Bird Food

Polenta Cakes with Spicy Sausage and Mozzarella Cheese

2012-01-28T07:59:00.000-05:00

Opps, I should have read this recipe more carefully
~ almost two hours of prep time is not what you
want on a week night.

We tried a out this new recipe I had for Polenta Cakes
topped with tomatoes, sausage and mozzarella
cheese ~ kind of like Polenta Pizza.

I must not have read the directions carefully because
each step took a long time. The first set of
directions explained how to make the polenta cakes.
I followed the recipe carefully because I wanted to be sure
the cakes turned out right since they were going to hold
all the other ingredients.

After making the polenta, you move into making a tomato,
onion and white wine sauce that cooks for about 40 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking and the polenta cakes are cooling,
you cook and slice the sausage, slice the cheese and cut up
some fresh basil.

From there you take the polenta cakes out of round tins
and put them on a baking dish. You pour some of the sauce
over the cakes, top it with fresh mozarella, sausage and
basil. Then you bake it for about 5-7 minutes in the oven
at 400.

We were excited to eat dinner after such a long preparation.
The dish was good but the polenta cakes were lacking in flavor.
Looking back at the recipe, I noticed
that it called for the polenta to be cooked in water.
I think next time I will change this to be a broth mixture
of some kind to add a little more flavor. I might even
add some basil and oregano to the broth while the polenta cooks.

Here are some photos of the Polenta Cakes.

Pork Roast Recipe

2012-01-21T08:58:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe for Pork Shoulder online.
It sounded fairly easy so I decided to apply
this recipe to the Pork Roast I had in my freezer.
I did have to make a few minor adjustments because
the piece of meat I had was little smaller than
what this recipe called for.
No worries, the roast turned out very good!

Shredded Pork Shoulder
by the ktchn.com

4 to 5 pound pork shoulder, bone-in
*(I used a pork roast that was about 4lbs.)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and cut into wedges
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
* (I used fire roasted tomatoes )
1 12-ounce beer (a basic lager works well)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Trim the pork shoulder of any thick layers of fat. Combine the brown sugar, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the pork with the spice mixture, getting into crevices and on the sides. Allow the pork to sit for about 30 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the pork on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pot. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, and beer. Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to bring up any browned bits.

Return the pork to the pot. Cover and put in the oven for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, checking once or twice, until the meat is extremely tender and pulls away from the bone easily. Shred the pork in the pot, using tongs to separate the meat from the fat (see photos above). Discard the bone or set aside for another use.

*Since I had a Pork Roast instead of a Pork Shoulder, I just sliced the meat and
served it in a bowl with the vegetables. I had to adjust the cooking time to
be a little shorter because my piece of meat was smaller.

The meat was very tender and the vegetables were great!

White Chicken Chili With A Little Kick

2012-01-21T07:43:00.001-05:00

Ok ~ I think I am back in the swing of things and ready
to start posting yummy recipes again.

This recipe is for White Chicken Chili that does have a
little kick. A few weeks ago I realized that it has been
a really long time since I made a batch of chili.
This is probably because the weather here in
Georgia just hasn't been that cold.
Well, I guess I can't wait on the weather anymore, I just
have to go for it. So here is a new Chicken Chili Recipe.

White Chicken Chili
(with a little kick)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 pounds ground chicken
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon of black pepper
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoons chili powder and
1 teaspoon of chipotle chili powder
2 cans of cannellini beans
1 can of kidney beans
1 bunch of Kale, washed and chopped
( added at the very end)
1 cup frozen corn
4 - 6 cups chicken stock
1 can of fire roasted, diced tomatoes
1/2 cup cream

Directions
In a large saucepan heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken, salt, pepper, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, chili powder and chipotle chili powder. Cook until the chicken is completely cooked, about 8 minutes. If you are going to use a crockpot go ahead and pour this mixture into the crockpot now. Add the beans,tomato, corn, and chicken stock to either your crockpot or pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Allow the chili to cook for an hour or so depending on when you plan to serve it. The longer it cooks the better because the flavors will become more balanced. About 5-10 minutes before serving add the Kale and cream. Make sure the Kale has time to cook for about 5-7 minutes. Serve in bowls. You can top this chili with a little sour cream and some Parmesan Cheese or even Monterey Jack Cheese.

When making chili you should always taste it along the way to test the flavor
and make any adjustments.
This chili has a little kick that is hidden deep within the flavors. The chipotle
chili powder gives the chili a slight smokey flavor.

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve

2012-01-14T07:24:00.001-05:00

Please don't think that just because
there has been no blogging for the past few
weeks means that there has been no eating.
I feel like all we have done for the
past two months is eat!

We had a great Thanksgiving in Miami
with my parents and brother. There were many
nights out to great restaurants and
a very delicious Thanksgiving Dinner.

We enjoyed a fabulous Christmas in
Chicago. It was was full of laughs and
fun times with family. The meals were fantastic
~homemade ravioli and meatballs~ as Jim's
mom is a great cook.

We left for St. Lucia on New Year's Eve.
We enjoyed the beautiful weather and listening
to the waves crash as we relaxed on the beach.
I did not take many pictures of food on the trip
but we did enjoy some outstanding meals.

One of our meals was at La Toc, which is a
Parisian - inspired restaurant. I enjoyed
amazing Scallops for dinner and Jim had
a delicious Duck Stew.

We also enjoyed a nice dinner at
Kimonos Oriental Restaurant with four
other couples. Our waiter did an
outstanding job entertaining everyone
while he cooked right in front of us.

It is good to be home and back into the
regular routine. I have several
"new" recipes to try out this week.
I hope to be blogging again very soon
and letting you know how the meals turned out.

Sunday Morning Breakfast

2011-12-04T11:33:00.003-05:00

I know I have told you how much I love that my husband
gets up on Sunday morning and cooks breakfast but
I have to tell you again because it is GREAT!

It is so nice to wake up and come downstairs to
an already prepared, delicious breakfast.

Today he made eggs with sauted onions, crushed
cumin seed, cilantro, paneer cheese and
diced tomatoes ~ YUM!

This is a perfect start to a Sunday morning.

Risotto with Mushrooms, Blue Cheese and Arugula

2011-12-03T23:58:00.000-05:00

It is funny why I decide to make things some times.
When I came home from work the other day I did not
have a plan for dinner. I opened the refrigerator
and saw the portobello mushrooms I bought at the
market and thought, "I really should use those
before they go bad." I also noticed that I had
a small brick of blue cheese. HMM, the ideas
started flowing and the end result was ...

Risotto with Portobello Mushrooms, Blue Cheese
and Arugula.

I don't have a specific recipe but what I can
tell you if your going to make this is that
I used about 4 cups of (pre-warmed) vegetable
broth to 1 cup Arborio Rice.

I started by chopping up some onions and
cooking the in a little oil . Then I sliced
my 2 portobello mushrooms and added them to the
pan with the onions. I cooked them for about
4-5 minutes. I added the Arborio Rice and gave
it all a good stir. Then I slowly added
the pre-heated broth a cup at a time while
continuing to stir the risotto. When the
risotto was almost completely cooked I added
in the blue cheese giving it a few minutes
to melt. At the very end I gently folded in
the washed arugula and a dash of salt and pepper.

The Risotto was excellent. It is a heavy dish so
you may want to serve it with a light salad.

Peanut Crusted Tilapia with a Ginger and Scallion Chutney

2011-11-13T15:48:00.001-05:00

Tilapia is a fairly easy fish to cook.
It has a mild fish flavor making it easy
to find a wide variety of ingredients to
pair with it. Tilapia contains a great
deal of protein and vitamin B12 -
making it is good for you!
Here is a new Tilapia recipe I tried
that you might like.

Peanut Crusted Tilapia with a Ginger and
Scallion Chutney

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbs. agave nectar
1/2 cup scallions finely diced
2-3 tbs. fresh ginger finely grated
4 tsp. rice wine vinegar
kosher salt
1/2 cup of flour
1 large egg
1/2 cup salted peanuts, finely chopped
2 skinless tilapia fillets
fresh ground black pepper

Directions:
In a skillet, heat the oil and add the scallions and ginger.
Stir the ginger and scallions while they cook. Cook until
they are a golden color, about 4 minutes. Add 3 tsp of the rice
wine vinegar to the pan and cook for about 2- 3 more minutes.
Then tansfer this mixture to a small bowl. Add the last tsp of
vinegar, 1 tbs. of agave nectar and a pinch of salt. At this
point I would taste this mixture to see if the flavors are
balanced.

Next, get your flour and put it on a flat plate, beat an egg in a bowl and set
the finely chopped peanuts on another flat plate. Dry the tilapia
and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Then you will rub flour
on the fish, dip the fish in egg and then cover with the chopped peanuts.

In a new skillet heat a little oil. Add the tilapia fillets and cook until golden on each side. The peanuts will brown as the tilapia cooks. I usually cook
my tilapia for about 3 - 4 minutes on each side.

To serve you will place the peanut crusted tilapia on a plate and then
gently pour and spread some of the ginger and scallion chutney on top
of the fish.

We made roasted sweet potatoes with gorgonzola cheese as a side dish.

This turned out to be a great meal!

Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes - OH YEAH

2011-11-13T15:10:00.002-05:00

This is a very good recipe if you
are looking to make sweet potatoes
in the near future. With Thanksgiving
right around the corner you may want
to consider this as a yummy side dish
to compliment your Thanksgiving Day Turkey.

Balsamic-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
from Cuisine at Home

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut
into wedges.

Gorgonzola Cheese
Hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

Combine the oil, vinegar and brown sugar.
Toss the sweet potato wedges in this mixture.
Heat your oven to 425 degrees. Arrange the
sweet potatoes in a single layer on
a baking sheet. Sprinkle them with a pinch of
salt and pepper. Roast the wedges in the oven
for about 30 minutes. Toss them a few times
while they cook.

While they cook, toast and chop some hazelnuts.

When the potatoes are done cooking,
garnish them with crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese
and chopped, toasted Hazelnuts.

YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!

Pizza with Chicken, Pesto and Grapes

2011-11-05T10:49:00.000-04:00

Last night we made a very delicious pizza!

Pizza with Chicken, Pesto and Grapes
Pizza Dough
1 chicken breast, cooked and chopped
1 cup of washed, cut red grapes
1 cup of Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 onion, diced and cooked down, carmelized
1 cup basil pesto - you can buy this pre-made

We started with a bag of store bought pizza dough
because we have not found a recipe that we like for
pizza dough.

I set the oven to 500 degrees and placed the pizza stone
in the oven while we got all the toppings ready.

I cooked the chicken breast in some oil and sprinkled it
with thyme and sage. Then I washed and sliced about a cup
of red grapes. I sliced, cooked and carmelized an onion.
The mozzarella cheese just needed to be grated and I
had pesto in the freezer.

My husband rolled out the dough, placed it on the hot stone.
I spread the pesto all over the dough. Then I put the
thinly sliced chicken down, covered the pizza with mozzarella
cheese, add the grapes and carmelized onions to the top .

Bake at 5oo for about 7-10 minutes.

Wonderful!!!

Sausage, Lentil and Kale Soup

2011-10-18T22:24:00.000-04:00

This is a wonderful, hearty soup for the fall and winter.
I made it last weekend and froze a half portion for later.
It was perfect timing for soup because the weather
took a dip and it has been chilly!

Lentil, Sausage and Kale Soup

1/2 onion, diced very small
1 carrot, diced very small
2 large stalks celery, diced
1 T olive oil
1 T minced garlic
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tbs. Tuscan Spice Blend
4 links pre-cooked chicken Sausage
(Aidell's Sausage is a great choice)
1 large can fire roasted tomatoes, diced
6 cups chicken stock (or 4 cans chicken broth)
1/4 cup brown lentils
1/4 cup red lentils
pinch of red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 cups of washed and chopped Kale
2 T balsamic vinegar

Heat oil in a heavy soup pot, then saute vegetables, garlic, and seasonings as above. Add canned tomatoes, chicken stock, brown lentils, red lentils, and salt and pepper and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes, or until lentils are soft.

Add Chicken Sausage and simmer for about 30 minutes more. Add Kale and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar and simmer about 5 minutes more. Serve with a little parmesan cheese.

I will be making this recipe again soon.

Apple Pie, Apple Cider and Pancakes with Apple Chutney

2011-10-09T17:46:00.016-04:00

This weekend we went to
Hillcrest Orchards in Ellijay.
It was the perfect weekend to go apple
picking because the weather was beautiful.
Hillcrest Orchards is a family owned and operated
apple orchard in the North Georgia Mountains.
They had several varities of apples for sale as well as
many other good things like apple fritters, fried pies,
jams and syrups. There are also fun things for the kids
to do at the orchard.

We purchased about 2 pecks of apples. Our selection
included Honey Crisp, Georgia Rome, Pink Ladies and
Granny Smith.

After purchasing our apples we took a little trip
to downtown Ellijay. Ellijay has a cute town center
with restaurants and shops. There were tons
of people walking around the town. To our surprise
we showed up in Ellijay for the "Apple
Festival" which was this weekend and next weekend.
We enjoyed walking around the town, visiting shops,
having a nice lunch and seeing all the apples and
apple products for sale.

Once we returned home the baking and cooking started.

