What Kara's Cookin'

Tasty Turkey Burgers

2011-09-06T16:06:00.006-04:00

These burgers really live up to their name - they are TASTY. We had them for dinner Sunday night and they are delicious. I love a good turkey burger, but I think that even folks who are a little wary of turkey would like this. It will definitely be a regular on our grilling/burger rotation.

Tasty Turkey Burgers
Recipe from Southern Living
1 pound ground turkey
½ cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 large egg, beaten
¼ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced dried onion
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons Fresh Herb Marinade*
4 hamburger buns

Combine first 7 ingredients. Shape mixture into 4 equal-size patties.
Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in center, basting each side occasionally with Fresh Herb Marinade. Grill buns, cut sides down, 2 minutes or until toasted. Serve burgers on buns with desired toppings.

* Fresh Herb Marinade
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Stir together first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Season with pepper to taste.

Asian Turkey Meatballs

2011-08-28T17:49:00.001-04:00

Well, ahem, it's been ... a while. Sorry 'bout that. I cook - really, I do - it's just that my child, my husband, my job, my house and my other obligations (family, friends, church, etc.) keep me running. Oh yeah, I'm training for a half marathon, too, so I'm running a lot - literally. All of that leaves precious little time for other stuff I like to do, like reading and blogging. I know I'm not alone in feeling this way, either... we all could use a few more hours in our days, couldn't we?

But I made a promise to my friend Andrea and I'm sticking to it!! After this post, though, I think I'm going to start posting my recipes (okay, those I actually post) on my other blog, www.karawitherow.wordpress.com. Having one blog will be easier to keep up with and maybe - just maybe - I'll be able to keep up with one. Here's hoping!

On to better things ... food! I found these delicious and healthy meatballs via skinnytaste.com, a great food blog full of healthy (Weight Watchers friendly) recipes. (You won't find butter and heavy cream in her recipes like you will in mine - ha!) But despite their lack of butter, these meatballs are so, so good. All three of us love them. I serve them with brown rice and edamame for a quick, easy, healthy meal.

Asian Turkey Meatballs with Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce

Recipe from www.skinnytaste.com

¼ cup panko crumbs

1 ¼ pounds 93% lean ground turkey

1 egg

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 scallions, chopped

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Dipping Sauce

4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons water

1 chopped fresh scallion (green onion)

Preheat oven to 500°F. Mix ground turkey, panko, egg, salt, scallions, ginger, cilantro, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 2 teaspoon oil and mix with your hands until combined well. Shape ¼ cup meat mixture into a ball and transfer to a baking dish. Repeat with remaining mixture. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

For the dipping sauce, mix together lime juice, water, soy sauce, and remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in a bowl. Add scallions. Transfer meatballs to a serving dish. Stir sauce, then drizzle meatballs with 1 tablespoon sauce. Serve meatballs with remaining sauce, about 1 tablespoon per person. Makes 12 meatballs. (3 large meatballs equals one serving. The photo above is of two small appetizer-sized meatballs.)

Easter Dinner Inspiration

2011-04-19T12:29:00.000-04:00

Easter is one of my favorite holidays of the year. I love that it’s spring and (hopefully) warm and sunny and pretty. I love that our family gets together to celebrate the day with some of our closest friends (these days, the children outnumber the adults!). My favorite part of the day, though, is the celebration of our risen Lord and Savior. He is alive - hallelujah and amen!

And, I must admit, I do also enjoy the food (and desserts!) that are associated with Easter. Big surprise, huh?!? So when the Grace Graffiti girls asked me to do another guest post about an Easter meal I was thrilled and jumped at the chance. It gave me an opportunity to pull out a couple of my favorite side dish recipes and try a couple of new recipes, too.

I made this meal for one of our weekly Thursday night meals with the Akins family and it received rave reviews all around (their words and Patrick’s, not my own!).

This meal is perfect for a small Easter family gathering, and would feed 8 to 10 people. The flavors are great and go well together. It’s also an easy meal that doesn’t take a ton of time or effort to make. The Twice-Baked Potato Casserole can be put together on Saturday and popped in the fridge overnight. The asparagus takes 10 minutes - total - to make, and the pork tenderloin took five minutes to prep before I put it in the oven.

Patrick and I liked the pork loin so much that it’s going on my baby girl Nora’s first birthday party menu! I’ve also asked the Easter Bunny to put a double oven in my Easter basket …

Herb-Crusted Pork Loin
Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen
One 4-pound boneless pork loin, with fat left on
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 teaspoons minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place the pork loin on a rack in a roasting pan. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. With your fingers, massage the mixture onto the pork loin, covering all of the meat and fat. Roast the pork for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 425 degrees and roast for an additional hour. Test for doneness using an instant-read thermometer. When the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees, remove the roast from the oven. Allow it to sit for about 20 minutes before carving. It will continue to cook while it rests. Serves 10-12.

Twice-Baked Potato Casserole
Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen
8 medium baking potatoes, about 4 pounds
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 pint (2 cups) sour cream
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup chopped chives, for garnish
6 sliced bacon, cooked crisp, drained, and crumbled, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pierce the potatoes and place on a baking pan. Bake the potatoes for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until very soft. Peel and mash the potatoes in a large bowl with a potato masher or the back of a fork. Add the cream cheese, butter, 1 cup of the Cheddar cheese, and the sour cream. Stir well. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and stir again. Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Place the potatoes into the dish. The casserole may now be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated until ready to bake. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the potatoes for 30 to 35 minutes, until hot. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup Cheddar cheese over the top of the casserole and return to the oven for about 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. Garnish with the chopped chives and crumbled bacon before serving. Serves 10-12.

Oven-roasted asparagus
Recipe courtesy of Southern Living
3 pounds fresh asparagus*
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted*

Wash and dry asparagus. Snap off and discard tough ends; place asparagus on a lightly greased baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or to desired degree of tenderness. Transfer to a serving dish; sprinkle with almonds. Makes 8-10 servings.

Dinner Rolls
Recipe courtesy of your grocer's freezer
Purchase a bag of Sister Schubert's Yeast Rolls. Bake according to package directions. Eat and enjoy.
(Really, with Sister Schubert's available, why on earth would I ever make homemade rolls??)

Carrot Cake
Recipe courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
1 pound carrots, peeled and grated

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9 by 13-inch cake pan with vegetable oil spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

Whisk the eggs and sugars together in a large bowl until frothy and the sugar is mostly dissolved, about 1 minute. While whisking, slowly add the oil until the mixture is thoroughly combined and emulsified, about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour mixture until no streaks of flour remain. Stir in the carrots.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs attached, 35-40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Run a paring knife around the perimeter of the pan, invert the cake onto the rack, peel off the parchment, then invert the cake again onto a serving platter.

This cake can be made as a sheet cake, a layer cake, cupcakes or even a bundt cake. The only difference is the baking time. If making a layer cake, though, you’ll need to use a classic frosting because the cream cheese frosting isn’t stiff enough. A bundt cake could be dressed up with a Cream Cheese Glaze or a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. Baking time adjustments: for two 8-inch cake layers, reduce the baking time to 25-30 minutes. For a bundt cake, increase the baking time to about 55 minutes. For 24 cupcakes, reduce the baking time to 30 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon sour cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar

Process the cream cheese, butter, sour cream and vanilla in a food processor until combined, about 5 seconds. Add the confectioners’ sugar and continue to process until smooth, about 10 seconds, scraping down the bowl and blades as needed. (I used my hand mixer instead of a food processor and it worked fine.)

Happy Easter!

Guest blogging with the GG girls

2011-03-14T09:25:00.000-04:00

Hey, y'all,

Check out Grace Graffiti today for a fun guest blog from yours truly! If you're looking for a festive meal to celebrate St. Patrick's Day I've got you covered. And while you're at it, give their super-cute home decor, jewelery and accessories a looksie. Here are our house we're celebrating the (hopefully soon) arrival of spring with an adorable egg door hanger.

Enjoy!

Saltine Chocolate Pieces

2011-02-24T11:35:00.003-05:00

As promised, Rachael, this is for you!

Growing up, these yummy treats were a staple dessert/snack during the Christmas season. They are so yummy and everyone seems to like them - they're a crowd pleasing treat. And they're incredibly easy, quick and cheap, which makes this a win-win recipe! I keep these in the freezer and eat them cold - so good!! (But I'm also one of those people who likes her Girl Scout cookies frozen ...)

I like them so much that I've decided that they are no longer going to be relegated to just the holiday season ... I'm busting out the traditional barriers and have declared these to be year-round treats!

Saltine Chocolate Pieces
I think the recipe is from Mamie, a dear family friend
1 sleeve saltine crackers
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
12 ounces (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate pieces
3/4 cup chopped nuts (we prefer pecans)

Line a 10x15 cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with foil; spray very lightly with cooking spray. Cover sheet with crackers. Combine the brown sugar and butter in a small saucepan and boil for 3 minutes. Pour over cracker and spread evenly. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let set for 1 minute, then spread the melted chips with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with chopped nuts (if desired) and lightly press down. Cool until firm, then break up. Pieces can be frozen.

French Onion Soup

2011-01-13T14:13:00.003-05:00

On Christmas Day, we all gathered together at Patrick's parent's house for Christmas dinner. Everything was delicious, but one of my favorite courses was Scott's French Onion Soup. I had never had it before, always shying away from it because of the abundance of onions. I have never liked onions, but I have recently realized that it's raw onions I don't like, not all onions. I like grilled onions, caramelized onions, roasted onions, etc. Scott is a great cook, so I knew that whatever he made would be good.

But the soup wasn't good.

It was to die for. Truly - it was the best soup I have ever tasted. It was so, so good. All of us said that the meal could have ended there and we'd be happy.

It was so good that I knew I had to try to make it.

I did on Saturday, and we ate it on Sunday, and it was almost every bit as good as Scott's. (I say almost because one, I had to do all the work and make it myself rather than just sit down and have it served, and two, because my cheese didn't get all nice and melty and stringy like Scott's. I've asked him his secret and will share it with you when I get it.) Patrick loved it and declared it "one of his new favorite meals."

Sounds good to me!

This is a perfect meal for this time of year. A couple of tips: make sure you have deep, oven-safe bowls (we don't have any ... yet ... and I had to borrow some. That is, after my sweet husband went to five different stores looking, in vain, for French Onion Soup bowls). Second, per the comments on the recipe (on the Food Network site), it's best served the day after you make it. Apparently that gives time for the flavors, specifically the brandy and wine, to meld. I made it on Saturday and we ate it on Sunday (and Tuesday) and it was delish.

Bon appetit!

French Onion Soup
A Julia Child recipe, courtesy of Food Network
1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 cups thinly sliced onions (about 2-1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon flour
8 cups homemade beef stock, or good quality store bought stock (I used almost three containers of Swanson beef cooking stock)
1/4 cup Cognac, or other good brandy (Since Scott used Paul Masson brandy, I did too)
1 cup dry white wine (I used cooking sherry 'cause it's what I had in the pantry)
8 (1/2-inch) thick slices of French bread, toasted
3/4 pound coarsely grated Gruyere (be prepared - this is expensive! It cost me $8.50.)

Heat a heavy saucepan over moderate heat with the butter and oil. When the butter has melted, stir in the onions, cover, and cook slowly until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Blend in the salt and sugar, increase the heat to medium high, and let the onions brown, stirring frequently until they are a dark walnut color, 25 to 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour and cook slowly, stirring, for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool a moment, then whisk in 2 cups of hot stock. When well blended, bring to the simmer, adding the rest of the stock, Cognac, and wine. Cover loosely, and simmer very slowly 1 1/2 hours, adding a little water if the liquid reduces too much. Taste for seasoning

Divide the soup among 4 ovenproof bowls. Arrange toast on top of soup and sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Place bowls on a cookie sheet and place under a preheated broiler until cheese melts and forms a crust over the tops of the bowls. Serve immediately.

Amaretto Cheesecake

2011-01-09T16:05:00.000-05:00

The week before Christmas I asked my mom what dessert sounded good to her for us to have on Christmas Eve. She surprised me by telling me that an amaretto cheesecake was what she wanted.

Nothing says "Merry Christmas" and "Happy birthday, Jesus" like an amaretto cheesecake, right??

But being the people pleaser that I am, I happily obliged. I do love to make - and eat - cheesecake!

A lot of people tend to shy away from cheesecakes, but they really are easy desserts to make, once you get comfortable making them. The cream cheese needs to be very well softened, you need to scrape down the sides and bottom of your mixer well, and never, ever open the door while your cheesecake is baking. That's a big no no. If you follow those simple rules, though, you'll have a delicious cheesecake every time!

Amaretto Cheesecake

Recipe for 1 (9-inch) graham cracker crust*

3 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1/3 cup amaretto

1 1/2 cups commercial sour cream

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons amaretto

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Grated chocolate, for garnish

Press graham cracker crust mixture firmly on bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan (do not bake prior to filling with cheesecake mixture).

Beat cream cheese at high speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in 1/3 cup amaretto; pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until mixture is set.

Combine sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons amaretto; stir well, and spoon over cheesecake. Bake at 500 degrees for 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack; chill. Garnish with almonds and grates chocolate. Yield: 12 servings.

Graham Cracker Crust

1 (5 1/3-ounce) packet graham crackers, crushed (about 1 2/3 cups)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Firmly press crumb mixture evenly over bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. For frozen pies, crust may be used without baking. For other pies, bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes. Yield: one 9-inch crust.

Baked Potato Soup

2011-01-06T13:44:00.004-05:00

The cold and dreary weather we've been having lately makes me want to eat soup every day. Well, maybe not every day, but I could eat it pretty darn often. It's just so warm and filling and comforting. This baked potato soup recipe is so good, and it'll fill you up, warm you up and stick to your bones.

If you like loaded baked potatoes you have go to try this!

Whoops. I just realized that I posted this same recipe almost exactly one year ago. Oh well. It's such a good one that it deserves to be posted again. :) I promise to have more - new! - recipes coming soon, including amaretto cheesecake and sugar cookies. Yum!

Baked Potato Soup

Recipe courtesy of my mom

Serves about 4

4 large or 6 medium potatoes, baked with skin on

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup flour

6 cups milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons green onions, chopped

Bacon pieces, cooked & crumbled. (I use the packaged Hormel or Oscar Meyer pieces; they are so easy)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

8 ounces sour cream

Bake potatoes for 1 hour at 400 degrees. Remove foil for the last 15 minutes. While potatoes are still warm, cut into cubes and crumble/mash half of them. Melt the butter in a large, heavy saucepan or dutch oven over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add potatoes, salt, pepper, green onions, crumbled bacon, and cheese. Cook until heated. Stir in sour cream. (I usually add sour cream in each bowl when serving rather than into soup pot.)

Serve with cheese, bacon, onions and sour cream on top.

Dripping Roast Beef Sandwich

2010-10-30T20:46:00.003-04:00

My mom made this for lunch one day while Patrick, Nora and I were visiting, and we really enjoyed it, so I got the recipe and made it for us today. It was the perfect game-day dinner - quick, easy and super tasty. I made it during a commercial - it's that fast!

