there was just a bit of a chunk of Parmesan cheese left, so I used it all, without really measuring. It was clearly way more than 1/4 cup, because the sauce was way too thick. It was almost the consistency of paste! But, I just thinned it out with some more milk and it was all good.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Recipe Catch Up - Week of 7/26: Grilled Chicken & Veggie Tacos
That last post was short, plus if I don't get caught up soon, I never will so I figured I'd do another one!
At the end of July, after almost two months of solo anchoring both his shows, Alec finally got a new partner. We welcomed her and her husband to town with a taco buffet! They moved here from California & have lived in Arizona, so it's not like they don't know what Mexican food is, but I still thought tacos were a good welcome to Texas!
I didn't do it just like the recipe, so below is my adaptation. Click on the link to get the original recipe!
Chili Lime Chicken & Veggie Tacos
Adapted from Good Things Catered by Katie
Ingredients
4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 green peppers
1 red pepper
1 large vidallia onion
1/4 c. fresh lime juice (1 large lime or two small limes)
1 tsp fresh lime zest
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp chili powder (less if you want less spice)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
family pack of flour taco sized tortillas
other taco fixings as desired
Directions
Get the grill started. Or, have your husband do it.
Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness. Place in a Ziploc bag & set aside.
In a large bowl, combine lime juice, zest, olive oil, chili powder, garlic salt, pepper, and paprika. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
Pour marinade into the bag with the chicken and squish it around to get the chicken coated with marinade. Put in the fridge to marinate for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, julienne the peppers, and slice the onion into 1/2 inch rounds (keeping onion rounds intact). Lay out a long piece of foil. Place the veggies on half of it and sprinkle with line juice, olive oil & spices. Fold the other half of the foil over & roll the edges to make a cooking packet.
Grill the chicken (take it out of the plastic bag, first!). When it's about 1/2 way done, put the veggie packet on the grill.
When the chicken is cooked, take it off the grill and let it stand for 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, make foil packets of about 10 tortillas each & heat them on the grill.
After chicken as rested for about 7 minutes, slice on the diagonal.
Serve with peppers, onion, extra lime wedges, tortillas and other taco fixings. (We had red salsa, green salsa, Mexican-blend shredded cheese, Chipotle Cheddar shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream & tortilla chips. I also served black beans)
The Photos
Here are a couple of photos of the taco buffet!
Gotta love the sour cream served right out of the container. At this point, I had also forgotten to put out the cheese. So, that got served straight out of the Sargento bags. Martha Stewart would not be proud.
At the end of July, after almost two months of solo anchoring both his shows, Alec finally got a new partner. We welcomed her and her husband to town with a taco buffet! They moved here from California & have lived in Arizona, so it's not like they don't know what Mexican food is, but I still thought tacos were a good welcome to Texas!
I didn't do it just like the recipe, so below is my adaptation. Click on the link to get the original recipe!
Chili Lime Chicken & Veggie Tacos
Adapted from Good Things Catered by Katie
Ingredients
4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 green peppers
1 red pepper
1 large vidallia onion
1/4 c. fresh lime juice (1 large lime or two small limes)
1 tsp fresh lime zest
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp chili powder (less if you want less spice)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
family pack of flour taco sized tortillas
other taco fixings as desired
Directions
Get the grill started. Or, have your husband do it.
Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness. Place in a Ziploc bag & set aside.
In a large bowl, combine lime juice, zest, olive oil, chili powder, garlic salt, pepper, and paprika. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
Pour marinade into the bag with the chicken and squish it around to get the chicken coated with marinade. Put in the fridge to marinate for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, julienne the peppers, and slice the onion into 1/2 inch rounds (keeping onion rounds intact). Lay out a long piece of foil. Place the veggies on half of it and sprinkle with line juice, olive oil & spices. Fold the other half of the foil over & roll the edges to make a cooking packet.
Grill the chicken (take it out of the plastic bag, first!). When it's about 1/2 way done, put the veggie packet on the grill.
