Turkey Day Troubles - Installment #2 I just finished reading a book (Cooking for Mr. Latte) written by Amanda Hesser, a food writer for the New York Times. In one of her chapters she writes, "I have a few favorite dishes, I rarely make them." She goes on further to describe those old tried and true recipes, "You know, ones that I'll want to return to for years and years. You make it again and again, altering it to your liking, it becomes an expression of you aesthetic, of your palate, of who you are. And when you serve that dish to guests, they come to understand you a little better." I couldn't help but connect with her words. Growing up I was a very picky eater. Golden Macaroni and CheeseAdapted from Southern Living 2004 Annual Recipes Ingredients COOK macaroni according to package directions; drain well. PLACE milk, flour, and onion salt in a quart jar; cover tightly, and shake vigorously 1 minute. STIR together flour mixture, 3 1/2 cups cheese, and macaroni. BAKE at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown. 1. 2.
Spinach Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich Earlier on in the week, when I made the spinach, or spanakopita pesto pasta I made sure to keep some of the pesto left over for something new. I had come across the idea of using a pesto in a grilled cheese sandwich and it was the perfect time to try one. I have been experimenting with grilled cheese sandwiches for a while now. It all started when I first tried adding some jam to one then I moved on to chutneys and now it was time to try a pesto grilled cheese sandwich. Get ALL 8 Closet Cooking eCookbooks in a bundle for 40% off! Spinach Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Servings: 1 A tasty spinach pesto smothered in ooey gooey melted cheese and wrapped in buttery golden brown grilled bread. ingredients 1 tablespoon butter2 slices bread1/2 cup graviera or gruyere, grated1-3 tablespoons spinach (aka spanakopita) pesto directions
Roasted Garlic Pizza I had originally un-published this post as part of the purge but after repeated emails asking where the post went, I decided to re publish. Ever since I tried kickpleat's pizza dough recipe, we've had different pizzas probably once a week. Our favorite, however, is the roasted garlic. Try it - and please, let me know what you think!! The Easiest Pizza Dough In The Worldeverybody loves sandwiches 1 packet yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)1 cup warm water2 1/2 cups flour1 teaspoon honey1 teaspoon salt2 tablespoons olive oilcornmeal Preheat oven to 400F. Sprinkle baking sheet with cornmeal and press dough into it to your desired thickness. Roasted Garlic Pizza 1 recipe Easiest Pizza Dough In The World1 head garlicolive oilsalt & peppershredded mozzarella cheeseoregano Preheat oven to 400F. Keeping head of garlic whole, peel away loose papery exterior. Once garlic is cool enough to handle, unwrap from foil and place on cutting board (not wood, preferably).
Perfect Pizza Crust and Roasted Garlic Chicken Pesto Pizza I've been wanting to make my own pizza crust for a really long time, but for some reason I've been hesitant. I've never been much of a bread beaker and I tend to avoid recipes that deal with kneading or rising. Yesterday, though, Ross and I decided to be brave and try making our own pizza dough for Valentines Day dinner. If you're going to start making pizza dough I figured that a recipe called "Perfect Pizza Crust" was the place to start. If you're at all thinking about tackling pizza dough from scratch, search no further. I chose to throw some roasted garlic, pesto, chicken, mozzarella, and parmesan on mine, but with this dough I'm sure you could put anything on it and it would still be amazing! The Perfect Pizza CurstSource: Annies Eats (great blog!)
Banana Bread Pancake Recipe Here’s what I know about pancakes. They taste good with cherries. Apples and bacon too. They make slept-in mornings with toothpaste stains eight thousand times better. They are what my dad stuffs with blueberries. They probably wouldn’t be good with things like broccoli or beans… because that’s just weird. Oh! They taste extra excellent with ice cream on top. Even better steaming hot with oozing butter… then ice cream on top. They save marriages. They aren’t the best choice for breakfast when you want to wear a string bikini. They often slip you into a welcoming food coma that causes you to desk nap. They are darn good. They are cake. Seriously. Now hold your horses. I feel bad declining him day after day. But it’s the combination… the bananas, the brown sugar, the maple vanilla glaze… that has etched this breakfast into the rotation at our house. There is a reason this is huge. So now people can eat banana bread without stuffing an entire loaf down their face. makes 12 pancakes 1/4 teaspoon salt
Shrimp with Garlic and Parsley - The Best Sizzling Spicy Appetizer at Cooking Melangery Appetizers are purely for fun. Hors d'oeuvres the French call them: "outside of the works." They are likely to have a wicked lot of calories but most people have come to expect them with cocktails. The French picked up the habit of pre-dinner snacking from the Russians, who call such tidbits zakuskis. Hot hors d'oeuvres are always a treat. This recipe of Shrimp with Garlic and Parsley is amazing. Serves: 4 Ingredients: 4 to 5 Tbs. olive oil 4 garlic cloves, finely minced 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 tsp. sweet paprika 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 to 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice 1 to 2 Tbs. dry white wine salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley lemon pepper pasta for serving, optional (I got the pasta from Trader Joe's) Directions: In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil.