Dripping Roast Beef Sandwich
Courtesy of Campbell's
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) Campbell's condensed French Onion soup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 pound thinly sliced roast beef
4 hoagie rolls
4 slices provolone cheese
Drained pickled banana pepper rings

Heat oven to 400. Heat soup and Worcestershire sauce in a two-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Add beef and heat through, stirring occasionally. Divide beef mixture among rolls. Top beef mixture with cheese slices and place sandwiches onto baking sheet. Bake 3 minutes or until sandwiches are toasted and cheese is melted. Top each sandwich with banana pepper rings.

Weight Watchers Wednesday: Calzones

2010-10-13T22:24:00.003-04:00

I had some pizza crust (the Pillsbury kind in the tube) in the fridge, so in my quest to find a healthy Weight-Watchers friendly recipe, I knew I wanted to make something with the pizza dough. I thought a pizza or calzone would be a good choice ... if I could find a healthy recipe.

I found this recipe while looking through my Weight Watchers cookbook, and thought I'd give it a try. It also helped that feta cheese was BOGO this week at Publix, and I was able to find a coupon. Healthy AND cheap - score!

I must admit that this isn't what I would typically think of when I think of a calzone. There's no meat (calling all vegetarians!), and there's no sauce, so it's not really as much like a pizza as I had thought. But it's not bad.

In the interest of being transparent I will say that this isn't our favorite meal, but it's not bad. If I had all the ingredients, I'd make it again, but it's not going to be one of our go-to dishes. But maybe you'll enjoy it!

And I took a photo, but can't find it anywhere, dagnabbit! It was actually really pretty!

Calzones
1 1/4 teaspoon (about 1/2 envelope) active dry yeast*
3/4 cup lukewarm (105-115 degrees) water*
2 cups all-purpose flour*
1 teaspoon salt*
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup thawed frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. In a food processor, combine 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of the flour and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of the lukewarm water through the feed tube just until the dough forms a ball. Knead the dough by pulsing until it is smooth and elastic, about 30 times. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; place the dough in the bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm draft-free place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hour. (OR -- use a tube of Pillsbury pizza dough and roll it into a large circle on a baking sheet. Much easier!!)

Meanwhile, in a small nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the shallots and garlic until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the spinach; cook about 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; stir in the ricotta, feta, egg, mint, oregano, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees; spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle a work surface with the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. Turn out the dough; divide into 6 pieces. Roll out each piece into a 6-inch circle. Place about 2 heaping tablespoons of filling on one side of each circle, then dampen all around the edge; fold over and press with a wet thumb to seal. Transfer the calzones to the baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes.

Weight Watchers Wednesday: Apple-Oatmeal Cookies

2010-09-30T21:44:00.005-04:00

We can pretend that today's still Wednesday, can't we? It's my blog so it's Wednesday here (too bad I can't rewind real life).

The weather might disagree, but the calendar says that it's fall. It's almost October and when it's fall (regardless of the ridiculous heat) I want to make fallish things. Apple things, pumpkin things, squash things. You know, fallish things.

And this week I wanted a sweet fall thing. I had an apple in the fridge, oatmeal in the pantry and this recipe in my cookbook. The stars aligned and thus, I made these cookies.

They're good; they're a nice light bite of sweetness. With only 1/4 cup of sugar, they aren't overly sweet, but just enough. And the small amount of fat means that there's not a lot of dough to this cookie; it's mostly a lot of oatmeal and apple bundled together. But they are good! We've really enjoyed them this week - and guilt free because they are low fat and low calorie! I'll definitely make these again.

I hope you enjoy these little light bites of fall!

Sorry for the crummy photo; I took it with my phone. But a crummy photo is better than no photo, right?

Apple-Oatmeal Cookies
Recipe courtesy of the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats, toasted until lightly browned*
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 apple, peeled, cored and coarsely grated
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons dark raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two baking sheets with nonstick spray (don't spray if sheets are nonstick). (I use parchment paper instead - love the stuff.) In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, cream the brown sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Add the apple, egg, and vanilla; beat until combined. Add the oats mixture, stir to blend, then stir in the raisins (if you use them ... I didn't). Drop the dough by tablespoons onto the baking sheets, forming 12 cookies on each sheet; flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake until lightly browned, 12-15 minutes Cool completely on a rack. Store in an airtight container.

*Toasting oats brings out their nutty flavor. Spread the oats in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned and toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.

Asian Grilled Salmon

2010-09-28T15:28:00.003-04:00

In my continuing effort to cook healthier meals (once or twice a week), I thought it wise to try to add some fish to our diet. We both like fish, but I never cook it because I'm not comfortable with it, and, frankly, it's stinky. I have a super sensitive sniffer and a lot of smells bother me, especially bad smells. And I just happen to think that fish is one of those bad smells, especially when your bedroom, clothes, etc. all smell like fish. I like to eat fish, but I don't want to smell like it ... especially three days later!

Thus, we tend to only eat fish when we eat out. Which, since we have a four-month-old baby and live on a budget, isn't often.

But, my wise mom suggested that we grill the fish instead of cooking it on the stove or in the oven, and I thought it was a great idea. Plus I got to hand Patrick the cooking reins for the evening. Win-win!

This was super easy. It has only five ingredients, four of which I always have on hand. All I had to buy was the salmon. (I was shocked at how much it cost, though - $14 for two fillets. They were large, but still.) Patrick was very careful while he was grilling; he didn't want one ounce to fall through the grates! We ate these with roasted asparagus and roasted potatoes. The next day I had the chilled leftovers on a salad. Yum!

Asian Grilled Salmon
Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten, aka Barefoot Contessa (who bears a striking resemblance to my mom)
1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds)
For the marinade:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good soy sauce
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Start grill or light charcoal; brush the grilling rack with oil to keep the salmon from sticking.

While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Place the salmon skin side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but don't worry; it will keep cooking as it sits. (Patrick was concerned about ours being undercooked so he cooked them a bit longer, probably 7 minutes on each side.)

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Weight Watchers Wednesday: Goat Cheese & Roasted Corn Quesadillas

2010-09-22T21:33:00.005-04:00

I weighed myself this morning and was not completely disgusted. I now have about 10 pounds to go before being at my pre-pregnancy weight. I'd love to lose a little more, maybe a total of 15 pounds, but I won't push my luck. Ten will do for now, I suppose (although I do have to fit into a bridemaid's gown in May ...).

So this isn't the best-looking photo in the world (a quesadilla is a quesadilla, right?), but a bad photo is better than nothing, I guess.

This isn't a Weight Watchers recipe, but it's from Cooking Light. Close enough, eh? I found this while wading through recipes looking for something healthy but not too off the wall. You know my love for cheese, so I thought we'd give this a try.

We enjoyed this; the flavor was good and it wasn't heavy like most of the quesadillas I make (with lots of regular cheese). I followed the recipe and only used one ear of corn, which yielded only 3/4 cup of corn. Next time I make this I'll use two ears of corn - I think this could have used more. And if you want to add more substance, you could add grilled chicken, too.

All in all, this was a pretty good meal. Healthy, easy and if you like goat cheese, tasty. Enjoy!

Goat Cheese & Roasted Corn Quesadillas
Recipe from Cooking Light, March 2009
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 large ear)
2/3 cup (5 ounces) goat cheese, softened
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 1 green onion)
10 tablespoon bottled salsa verde, divided
Cooking spray

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn; sauté 2 minutes or until browned. Place corn in a small bowl. Add goat cheese to corn; stir until well blended. Divide corn mixture evenly among 4 tortillas; spread to within 1/4 inch of sides. Sprinkle each tortilla with 1 tablespoon green onions. Drizzle each with 1 1/2 teaspoons salsa; top with remaining 4 tortillas. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove from pan; keep warm. Wipe pan clean with paper towels; recoat with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve with remaining 8 tablespoons salsa. Serves 4.

Calories per serving (serving size: 4 wedges and 2 tablespoons salsa): 223; Fat:8.9g; Protein: 9.9g; Carbohydrate: 28.6g; Fiber: 3.2g; Cholesterol: 16mg; Iron: 1mg; Sodium: 266mg; Calcium: 75mg

Chicken Burgers & Couscous

2010-09-18T18:35:00.006-04:00

So I know that the title of this post may not draw you in (chicken burgers, really?), but it is a seriously good meal. Seriously. We just ate it tonight and were both very pleasantly surprised at how much we liked it. The flavors were so different than what we usually eat (couscous, for one, and dried cranberries, for another), but we loved them. And did you notice -- not one ounce of cheese in either recipe! Ha!

I found these recipes the other day I was flipping channels and saw Giada on Food Network. I stopped and watched for a while and this is the meal she was making. At first I was a little leery of chicken burgers, but like I've said before, we're fans of burgers, and I am always on the hunt for something new to try, so I figured we'd give it a whirl and see how we liked it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

Well, Giada, you've done it again. The chicken burger was moist and full of flavor, and the couscous was nutty, hearty and flavorful. We had never eaten couscous before, but we both loved it. Patrick and I kind felt like we were eating California food ... I don't really know what that even means, but it's how we felt!

We've eaten regular beef burgers, turkey burgers and now chicken burgers. I'm thinking next might be bison burgers. What's your favorite burger, and do you have any non-beef burger recipes you like?

Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis
Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 clove garlic, minced

Burgers:
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 sandwich rolls or burger buns (we used whole-wheat buns)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup arugula, divided

For the mayonnaise: In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, garlic, and rosemary; set aside.
For the burgers: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 of the mayonnaise mixture. Using clean hands, gently combine the ingredients and form the chicken mixture into 4 patties. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 7 minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels and let rest for a few minutes.
Brush the cut side of each roll with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise mixture. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly golden.
To assemble the burgers: Spread a dollop of the remaining mayonnaise mixture on the tops and bottoms of the toasted buns. Place the chicken burgers on the bottom halves of the buns. Top each with 1/4 cup of arugula and finish with the top half of the bun.

Israeli Couscous with apples, cranberries and herbs
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Israeli couscous (or barley or orzo)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 medium green apple, diced
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted, see Cook's Note

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

For the couscous: In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the couscous and cook, stirring occasionally until slightly browned and aromatic, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to12 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the cooked couscous to a large bowl and set aside to cool. Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, apple, dried cranberries, and almonds.

For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until smooth. Pour the vinaigrette over the couscous and toss to coat evenly.

Cook's Note: To toast the almonds, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before using.

I've read that Israeli couscous is different than regular couscous, but I couldn't find it at Publix so I just used the regular, plain, boxed couscous, and since I don't know anything different, I thought it was great! I also used dried herbs instead of fresh cause I was being lazy and cheap. I pretty much used 1 teaspoon dried herbs for every tablespoon of fresh.

To be a better cook part II - DEAL ALERT!

2010-09-17T14:40:00.004-04:00

Have you seen Top Chef? I'm a fan. Love that show. But I don't get Bravo (sad), so I haven't been able to watch this season (outside of a few weeks where we randomly got the channel. Then it went away. Tease).

But, even though I don't get Bravo anymore, I can still watch some of the Top Chef chefs in action through Top Chef University, an online cooking school. And even better, right now they're offering a month-long membership for half of - $12 instead of $24.95.

The deal is through the Wichita Groupon.

To get these deals:
1. Go to Groupon
2. At the top click “Visit more Cities”
3. Pick Wichita and order. “Side deals” are found on the right next to the main deal for the day.

Wichita- Month-long membership to Top Chef University. 23 online cooking lessons for $12

This Groupon is for the Basics & Techniques class only.

Act quick if you're interested - you only have two days to purchase this offer.

And ... sorry about no Weight Watchers Wednesday post. Wednesday was our three-year anniversary and we enjoyed a nice dinner out, so it was a no-cook Wednesday for me. But it'll be back next week.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

2010-09-14T21:19:00.002-04:00

I found this recipe a while back while looking for another pasta recipe, and just tried it tonight. I'm kicking myself for taking so long to make it - it's so good! It's definitely on the spicy side, but the kick of heat was a nice change for us. We both really enjoyed it and I'll be making it again.

Oh, and I was just too lazy to take a photo. Sorry. Maybe I'll take a pic of the leftovers.

Cajun Chicken Pasta
From Southern Living 2007
12 ounces uncooked linguine
2 pounds chicken breast strips
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning*
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 cup butter
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced**
1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced*
1 (8-oz.) package fresh mushrooms
2 green onions (white and light green parts only), sliced**
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Garnish: chopped green onions

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Sprinkle chicken evenly with Cajun seasoning and 1 tsp. salt. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken, and sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until done. Remove chicken. Add bell peppers, mushrooms, and green onions to skillet, and sauté 9 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and liquid evaporates. Return chicken to skillet; stir in half-and-half, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring often, over medium-low heat 3 to 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add linguine; toss to coat. Garnish, if desired, and serve immediately.

*To make your own Cajun seasoning, combine 2 1/2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon ground black pepper.

**1/2 (16-oz.) bag frozen sliced green, red, and yellow bell peppers and onion may be substituted.

To be a better cook ...

2010-09-13T22:40:00.000-04:00

We were out of town this past weekend, so I didn't cook Friday, Saturday or Sunday, and tonight I ate a salad while Patrick ate two bowls of Lucky Charms. Sad, I know. But I'm just keeping it real. I am glad that I have a husband who doesn't mind eating cereal for dinner every once in a while. I think he actually enjoys it.

I might not have cooked, but I did find a good article on CookingLight.com. I went there on a search for healthy salmon recipes and found this article instead (I also found what looks to be a good salmon recipe. I'm going to attempt to incorporate fish into our diet and my cooking repertoire).

I love to cook, but I am so very, very amateur. If I had the time, the money, a maid and a nanny, I would love to take cooking classes. But, alas, I am the maid and the nanny - er, mommy - and sometimes my lack of knowledge and experience means that I wing it in the kitchen. But I love to learn, and I would like to be a better cook, so I hope that reading this helps me have fewer kitchen foibles.

I've made at least 10 of these mistakes (but never, never #9), and have learned from them. Hopefully reading this list will help me avoid the other 15!

The 25 most common cooking mistakes
Click here to read the entire article
1. You don’t taste as you go.
2. You don’t read the entire recipe before you start cooking.
3. You make unwise substitutions in baking.
4. You boil when you should simmer.
5. You overheat chocolate.
6. You over-soften butter.
7. You overheat low-fat milk products.
8. You don’t know your oven’s quirks and idiosyncrasies.
9. You’re too casual about measuring ingredients.
10. You overcrowd the pan.
11. You mishandle egg whites.
12. You turn the food too often.
13. You don’t get the pan hot enough before you add the food.
14. You slice meat with―instead of against―the grain.
15. You underbake cakes and breads.
16. You don’t use a meat thermometer.
17. Meat gets no chance to rest after cooking.
18. You try to rush the cooking of caramelized onions.
19. You overwork lower-fat dough.
20. You neglect the nuts you’re toasting.
21. You don’t shock vegetables when they’ve reached the desired texture.
22. You put all the salt in the marinade or breading.
23. You pop meat straight from the fridge into the oven or onto the grill.
24. You don’t know when to abandon ship and start over.
25. You use inferior ingredients.