My husband made apple pie.

On Sunday we had pancakes with apple chutney.

I also make Apple Cider.

Apple Cider Recipe
Wash and Cut 10-12 apples (quarters)
Place in a large pot with 6-8 cups water
Add a tablespoon of both ground cinnamon
and all spice.
Add 3/4 cup of sugar.
Add 2 tablespoons of agave nectar.

Let this pot of apples and spices boil
uncovered for about 45 minutes.
Check and make sure it is not bubbling
over. Then after about 45 minutes,
turn the temperature down and let the
mix simmer for 2-3 hours.

Once the apples have really softened
and the liquid has become a deep color
let the mixture cool. Process the
mixture in a blender and then pour
through cheese cloth so you are left
with only the delicious juice.

Serve warm or cold.

Pasta with Spicy Sausage

2011-10-06T22:07:00.001-04:00

Sometimes you just need something spicy!
This dish is Rigatoni with a spicy, sausage sauce.

Cook the hot Italian sausage in a frying pan.
Break up the sausage into small pieces and set aside.

I make a quick sauce using a little garlic
and onion sauted in olive oil. Add
a large can of diced tomatoes. Add the sausage,
a pinch or two of red pepper flakes,
some chopped basil and oregano. Add a
little salt and pepper.
If you don't have fresh spices you can
used dried basil and oregano.

Let the sauce simmer.

Cook the Rigatoni.

Serve the Rigatoni with the
spicy, sausage sauce.
Top with grated parmesan cheese.

Book Club Dinner

2011-10-02T08:40:00.001-04:00

Last night we hosted Book Club. We just
finished reading "In the Place of Justice"
by Wilbert Rideau. In this book
Wilbert Rideau tells his story of how
he was convicted of murder and spends
44 years in prison. This is his story
of punishment and deliverance.

For dinner we had Chicken Pot Pie
which is a recipe from this blog.
Our side dishes were jello, steamed
vegetables, salad and a biscuit.
We had Bananas Foster for dessert.

It was a fun night with friends full of
great conversation and good food.

Pesto Pasta with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans

2011-10-01T22:26:00.000-04:00

Knowing all the pasta we have eaten,
it amazes me that I can find new
pasta recipes that we have not tried.

I took the ideas of this recipe from
a recipe on the Williams Sonoma website.
I wasn't really sure about the idea
of mixing potatoes and pasta together but
I have to say it really did turn out nice.

Pesto Pasta with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans

To make the pesto:
Saute 2-3 cloves garlic in oil.
Add 1/4 cup of nuts in the oil to toast them
while the garlic is cooking. I use almonds or
pine nut.
Wash and dry about 2-3 cups fresh basil.
Take out a 1/3 to 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.

In a food processor add the basil leaves, the warm
garlic and nuts with the oil and the parmesan cheese.
Pulse this mixture until it becomes fine. Then add
a little more olive oil ( 1/4 cup or so, salt
and pepper and pulse the mixture a little more.

To make the potatoes:
Wash and cut about 10-12 small, new potatoes
In a bowl mix the potatoes with a little oil,
salt, pepper and lemon zest.
Roast in the oven at 375 for about 20-25 min.
until tender.

Wash and cut the ends from the green beans.
Cook your pasta when the potatoes are about 10 min
away from being finished. About 5 minutes before your
pasta is finshed throw in the green beans so they can
cook. (Reserve a little of the pasta water before
draining 1/2 cup).

Drain the pasta and green beans and put them back
into the pot. Add the roasted potatoes to the pot
and the pesto mixture. Give the mixture a good stir.
If you think the pesto pasta needs a little liquid
you can add some of the pasta water in a little at
a time.

Serve with a little grated parmesan cheese.

Delish!

Mexican Red Lentil Soup with Chicken

2011-09-18T23:00:00.002-04:00

I have to give a big shout out to Kayln from Kaylyn's Kitchen
for this wonderful recipe. When I read through the recipe
it sounded so perfect as fall approaches and the
weather starts to cool down a little in the evenings.

I made a few changes to her orginal recipe.

Mexican Red Lentil Soup with Chicken

1 chicken breast
1 tbs chili oil
1 cup dry red lentils
1 T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped parsnips
1 T minced garlic (or less, but I like a lot of garlic)
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chile powder
1 can fire roasted tomatoes (chopped or diced)
3 cups vegetable broth
1/4 -1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper (Kalyn used tabasco sauce to add heat)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 - 1 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado
1/2 cup queso fresco

Put red lentils in a small pot with 2 cups of broth. Bring to a boil, turn off heat and cover. Let lentils sit in the hot water 30 minutes.

While the lentils cook you have time to cut the vegetables. Finely chop the garlic and onion. Chop the red pepper and parsnips. Heat olive oil in soup pot, add vegetables and saute for 3-4 minutes, just long enough that vegetables are starting to soften. Add ground turmeric, ground cumin, and chile powder, stir, and cook 1-2 minutes more. Cook the chicken breast in chili oil or Mexican spices. Slice the chicken into small pieces.

Add diced roasted tomatoes, rest of broth, pieces of chicken and cayenne pepper. Add the partially cooked lentils to the soup pan. Let the soup simmer for 30 minutes. Taste the soup. Check the texture of the lentils to determine if the soup needs to cook any longer. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

While soup cooks the rest of the way finely chop 1/2 - 1 cup fresh cilantro. Squeeze limes to get 1/4 cup fresh lime juice. When the lentils are as soft as you would like, stir in chopped cilantro and lime juice and cook for just a few more minutes. Peel and chop one avocado.

Serve with a little more cilantro, avocado and some queso fresco.

This was a very flavorful soup!

Fried Eggplant

2011-09-14T22:32:00.000-04:00

If I had a deep fryer I would be dangerous.
I can think of so many things I would fry.
Fried apple fritters, fried dough, fried
snickers bars.... the list goes on and on.

Without the fryer I have to resort
to pulling out a big frying pan
and peanut oil to fry food and this
does not happen very often.

I fried eggplant as a side dish the
other night.

I made up the recipe for the batter
and it turned out pretty good.

Batter for the Eggplant:

flour
fresh sage, chopped
fresh oregano, chopped
parmesan cheese, finely grated
pinch of salt and pepper

So from there it was pretty simple.
I cubed the eggplant. I dipped
the eggplant in an egg / buttermilk
mixture. Then into the batter.
I dropped the battered eggplant into
the pan with hot peanut oil.

The final product ~ little bites of goodness.

Fried Eggplant:

Chinese Stir-Fry

2011-09-10T08:30:00.002-04:00

Ok, I am branching out here by trying to make
a Chinese Stir-Fry. I would not normally choose
a recipe like this but when I read through
the ingredients I realized I liked everything
in the dish so why not give it a try.

There is a market/ grocery store near our
house that carries a good variety of
ethnic food so I was sure that I could
get the Chinese Noodles there.

Chinese Stir-Fry
8 oz of Chinese Egg Noodles
2 pork chops
1 tbs. vegetable oil
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced asparagus
5 cloves of garlic, diced
4-5 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs of lime juice
1 tbs. sesame oil
1 tbs. ketchup
1 tbs. chile paste
2 eggs
2 cups fresh spinach, washed and cut

Follow the directions on the package to cook
the Chinese Egg Noodles. Drain the noodles
and set aside.

Fry two eggs in a small pan. Once they are
cooked set them on a cutting board and
cut them into slices.

Add vegetable oil to a pan and heat on medium heat.
Saute the garlic for a few minutes. Add the pork
chops and cook for about 2-3 minutes each side
depending on the thickness. Don't overcook b/c you
will add the pork in to the mixture at the end
and it will cook a little more. Take the pork
chops out and set aside for a minute. Add the
asparagus and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the
mushrooms and green onions cooking for 3 more
minutes.(While the vegetables are cooking
slice the pork into thin slices).
Combine the soy sauce,
brown sugar, lime juice, sesame
oil, ketchup, chile paste. Bring to a boil,
stirring well.

Lower the heat. Add noodles to the pan and toss.
Add spinach and stir for a minute. Add
the pork and eggs. Stir well and then serve.

Chinese Stir-Fry

Vegetable Noodle Soup

2011-09-06T19:32:00.007-04:00

This soup should be called Everything or Anything Soup
because it really can work with any vegetables you have
in your refrigerator.

I came home late tonight, looked in the frig and this
is what I came up with.

Vegetable Noodle Soup
Sauté a diced onion is a large pan using a little
vegetable oil for about 5-7 minutes.
Add carrots and parsnips and sauté
for a few minutes. Add zucchini, mushrooms
and white beans. Stir and cook about 2 more minutes.
Add a small can of diced tomatoes, a tablespoon or so
of tomato paste and 2-3 cups chicken broth.
Stir well mixing all the ingredients.
Then I added dried oregano, thyme, sage and a little
bit of chilli powder. I also added a pinch of salt
and pepper. I let the soup cook on low for about 30 minutes.
Then I added small shell pasta and cooked the soup
for about 7 more minutes.

I served the soup with a little parmesan cheese.

Yum! This soup is full of good stuff!

Home Made Potato Gnocchi

2011-08-28T13:20:00.007-04:00

This will be the second time I have been brave
enough to try and make Potato Gnocchi. The
first time was with my friend Christina.
This time my husband and I are going to
give it a try using the recommendations from
Cook's Illustrated.

Gnocchi:
2 lbs. russet potatoes
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup flour plus 1 tbs. flour
1 tsp. salt

**1/4 cup ground hazelnuts (our addition)

Wash the potatoes. Poke them with a fork several times
and microwave them for about 7-10 minutes. Set your
oven to 450 degrees. Move the potatoes to the oven
and cook them for about 18 minutes. They are done
cooking when a fork slides into them easily.

Peel the potatoes while they are hot using a
potholder and pairing knife.

Then place the potatoes in a ricer and push
them out onto a baking dish to cool for
about 5 minutes.

Place 3 cups of the potatoes into a bowl.
Gently stir in 1 (lightly beaten) egg
until combined. Add the flour and tsp.
of salt to the mixture.**Add the ground
hazelnuts. Gently combine
these ingredients. Press mixture into
a ball and place it on a lightly floured
counter top. Knead the mixture until
it is smooth for about 1 minute. You can
add flour if the mixture becomes too sticky.

Place the ball on a cutting board and cut
the dough into 8 pieces.

Dust the counter
with flour and roll a piece of the dough
into 1/2 inch thick rope. Place the rope
back on the cutting board and cut it into
3/4 in. lengths. Roll the little pieces
down the tines of a fork to make the ridges.
Place the gnocchi on a baking sheet with
wax paper while you finish rolling the rest.

To cook the gnocchi you will boil a pot of water.
Add about a tablespoon of salt. Pour the gnocchi
in the water. the gnocchi will cook for about
1-2 minutes or until ir floats to the surface.

Add the gnocchi to your favorite sauce.

Browned Butter, Shallots and Sage Sauce

For our sauce I sauted shallots in a few
tablespoons of butter (3-4). I added some
chopped hazelnuts and sauted the mixture
for a few more minutes. Next, I poured in
about 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 tbs honey,a
pinch of nutmeg,1 tbs. of chopped sage,
salt and pepper to taste. Stir the ingredients
on medium high for about 3-4 minutes.
Toss the already cooked gnocchi in the sauce
and gently mix them around so they are coated
in the sauce.

Serve.

This is a great recipe because the gnocchi turn
out very light and yummy. I think our addition
of the hazelnuts was also very good and paired
nicely with the sauce we made.

Pasta with Asparagus, Corn and Tomato

2011-08-18T22:18:00.000-04:00

What a great first week of school ~ busy ~ but GREAT!!
My husband has been getting home from work before
me and so he has graciously done the cooking this week.

This pasta recipe is very good and easy to make.
Most of the time, when I am planning meals for the week,
I try to find 3-4 new recipes because there are so many
good recipes out there still to be made.
However,this recipe is a repeat dinner for us which means
we both really liked it.

Pasta with Asparagus, Corn and Tomato
1 box Fusilli
1 bunch of asparagus
3/4 cup sweet corn (frozen or fresh)
cherry tomatoes

Cut the asparagus into thirds. Saute the asparagus in a pan with a a little butter and salt for about 4-5 minutes leaving it a little bit crunchy. Place the asparagus in a bowl. Then cook the corn for 2-3 minutes in the same pan. Pour the corn into the bowl with the asparagus. Dice the tomatoes into fourths and add them to the bowl.
Then boil the noodles in a large pot with a pinch of salt.

While the noodles are boiling make the dressing.

Creamy Parmesan Dressing1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon of garlic, finely grated
3/4 cup of parmesan cheese, grated
a pinch or two of dried oregano or basil
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients together.

Drain the noodles and pour them into the bowl with the vegetables. Pour half of the dressing over the pasta and mix it all together. Then pour the remaining dressing over the noodles so that they all have a nice coat of dressing. You can serve this pasta warm or cold. Top the pasta with a little more parmesan and black pepper.

This makes a nice, light pasta dinner and the leftovers are good too!

Peach Salsa

2011-08-06T13:46:00.003-04:00

Did you know that each year Georgia
produces over 130 million pounds of peaches?

Did you know that 40 different varieties
of peaches are grown in Georgia?
There are Starlite, Flavorich, Georgiabelle,
Juneprince and Redskin just to name a few.

