W.W.M.D.

Lentils with chickpeas, black beans and a bacon vinaigrette

2012-02-13T18:01:00.004-06:00

Talk about a protein powerhouse! Still-warm lentils, chickpeas, carrots and black beans are tossed with a light bacon vinaigrette and topped with crispy bacon crumbles.

First, fry 6 slices of center-cut bacon until crispy. Remove and place on a paper towel to cool. Reserve bacon drippings.

Vinaigrette:

-1 tbs bacon drippings
-3 tbs olive oil
-2 tbs red wine vinegar
-2 tbs balsamic vinegar (try white balsamic for a twist)
-2 tbs "good" mustard (no fake yellow stuff!)
-1 tsp dried oregano
-1 tsp dried parsley

Whisk together the first 5 ingredients (through mustard) until well blended. Stir in oregano and parsley.

Lentils:

-1 cup lentils, rinsed and picked through
-3 cups water
-1 cup carrots, baby or regular, cut into small pieces
-1 bay leaf
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper
-1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

Combine the first six ingredients (through pepper) in a medium or large sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Drop heat down low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until water is fully absorbed. Turn off heat, leave on the warm burner. Remove the bay leaf and add beans. Toss in the vinaigrette while still warm. Top with bacon crumbles right before serving.

Try serving it over rice, a small-grain pasta or couscous!

Feeling Crafty: Fun artwork for a kid's room

2012-02-06T15:08:00.004-06:00

When a good friend was expecting her second child a few years back, she had to move her then-toddler into her "big girl room". I made these to hang on her wall, then made others for several other children in my life.

You will need:

-Large wooden craft letters
-A package of wooden craft circles
-Several yards of ribbon
-Craft paint in two colors, one light and one dark
-A drill with a 1/8" drill bit
-Medium sandpaper
-Wood glue (I prefer Gorilla Glue because it is pliable)
-A level
-Scissors

Drill holes in the top of the letters to thread the ribbon through - one hole for narrow letters and two for wide letters. Try to make them as even as possible!

Sand the area around the holes until they are smooth, check the letters for any rough spots and sand them as well.

Paint the tops and sides of the letters and let them dry for at least 4-6 hours. Same goes for the wooden circles.

Arrange the wooden circles around the letters in whatever pattern makes you happy. Glue them into place and let dry overnight.

Now for the tough part: making it all level. This is totally trial-and-error. Decide the distance you want between the hook on the wall and the top of the letter. Spool the appropriate length of ribbon so that you are looping it through the hole, then cut and tie so that the bow is on top up by the hook. It's important that you not cut the ribbon until you know how much you will need! Repeat for each letter, starting from the center and working your way out. Use the level to be sure that the letters with two holes hang evenly.

Feeling Crafty: Wine Bottle Lamp

2012-02-06T14:47:00.003-06:00

How fun is this lamp? I was inspired to make it by a client who gave me a decorated version last year.

You will need:

-Wine bottle (the one pictured above is a magnum-sized bottle from Sam's Club that used to contain Riesling)
-Short string of Christmas lights
-Drill
-Glass drill bit (use one wide enough that you can string the lights through it)

Wash the bottle well and remove the label (or leave it, if it floats your boat).

Using the glass drill bit, drill a hole towards the bottom of the bottle (make sure it isn't at the very bottom, because the glass will be thicker and more difficult to work with). This process can take awhile, because you have to stop and let the glass cool down periodically.

Leaving the male and female plugs on the outside of the bottle, thread the lights up through the hole and up into the bottle. You can help arrange them in the bottle by uncoiling a wire clothes hanger, leaving a tiny hook at one end, and reaching down through the neck to pull the lights up.

Wipe down the outside of the bottle to remove finger prints and voila!

For those of you out there who are comfortable working with electrical wire:

Remove the female plug from the string of lights with wire cutters and cap off the ends with parts you can buy from any hardware store. Then, install a rocker switch along the cord so you can flip it on and off, instead of having to unplug and plug it into the wall.

cold cucumber and avocado soup

2011-04-15T15:45:00.004-05:00

blend together,
2 peeled cucumbers
2 avocados
3/4 of an onion
5 dashes of tabasco
5 dashes of worcestershire
1 can cream of celery soup.
refrigerate several hours

spicy green beans

2011-04-15T15:41:00.005-05:00

i can't get enough of these.

1 pound fresh green beans,
snap ends off.
cook in extra virgin olive oil until slightly wilted.
add 1 T minced garlic from jar
add 1 t. asian chili garlic paste
stir and cook on lower heat
add garlic salt
soy sauce.
turn heat to warm.
let sit and toss several times.

"Accidential Vegan" recipe

2011-02-01T17:06:00.002-06:00

I'm not vegetarian or vegan, but I AM lactose intolerant. That being said, sometimes I wind up making a dish that is meat, dairy, animal by-product free.

Coconut rice pudding:

-2 cups water
-1 cup brown rice
-1 pinch salt
-1 can light coconut milk
-1/2 cup sugar
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1 tsp nutmeg
-1 cup dried cranberries, cherries or raisins

In a small-ish saucepan, bring the water and salt to a rolling boil. Add the rice, turn the heat to low and cover the pan without stirring. Let simmer for 25 minutes.

Stir in the coconut milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and dried fruit. Let simmer on low for 10 minutes uncovered.

It should be slightly soupy. Serve warm.

Slow-Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

2011-01-08T10:14:00.003-06:00

A new take on the pumpkin oatmeal from this past fall!

-1 c steel-cut oats
-4 c water
-1/2 c no sugar added applesauce
-3/4 c agave nectar (you can use honey as a sub)
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp nutmeg
-2 small apples, peeled cored and diced into small pieces

Combine all ingredients in your crock pot, and set it for 8 hours on low. Cook overnight and enjoy!

Turkey and Lentil Meatballs

2010-12-07T11:03:00.003-06:00

Nothing says cold-weather cooking like "balls n sauce"!

I like to bake these until the they start to form almost a crispy crust on the outside, then finish them in a large pan with sauce.

Very low-calorie, they work out to be about 1 point each on Weight Watchers. It seems like a lot of work just for meatballs, but if you cook the mushrooms while the lentils simmer and assemble the rest of the ingredients while the they cool, then it doesn't take that long.

3 whole bay leaves
1 whole clove garlic, gently smashed
1 1/2 dry lentils, rinsed and picked through
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup mushrooms, finely diced
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 eggs
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 pound ground turkey, extra-lean

Add the lentils and spices to a medium-sized saucepan and add water until they cover the lentils by an inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove garlic clove and bay leaves, let cool, then mash with a potato masher.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a smaller saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, sweat for several minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms and sautee over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until very soft. Let cool.

In a large bowl, assemble your meatballs! Combine lentils, mushrooms and all remaining ingredients and mix well with gloved hands. Form into approximately 30 meatballs. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

These freeze really well, too, just let them cool at room temperature for at least an hour before sealing in an air-tight baggie.

Southern Tomato Pie

2010-10-14T17:58:00.005-05:00

{photo above is pre-cooked}.

1 refrigerated pie crust
1 cup mayo
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup sliced scallions
8 to 10 medium plum tomatoes or roma tomatoes

heat oven to 350, place one oven rack on the very bottom shelf of oven.

line a 9 inch pie pan with the crust and crimp the edges with a fork. prick bottom and sides of dough with a fork.

bake 10 to 12 minutes until crust looks slightly puffed and dry.

meanwhile in a bowl mix mayo, 1 1/4 cups of cheese and the black pepper.

sprinkle bottom of partially baked crust with 1/2 cup of the remaining cheese.
top with a layer of tomatoes.
sprinkle with scallions.
spoon some of the mayo mixture on next in dollops, you don't need to spread it, just drop it in clumps.
do another layer of the above tomatoes, scallions, and mayo mixture.
(recipe calls for several layers. we only did 2).

sprinkle top with cheese.

bake 30 to 35 minutes until the crust is golden and juices are bubbling.
cool at least 10 minutes before cutting.

(good with a side salad).

Pumpkin Oatmeal

2010-10-14T17:44:00.004-05:00

I'm pretty excited to try this tonight. You cook it on low heat in the crock pot overnight!

-1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
-1/2 tsp kosher salt
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 c honey
-1 1/2 c steel-cut oats
-3 c raw pumpkin, cut into cubes (use sugar or pie pumpkin)
-6 c water

Combine all the ingredients in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. Enjoy!

Edit:

I re-made this last night (11/1) using an additional 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and I shredded the pumpkin with a food processor instead of cutting it into cubes. MUCH BETTER this way!

Flatbread Pizzas

2010-09-06T18:47:00.004-05:00

Easy to make, easy on the diet! One of the reasons that my posting has slowed way down is because I joined Weight Watchers about 4 weeks ago. 12 pounds down and I'm convinced the plan works. Of course, this means I will have to say goodbye to about 90% of the recipes on my blog (sigh)...

Hopefully, this means I'll be gathering up, testing and sharing lots of healthy alternatives!

Flatbread Pizza

-Several small or medium tomatoes, sliced thick and seeded (I used 6 small heirloom)
-3 small zucchini, sliced thick
-5 or 6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thick
-2 tbs olive oil
-Pinch of salt and pepper
-2 cups sliced mushrooms
-1 tbs butter or butter alternative
-Pinch of salt and pepper
-4 large pieces of flatbread (I used Flat-Out Light)
-1 cup fresh basil leaves
-1/2 cup low-fat or fat-free mozzarella

Toss together the tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper into an oven-safe baking dish, and roast at 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Set aside.

(Mushrooms optional!) In a medium sautee pan, combine the butter, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Sautee for 5-10 minutes, until soft, add to tomatoes.

Lower heat in oven to 400 degrees, pre-heat pizza stone for 10 minutes. Add the flatbreads and heat for an additional 5 minutes.

Assemble your pizzas! Load up with the veggies, top with basil leaves and cheese. Add grated parmesan if you feel like it.

Bake on the pizza stone for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Enjoy!

(I estimated about 6 points per pizza, if you keep count)

Pumpkin Butter Spice Cake

2010-07-31T18:51:00.003-05:00

I would share a photograph, but we've managed to eat half of it already.

The secret ingredient is something that Ina would approve of...Williams-Sonoma Organic Pumpkin Butter, left in my pantry for at least a year and a half. Martha would NOT approve, since I didn't make the pumpkin butter myself. Or, you know, slap around my staff for not making it right.

This is the perfect experimental recipe - as long as you don't mess around with the key cake-making ingredients (butter, eggs, sugar, baking soda and powder, flour, salt), you can really play with the flavor and texture. Keeping the proportions the same, try other flavors of fruit butters, different spices mix up the sour cream and yogurt, maybe sub in some applesauce...have fun with it!

-1/2 c butter, room temperature
-1 c sugar
-2 eggs, room temperature
-1 jar (8 oz) apple butter
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 c sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
-2 c flour
-1 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp nutmeg
-1/2 tsp allspice
-1/2 tsp salt

With your mixer on medium-high speed, whip together the butter and sugar for 5 minutes. Turn speed down to low and add the eggs, one at a time until well incorporated. Add the pumpkin butter, vanilla and sour cream (or yogurt), mix for another 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, sift the next 7 ingredients together (flour through salt). Add to wet mixture, a little at a time, until just mixed.

Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Crab stuffed mushrooms

2010-04-05T20:40:00.002-05:00

This is beyond tasty! Ryan and I had a similar dish as an appetizer a few weeks back, and I just had to try and make it for myself. It still needs some tweaking - the dish we ordered at the restaurant had more of a sauce thing going on.

-1 large package of mushrooms
-2 shallots, finely diced
-1/2 c butter, divided
-12 oz lump crab meat
-3 tbs fresh lime juice
-1/4 c fresh parsley, finely chopped
-1/4 c mayonnaise
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp pepper
-1/2 c bread crumbs, divided
-1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

Clean and de-stem the mushrooms, saving the steams. Finely dice the stems and sautee in a small pan with 1/4 c butter and the shallot.

In a large bowl, combine the crab meat and the next 5 ingredients, through breadcrumbs (use 1/4 c in the mix). Add the onion mixture, stir well.

Spoon the crab mixture into the mushroom caps and arrange in a shallow baking dish. Combine the remaining 1/4 c breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, sprinkle over the mushrooms. Drizzle with the remaining 1/4 c melted butter. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Polynesian Salad With Ramen

2010-03-21T18:44:00.002-05:00

1 small to medium head of cabbage, chopped
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
{set aside}

2-3 Tablespoons of butter
2 packages of crushed Ramen noodles (set aside seasoning pkg. buy the oriental ramen)
1 package of thinly sliced almonds
2 to 4 Tablespoons sesame seeds
saute these ingredients until golden brown. can burn quickly, watch carefully.

dressing:
3/4 c veg oil
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c vinegar
2 T soy sauce
2 seasoning packages from the ramen noodles
let come to a boil. turn down and boil 1 to 2 minutes. let cool a bit.

mix all ingredients together right before serving.