What have you learned from your time in the kitchen?

Weight Watchers Wednesday - Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken

2010-09-09T09:49:00.004-04:00

So, yeah, it's not Wednesday anymore. Whoops. But better late than never, right?

Living in the South, fried chicken is a big deal. It's everywhere. And it's mighty tasty. But not healthy. Not at all. But sometimes you just get a craving and want that delicious flavor. When the mood hits and nothing else will do but fried chicken, here's a yummy and guilt-free alternative to the artery-clogging and button-popping original.

Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken
Courtesy of the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
5 points
1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk
1/2 cup cornflakes, crushed
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 pounds chicken, skinless
4 teaspoons canola oil (it's important, flavor-wise, that you use canola oil)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the buttermilk into a shallow bowl. On a sheet of waxed paper, combine the cornflake crumbs, flour, salt and pepper. Dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the cornflake mixture, coating completely. Place the chicken on the baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Bake 30 minutes, then turn the chicken over. Bake until cooked through, 15-20 minutes longer.

Per serving (about two pieces): 229 calories, 10 g. fat, 2 g. sat. fat, 0 g trans fat, 64 mg chol, 295 mg. sodium, 11 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 23 g protein, 49 mg calcium.

Weight Watchers Wednesday - Honey-Mustard Pork Chops

2010-09-01T19:59:00.005-04:00

How fitting that this post should come right after my cheese-and-bacon laden Bacon Quiche recipe.

But don't be fooled. It's only a once-a-week commitment that I'm making to eating healthier.

Unfortunately for me, these pesky 20 pounds I've been holding onto since Nora was born don't seem to be going anywhere. And I want them to go. Anywhere. Somewhere. Just far, far away from me. Apparently, though, it sometimes requires a change in habits to lose weight, and I haven't changed a single habit. Just wishing and hoping the pounds away isn't cutting it anymore. Thus, Weight Watchers Wednesday was born.

Every Wednesday I'm going to make a new and healthy recipe. It might come from my Weight Watchers cookbook (I'm gonna start there) or it might come from Cooking Light or another healthy food source. Wherever it comes from, though, it's gonna be healthy.

No heavy cream, no half-and-half, no "four cups of cheese" or "1/2 pound of bacon."

We'll see how this goes.

Thank goodness it's only once a week.

Honey-Mustard Pork Chops
Courtesy of the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
4 Points
4 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cider or wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 (5-ounce) bone-in loin pork chops, 1-inch thick

To prepare the marinade, in a small saucepan over low heat, heat the honey until it liquefies. Stir in the mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper; cool to room temperature. Place the pork chops in a gallon-size Ziploc bag; add the marinade. Seal the bag, squeezing out the air; turn to coat the chops. Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally, at least 8 hours or overnight. Remove the chops from the refrigerator 30 minutes before broiling. Preheat the broiler. Discard the marinade. Place the chops on the broiler rack and broil 3-4 inches from the heat until cooked through, 6-7 minutes on each side. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving (1 chop): 178 calories, 7 g. fat, 3 g. saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 10 mg. cholesterol, 124 mg. sodium, 2 g. carbs, 0 g fiber, 26 g. protein, 27 mg. calc.

Bacon Quiche

2010-08-30T19:25:00.001-04:00

At our house, we sometimes enjoy breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, waffles, eggs, cereal ...we like it all.

Yup, you read right. Sometimes we eat cereal for dinner. And we like it.

But even when I do cook breakfast for dinner, I still like it to be a quick and easy meal. This bacon quiche fits the bill quite well. It's so yummy and hearty; served with a side of grits, it's a complete meal. I don't like Swiss cheese, but I love it in this. I also love that, besides the cheese, it's a recipe made with ingredients I typically always have in the pantry or fridge.

This quiche is also perfect for breakfast or brunch. It's not very healthy, but man, is it worth the calories!

Bacon Quiche
Recipe courtesy of Suzanne Akins
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
3 eggs
1/2 cup Bisquick
1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1/3 cup bacon, crumbled

Mix butter, milk, salt, pepper, and eggs. Beat well. Stir in Bisquick and pour into 9-inch cake or pie pan. Sprinkle bacon and cheese on top. (Do not mix.) Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Family Favorites - Pepper Steak

2010-08-27T19:15:00.005-04:00

Tonight I made a meal that I've enjoyed for as long as I can remember. It's a family favorite, and a recipe passed down to me from my mom. When I was younger I wouldn't eat peppers (or tomatoes or onions), but thankfully my parents never catered to my taste buds; my brother and I had to eat whatever was cooked, whether we liked it or not. My mom and dad (who made our breakfast and lunch every day) refused to be short-order cooks. I am thankful that I wasn't allowed to be a picky child because now I'm not a picky adult. I enjoy eating different types of food and trying new things.

But don't be fooled; I totally picked all peppers, onions and tomato chunks out of my food.

I'm glad my taste buds have evolved, if not, I'd miss out on a lot of great flavors.

So I'm introducing you to one of our favorite family meals, and I'm going to try to make this a weekly feature. I've also got something new to debut this Wednesday, so stay tuned!

Pepper Steak
Recipe courtesy of Mom
1 large flank steak, cut into thin strips (it's easier to cut when partially frozen)
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup cooking sherry
2 shakes of ginger
4 teaspoons sugar
8 teaspoons cornstarch
2 green bell peppers, cut into bite-size pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
Rice

Combine soy sauce, sherry, ginger, sugar and cornstarch in a large, shallow pan (I use a 9x13 dish). Marinate steak in this for at least one hour (I usually let it marinate 4-8 hours, in the fridge).

Start rice so it can be ready when your meal is done.

Put meat and marinade in a large skillet and brown the meat. Once the meat is browned, turn down the heat, cover and cook until almost done, 20-25 minutes, adding hot water as necessary to maintain the sauce. Add peppers and cook until crisp-done.

Serve over rice.

Turkey & Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

2010-08-13T10:40:00.003-04:00

A week or so ago I went in search of a recipe that uses turkey in a non-traditional turkey kind of way. I'm trying to use a different type of protein with each meal so that we aren't eating beef or chicken over and over and over again. So far I have two great turkey recipes in my repertoire (Greek turkey burgers and turkey lettuce wraps), and this adds a third. Don't let the long name and long recipe scare you away; this is actually a pretty easy recipe to make (but you will use quite a few pots and pans). It makes a ton - an entire box of jumbo pasta shells - so it's good for a large family or for a couple nights of leftovers.

Akins family - you'll be seeing this meal soon!

(I'll take a photo next time I make this.)

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce
Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis
1 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 (8 to 10-ounce) package frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
5 cups Arrabbiata Sauce, recipe follows
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (about 5 ounces)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9x13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of Arrabbiata sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tablespoons. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full, about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata Sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 day and up to 1 month.

To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 20 minutes (60 minutes if shells are frozen.)

Arrabbiata Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped (I used bacon instead)
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (can be omitted for less heat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups jarred or fresh marinara sauce (about 2 jars)

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use. Yield: approximately 6 cups

Chinese Slaw

2010-08-10T20:44:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago I had the challenge of making a Chinese/Asian appetizer. I don't fry, and Whitney had already claimed the edamame, so I had to come up with something. I remembered a yummy side dish that my Aunt Susan made for a family get together, and thought it would be perfect. She graciously shared her recipe with me and now I'm sharing it with you. It make a lot, so it's perfect for a crowd. And it is great left over, too. Enjoy!

Chinese Slaw
Recipe from Aunt Susan
1 bag of slaw (regular or broccoli)
Noodles from 2 packages of beef Ramen noodles, crushed
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup shelled sunflower seeds
2/3 cup oil
1/3 cup vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
2 beef flavor packets from the Ramen noodles

Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the oil, vinegar, sugar and beef flavoring in a small bowl or saucepan. Heat for a couple of minutes in the microwave or on the stove, until sugar and beef flavoring is dissolved. Mix well. When the dressing has cooled, pour it over the slaw mixture and toss to combine.

Upcoming recipes:
Turkey and artichoke stuffed shells
Peach Cobbler
Tostada pizza

Sopapilla cheesecake pie

2010-08-04T09:49:00.004-04:00

I have a sweet tooth. There's not a dessert I don't like (at least none I've found). So when given the opportunity to make something for a potluck, I tend to gravitate towards dessert. I have been known to make a dip or an appetizer from time to time, but nine times out of 10 I'll make a dessert.

A recent Mexican night get together with friends was no different.

While there are tons of great Mexican appetizer/dip recipes to choose from (mmm ... cheese), I didn't know of too many Mexican dessert recipes. Tres leches cake came to mind, but I knew it would be tougher to eat than the finger food we were supposed to bring. After scouring the Internet for a while I found a sopapilla cheesecake pie recipe. It looked tasty, had lots of good reviews, and seemed pretty easy.

Mexican/Spanish? Check.
Dessert? Check.
Easy to eat? Check.
One of my favorite desserts to make (cheesecake)? Check.

This was a hit. It was easy to make and delicious. It's not like a typical cheesecake, so I wouldn't recommend this if you're looking for the more traditional, bake-in-a-springform pan cheesecake. But the filling is a mixture of cream cheese and sugar, so there is definitely a cheesecake taste. It's rich and sweet and oh, so good.

Sopapilla cheesecake pie
From allrecipes.com
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of your baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.
Bake until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.

Watermelon feta salad

2010-07-15T18:30:00.004-04:00

Watermelon is to summer what football is to fall. They just go together.

And I love me some watermelon.

While shopping at Publix this weekend, I picked up a watermelon thinking it would be a yummy addition to the fruit kabobs I was planning to make. Little did I realize how much watermelon one watermelon actually contains. When I was done cutting it up (four days and one messy kitchen later) we had a TON of it.

I like watermelon a lot, but not that much.

So I used some of it tonight to make a delicious summery salad.

I first ate this on Father's Day at my parent's house. I don't know where my mom found this recipe, but I'm glad she did and that she shared it with us!

Watermelon feta salad
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
2 pounds watermelon, cut into bite size pieces
8 ounces grape tomatoes, cut in half
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar*
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups arugula greens (about 5 ounces)*
1 cup sliced red onions

Whisk oil, vinegar and salt to blend; set aside. Place arugula, onions and tomatoes in a salad bowl. Add vinaigrette; toss to coat. Add cheese and melon; serve.

*My mom didn't have white balsamic vinegar, so she used regular balsamic vinegar and it was just as good. We both used romaine lettuce instead of arugula. And I don't have kosher salt so I used regular salt. All these substitutions and it was still a delicious salad!

Greek turkey burgers

2010-07-04T21:20:00.005-04:00

I stepped on the scale last week and was not happy with what I saw. Of course, with the way I've been eating lately I should have known that I would be less than pleased with the numbers on the scale, but a girl can dream.

So in an effort to shed some of this baby weight I've still got hanging around, I am trying to cook and eat healthier. I don't really have much time to read these days, what with an infant in the house and all, but while (very) quickly skimming through the latest issue of Southern Living I found a recipe for turkey burgers. We're big burger fans in our house, but I've heard mixed reviews about turkey. I've heard that they can be dry and tasteless, but this recipe looked like it might be something we (or I...) would like. Anything with feta cheese is worth a try in my book.

Patrick was skeptical. He's a traditional burger kind of guy. But he humored me and grilled them anyway. He even ate one. And liked it!

These burgers aren't dry at all (I think the cucumber sauce helps) and are packed full of flavor. I really liked them a lot - they were so tasty and different from what we usually eat. Patrick liked them, too, and said that they didn't make him feel as full and heavy as a regular hamburger.

If you're looking for an alternative to your usual hamburger, give these a try. We finished them today and will be making them again.

Greek turkey burgers
Recipe courtesy of Southern Living
1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast
1 (4-oz.) package crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegetable cooking spray, if using a grill pan
1/2 cup grated English cucumber (I couldn't find one, so I used a regular cucumber)
1 (6-oz.) container fat-free Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 French hamburger buns, split and toasted
Toppings: lettuce leaves, tomato slices, thinly sliced cucumber
Garnish: pepperoncini salad peppers

Stir together first 6 ingredients. Shape mixture into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) patties. Heat a grill pan* over medium-high heat. Coat grill pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Stir together cucumber, yogurt, mint, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a small bowl. Serve burgers on buns with cucumber sauce and desired toppings. Garnish, if desired.

*We used our gas grill and cooked them at 300-400 degrees for about 7 minutes each side.

Chop-chop salad

2010-06-27T20:57:00.004-04:00

This salad is one of my favorite summer side dishes. It's easy, healthy, pretty and travels well to picnics and potlucks. It's the perfect accompaniment to your favorite grilled food, and if you omit the bacon, it's a vegetarian dish, too.

Chop-Chop Salad
Recipe from family friend Sue Chaney
1 head broccoli
1 head cauliflower
6 green onions
1/2 pound bacon (or bacon bits)

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable or corn oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Chop broccoli, cauliflower, onions and bacon into small pieces. Combine in a large bowl.
Toss with dressing just before serving.

Chocolate no-bake cookies

2010-06-25T21:56:00.004-04:00

When Patrick and I started dating, I was introduced to one of his favorite cookies, one that was brand new to me. (How I missed out on a cookie for that many years is beyond me.) His aunt traditionally makes them for family gatherings, and the first time I ever ate one was when we all got together for a family reunion in Ocean Isle, North Carolina. They are tasty little treasures, full of chocolate and peanut butter ... two of my favorite things!

I never had the recipe until a sweet lady from our church brought us dinner and dessert after Nora was born. She very thoughtfully included the recipes, and this was one of them. Finally, I can make one of Patrick's favorite cookies!

Chocolate no-bake cookies
1 stick of butter
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups oats

Combine butter, sugar, cocoa and milk in a small saucepan. Bring to a full boil for one minute. Remove from heat and combine with remaining ingredients. Stir together until fully combined. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

A Cookie Conundrum

2010-05-03T19:52:00.005-04:00

I have a chocolate-chip cookie conundrum, and I'm hoping y'all can help.

I have been making chocolate-chip cookies for as long as I can remember, but have never found that perfect recipe, one that gives me fluffy, chewy cookies. Although they taste good, mine always seem to come out more on the flat, crispy side, no matter what I do. And flat and crispy is fine and dandy if that's what you want ... but I want thick, fluffy, chewy chocolate-chip cookies!

Is it the butter? The softened butter, perhaps? Should I use cold butter instead, even though the recipe clearly calls for softened butter? Or should I use margarine? What about shortening?

I've even tried recipes that say they will turn out the way I want, but they never do. And y'all know how I follow recipes to a tee -- especially when baking.

So what gives? Please share any ideas, inspiration, advice you have.

Until then, I'll keep trying. Patrick - who has never met a chocolate-chip cookie he didn't like - won't complain!