Today we bought a few Elberta peaches at the
local Farmer's Market and they were delicious.

I used them to make Peach Salsa which turned
out to be quite a treat.

Peach Salsa

4-5 peaches, chopped
2-3 Tbsp of chopped shallots
1-2 jalapenos, chopped (depends on how hot you want the salsa)
Juice of a lemon
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1-2 Tbsp grated ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon agave nectar
Salt and black pepper to taste

Finely chop the peaches, shallots and jalapenos and place in a bowl. Wash and chop the mint and add to the mixture. Peel and grate fresh ginger and it to the bowl. Add the sugar, agave nectar, lemon jucie, salt and pepper. Taste the salsa and see if any of the flavors need to be adjusted. Don't be afraid to add more of one of the ingredients.

This is a sweet salsa with a kick at the end.
We really liked it!!

You can serve this salsa with chips but it would also taste good over fish or chicken.

Beautiful Peppers and Tomatoes

2011-08-06T13:27:00.003-04:00

There is a small Farmer's Market that sets up
behind our house on Saturdays for most of the summer.

About 7 -10 vendors come to sell local produce, soaps
and meats.

Today most of the venders were selling amazing
tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and peach.

I purchased a few of the peppers, tomatoes and corn.
We also bought some spicy sausage.

Look how beautiful my vegetables look.

Layered Panini

2011-07-30T09:47:00.001-04:00

It is so nice to leave work at 5:15 and be home by 5:21!!

I have been driving about 45 minutes to work everyday
for several years but now I am thrilled to be so
close to home. I will miss the staff and
students but will not miss the drive!

I am looking forward to my new adventure this
upcoming school year. I can't wait to meet everyone!

Anyway, not having the long drive home gives
me more time to cook dinner. :)

We just made a wonderful Panini for dinner.
It was layered full of goodness.

The first layer was a little basil mayonnaise.
Next layer was some eggplant I breaded and cooked.
Then some slices of lemon, pepper chicken breast.
On top of the chicken I put roasted red peppers
A little Monterey Jack Cheese came next.
After that, some sauted zucchini.

I placed the sandwiches on my panini maker and
cooked them until the cheese melted and the
top of the bun browned a little.

After cooking them, I carefully opened them up to add
a few slices of garden tomato.

Can you say FABULOUS because that is what they were
fabulous!!

Two Great Recipes

2011-07-18T18:00:00.006-04:00

I have been spending some time reading my Jamie Oliver
cookbooks. I really enjoy his recipes. He uses
great ingredients and explains the cooking process in
such unique terms.

I have "Happy Days with the Naked Chef" and
"Cook with Jamie".

This past week I cooked two great dishes from
his cookboooks.

One was for Pan-Baked Plaice with Spinach,
Olives and Tomatoes.
* I made the dish with Tilapia. It was
very good!

I also made Parsnips and Pancetta Pasta
with Parmesan and Butter.
The flavors were great!

So, go ahead and buy a Jamie Oliver Cookbook
you won't regret it.

A Simple Pasta Dish

2011-07-12T18:00:00.000-04:00

What do you cook for dinner when it is 95 degrees outside?

This is a simple pasta dish with fresh basil
and tomatoes.

Slice a few (1-2)cloves of garlic real thin.
Pour about 7 tablespoons of olive oil in
a pan and cook the garlic until lightly brown.
Be very careful not to burn the garlic.
Set the oil and garlic mixture aside to cool.

Choose the type of pasta you would like
and cook it follow the directions on the box.

While the pasta is cooking dice 4-5 red and
yellow tomatoes.
Wash and cut up about 1/2 - 1 cup of fresh basil.
If you have fresh oregano add some of that too.
Mix the tomatoes and basil in a large bowl.
Add 1 tbsp. of a wine vinegar and salt and pepper
to taste.
Add the garlic oil to the mixture.

Once the pasta is finished cooking drain it well.
Then pour the pasta into the bowl with the tomatoes
and stir everything together.

Now, add some fresh grated parmesan cheese.
I like cheese so I added about 1/2 cup grated.

Then serve with a little more cheese on top.

Perfect for a hot, summer evening!

Favorite Dinner In Italy at Ristorante Bagni Delfino

2011-07-07T17:26:00.009-04:00

We ate at so many great restaurants while in Italy
but one of our favorites was Ristorante Bagni Delfino.

On their website they describe their restaurant as
a family owned place that has been offering local
speciality dishes since 1968. Which is over 35 years
of amazing food. The restaurant is located in a very
scenic spot right on the water. The views are so beautiful
and the food is outstanding.

We sat outside as we enjoyed our dinner.
Our appetizers were Fresh Tomato Bruschetta
and Mussels. Both appetizers were excellent.

For dinner we shared
Risotto con gamberetti e rucola
Risotto with prawns and wonderfully peppery rocket leaves
and red wine.

The Risotto dish was out of this world good!

We watched the beautiful sunset while we had our dinner.

What a perfect evening!

Peach Clafouti

2011-07-06T22:02:00.000-04:00

Ahhh ~ summer fruit is so good.
My favorites are watermelon, peaches and plums.

Watermelon is the perfect treat to bring to
a summer party. I bought this watermelon at
the Marietta Farmer's Market which is held each
Saturday on the Marietta Square.
Look how beautiful it is!

Fabulous peaches are also sold at the Marietta Farmer's Market.
We purchased a brown bag of peaches for $5 and they were
the best peaches I have eaten in a very long time.

If you have some peaches you should try this recipe for
Peach Clafouti. It is fairly easy to make and turns out
so good.

Peach Clafouti

5 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
4 cups peaches
(or 2 cups peaches 2 cups plums)

ground nutmeg (a pinch)
confectioner's sugar for the top

Turn your oven on to 375. Whisk the eggs and flour in a bowl
until they are combined. Add sour cream, milk, granulated sugar,
vanilla and salt. Whisk until all the ingredients are combined.
Add a pinch of ground nutmeg. If you have fresh nutmeg that is even
better. Pour this mixture into a baking dish. You want to choose
a dish where the mixture can spread out a little and not be to high
in the baking dish. It should cover the edges of the fruit but not
go over the top. Scatter peaches ( or the peaches and plums) in a
single layer into the batter. Place the dish in the oven and bake
for about 25 - 30 minutes. Bake until the custard is browned around
the edges and the center is set. You want to serve this dish warm.
Let the clafouti cool for a few minutes, sprinkle powdered sugar
over the top and serve.

Enjoy!

A Day Cooking with Mamma Agata in Ravello, Italy

2011-07-03T09:06:00.001-04:00

Spending the day with Mamma Agata and her family.

When we started planning our trip to Italy my
husband and I began to research all the
different places we could go, restaurants we
could eat at and things we could do.
The possibilities were endless.

During my research I came across this website
that described a cooking class with Mamma Agata.
On the website they claimed that you
would spend the day cooking in Mamma Agata's private home,
which is situated 1,000 feet above sea level, overlooking
the Amalfi Coast. Her property includes a garden
full of lemon trees, fruit trees, vegetables, spices
and flowers. She would teach you to cook traditional
dishes like antipasti, pastas, seasonal vegetable dishes
as well as meat dishes.

This sounded too good to be true but sign me up is exactly
what I thought.

A few days into our trip we took the famous, scenic
drive along the Amalfi Coast. Now, those of you that
know me well are thinking I can't believe Sharon was
able to make the winding, narrow, challenging drive
to Ravello. I was only able to endure the drive because
my husband drove very carefully ( so I didn't have to
ride in a bus)and because I took a little dramamine. :)

The drive along the Amalfi Coast is AMAZING!!
We stopped several times to take a pictures because it
was just so beautiful. I have included some of the
photos we took along the way.

After about two and half hours of driving and praying
the whole way that this "cooking class" was going to
be worth it we finally arrived.

And I knew from the moment Chiara opened the door
to her home that this was going to be the
opportunity of a life time!

Chiara welcomed us with open arms. She brought
us to the terrace where we looked out over the
Amalfi Coast. Just like the website described but
so much better in person - breathtaking!!
We were served coffe and Mamma's famous lemon cake.

Once the rest of the guests arrived ( one of the guest
being a famous movie star - Sela Ward and her family)
we began our day of cooking with Mamma Agata and her family.
Chiara ( Mamma's daughter) and her husband Gennaro showed
us how limoncello is made. This would be served later in
the day.

Then we moved into the kitchen where the magic began.
Tips and secrets were shared as Mamma and Chiara
demonstrated how several different southern Italian dishes
are made. During the class we learned how to make Mamma
Agata's Coccoli, Eggplant Rolls, Eggplant Parmigina,
Pasta with Sausage and Peppers, Pasta of the Farmer
and Lemon Chicken.

Of course the food and wine were amazing but the
personal stories Chaira shared and passion for what
they do makes this experience so unique.
From the moment you arrive at Mamma Agata's the
family makes you feel like you are special
and that they are so excited
you came to spend the day with them.

I have attached the link to Mamma Agata's
Cooking School because if you are ever
it Italy you should definately visit
Mamma Agata.
The experience is everything
they claim on their website and so much more!!http://www.mammaagata.com/cooking-class.aspx

Cherry Ice Cream with Chocolate Covered Cherries and Dark Chocolate Chips

2011-07-02T09:29:00.006-04:00

It is time to pull out the ice cream maker
since the weather is going to be in the
high 90's all weekend.
Picnics and fireworks I enjoy but sweating
all day, no thanks.
I think I will avoid the heat for a little
while, stay inside and make some homemade
Cherry and Dark Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.

Cherry Ice Cream with Chocolate Covered Cherries and Dark Chocolate Chips

Ingredients
1 - 1 1/2 cup pitted, sweet cherries
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 pinch salt

2 teaspoon agave nectar
1/2 cup pitted, diced sweet cherries
1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup of chocolate covered dried cherries, chopped
1 -2 Tbsp of cherry liqueur or rum (optional)

* You may want to consider buying a cherry pitter - it is an awesome kitchen tool.
Thanks to Tyleen I have one and I love it!

To make the ice cream:

Place the pitted cherries, milk, one cup of the cream, sugar, and salt into a medium saucepan. You want to heat the mixture until it starts to steam a little but you do not want to bring it to a boil. After the mixture steams lower the heat to low and let it cook for about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the stove and pour the mixture into a bowl to cool. You can place the bowl in the refrigerator for a little while to speed up this process. Next you will pour the mixture into a blender and carefully purée.

Place the mixture back into a large bowl. Add in the remaining 1/2 cup of cream and agave nectar. Chill for several hours in the refrigerator until completely cold. *Don't forget you also need to chill your ice cream maker ring.

Rigt before you are ready to put the mixture into your ice cream maker you will stir in the fresh, chopped cherries, the chocolate covered cherries, the dark chocolate chips and the rum. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and
let it turn for about 20 - 30 minutes.

Check your ice cream maker to see how the mixture is coming along. Remember the ice cream will still be pretty soft at this point. Gently empty the ice cream from your ice cream maker into an airtight container and place in the freezer until you are ready to serve.

A few notes:
You do not have to add alcohol to your ice cream if you don't want. It does help with the flavor and it makes takes the icy bits out of the ice cream.

If your ice cream is not powerful you can add the cherry bits and chocolate chips after it is finished churning. Just fold the chopped ingredients into the ice cream gently and then freeze.

It looks so good!

Eating My Way Through Italy

2011-07-01T08:20:00.000-04:00

Before we left for Italy I told my husband
that my plan was to eat Pizza and Gelato
every day! I am not sure he believed me
and to be honest with you I wasn't being
serious it just sounded like the right
thing to say since we were going to Italy.

I did not realize how true that statement
would turn out to be. Of the ten days we
spent in Italy I am pretty sure that I had
pizza at least eight times! The pizza was
just so good and it made a
perfect lunch.

Here are some of the yummy
pizzas we ate while we traveled from
Sorrento to Rome.

I believe this was pizza number 1.

This pizza was topped with sausage, ham, artichokes, tomato and rocket. We learned that rocket is a form of arugula. There was no red sauce but somehow the pizza turned out creamy and very good!

This pizza was excellent. The crust was very buttery! The pizza was topped with cheese, rocket and tomato.

Pizza at Il Buffalito
This restaurant is known for their homemade buffalo mozarella.
The cheese was so good it just melted in your mouth.

Pizza after a day on Capri
This time we tried a classic mushroom and olive pizza.

Pizza while at the beach in Sorrento
It is amazing ~ even at the beach the pizza is great!

Pizza at Campo De Fiori Market in Rome
YUM! This pizza was outstanding. Not sure why the boiled egg is a part of the pizza but all the other ingredients were outstanding.

Yup, more pizza
Simple yet very good!

See, I told you, I ate pizza almost every day and I don't regret it!
I enjoyed trying all the different varieties of pizza there are in Italy.
Each pizza had its own unique flavor. I will get to all the other food
we ate very soon!

Chicken with Lemon and Olives

2011-06-11T08:44:00.000-04:00

I have been looking for a recipe
for chicken and olives for a while.
The recipes I have tried in the past
have been really salty and just ok.

I came across this recipe in my
Cooking Light magazine.
I am not sure what it was that
made me believe this recipe
would be better than the others
we've tried but I am happy
to say it was.