Light Fettuccine Alfredo Let’s celebrate simplicity today once again. This time with some deliciously amazing light Fettuccine Alfredo. This version of world-renowned creamy pasta contains no butter base and instead of ‘full-power’ cream it uses half and half. A perfect indulgence with no sins involved… ahh… Here’s what we need… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. … and keep stirring just until it melts. 13. 14. 15. I heated our plates in the microwave oven for about 30 seconds before serving to prevent the sauce from thickening too quickly. Enjoy, dear friends! Love, Petra (Source: TraceysCulinaryAdventures.blogspot.com. Maryland Crab Cakes with Quick Tartar Sauce l Once Upon A Chef When you live in Maryland, you eat crabs. It’s a summer pastime: picnic tables covered with brown paper, silver buckets, buttered corn, french fries, and the unmistakable scent of seafood and Old Bay. It’s that time of year, and my mind is already drifting to all those weathered crab shacks at the Eastern Shore, where you can look out over the bay and put your feet in the sand. Is it August yet? Some people might be so daring, but I would not attempt an all-you-can-eat crab feast at home. (Live crabs, giant steamers…yikes!) The most important thing when you’re making crab cakes is to use fresh, good quality lump crab meat. The other key to great crab cakes is to go light on the filler. I love them with the tartar sauce below, but you could also serve them with lemon wedges or cocktail sauce. Enjoy! Servings: Makes 6 crab cakes, enough to serve 3 adults as a main course Ingredients For the Crab Cakes For the Quick Tartar Sauce Instructions Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.
Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables This pasta dish was my last supper. I went out with a bang, three types of cheeses and somewhere around 3 pounds of vegetables. (What a way to go.) And what I mean to say is that this was my last supper before the moratorium on exercise was put into action by my orthopedist. He wants me to not move for two months. Seeing as how I haven’t taken off more than two days in a row for the past four years…I don’t even know how to begin to do that. I am a mover by nature. But somehow, I have to try. Here’s the other thing. I absolutely up and down refuse to gain weight in the next eight weeks. Those extra pounds may come knocking at my door and I will politely but firmly say “No, thank you.” You see, after my last stress fracture I was sad and so I spent the nine months after I was injured eating anything and everything to make myself feel better. Want to dare me to not only not gain weight but to perhaps even lose weight during this next eight weeks? Huddle up, team. Will there be sacrifices?
Roasted Vegetable Penne Pasta I have begun participating in a few local fresh produce programs again. I have been receiving the most amazing produce from them. One week I got the freshest eggplant, tomatoes and zucchini. I immediately though "PASTA DISH". So, I added some olive oil, garlic and cheese and made this simple and incredible pasta dish.It was so amazing that Munchkin and I ate this for 4 or 5 days. I am so excited to make this again after harvesting them from my own gardens. I have 2 herb gardens going in. Dinner's Ready! With love from our kitchen table to yours! Do you ❤ love ❤ TSRI? Roasted Vegetable Penne Pastaserves 8 2 medium zucchini 1 medium eggplant 2 pints Pink Pearl tomato (grape tomatoes will work too) 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 cup + 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano (grated and divided) 3 cloves garlic, grated 1 pound dry penne pasta salt and pepper, to taste Preheat oven to 400°. Wash vegetables well with soap and cool water.
Blackberry Mojitos Kids always think that being grown up is soooo glamorous. Adults can do what they want, eat all the candy and junk food they want, stay up as late as they want, etc. And yeah, I guess that’s all true. But, being an adult is also expensive. Really expensive. Like… “holy crap, how did this routine car inspection turn into $1800 worth of repairs” expensive. Needless to say, after the car-repair fiasco at the dealership this morning, Dan and I were feeling a little tense. Mojitos are one of my favorite cocktails, not only because they’re delicious but also because they require so few ingredients and are so easy to make. Sushi adores Dan. After a few mojitos and some homemade nachos, we’re definitely feeling a lot better about things. Blackberry Mojitos Author: justputzing Recipe type: Cocktail 6 fat blackberries + more for garnish8 mint leaves1 oz rum1 to 2 tbsp sugar (Depends on how sweet you like your mojitos.
Two Tarts: Homemade Mayonnaise Sarah and I have been talking about doing homemade mayo for what feels like forever. Now we're experiencing summer temperatures in Colorado, and our thoughts are on picnic baskets, baguette sandwiches, and potato salads. I am not a huge mayo fan, and I have always used it sparingly on sandwiches, if at all. It was a great point of contention when I discovered that my husband's family dips their artichoke leaves in mayonnaise. (Melted butter, am I right?) But homemade mayo is a whole different creature than the supermarket stuff. I recently bought the gorgeous cookbook Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan. So take it from me, when the recipe says to go slow and literally add the oil drop by drop, it truly means literally. Also, I tried it in my food processor which has a gracious 14-cup capacity (love that thing), but it didn't work for this because it was just too big.