*Photos are now courtesy of Patrick and his new toy, a Canon Rebel DSLR camera - no more iPhone pictures!

The Final Countdown

2010-04-29T11:12:00.002-04:00

Thanks to the band Europe for the title inspiration and for getting that darn lyric in my head.

The final countdown to meeting baby Nora is here - FOURTEEN days and counting! I can't wrap my mind around the fact that in two weeks we will become parents. We are so, so excited. But clueless!

I don't want this blog to become a baby blog, so if you're interested in keeping up with our next 14 days and the days with Nora that follow, check out my other blog at www.karawitherow.wordpress.com. We have family and friends scattered from Georgia to Illinois and all in between, so I'm hoping that the blog will be a good way to keep everyone updated on Nora (I have no illusions that anyone will care about what Patrick or I am doing, just the baby!).

Oven-Roasted Asparagus

2010-04-28T14:19:00.003-04:00

I am always on the hunt for quick, easy, healthy side dishes. I always seem to make the same ones over and over again (roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli are my faithful standbys), but as much as we like them, sometimes you just need something different.

And that's where this recipe comes in. I usually only make it in the spring and summer. Something about asparagus just says "spring" to me. I have no idea if asparagus has a season or not, but I say it's spring!

Until I made and ate this asparagus, I had no idea that I liked it so much. This recipe is super easy, quick and delish. The asparagus gets nicely roasted but doesn't get soft - soft asparagus is a no-no in my book.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Oven-roasted asparagus
Recipe courtesy of Southern Living
3 pounds fresh asparagus*
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted*

Wash and dry asparagus. Snap off and discard tough ends; place asparagus on a lightly greased baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or to desired degree of tenderness. Transfer to a serving dish; sprinkle with almonds. Makes 8-10 servings.

*Patrick and I certainly can't eat 3 pounds of asparagus, so I usually buy just shy of 1 pound for the two of us. I eat quite a bit with dinner, and then we have a few left for leftovers. When using less than 3 lbs. I just reduce the rest of the ingredients as needed. For example, I made this the other night and used just under one pound of asparagus. I used a little less than a tablespoon of olive oil, one garlic clove, 1/4 tsp. salt and just a couple of shakes of pepper. I don't use almonds because I'm not a fan of nuts with my veggies, but if you like them, have at it!

Recipe from Easter Sunday

2010-04-25T23:00:00.000-04:00

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. It ushers in the start of spring, we get to dress up more than usual and we spend a wonderful lunch and afternoon with some of our favorite people.

Not to mention the fact that it's the day we celebrate that our Lord has risen from the grave and is alive! To me, this day is more spiritually significant than Christmas; I mean, our God lives and has conquered the grave! Praise Jesus.

Oh, and it's also mandatory to snap a picture or two:

Easter is one holiday that Patrick and I spend with our friends, our "Brunswick family," if you will. We love this group of people and are blessed to share life with them. The Herndon family has graciously opened up their home (and backyard) to our crazy crew for the past five years. Whitney is the world's best hostess!

Patrick has been a part of this tradition since it started in 2006, and I joined in when I moved down the next year. Patrick was just a single guy the first year; the next year he and I were engaged (and I had moved down to Brunswick and participated in the Easter festivities), and the past two years we've been married with no kids. This year, I was hugely pregnant. Next Easter we'll have our own little "peep" to chase after!

And get this - in 2006, there were only two kids in the group. This year there were 18 with two on the way. Next year there will be AT LEAST 20 kids running around - no wonder we all need naps after all the fun!

Oh, and there's food. Oh, the food. Lots and lots of yummy, yummy food.

Everyone brings two side dishes, and we all dig in for a delicious feast.

This year I made Spicy Black Bean Salad and Strawberry Banana Trifle. I think this trifle just screams spring - it's light, sweet, and full of delicious fruit.

Not the best picture in the world, but at least you can see the yummy layers of pound cake, pudding, fruit and Cool Whip.

Strawberry Banana Trifle
Pound cake or angel food cake, cubed (I use the Sara Lee family size frozen pound cake)
6 oz. instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups milk
1 carton of strawberries, washed, dried and sliced
3 bananas, peeled, sliced and sprinkled with lemon juice (to help prevent browning)
12 oz. Cool Whip

Make pudding according to package directions; refrigerate to set.
Layer half of each in the following order: pound cake/angel food cake, pudding, strawberries, bananas, Cool Whip. Repeat layers one more time, ending with Cool Whip. Enjoy!

A brief update...

2010-03-24T15:49:00.003-04:00

What's Kara cookin'?

Not much these days, obviously.

I have actually cooked a few times this week, but nothing new that hasn't already been blogged about. And, with the pretty weather and longer days, I've had Patrick manning the grill a couple nights this week. I love when I can turn the cooking reins (or at least half of them) over to him!

And for the two weeks before, I stayed with my parents (who live just an hour away) and got treated to my mom's cooking. Patrick was working/taking tests/studying his tail off in Atlanta for 16 days, so I took that opportunity to get some good mom and dad time in. And not cook. Or clean. Or do my own laundry. They definitely took good care of me!

Although it doesn't sound like it, I have been busy, though! I'm 32 weeks pregnant as of tomorrow, and the nesting has set in full force. We have eight weeks to go until we welcome sweet Nora into the world, and I have been working hard to get her nursery ready and organized. And cleaning took on a whole new meaning on Saturday when I cleaned from 10 a.m. until Patrick got home from Atlanta at 2:30 a.m. I did take a little break to run errands, but I was a cleaning machine. And, holy moly, I paid for it on Sunday. (Sadly, though, in all that time, I wasn't able to clean the entire house. I think I got distracted by organizational projects, etc.)

And I must say - these 32 weeks have flown by for me. I can't believe that in eight weeks or less we will be parents. It's exciting, thrilling, nerve wracking and scary. But I can't wait. I can't wait till I can see my toes again. Till I can tie my shoes without hyperventilating. Till I can sit still for more than five minutes at a time (she has invaded my lung/rib space and I have a constant stitch on my right side). Till I can fit into my normal clothes again. Till I can drink five Diet Cokes (in one day) again. Till I can sleep on my stomach again.

But most of all, I can't wait to meet Nora, see Patrick become a dad, and become a mom. The nursery may not be ready quite yet, and I may not be ready to change 82 diapers a day, but I am so ready to be her mom and see who she is and will become.

Chicken and Spinach Manicotti

2010-03-01T19:28:00.005-05:00

Last Wednesday, my mom and I enjoyed a wonderful day of mother-daughter shopping at St. John's Town Center in Jacksonville. Being pregnant, I was hungry pretty much the moment we got there. We both love Italian food, so we made a beeline for Maggiano's. Mom had a delicious dish of veal marsala while I had a tasty meal of chicken and spinach manicotti. I enjoyed it so much that the next day I got online to look for the recipe. Although it isn't exactly like Maggiano's (I actually had to cook this myself, but Patrick did serve me AND clean up the mess I made), it's a really good version, and a nice change from my typical plain cheese manicotti. We had it for dinner tonight and really enjoyed it; hope you do, too!

Chicken and Spinach Manicotti
Recipe courtesy www.recipezaar.com
Filling
1 cup chicken breasts, cooked
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
12 manicotti noodles, cooked until al dente

Sauce
16 ounces Alfredo sauce
16 ounces marinara sauce
Approximately 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions
Dice the chicken breast into 1/2-inch pieces and place into a large mixing bowl. Add spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, pepper and salt, and mix thoroughly. Arrange precooked pasta sheets on waxed paper and fill with filling mixture. Combine Alfredo sauce and marinara in bowl and mix until well incorporated. Place a small amount of sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 ovenproof baking dish. Place the cannelloni, side by side, into baking dish. Pour remainder of sauce over cannelloni, covering completely. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over top of sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for approximately 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Click here for the original recipe.

Essential kitchen appliance

2010-02-19T12:01:00.003-05:00

If onions make you cry, jalapenos burn your fingers and mincing vegetables is just a time-consuming pain in the bootie, this little gadget is for you.

It's the KitchenAid Chef's Chopper, and it is one of my essential kitchen appliances. It's small - it holds up to three cups - and is oh, so handy. I have never enjoyed mincing onions and other veggies into small, uniform pieces, but this chopper makes fast, easy work of it. I use it at least three times a week. And when you're done, just throw the plastic parts in the top rack of the dishwasher (I hand wash the blade), and voila, you have perfectly chopped or minced veggies!

Seriously, it would take me forever to mince an entire onion (I'm just too stinking slow and anal), plus I always end up with tears streaming down my face and a runny nose. Not to mention the stinky fingers. I paint a lovely picture, eh? But those things are gone forever when I use this!

This is not a paid endorsement (I wish!), but is just a PSA from me to you. That's how much I use and love this little gadget.

Oh, and wear disposable gloves (like the kind doctors wear) when you work with jalapenos - they work wonders!

Campanelle Pasta Salad

2010-02-17T19:55:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago when I was at Target (I go way too often, by the way) I noticed that Giada De Laurentiis had launched a new line of products exclusive to Target. The ceramic/stoneware bread pans looked nice, but I was drawn to a box of orzo pasta. Not that I've ever cooked orzo, but I was really interested in seeing if there was a recipe on the back of the box.

Yup, there was. It was an orzo/tuna recipe, and it intrigued me. I didn't buy the orzo because it cost almost $2.50 for a one-pound box, and I knew I could buy it at Publix for about a dollar less (non Giada branded, however, but the brand name is certainly not worth my $1).

So, two weeks later I was still thinking about that recipe. Obsess much, Kara? I couldn't find it online (of course not -- they want me to shell out $2.50 for a box of pasta), but I did find an incredibly similar Giada recipe, made with campanelle pasta instead of orzo.

Worth a shot, I figured. And I might as well feed the beast that had been obsessing over tuna and pasta.

So, I made it for dinner tonight and was pleasantly surprised. Neither Patrick nor I are big fans of fresh tomatoes, but we both liked the cooked cherry tomatoes, and they gave the pasta nice flavor and color. It was a nice flavor change of pace for us, too; while we tend to eat copius amounts of pasta, we don't typically eat fish (at least not at home).

This was a quick, easy meal, too, perfect for weeknights.

And, to Target and Giada (cause I'm sure they'll read this ...) -- how about a line of Giada-inspired clothing? I always like the shirts she wears ... but would wear a cami underneath. No cleavage in the kitchen for me!!

Campanelle Pasta Salad
Slightly modified from the original Giada De Laurentiis recipe, found on foodnetwork.com*
1 pound campanelle pasta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
1 small or 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (12-ounce) can tuna in oil, drained
1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons dried chopped thyme
4 teaspoons chopped dried parsley
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.

In a 14-inch skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the tuna to the skillet and, using a fork, break into chunks. Add the cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, capers, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the pasta, the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, and the parsley. Toss until all the ingredients are coated, adding a little pasta water, if needed, to thin out the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl and serve warm or at room temperature.

*I used 12 ounces of tuna instead of the 6 called for in the recipe, and am glad I did. I don't think that 6 ounces would have been enough to taste. I also didn't feel like buying fresh herbs, and already had the dried herbs on hand, so that's what I used. I modified the quantities above to account for using them instead of fresh herbs. For the original recipe, click here.

Chaos in the kitchen

2010-02-04T13:26:00.004-05:00

There's been chaos in my kitchen for the past two days.

Perhaps that's a sign that I should take a cooking hiatus?

Needless to say, my hopes and dreams of being the next Martha Stewart or Paula Deen have been dashed. (Not that I have had dreams of being either of them, frankly, but I have been humbled. Oh, so humbled.)

Last night I tried a new recipe for dinner and it turned out reasonably well. The chaos was coming, though ...

As Patrick and I settled down for dinner in the living room, I took a sip of my tea, which was sitting on a coaster next to my plate of food on the tray table. (Note - once we have Nora, we will start eating at the dinner table like we did with our families, but until then we will enjoy dinner in the living room, watching tv!) I put my cup down and it caught on the lip of the coaster, sending an entire huge cup full of tea (unsweet, thankfully) onto my plate, me and the floor.

I sat there, pouting, while Patrick sprang into action. I was a wet mess, as was my dinner. Thankfully there was enough for me to dump what was on my plate and get more, but man, it was a mess.

And today wasn't any better.

I had this grand idea to make a chocolate pound cake for dessert tonight and to have again tomorrow night when my parents come to town.

This was the first time I've ever made this recipe.

And apparently what I thought was a 10" tube pan turned out to be a less-than-10" tube pan.

Can you see where I'm headed with this?

I knew that I was filling the pan pretty full, but didn't realize just how full until I smelled smoke coming from the oven. It's not a good sign when you see flames inside your oven; that much I do know.

The cake had overflowed the pan and batter had fallen onto the bottom of the oven and onto the element. I put the fire out, and quickly opened up the windows in the kitchen and dining area (it's pretty chilly in here now). It still smells like a fire and I'm glad I have yet to shower today. (Yay for work-from-home jobs!)

The cake was far from pretty when I pulled it from the oven, but hopefully we can focus on the taste instead of the appearance.

Here's hoping, at least.

Cheesecake Cupcakes

2010-02-03T11:27:00.004-05:00

I really like cheesecake. And I really like to make cheesecake. But sometimes, a whole cheesecake is just too much, and for parties and showers it can be tough to slice and eat it, especially if you're walking around, talking and mingling.

Lo and behold, the cheesecake cupcake! These are the perfect bite-size alternative to a regular-size cheesecake, and just as delicious.

I helped host an all-dessert baby shower a few weeks ago and made these. It was my first time making them, and thankfully, they turned out perfectly. Just thinking about them makes me want them again!

But watch out -- it's easy to eat about a dozen of these little gems!

Cheesecake Cupcakes
Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Topping:
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Fresh fruit slices, fruit topping or jam for garnish

Preheat oven to 325. Line 24 regular muffin cups with paper cupcake liners. (I had to buy foil cupcake liners because both stores were out of the paper kind - go figure - and they seemed more substantial than the plain paper liner. I say that because I had to use one paper liner when I ran out of foil ones!)

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until very smooth. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Fill the cups about half full with the batter. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the cupcakes are set and golden brown.

Make the topping: Combine the sour cream, sugar and vanilla and stire well with a metal spoon or spatula. Spoon about a teaspoon on top of each cupcake and return to the oven for 5 minutes to glaze.

Remove cupcakes from the oven. When they can be handled safely, remove them from the muffin tins and let cool completely on wire racks. When completely cool, place them in plastic containers with lids and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, decorate with slivers of freshly cut seasonal fruit, jam or fruit topping, or one to two whole blueberries or raspberries. Serve at room temperature. Makes 2 dozen.

*Note: Do not eat these before they have been chilled in the fridge! (Or let your husband.) You will be disappointed in the texture until they have chilled thoroughly. I know from experience!! And, it took my cupcakes about 35 minutes to even slightly brown on top, so yours may take a little longer, too. I don't know if that had anything to do with using foil liners instead of paper, but just throwing it out there. Also, I used cherry pie filling for the topping and just spooned three cherries onto each cupcake - so yummy - I wish I had some right now!