My husband made this dish
while I went running.
He did an excellent job!
Dinner looked wonderful
and tasted great.

Chicken with Lemon and Olives
recipe from Cooking Light

1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
4 chicken leg quarters
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons black pepper
16 pimiento stuffed green olives, sliced
1 lemon , thinly sliced
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine first 7 ingredients, marinate
at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Pour marinade into a 13 X 9 inch baking
dish. Heat a large skillet over medium
high heat. Add chicken, cook 3 minutes
on each side or until browned. Arrange
chicken in baking dish. Sprinkle with salt
and pepper. Top with olives and lemon slices.
Bake at 400 degrees for
40 minutes.

Remove chicken from baking dish and keep warm.
Strainsauce over a saucepan reserving solids.
Bring sauce to a boil. cook 3 minutes or until
slightly thick. Stir in olives and garlic,
serve with chicken and lemons.
Top with parsley.

Serve with green pea rice

This recipe is a keeper!

Summertime Pizza - Goat Cheese and Peaches

2011-06-10T15:35:00.005-04:00

I have been trying to cook light because
the weather is sooooo hot right now.
The other night, for dinner, we made
two different thin crust pizzas on the grill .

I made one of the pizzas with
Goat Cheese and Peaches.

Goat Cheese and Peach Pizza
Here is how I made our pizza:
Roll the pizza crust out nice and thin.
Brush olive oil all over the crust.
Cook some bacon or proscuitto in a pan.
Heat some goat cheese in the microwave
for just a few seconds so that it is
soft enough to spread out on the pizza crust.
Slice peaches and place them on the pizza.
Cut the bacon or proscuitto into small pieces
and sprinkle it over the pizza.
Add a pinch of thyme over the peaches and cheese.

Now the pizza is ready for the grill.

Seriously Good!

Chicken Wings with Lemon and Thyme

2011-06-04T07:30:00.001-04:00

It's time for a batch of chicken wings.
We have tried making our own version of spicy
chicken wings. I also have a good recipe for
balsamic chicken wings. This time we are
going with a recipe by Emeril for
Lemon and Thyme Oven Roasted Wings.

Lemon and Thyme Chicken Wings
Ingredients
4 pounds chicken wings or chicken legs
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 500 F.

Line large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. In large mixing bowl, combine wings and lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Add pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Crush the thyme between your finger while adding it to the mixture. Mix again and add cayenne and butter. Mix thoroughly, then transfer wings to baking sheet and arrange in one layer. Roast in oven for 10 minutes, rotate pan and cook 10 minutes longer until wings are nicely browned and cooked through. Serve alone or with your favorite dipping sauce.

*When I made our wings I made the marinade first and poured about half of it into a bowl with the chicken wings. I covered the bowl and the wings sit for about 20 - 30 minutes in the refrigerator. The butter became a little thick but I wanted the flavors to have a chance to combine and get all over the wings. I placed the wings on a baking sheet and added the rest of the marinade. Then I put them into the oven to cook.

We thought the wings turned out great! We did not feel that there was any reason to serve them with a dipping sauce because they had so much flavor on their own.

Amazing Peach Crisp

2011-06-02T21:31:00.000-04:00

This is an AMAZING Peach Crisp!
It is one of those desserts that you
just can't stop eating.
I know that some of you don't believe me
because there is no chocolate in this
recipe but please trust me.
The only thing that keeps me from
eating the whole pan is that I know
what it is made of and it's not low
in calories.

The recipe is from Pioneer Women.
I read her blog often because she
takes step by step photos of the food
she makes and I love that.

Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce

What you need:
6-8 Whole Fresh Peaches
1 cup Flour
½ cup Sugar
½ cup Light Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
½ teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
½ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
¼ teaspoons Salt
1 stick Butter (1/2 Cup)
½ whole Lemon
7 Tablespoons Real Maple Syrup -
2 for the peaches and 5 tbs for the sauce.
1-½ cup Whipping Cream
3 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup

Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt using a fork or pastry cutter. Cut butter into small pieces and gradually add to flour mixture until evenly mixed. * I actually did this step in my food processor and used the pulse button to do all the work - just don't over do it.**

Peel peaches and slice. Place them into a bowl. Add the zest from half a lemon. Then cut the lemon in half and squeeze juice from lemon into the bowl with the peaches and zest. Add 2 tablespoons real maple syrup to peaches, stir well.

Pour peach mixture into a 9 inch pan and cover evenly with crumb topping. Cover with foil and bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes. After about 15 minutes remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until crisp and brown on top.

Maple Cream Sauce:

Pour whipping cream into a saucepan. Add 5 tablespoons real maple syrup, 3 tablespoons corn syrup and stir over moderate heat until thickened and reduced by about one-third, approximately 15 minutes. Refrigerate mixture until it is cold and thick, or set the saucepan into a small bowl of ice. Drizzle sauce over peach crisp when you are ready to serve the dessert.( The peach crisp will be warm and the sauce will be cold).

Amazing, Amazing, Amazing!

You have to try this recipe!!!

Penne with Mushrooms

2011-05-29T11:37:00.005-04:00

It has been hard to get motivated to cook
dinner lately. I feel like we are running
in and out. Come home, try to exercise -
if it isn't 90 degrees, run to a meeting,
and dinner just doesn't seem to fit right
now.

BUT....

I had three beautiful portabello mushrooms
in the refrigerator that I really wanted
to use so I came up with this pasta dish.

2 shallots
3 portabello mushrooms
fresh oregano
1/2 cup marsala
1/2 to 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Penne
1/2 cup pasta water

I diced the shallots and cooked them in olive oil for
a few minutes. Then I sliced the mushrooms and cooked
them in the oil with the shallots for about 5 minutes.
I added the marsala to the pan and cooked the mushrooms
and shallots for about 3 more minutes on high.
I chopped the fresh oregano and added about 1/4 cup
to the mushroom mixture. You can add a little less
oregano but I really like it.

While cooking the mushrooms I boiled the penne
in water with a pinch of salt.

Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the
pasta water.
Add the pasta back into the pan. Then add the
mushroom mixture and cheese to the pasta.
Stir until all the pasta and mushrooms get
combined. Add a little of the pasta water
until you have the consistency you like.

And here is the final product - Yum!

Millionaire's Shortbread Bars

2011-05-28T08:30:00.000-04:00

You'll make a lot of friends at a party or
barbeque if you make this recipe.
There are many different variations of
Millionaire's Shortbread.
After reading through several of them
I decided to pick my favorite parts from
each of the recipes and make the bars
using the ingredients listed below.

Millionaire's Shortbread

Ingredients
Shortbread:
2 sticks butter, cut into small pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Caramel Layer:
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter

Chocolate Topping:
6 oz. semi sweet chocolate
4 oz. dark chocolate

Topping:
Coconut

Directions
Shortbread:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 2 (8-inch) square nonstick pans and coat with flour, tapping off excess. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse once. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles peas. Press the shortbread mixture into prepared pans and bake until golden brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Caramel Layer:

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously. Continue stirring over the heat until mixture becomes thick and amber in color, about 15 minutes. Pour the caramel over the cooked shortbread and spread. Allow the caramel to cool. You can place the pans in the
refrigerator for a few minutes to help the cooling process.

Chocolate Topping:

In a glass bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the two different types of chocolate. Once chocolate has melted, pour it over the cooled caramel layer.

If you want to add a topping now is the time, while the chocolate is still warm.

I topped half of my bars with toasted coconut.

Then cool the bars at room temperature for about 10 minutes, and then place in the refrigerator to cool completely, allowing chocolate to slightly harden but not get hard. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve. You can keep them at room temperature or if you like the bars cooler you can keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them.

Trust me, these will be a big hit!!!

Greek Style Chicken Kabobs

2011-05-15T14:23:00.003-04:00

I love that the temperature dropped
this weekend and instead of being 87 degrees
it is only about 64 degrees outside.
How absolutely delightful!!!

I am getting ready to grill
some Greek Style Chicken Kabobs.

I marinated the chicken in:
1/2 cup greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons dill
lemon zest
salt and pepper

If you have a grill ~ that is the way to go. If not, you can stick the
kabobs in the oven and broil them.

Pasta with Lemon, Basil and Smoked Salmon

2011-05-03T22:09:00.000-04:00

This is a delicious, elegant recipe
that makes you feel like you are eating
out at a fine restaurant.

My husband made this recipe
and it was so delightful!
We loved the flavors and he said that
he would definately make it again
because it is fairly easy to make.

Simple Cream Pasta with Lemon and Basil
with Spinach and Smoked Salmon
(adapted from a Donna Hay recipe)

14 oz. tagliatelle or spaghetti
1 cup heavy cream
*1 tbs butter
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 3/4 cup finley grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup roughly choppped basil leaves
3 1/2 oz baby spinach leaves * we used Swiss Chard*
3 1/2 oz chopped, smoked salmon

cracked black pepper
grated parmesan, to serve

Add cream, butter,lemon rind, lemon juice together in pan.
Heat. Add parmesan, basil and pepper.
Let cook a few minutes so flavors can combine.
Place a pot of salted water on stove. Bring to a boil.
Cook pasta until al dente.
Drain pasta.
Add cream sauce over pasta.
Add the spinach ( or Swiss Chard)
and Smoked Salmon and toss to combine.

Serve with cheese and a pinch of pepper.

Crispy Fish with Lemon Salsa

2011-04-30T08:00:00.001-04:00

I am always looking for new ways to cook fish.
I try to include fish in my weekly menu but sometimes
I have trouble coming up with new recipes.

I read this recipe in a cook book by Donna Hay
I made a few changes to the original recipe.

Crispy fish with Lemon Salsa

6 oz snapper, ocean trout, salmon ( I used tilapia)
tbs vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour ( or more depending on size of fish)
salt and pepper
coconut, chilli, pepper mix (Elephant Pepper spice grinder)

Lemon Salsa
2 lemons, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 tbs superfine sugar
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 tbs capers, rinsed
salt and pepper to taste

On a plate mix the flour, salt, pepper and the grated coconut, chilli,
pepper mix. Coat the fish in this mixture.

Make the lemon salsa by combining the lemons, sugar, parsley, capers salt and pepper and set aside.

Pour oil in pan, turn up heat to medium high. Place fish in pan and cook on high about 3-4 minutes each side. Cook so the skin becomes crispy on both sides. Turn down heat and cook about 2 more minutes or until fish is cooked through.

I served the fish on a bed of arugula. Then I poured the lemon salsa on top.

Fabulous!!

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad over Arugula

2011-04-18T20:32:00.002-04:00

I really wasn't sure about the combination
of grapefruit and avocado. It just doesn't
sound right but how could I make a judgement when
I haven't tried the two fruits together. The only
way to make a decision about this combo ~ avocado
and grapefruit ~ was to give it a try.

My friend C from
made me think of this recipe when
she posted "Cooking to Combat Cancer".
Both avocado and grapefruit are cancer
fighting foods.
Avocados contain a powerful
antioxidant that contains free radicals in
the body and grapefruit contain monoterpenes,
which help prevent cancer by sweeping
carcinogens out of the body.

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad over Arugula
1 1/2 cups of Arugula
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 cup good olive oil
1-2 ripe Hass avocados
1 large red grapefruits
(taste the dressing and add more
of the ingredients based on what you like).

I would say the combination is good.
The salad is beautiful with the green and pink.
The dressing ties everything together.

Give it a try and see what you think.

Nanaimo Bars

2011-04-16T07:51:00.000-04:00

In the mood for something chocolate?
If so ~ I am sure these
Nanaimo Bars will make you happy.
They are filled with all sorts of
good stuff and they taste great.
They are very rich so when you serve
them you may want to cut them in small
squares.

Nanaimo Bars
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup white sugar
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup chopped peanuts ( or any kind you like)
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup cream cheese
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder
(if you don't have custard powder you can used vanilla pudding)
3 tablespoons milk
4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon butter

Directions
1.Mix 1/2 cup butter or margarine, white sugar, cocoa, egg and vanilla in a heavy sauce pan or double boiler. Stir over low heat until mixture is of custard like consistency.

2.Combine graham crackers,nuts and add to the melted mixture. Mix well and pack into buttered baking dish.

3.Cream 1/4 cup butter, cream cheese, confectioners sugar, vanilla custard powder and milk. Beat until creamy and spread over melted base.

4.Refrigerate till hardened.

5.Melt semi-sweet chocolate with 1 tablespoon butter and pour over the top. Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens. Then cut into bars.

These Nanaimo Bars are yummy!

Chicken with Roasted Coriander in a Coconut Curry Sauce

2011-04-10T13:46:00.008-04:00

My husband really enjoys Indian Food and
every once in a while he will select
an Indian recipe that he will prepare
for dinner. I look forward to these meals
because he picks interesting recipes and
because he does the cooking. :)

This week he decided to make
Chicken with Roasted Corainder in a
Coconut Curry Sauce. The recipe
came from a cookbook by Madhur Jaffrey.

The dish was packed full of great flavors:
turmeric, fenugreek seeds, coriander, ginger
black mustard seeds and cayenne pepper.
He served the chicken over rice with Naan.
Dinner turned out great!