Texas Sheet Cake

2010-02-03T13:01:00.005-06:00

Click here for recipe. We add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the dry cake mixture. The cake is best served warm. It will melt in your mouth!

Brownies with cream cheese - blackberry filling

2010-01-30T15:39:00.004-06:00

This is a decadent dessert that is actually lower in fat and calories, thanks to cutting back on ingredients like butter and eggs. The result is a cakey brownie that has pockets of sweet-tart preserves and swirls of creamy goodness. It's easily doubled, which I recommend if you are making this for a crowd.

Feel free to substitute other kinds of preserves instead of the blackberry - honestly, it was was just what I happened to have in the pantry.

Brownies:

3/4 c flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

2/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder

1 c sugar

1/4 c butter, melted

1 tbsp water

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

2 egg whites

Sift together the dry ingredients into a medium-sized bowl. (Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder). Set aside.

In your mixer, combine the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes (Sugar, butter, water, vanilla extract, egg and egg whites).

With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing only until everything is incorporated. Pour 2/3 of the batter into an 8 or 9" baking dish that is greased and floured. Set aside the rest.

Filling:

1/3 c sugar

8 oz low-fat cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg white (you can add the yolk to the brownies if you don't want to waste it)

In your stand mixer, whisk the above ingredients together on med-high speed for 5 minutes.

Dollop the cream cheese filling on top of the brownie batter. Swirl through with a knife. Then dollop the remainder of the brownie batter on top of the cream cheese, and spoon on several teaspoons of the blackberry (or whatever you have) preserves. Swirl again with a knife, then bake at 350 for 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Let cool completely before cutting.

French Onion Soup

2010-01-26T21:43:00.002-06:00

You will need:

-4 tbs butter
-1 tsp salt
-4 onions, thinly sliced
-48 oz chicken stock
-16 oz beef stock
-1/2 c red wine
-1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
-2 tbs parsley
-1 tbs thyme
-1 bay leaf
-Day-old baguette
-Slices of Gruyere or Swiss cheese

In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook the butter, salt and onions over medum heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring often. When the onions have reduced and begin to caramelize, add the stock, wine and Worcestershire sauce. Bind the herbs together with twine and add to the pot. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. When the soup is done, remove the herbs.

While the soup cooks, preheat the broiler. Slice the bread into 1 1/2" slices, place on a baking sheet. Broil on one side for 45 seconds, flip and broil the other side for about 30 seconds.

Pour the soup into oven-safe bowls and top with the baguette slices. Add a few slices of the cheese and place back into the oven. Broil for about 1 minute, or until cheese bubbles. Enjoy!

Pork medallions with tangy cherry-pomegranate sauce

2010-01-19T16:25:00.004-06:00

This is a surprisingly low-calorie and low-fat dish to make, especially if you trim the pork tenderloin beforehand. The sauce is rich and tangy, and the cherries add little pops of sweetness.

(Shown here with my usual couscous dish - minus the shallot, plus some ground saffron and curry.)

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into one-inch thick medallions

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/4 tsp pepper

-1 tbsp olive oil

-1/2 pomegranate juice (I used POM)

-1/3 c dried sweet cherries

-1/4 c dry red wine (MM: Never cook with something you wouldn't drink!)

-1/4 c balsamic vinegar

-1 tsp cornstarch

-1 tsp water

-1 tbsp butter

Sprinkle both sides of the medallions with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a deep frying or stir-fry pan over med-high heat. Add the pork and cook 4 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan, keep warm.

Add the next four ingredients (through balsamic vinegar) to the pan to deglaze, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil for two minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch and water, then add to the pan. Bring the sauce back to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for another minute. Kill the heat and add the butter, stirring until it melts.

Add the pork back to the pan and turn to coat with the sauce. Serve each medallion with a spoonful of sauce, making sure to include those yummy cherries!

Scallops in a garlicky white wine sauce

2010-01-13T22:27:00.002-06:00

(Otherwise known as scallops scampi-esque)

My house reeks of garlic and it's totally worth it!

-1 pound pasta

-4 tbsp room-temperature butter

-3 cloves garlic, minced

-1 small shallot, minced

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/4 tsp pepper

-1/2 c white wine

-1 c chicken stock

-1 pound bay scallops

-2-3 teaspoons of fresh or dried parsley (fresh is best!)

Cook the pasta VERY al dente according to the directions on the box.

In a deep sauté pan, melt the butter over med-high heat. Add the garlic, shallot, salt and pepper, and cook until translucent. Pour in the stock and wine, and bring to a boil. Add the scallops, reduce the heat to medium, let the sauce come back to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove the scallops from the pan with a slotted spoon, set aside and keep warm. Add the cooked and drained pasta to the pan with the sauce and cook for several minutes. Kill the heat, toss the scallops back into the mixture with the parsley. Serve with a little bit of grated parmesan.

Experimental recipe: pot roast (a la Emily)

2010-01-08T18:05:00.003-06:00

I'm not going to give you directions on how long to cook this in the oven, because mine was pretty pink in the center...do what works for you.

-3 lb roast, tied
-2 tbsp olive oil
-Salt and pepper
-1 medium yellow onion, diced
-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
-1 c celery, chopped
-1 c carrots, chopped
-1 can Campbell's French Onion soup
-1 1/4 c dry red wine, separated
-1 tsp parsley
-1/2 tsp thyme
-1/2 tsp paprika
-1/4 tsp nutmeg
-2 pounds potatoes, diced
-2 tbsp ultra-refined flour (such as Wondra)

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over med-high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the roast, sear on all sides until browned. Remove roast, set aside.

Lower the heat to medium, add the onion and garlic to the pan, sautee until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the celery and carrots, cook another 5 minutes. Add the soup mix, 1 cup of the wine and spices, stir well.

Put the roast back into the Dutch oven and bake at 325, uncovered, for one hour. Turn the roast once and add the potatoes, then cook until desired level of doneness.

Remove the roast from the pan, cover in foil and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. Use a slotted spoon to remove and set aside the veg, then strain the liquid in the pan into a gravy separator. Put the Dutch oven back on the stovetop over medium heat, and add the remainder of the red wine to deglaze the bottom. Add the separated liquid and bring to a low simmer. Whisk in the flour and stir for about 3-5 minutes. Serve with the roast.

Holiday dessert: Gingerbread with cream cheese icing and spiced vanilla ice cream

2009-12-20T10:39:00.003-06:00

I am very excited to try this dessert tonight, we are having Ryan's parents over for an early Christmas get-together.

Spiced Vanilla Ice Cream

2 large eggs
3/4 c sugar
2 c heavy cream
1 c milk
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp freshly grated nutmeg
4 tbsp freshly grated cinnamon
1 tsp dark rum

With your stand mixer on high, whisk the eggs for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Slowly incorporate the sugar, a little at a time, and mix for 1 minute more. Turn the mixer to low and add the cream and milk, mix for 1 minute. Add the vanilla bean scrapings, extract, spices and rum, and mix for 2 minutes. Transfer to the ice cream maker of your choice and freeze for at least 1 hour to set the ice cream.

GASP! I made the gingerbread from a box. The horror! I just don't have time to make it from scratch today.

The cream cheese icing is here, just cut the recipe in half if you are using an 8x8 pan for the gingerbread.

Mulled wine

2009-12-06T22:25:00.002-06:00

Careful, this concoction will sneak up on you and can lead to headaches the next day!

-2 bottles of inexpensive red wine (we used merlot and tempernillo)
-1 c raw sugar
-1 large orange, cut into sixths
-12 whole cloves, stuck into the peels of the above orange
-5-6 cinnamon sticks, bundled together
-4-6 tbsp of whole mulling spices (star anise, mace, nutmeg, etc), tied in cheesecloth or some other sort of infusing device

Combine all ingredients together and bring to a simmer in a crock pot. Reduce heat to low and serve with cinnamon sticks.

Coconut-rum poached pears

2009-12-06T22:16:00.003-06:00

This isn't a make-ahead dessert, but it really is a crowd pleaser! I actually made this for a small dinner party last weekend, and sort of hung out with my friends while I stirred the sauce. Serve warm over vanilla ice cream for a "fancy" dessert!

Note: we make our own coconut rum "for funsies", and it's super easy. Buy a coconut a drill a small hole in the top. Pour out the milk and fill the coconut with about a cup of dark rum. Plug up the top and refridgerate for a week. Strain out the rum through a coffee filter and revel in the yummy!

-1/3 c coconut rum
-1/2 c pear juice (I used "pear nectar" from the Latin foods aisle)
-2 tbsp sugar
-3 large pears, cored and cut into wedges
-1 tbsp butter

In a large sautee pan, combine the rum, pear juice and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the pears, cook for 10 minutes. Remove the pears with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the butter to the pan and boil the sauce for at least 10 minutes, until the liquid is reduced to a syrup. Kill the heat, toss the pears back into the pan to warm them up, then serve!

Thanksgiving leftovers: Shepherd's pie

2009-12-06T22:06:00.003-06:00

This is a tomato-based recipe, instead of a typical beef-broth one.

-4 tbsp olive oil
-1 c onions, finely chopped
-1 c carrots, diced
-1/4 tsp creole seasoning
-1/4 tsp garlic salt
-1/4 tsp pepper
-1/4 tsp thyme
-1 tbsp flour
-1 small can of tomato paste
-2 1/2 c leftover turkey, shredded into small pieces
-1 1/2 c chicken stock
-1 small pkg peas (frozen or fresh)
-4 c mashed potatoes
-3/4 c shredded cheese

In a large Dutch oven, sautee the olive oil, onions, carrots, seasoning, salt, pepper and thyme over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until onions are very soft. Add the flour, cook 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, cook 1 minute. Stir in the turkey, then add the stock and bring the pan to a boil. Stir in the peas and simmer for about 6-10 minutes, until the mixture is thickened.

Cover evenly with the mashed potatoes, then sprinkle on the cheese. Baked uncovered in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes. If the top isn't brown and bubbly at the end of the 25 minutes, broil for about 2-3 minutes. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Fall foods are the best!

2009-10-18T10:57:00.002-05:00

Fall is my favorite season, always has been. Fall foods are the best part! I recently had some amazing seasonal meals, my favorite came from Lightcatcher Winery (we had a bottle of their spiced red wine, too). Mushroom ravioli with a grape sauce and cauliflower puree, and a salad with toasted walnuts, gorgonzola, apples, pears and a maple-onion vinigarette.

Unfortunately, between work and school, I'm gone 50+ hours a week and never seem to have the energy I need to try new recipes here at home. When your routine is get up/go to school/go to work/sleep/get up and do it all over again, it sort of zaps your will to do anything at all.

Occasionally, however, I manage to pull it all together and cook something new. Last week I made this butternut squash soup from Cooking Light. It was good the first night, but I really didn't like the reheated leftovers. Make this for a crowd, or cut the recipe in half and decide for yourself if the leftovers are worth it. The spiced pumpkin seeds were AMAZING!

Seeds:
1 tbs powdered sugar
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs beaten egg white
1/4 tsp water
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of ground red pepper
3/4 c pumpkinseed kernels

Combine everything but the seeds in a bowl and stir well. Add the seeds, and stir to coat. Spread evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and coated with a small amount of cooking spray or oil. Bake at 300 for 15 minutes, stir, and bake 15 more minutes. Once the seeds have cooled, break them apart (they tend to stick together).

Butternut squash soup:

3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, seeded and cut in half
1 tbs vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
4 c chicken broth
2 c water
1/2 tsp more salt

Brush the cut sides of the squash with the oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Place face-down on a coated baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Set aside to cool, when you can handle them, scrape out the pulp and discard the skin.

Place the pulp and chicken stock in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Use a stick blender to blend until smooth. Stir in the water and remaining salt, and let it come to just barely a simmer before you kill the heat. Serve with the spiced seeds on top!

Emily is a big huge dork

2009-09-25T23:35:00.003-05:00

I've started a wine journal, in Excel no less. It focuses on Texas wines, since that's what I am currently obsessed with, and includes tasting notes, purchase history and a "Want it/Don't buy it" category. Hey, I've got to keep track somehow!

I haven't been cooking very much since school started in June, but that should hopefully change after next week. I switched to full-time at school, and will only be working about 2-3 nights a week at Starbucks, so I'll have plenty of time to cook in the evenings! Definitely looking forward to eating my Lean Cuisine frozen meals for lunch instead of dinner. Also looking forward to de-zombifying myself for a few months. Being permenantly tired sucks.

Lentil salad is on the books for dinner tomorrow, I love cheap n easy protein! We have a coconut in the fridge, too, not sure what that will turn into. Maybe cocktails, maybe muffins. I never really know until Ryan hacks it up for me and I make up my mind. I also need to make red sauce and chicken stock.