And stay tuned for more recipes coming soon, I promise! I have been cooking a lot lately, just now need to take the time to post the recipes and photos. I know - I need to get my priorities in line! :)

Potato Kielbasa Skillet

2010-01-15T11:50:00.002-05:00

If you're looking for a hearty, home-style, tasty and quick meal for the cold winter nights we've been having, this recipe is perfect.

Patrick and I were first introduced to this meal during one of our weekly Thursday night dinners at the Akins' house. When Suzanne first told me what we were having and the list of ingredients, I was a smidge skeptical, but Suzanne is an awesome cook and her meals never, ever disappoint, so I had faith (despite the brown sugar/cider vinegar/spinach/kielbasa combo).

And man alive, this meal did not disappoint. Not at all. It was such a hit that Patrick requested that I get the recipe and make myself. So, one night a few weeks ago I surprised him and this dinner was waiting for him when he came home from work.

It has definitely become a go-to recipe in our house for the fall and winter months. The combination of flavors, paired with potatoes, smokey kielbasa and spinach, makes for a delicious and quick weeknight meal.

Potato Kielbasa Skillet
Recipe courtesy of Suzanne Akins, via Kim Hanson, via Taste of Home
1 pound red potatoes, cubed
3 tablespoons water
3/4 pound smoked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices (I use turkey kielbasa)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups (one bag) fresh baby spinach
5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Place potatoes and water in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes or until tender; drain.

In a large skillet, saute kielbasa and onion in oil until onion is tender. Add potatoes; saute 3-5 minutes longer or until kielbasa and potatoes are lightly browned.

Combine the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, thyme and pepper; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Add spinach and bacon; cook and stir until spinach is wilted. Makes 4 servings.

Baked Potato Soup

2010-01-14T15:24:00.004-05:00

Baby, it's COLD outside!

We here in coastal Georgia have been experiencing unprecedented cold weather lately. Global warming - what's that?!? Seriously, it has been ridiculously cold here the past few weeks, at least for me. I've had to bust out my cashmere gloves and wool coat, neither of which I have worn since I lived in Nashville! And you should see our electric bill. We just got it today, and man, I am dreaming of warmer weather. (Of course, when we get our electric bills in July and August I may be singing a different tune!)

A cold day makes me want to eat something warm, so at least I can be thankful that I have a reason and opportunity to make this delicious and hearty soup.

Baked Potato Soup
Recipe courtesy of my mom
4 large or 6 medium potatoes, baked with skin on
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
6 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
Bacon pieces (cooked & crumbled) - I use the packaged Hormel or Oscar Meyer pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream, to taste

Thoroughly wash and dry potatoes. When dry, wrap in foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours. While potatoes are still warm, cut into cubes and crumble/mash. If you like your soup chunkier (like my mom), only crumble/mash half of the potatoes, leaving the others cubed. I just like my soup less chunky.

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan/dutch oven over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

Add potatoes, salt, pepper, green onion, crumbled bacon, and cheese. Cook until heated.

Stir in sour cream. (I usually add sour cream in each bowl when serving rather than into soup pot. If you want to add it to the soup itself, use an 8 ounce container.)

Serve with cheese, bacon and onions sprinkled on top.

Note: If you reheat leftovers, you can add a tablespoon or two of milk to the soup to make it a little creamier.

Peanut Butter Treasures

2009-12-23T10:20:00.003-05:00

I totally made up the name of these cookies. I really have no idea what their name is, if they even have a name at all. I almost called them "Peanut Butter Blossoms," but aren't those the peanut butter cookies with the Hershey Kiss on top?

Similar cookie, but different. And different in a way that matters.

Instead of a boring Hershey Kiss (sorry to all you Hershey's Kiss fans out there; I've just never developed a taste for them), I use mini Reese's peanut butter cups. Now those I have developed a taste for!!

Patrick loves these cookies. With the combo of peanut butter cookie and peanut butter/chocolate candy, what's not to love?

And -- dare I say -- these are EASY. And fast. And, really, my "recipe" is more a "how to assemble" list than a recipe, but still.

Take 10 minutes out of your day and try these little gems.

Peanut Butter Treasures
1 recipe peanut butter cookie dough (or, if you are like me, you take the very easy way out and buy peanut butter cookie dough from the store. I'm not too ashamed to admit that I do that ...)
1 bag of Reese's mini peanut butter cups
Sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan, or use mini cupcake liners. I used mini cupcake liners for the first time a few weeks ago and will always use them from now on. They make removal of the cookies and the subsequent cleanup so much easier. I found them at Wal-Mart, of all places (oddly, though, not with the regular size cupcake liners. I found them in the party supply area, where they had some Wilton items). I think Michael's carries them, too.

After your mini cupcake pan is all ready to go, roll your cookie dough into small balls (1-inch balls or so). Have a bowl of sugar nearby, and roll your cookie dough ball into the sugar. Place in one compartment of the muffin tin. Repeat until cookie dough is gone or all compartments are filled.

Bake for 10 minutes.

While the cookies are baking, unwrap the mini Reese's cups. They need to be unwrapped and ready as soon as the cookies are done baking.

When the cookies are done, take them out of the oven and immediately place one mini Reese's cup in the center of each cookie. Place back in the 350-degree oven for two minutes.

Remove the cookies and let cool in pan.

Enjoy!

Monkey bread

2009-12-11T12:58:00.006-05:00

I'm back!!

Well, sort of. Patrick might dispute that statement, seeing as how he has yet to reap many benefits of my culinary adventures of late, but I have been using the kitchen for more than a workspace these days.

I made a chicken pot pie and cookies yesterday for some friends who just had a baby, (I made a double batch of cookies for Patrick, too, so don't feel too sorry for him), I made fruit dip (recipe coming soon) and monkey bread for a baby shower last weekend, and I also whipped up some cranberry "stuff" for Thanksgiving (that recipe is coming soon, too).

See, I've been cooking! But, did you happen to notice the glaring absence of dinners? Hmm... perhaps I should get back on that track?

But first -- MONKEY BREAD!!

This is one of my absolute favorite holiday season recipes. It just takes me back to my childhood. Plus, who can resist biscuits, butter, cinnamon and sugar? What a winning combo! I know that everyone and their mama has a monkey bread recipe, but I needed a recipe for the blog, so here's mine (actually, it's my mom's). It's the recipe I grew up on, and it never fails. In fact, I'm making it again tomorrow morning for our breakfast (I can get away with that because Patrick and I only got to enjoy a bite or two from the baby shower leftovers).

Monkey Bread
Courtesy of Mauri Norman, a.k.a. Mom
3 cans buttermilk biscuits (I actually use the handy four-pack that comes bundled together because it's easier to just grab it than three individual cans, and it works out perfectly.)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping:
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Cut biscuits into quarters. Combine 1 cup sugar, 2 T. cinnamon and nutmeg in a large Ziploc bag. Drop biscuits into bag and shake till coated (I do them in six-piece increments to ensure that they all get coated well, but you could also save time and drop them in all at once). Stack into a well-greased bundt pan (I like to sprinkle some of the sugar/cinnamon mixture in between each layer).

In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and 2 t. cinnamon. Heat until sugar dissolves. Pour over biscuits.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate and enjoy!

I've got a bun in the oven!

2009-11-04T15:19:00.006-05:00

I have a little explaining to do here, what with my lack of posts and recipes lately and all. It's just that I haven't been doing much cooking, period, let alone trying out new recipes.

And it's all due to the fact that I'm DUE!

Yup, I'm cooking, all right, just not in the kitchen! I've got a bun in the oven, and we're due to have our first little one on May 20.

I won't turn this into a baby blog, but since this is a food blog, I do have to share with you that Baby W is the size of a lime this week (I'm 12 weeks pregnant).

Hopefully in the next few weeks the nausea and food aversions will subside and I'll get back to cooking in the kitchen. Until then, I'll just try to live on 5 Guys burgers -- Baby W's current fave food.

Cheese Manicotti

2009-10-28T18:17:00.005-04:00

Sorry - again - for my lack of posts/recipes lately. I've been in town ... just not cooking as much as I'd like! Please stick with me though; I promise it will get better soon!

This recipe is one I grew up eating, and it's sort of a comfort food to me. And, it's an Italian meal, which I adore. I tend to gravitate towards the delicious combo of pasta and cheese!

Again, I don't have a photo because (let's all say it together) we ate it too fast and by the time I remembered all I had left on my plate were a few blobs of marinara sauce. But y'all know what manicotti looks like, right? I paired this with garlic bread and a salad (with my favorite Italian dressing - Good Seasons - the mix that you combine with oil, red wine vinegar and water).

Delizioso!

Cheese Manicotti
Recipe passed down to my mom from a dear family friend, Mamie Coffey
8 oz. (2 cups) diced or shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 slightly beaten eggs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Marinara sauce (I use a whole jar store-bought sauce for this recipe)
Approximately 8-10 uncooked manicotti noodles

Preheat oven to 35o degrees. Mix the first seven ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour a small amount of marinara sauce in the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 baking dish. Fill uncooked manicotti noodles with cheese mixture and place in dish on top of marinara sauce. Pour the remaining sauce on top of the cheese-filled noodles. Top with extra Parmesan cheese, if desired. Cover dish with foil and bake, covered, for approximately 45 minutes (at 350 degrees).

Penne with Butternut Squash & Italian Sausage

2009-10-13T17:18:00.003-04:00

Also known as one of my very favorite fall meals.

This recipe is delicious. The combination of sweet and tender butternut squash, sage, sweet Italian sausage and garlic is sublime. Patrick made me smile last week when he saw the recipe card laying on the kitchen counter and said, with a sigh, "I miss that meal..."

He was in for a treat last week because it was on the menu. I made it for our weekly Thursday night dinner with the Akins family and all of us - including the two kiddos - liked it (although, I do think the kids liked the penne and sausage part of the meal a little more than the squash part).

All this coming from someone who rarely eats squash. I LOVE this meal, and it's perfect to help usher in the fall season. Hope you enjoy!

Sorry for the lack of photo. I was so looking forward to eating that I forgot to snap a picture until my plate was clean.

Penne with Butternut Squash & Italian Sausage
Recipe courtesy of a dear family friend, Joan Coffey
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/4 lb. sweet Italian sausage, crumbled (remove casings first)*
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Pinch of crushed red pepper - optional
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
8 ounces penne pasta
2 ounces (1/2 cup) shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat; add olive oil and swirl to coat pan. Add squash and cook until browned. Transfer to a bowl. Cook sausage until well browned and drain. Stir in garlic and red pepper and cook 1 minute. Add wine and simmer 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Return squash to pan; add chicken broth and sage. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer until squash is very tender, 10-12 minutes (stir occasionally). Cook pasta al dente. Gently combine pasta and squash/sausage mixture. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serves 6.

*At first, I had the hardest time finding sweet Italian sausage. I once broke down and bought it at this fancy-schmancy gourmet grocery store on the Island and paid something like $20 for it. Never again! (By the way, with prices like that, the store is now out of business.) I have found, thankfully, Johnsonville's sweet Italian sausage in the freezer case at Publix. It's nowhere near $20.

Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with Carrots & Potatoes

2009-10-06T21:09:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the lack of recipes lately. Patrick and I were out of town for a while (as in 10 days) to welcome my brother home from Afghanistan. Good excuse, eh? We drove to Illinois with my parents (and their lab) and stayed with family there. We had a great time. And, I only cooked once. The other nights we were treated to delicious meals by my aunt Susan, and we also went out to eat a few times (Italian Village pizza ... heavenly).

The one night I did make dinner -- for 17 family members -- I made two pans of baked spaghetti. I think it was a hit.

But now we're back to the real world where I cook.

Today I branched out of my comfort zone and pulled the never-been-used-in-two-years-0f-marriage Crock Pot down from the pantry. As I was flipping through the latest issue of Southern Living the other day I came across a tasty looking slow cooker recipe and decided that I'd give it a whirl. Now, the reason I have never used a Crock Pot before is that frankly, none of the recipes I've seen look too tempting. I'm not a huge fan of stew, and why would I want to brown meat before putting it in the slow cooker? Isn't the entire point of the appliance so that I don't have to do that?

This recipe, however, looked easy (no browning meat!) and had two of my favorite cooked veggies in it - potatoes and carrots. And, I didn't even let the fact that it called for chicken thighs (dark meat, never cooked/eaten before) deter me. So, today I gave it a try and folks, we have a winner.

The prep took all of 20 minutes, and six hours later we had a tasty, fall-ish meal in front of us. We declared it a keeper.

Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Potatoes
Courtesy of Southern Living
1 medium onion
4 medium-size new potatoes (about 1 lb.)
2 cups baby carrots
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
6 skinned, bone-in chicken thighs*

Halve onion lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place onion in a lightly greased 6-quart slow cooker; top with potatoes and carrots.

Combine broth, next three ingredients, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour over vegetables.

Combine paprika and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; rub over chicken. Arrange chicken on top of vegetables.

Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender.

*I apparently have a poor memory because I came home from Publix with skinless, boneless chicken thighs, not the bone-in kind. I don't think it affected the taste at all, and was probably easier to eat.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-09-24T09:46:00.008-04:00

I love fall. I love spring and summer, too, but I do love fall. I love the crisp air, the cooler weather, baseball playoff games, SEC football, and the delicious food.

(I would also add that I love how the leaves change colors, but sadly, they don't really change here in coastal Georgia. The marsh does change color, though, and it's beautiful, but I do miss seeing the leaves change.)

Now that it's officially fall (although it doesn't feel like it yet, at least not here), I am ready to start cooking and baking with some of my favorite fall foods. I can't wait to make butternut squash/sweet Italian sausage penne pasta (recipe coming soon), apple desserts and pumpkin treats.

So, in honor of the new season (and to satisfy my sweet tooth), I whipped up a batch of my favorite fall cookie. They were inspired by some that my mother-in-law found at her local Kroger a few years ago. I think we ate all of them in a day or two. I just knew that I had to find a way to make them myself.

These cookies are soft and cake-like, and are full of pumpkin and spice flavors, and chocolate chips. What's not to love about that combo?

My house smells delicious right now ...

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
I think I got this recipe from allrecipes.com
Bake at 375 degrees
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 (15 oz.) cans pumpkin
4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 pinch nutmeg
2 cups chocolate chips*

In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla and pumpkin until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg; stir into pumpkin mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Makes about 7 dozen cookies.

*I use dark chocolate chips because I love dark chocolate and love the contrast between the dark chocolate and the pumpkin.

Note: these cookies will bake pretty much exactly how you drop them on the cookie sheet. They don't really expand or rise too much, so if there are peaks in your cookie batter when they're on the sheet, you'll have crunchy little peaks in your baked cookies.

The World's Best Scrambled Eggs

2009-09-19T17:37:00.005-04:00

Okay, I fully realize that you're probably reading this and saying, "using a recipe for scrambled eggs is kinda lame. I mean, who doesn't know how to make scrambled eggs, anyway?"