Blueberry Lemon Tart

2011-04-09T08:30:00.001-04:00

I was very excited to host a dinner for
friends this weekend. It was so much fun!

The menu was Italian, of course.
For appetizers I made Stuffed Cherry
Tomatoes (the recipe is on blog) and
Italian Bread with Basil Pesto.
Dinner was Sausage or Cheese Stuffed Shells
and salad.
For dessert I made both a Chocolate Nanaimo Bars
and a Blueberry Lemon Tart.

I believe that the Blueberry Lemon Tart was
a huge hit. This tart is a nice dessert because
it is both delicious and pretty.

The original recipe is from the
Food Network by Tyler Florence.
I decided on a few minor changes when I made
this recipe. Instead of adding a 1 1/2 cups
of flour for the pastry I added 1 cup flour
and 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs.
I also added 3/4 of a cup of lemon juice
instead of the whole cup after reading the online
reviews.

Blueberry Lemon Tart

Pastry:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ( Add one cup flour
and exchange the 1/2 cup flour for graham cracker crumbs)
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, in chunks
1 large egg, separated
2 tablespoons ice water, plus 1 teaspoon

Filling:
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice ( a little less than a cup)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 lemon, zested
Pinch kosher salt
1 pint blueberries

Directions
To make the pastry, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the dough resembles cornmeal. Add the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse again until the dough pulls together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Roll the dough up onto the pin and lay it inside a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the edges of the pan and fold the excess dough inside to reinforce the rim. Cover the tart pan with plastic wrap and put it into the refrigerator for another 30 minutes to rest.

To bake the shell, heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and prick the bottom of the dough with a fork. Cover the shell with a piece of parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights. Lightly beat the egg white with 1 teaspoon water and brush it onto the bottom and sides of the tart shell; set aside to cool.

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, cream, zest, and salt. Add the blueberries to the cooled tart shell and pour the filling over the blueberries. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The curd should jiggle slightly when done. Cool to room temperature, remove from the tart ring, and serve.

You are definately going to want to make this dessert ~ trust me!

Blueberry Lemon Tart

Tandoori Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

2011-04-07T22:30:00.000-04:00

Relaxing with a Taco dinner and movie.

Tandoori Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1 cup packed fresh cilantro
4 cloves garlic
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
1/4 - 1/2 cup corn
Chicken Thighs 8-10
Vegetable oil, for oiling grill pan/grate
Tortillas, warmed

Place chicken in a large bowl. Place the yogurt,
cilantro, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, salt
in a blender and pulse until all the ingredients combine.
Pour the marinade over the chicken,
cover, and refrigerate for a few hours.

Remove chicken from marinade and place in a skillet.
Cook for 7-10 minutes browning the skin.

Let chicken cool a little. Pull chicken from bone
and cut into small pieces. Stir in the corn.

Serve the Chicken Tandoori Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Pineapple Salsa
1 1/2 cup finely chopped pineapple
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
Salt

Chicken and Broccoli Gratin

2011-04-04T22:49:00.001-04:00

Sometimes you just need comfort food.
For me "comfort food" tends to be dishes
that contain cheese ~ they always make me
feel better. Even though I consider this dish
comfort food it does contain a vegetable that is
very good for you - broccoli.

Broccoli contains a high amount of vitamin C which helps
fights off the common cold. The potassium in broccoli
helps to lower high blood pressure. This little green
vegetable is also rich in fiber. With all this goodness
I should really make an effort to eat more broccoli.

Chicken and Broccoli Gratin
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
11/2 lb. broccoli
2 leeks
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1 cup panko
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp ground sage
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350ºF.

Cut the broccoli into small florets. Add the broccoli to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Don't overcook the broccoli. You want to leave it crunchy because it is going to cook again later. Put the broccoli into an ice bath to cool it down quickly. Then drain.

Sprinkle the thyme, sage, salt and pepper over the chicken. Cook the chicken in a little oil. Remove the chicken from the pan and cut it into bit size pieces. Set aside. Wash, dice and saute the leeks in a little bit of oil.

Melt the butter. Add the flour and stir until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the leeks and bay leaf and simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 8 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Add the Gruyère, stirring until the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper. Gently mix in the broccoli and chicken. Pour this mixture into a baking dish and spread it in an even layer.

In a bowl mix together the panko, Parmigiano-Reggiano and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the panko mixture over the mixture. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake until the gratin is golden and bubbly, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

I hope you enjoy this fantastic Chicken and Broccoli Gratin.

Baked Penne with Corn, Zuchinni and Basil

2011-03-24T21:50:00.000-04:00

These past couple of nights I have done
absolutely nothing to make dinner, except,
plan out the menu for the week.

I have come home from work exhausted
partly because I seem to be suffering
from allergies. Itchy eyes, congestion
and sore throat just like all the other
Georgians!

I am so lucky though, because my husband
has been making dinner! Eating all the
fresh food we bought at the market is
so much better than ordering out.

This recipe from William Sonoma
is a keeper even though there
are many steps. Trust me when I
say the end result is worth it.

Baked Penne with Corn, Zuchinni and Basil

Ingredients:
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 lb. penne
6 Tbs. olive oil, plus more as needed
1/2 cup corn or 2 ears of fresh corn
6 zucchini, cut into half-moons
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced
1 Tbs. sliced garlic
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 400ºF.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
Generously salt the water, add the pasta and cook,
stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 minutes.
Drain the pasta and rinse under cold running water. Set aside.

In a 12-inch nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat,
warm 3 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the corn,
season with salt and black pepper and cook,
stirring occasionally, until the corn is lightly golden,
6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and warm
the remaining 3 Tbs. olive oil. Working in batches,
add the zucchini, season with salt and cook,
stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is
tender and golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add to the bowl with the corn. Repeat with
remaining zucchini, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

Set the pan over medium-low heat.
Add the onion, 1 tsp. salt and black pepper, to taste.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent,
about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, oregano
and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally,
until the tomatoes soften and begin to form a sauce,
about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook
for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until the wine
has reduced and the sauce is fairly thick,
about 3 minutes more.

Add the pasta, tomato sauce, basil,
mozzarella and half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano
to the bowl with the vegetables and stir to combine.
Transfer to the fry pan and sprinkle the remaining
Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Transfer the pan to the
oven and bake until golden brown on top,
20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm.

This was very good!
You can't see all the good stuff that it is inside
trust me ~ it is in there!

A Rainbow of Carrots

2011-03-23T21:50:00.000-04:00

These carrots are so beautiful!
Aren't they?
I mean look at their colors.

They get major points for being colorful however
they taste the same as regular carrots to me.

I cooked them with a little butter and some
fresh thyme.

Chocolate Spiced Pork Chops

2011-03-22T21:47:00.002-04:00

I came across this recipe by Paula Deen
a few weeks ago and thought it sounded
interesting. I have made a lot of
different things with chocolate
but chocolate and pork?
My love for chocolate made me think
we should give it a try.

Chocolate Spiced Pork Chops

2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 (1 1/2-inch-thick) bone-in pork chops
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar,
Italian seasoning, onion powder, cocoa powder,
garlic powder, paprika, red pepper, cumin, salt,
and black pepper. Rub the mixture evenly over pork chops.

Add the oil to a large cast iron skillet
over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops
and cook for 3 minutes per side.
Put the skillet in oven and bake the
pork chops until cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the oven,
transfer the chops to a serving platter and serve.

I thought this dry rub was very good. It is
packed full of flavor so be careful not to
put too much on your chops.

Green Beans with Tomato and Feta

2011-03-20T15:40:00.004-04:00

I was at the Dekalb Farmer's Market
this past weekend and scooped up
a couple of handfuls of these
good looking green beans.

This green bean side dish
is healthy and good. It would
a nice compliment to chicken or pork.

Green Beans with Tomato and Feta

Wash and cut your green beans.
Toss them with a little olive oil,
salt and pepper.
Roast them in the oven for about 7 -10
until they are the texture you like.
I left mine a little bit crunchy.

Cut about a half cup to one cup of feta
cheese in cubes.
Chop two tomatoes.

Mix the feta and tomatoes with the green beans.
Sprinkle a little balsamic vinegar over
the beans and give them one last toss.

YUM! I am pretty sure you will like this recipe.

Pasta with Radicchio and Leeks

2011-03-09T22:32:00.001-05:00

Pasta, Pasta and more Pasta!
I can't help myself when I come
across a new pasta recipe I just
have to give it a try.

This recipe intrigued me
because of the radicchio.
I don't cook with radicchio
very often and so I wasn't
sure how this dish would
turn out.

It very different and
I really liked it.
I enjoyed the mix of
flavors and really
liked the hazelnuts on top.

Leek-Radicchio Pasta
by Food Network

Slice 3 leeks and cook in olive oil.
Season the leeks with a little salt
and a little sugar. Cook them
for about 10 minutes or until tender.

Boil noodles ( Rigatoni).
Drain noodles and put back in pot.

Add 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp of sugar,
2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar,
1 small head of sliced radicchio,
the cooked leeks, 6 ounces of fontina
cheese cut in small cups and a 1/2
to 1 cup of the pasta water.
I would start with a half cup of the
pasta water and then decide if you
want to add more.

Mix on low heat until the cheese
begins to melt.

Serve with chopped hazelnuts.

Ahh, Dinner!

Mini Cupcakes Galore

2011-03-04T23:56:00.000-05:00

I had some time off recently and
decided to do some experimenting
with different types of cupcakes.

I made mini cupcakes this time
because my goal was to have enough
to bring to work and share
with my colleagues.

My first cupcake was
Strawberry with a Cream Cheese
and Mixed Berry Icing.

The next cupcake was a Samoas Cupcake
which is perfect since it is Girl Scout
cookie time.

The Samoas Cupcake is made with a
chocolate base, caramel buttercream
icing and toasted coconut on top.
I made some with the coconut and
some with out it.

The last cupcake I made was a lemon cupcake
with lemon glaze and lemon frosting.

How cute are these?

Blueberry Pie - Pie Plate with Blackbird

2011-02-20T14:04:00.005-05:00

My friend Lynne gave me this great pie plate
for Christmas because she knows that I
enjoying cooking and baking.

This beautiful pie plate comes with
a blackbird. The blackbird goes inside
the pie to disperse excess steam keeeping
the filling fresh and stopping it from
spilling over in your oven - so cool!

Blueberry Pie Recipe
adapted from Simply recipes

2 pie crusts

Filling ingredients:

6 cups of fresh (or frozen) blueberries, rinsed and stems removed (if using frozen, defrost and drain first)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (for thickening)
1 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter (unsalted), cut into small pieces

Egg wash ingredients:

1 egg
1 tablespoon milk

Method
1 Prepare the crust. Roll out half of the dough to 1/8-inch-thick circle on a lightly floured work surface, about 13 inches in diameter. Fit the dough over a 9-inch pie pan, and trim the edges to a 1/2 inch over the edge all around the pan. Put into the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes.

2 Gently mix the blueberries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Transfer them to the chilled bottom crust of the pie pan. Dot with butter pieces. Roll out remaining dough to the same size and thickness as the first. Place on top of the berry filling. Tuck the top dough over and under the edge of the bottom dough, and crimp the edges with your fingers. Transfer the pie to the refrigerator to chill until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes. Heat oven to 425°F.

3 Whisk egg and milk together to make an egg wash.

4 Remove the unbaked pie from refrigerator. Brush the top with egg wash. Score the pie on the top with 4 cuts (so steam can escape while cooking - but if you have a "blackbird" you don't have to do this part). Place the pie on the middle rack of the oven with a parchment paper or Silpat lined baking pan positioned on the lower rack to catch any filling that may bubble over. Bake for 25 minutes at 400°. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for about 5 -10. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely before serving.

Blueberry Pie - yum!

Valentine's Day Cookies

2011-02-14T22:00:00.000-05:00

I decided to give roll out sugar cookies a try
for Valentine's Day. I made a sugar cookie dough
and a chocolate brownie roll out dough. I
really don't have many of the ingredients or
tools to make icing and decorate but I used what
I had. I was able to come up with a pink, purple
and white icing. Here is how my cookies turned out.

It was fun but as you can see I am not very good at cookie decorating. :)

Chicken Scaloppine

2011-02-12T09:30:00.000-05:00

I have made so many pasta dishes in the past few years
that I was surprised to come across this one which is
new for me. Chicken Scaloppine over Angel Hair Pasta.

It is a delicious dish full of wonderful flavors.

Chicken Scaloppine over Angel Hair Pasta

Lemon Butter Sauce
3-4 ounces lemon juice
4 ounces white wine
4 ounces heavy cream
2 sticks of butter
2tbs of cream cheese
pinch of oregano

To make the sauce:
Heat the lemon juice and white wine in a saucepan over medium heat.
Bring to a boil and let the mixture reduce.
Add cream and cream cheese cooking on low and allowing the sauce to
thicken. Next,add butter stiring until completely incorporated.
Season with a pinch or two of oregano, salt and pepper. Set the
sauce aside.