When the chicken is cooked, take it off the grill and let it stand for 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, make foil packets of about 10 tortillas each & heat them on the grill.
After chicken as rested for about 7 minutes, slice on the diagonal.
Serve with peppers, onion, extra lime wedges, tortillas and other taco fixings. (We had red salsa, green salsa, Mexican-blend shredded cheese, Chipotle Cheddar shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream & tortilla chips. I also served black beans)
The Photos
Here are a couple of photos of the taco buffet!
Gotta love the sour cream served right out of the container. At this point, I had also forgotten to put out the cheese. So, that got served straight out of the Sargento bags. Martha Stewart would not be proud.
You can barely see them there in the back, but at least I had fiesta-themed napkins!
The Verdict
Well, everyone said they were good! You are supposed to only use about 2/3 of the marinade on the chicken, and the rest on the veggies, but I just didn't read my recipe all the way through so I didn't do that. Hence the fact that I just squeezed some lime juice and sprinkled spices over them. I think I'd used all the chili powder in the original marinade, which is why I didn't make more. The original recipe calls for them to be cooked in a grill pan but we don't have one, which is why we did the foil packet. I also think they'd be good done in a grill basked (we don't have one of those, either). Anyway, they will definitely be made again!
Recipe Catch Up - Week of 7/19: Chicken & Pepper Jack Taquitos
This one was part of my Mexican food kick that I went on in July & the beginning of August.
We had the new camera by this point, but I guess I forgot to take a picture. We must have been really hungry!
It was from the Food Network, and I didn't make many changes, so I'll just provide the link. Robin Miller is my new favorite Food Network host. Her recipes, for the most part, are really easy. On each show, she focuses on 3 dishes you can make for quick weeknight meals. Often, this involves cooking up a batch of something early in the week and then using the leftovers in a new way later. I haven't done a full shows worth of recipes yet, but even on their own, the recipes are quick and delicious.
Chicken & Pepper Jack Taquitos
Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller, Food Network
I do remember that they were very spicy. Next time, I will probably do half Pepper Jack and half plain Jack cheese. We also did flour tortillas because we like them better than corn.
We had the new camera by this point, but I guess I forgot to take a picture. We must have been really hungry!
It was from the Food Network, and I didn't make many changes, so I'll just provide the link. Robin Miller is my new favorite Food Network host. Her recipes, for the most part, are really easy. On each show, she focuses on 3 dishes you can make for quick weeknight meals. Often, this involves cooking up a batch of something early in the week and then using the leftovers in a new way later. I haven't done a full shows worth of recipes yet, but even on their own, the recipes are quick and delicious.
Chicken & Pepper Jack Taquitos
Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller, Food Network
I do remember that they were very spicy. Next time, I will probably do half Pepper Jack and half plain Jack cheese. We also did flour tortillas because we like them better than corn.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Recipe Catch Up - Week of 7/12 - Mystery Chicken & Neiman Marcus Bars
So, it turns out that I actually made two things the week of 7/12. I kinda thought I had, but I could only specifically remember the Neiman Marcus Bars. But, a look in the camera revealed a picture of a chicken sandwich. I could only guess it was Mexican-style, since the photo showed chips & salsa as a side dish. So the question was, where did the recipe come from? I checked my "recipe box" on the Food Network website and my "starred items" on my Google Reader. Nothing looked familiar. I glanced through a couple of cookbooks. Didn't see anything. I checked in all the spots (other than where they belong) where I stash the recipes I print out. I didn't find it. So, I have picture with no recipe. I guess I might never know. It sure looks like it was good, though, doesn't it?
So on to the Neiman Marcus Bars. My first experience with this delicious dessert was several months ago. Alec and I went to a small town nearby for a sausage festival. In addition to the sausage (which I of course didn't eat) there was a bake sale. We had received free tickets for the sausage meal, so we decided to buy something from the bake sale to support the organization. Okay, that's not the only reason. We picked out a yummy looking plate of something called "Neiman Marcus Bars." We had never heard of them, so we decided to give them a try.