Well, even though I knew how to make decent scrambled eggs back in the day, I wanted to see what the "experts," a.k.a. the folks from America's Test Kitchen, had to say about them. Plus, I'm a recipe nazi. What can I say?

These are, hands down, the best scrambled eggs I have ever made (or tasted, frankly). From this recipe, I learned that using milk (or half-and-half, as the recipe calls for) instead of water makes a big difference. And the way you fold the eggs while they're cooking makes a huge difference. HUGE.

We eat these eggs frequently (like, once a week), and even Patrick agrees that they are the bomb. And, of course, they're easy.

(Sorry I don't have a photo ... maybe one day I'll take one, but then my eggs would get cold. Hot eggs are so much better than lukewarm eggs. Plus, y'all all know what scrambled eggs look like.)

Scrambled Eggs
Recipe courtesy America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
8 large eggs
1/4 cup half-and-half*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper. Melt the butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the pan. Add the eggs and cook while gently pushing, lifting, and folding them from one side of the pan to the other until they are nicely clumped, shiny, and wet, about 2 minutes. Remove the cooked eggs from the pan quickly.

We sometimes like to add shredded cheese to our eggs (while they're cooking) and then sprinkle some Tabasco sauce on them when they're on our plate. Yummy. They're also perfectly delicious a natural.

*Whole, lowfat or skim milk can be substituted for the half-and-half, but the eggs will not be as creamy. I usually use skim milk unless I happen to have half-and-half on hand, and they are still creamy. DO NOT USE WATER!!

The key to fluffy scrambled eggs:
Do not stir the eggs!! If you push the eggs with a spatula instead of stirring them, you will end up with large, airy, fluffy eggs. Gently push, lift and fold them from one side of the pan to the other, until large, airy curds have formed. This is critical, folks.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

2009-09-17T09:34:00.006-04:00

I love Mexican food. Burritos, enchiladas, nachos, tacos, queso dip ... pretty much all Mexican food is my friend (as long as it's the fresh Tex-Mex kind and not the kind from Orlando's ... I am not a fan of Orlando's-type food for some reason. Patrick, however, is a fan...). Plus, when you cover something in cheese, it's bound to be good!

My mom sent me this recipe from her Barbara Jean's cookbook. Now, Barbara Jean is known for her AMAZING crab cakes (the best I've ever tasted), but she has a cookbook chock full of seafood and non-seafood recipes alike. And come on, when it's from Barbara Jean, you know it's going to be tasty!

In addition to tasty, these enchiladas are so, so easy. They're the perfect weeknight meal. You can also easily cut the recipe in half, which is what I did for Patrick and me. This was definitely rated a "keeper" in our house.

Barbara Jean's Chicken Enchiladas
Recipe from Barbara Jean's cookbook
3 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 cup picante sauce (or salsa)
4 cups shredded cheese (I use the Mexican blend)
2 cups heavy cream*
8 flour tortillas
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

In a small bowl, mix together the chicken and picante sauce. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Warm tortillas briefly (I microwave them in wet paper towels for 30-40 seconds). Place 1/2 cup chicken mixture and 2 tablespoons of cheese down the center of each tortilla. Roll and place in pan seam side down. Pour the heavy cream on top and cover with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4 (8 enchiladas).

For an extra kick to your taste buds, sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro before serving.

*I actually used half-and-half because it's what I had on hand, and it turned out great.

Spicy Black Bean Salad

2009-09-14T12:55:00.008-04:00

This is, hands down, one of my favorite side dishes. Ever.

I will admit that all the chopping of veggies is a little time consuming, especially for someone as anal as I, but the end result is SO worth it. It's so fresh tasting, and is a wonderful accompaniment to burgers, BBQ, grilled chicken ... almost anything, really!

This dish is actually more a side dish than a salad, but it is chock full of veggies, so call it what you want. I call it delicious. It's a family favorite.

I made this Saturday to take to a church potluck/picnic on Sunday, and by the time I got through the line there was only about one spoonful left, so Patrick and I split it so we could each get a little tiny taste. I wish I had more...

Spicy Black Bean Salad
My mom's recipe
3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red onion, minced
2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (wear gloves!)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Rinse and drain beans. Combine all ingredients and refrigerate. Stir before serving. Enjoy! (We think this tastes best made the day prior to eating; it gives all of the flavors time to meld.)

Marinated pork chops, roasted corn & potatoes

2009-09-09T10:32:00.004-04:00

A few weekends ago we had a smidge of sunshine in the forecast, so I asked Patrick to fire up the grill. We love to grill, but we've been getting such amazing amounts of rain lately that it seems almost impossible to find a dry time to grill. Thankfully, the rain held off until about five minutes after Patrick got done grilling our dinner that evening.

Sidenote: we have a charcoal grill, and while we love the flavor it imparts on food, we don't like how stinking long it takes to heat the coals. It makes weeknight grilling impossible. So, we're thinking about a future purchase of a gas grill. My family is partial to Weber grills. Anyone have suggestions?

I don't make pork too often for some reason, but when I do, this marinade is my go-to marinade of choice for tasty grilled pork chops. And, of course, it's easy. (That is, if you're not the one grilling. If I were grilling, we'd end up with undercooked meat or overdone meat. Thankfully Patrick likes to grill.)

Oh, and how can I forget -- the CORN. Oh my goodness gracious. The corn is so yummy!! I grew up eating boiled corn-on-the-cob, and man alive, this blows it out of the water (sorry, Mom). It's also healthy, with about 109 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving.

The potatoes are roasted rosemary-onion potatoes. I love roasted potatoes, and addition of rosemary and onion gives these nice flavor.

Pork Chop Marinade
My mom's recipe
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons corn or vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon dry mustard (or regular yellow mustard, both work great)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients in a dish large enough to accommodate all of your meat. Score meat deeply and place in dish with marinade. Marinate for two hours in the fridge, turning frequently.

I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about grilling, but from what I've read, grill your pork chop until it registers 135 degrees in the center and then let it stand for 10-15 minutes. The heat will continue to cook the pork, but will leave it juicy instead of dry and overcooked.

Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob
Weight Watchers recipe - 2 points per serving
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon water
4 ears of corn on the cob, shucked

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Tear off 4 (12-inch-square) sheets of heavy-duty foil.

In a shallow bowl (I use a glass pie plate), combine the cilantro, lime juice, oil and water. Roll the corn in the cilantro oil, then place on the foil; brush with any remaining cilantro oil. Wrap the foil around the corn securely, then place directly on an oven rack. Bake, turning occasionally, until tender, about 25 minutes.

Roasted Rosemary-Onion Potatoes
4 medium russet potatoes
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a jelly roll pan (15 1/2" x 10 1/2" x 1). Cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Mix onion, oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add potatoes; toss to coat. Spread potatoes in single layer on pan.

Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until potatoes are light brown and tender when pierced with a fork.

Note: Be careful not to do what I often do when making these. We like our potatoes darker and crunchier, but the onion does tend to burn when I leave these in for much longer than the 20-25 minutes, and then you're left with little black specs of burned onion instead of nicely browned onion. The potatoes are still good, but you miss out on the onion and have to pick through the burned bits to get to the potatoes. Not fun.

Chicken Pot Pie, the ultimate comfort food

2009-09-08T11:19:00.010-04:00

Chicken pot pie is such a comfort food. I love the flaky crust and the hot chicken-y goodness. (Really, anything baked in a crust sounds good to me.)

If you have never made chicken pot pie before, or if you've been making it with a concoction of cream-of-something soups, this recipe will rock your world. (I can say that cause I didn't write the recipe.) Never again should you make chicken pot pie with soup! This recipe is way too easy not to make. It's become a staple at our house, and it's often what I make and give when taking dinner to a friend who has just had a baby.

Oh, and if you live here in Coastal Georgia and are looking for the best pie plate ever, look for a pottery pie plate made by local potter Debbie Craig. It makes the best pies, hands down. My mom and I swear by them (and they're beautiful, too, which is a nice bonus). If you want contact info for her, lemme know. She works out of the St. Simons pottery studio. Debbie's stuff is awesome (she makes lots of stuff - bowls, casserole dishes, cups, baskets, etc.); they also make great birthday and Christmas presents.

Kara's Chicken Pot Pie
Really, my mom's recipe, adapted from the red-checkered Better Homes & Gardens cookbook
1/4 cup butter
2 shakes of onion powder
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups water
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon instant chicken bouillon granules
3 cups cooked chicken, cubed*
1 cup vegetables or 1 can Veg-All (optional)
Pastry for double-crust pie

Place bottom pastry crust in bottom of 9-inch pie plate; trim edges as needed.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add two shakes of onion powder and stir. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Add water, milk and chicken bouillon granules all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in cooked chicken and heat until bubbly. Add vegetables, if desired, and heat until bubbly. Cool slightly and pour into pie plate. Place top pastry crust on top of chicken mixture, trim as needed, and flute edges. Cut slits in top for ventilation. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

*Okay, so I feel sort of ... less of a real cook for divulging this bit of info, but if you want to make this an even easier and quicker recipe, use two large cans of chicken (the all-white meat chicken). It's totally what I do. (Cause y'all know how I feel about cooking chicken. And it's even worse when it comes to boiling it. I just haven't mastered that yet.)

Paula Deen's Baked Spaghetti

2009-09-04T17:24:00.009-04:00

Patrick's grandmother is known for her baked spaghetti, and it's made at family reunions and other family get-togethers and was a staple in Patrick's life while he was growing up. Needless to say, my baked spaghetti will never measure up to his grandmother's (nor will I try to compete!), but since I know that it's right on up there on the list of "Patrick's favorite foods," I wanted to try to make it.

Thankfully, Paula Deen, southern cook extraordinaire, came to my rescue. I found her recipe for baked spaghetti and knew that if it's from Paula, it had to be good. I mean, how can you go wrong with two pounds of cheese? (Okay, maybe not quite two pounds, but there's a lot of cheese in this. And it's soooo good.)

Do make sure that you are cooking for a crowd when you make this. This is not a recipe for two (I made it for just the two of us one night and then took the 3/4 of the pan of leftovers to Suzanne and Carter's. Her parents were in town and I knew her dad loves baked spaghetti -- and wouldn't mind our leftovers -- so they were able to finish it. We like leftovers, but really didn't want to eat it for six days). I think the recipe says it serves 10. I'd say 8-10 depending on how hungry folks are, but it does feed quite a few people. (Okay, I just realized that this can easily be cut in half for those of us who don't have eight people to feed. So, next time, when I'm just cooking for the two of us, I will be halving this recipe.)

Oh, and according to Paula, "Fodor's Travel Guide" calls this "The best baked spaghetti in the South."

Try it and I think you'll agree.

Paula Deen's Baked Spaghetti
2 cups canned diced tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced green bell peppers
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons The Lady's House Seasoning*
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 small bay leaves
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
8 ounces uncooked angelhair pasta
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

To make the sauce, in a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Crumble the ground beef into a saucepan. Cook until no pink remains, then drain off the fat. Aff the ground beef to the stockpot. Simmer for another 20 minutes. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Cover the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch pan with sauce. Add a layer of pasta, then half the cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with the remaining cheese, return to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut into squares before serving.

*To make 1 1/2 cups of The Lady's House Seasoning, stir together:
1 cup of salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

This is a good, all-purpose seasoning to have on hand.

Beth Moore's Texas Sheet Cake

2009-08-31T21:04:00.005-04:00

I went to a Beth Moore simulcast this weekend at my church, and man alive, Beth Moore brought the Word. It was just what I needed. It was an amazing two days of truth, Biblical teaching, worship and fellowship. And it was like a little slice of heaven seeing almost 400 women worshiping together for a weekend. Glory, it was GOOD.

You know what else I got this weekend that was like a little slice of heaven? The recipe to Beth Moore's Texas sheet cake. Oh, girl, it's good. She told a funny story about how she's not necessarily known as the cook of her family, but that she is known for her Texas sheet cake. And, of course, she shared it with the 90,000 or so of us who were taking part in the simulcast. Bless her.

And I, in turn, am going to share it with you.

The timing of receiving this recipe was quite perfect, actually, because I needed to make a dessert for a lunch meeting at church the day after the simulcast. I tend to try new recipes out on unsuspecting people, and decided that this would be no different. I have made cakes in the past, why would this be any different? Well ... it was easy enough to make, but for some reason the middle part of the cake took a good bit longer to bake than the outer edges. I rigged some foil to try to shield the already-done part from the heat of the oven while the center cooked, but I have no idea whether the edges were overcooked and dry or not ... hopefully the fudgy icing covered up any flaws.

I can tell you that the piece I had was nice and moist and very, very chocolaty and rich. And, it's always a good sign when this is the only picture you can get of what you made.

Beth Moore's Texas Sheet Cake
Grease a 9x13 sheet cake pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sift together:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar

Bring to a boil:
2 sticks butter
1 cup water
1/4 cup cocoa

Pour over dry mixture and mix in:
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Icing
Heat together:
1 stick butter
1/4 cup cocoa
6 tablespoons (1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp.) milk
(I added 1 tsp. vanilla)

Add anywhere from 1/2 to 1 box of powdered sugar to achieve desired consistency (Beth prefers close to 1 box)* and 1 cup pecans. Spread on cake while it's hot.

*I used 16 oz (1 lb.) of powered sugar

If you like P.F. Chang's lettuce wraps, you'll love these

2009-08-27T15:28:00.006-04:00

A few years ago, right after I moved back to Brunswick, Patrick and I were a part of a group of folks that got together every Thursday night for dinner. Each couple brought appetizers, and we'd all sit around eating, laughing and enjoying the fellowship. For fun, our evenings were often themed, and we would each make a dish that corresponded to the night's theme.

One night we were assigned to bring something Asian inspired, and for the life of me I couldn't decide what to make. I don't fry (at least not yet - this blog may inspire me to step outside my comfort zone one day), so egg rolls were out of the question. Fried rice wasn't "appetizer-ish" enough. Then it dawned on me. I love the lettuce wraps from P.F. Changs. Perhaps I could find a way to recreate them ... so, of course, I turned to the internet for help.

My ever faithful and trusty friend Southern Living came to the rescue, and I found a strikingly similar recipe made with turkey, of all things.

I will be the first to admit how surprised I was at how delicious this turned out. It is good. Don't let the bad photo and perhaps strange-sounding ingredients turn you off of this recipe. Just give it a try. It's different, but it's a good kind of different. It's one of those dinners that you'll make and eat, and go, "Man, this is good, and so different than what I usually eat. Why haven't I made this in four months?" And then two months later your husband will ask for it again because he really, really likes it, too.

Plus, those random ingredients -- they last forever, either in your pantry or in your fridge. So it's okay if you don't cook this once a month, cause they'll last. But it's so good you'll want to!

(Please forgive my photography skills; I know I desperately need to work on them. Just don't judge the food by the photo. The food really is good. The photo ... notsomuch. And I know that.)

Crispy Ginger-and-Garlic Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Recipe courtesy of Southern Living
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup water
1 (20-ounce) package lean ground turkey
1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 head iceberg lettuce, separated into leaves
Hoisin sauce (optional)

Cook carrots and 1/2 cup water in a large nonstick skillet over high heat, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes or until carrots are softened and water is evaporated. Remove from skillet.