Chicken and Pasta
4-6 chicken breasts
2 cups flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, for dredging
6 ounces pancetta, cooked
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
12 ounces artichoke hearts, sliced
1 tablespoon capers
1 lb angel hair pasta, cooked
2 tbs butter
2 - 3 tbs oil

Heat a little oile and butter in a pan. Dredge chicken in the
flour, salt and pepper mixture. Cook in pan on high
browning each side (you don't have to cook the chicken all the
way through b/c it is going to have time to cook again later).
Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Add the mushrooms to the pan and more butter if needed.
Cook 2- 3 minutes. Add the artichokes and pancetta
cooking a few more minutes. Then place the chicken back
into the pan and add the capers. Pour the lemon, butter sauce
back into the pan and allow all the flavors to combine.

While give the ingredients time to combine. Cook the
angel hair pasta. Then drain. Put pasta on the
bottom of bowls. The top the pasta with a piece of
chiken and sauce. Be sure to scoop a spoon full
of all the good stuff and pour that over the pasta
as well. Top with parmesan cheese.

Doesn't this look wonderful?

Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup

2011-02-09T22:51:00.000-05:00

Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup
adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons paprika, preferably Hungarian (see Note)
2 tablespoons dried dill
4 cups mushroom broth
2 cups low-fat milk
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
*1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
*1 tsp lemon juice

Preparation
1.Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid evaporates, 10 to 15 minutes.

2.Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are very soft, about 3 minutes more. Add flour, paprika and dill and cook, stirring, for 15 seconds. Add broth, milk and potatoes; cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in sour cream, lemon juice, parsley and salt.

I really enjoyed this soup. It is light and has an earthy flavor.

Spaghetti and Meatballs - Kitchen of Love

2011-02-03T17:15:00.000-05:00

It is time for Cucina D’amore ~ Kitchen of Love
hosted by C from Mele Cotte since 2008.
This event allows everyone to share recipes
that contain aphrodisiac foods right in time
for Valentine's Day.

Here is my idea for a Romantic Dinner:
Spaghetti and Meatballs with a nice glass of red wine.

Turkey Meatballs:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 slice stale bread, chopped
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
pinch of salt and pepper

Mix the ground turkey, parsley, basil, bread, ricotta, parmesan, egg white, minced garlic, teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl using your hands. Form into medium size meatballs. Cook in saute pan with oil browning lightly on each side. The add the meatballs to your sauce and simmer for 10 -12 minutes until they are
completely cooked.

This is what I am talking about ~ Spaghetti and Meatballs ~ makes a great, romantic dinner.

Smores Cookies

2011-01-29T19:47:00.004-05:00

I recently came across this recipe for Smores Cookies
and didn't even have to think twice I knew I had to
make these cookies.

Smores are awesome!
Graham crackers, marshmallows and
chocolate all pressed together in a
small sandwich - YUMMY!!

And now all those flavors in cookie form
sounds great to me.

Smores Cookies
Yields: about 3 dozen

1 3/4 cups flour

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup/ 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups miniature chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

2 regular Hershey bars, roughly chopped

Using a mixer combine the butter and sugars and mix until fluffy.
Mix in the eggs one at a time and vanilla until combined.
Add the flour, graham crackers, salt and baking soda and mix well.
Stir in the chocolate chips then cover and refrigerate
the dough for about one hour.
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Take a tablespoon of the dough, roll into a ball,
and drop onto a greased baking sheet.
Repeat with the rest of dough, leaving about 2 inches
between each to allow it to spread.
Bake for 6 minutes, then remove from the oven.
Push a 3 - 5 marshmallows and a
few pieces of a Hershey's bar into each cookie.
Return to oven and bake for another 3 -5
minutes until golden brown and the marshmallows
are a bit toasted.

These cookies are awesome!!
You have to make them but then give them away
because if you don't you will end up eating them all.

Potato, Leek and Ham Frittata

2011-01-23T10:32:00.006-05:00

By definition a Frittata is an egg-based dish similar to an omelette or quiche, either simple or enriched with additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses, vegetables or pasta. It may be flavored with herbs.

Frittatas can be made on the stove top or cooked in the oven. When I use my small frittata pan I cook right on the stove top because the frittata pan allows me to flip the mixture over so that it cooks evenly. When I am making a larger frittata I usually start the cooking process in a skillet and then transfer the mixture to the
oven to bake.

Potato, Leek & Ham Frittata
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 leeks, chopped ( only use white
and light green part)
2 cups potato, peeled and sliced
1 cup ham, diced
8 large eggs
1/2 cup ricotta
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. fresh oregano
2 tbsp. fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a skillet. Add potato and cook 5 minutes. Then add the leeks
and continue to cook until the potato is tender and the leeks are translucent. Add
oregano, basil, salt and pepper to this mixture.

In a bowl, mix the eggs and ricotta. Then stir the ham and cheese into
this egg mixture. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Pour the potato mixture into a nonstick round casserole dish
or you can keep the mixture in your skillet if it is non-stick
and oven safe.
Then pour the egg mixture over the potatoes. Make sure that
to spread the egg mixture around to completely coat the potatoes.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Try a slice:

White Chicken Chili

2011-01-12T13:56:00.006-05:00

I am sure you have heard ~ Georgia
weather has been crazy this week.
We experienced a few inches of snow
on Monday which was tons of fun
and a day off from work to play.
But then the snow turned into ice
and two more days off of work.
I am running out of things to cook
or bake but here is what I served
for dinner last night.

There is nothing better than
Chili with friends when the
weather is just so crazy!

White Chicken Chili
adapted from
Melissa d'Arabian's recipe

12 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 Anaheim chile peppers
*2 Red Peppers, roasted and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
*1 tablespoon cumin
1 15-ounce can navy beans, undrained
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/3 cup heavy cream
Roasted Garlic
12 cloves garlic, unpeeled, tops cut off
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup grated monterey jack cheese, for garnish

Directions
Roast garlic in oven by chopping off the top of the clove and pouring oil over the garlic. Cook in oven at 375 for 15 or 20 minutes. Be sure the garlic is soft and
lightly browned.

Prepare the chili: Preheat the broiler. Cook the shallots in the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place the chiles and red peppers on a foil-lined broiler pan and broil until charred on all sides, turning, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool. Peel the peppers with your fingers or a paring knife. Stem, seed and chop.

Add the minced garlic to the shallots and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to high and add the wine; simmer 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Add the roasted chiles, 6 cups broth, the chicken, chili powder, cayenne, beans, and salt and black pepper to taste. Return to a simmer.

Meanwhile, squeeze the soft pulp from the roasted garlic into a blender or food processor. Add the remaining 1 cup broth and process until smooth. Add to the chili and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes. Add the paprika and cream and season with salt and pepper.

I served my chili with Monterey Jack Cheese, sour cream and diced jalapeño.

This chili recipe has a very yummy, smokey flavor from the peppers!

Nutella, Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Cookies

2011-01-12T13:54:00.006-05:00

You really can't go wrong with Nutella!
We had 5 days off because of snow last week
and I was running out of things to bake.
Nutella came up the night before during
our dinner conversation with friends so ~
the next day I went on a search for desserts
you can make with Nutella.
I came across a variety of cookie recipes.
I combined ingredients from a few of the
recipes and came up with this cookie.

Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy preferred)
1 large egg
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup Nutella

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside. Mix butter, sugars and peanut butter. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add flour mixture into wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Slowly stir Nutella into the mixture. Place batter in spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

I would say that they were very yummy!

Crepes

2011-01-10T09:10:00.003-05:00

Here is a basic recipe for Crepes.
It is great to have a Crepe recipe
because they are so versatile.
You can make Crepes for any meal since
they can be savory or sweet.
There are so many possiblities for
making Crepes. You can change the batter
by adding spices, herbs, or by the type of
flour you use.
You can fill Crepes with fruits, meats
or your favorite veggies.

Crepes
Adapted from Everyday Food
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups whole milk, room temperature, plus more if needed
3 large eggs, room temperature
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/8 tsp lemon

Directions
1.Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture, whisking to combine. Whisk in butter and lemon juice. Strain mixture into a medium bowl, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 1 day). Batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; add more milk if needed.

2.Heat an 8- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, and brush with butter. Ladle or pour 3 tablespoons batter (for small crepes) or 1/3 cup batter (for large crepes) into pan, turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly with batter. Cook until top of crepe appears set, bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, and center is lifted by pockets of air, about 1 minute.

3.Run a spatula around edge of crepe to loosen. Slip spatula under crepe, and gently flip. Cook until bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a plate, and cover. Repeat the process with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with butter as needed (every 2 or 3 crepes). Serve immediately.

We made Egg, Mushroom, Chorizo Sausage,
Cream Cheese and Oregeno filled Crepes:

Fontal Polenta with Mushroom Sauce

2011-01-08T16:15:00.004-05:00

January brought a new issue of all my cooking magazines ~
which makes me happy and inspires me to try new things.

It is fun for me to flip through the pages and find
recipes that have a unique ingredient or new flavor.

This recipe called out to me because of the mushrooms.
I enjoy the earthy flavor of mushrooms and I love
mushroom and wine sauces. This recipe calls for
a mushroom blend and the market we shop has a nice
selection of mushrooms so it was a go on the recipe.

Fontal Polenta with Mushroom Sauce
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (4-ounce) packages exotic mushroom blend, chopped
1 (8-ounce) package presliced cremini mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/3 cup organic vegetable broth
1/2 cup of white wine
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 1/2 cups organic vegetable broth
3/4 cup instant polenta
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontal or fontina cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes. Add herbs and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in 1/3 cup broth,* 1/2 cup white wine, lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pepper.

2. Bring milk and 1 1/2 cups broth to a boil. Stir in polenta; cook 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in half of cheese and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Divide polenta among 4 gratin dishes; top with remaining cheese. Broil 5 minutes. Top each serving with 1/2 cup mushroom sauce.

Fontal Polenta with Mushroom Sauce

This is a very nice dish. The combination of the cheese, polenta and mushroom is excellent! The original recipe does not call for white wine but I added a 1/2 cup of wine and cooked my mushroom mixture just a little bit longer than it recommended.

The Wishbone

2011-01-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the late post but I
really wanted to send this out and
get your thoughts.

We had a great time hosting Thanksgiving
for 15. Lots of food and fun. After
everyone left to go home and the house
was clean we came across the "wishbone"
from our turkey.

The wishbone sat out on the counter
for a few days drying out. Then one
evening my husband and I decided it
was time to break the wishbone.

You know how it's done, right?
Each person holds one side of the wishbone.
"Ready!", they count out loud together,
"1...2...3!" At the count of three,
you pull your side of the bone until it breaks.

Well, here is what happened! What does it mean?

Ebelskivers

2011-01-02T10:47:00.006-05:00

My parents bought my husband an Ebelskiver Pan (filled-pancake pan)
for his birthday. Jim has enjoyed cooking breakfast on Sunday
morning for both of us so this gift is really a win, win situation.
He gets a cool Ebelskiver pan. He cooks Ebelskivers for breakfast
and I win, win.

The first try making the Ebelskivers did not go perfectly but
Jim was not about to give up. This time we both took on the
Ebelskivers. Jim made the special Ebelskiver batter.
He poured the batter in the pan and I quickly filled
the mini pancakes with Nutella. Then another dab of batter on
top and there you have it ~ a Nutella Ebelskiver.

Check out these little pancakes filled with creamy, hazelnut goodness.

They were delicious!

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

2010-12-30T14:40:00.005-05:00

A few months ago my husband made his second trip to Finland for business.
While he was there this last time his colleague made him a home cooked
meal which included Jerusalem Artichoke Soup. Jim said the soup was
excellent and had Mika write down the recipe for us so we could make it
when he got home.

We looked for Jerusalem Artichokes at the market the last two times
we went but we had no luck finding them. Then this past week, while on
vacation, our friends James and Marsha sent us a text message saying
that their Aunt had some Jerusalem Artichokes and they were bringing
them home to us - yipee!

Jim made the soup last night and it was very good!
Here is his colleague's recipe.

Mika's Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Herb Oil

1kg Jerusalem Artichoke
1/2-1 cup white wine
1/2-1 cup heavy cream
some cooking liquid from artichokes
salt

Clean artichokes and cook in salt water (a lot of liquid) until soft

Take 1 cup of cooking liquid and set aside.

Drain artichokes

Peel the skin off of the artichokes.

Mash coarsely by hand (you can use a potato masher)

Add first 1/2 cup white wine and 1/2 cup cooking liquid

Add salt if needed

Mix and cook couple of minutes in low heat

Add 1/2 cup heavy cream

Mix, If too thick add another 1/2 cup of the cream, cooking liquid, and white wine
but only if needed.

Keep warm

Herb oil sauce:
Olive oil so much that you are able to make thick, runny sauce
Fresh coriander leaves (handful)
Fresh basil leaves (handful)
Fresh parsley (handful)
Salt (just a pinch)
Ground Black pepper (just a pinch)

Use kitchen blender to make the sauce

Serving
Add soup to bowls, drizzle 1/2-1 table spoon of herb oil sauce on top of the soup

TIP:
Save rest of the herb oil and use it for garlic bread.

Thanks to Mika, Marsha and Jim here is the Jerusalem Artichoke Soup.

Delicious!

Caramelized Chipotle Chicken

2010-12-30T13:18:00.000-05:00

I have really enjoyed cooking with Chipotle Chiles lately.
They add such a nice,smoky flavor with heat that goes well
with so many dishes. Here is the latest recipe I made with
Chipotle Chiles.