Pumpkin Muffins

2009-09-23T10:24:00.005-05:00

1 box spice cake mix
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 cup water

Mix in bowl with mixer. Fill paper cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 20 - 25 minutes. Makes 24 muffins. Muffins will be very moist. Can top with cool whip or other toppings if desired.

Special Dinner Out

2009-09-06T16:52:00.002-05:00

On Friday night, Ryan and I had dinner at Lightcatcher Winery. It was one of the best meals I have had in a long time!

Pasta Salad with Summer Vegetables

2009-09-06T16:39:00.002-05:00

This is perfect to bring to a cookout or picnic in the summertime. It's fairly easy to make, it tastes light and summery, and it can sit out for hours without getting funky like dairy-based salads can.

The vegetables that I listed below are only suggestions, because that's what I had available. I can imagine that this would taste great with any fresh garden vegetable, so please experiment!

-1 pound small-sized pasta (bowties, wagon wheels, whatever), cooked al dente
-6-8 slices center-cut bacon
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1 tsp salt
-1/4 c balsamic vinegar
-3-4 tbsp olive oil
-2 tbsp dijon mustard
-1 tbsp honey
-1/2 tsp pepper
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 tbsp dry or fresh basil (fresh is best)
-1 large cucumber, chopped
-1 green pepper, chopped
-1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

Cook the bacon in a pan or skillet over medium heat. Remove the bacon, set aside to cool and chop into small pieces. Leave drippings in pan.

Add the minced garlic and 1 tsp salt to the pan. Sautee the garlic in the bacon drippings until it is well cooked. Pour the contents of the pan through a strainer to remove any solids, into a mixing bowl.

Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, salt, pepper and basil to the bowl with the bacon drippings. Whisk well until combined. Toss with the still-warm pasta and set aside to cool.

Toss the veggies and bacon bits with the pasta just before serving. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Texas Hill Country wine tour

2009-08-27T13:30:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, I joined my amazing Houston-based girlfriends, Shannon and Tiffany, for a Girl's-Only Wine Weekend extravaganza. We participated in the 2009 Harvest Wine Trail in the Austin-Fredericksburg area. It was a wonderful trip, and I wanted to share some of my tasting notes with you.

Let me preface this by stating that I am not highly educated in wine - I know a few things, and I have a pretty good sniffer, but I just drink what I like! I wanted to be able to buy a bottle from each vineyard, so I had a $15 per bottle limit. Of course, there were a few places that I ended up not buying anything from, AND I ended up breaking that rule now and again, but whatever.

Friday:

First stop, Spicewood Vineyards. We had a lovely host and it was a very pretty setting - tranquil and simple. We tasted a total of 7 wines, and there was really only 1 that I didn't care for. I ended up purchasing the 06 Chardonnay - grapes come from Washington state and it was aged in 100% stainless, so the usually overpowering oaky taste was replaced with a rich fruity (but dry) flavor. It's very crisp and tropical. I also took home a bottle of the 07 Cabernet Claret, which is delicate and spicy, with notes of apple and cherry. Overall, an excellent experience.

Second stop, McReynolds Winery. Incredibly rustic, with two adorable winery dogs and a funky older couple running the place (both with PhD's, I might add). Note: don't bother with the cheese plate, it's pretty dinky. All of the wines at McReynolds have undertones of minerals and an almost dusty taste. It can sometimes be overpowering. Also, their reds had a very strong "grapey" flavor (the fancy term is "fruity" but really it's just grape). I ended up purchasing the 02 Merlot, mostly because I wanted the 06 but it was out of my price range and the 02 was very spicy and bold. Overall, an okay experience.

Third stop, Lost Creek Vineyard. Now, we got to Lost Creek late in the afternoon, after the tasting room closed. So, we stayed for dinner! I had a spicy lobster bisque and a wonderful mixed-greens salad with balsamic dressing and strawberries. Since we never made it over to Flat Creek Estate, we ordered a bottle of their 2007 Super Texan. It didn't last long! After dinner, we purchased a bottle of Lost Creek's 2005 Chardonnay (which was on their tasting menu). The girls didn't care for it, but I like white wines in the summertime and enjoyed drinking it on the patio while listening to a folk-country band.

Saturday:

First, Pedernales Cellars. Tried 6 wines, mostly reds because Tiffany was having a white wine hangover :) Took home the 07 Merlot and the 08 Muscat - normally I don't drink dessert wines, but it was just too good to pass up. The girls each bought a bottle of port, which was off the hook. The wines were all excellent, and the facility is shiny and new. Very nice place to visit!

Then we drove up to Fredericksburg, to the Fredericksburg Winery. Tried 6 of their "dry" wines, but they were too sweet. To quote Shannon "Excellent place to go if you are accustomed to drinking Franzia White Zin from a box and want to move up a step".

Third stop, Becker Vineyards. Stocked up on lavender soaps and had a fantastic host who stopped counting and started pouring anything he felt like. It was awesome, we got something like 14 tastings for $5. Plus, we went on a mini cellar tour, which was fun. I could have walked away with at least 5 bottles, including their "who needs dessert?" port, but I restrained myself and bought the 07 Zinfandel, which was bold and bright.

Fourth stop was Torre di Pietra, which didn't have any free tastings for ticket holders (wtf?). They had a great retail section, but it was dark inside, and felt a little like being in a dungeon. Since it was too hot to sit outside and listen to the band, we crammed into an empty spot at the bar and tasted 4 wines, from a Primitivo to the Tango Port. The two bottles I loved, the 05 Claret and Mataro, were WAY out of my range...and, honestly, not necessarily worth the high price tag. So I left empty-handed, boo hoo.

Even though it was not planned, we saved the best winery for last. At the end of a long, very hot day, we decided to visit Woodrose Winery in Stonewall. We sat on the deck, facing a pretty wooded area, and purchased the "Mike's Choice" tasting menu. One interesting tidbit is that their 07 Zinfandel was made with the exact same grapes that the Fredericksburg winery purchased to make their 07 Zinfandel, with incredibly different results. FW's Zin was sweet, delicate and fruity. WR's Zin was peppery and bold. I broke my "no pink wine" rule and bought their 2008 Texas Rain Rose, and a bottle of the 07 Three Dog White. Somebody came out to check on us, and Tiffany asked to pay extra for an additional off-menu tasting. Turns out, that somebody is Mike, owner and vinter. He brought out two reserve wines for us to taste, then gave us a personal tour of the property. We saw the cellar and fermenting room, got to taste an unlabeled, unreleased Cab-Merlot blend that was JUST bottled, AND got to barrel taste a merlot. It was amazing!

Comfort food: Refrigerator pie

2009-08-08T10:24:00.004-05:00

The ultimate in pudding-ey goodness!

-1 store-bought graham cracker pie shell

-1 packet of cook-and-serve vanilla pudding

-1 packet of cook-and-serve chocolate pudding

-1 or two still slightly green bananas

-1 box Nilla cookies

-Milk

Slice the banana and layer in the bottom of the pie shell so it looks something like this:

Prepare the vanilla pudding according to the directions on the box for pie filling. Pour over the bananas, and refrigerate for 15 minutes to cool.

While the pudding cools, prepare the chocolate pudding according to the directions on the box for pie filling. Pour over the vanilla, then top with Nilla cookies. Chill, then serve!

Asian Three-Bean Salad

2009-07-12T15:45:00.004-05:00

This is a great summer dish! It's easy to make, it's fairly healthy and there's very little cooking involved.

-1 lb string beans, trimmed and cut
-10 oz shelled edamame
-3 tbsp vegetable oil
-3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
-1/4 apricot preserves
-1 tbsp sugar
-1 tsp freshly grated ginger
-1 tsp salt
-1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

Steam the string beans and edamame in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, so they are crisp-tender, drain off excess water and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, apricot preserves, sugar, ginger and salt until it forms a nice emulsion. Toss with the cooling vegetables. After coating, stir in the black beans. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

2009-07-12T15:41:00.005-05:00

This recipe can easily be doubled for a crowd.

-2 tbsp butter
-1 c orzo pasta
-1 can chicken stock (14.5 oz)
-1 tsp salt (optional - I wouldn't use it if your stock is already salty)
-1 tsp pepper
-1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
-1/4 chopped basil

In a medium saucepan over med-high heat, sautee the uncooked pasta in the butter for about 5 minutes, or until it starts to brown. Add the chicken stock, salt and pepper, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Let the pasta cool for a few minutes before adding the cheese and basil. Serve warm!

Amazing birthday present!

2009-07-04T13:47:00.004-05:00

My granny MADE this for me! It's a recipe scrapbook, with old family recipes and the stories behind them. And she left room in the back so that I can add things to it, which is awesome because hand-copying all of these index cards has been driving me nuts.

You can see the sticky note she inserted here, with the story behind this recipe

Life kicked in!

2009-06-09T12:01:00.002-05:00

Sorry that things have slowed down around here. I started school this week, so I'm a little over-scheduled. School 4 nights a week, and still working at Starbucks 5-6 mornings a week. Eek!

I've been using some of my free time to hand-write all of my recipes on 3x5 index cards. Up until now, they were written mostly on sticky notes and scrap paper and stuck inside of my 1975 Betty Crocker cookbook that I inherited from my maternal grandmother. However, last year my paternal grandmother gave me a recipe box and she started sending me her old recipes. I figured it was time to add my own!

Some of my granny's recipes are 100 years old, and come from HER granny. I promise I'll take the time to share them with you in the coming weeks. The most famous is written below, they are delicious!

REFRIGERTOR ROLLS

-1 cup hot water
-6 Tablespoons shortening
-¼ cup sugar
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 egg, well beaten
-1 package dry yeast
-¼ cup lukewarm water
-3 ½ - 4 cups flour

In a large bowl, pour the hot water over the shortening and stir until the shortening dissolves. Stir in the sugar, set aside and let it cool to lukewarm. Whisk in the salt and egg.

Dissolve the package of yeast into the lukewarm water, add to the shortening mixture.

Gradually stir in enough of the flour to make an easily handled dough, until it forms a ball. Be careful not to add too much flour, you want it sticky. Use the remaining flour to knead the dough until it springs back when touched.

Let dough rest while you wash your bowl and grease it.

Place dough in bowl, then turn it over in the bowl so the top is greased. Cover bowl with wax paper or a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. * Punch down and pinch off 2" balls to form into rolls.

Place rolls in a greased or non-stick pan, fairly close together (like biscuits). Cover and let rise until doubled in size (when they rise, they should be touching).

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 425 for 10-12 minutes. Just before serving, lightly brush the tops with melted butter. Serve hot.

*At this point, dough can be covered and stored in refrigerator for future use. Punch down daily while stored.

Makes 18 – 24 rolls.

Lemon Icing Cookies

2009-06-07T21:31:00.001-05:00

1 box lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 c vegetable oil
juice from one lemon

Mix and drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8 to 9 minutes. Let cool completely. Ice with store bought lemon icing.

Peach Mango Sorbet

2009-05-19T16:13:00.003-05:00

It's bowl-licking good! (No kidding, I stood over the kitchen sink with a spatula and scraped that sucker clean)

You will need:

-3 large ripe mangos

-3 large ripe peaches

-3/4 c sugar

-Juice of 2 large lemons

-1/4 c corn syrup

-2 c cold water

-1/4 c peach or mango liqueur (or peach or mango vodka, any flavored alcohol will do)

Peel the fruit and cut into large, managable chunks. Toss in a bowl with the lemon juice and sugar, let it sit for about an hour.

Add the fruit and juices from the bowl to your food processor or blender, pulse on a low speed until mashed. With the power on low, slowly add the corn syrup, cold water and alcohol until completely pureed. Transfer to your ice cream maker, follow the instructions and transfer to containers to freeze for at least an hour.

If you don't want to use any alcohol, you can just take it out and add another quarter cup of corn syrup. This will help keep it a little more gooey and not too hard and icy.

Time for a change?

2009-05-17T13:09:00.002-05:00

I've been thinking about this blog, and it might be time for a change. My quest to become a Martha Follower has taken me down a different path, and the blog has become much more collaborative over the past few months.

So, leave a comment with new name ideas, and any other changes you think it could use. I'd like to see it become even more of a shared place for recipes, suggestions, improvements, etc...

Key Lime Pie

2009-05-15T16:08:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure why we call this pie Key Lime, because there are none in it, but it's still delicious and the name stuck. It's always a hit and there is never any left. I wish I had a picture to post of it....It's the easiest thing in the world to make!

2 graham cracker pie crusts
1 large coolwhip thawed to room temp
1 small frozen limeade
1 can Eagle Brand Milk
few dashes lemon juice
few drops green food coloring
(lime slices for garnish)

Mix together cool whip, limeade, milk, lemon juice and food coloring until completely smooth, no lumps. Put into pie crusts. Top with lime slices in the middle. Refrigerate for several hours.