Reduce heat to medium. Cook turkey in skillet about 5 minutes, stirring until turkey crumbles and is no longer pink. Add carrots, mushrooms, and next 8 ingredients. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring constantly, 4 minutes. Add green onions, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Spoon mixture evenly onto lettuce leaves; roll up. Serve with hoisin sauce, if desired.

Sun Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Pasta

2009-08-26T16:50:00.007-04:00

Y'all know what a fan I am of fast, easy, and delicious meals. This recipe has it all, folks, plus veggies, too! A hometown friend of mine, Dawn, created this fab dish and was gracious enough to share it with me.

The first two words I saw in the recipe were "goat cheese." SOLD!! I love goat cheese, but rarely have the opportunity to eat it, much less cook with it. The rest of the recipe could have included sardines and sauerkraut (two foods I wouldn't cook or eat), and I would still have made it, just for the goat cheese. Thankfully, Dawn's recipe included yummy ingredients like sun dried tomatoes, broccoli, Alfredo sauce and mushrooms. Mmmmm!! And did I mention this takes no time at all to make? 30 minutes, and you're sitting at the table, enjoying a scrumptious meal!

Sun Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Pasta
Recipe courtesy Dawn Norris
2/3 box of penne rigatte (must use the rigatte…it soaks up the sauce better)
1 package of broccoli-in-the-bag
1 tablespoon butter
Olive oil
½ of medium onion, diced
1 package of sliced mushrooms (if you're like my husband, you can pick these out or omit them. I happen to think mushrooms are quite yummy)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 jar (or more if you love sun dried tomatoes) of sun dried tomatoes, julienned (I couldn't find a jar, so I just used the package from the produce section)
½ of roasted chicken, cut up in big chunks, or 1 package of the precooked Tyson chicken strips
1 jar of Sun dried Tomato Alfredo pasta sauce (Classico is best)
Salt
Pepper
Container of goat cheese crumbles
1/3 cup of parmesan (optional)

Boil your pasta. Use about 2/3 the box of penne for about six people.

While pasta is boiling (that is literally all the time it takes to make this dish), put “broccoli in the bag” to steam.

Put butter and about two turns of olive oil (I always use some of the oil from the sun dried tomato jar) in LARGE sauté pan on medium to high heat. Begin sautéing onions. Once onions start to soften, place the mushrooms into the pan and begin cooking. When mushrooms are beginning to brown, add the garlic, sun dried tomatoes, chicken, broccoli, and jar of sun dried tomato Alfredo sauce. Add salt & pepper to your liking. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Lower heat to very low.

At this point, the noodles should be done. Add the noodles to the sauce pan directly from the pot using a slotted spoon or strainer (you want a little of the pasta water to get into the sauce mix—it helps the sauce stick to the pasta better).

Pour into a big pasta bowl (this feeds at least 6 people). Mix in the container of goat cheese crumbles and sprinkle on parmesan (optional).

Enjoy!

In season - fresh tomatoes

2009-08-25T14:07:00.009-04:00

One of Patrick's friends and co-workers, Dennis, gave us some beautiful tomatoes last week. They were red, ripe, and ready to eat. They would have been delicious on tomato sandwiches. But, no one in our household eats tomato sandwiches. Or raw tomatoes. Or any food with large tomato chunks. Caprese pizza is the closest thing to a "real" tomato that we'll eat, and they were on the menu a week or two ago.

So ... what was a girl to do with five ready-to-eat tomatoes? I couldn't let them go to waste.

I did what any technologically savvy girl would do -- I turned to the internet.

We do like tomato soup here at the Witherow house (no chunks, please), and I found a recipe on foodnetwork.com that looked like it had potential, so I decided to give it a try, even though eating soup in the middle of August while it's 90+ degrees outside is a little ridiculous.

Side note - is it weird that I had never tasted tomato soup until college? Or maybe I had graduated college ... anyway, it was not a soup I ate growing up. It is a recently acquired taste of mine. And we don't eat the Campbell's Tomato Soup, either - we go for the good stuff - Wolfgang Puck's Tomato-Basil Soup (I can only find it at Publix). Yum.

Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa's recipe on foodnetwork.com
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red onions
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped and seeded (about 5 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream (I used half & half instead)
Croutons, for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well.

Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender. Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill* into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that's left. Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons.

*I don't own a food mill, so I just pureed everything in a blender until smooth and it was the perfect consistency.

What to do with overripe bananas - Banana Muffins

2009-08-23T16:53:00.006-04:00

I am finicky when it comes to bananas -- I will only eat them when they are greenish. If I see too much yellow, or even a hint of ripeness coming to them, I won't eat them straight out of the peel. For me, once a banana is ripe and yellow (which, to most normal humans, is perfection), they have to be baked for me to even consider consuming them.

Thus, many a "good" banana goes uneaten in our household.

I learned long ago that instead of wasting these sweet treats, freezing them was the solution, so that when I want to bake, they're ready to go (after, of course, a short defrost). The other day I had four frozen bananas, and an itch to bake. So I whipped up these little lovelies, and they are delectable with or without the frosting.

I love banana bread, but there's something about this recipe that takes them beyond your basic banana bread recipe, in my opinion. It haven't put my finger on it yet ... there's a depth in flavor to these that other recipes I've tried don't have. Maybe it's the extra vanilla? Whatever it is, we like them a lot; I think Patrick ate three or four straight out of the oven!

Banana Muffins with Mascarpone Cream Frosting
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis - Food Network
Muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed

Frosting:
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl to blend. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the banana. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake the muffins on the middle rack until the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with no crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly. The muffins may be eaten warm or cooled completely and frosted.

To frost the cupcakes: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the mascarpone cheese and then beat in the honey. Spread the frosting over the muffins. Sprinkle with the walnuts.

Quick weeknight meal - Beef Teriyaki

2009-08-21T13:05:00.008-04:00

When perusing cookbooks, magazines and websites for recipes, I tend to find myself drawn to Italian and Mexican-influenced dishes for some reason. Perhaps the fact that they tend to be coated in cheese has something to do with it.

I've been trying to broaden my cooking repertoire lately, and while thumbing through my trusty "America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook," found an Asian-inspired dish that looked tasty. It was also labeled "fast." That, of course, caught my eye. It wasn't labeled "will make your stove a mess," though. But my stove, oh, it was a mess when I was done. Something to do with popping oil and such leaves a stove all messy. Oh well, nothing a little stove cleaner and elbow grease can't fix. And, even though I overcooked the meat just a smidge, the dinner was still great. I even ate rice (a lot of it), and I'm not usually a fan of rice. Broadening my horizons folks, broadening my horizons. We ate it with some steamed broccoli, too, which is always a good side dish for Asian-beefy type dishes, in my opinion.

We give this recipe two thumbs up and will definitely be making it again.

Beef Teriyaki
From America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons mirin, sherry, or white wine
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pounds top blade steak, trimmed and sliced 1/4" thick (you can also used 1 1/2 pounds of flank steak if you can't find top blade steak)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 scallions, sliced thin

Whisk the soy sauce, sugar, mirin (sherry/wine), ginger, garlic, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes together and set aside.

Pat the meat dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the meat, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a clean bowl. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and meat.

Briefly re-whisk the soy sauce mixture to recombine, then add to the skillet. Simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Return the meat with any accumulated juice to the skillet and toss to warm through. Transfer the meat and sauce to a serving platter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and scallions.

(In the interest of total disclosure, I couldn't find sesame seeds or scallions during my weekly grocery run - I went to Wal-Mart, need I say more? - so I went without. I don't think it hurt the recipe at all, but I suppose they would have added two more levels of flavor that my dish was lacking. Oh well. I hate when I can't find what I want at the grocery store.)

Quite possibly the best meal I have ever made. If I do say so myself.

2009-08-18T15:44:00.009-04:00

After last week's success with the chicken parmesan, I decided to give chicken another whirl this week. I've had this recipe in my files for about a year but it's just sat there, intimidating me. Had I known then how EASY and OH, SO TASTY it was, I would have brushed aside my chicken fears and made this long ago.

Oh my goodness. If tooting my own horn wasn't looked down upon, I would toot away. This was, quite possibly, one of the best meals I have ever made. It was beyond delicious, in my oh-so-humble opinion. The meat was tender and juicy, and so, so flavorful. The rosemary, lemon and garlic all came together to make this a company-worthy meal. It will definitely be a staple on our menu rotation. I'm telling you - do not wait a year to make this - try it tonight!!

Roasted Chicken Breast with Lemon, Garlic, Rosemary, and Potatoes
Recipe from www.goodthingscatered.blogspot.com
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but not melted
Zest of 1/2 large lemon, lemon reserved
2 large cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 russet potatoes, washed thoroughly and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
Kosher salt
Ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line large baking pan with foil for easy cleanup.
Pat chicken breasts dry, season liberally with salt and ground pepper, and place breast-side up at least one to two inches apart in pan. In small bowl combine butter, lemon zest, garlic, and rosemary and stir with spoon to thoroughly combine. With back of spoon, spread butter mixture on top of chicken breasts evenly. Slice reserved lemon and place slices in pan around the chicken.

In medium bowl place cubed potato and toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil, parsley and salt and pepper. Scatter potatoes around chicken breasts. Place baking dish in oven and cook about 30-40 minutes or until thickest portion of chicken breast has reached 175 degrees. Remove from oven, take chicken breasts out of pan onto a warm serving platter and tent with foil. Take one pinch more of Kosher salt to sprinkle over potatoes, toss and place back in oven for 5-10 minutes. Remove potatoes and serve with chicken.

Don't be a chicken

2009-08-17T19:37:00.011-04:00

I am fairly skittish when it comes to cooking chicken. I have a fear that my husband, whom I love dearly, will die a slow and painful death of salmonella poisoning. (That, or the chicken will be tough and rubbery and dry, which although not nearly as tragic as death-by-salmonella-poisoning, it runs a close second.) Thus, I usually steer clear of recipes that call for cooking chicken, roasting chicken, boiling chicken, and the like. Unless, of course, I can use the ever-popular rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, Purdue Shortcuts, or something of the like.

But y'all make me adventurous and want to live life on the edge.

Last week, I cooked us some chicken. And lived to tell about it. (Patrick is alive and well, too.)

I have to say, it was good. (My photo doesn't do it justice - it tasted much better than it looks. I need to work on my photography skills.)

Oven-Baked Chicken Parmesan
Recipe from goodthingscatered.blogspot.com
4 large chicken breasts (about 3 lbs.)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups of bread crumbs (I used Panko bread crumbs)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups pomodoro/marinara sauce (make your own, defrost what you have or store bought is just as delicious)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Cooked pasta of your choice (I used spaghetti)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a shallow dish mix together egg and milk.
In separate shallow dish mix together bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, paprika, and salt.
Rinse and pat chicken breasts dry.
Pound to tenderize chicken breasts to about 1 inch thickness throughout.
Preheat olive oil in a oven proof skillet over medium heat.
Dip chicken breasts into egg/milk mixture and then cover in breadcrumb mixture.
Place coated chicken breast in hot oil and saute each side until lightly browned (about 1 minute per side).
Place skillet directly into oven.
When internal temperature of chicken reaches 160 degrees, carefully remove pan from oven and place a spoonfull of sauce and 1/4 of the cheese on top of each.
Place skillet back into the oven and bake until internal temperate reaches 170 degrees (about 15 minutes total).
Remove from oven and serve on top of pasta.

Sausage something-or-other and cinnamon apples

2009-08-11T23:22:00.012-04:00

The original recipe title of this recipe is "Sausage braid," but it sounds too much like a meat headpiece to me, so I decided to rename it. And then I couldn't think of anything snappy. But, regardless of the name, it's a scrumptious meal.

Now, I'm not typically a sausage eater. At all. But I will eat anything that Suzanne and Carter dish up when it's their turn to cook on Thursday night. Well, this little humdinger of a meal is what they served one evening, and it, folks, is a winner. Even for this self-professed non-sausage-eating person. Something about the way the cream cheese and the veggies and the crescent rolls all combine together with the sausage just makes it work. Oh, and this is another one of those versatile foods; we eat it for dinner here at our house, but I made it for brunch at my parent's house one morning and it was perfect then, too.

Sausage Braid
12 ounces bulk pork sausage*
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
3 ounces cream cheese, cubed
2 tablespoons chopped green onion tops
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (I used 2 teaspoons dried parsley instead)
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg, lightly beaten

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, onion, celery, green pepper and garlic until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain. Add cream cheese, green onion and parsley. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted; set aside.

Unroll crescent dough on a greased baking sheet; seal perforations. Roll into a 12-inch x 10-inch rectangle. Spoon sausage mixture to within 3 inches of long sides and to within 1 inch of ends. On each long side, cut 3/4 inch-wide strips 3 inches into center. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle, forming a braid.

Brush dough with egg. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. Refrigerate leftovers.

*I can't find 12 ounce bulk pork sausage, so I just use the full 16 ounces that I can find.

Cinnamon Apples
4 apples, peeled and cored
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon butter

Toss the first four ingredients in a large Ziploc bag to coat the apples. Pour the apple/sugar mixture into a medium saucepan and add the water and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender. (Cooking time depends on how tender you like your apples - and probably on the type of apple you have; Patrick likes them very tender, so I cook them for at least 25 minutes.)

If this icing were on a piece of cardboard, I'd eat it.

2009-08-09T23:24:00.013-04:00

I feel slightly dumb posting this recipe here because, well, it comes from the back of a cocoa box and I really should just put a big ole sign on here that says "Y'ALL GO BUY SOME HERSHEY'S COCOA AND MAKE THE BEST CHOCOLATE ICING EVER" and my point would be made. But, brevity is not typically my strong point, so, here we go. (Plus, it's pretty much all we ate here at the Witherow house this past weekend.)

Y'all have probably learned by now how much I like, along with the quick and the easy, desserts. If I had my choice between breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert, I would always, always, always choose dessert.

Did I mention that I like dessert?

So, on Friday, I got a craving for some chocolate, and three Little Debbie Fudge Rounds did little to satisfy said craving. (You think I'm kidding? I'm not. And no, I'm not pregnant. Just pathetic.) So, I dug through the pantry and lo and behold, found a box of chocolate cake mix. Now, after making the yummy not-from-a-box chocolate cake (recipe below) a week or so ago, I had vowed to never make a cake from a mix again, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I ripped that box open faster than you could say "Hershey's."

Now, this post is not about the cake. The cake is just an average, run-of-the-mill cake-mix cake. I don't even know what brand it is. It's the icing that is its saving grace. Oh, the icing. Two words - butter (one whole stick) and cocoa. Need I say more? Divine.

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting
Ripped right off the back of the Hershey's Cocoa box
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed of an electric mixer to spreading consistency. Add more milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups.

Seriously. You could just skip the cake and eat this icing. It's that good.