This recipe for Caramelized Chipotle Chicken
is from Epicurious.

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo (from a 7-ounce can)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 whole chickens (about 3 1/2 pounds each), each cut into 8 pieces
print a shopping list for this recipe

PreparationHeat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook garlic, stirring constantly, until golden, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, stirring occasionally, until golden-brown, about 15 minutes.

Add garlic and remaining ingredients, except chicken, to skillet with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 25 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.

Coat chicken with half of sauce, then roast, skin side up, in a 17-by 11-inch heavy 4sided sheet pan 25 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with remaining sauce, then continue roasting until chicken is cooked through and well browned in spots, 20 to 25minutes more.

** I cooked my chiken in one of those oven bags to lock in the flavors.
The chicken turned out great! It was very tender with yummy flavors. As you can tell we really enjoyed the sauce.

Chocolate Cheesecake

2010-12-19T13:39:00.005-05:00

I was watching the TV one evening and caught the
Chocolate Heaven episode by Nigella Lawson.
I sat impressed as I watched her create this amazing
Chocolate Cheesecake. She made it look so easy that I
immediately bookmarked the recipe on my iPhone with
the hope that I would be able follow her directions
and make this marvelous cheesecake.

For the recipe click on this link:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/chocolate-cheesecake-recipe/index.html

I made this Chocolate Cheesecake recipe ( several weeks ago) and was happy to find that it was fairly easy to make. It is really three steps: the graham cracker crust, the chocolate cheesecake filling and the chocolate sauce topping.

This is a great recipe especially if you are a chocolate cheesecake fan!
It turned out great!

Thanksgiving Day

2010-11-26T15:15:00.007-05:00

My husband's family came down from Chicago to
spend a few days with us. It was nice to be
surrounded by family for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Of course we made turkey but here are some of the other dishes we served for
Thanksgiving Dinner.

Sweet Potato Casserole with a
cranberry, pecan, brown sugar
crumble on top.

Apple, Cranberry and Fennel Dressing
This is a picture of the good stuff in the Dressing - sorry I forgot to take a picture of the end product.

Cranberry, Pear Chutney

I made a green bean side dish that had shallots, bacon, almonds and balsamic vinegar.

And for dessert we had Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie and a Chocolate Tart.

Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

2010-11-13T16:21:00.006-05:00

The count down begins ~ only 12 days until Thanksgiving!
The "Arduinos" are coming down from Chicago
and I am excited to host Thanksgiving this year.

I am going to do my best to get ahead so that I don't
feel rushed when everyone arrives.

Todays project: Turkey Gravy

I started by browning two large turkey wings in a
Dutch oven with a little oil, salt and pepper.
Then I removed the turkey wings and set them aside.
I quartered 2 medium onions, a few carrots, a few
parsnips and celery. I put them in the Dutch oven
with a little butter and cooked them for about
7 minutes. Then I added a cup of white wine
and stirred all the vegetables and wine together.
Next, I added 4 cups of chicken broth, two sprigs
of fresh rosemary, some fresh sage leaves and
three cloves of garlic. I put the turkey wings
back into the mixture and allowed all the
ingredients to cook on low heat for about 45 minutes.
Pour the ingredients through a strainer keeping only
the liquid. I plan to freeze the gravy so that all
I have to do on Thanksgiving Day is add a little
butter, flour, salt and pepper.

Yeah, the gravy is made. Now I need to decide what I can make next.

Mushroom Lasagna

2010-11-07T11:36:00.010-05:00

We took out the pasta machine yesterday ~
It has been a while but we were up for
the challenge of making lasagna noodles.

Just a few weeks ago we were in NY for my
brother's wedding! The reception was at
this excellent restaurant called the
Gramercy Park Tavern. One of the appetizers
they served was this very delicate mushroom
lasagna. It was outstanding and I would love
to taste it again but I don't know when I will
be back NY.

So, I figured if I can't go there and get it
I would try to make my own version of mushroom
lasagna. That is why the pasta machine was put
to use this weekend ~ we had to start with
homemade noodles.

For the filling, I chopped up baby portobello
and shitake mushrooms. I sauted the mushrooms
with some shallots. Then I added white wine
and cooked the mixture for another 5 minutes
until the liquid was absorbed. In a bowl,
I poured this mixture and then added chopped
parsley, grated parmesan cheese
and the white part of one egg.
After everything was combined it was pretty easy
to start layering my lasagna.

Instead of adding pasta sauce in between the layers I added a half
white wine and half chicken broth mixture.

Here is the end result:

The lasagna was excellent, however, it was not the same flavors as
the lasagna we had at the Gramercy Park Tavern. I will have
to do a little research and see if I can find out what type
of mushrooms they use and some of their key ingredients.

Brioche French Toast with Raspberry Puree

2010-11-07T11:29:00.002-05:00

We stopped by this little market yesterday to pick up a
few things and I noticed that they were selling
packages of Raspberries for $1.49. What a great deal!
I picked up some for our Sunday morning breakfast.
My husband made Brioche French Toast with Raspberry Puree.

Scrumptious!

Pasta with Pancetta and Leeks

2010-10-17T10:10:00.003-04:00

October has been flying by so quickly.
We have been on the go for the past couple of weeks
and I am hoping that things will slow down soon.
I hate that there has not been enough time to blog
but you will have to trust me when I say that I am
still doing my best to try out new recipes regularly.

I just made Pasta with Pancetta and Leeks using the
recipe from Pioneer Women's Blog.
I love reading her blog because she makes fabulous meals
and her posts are so much fun to read.

This is an excellent dish.
Creamy pasta with little bites of goodness throughout.
Take a look :

Perfecto!

Indian Food

2010-10-03T18:19:00.004-04:00

I mentioned our trip to San Francisco and some of the things
we did in my last post but this time I want to tell you about our best meal.
On our trip back to San Francisco from Yosemite we drove through
Berkley. We spent a few minutes walking around the area checking
out the cool shops and all the restaurants.

We stopped for lunch at this restaurant:

The food was absolutely amazing!! I ordered green vegetable curry with puff bread. I can not remember what Jim ordered but his was very cool looking and was excellent.

I wish I lived closer to this restaurant. I would eat there every week!

San Francisco

2010-09-26T15:08:00.015-04:00

We spent a few days in San Francisco recently.
It is an amazing city that has beautiful scenery,
fantastic food and very diverse people.

We stayed in Mill Valley, outside the city, and this was the view from our room.

While in San Francisco we visited Stow Lake, Pier 39, The Golden Gate Bridge, China Town, The Ferry Building, Nob Hill, Muir Woods and Berkley.

Here are a few photos from the food market inside the Ferry Building.

A wide variety of mushrooms are sold at the market.

Check out all this cheese:

We went on a walking tour of China Town. One of the stops on the tour was this fabulous tea shop.

The Golden Gate Bridge:

The Seals at Pier 39

Stow Lake

Driving through the city:

Muir Woods:

As you can tell from our photos we were able to get around and see so many things in four days. Then we took off for Yosemite National Park to do some hiking and bird watching.

Saucy Coconut-Chicken Stir Fry

2010-09-12T14:46:00.006-04:00

My copy of Eating Well, my favorite cooking magazine,
came in the mail the other day. I love it because
it has great recipes as well as some very informative
articles. One feature I really like is that they
list the nutrition information after each recipe
so you know exactly how many calories, sugars,
proteins and vitamins you are consuming in the meal.
After paging through the magazine I was very happy
to find several recipes that I am going to
make in the next couple of weeks.

Saucy Coconut-Chicken Stir-Fry
by Eating Well
Ingredients
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
1 jalapeño pepper, minced (optional)
1 bunch scallions, sliced, whites and greens, separated
2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3/4 cup “lite” coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce (see Note)
4 teaspoons lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
6 cups sliced napa cabbage
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
* I added just a pinch of red pepper flakes

Preparation
1.Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a wok or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring often, until cooked through and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
2.Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the wok or pot. Add jalapeño (if using), scallion whites, mushrooms and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant and the mushrooms start to soften, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Stir in coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cabbage, the chicken and scallion greens; cook, stirring constantly, until the cabbage is slightly wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in basil just before serving.

This is a healthy, delicious meal.

Apple French Toast

2010-09-06T12:45:00.005-04:00

It is so nice to wake up to a prepared breakfast.
Thanks Jim!
He made Apple French Toast, bacon and peach smoothies.

This Apple French Toast, which is a family recipe,
is made with a sugar glaze and apples on the bottom.
Then the french toast is dipped in a vanilla extract
and egg mixture and placed on top of the apples.
Then a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg on top before
baking. As you can see once it is baked it turns
out crispy on top and all the sweet goodness is underneath.
*It is served with a special sauce made of apple jelly,
apple sauce and cinnamon. Sadly, we did not have those
things available so we topped ours with syrup.

A great start to the day - Apple French Toast.

Chicken with Cucumber Melon Salsa

2010-09-06T12:28:00.004-04:00

The days are so busy righ now that I find comfort in
coming home and cooking dinner in a quiet kitchen.
Ahh - a little peace. I am even more pleased
when the meal turns out to be something special
~ so here is another great summer recipe.
The combination of flavors is unique and goes together so well.

Grilled Chicken with Cucumber Melon Salsa
From: www.myrecipes.com
Ingredients
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed honeydew melon
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed cantaloupe
1/2 cup diced peeled English cucumber
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced jalapeño pepper
1 teaspoon light agave nectar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
Preparation
1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

2. Combine first 10 ingredients; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, tossing well to combine.

3. Sprinkle chicken evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Coat chicken with cooking spray. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with salsa.

A little piece of chicken and some salsa - MMM, that is good.

Spiked Berry Half and Half

2010-08-28T17:52:00.004-04:00

This is a great summer time tea recipe.
It has wonderful fruit flavors combined
with Earl Grey Tea and a splash of vodka.

Spiked Bery Half and Half
Original recipe from Everyday Food
This is my version with a few changes.

In a small container combine 2-3 Earl Grey Tea bag,
2 cup warm water,1 cup of sliced strawberries and peaches
and 1 cup vodka. Let steep for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a small pitcher, stir together
1/4 cup of superfine sugar and 1 cup fresh
lemon juice (until the sugar dissolves).

Discard the bag,add the two mixtures together.
Chill and serve with ice.

Ahhhh ~ Refreshing!

Mediterranean Chicken Salad Pitas

2010-08-28T17:28:00.003-04:00

My bi-weekly menu included several new dishes that I was excited about making.
This recipe from Cooking Light for Mediterranean Chicken Salad Pitas was very
good. It was fairly easy to make which is one of my requirements for a week
night dinner. The chicken salad is light but has great flavors.
This recipe could easily be made for lunch or dinner.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad Pitas
from Cooking Light

Ingredients
1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt (such as Fage Total Classic)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 large)
1/2 cup chopped pitted green olives (about 20 small)
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
6 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, cut in half
12 Bibb lettuce leaves
6 (1/8-inch-thick) slices tomato, cut in half
Preparation
1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
Combine chicken and next 5 ingredients (through chickpeas)
in a large bowl. Add yogurt mixture to chicken mixture;
toss gently to coat. Line each pita half with 1 lettuce leaf
and 1 tomato piece; add 1/2 cup chicken mixture to each pita half.

I served hummus and chips with our Chicken Salad Pitas ~ YUM!

Cooking Trout

2010-08-22T15:58:00.002-04:00

What a nice dinner!

This trout was caught and cooked by my husband.

The trout was coated in blue cornmeal and pan fried in butter and lemon.
He also made a nice arugula salad with parmesan slices and tomato.

You gotta love a guy who catches and cooks dinner!

Purple Basil Lemonade

2010-08-22T15:23:00.006-04:00

My husband bought some purple basil at the market this past weekend. He said the lady who was selling the basil told he that he should use the purple basil to make lemonade - hmmm -interesting.

I looked up a few recipes online and found that Purple Basil Lemonade is quite popular.

Here is a great recipe :
Purple Basil Lemonade

4 cups water
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup loosely packed purple basil leaves
6 tablespoons sugar
4 cups ice
4 purple basil sprigs

Preparation
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Then turn off the heat. Place several springs of basil into the water and let sit for about an hour. Then strain this mixture saving the 4 cups of basil water. Combine the basil water and juice in a large bowl. Place 1/2 cup basil and sugar in a mortar; pound with pestle until a paste forms. Add sugar mixture to juice mixture; stir until sugar dissolves. Strain mixture through a sieve over a bowl or pitcher. Serve with ice and garnish with a sprig of basil.

Purple Basil Sugar:

Everything you need:

A glass of Purple Basil Lemonade:

This is a very refreshing drink!

Strawberry Popsicles

2010-08-18T19:57:00.000-04:00

Fruit of your choice + yogurt + sugar + lemon juice =
yummy popsicles
And trust me popsicles aren't just for kids.
Everyone in your house is going to love these
creamy, sweet, strawberry popsicles.