Orzo salad with dill vinaigrette

2009-05-10T21:40:00.006-05:00

This turned out to be a tasty addition to our little backyard party last night! When I first tasted the orzo/vinegerette combination, I was afraid that it wasn't flavorful enough. However, when tossed with the veggies and cheese, it was fantastic!

(The picture comes from Nicolle, who apparently took this shot of the leftovers we sent her home with last night!)

-3/4 lb orzo, cooked al dente
-1/4 c chopped fresh dill
-1/4 c white wine vinegar
-2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
-3 tbsp Dijon mustard
-1/2 c olive oil
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp pepper
-2 cucumbers, cut into cubes
-1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
-1 pint feta cheese, crumbled

Using a food processor, blender or stick blender, combine the dill, vinegars and mustard together until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil, then salt and pepper, blend again. Toss the dressing with the still-warm orzo, cover and throw into the fridge to chill.

Just before serving, toss the vegetables and feta cheese with the pasta. Garnish with a few sprigs of fresh dill, if desired.

(I encourage you to come up with your own variations - for example, goat cheese instead of feta, or adding bell peppers to up the flavor, or maybe adding tarragon to the dressing. There are a ton of options out there!)

Empanadas

2009-04-30T20:20:00.004-05:00

This is a little time consuming, but super easy! You will need a rotisserie chicken, a bottle of green taco sauce, shredded cheese, and 4 uncooked pie crusts. Shred the chicken and mix it with the entire bottle of taco sauce. Cut out circles in the pie crusts. Place the chicken mixture and cheese in the middle of each circle. Use your fingertip to wet around the edges, fold and seal, then crimp with a wet fork. Bake at 400 degrees on a greased cookie sheet, for about 25 minutes.

Buttermilk Pie

2009-04-29T17:20:00.003-05:00

This is a traditional Southern custard pie, my dad's special birthday request.

-4 eggs
-1 c sugar
-2 tbs all-purpose flour
-1/2 c melted butter
-1 1/2 c buttermilk
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 tsp lemon extract
-1/2 tsp salt
-Wondra flour
-Superfine sugar (save your money and just throw regular sugar in the food processor for a minute or two)

In your stand mixer or with a hand beater, whisk the eggs on high for 2 minutes. Slowly add the sugar and flour, and mix for another two minutes. Add the butter, buttermilk, salt and flavor extracts, beat on medium speed for 5 minutes.

Dust the bottom of an uncooked pie crust with a few teaspoons of the Wondra flour, then pour in the custard. Mix together a few teaspoons of the Wondra flour and superfine sugar, then sprinkle over the top. This helps form that yummy nummy crust on top, which sort of has a creme brulee thing going on.

Baked Stuffed Artichokes

2009-04-08T21:07:00.005-05:00

The cellphone photo definitely does not do this dish justice!

-2 artichokes, stems and leaves trimmed

-1 whole lemon, quartered

-2 bay leaves

-1/2 c shredded "Italian blend" cheese (whatever you can find in your local grocery store is fine)

-1 tsp dried basil

-1/2 tsp dried rosemary

-1/2 tsp dried thyme

-1/4 c bread crumbs

-olive oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, add artichokes, lemon quarters and bay leaves. Boil for 25 minutes, drain water. Discard lemon and bay leaves.

Cut off the top third of the artichoke, and use a spoon to create a pit in the center. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, herbs and bread crumbs. Spoon into the center of the artichokes, then drizzle with olive oil.

Arrange them in a baking dish so that they will stay upright, and bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake

2009-03-21T22:34:00.003-05:00

This is what happens when I have buttermilk in the fridge and it's about to expire. Last weekend, I was totally convinced that Alton Brown's recipe for Orange Blossom Honey Cake containted buttermilk. In a very un-Martha like fashion, I then went out and bought buttermilk without checking the recipe. So of course, I get home, and the recipe doesn't need buttermilk, and I've got a freaking pint of this stuff.

So I made poundcake!

I was a dummy and made this in two loaf pans, when I should have used a bundt. How is it that I don't own a bundt pan? That's negative 5 Martha points for me!

This is absolutely best in a bundt pan, or something ring-shaped, otherwise the edges are too brown and the center takes much longer to cook.

-3 c flour

-1/4 tsp baking soda

-1/2 tsp salt

-3 c sugar

-1 c butter, at room temperature

-6 eggs, at room temperature

-1 tsp vanilla extract

-1 tsp lemon extract

(or, up the lemoney goodness by using 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1 1/2 tsp lemon extracts)

-Zest of one lemon

-1 1/8 c buttermilk

Set your oven to 325, grease and flour your pan(s).

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together into a bowl, set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer) for about 5 minutes on medium-high speed. Lower your speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time. When the eggs are totally incorporated, add the extracts and lemon zest.

Set the mixer to low and slowly add the flour mixture and buttermilk, a little at a time, alternating as you go.

Pour the batter into your pan(s) and bake in the center of the oven. 60 minutes was enough for my two loaf pans, you will need a little less for a bundt. Check the center with a toothpick at around 45 minutes to get a sense of how much longer you have to go without burning the edges.

Corned Beef And Cabbage

2009-03-17T17:18:00.000-05:00

Of course, we had to have this dish today! I go to the deli and have them shave a pound of corned beef. Then I buy an onion, and a large head of cabbage. Cut everything up, cook with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and black pepper. Delicious!

s!

Happy St. Pat's!

2009-03-17T12:15:00.003-05:00

Saint Patrick's day is a celebration in my house, Ryan and I started dating two years ago today. We had been talking on the phone long-distance for almost 5 weeks when I invited him to a little St Pat's party that I was throwing. Ryan showed up on my doorstep with flowers after driving all the way to Houston from Fort Worth, and the rest is history. As for the party? It turns out that nobody could make it, and I did NOT know how to cook Irish food.

Since Ryan and I have a weird tradition of having holiday-shaped pasta on the "little" holidays, I am giving up on cooking Irish food tonight in lieu of shamrock pasta with turkey meatballs and Therese's special red sauce. Bottoms up!

Fantastic fajitas!

2009-03-15T22:00:00.002-05:00

So easy, I'm not even going to break it down recipe-style.

-Season a skirt steak w/ salt and pepper
-Cut 1/2 red onion into long strips
-Cut about 3 red/green/etc peppers into long strips
-Finely chop 1 jalapeno (seeds or not, your choice!)
-Toss all peppers in bowl with a teaspoon of cumin, a teaspoon of chili powder and a quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper
-Throw onion and steak into very hot skillet w/ a few tablespoons of vegetable oil to coat the pan
-Sear steak for 2 minutes on each side, remove from pan
-Lower heat, sautee onions, add peppers, cover pan and let steam on med-low heat
-Cut steak into thin strips, on the bias
-Throw steak back into pan, cook it all together for about 5 minutes
-Serve with tortillas and whatever fixings you please!

Warm Chinese Chicken Salad

2009-03-08T10:45:00.002-05:00

This is a combination of a few different recipes, I just made it up with what we love. It is so yummy and EASY! We had it for dinner this past Tuesday. It's only my second time to make it, but I am sure I will make it again and again. Here are the ingredients:

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1/2 bottle Stir Fry Sauce
4 green onions, chopped
1 bag shredded cabbage/carrot mix
2 handfuls of cashews

Cook all in a pan for 5 - 6 minutes, until cabbage just starts to wilt. Serve immediately. This will serve 2 with a tiny bit left over.

(Thank you Emily for inviting me to contribute to this blog. My recipes and cooking don't even compare to yours....but I am thrilled that you asked me!)

"Make it up as you go along" Beef Stew

2009-02-19T08:50:00.003-06:00

Special thanks to Becky for giving me some ideas!

This is an easy crock pot recipe, just prep the night before and let it cook in the crock pot all day.

-1 pound of stew meat
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp pepper
-1/4 c flour
-4 tbsp vegetable oil
-1 small or 1/2 large red onion, finely diced
-1 packet of pre-made beef stew seasoning
-1 tsp garlic salt
-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
-2 c water
-3 or 4 large carrots
-3 turnips
-2 large bay leaves
-1 large can of diced tomatoes
-3 or 4 celery stalks, chopped
-1 bottle of beer (the darker, the better)

Start by mixing together the flour, salt and pepper into a medium prep bowl. Toss the beef in the flour mix. Add the oil to a large, deep sautee pan and put over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the meat and onion to the pan and sear for at least 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and the beef is browned on all sides. Add the water, seasoning packet, garlic salt and cayenne pepper to the pan and let it come to a low boil for at least 5 minutes.

Prep the rest of the veggies by cutting them into large, manageable chunks. Add the veggies, can of tomatoes (with juice), beer and bay leaves to the crock pot. Slowly pour in the stew meat mixture. Mix well, set the crock pot to low heat and cook for at least 6 hours.

When I came home on Tuesday afternoon, my whole house smelled like beef stew...it was fantastic!

My new favorite thing

2009-01-29T14:09:00.002-06:00

I have been cooking in dutch ovens non-stop. I need to pick up a few that aren't coated w/ enamel, though, because we've been lighting a fire almost every night and I want to try baking bread in the fireplace.

Chocolate cupcakes: you know you want one

2009-01-27T15:20:00.002-06:00

Admit it, you know you do.

To make these cupcakes special, I used hazelnut coffee to enhance the flavor of the chocolate and add a little nuttiness (since we all know I'm a little bit nutty). The frosting is adapted from Ina Garten's peanut butter frosting recipe, using Nutella!

Chocolate cupcakes:

-12 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
-2/3 c white sugar
-2/3 c brown sugar, packed
-2 eggs, at room temperature
-2 tsp vanilla extract
-1 c buttermilk, or 3/4 c milk mixed with 1/4 c plain yogurt
-1/2 c sour cream, low-fat or fat-free is fine
-2 tbsp brewed coffee (try different flavors!)
-1 3/4 c flour
-1 c cocoa powder
-1 1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line the cupcake pans with paper (skip if you have silicone)

Using your stand mixer, mix the butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and then the flour mixture. Mix only until blended.

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans, bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Nutella Frosting:

1 to 2 c confectioners' sugar
1/4 c cocoa powder
1 c Nutella
8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Microwave the Nutella for about 30 seconds so it is soft and managable.

Add 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, Nutella, butter, vanilla, and salt to your stand mixer. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth. If your frosting is too thin, add the last cup of powdered sugar, a little at a time, until it is the texture you desire. Let it sit out for several minutes to finish setting before you frost your cupcakes.

Tuesday is make your own applesauce day!

2009-01-13T16:45:00.002-06:00

Trust me, you will never buy applesauce from a jar again! I made this for our Christmas dinner and my husband was shocked to learn that you don't need to run it through a food processor, the apples naturally crumble into a sauce as you boil them. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it's older than time, it originally came from my grandmother's Betty Crocker cookbook that was given to me after she died. I have modified it some, reducing the sugar and turning up the dial on the spice.

Please, I encourage you to experiment with the amount of sugar and spices that work best for you - as long as the apple-to-water ratio remains the same, you will end up with an applesauce that has a delightful texture and thickness.

-4 or 5 large granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
-1/2 c water
-1/3 c brown sugar (you can add more if you want it sweet)
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
-1 tsp ground clove
-1 tsp ground nutmeg
-1 whole cinnamon stick

Bring the water and apples to a boil over medium heat in a saucepan. Bring the heat down to low and let the apples simmer for around 20 minutes, stirring often. The apples will begin to soften and become mushy. When the apples have completely disintegrated, stir in the sugar, spices and cinnamon stick. Bring the heat to it's lowest setting, cover the saucepan, and let it simmer for another 30 minutes, again stirring occasionally.

This applesauce is best when served warm, and you can keep it in the fridge for 7 to 10 days.

Leftover casserole: Part 2

2009-01-10T18:40:00.003-06:00

Okay so it's really more of a pot pie...minus the pie crust part. None of these measurements are accurate - except the stock+soup combo because you don't want it to be too thin or you'll just end up with mush.

This comes from my mom, who used to make a similar dish with frozen peas and carrots (don't bother cooking, just dump frozen into the soup mixture and they'll cook in the oven). Also, I'm pretty sure she used cream of celery but I didn't have any.

-Cut up leftover roasted chicken into small pieces
-Peel and dice some carrots you find in the bottom of your fridge
-Ditto for a few potatoes in the pantry
-Throw in some celery for good measure, cutting off sketchy looking bits
-Toss the above with pepper and paprika

-Defrost a half-cup of chicken stock from the freezer and mix with a can of cream of mushroom soup that you find in the back of the pantry
-Stir in chicken and veggies
-Dump the whole thing into a casserole dish (I used a 9"x9")

-Mix a package of Jiffy corn bread according to the instructions on the box, only add two extra tablespoons of milk so it's slightly thin
-Slowly pour on top of chicken/veggie/soup mix

-Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes

The cornbread will "float" on top of the filling, which results in this great "crusty on the top, mushy on the bottom" texture that just can't be beat!