They were delicious! I started looking for a recipe, and I found quite a few, but none of them sounded exactly like what we bought. I never made them, and I kind of forgot about them for a while.
Until I was getting ready for my mom to come visit and trying to pick out some recipes to try while she was here. I pulled out a cookbook she gave me a long time ago, but I had never used, called "An Appetite for Art" which was published by the NC Museum of Art. As I was leafing through it, what did I see but a recipe for Neiman Marcus bars! So, I decided to give them a try.
Neiman Marcus Bars
from "An Appetite for Art" complied & edited by Elizabeth K. Norfleet for the NC Museum of Art.
Ingredients
1 box pound cake mix
1/2 c. butter
3 eggs, divided
1 c. chopped pecans
1 lb. confectioner's sugar
1 8-oz block cream cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9-inch x 13-inch pan with butter.
In medium bowl with electric mixer combine cake mix, butter, 1 egg and pecans. Press mixture into pan bottom.
In another bowl, beat with mixer to combine: sugar, cream cheese and 2 remaining eggs. Spread over cake mixture.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool and cut into bars. Makes 16 bars.
The Verdict
First of all, it made way more than 16 bars! I sent Alec to the office with about 1/2 of them! They tasted yummy, but I vaguely remembered a different texture from the ones we bought. It seems like maybe those had pecans in the cream cheese mixture as well as the base, or maybe just sprinkled on top. I will probably try another version next time!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Cake Decorating - Week 2
I'm doing two blog posts tonight because I am so excited to show my first cake!
The first week of cake decorating class, there wasn't anything to show. In class, we just went over the lessons, went through the tools in the class kit, learned how to make the "Class Buttercream" icing and how to ice our cakes. One good tip I learned was how to get smooth icing: after you spread the icing, let the cake sit a while until the icing starts to firm up. Take a piece of wax paper and lay it over the top. Run your spatula over the wax paper. Pull up the wax paper and your icing will be smooth! (That is if you wait long enough - I didn't the first time. Humidity can also be a factor - like I can do anything about that in TX!) Do the same thing with strips of wax paper wrapped around the sides of the cake.
So, for Week 2, we had to bake an 8-inch round cake and ice it. In class, we would learn to use the star tip to fill in designs and a thin, round tip to do lines.
I make my cake from a mix. Normally I like to bake from scratch, but someone I know who has taken the class advised me to just use a mix, because there's enough to worry about with getting the icing ready and practicing the techniques without worrying about if the cake is going to come out, and mixes are hard to mess up!
Here is my cake, with the base icing. I give myself a B- for the smoothness. 
"Why," you might ask "is it shaped like that?" Well, that would be because the dog ate my homework.
I had baked the cake and put on one coat of icing. Alec and I were in the living room watching the Olympics. I heard a noise in the kitchen and I yelled "River, get down." Here's what happened next:
Alec: What is she [River] doing?
Me: I think she was trying to get on the counter & lick my cake.
Alec walks into the kitchen.
Alec: Um, hon, she didn't just try to lick the cake.
I walk into the kitchen and I see this on the counter:
Yes, that would be my cake, with the icing licked off most of one side, and a big bite out of it. After I panicked for a minute (it was around 9 pm and I didn't really have time or energy to make another cake) I had a brainstorm - the design for the cake in the class book was a rainbow! I could just cut off the part River had licked and the design would still fit! So that's what I did.
In addition to the cake, we had to take a bunch of icing to class. We were supposed to color the icing for the rainbow (I'd misunderstood and thought we were going to do that in class, so all mine was white. But, here are all my containers ready to go:
Class went a lot better than I expected. I've tried a little bit of cake decorating to enhance some of my bundt cakes from my patterned pans. I've never done very well. But, I was pleased with my results. I think my rainbow looked really good. I didn't do so well with the border around the bottom, but I don't have a turntable, so it's a little difficult. 
Alec took the cake into work today and he said everyone liked it.
Next week, we will learn to make clown figures, and icing roses!
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