Strawberry-Yogurt Popsicles

1 pint strawberries cut into small pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup yogurt - your choice of type ( plain, greek or even strawberry)

Place the strawberries, water, and sugar into a medium sauce pan. Simmer for five minutes, or until strawberries are very soft. Let this mixture cool for a few minutes. Then pour the cooled strawberry mixture into a blender and add the lemon juice Pulse a few times until fruit is almost pureed. Add the yogurt to the mixture and pulse a few more times until the mixture is combined.
Pour into molds and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Whaaaalahhh!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-08-14T14:06:00.001-04:00

Bananas and Chocolate ~ such a great combination.
I don't really like to bake with bananas unless
I can add chocolate to the recipe.
There is a friendship created when you bake
bananas with chocolate and eating the
combination is delightful.

Banana Cake with
Cream Cheese Frosting

You will need:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 to 1 cup of chocolate chips

Cream the butter and the sugar. Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour and baking soda in a bowl alone and mix. Then gradually add them to the creamed mixture. Blend in the bananas. Lastly, stir in the chocolate chips. Spread the batter into a greased 9 by 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool.

Making the Frosting:

1 package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
2-3 cups powdered sugar

Let the cream cheese and butter soften. Then blend the cream cheese and butter together first. Then add the vanilla. Add the sugar a little at a time. Taste
the frosting to determine if you want to use all three cups. It just depends on
how sweet you want the frosting to be.

Here is what the cake looked like after taking it out of the oven:

Yum ~ a piece of cake with frosting:

This is a wonderful banana cake. The icing makes adds quite a bit of sweetness to the cake. The cake is moist and has a nice balance of chocolate and banana flavor.

Beautiful View

2010-08-14T11:08:00.002-04:00

This was the view right outside our window the other night.
I was only able to capture a small portion of the beauty
but I hope you enjoy the photos.

a few minutes later

AMAZING!

Chipotle Chicken Salad

2010-08-14T10:38:00.008-04:00

With the weather still reaching high 90's each day it has been hard to come home and want to cook a big, warm meal for dinner. If this terribly, hot weather continues I may start serving ice cream for dinner. This week I just tried my best to cook light dinners avoiding the oven as much as possible.

This recipe I found in Cooking Light is wonderful. It has a great mixture of flavors and the dressing adds a little spciy kick to the dish.

Chipolte Chicken SaladIngredients
Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained

Preparation
To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.

To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Here is what it looked like when I first served it - ahh so nice.

I took a second picture of the salad after I mixed it all up so you could get a glimpse of the creamy dressing and all the "good stuff" that was in this salad.

This is a great meal for this hot, summer nights.

Baking Cookies, Mini Cakes and more

2010-08-03T20:11:00.006-04:00

There has been alot of baking but there just isn't enough time to blog
so I am just going to show you the evidence.

Chocolate, Chocolate Cookies

Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookies

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Mini Cheesecakes with Caramel or Chocolate Ganache

I know what you are thinking ~ and YES~ I ate them all myself. :)

Grilled Salmon

2010-08-03T20:02:00.003-04:00

Check out this healthy, colorful dinner!

Grilled Salmon, Orzo and Green Beans.

We grilled our salmon on a cedar plank with spicy mustard and brown sugar.
It turned out excellent. The fish was tender and full of great flavor.

I also made the orzo that I purchase a few weeks back at Piedmont Park.
I added some chopped red peppers and corn. The orzo was already flavored
~corn, black bean and red pepper orzo.

Everything turned out great.

Teriyaki Pork Chops with Peach Salsa

2010-07-31T11:04:00.004-04:00

It is the perfect time of the year for this wonderful recipe.
Grilled pork chops topped with peach salsa - Seriously Good!

Teriyaki Pork Chops with Peach Salsa
from "My Recipes" online.

Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) center-cut pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced shallots
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray

Preparation
Trim fat from pork. Combine pork and next 7 ingredients (pork through garlic) in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 4 hours, turning bag occasionally. Remove pork from bag, reserving marinade.

Prepare grill.

Place pork on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; cook 7 minutes on each side or until done, basting frequently with reserved marinade. Serve with Summery Peach Salsa.

Summery Peach Salsa
Ingredients
1 cup diced peach
1/2 cup diced plum
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill.

The combination is so wonderful!!!

Fudgesicle

2010-07-23T14:34:00.009-04:00

It's the Ice Cream Truck ..... Can you hear the music?
Is your heart racing in hopes that you find enough change
so that you can run outside in time to buy an ice cream?

I totally remember that feeling from when I was a kid.
I would hear the music in the distance,
run frantically through the house looking for
coins of any kind and when it looked like I had enough
I would run out the door to catch the ice cream truck.
If I was lucky enough to have made it in time then I
would stand there and look at all the ice cream
stickers on the truck trying to make a decision.
My favorites were the
"Bomb Pop, Chocolate Eclair Bar and the Fudge Bar".
What was you favorite?

I don't have to wait for the ice cream truck to
come by anymore because my husband gave me popsicle holders
for my birthday.

YIPPEEEE!!! I can hardly wait to start making
all different kinds of ice pops but I have to
start with a favorite ~ Fudgesicles.

Fudgesicles
1 box of chocolate pudding
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups of milk
1 tsp. chocolate extract

Mix with a blender for about 2 minutes then pour into
popsicle holders. Place in freezer for 4-6 hours.

Fudgesickles

Roasted Cornish Hen with Grapes

2010-07-08T15:04:00.006-04:00

Are you an adventurous cook? Do you like to try new things or do you stick to the foods that you know? I have to admit it was not until recently that I started to become comfortable enough to try new things both with my baking and with my cooking.

I have several new recipes on my list for this week. One of the exciting, new recipes is the following one from Everyday Food.

Roasted Cornish Hen with Grapes
1 1/2 pounds mixed red and green seedless grapes
8 shallots, root end intact, halved if large
6 sprigs thyme, plus leaves for hens
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 Cornish game hens (1 to 1 1/4 pounds each)

Preheat oven to 450° . On a rimmed baking sheet, toss grapes and shallots with thyme sprigs, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Tie legs with kitchen twine; nestle hens among grapes on baking sheet, breast side up. Season hens generously with salt and pepper; sprinkle with thyme leaves.
Roast, basting hens occasionally with pan juices, until an instant- read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of leg (avoiding bone) registers 160° , 30 to 35 minutes.

This is a very beautiful dish and it did taste great. The Cornish Hen turned out moist and browned nicely on the top. The roasted grapes and shallots added a nice sweet flavor to the Cornish Hen. We really enjoyed this meal.

Cake Pops

2010-07-06T09:37:00.006-04:00

Everybody is doing it - making Cake Pops!
I have seen these little cake bites on so
many different food blogs and knew that it
was time to give them a try.
I started by calling my friend C from Mele Cotte
because I knew she would know how to make these
little bites of goodness.
She was so gracious to spend the day with me
while we made Cake Pops.

We made Dutch Chocolate Cake with chocolate chips.
Then we used the cake to make cake pops.

Cake Pops are GREAT! I was surprised how good they taste!
They are like little bites of heaven! You get a little bit of
cake goodness plus the sugar coating. MMM!

Now, this was my first time so we made pretty basic Cake Pops.
If you do a computer search for "Cake Pops" you will see that you can
make almost any flavor, shape and color.
So, have fun ~ make some Cake Pops and your family and friends will
love them!

Rosemary Skewers with Good Stuff

2010-06-26T14:58:00.004-04:00

I saw these beautiful Rosemary Skewers with Mozzarella Cheese, Tomato and Salami on Pioneer Women's Blog. As soon as I glanced at them I knew I had to make them. I have a Rosemary Bush in the front of my house that grows despite the lack of water it receives from us. What a perfect way to use some of the branches of our plant. Besides that, the skewers have all of my favorite things: Mozzarella Cheese, Tomato, Salami, Artichokes, Black Olives and a sprinkle of Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar.

Aren't they gorgeous!

You just use the rosemary branches as skewers and slide your items on. Right before serving I sprinkled them with Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, fresh thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Fruit Pasta

2010-06-18T13:16:00.012-04:00

A few weeks ago we went to Piedmont Park for their fresh market.
There is a company,Pappardelle's Pasta, that sells over 100 flavors
of dried pasta and fresh-frozen ravioli, sauces and pestos.

I was so impressed with the variety of flavors and choices that
it took awhile to make a decision about what kind to buy.
I selected the Southwestern Orzo and the Fanciful Fruit Pasta Blend.

The next decision was what to do with the beautiful fruit pasta.

I sliced kiwi, mango and blueberries.
In a small bowl I whisked together some orange juice,
honey, a tablespoon of lemon juice, fresh mint and
a little water from the pasta. When the pasta
was ready I drained the noodles and added the fruit and juice
mixture to the pasta. I place the pasta in the refrigerator to
chill for a few minutes before eating.

Wow! what a unique, fruity flavor.

BBQ Chicken Legs and Lemon, Thyme Potatoes

2010-06-14T13:08:00.003-04:00

Time to fire up the grill and make some BBQ Chicken Legs!

These chicken legs have a dry rub and then a BBQ Sauce
which is what keeps them moist as they cook.

I made Lemon, Thyme Potatoes to go with the BBQ Chicken Legs.
I cut some fresh Thyme, added some oil, pinch of lemon juice, teaspoon of lemon zest, salt and pepper. The potatoes turned out excellent.

Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-06-11T16:12:00.005-04:00

Everybody should have a good recipe
for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
These cookies go so great with a tall glass of milk.

This recipe came from Southern Food.
It is very good!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup chunky or smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars until light. Add the egg and mix until fluffy.

Blend the flour, baking powder, soda and salt together well. Add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the chocolate chips.

Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375°.

I did have to add the criss/cross pattern on top because it just seemed like the right thing to do.

You can't eat just one so....

here are some more......

Can't you almost taste them?

Lantana Plants

2010-06-06T13:58:00.006-04:00

We have a Lantana Plant that is blooming right now
and the flowers are so delicate and pretty.

I love the little flowers all gathered together to create the big flower bundle.

I also like that the colors are so vibrant.

Such a pretty flower!

Fish Tacos with Avacado, Corn Salsa

2010-06-06T13:39:00.003-04:00

Summer has arrived!
I am looking forward to the break.
It will give me some time to hang out with
friends and family, catch up on some things
around the house and try out some new recipes.

Fish Tacos with Avacado, Corn Salsa

The fish:
I used tilapia. I cooked the tilapia in Cajun
spices in my skilled so I could turn the heat
up high and get a nice crispy coating on the
outside of the fish.

For the salsa:
1/2 cup corn ( can be defrosted from the freezer)
1 -2 avacados peeled and cut
1/4 cup onion (red or white)
1/4 cup chopped tomato
fresh lime juce
cilantro, chopped

*The tacos were served with the salsa and a
little sour cream on top.

YUM!

Lemon, Sour Cream Pound Cake

2010-05-17T20:01:00.006-04:00

I have to admit there are times when I like the sweet,
tangy flavor of lemon as much as I like taste of chocolate.

So tonight I made a Lemon, Sour Cream Pound Cake.

Lemon, Sour Cream Pound Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1/4 cup lemon juice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Using a hand-mixer cream the butter. Add 1 cup of the sugar and mix. With the mixer running at low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract and lemon extract.

Working in alternating batches, and mixing after each addition, add the dry ingredients and 1/4 cup of the lemon juice to the butter mixture. Mix until just smooth.

Fold in the sour cream.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about an hour. Check with a toothpick to be sure the center is cooked.

Glaze for the top of the cake: In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 tsp lemon extract,1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup lemon juice. Stir until completely combined.

When the cake is done, let cool in the pan 5-7 minutes. If it won't come out of your pan easily you can use a knife around the sides of the pan. Set on a wire rack with reynolds wrap underneath the rack. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake.

Serve warm or wrap tightly and serve later.

YUMMY!

Basil Pesto

2010-05-16T12:44:00.005-04:00

I am so excited about growing basil again this year.
I just planted a few plants about 3 weeks ago and they
are really producing some amazing basil.

Since they are growing so quickly I decided to cut some of
the leaves and make some pesto to freeze and use a little later.

Here are my lovely, little basil plants.

I cut a few bunches off the plants and cleaned off the leaves.

I put the basil leaves in the food processor with some sauted garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil and pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse in the food processor until
you get a creamy texture.

I was able to make three wonderful containers of pesto that I will freeze for future recipes.

Yeah! Basil Pesto!

Grilled Pork Kebabs

2010-05-11T19:53:00.004-04:00

I made this fun, little recipe the other night
and I was delighted by the way it turned out.
It was very good.
The only thing I would change is that I would
add more oranges because they added a nice, natural sweetness.

Pan - Grilled Pork Kebabs
From Everyday Food
3/4 cup long-grain white rice
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 navel orange, cut into chunks
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard

Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees; place a baking sheet in oven. Prepare rice according to package instructions. Stir in peas, and heat briefly to warm through.
Alternately thread pork and orange chunks onto eight 6-inch skewers; season with salt and pepper. Heat grill pan to medium; brush with 2 teaspoons oil. Cook half the skewers until pork is opaque throughout, 4 to 6 minutes per side; transfer to oven to keep warm. Brush grill pan with 2 teaspoons oil; cook remaining skewers.
In a small bowl, whisk together honey and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Reserve half of sauce for dipping.
Working in two batches, return skewers to grill pan, and heat over high, brushing with sauce, until glazed, about 2 minutes. Serve with rice and reserved sauce.

Perfect for summer ~ so get ready for some Grilled Pork Kebabs.