Roast Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic

2009-01-08T17:13:00.006-06:00

This was the highlight of our Christmas dinner - I ordered enough lamb for 4 people and by the end of the meal we were all wishing I had purchased more.

Since I have no idea how to butterfly and tie a crown roast, I left it to an expert: a small, family-run butcher shop in Granbury.

MM: I used a probe themometor that you can pre-set to your desired internal temperature and just leave on while the roast bakes - it worked like a charm! No figuring out the mintues per pound, or pulling it out to test every few minutes. Just set the themometor and walk away!

Roast:

-2 racks of lamb, butterflied and tied into a crown shape.
-6 cloves garlic, minced (or just run it through a garlic press)
-1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
-3 tbsp rosemary leaves, chopped
-3 tsp thyme, chopped (you can used dried but honestly it's just not as good as fresh)
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp pepper

In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients together. Rub generously all over the lamb.

Put your roast into a bundt pan (if you have one), or some sort of round baking vessel so it will hold it's shape. I used an uncovered dutch oven. Bake at 375 until the internal temperature is 130 degrees (or 8-12 minutes per pound). Remove from the oven, put the roast into a separate pan, cover with foil, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes.

Sauce:

-Pan drippings from lamb
-2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
-1 tsp Dijon mustard

Spoon the drippings into a gravy separator to remove the fat. Whisk in the vinegar and mustard, then strain out any remaining solids. Serve warm with the crown roast.

If you don't have enough sauce, feel free to add more vinegar and mustard, and maybe even some olive oil to the mix.

How to make store-bought soup mix taste homemade

2008-12-27T21:06:00.003-06:00

I love Bear Creek soup mixes. They provide an excellent foundation for cream-based soups that can otherwise be time-consuming and challenging. And we all know that I am not above taking store-bought meals and tweaking them!

My favorite soup mix is the Bear Creek Potato and Cheese soup. I've tried a few different modifications, and my favorite was the one I made tonight.

-1 package Bear Creek Potato and Cheese soup mix (you can find it at Target)
-4 c chicken stock
-4 c water
-1 small shallot, minced
-Salt and pepper
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 bottle of beer (whatever is in your fridge)
-2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
-1 tsp paprika
-1 c shredded cheddar cheese
-2 c potatoes, whatever you have lying around, peeled and diced

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, sautee the shallots over medium heat in olive oil, salt and pepper, until it they are soft and translucent. Add the stock and water, bump the heat to high, and let it come to a boil. Whisk in the soup mix until you can't see any lumps. Once it's lump-free, add all of the remaining ingredients. Bring the heat to low and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring the bottom occasionally so it doesn't brown.

Use a potato masher, whisk or hand blender to mash up as many solids as you can from the soup - the smoother, the better!

Another variation I have tried is very similar to the one above, only without the beer and Worchestershire, and adding other cheeses along with the cheddar. Parmesan gives it bite, blue cheese adds a wonderful tangy taste, the options are endless. For more of a "twice-baked potato" flavor, throw some crispy bacon on top just as you serve it!

Christmas Menu

2008-12-23T18:11:00.002-06:00

I can't wait to make this dinner!

Crown roast of lamb w/ a dijon sauce
Rosemary roasted potatoes
Green beans w/ shallots
Homemade applesauce

I feel like it could use one more thing but I'm not sure what...

Split Pea Soup

2008-12-22T23:18:00.002-06:00

This one is my own - I wound up with far too much liquid the first time, so I scaled way back. Feel free to mess around with the proportions and figure out what works best for you.

-1 pound split peas
-1 c carrots, diced
-1/2 c onion, finely diced
-4 c chicken stock
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 tsp salt
-2 tsp pepper
-1 tsp garlic salt
-1/2 tsp ground sage
-2 tsp fresh thyme
-ham hock

Wash the peas, then soak overnight.

In a large soup pot, sautee the carrots and onion over medim-high heat in olive oil, add the salt and pepper. Once the onions are translucent, add the rest of the seasonings. Continue to sautee for another minute or two, then add the stock, ham hock and drained peas.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 2 hours. Before serving, remove the ham and pick off any good meat to toss back into the soup.

If your soup is too runny, strain off some of the excess water. Then, remove another 1/2 cup of liquid, whisk a tablespoon of corn starch into it, and add back to the soup. That should help it thicken.

One idea I had was to actually cook a few slices of bacon, then sautee the veggies in the bacon fat. But I didn't have any bacon to try it - let me know if you do, and how it turned out.

It's been a little slow around here

2008-12-17T09:57:00.004-06:00

Sorry about that! I'm working again (finally) and I have been a little lazy about trying out new recipes and making new things. I promise, I'll be back with something tasty and wonderful soon!

(I'm thinking about making a Grunt, has anybody tried it?)

Candy Cane Ice Cream

2008-12-11T10:29:00.008-06:00

OMG make this ice cream!

Go to your local fancy Martha wannabe store and buy an ice cream maker and then MAKE THIS ICE CREAM.

-2 large eggs

-3/4 c sugar

-2 c heavy cream

-1 c milk

-2 tsp vanilla extract

-3 tsp peppermint extract

-1 c well-crushed candy canes (about 1 box)

Using your stand mixer with the whisk attachement, beat the eggs until they are fluffy.

Add the sugar, a little at a time, and mix for 5 minutes. Set your mixer to low and slowly pour in the dairy. (Note: you sub the dairy for 3 cups of non-fat half and half. You will lose some of the creaminess, but then your ice cream is practically fat-free). Mix well, then add the extracts and mix again.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker, mix according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream is done, stir in the candy canes. Freeze for at least 2 hours. Should make about 2 pints.

Then, enjoy the candy cane goodness!

Bread: the best way to spend a lazy day

2008-11-30T16:40:00.005-06:00

Oh man I love bread.

Do you think Martha has a version of this bread that is carb-free? Because I have a major addiction.

Honey white bread:

-1/2 c warm water (Lukewarm! I actually killed my yeast when making rolls on Thanksgiving because it was too hot and had to serve hockey puck rolls to my family)
-2 pkgs dry yeast
-1 tsp sugar
-1 1/2 c milk
-6 tbsp butter
-2 tbsp honey
-2 egg yolks, beaten
-About 6 c flour
-1 tbsp salt

Trust me: bread is not as scary as you think it is. But you do have to pay attention to it, or you will end up with hockey pucks. Also, I need to come clean about something: I have no idea how to make bread by hand. I rely on my stand mixer w/ the dough hook.

Turn your oven to "warm" or whatever the lowest setting is. Warm up your mixing bowl for a few minutes before adding the yeast, water and sugar. Yeast loves being warm...just remember not to kill it with too much heat. Stir and leave it alone for 5 minutes.

In a small saucepan, warm up the milk and butter until the butter has melted and the liquid is about 110 degrees. Fit your yeast bowl into the stand mixer w/ the dough hook. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the milk mixture and honey to the bowl.

With your mixer on low, add the egg yolks, 3 cups of flour and the salt for 5 minutes, then add 2 more cups of flour.

Put the mixer on medium and knead for 8 minutes, adding bits of flour every few minutes so the dough doesn't stick to the bowl. Don't go over 6 cups!

Dump out the dough onto a floured surface, and knead by hand for about a minute. Wash and grease the mixer bowl while the dough rests. Add the dough to the bowl, turn it over a few times so the top gets some of the grease. Turn off the oven (so it stays warm but doesn't get too hot) and cover the bowl with a damp towel. Put the bowl into your oven for about an hour, until the dough doubles in size.

Once your dough has risen, punch it down once and divide in half. Grease two 9x5" loaf pans, shape the dough to fit, add to the pans. Cover with a damp towel and it's back into the oven to rise for another hour.

Remove the loaf pans, preheat the oven to 350. Brush the tops with an egg wash (one egg beaten with a few tablespoons of milk or water), bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Let them cool on a rack, not in the loaf pan.

Yummy variation: Cinnamon swirl bread

Follow the recipe above until you get to the part where you punch down the dough.

Instead, divide it in half and gently roll each half into a small rectangle. Mix together about 3/4 cup of sugar with 4 or 5 tablespoons of cinnamon. Spread soft butter into the center of each rectangle, not quite going to the edges. Sprinkle a healthy dose of the cinnamon sugar onto the butter, then roll your rectangle into a loaf shape. Let rise for an hour and bake according to the instructions above. YUM!

Apple, Pear and Cranberry pie

2008-11-28T13:47:00.002-06:00

YUM YUM YUM

Dough:

-1 and 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
-1/3 c shortening
-1 tsp sugar
-1 tsp salt
-3 c flour
-1/2 c ice water

This is a very easy pie crust, I promise! It's meant to be made in a food processor, but if your bowl isn't large enough you can just divide the ingredients in half.

Dice the butter and shortening and put it in the freezer for several minutes. While it's chilling, add the dry ingredients to the food processor and pulse a few times to mix it all up. Then, add the cold butter/shortening and pulse several times until you see pea-sized chunks all mixed up. Turn the processor on and slowly pour in the water until the dough begins to form a ball.

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface (or cheat and use a Silpat, which is so handy), form a ball, divide in half, form that into two discs and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refridgerate for at least 30 minutes to let the dough rest and to keep the butter from melting.

Filling:

-3 large granny smith apples
-2 large anjou pears
-1/2 c craisins
-1/2 c sugar
-1/4 c flour
-Juice of 1 lemon
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1 tsp nutmeg
-1 tsp allspice

Soak the craisins in hot water for a few minutes, until they plump up. Drain off the water. Peel and slice the pears and apples, toss with the lemon juice in a bowl and let it sit for at least ten minutes (that lets the fruit drain off some of the liquid and your pie won't do that weird dome crust thing).

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt and spices. Add all of the fruit and the liquid, stir everything together.

Okay now I'm not going to get into the whole pie assembly bit because I doubt I could explain it well, so just assemble your pie as you see fit (remember to vent the top!). Personally, I can't crimp to save my life so I use those cute little leaf cut-outs to decorate the edges.

Whisk together one egg and two tablespoons of milk. Brush the egg wash over the pie and sprinkle the top with sugar (to make it nice and shiny!).

Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour, until everything is nice and golden brown. Cool completely before diving in!

Let's talk pie

2008-11-23T16:10:00.002-06:00

I need some good pie ideas, please! I have a fairly decent apple, but beyond that I just make stuff up.

Send me pie ideas!

Like going home...

2008-11-12T17:43:00.002-06:00

My mom's friend Therese is in town, and we spent the afternoon in my mom's kitchen, making amazing Italian food. It reminded me of hanging out in the kitchens of all of my Italian friends' mothers. We made red sauce with pork, turkey meatballs, and handmade gnocchi with ricotta cheese instead of potato (makes them less mushy). I'm not going to share any recipes on this blog, since they belong to Therese and her family, but I may ask her permission to share the gnocchi recipe at some point, because it was freaking incredible.

The best part? We made so much food that I don't have to cook dinner tonight!

Turkey: not just for Thanksgiving!

2008-11-10T17:15:00.002-06:00

I totally baked a turkey on Friday for no reason other than they were on sale at Walmart (so un-Martha and yet she sells like EVERYTHING there).

It was awesome and didn't take too long because it was a small turkey (8 pounds) and I brined - total cook time was about 2 1/2 hours.

BTW: Brining is fantastic, it keeps the turkey moist and cuts down on cooking time. However, the pan drippings can end up being salty and not great for gravy.

Turkey brine:

-1/2 c sea salt
-2 tbsp cracked pepper
-2 tbsp rosemary (dried is fine for all of the herbs in this recipe)
-2 tbsp sage
-2 tbsp thyme
-2 gallons of water

Over medium heat, combine the salt and one gallon of water until the salt it totally dissolved. Pour the warm water into a very large stockpot and add the herbs and one gallon of very cold water.

Rinse your turkey off completely and add to the brine mix - make sure that it's totally submerged. Brine for at least 4 hours in the refridgerator.

Turkey:

-1 large lemon, quartered
-1 or 2 sweet onions, quartered
-5 or 6 cloves of garlic, peeled
-1 stick butter, softened
-2 to 4 tablespoons of herbs de provence

Remove the turkey from the brine mix, rinse very well and pat dry. Stuff with the lemon, garlic and onion.