Breakfast for dinner - homemade buttermilk pancakes

2009-08-08T15:22:00.010-04:00

Last week, I made a cake that called for buttermilk (see the oh-so-creatively named "chocolate cake" recipe, below). After using one cup, I still had quite a bit left in the carton and wanted to use it before it went bad. Patrick and I love us some pancakes, and to me, Bisquick pancakes have always been "homemade enough." Not so much anymore. I don't know that I'll ever be able to look another Bisquick pancake in the eye again. Last night, I used the rest of the buttermilk on some as-close-as-they-come-to-Cracker-Barrel pancakes and don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to Bisquick. These are melt-in-your-mouth good.

This recipe uses butter (yes, in addition to buttermilk - this is not a healthy pancake), and I think the butter gives it that nice golden, crunchy crust. So tasty.

Buttermilk pancakes
From America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups buttermilk*

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, and then the buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the buttermilk mixture into the well, and whisk very gently until the buttermilk mixture is just incorporated (a few lumps should remain). Be careful not to overmix the batter.

Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet (I use an electric griddle instead) over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Brush the pan bottom with 1 teaspoon oil. Using 1/4 cup of batter per pancake, add the batter to the skillet and cook until large bubbles begin to appear, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes, and cook until golden brown on the second side, about 1 1/2 minutes longer.

If you're not eating these immediately as they come off the skillet of griddle, you can keep them warm by putting them on a wire rack (on top of a baking sheet) in a 200 degree oven.

One note: I would recommend letting the buttermilk come to room temperature before adding to the egg/butter mixture. I didn't, and the buttermilk was straight-from-the-fridge cold and made the melted butter get lumpy. Not good. I think room temperature buttermilk would combat that issue. Also, to keep the pancakes as light and fluffy as possible, the key is to mix the batter minimally. Stop stirring the batter when there are still streaks of flour visible. Overmixing the batter develops the gluten, which turns pancakes tough.

*If you don't have buttermilk, you can whisk 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice with two cups of milk in a medium bowl and set aside for a few minutes to thicken.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for PEACH ice cream!

2009-08-07T13:40:00.013-04:00

Nothing says "summer" to me quite like a big bowl of my grandma Helen's peach ice cream. She would make this frozen deliciousness from sweet, ripe, Southern Illinois peaches, and the whole family would wait, rather impatiently, for it to freeze so we could devour it. More often than not, we wouldn't let it freeze all the way and would just dive right on in. It was so, so good. It was one of the highlights of our summer. All of us loved it, and we waited all year to taste it. And, although I know that I will never quite get it to taste exactly the way Grandma Helen did, I am going to try (especially now that I live in the Peach State)!

I made this yesterday morning and we ate it for dessert last night - it was sweet and delicious!

As one of our wedding gifts, Patrick and I received a Cuisinart 1.5 quart electric ice cream maker. I chose it for one purpose and one purpose only - to make Grandma's peach ice cream. I think Patrick just wanted ice cream, period. Any flavor, any time. Point being, if I had one of those old-school ice-cream makers that requires salt and ice and all that jazz (like my Grandma Helen used), there would be no peach ice cream being made in the Witherow house. Y'all have learned by now my love for the quick and the easy. This, my friends, still fits the bill (that is, if you have a handy-dandy Cuisinart ice-cream maker. If you don't, give me a call and 30 minutes notice, and I'll prepare you your very own bowl of goodness).

Grandma Helen's peach ice cream
Modified to fit a 1.5 quart ice-cream machine
5 ripe peaches, peeled and mashed
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch of salt (less than 1/8 teaspoon)
Between 1/4 & 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
2 cups half and half

Mix together the peaches, sugar and lemon juice and let stand for a while. Add the salt, vanilla, almond and half and half to the peach mixture and mix together. Add to your ice-cream maker freezer and follow its instructions.

I used these exact measurements and since the ice cream does expand during the freezing process, it did get really full in the ice cream freezer. Next time I might use only 4 peaches and a little less cream, but I really liked the taste of this combination and I didn't make a mess, so maybe I won't. Tweak as needed for your machine.

Leave a comment if you want the one-gallon recipe; I'll email it to anyone who wants it.

Sweet summertime!

PS - thanks to my mom for the conversions; I did not inherit her talents in math, so I had to turn to her for help!

We ate this so fast there was no time to take a picture - Tuscan Ravioli

2009-08-07T12:19:00.015-04:00

That's how stinkin' yummy this dinner is, y'all. It's so good. Hear me on this. Do not let the lack of photo deter you from trying this recipe. I implore you. For the love of all that is good and right, try this recipe. If you need backup, just head on over to Suzanne's blog and ask her what she thinks of it. She'll give you the scoop. Her family digs this dinner, too.

So that's my pitch.

As I think I mentioned last week, Patrick and I have a standing dinner date with the Akins family every Thursday evening. It's a ton o' fun. They're a family with four kids four-years-old and under - what's not to love about that?? We get loads of kid and baby time (and good adult hang time, too), and also get to have great meals each week with six of our favorite people. A while back, I introduced them to this ravioli dish, and it was an instant hit. Everyone loved it, and it's one of Patrick's favorite meals. It's become a staple on the Witherow and Akins menu rotations ever since. Once you try it, you'll understand why.

Oh, and one more thing. It's super fast and super easy. Again, I love this recipe.

Tuscan Ravioli
Adapted from a Southern Living recipe
1 package frozen cheese ravioli
1 jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce*
2 tablespoons white wine**
1 can petite diced tomatoes***
1/2 cup chopped basil
Parmesan cheese

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a large saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar, cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in tomatoes and chopped basil; cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta; top with Parmesan cheese. Makes 4-6 servings.

If you're planning on having bread with this dinner (bring on the carbs!), put it in the oven before you start making the ravioli. Cause I'm telling ya, this dinner takes no time to make. The ravioli take about 5 minutes to cook, and the sauce takes 5. SO FAST!!

*I use Classico Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo Pasta Sauce. Sometimes Publix has it buy-one-get-one-free and then I stock up!
**I don't know anything about wine and use Fairbanks Sherry instead. I use it for anything cooking-related that calls for white wine.
***I use Hunt's petite diced tomatoes, and it seems to have less liquid than some of the other brands. If you use something else, I would recommend draining the liquid first. You'll have less sauce, but that's okay. (Draining the liquid is actually what the "real" recipe recommends, anyway, but we like the sauce and want lots of it.) You could also be all fresh about it and chop two medium-size fresh tomatoes, but I take the easy way out of things. Hello - quick, easy.

Aloha!

2009-08-05T12:56:00.010-04:00

It seems like all of my recent recipes have been of the "fast and easy" variety. Well ... I guess when you're a working woman, that's what you like to cook after a day of working - something fast and easy - but still delicious!

These little sandwiches certainly fit the bill. They take all of 10 minutes to assemble (if that), and 20 minutes to bake. Who doesn't love having dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less? These could also double as lunch, or as appetizers/snack food if you're throwing a party. They're quite the versatile little sandwich.

I got this recipe years ago, from one of my closest friends, Whitney. She claims that she can't boil water, but she can make a mean Hawaiian sandwich! And her mom, Rose, introduced me to butterbeans when Whitney and I were roommates at Ole Miss. Oh my word. I didn't know what I was missing until I had one of Mrs. Canterbury's butterbeans. Pure delight. Whitney - please get your mama to send me some of her recipes so I can try to make them! The Canterburys sure know how to put out a game-day spread in the Grove, too. Grovin' was always more fun when they were in town!

Hawaiian Sandwiches
Recipe courtesy of Whitney Puckett
1 package of King's Hawaiian sweet rolls (the original kind)
Lunch meat and cheese of your choice (I use turkey and ham, and colby/jack or cheddar)

Topping:
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Combine melted butter, mustard and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl and mix well.

Spray pan or cookie sheet with cooking spray.
Slice rolls; fill with meat and cheese and top with bread. Poke holes in top of rolls and drizzle topping over the top of all. (It's best to use a pan with sides so that the topping can pool in the bottom.) Cook for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Keep covered with aluminum foil until the last 2-3 minutes of cooking.

Mama Mia!

2009-08-03T19:30:00.012-04:00

I love pizza. I could eat it daily. I also really like Caprese salad. Fresh mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes ... mmm ... so good.

Put them together and what do you get? Pure deliciousness, that's what!

This Caprese Pizza is a quick, easy recipe (my favorite kind!), perfect for an after-work, weeknight meal. It's also a meatless dish, so it's great for any vegetarians out there. It's light and summery, too - just right for the hot, hazy days of August!

Caprese Pizza
Bake at 425 degrees
Toppings:
3 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 oz. fresh mozzarella
Coarsely ground black pepper

Crusts:
1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 package refrigerated pizza crust
1 clove garlic
1 oz. (2 tablespoons) grated Parmesan cheese

1. Slice tomatoes into 1/4" slices. Place onto a paper towel-lined cutting board. Sprinkle both sides evenly with salt; let stand 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, for crusts, lightly brush pan with 1 tsp. of oil. Unroll dough onto pan. Press garlic into prep bowl and combine with 1 Tbsp. oil; brush over dough. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over dough.

3. Cut dough lengthwise into thirds. Carefully move dough slightly apart to separate. Bake 11-12 minutes or until bottoms of crusts are light golden brown.

4. While crusts bake, finish toppings. Chop basil; combine with oil and set aside.

5. Blot tops of tomato slices with paper towels. Slice mozzarella cheese into 1/4" slices. Arrange tomato and cheese slices in overlapping rows on baked crusts. Brush basil oil over pizzas and sprinkle with black pepper. Return to oven and bake and additional 4-5 minutes or just until cheese melts.

Ciao; Enjoy!

The "key" to dessert success

2009-08-02T22:00:00.007-04:00

So, as you know, Patrick and I visited my parents this weekend, which meant I got a few days reprieve from cooking. My mom is a great cook, so we got to indulge in a night of her cooking. We went out and got some great fresh seafood in downtown Savannah on Saturday night. One thing we were able to enjoy all weekend was a homemade Key Lime Pie. It's one of Patrick's favorite's, so Mom had made one and it was waiting on us when we arrived Friday evening. There was even enough for us to each bring a slice home to eat tonight. It's tart and slightly sweet - the perfect key lime pie.

My mom and I use the same recipe - the one that is on the bottle of Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice, but we double the recipe so that the pie is thicker. We don't want a skinny, wimpy pie! Here's our modified recipe:

Kara's Key Lime Pie
adapted from the Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Pie recipe
9" graham cracker pie crust
2 - 14 oz. cans of sweetened condensed milk
6 egg yolks (whites not used)
1 cup Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice

Combine milk, egg yolks and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Pour filling into pie crust and bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before refrigerating.

A new twist on an old favorite

2009-07-31T17:03:00.008-04:00

**UPDATE**
I made this for dinner last night (along with homemade buttermilk pancakes - we had breakfast for dinner), and really liked it! At first we thought, hmm ... this is a new taste ... and then decided that we really liked it. I would have never put bacon, brown sugar and cayenne pepper together, but man, I'm glad I did. We'll be eating this again!

*****

Patrick and I are headed out of town tonight to visit my parents, so that means no cooking this weekend for Kara! (It does mean a lot of good food, though!) But I'm not going to leave y'all hanging; a hometown friend sent me a recipe today that looked too good to keep to myself. Now, this is the first recipe I've posted that I haven't actually made myself, but everybody likes bacon, right? (Well, except for you, Kate.) :)

Thanks for the recipe, Natalie; I can't wait to try it! I think "breakfast for dinner" will be on the menu this week.

Candied Cayenne Bacon
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound thinly sliced bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a broiler pan with aluminum foil, and position broiler rack on top of pan. Lightly coat the rack with vegetable oil.
Combine the brown sugar and cayenne pepper in a shallow dish, stirring well. Press one side of each slice of bacon firmly into the mixture to coat well. Arrange the slices on the pan in a single layer, sugared side up. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over the top of the bacon, then bake until bubbly and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain briefly, then to a plate or serving dish to cool. You can serve warm or room temperature.

So sweet ...

2009-07-30T09:50:00.011-04:00

Patrick and I had dinner last night with our good friends, Kate and Eric, and I decided that it was the perfect opportunity to try a new cake recipe. I love to bake, and am such a sucker for a good dessert recipe. I had never made the cake or the icing before, but Kate and Eric are incredibly gracious, and I knew they'd forgive me if they turned out to be flops. Thankfully, though, both the cake and the icing turned out really well (if I do say so myself)! Again, I can't take credit for either of them. I found the chocolate cake recipe off a high-school friend's blog, and the icing recipe has been the go-to icing recipe in my family for years. It's what we call our "good white" icing. It's to die for!

Chocolate Cake
Recipe courtesy Nina Bucciarelli
Step I:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

STEP II:
1 cup water
½ cup cocoa

STEP III:
¾ cup Mazola Oil (you need to use Mazola Oil or it will change the flavor of the cake)
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk*
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine Step I in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

Combine Step II in a small saucepan and boil together at low heat until thick. Cool.

Add Step III (oil, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla) to Step I (flour, sugar, salt and soda). Mix. Add Step II (cooled cocoa mixture) and mix together. Pour into a greased pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. (It took about 40 minutes for my 9x13 to be completely done in the middle. Just watch it and check it with a toothpick.)

This recipe will make one 9" x 13", two 9″ rounds , or cupcakes.

*If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use one cup of milk, add a tablespoon of vinegar to the milk, mix, and let stand. You can also use one cup of plain yogurt as a substitute.

Good White Icing
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons flour (heaping)
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick butter, softened slightly
1/2 cup shortening

First, mix the flour and sugar together in a 10" or 12" skillet. Then, over medium heat, stir in the milk, stirring constantly. Cook mixture until thickened, about 15 minutes. Take off heat and cool. While mixture is cooling (you can even put it in the fridge to cool), beat together the margarine and shortening until fluffy. Then beat in half of the cooled mixture until incorporated, and then the other half. Mix in the vanilla. This recipe will ice a 9" x 13" cake; make 1 1/2 times the recipe if icing two round cakes.

Ahem ... the treadmill is calling my name.

An identity crisis

2009-07-29T12:13:00.011-04:00

One of the new favorite meals in the Witherow household has an identity crisis; it can't decide if it's Italian or Mexican. Whatever it is, we love it. And, it's one of the fastest, easiest weeknight meals ever. Gotta love that! I'm eating leftovers now ... so yummy!

Mexican Chicken Penne Pasta

1 package (16 oz.) penne pasta
2 cups cubed cooked chicken (if you want to be really speedy and easy about this, like me, use the Purdue Shortcuts chicken)
1 1/4 cups salsa con queso dip
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large tomato, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, queso dip, milk and salt together. Drain pasta; add to chicken mixture and toss to coat. Top with black beans, tomato, onions and cheese.

If you try it and like it (ohmyfriend, you will love it), I can't take credit for the recipe. Thanks to Suzanne and Carter for the goodness; Thursday nights are one of my favorite nights of the week because of them and their family! Plus, they have introduced us to some wonderful meals!