Mash the butter and herbs together, and generously coat the entire turkey. Try to get it under the skin, which can be tricky but is totally worth it. Truss and put in a roasting pan, then follow whatever turkey roasting rules you go by. I ignore the breast-down method and go straight for a pre-heated oven at 325. Figure out the amount of time needed for the size of your bird, then cut out half an hour (to start) because the brine should cut back on the amount of time it will take. Then, just test for doneness with a meat thermometer until you get the correct temperatures. The breast should be 165 and the leg/thigh 185. Let it rest under tinfoil for several minutes before carving.

Martha Moment: Save the carcass AND the onions/garlic and use it to make stock for turkey soup! We'll be eating turkey for at least another 3 days in my house.

Pot roast with red wine, thyme and honey

2008-11-05T09:40:00.002-06:00

This was my first ever pot roast, and it wasn't too shabby! The recipe came from the Food Network. I didn't follow it exactly, since I wasn't making a meal for a bunch of people I just cut back on the amount of meat and veggies I used.

-1 bottom round roast (I think mine was a rump roast)
-Salt and pepper
-5 tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive oil because I didn't read the recipe closely)
-3 small onions, diced (I used 1 large sweet onion but my dice was too small and it got mushy, I would recommend a larger dice)
-10 to 12 cloves garlic, lightly smashed (I used maybe 6 and I really smashed those suckers)
-4-5 carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
-2 c chicken stock
-2 c red wine (MM: Never use anything you wouldn't drink!)
-2 1/2 tbsp honey
-5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme
-2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes (I used 4 very large red potatoes and diced them into 1-inch cubes because I was sort of pressed for time and didn't want to eat at 9pm)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Season roast with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add the meat and brown well on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Remove and set aside.

Lower heat to medium and saute onions, garlic, and carrots for 5 minutes. Add the broth, wine, honey, and thyme, stir to combine, and then add the roast back to the pot.

Cover pot and transfer to oven. Bake for 2 hours, turning the meat over twice. Add the potatoes to the pot and bake, uncovered, for another 30 to 45 minutes longer until both the potatoes and the meat are fork-tender.

Okay I ignored this last step - I didn't start cooking until 5pm and we were sort of hungry so I cooked for an hour, turned, cooked for 30 minutes, turned, added potatoes, cooked with the lid on for another 30 minutes, done. It came out just fine, but next time I'll be more prepared and follow the rules.

In time for Halloween: sugar cookies with royal icing

2008-10-31T11:55:00.004-05:00

SUGARSUGARSUGARSUGARSUGAR

I have been surrounded by sugar for three days and it's going to my head.

These little guys are fun to make, and I'm seriously handicapped when it comes to icing so you KNOW it's gotta be easy. They're not quite Martha-quality, but I think they came out pretty cute.

Cookies:

-3 c flour

-1 c sugar

-1 c butter, soft

-1 egg, beaten

-1/4 tsp salt

-3/4 tsp baking powder

-1 tbsp milk

-1 tsp vanilla

Cream the butter, vanilla and sugar together in a stand mixer on medium. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, a little at a time, until it is totally incorporated. Turn off the mixer, and divide the dough into two parts. Form the sections into balls, wrap with plastic wrap, and refridgerate for 2 hours.

Roll out the dough, one section at a time, to about 1/4" thickness. Use cookie cutters to create whatever shapes float your boat, and bake at 375 for about 9-10 minutes, or until the bottoms are just beginning to brown. Cool completely before icing.

Icing:

-3 large egg whites

-1 tsp vanilla

-4 c powdered sugar

-hot water

With your mixer on high, whip the egg whites and vanilla with the whisk attachment until they are fluffy and foamy. Add the powdered sugar, about half a cup at a time, and whisk on medium until all the sugar is incorporated. This icing will be VERY thick, shiny and pasty. It's like caulk made out of sugar.

Color the icing as you see fit with food coloring, and pipe onto the cookies using a pastry bag or ziploc bag with the corner cut off (it's actually not that hard to do!).

To create cookies like the ones I made above, pipe a thin line around each cookie into the shape you desire. Once all of the cookies have this "barrier", whisk the remaining icing with a few tablespoons of hot water until the icing is sort of runny. It's hard to explain the texture that gives you these results, so you'll just have to play around with it. You don't want the icing to be watery, but also not too stiff. Spoon the watered down icing into the center of the shape and spread it out - the lines you piped earlier will act as a barrier and keep it from running down the sides.

PBPB (Peanut butter puppy biscuits)

2008-10-29T17:28:00.005-05:00

Does Martha have dogs? If so, I bet they're fed a steady diet of organic, free-range meats, the finest grains, and attitude.

My dog is fed kibble. But sometimes I like to spoil her - so I made these cute little dog-friendly cookies today. It was very simple, and while they're not exactly nutritious, one or two won't hurt.

Instead of cookie cutters, I used these little pie crust cut-outs that I got at Williams-Sonoma last fall. It cuts the shape and presses a little design into the dough. They're the perfect size for treats (only an inch or so), but any small cookie cutter will do.

-1 c low-fat peanut butter

-1 c skim milk

-2 c unbleached flour

-1 tbsp baking powder

Blend the peanut butter and milk together on medium speed until they are well mixed. In a separate bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together. With your mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter. Mix well, the dough will be pretty tough. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and form into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate for 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough to 1/4" thickness and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter.

Bake at 375 for about 8-10 minutes. They burn pretty fast, so if your oven cooks as hot as mine does, start with 8 and check the bottoms. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

They should keep for at least a week, longer if you refridgerate them. This makes a TON of cookies, you may want to half the recipe if you aren't sharing with friends, or have a really tiny dog.

French onion-style chicken

2008-10-23T18:14:00.006-05:00

I just made this up. It's in my oven, keeping warm, RIGHT NOW. It seems to be pretty darn tasty as far as I can tell. But, then again, the combination of onions and wine and leeks and garlic and butter and beef stock all soaked into chicken seems to me like it just couldn't be bad.

Score extra Martha points if you have a dutch oven AND use it on a regular basis! Does she have her own brand of dutch ovens? Because if so, I'd so be all over that. Credit for the concept goes to my father-in-law, Ron Haygood. Not sure where he picked this one up.

-2-4 chicken breasts, skin on
-1 can of french onion soup
-1 leek, diced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tsp pepper
-2 tbsp wine (I used white because that is what I had open, but I bet that a red would taste better because it's a key ingredient in french onion soup)
-2 tbsp butter

Pre-heat oven to 350.

In a dutch oven over medium heat, sautee the leek in the butter for about 5-10 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper. Cook together for another 2-3 minutes, then add the wine (to get up the brown bits). Add the canned soup and let it all come to a boil for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place the chicken in the dutch oven, breast-side down. Cover and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the chicken is done. Take the chicken out of the pot and set it aside (remove skin before eating).

Strain the solids from the sauce and bring it back to a boil for another few minutes, until it thickens and you can use it almost like a gravy. Heck, try adding some Wondra flour and make it into a gravy, if you feel like it. That would probably be really good...if you try it, let me know how it came out.

Brussels sprouts with white wine and bacon

2008-10-20T15:31:00.004-05:00

Ahhhhh...I love to make healthy vegetables unhealthy. It only takes two things: bacon and butter.

While the recipe below is my own creation, the concept was borrowed from two sources. Credit goes to Barefoot Contessa and my buddy, Patrick Jones, for helping me come up with the final product.

-1 1/2 pounds of brussels sprouts
-4 or 5 slices of bacon, diced
-2 tbsp butter
-1 c chicken broth
-2 tbsp dry white wine
-1 tbsp dijon mustard
-1 tsp pepper
-1 tsp salt

In a deep sautee pan, cook the bacon until it's crispy. Remove from heat, drain fat.

Prep the sprouts by cutting them into quarters (so they just start to shred).

Add the butter to the sautee pan and let it melt over medium heat. Add the sprouts, broth and mustard. Saute for 5 minutes, then add the wine (it will sizzle), salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for another 5-10 minutes, or until the liquid starts to thicken into a sauce. Toss the bacon back into the mix at the last minute.

This makes enough to serve 4-6 friends - it's a great side dish!

EDIT: 1/31/08

I made this dish again last night, only this time I left some of the bacon fat in the pan, used half the butter, and sauteed the sprouts in that for several minutes before adding the stock and dijon. It was excellent!

Chicken and rice casserole

2008-10-15T11:16:00.003-05:00

Chicken and rice: such a classic, cold-weather, "comfort food" dish! I actually make Ryan take me to Cracker Barrel (so un-Martha of me) on Saturday nights so I can have their Chicken n rice. Ryan says mine is better...I don't agree but this comes close enough!

-Chicken breasts (between two and four, depending on how many people you are feeding)
-1 1/2 cups of white rice
-2 /14 cups of water
-1 tbsp butter
-2 cans of Campbell's mushroom soup
-Salt and pepper
-Paprika

Heat oven to 350.

In a saucepan, bring the water and butter to a boil with a pinch of salt. Add the rice, stir and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Pour the rice into a wide casserole dish. Top with a can of the mushroom soup.

If you are using four chicken breasts, just lay them on top of the rice. If you are using less, I recommend pounding them into wider/thinner strips so you can completely cover the rice in the dish. Salt and pepper generously.

Pour the last can of soup over the chicken and sprinkle with paprika. Bake for about 40-50 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

At this point, I set the chicken aside and stir the rice with the sauce that is left in the dish, so I can be sure my rice is totally covered with mushroom soup. Serve any way you see fit, however, because this is a pretty fool-proof dish!

More ice cream: Mint Chocolate Chip

2008-10-07T21:54:00.003-05:00

I'm pretty proud of this recipe, it's my own creation! I have been on an ice cream kick all summer, and I am finally beginning to figure it out.

If you want your ice cream to be super creamy, just use more cream than half and half. As long as you end up with 4 cups, you're good. The more half and half used, the more "icy" your final product will be. Unfortunately, the thing that makes ice cream so creamy is the amount of milkfat you use. Less milkfat, more ice. Such is life...

Score extra Martha points if you have a fancy stand-alone ice cream maker! I have the ice cream bowl attachment for my stand mixer, but frankly it's just as good.

-3 c fat-free half and half
-1 c heavy cream
-1 egg yolk
-1 c sugar
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 tsp vanilla
-2 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
-1 cup dark chocolate chunks (I just chop up a candy bar)

Mix the cream, egg yolk and sugar on medium for about 3-5 minutes. Turn off the mixer, add the half and half, blend again on medium for another 5 minutes. Add the salt and flavorings, mix well.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and blend for about 25 minutes, or until it's almost set. Stir in the chocolate chunks, and freeze for at least 2-3 hours before serving.

I don't add food coloring, but if you like your mint ice cream green, go nuts!

Non-dairy potato salad (Provencal)

2008-10-07T10:52:00.005-05:00

This is my kind of potato salad - no mayo, no chunks of onion or celery (I have issues with mushy/crunchy combinations), lots of bold flavor.

This is in no way my invention, I got it from Barefoot Contessa. I substituted a few things, which I will note below. Feel free to try any combination you think will taste great!

-2 pounds of potatoes, peeled (Unless I am cooking for a crowd, I use a small bag of golden Klondike)
-2 tbsp white wine
-2 tbsp chicken stock
-3 tbsp Champagne vinegar (I don't have Champagne vinegar, so I mix 2 tbsp of white Balsamic with 1 tbsp of rice vinegar)
-1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
-2 teaspoons kosher salt
-3/4 tsp pepper
-10 tbsp olive oil
-1/4 c minced scallions (I omit)
-2 tbsp minced fresh dill
-2 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley
-2 tbsp julienned fresh basil leaves (I omit)
-1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
-1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Boil the potatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are just cooked through. Drain in a colander and toss gently with the wine and chicken stock. Allow the liquids to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.

Combine the vinegar and mustard and slowly whisk in the olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the herbs and toss with the potatoes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

(Omit the chicken stock to make this dish vegetarian, change out the dijon mustard for another variety to make it vegan).

Pumpkin Bread

2008-10-02T14:07:00.003-05:00

I love fall! I love pumpkins! I love food that is made from pumpkins!

-1 c butter at room temperature
-3 c sugar
-3 eggs at room temperature
-3 c flour
-1 tbsp baking powder
-1 1/2 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp salt
-2 tsp cinnamon
-1 tsp ground cloves
-2 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated is always best!)
-16 oz (1 can) of pumpkin puree

Cream the butter and sugar with your mixer on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time.

In a separate bowl, sift all of the dry ingredients together. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients (about a cup at a time) until well mixed. Turn off the mixer and stir in the pumpkin.

Grease and flour your loaf pan before adding batter. Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

This should be enough for two small loaves, or one very big one. If you make two small loaves, bake for 40 minutes and test for doneness.

Red Velvet "Wedding Cake"

2008-09-29T16:11:00.004-05:00

To celebrate our 6-month anniversary (Yes, it's silly, but it's still a big deal to us!), I decided to try and recreate our wedding cake. Well, I did say "try".

The real cake is from Bluebonnet Bakery in Fort Worth (our florist did the flowers). My version is from an ancient Hershey Chocolate cookbook that used to belong to my grandmother. I poured through dozens of red velvet recipes before settling on this one - for some reason, most people make red velvet with loads of food coloring and very little cocoa. Actually, the reaction between the cocoa and vinegar makes it a reddish color - then, you only need a tiny bit of food coloring to really make it pop.

If you are wondering why I am so into room-temperature eggs, it's because they actually will fluff up better than when they are cold. That's your MM for the day...

Red Velvet Cake

-1/2 c butter, room temperature
-1 1/2 c sugar
-1 tsp vanilla
-2 eggs, room temperature
-1 tsp red food coloring
-2 c flour
-1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 tsp salt
-1 c buttermilk
-1 1/2 tsp baking soda
-1 tbsp vinegar

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla in a mixer on medium. Add the eggs one at a time, then the food coloring. Mix for 5 minutes on medium speed.

In a separate bowl, sift the cocoa powder, flour and salt together. With the mixer on low, alternate adding buttermilk and the flour mixture until well mixed.

In another bowl, mix the baking soda and vinegar together (it will fizz up). Carefully fold into the batter (do not mix!).

Pour the batter into two 9-inch round cake pans that have been greased and floured (MM: when making chocolate cake, you can use cocoa powder or hot cocoa mix instead of flour, so your cake won't have white spots on it). Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Cool for at least an hour before frosting.

This recipe only filled the two cake pans about halfway. If you want a dramatic looking cake, with lots of height, I would suggest doubling the mix and making at least three layers.

Cream Cheese Frosting

-1 pound cream cheese
-2 sticks butter
-3 c powdered sugar
-1 tsp vanilla

Let the cream cheese and butter sit out for 10 minutes before mixing all of these ingredients together on high for 5 minutes, or until it's creamy. If you like your frosting very sweet, just add more sugar. Let it cool in the fridge for about 10 minutes before frosting your cake, otherwise, it can get goopy and uncooperative.

Penne with white beans, roasted garlic and tomatos

2008-09-29T10:38:00.004-05:00

I first saw this dish on a Food Network show about two years ago - and I've been making it ever since. It's one of my husband's favorites. My version is slightly modified, because I think that the original just isn't flavorful enough. Roasting the garlic and tomatos is time-consuming, but it's still a very simple dish to make.

-4 or 5 vine tomatos
-1 small head garlic
-4 tbsp olive oil
-1 tbsp salt
-1/2 tbsp pepper
-1 pound of penne pasta
-1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Separate the head of garlic, leaving the cloves in their paper wrapping. Dice the tomatos, remove the seeds.

Toss the tomatos, garlic, salt, pepper and 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a 9x9" glass casserole dish, spreading evenly throughout the pan. Roast in the oven for 45-50 minutes.

While that is roasting, boil the pasta until al dente - once you drain out the water, add the can of rinsed cannellini beans and toss it all together. (No need to cook! The heat from the pasta will warm the beans).

When the tomatos come out of the oven, use a spoon to fish out the garlic, set aside to cool. When they are cool enough to touch, squeeze out the garlic into a small bowl, add the remaining olive oil, and mash with a fork until it's very pasty.

Add the paste back to the dish with the tomatos, stir until the garlic coats everything. Then, dump the tomatos into the pot with the pasta and beans, mix it all together, and serve!

(Vegan/Vegetarian)

"Cheaters" Thai peanut chicken

2008-09-26T11:22:00.004-05:00

I love cooking, but there is no way I am going to make my own peanut sauce from scratch. Since the jar sauce means I lose Martha Points (MP's), I made up for it by using chilies from the garden. Mild when raw, HOT when cooked!

-About 1 pound of chicken breast
-1 c shredded carrot
-1 small onion, diced
-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
-2 tbsp olive oil
-salt and pepper
-4-5 small chilies, diced (seeds optional)
-1/4 c sesame seeds
-1/4 c chopped parsley (I used it because that is what I had on hand, but I bet cilantro and basil would be fantastic)
-1 jar of store-bought Thai peanut sauce (I like the Archer Farms brand from Target).
-1/4 c crushed peanuts

To prep the chicken, remove any fat and wrap in plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin or something similar to flatten out the chicken, and then cut in to medallions. Or, just buy the pre-cut stuff from the grocery store and save yourself the work. Salt and pepper generously.

Heat up the oil in a deep pan or wok over medium heat, add the garlic and onion. Sautee until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken and cook on both sides. Add the carrots and chilies, and the peanut sauce. Stir it all together over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes. Toss in the parsley (or basil, or cilantro, etc) at the last minute.

Serve over rice or noodle, and top with the sesame seeds and peanuts (bonus MP's if you toast them!).

Coconut cupcakes

2008-09-23T09:23:00.003-05:00

About a month ago, we were at Target and noticed that they were selling coconuts. For some silly reason, it was decided that we should buy one and fill it with rum. It marinated in the fridge for several weeks this way, until Saturday morning, when I decided to give all that yummy rummy coconut a new home.

If you don't want to use the rum, just add a little more milk until the batter is at a good consistency.

This is adapted from a Barefoot Contessa recipe, but with a very un-Martha frosting!

-3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
-2 c sugar
-5 large eggs, at room temperature
-1 1/2 tsp vanilla
-3 c flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-3/4 c milk (make it 1 cup if you don't use rum)
-4 oz shredded coconut, soaking in 1/4 c of dark rum

Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter, mix until just combined. Then add the coconut and rum, and mix again until just combined.

Grease the muffin tin (or use paper cups) and fill the batter to the top. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees, or until the center comes out clean with a toothpick. This should make about 2 dozen cupcakes.

So, I am really bad at making frosting. Like, REALLY bad. To accomodate for my disability, I just blended together a can of store-bought vanilla frosting with half a bag of shredded coconut and a tablespoon of rum. I encourage you to find a method that works for you, but my fake version is pretty decent if you're as frosting illiterate as I am...

Long break + Lentil Salad

2008-09-22T10:00:00.003-05:00

After a weird week, I realized I had totally set my little blog to the backburner!

On Thursday, Ryan and I were watching "Good Eats" on the Food Network and Alton shared this recipe. Ryan turned to me and said "Ummm...can you please make that for me?". So, on Saturday, I gave it a try, and it was fantastic!

Lentil Salad

1 pound brown or green lentils, approximately 2 1/2 cups
1 small onion, halved
1 large clove garlic, halved
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Pick over the lentils, rinse and drain. Place all of the above ingredients into a large saucepan and cover with water PLUS 2-3 inches. Place over high heat and bring just to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils are tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Drain the remaining liquid and discard everything that isn't a lentil.

1/2 c red wine vinegar
1/4 c olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
6 to 8 slices thick-sliced bacon, cooked and chopped

Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt, pepper, parsley and thyme together in a large mixing bowl. Add the warm lentils and bacon and stir to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

(Omit bacon, or change it out for bacon bits, and this becomes a vegetarian dish. Switch out dijon mustard for another type, and it becomes vegan).

Bailey's Ice Cream

2008-09-08T17:15:00.003-05:00

Oh man, this is good stuff. And totally Martha, too: it's insanely expensive to make and takes awhile to get it right. BUT - the reward for your hard work is a creamy, amazing ice cream that is pure Bailey's.

-2 c of Bailey's liqueur
-4 egg yolks
-2 c sugar
-1 1/2 c milk
-2 c heavy cream
-1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Heat the Bailey's in a saucepan over medium heat, let it boil slowly until the 2 cups has reduced to 1 cup of liquid. (Note: this will take at least 30 minutes).

Pour out the Bailey's in a bowl to cool, and add the milk to the pot. Slowly scald the milk over medium heat, stirring often to avoid burning. Set aside to cool.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together. Slowly incorporate the cooled milk, whisk like crazy to avoid "scrambled eggs". Dump the lot back into the saucepan, and heat for around 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Strain the mixture and put in the fridge to cool for at least 10 minutes.

Once the egg and milk custard has cooled, add the vanilla, reduced Bailey's and cream. Whisk well, and put it back into the fridge to cool completely before transferring the mix to an ice cream maker to freeze. It's important that the mix be completely cooled, otherwise it won't freeze as you put it into the ice cream maker. I keep forgetting that rule, and the result is a rock-hard lump of frozen ice cream that is impossible to scoop.

Cheap 'n Easy Lasagna

2008-09-04T15:39:00.004-05:00

I hail from a part of the country that boasts the highest percent, per capita, of Italian-Americans in the US. New Haven County is home to East Haven (also known as "Staven"), which is home to some of the best Italian restaurants in the Northeast.

Growing up with so many Italian heritage friends was delicious. I have fantastic memories of watching my friends' mothers making dinner - talk about a process! It can take an entire afternoon to prepare a traditional Italian dinner.

Well, most of us don't have an entire afternoon to prepare a meal - thankfully, this lasagna is quick and easy!

-1 pound lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
-1 jar of marinara (I use Classico tomato and basil)
-3/4 pound of Italian sausage
-1 pkg (3 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
-1/2 c shredded parmigana cheese
-1/2 c shredded asiago cheese
-1 c ricotta cheese

Remove the sausage from the casing and brown over medium heat. Drain off fat, then add the jar of marinara. Simmer together for about 10 minutes over low heat.

Mix the mozzarella, parmigana and asiago cheese together in a bowl, set aside.

In a casserole dish, add a spoonful of the sauce so it completely coats the bottom. Layer the noodles over the sauce, so it is totally covered. Add tablespoons of the ricotta cheese, "dotting" it on top of the noodles. (Ricotta is a pain to spread over slippery noodles - but it sort of evens itself out as it cooks so just lump it all around). Top with a hearty layer of cheese. Repeat until you reach the top of the dish, and finish it off with the remainder of the cheese.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Sounds easy? It is! Lasagna is one of those dishes that scares a lot of cooks - and it shouldn't. Granted, this cheap and easy solution isn't nearly as good as the dishes that take half a day to prepare, but it's pretty darn tasty.

Ice cream!

2008-09-02T11:26:00.002-05:00

I started making my own ice cream this summer - it's very challenging, which surprised me. I guess I always figured it would be easy - add ingredients, mix and freeze. Wrong! I have had some really bad batches, and some good ones.

The Ben and Jerry's ice cream book never fails me - every recipe of theirs that I have tried has been successful. To date, my best batches have been their peach and strawberry recipes.

Does anybody have an ice cream recipe that they could share with me? I am always looking for more!

Been a little busy lately

2008-09-01T11:04:00.005-05:00

We added a new member to our little family this weekend, and she's been taking up a lot of my time!

This is Lily - she's about 11 weeks, she's some sort of Lab-Retriever-Terrier mix. She's sweet and cuddly, and needs a lot of attention!

More soon - I promise! I am making all sorts of frozen meals for friends, and today I'm making an amazing potato salad (totally vegan, no mayo!) and I want to share the recipe when I have some free time and Lily is asleep.

"Grown Up" Mac and Cheese

2008-08-29T11:21:00.003-05:00

This dish actually started with my mom - she would make it for us from time to time, and I always loved it. So, about a year ago, I was trying to impress my in-laws. We had just gotten engaged, and I was desperate to prove to them that I was a good MIT (Martha In Training). It was all in my head, because of course they approved, but the result of my paranoia was a string of experimental dishes, and this update to my mom's mac and cheese was one of the more successful results.

I played around with different cheeses, and I am happy with my three choices below. The asiago gives it bite, the Gruyere creates depth, and the cheddar is always a classic. Feel free to play around with your own combination of cheeses and come up with a flavor that works best for you!

-1 pkg of elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
-2 c cold milk
-4 tbsp butter
-4 tbsp Wondra flour (you'll find it near the flour and sugar at your local grocery)
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp pepper
-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (add more for a bigger punch)
-1 tbsp ground mustard powder
-1 tsp garlic salt
-1 c shredded asiago cheese
-1 pkg shredded sharp cheddar (enough for about 2-3 cups)
-1 c shredded Gruyere cheese
-1/2 c Ritz crackers, crushed

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the milk and flour, whisk together. Add the salt, pepper, mustard, garlic salt and Worcestershire sauce, whisk again. Let the whole thing come to a boil, stirring constantly.

Remove the sauce from the heat and add the asiago and Gruyere cheese, stir well until it melts into the sauce. Mix the sauce and macaroni together in a large pot or bowl.

In a 9x9 casserole dish, layer macaroni - cheddar cheese - macaroni and so on, until just below the top of the dish. Top it off with more cheddar cheese and a good layer of Ritz crackers. Bake the casserole at 350 for about 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the crackers are slightly browned.

Turkey Chili (pt 2)

2008-08-28T14:40:00.007-05:00

Martha! Martha! Martha! Why must you have me totally and completely convinced that all soups must be made in a Le Creuset dutch oven? Not that I am complaining, mind you, I love the even heat distribution and the overall indestructibility of the cast iron. But it's just SO BIG and SO HEAVY. (Photo note: I forgot to take a picture until 10:00 last night and we had already scooped the chili into a smaller pot so it would fit in the fridge). My husband is convinced that I am just looking for excuses to use the dutch oven, and maybe he's right. I mean, chili in August? I'm getting sweaty just thinking about it.

The chili turned out pretty good, but it was a little too hot for me. The overall heat of a dish is really hard to figure out as you are cooking it - just tasting from a spoon isn't always a good indicator - sometimes it takes a few good bites before the spice kicks in. If you make this chili, and want to keep it mild, omit the jalapeno and cayenne pepper. If you don't have to have a dutch oven to make it, a large pot will do just fine. Instead of putting the pot in the oven to finish cooking, just simmer it on very low heat on the stovetop.

Turkey Chili

-1 lb ground turkey

-1 large green bell pepper, chopped

-1 small to med yellow onion, finely chopped

-1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

-2 or 3 big carrots, diced

-1 or 2 celery stalks, diced

-2 cloves garlic, cut as thin as you can get it (MM: a garlic press works wonders)

-2 cans of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

-1 large can of diced tomatoes

-3 tbsp cumin

-3 tbsp chili powder

-pinch cayenne pepper

-pinch nutmeg

-salt and pepper

-olive oil

-3 cups water

Heat the pot over a low to medium flame, and add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the onions and carrots, sautee for several minutes until the onions are translucent. Then add the rest of the veggies, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and let it slowly cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the veggies and set them aside, and pour out the excess oil. Brown the turkey in the pan, then drain off any fat you can. Dump in the tomatoes, beans and veggies. Add the water and spices. (You can use more or less water, depending on how soupy you like your chili). Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes, or as long as you please. The longer it cooks, the richer the chili.

If you have a dutch oven, just take the whole pot and throw it into the oven at 200 degrees. You can leave it there for hours, it sort of acts like a crock pot.

Turkey Chili

2008-08-27T11:20:00.001-05:00

I am going to attempt to make turkey chili in a dutch oven this afternoon - wish me luck!

(any pointers?)

Awesome couscous dish

2008-08-26T00:37:00.005-05:00

This dish never fails to impress. It looks great, tastes great, and makes your guests believe that you spent hours slaving over a hot stove to create a fancy Martha Stewart-like side dish.

Trust me: you will make this again and again.

-1 c couscous

-1 1/2 c chicken stock (see: easy chicken stock recipe)

-1/4 c pine nuts (MM: toast the pine nuts over medium heat until they are beginning to brown to bring out their flavor)

-1/4 c craisins

-1 small to medium shallot

-1 tbsp butter

-Salt and pepper

Heat the butter in a saucepan, and finely chop the shallot. Once the butter has melted, start to carmelize the shallot over medium to low heat. Add as much or as little salt and pepper as you prefer.

Once the shallots are beginning to carmelize, add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Then, add the couscous, pine nuts and craisins, stir it all once, cover the pan and remove from the heat.

DONE! Just let it sit for a few minutes, then fluff it up with a fork before serving.

Fruit Crisp

2008-08-25T17:11:00.003-05:00

Filling:

-4 or 5 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into slices (think apple pie size)
-1/4 c flour
-1/4 c sugar
-1 tbsp cinnamon
-1 tsp nutmeg (Martha moment: I recommend using freshly ground nutmeg, just get a spice grinder and some fresh nutmeg from a cooking store, it makes a huge difference)
-Juice of 1 lemon
-Pinch of salt

Mix the dry ingredients until they are well incorporated, then add the apples and lemon juice, mix well, and set aside.

Topping:
-1 stick of very cold butter, diced (MM: dice the butter and throw it into the freezer to chill)
-1/2 c oatmeal
-3/4 c flour
-1/2 c white sugar
-1/2 c brown sugar
-Pinch of salt

Pull out your trusty mixer and mix all of the above ingredients together on low until the butter is pea-sized and mixes with the dry ingredients. You want the consistency to be dry and kind of clumpy - not so thick that you have one big ball of dough. Pour the apple filling into any 9 x 9" baking dish, then crumble on the topping so that the apples are totally covered. The apples will bake down some, but you don't want the dish to be overflowing or it will drip into your oven (lesson learned). Bake at 350 for about 45-50 minutes.

This is a pretty easy dish to make, the hardest step is prepping the apples.

I encourage you to find your own fruit combinations to use as filling. I tried peaches a few weeks back, and it was very good. I just cut back on the cinnamon and stepped up the nutmeg a bit. Pears would be awesome, and I would love to try out plums. If you have a variation to share, please let us know in the comments!

And I'm back!

2008-08-25T15:14:00.007-05:00

A week in the Caribbean was exactly what the doctor ordered. In a very fabulous un-Martha kind of way, of course, because my 9-year-old sister doesn't qualify as an "entourage".

New feature! I'm adding "Martha Moments", or MM for short. Keep your eyes peeled for them - it usually means adding a step or ingredient that seems lavish and unnecessary, but can make all the difference in the taste of a dish. OR, it can just mean a shortcut that I have found to be handy.

I would love to share some amazing tropical recipe with you all, loaded with fruit and rum and coconut, but all I can think of is the apple crisp that I made last night. We coupled it with several Bay Breezes (coconut rum, pineapple juice and cranberry juice) to relive one last moment in the tropics before going back to the real world.

Here's a photo of Ryan and I sailing around St. Thomas...ahhhhh the life...

Lil' update

2008-08-15T21:21:00.002-05:00

Hey there!

Leaving tomorrow morning for a week in the tropics, so I won't be posting anything for a little while.

I'm totally packing Martha-style, minus the entourage of stylists and sous chefs and interns to smack around. And the private jet. Or hand-knitted ponchos.

Oh who am I kidding?

Nutty brownies

2008-08-14T21:40:00.005-05:00

Forgive me, Martha, for I have wronged you. I cheated on you with Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa (and a personal hero of mine).

These nutty brownies are adapted from one of her recipes - beware, the portions are HUGE, and these brownies are anything but healthy.

-1 pound butter (4 sticks)
-1 pound chocolate (I recommend half semi-sweet, half bittersweet)
-6 oz unsweet chocolate
-6 eggs, at room temperature
-3 tsp coffee
-2 tsp vanilla (note: vanilla and coffee actually enhance the flavor of chocolate when used in small doses)
-2 1/4 c sugar
-1 c flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp salt
-peanut butter
-Nutella

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler, set aside to cool.

Whisk the eggs, coffee, vanilla and sugar together, slowly add the cooled chocolate.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a separate bowl. Add it, a little at a time, to the chocolate batter.

Transfer the mix to a greased pan - the one I have is 9x13 and really that's not quite big enough.

Now, onto the nutty goodness!

Decide how much peanut butter and Nutella you want to use - then scoop them into small separate bowls and microwave for 30 seconds so it's soft but not too runny. Scoop blobs of PB and Nutella into the brownie mix, alternating as you see fit, and then use a spoon or knife to swirl it throughout.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Please don't stop loving me, Martha. I promise, it's only a fling! Those Barefoot Contessa cookbooks in my kitchen mean nothing to me!

Corn Pudding

2008-08-13T22:24:00.003-05:00

4 cups corn, drained
6 T flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 stick margarine
4 eggs
2 cups 1/2 & 1/2

Mix corn, sugar, & flour. Add eggs and stir well. Melt margarine and add to mixture. Stir in
1/2 & 1/2. Pour into buttered 9 X 13 dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Stir often (every 10-15 minutes) while baking.
Serves 6-8

*Suggestion: This portion is huge. Therefore, I usually half the recipe and cook it in a square Pyrex dish. It works great for 4-6 people.

Yummy Easy Cobbler

2008-08-13T21:50:00.003-05:00

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a 9 X 13 inch glass pan, melt one stick of butter or margarine in the preheating oven.

Mix the following ingredients together, stirring well:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
Pour evenly over the melted butter.

Add 3 cups of fresh fruit (peaches, apples, blueberries, raspberries, etc.) that have been mixed with 2/3 cup sugar. Sprinkle with cinnamon to taste. During baking, crust will rise over the fruit.

Bake for 40 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or cold with whipped cream.

*When using peaches, allow to soften for 3-5 days until very ripe.

It's pudding time!

2008-08-13T20:57:00.004-05:00

I wonder, would Martha approve of using so much dairy? Actually, I take that back. She probably milks her own cows.

This is my comfort food!

Bread Pudding

-10 slices of bread, cut into cubes (Most types of bread work - I learned the hard way that baguettes don't work very well)
-1/4 c melted butter
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 c raisins (I sometimes use Craisins because we always have them lying around)
-6 eggs, beaten
-3/4 c sugar
-2 tsp vanilla
-1/2 tsp salt
-3 cups of milk
-nutmeg

Whisk the cinnamon into the melted butter, then toss in a bowl with the bread and raisins, pour into a casserole dish. It's like a bread marinade!

"Scald" the milk over the stovetop - basically, bring the milk to an almost boil (it start to look a little foamy on top), and stir it a lot because milk can burn easily. Set aside to cool.

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt together. When the milk is cooled, whisk it into the egg mixture. If the milk is too hot, it will scramble the eggs. Once that is all mixed together, pour it over the bread.

Sprinkle some nutmeg over the whole thing, then bake at 375 for about 25 minutes. If your bread is sort of floating at the top of the dish, let it soak in the custard for a few minutes first. Otherwise, you get sort of crusty dried-out bread floating on top. (Lesson learned!)

Old-fashioned Rice Pudding

Note: you can make this thick or thin, however you prefer - my mom and husband like it thin, but I like more of a pudding texture. The recipe is for a thinner pudding - to thicken it, just cut out a cup of the half and half.

-3/4 c raisins
-2 tbsp dark rum
-3/4 c white rice
-1/2 tsp salt
-5c fat-free half and half (my attempt to be healthy - you can also substitute a cup of milk to thin it out)
-1/2 c sugar
-1 egg, beaten
-1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Soak the raisins in the rum.

Boil the rice in 1 1/2 cups of salted water for about 10 minutes.

One cup at a time, stir the half-and-half into the rice, and simmer for about 25 minutes. Carefully mix in the egg (no scrambling!). Remove from heat. Add the vanilla and raisins.

Pour the mix into a bowl to cool. To avoid getting a skin on the surface, just cover it directly (like, on the actual pudding) with plastic wrap!

Easy chicken stock

2008-08-13T17:19:00.003-05:00

A friend and I were just talking about chicken stock today, because now that I have cleaned out the fridge, I'm going to make stock. She uses canned stock, because it is easier. And while that is true, the real stuff tastes so darn good!

I promise you, this is easy. It doesn't require any fancy chopping or peeling, because you just throw everything out once it's cooked (or compost it all, if you are able). It is also easy to customize - you can make more or less, just adjust your herbs and garlic so it's not overpowering.

-Chicken carcass (previously cooked)
-20 cups water
-Whole onion, quartered
-3-5 carrots, cut into pieces
-2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (just whack it with the flat part of your knife)
-3-5 celery stalks, cut into pieces
-1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp pepper
-2 tsp each of the following herbs (fresh is better, but dried is fine): rosemary, dill, sage

Put everything into a stock pot, cover, and set the burner to low. Simmer 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain out all of the solids, and put the liquid into the fridge to set overnight. Simply skim off the fat the next day, and freeze until you need stock!

Do you think Martha would give me one of her super fancy chickens to find out if they make better stock than the rotisserie chicken I bought from Albertson's on Monday?

Leftover casserole

2008-08-13T10:29:00.001-05:00

Martha would be proud - this tasted great, and it emptied out my fridge entirely. Now I have room for the gallon or so of chicken stock that I'll be boiling up from the leftover rotisserie chicken!

-Shredded leftover rotisserie chicken
-1 cup of week-old rice (previously cooked)
-About 1/2 cup of leftover broccoli-cheese soup
-Shredded cheddar cheese
-Salt and pepper

Mix the rice and soup together in a tupperware container until it's well incorporated. It will be a little soupy, but we all know how dry and weird week-old rice can get when it's been left in the back of the fridge.

Microwave for about a minute.

Add the cheese and chicken, stir well.

Microwave another 2-3 minutes.

Serve with whatever else you find in your fridge that is still edible. Last night, that meant day-old green beans and peach cobbler.

Welcome!

2008-08-13T10:16:00.000-05:00

I hope this site takes off - I have a bad habit of starting projects and not fininshing them. How very un-Martha of me!

When I decide to be crafty, or garden, or create something in the kitchen, I ask myself one question: WWMD - What Would Martha Do?

Hopefully, this blog will help me find the answers.

Love,

Emily