ZOE

Roasted Butternut Soup

2012-01-07T17:46:00.004-05:00

I'm not a huge fan of soup, but I honestly could not stop eating this! The key is to roast the butternut first before you puree it with all the other goodies. The end result is a darker colored soup, not those bright orange traditional butternut soups you've had before. This one is smoky and so flavorful!!

Roasted Butternut Soup

1 medium butternut, peeled and cubed

olive oil

salt 'n' peppa

1/2 cup carrots, cubed

1/2 cup celery, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock, or enough to cover vegetables

1 Roast cubed butternut with olive oil and salt 'n' peppa at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

2 While the squash is roasting, saute the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in a pan with some olive oil.

3 Once the vegetables are getting soft, place the roasted butternut in the same pot and cover with stock.

4 Close and simmer for about 20 minutes until all vegetables are soft. Use a stick blender to blend everything together until smooth. You could go the extra step and press it through a siev, but I didn't.

5 Serve piping hot and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Smoothie

2012-01-03T21:00:00.007-05:00

Good Morning! Breakfast smoothies make me feel so good and give me a jump start on my day. This one is so smooth and creamy, you can even add chocolate chips for your sweet tooth.

I started with 2 chopped bananas.

I ground up some oats and threw in a tablespoon or so for some healthy bulk. You could add ground oats to almost anything — soups, yogurt, ice cream, and meatballs for example.

Then I added 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (chunky or creamy is fine) and 1/2 cup of milk (I used skim).

And there you have it! There are millions of ways to make smoothies with bananas as the base. Avocado and banana smoothie anyone? Try it! It's delicious.

Brown Sugar Biscuits

2011-11-07T12:02:00.004-05:00

I'm on my day off from work and I haven't been able to leave the couch because of Bravo's evil marathon of Real Housewives. Why? Why must they do this ALL week long?! I can't resist to watch, even if I know I've seen that episode a million times...ughgh. BUT, I did get up once to make these biscuits because I wanted to wake up the next morning and have fluffy biscuits for breakfast. These were sooo good smothered with mascarpone and strawberry jam.

Brown Sugar Biscuits

adapted by Joy the Baker

makes about 12 biscuits

3 cups flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

3/4 cup cold unsalted butter (1 stick and a half)

1 large egg

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Set aside.

2 In a mixing bowl, sift flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper.

3 Grate cold butter and incorporate into flour with your hands until it resembles coarse meal.

4 In another bowl, combine egg and buttermilk and beat lightly with a fork.

5 Add to flour mixture all at once and mix until incorporated.

6 The dough is very sticky so dump it on a floured surface and knead a few times until is comes together.

7 Pat the dough into 1 inch thickness. Cut into a 2 inch rounds, reuse scraps to make more biscuits.

8 Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes.

Baked Shrimp with Feta

2011-11-06T22:26:00.004-05:00

I found this photo when I was going through my old recipe photos and I can't believe I never posted it! I love shrimp so much and am almost always in the mood for it. It's such a hearty meal with just a hunk of bread to soak up the sweet nectar at the bottom of the pan. It also makes an impressive statement at the table for guests.

Baked Shrimp with Feta
adapted by Ina Garten

heavy oven proof pan
4 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup white wine
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp dried oregano
kosher salt
1 lb shrimp, deveined and peeled, but tails left on
good quality feta
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
3 tablespoon minced parsley
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 lemons

1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2 Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in oven proof skillet over medium heat. Saute minced garlic until tender. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits. Cook until reduced by half, 2 or 3 minutes.
3 Add the tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat, 10 to 15 minutes.
4 Arrange the shrimp in one layer on top of the tomato mixture in the skillet.
5 Scatter feta evenly over the shrimp. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parsley, and lemon zest with two tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle evenly over shrimp.
6 Bake shrimp for 15 minutes.
7 Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over shrimp.

Chicken Couscous bowl

2011-11-05T16:13:00.004-04:00

So this is another example of a random ingredients thrown into a bowl and called dinner — Israeli couscous, jerk chicken thighs, scallions, avocado and toasted cashews. It was SO tasty! The jerk chicken was spiced (jamaican jerk seasoning), grilled and cut into bite-sized pieces which gave lots of flavor to the rest of the bowl. And the avocado was the perfect balance of creamy and cool to the spice of the chicken, while the cashews gave a nice crunch.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Hazelnuts

2011-11-03T21:53:00.009-04:00

Whoa, I'm alive. I know its been way way too long but I've been planning my wedding for the past year....oy. It was a whirlwind, to say the least, and now life is starting to feel normal again.

Tonight I felt like cooking a bunch of random things and put it on one plate and call it 'dinner.' I started with these brussel sprouts, which I roasted in the same pan as the hazelnuts. Whenever I cut the ends off of the cabbages, some of the leaves usually become loose. Dont throw those away! Those get extra crispy and are like chips after they're roasted. I like my brussel sprouts on the burned side so keep a close watch if you dont want them too black.

My next random dish was........potato salad. I know, its fall and I was craving the most summery picnic salad ever, but I couldn't help it! I needed sour cream/mayo/dijon smothered red skinned potatoes more than ever. Next was hard boiled eggs. Again, random. But so satisfying!!!

Don't be afraid to switch up your meals with random dishes that you love. Another example coming up tomorrow!

Focaccia

2011-04-02T12:21:00.008-04:00

Hi all. Sorry the photo's aren't that great quality, It's been a while since I picked up a camera and there was so much going on at the party, it was hard to concentrate on taking good photos.

I'm here with the highlights from Meshy's birthday party. It was so much fun to get everyone together and all the food was a success. I want to focus on the focaccia's I made for the party. They are the easiest dishes to make and are also fun to eat for a casual get-together. The trick it to buy a ball of pizza dough from your local grocery store (near the baked bread section). It tastes great and saves you a ton of time rather than making dough from scratch. I made two focaccia's for the party – one topped with goat cheese and zucchini and the other pesto and eggplant. It was delicious, I think I like the zucchini one a little bit better because I looovee goat cheese but both were superb and eaten right up. I just rolled it out the dough as thin as I could (which didn't end up mattering because the dough puffed up so much anyways) topped it with the toppings and baked both at the same time for 12-15 minutes. It's the perfect party food because it doesn't take much time if you already have your ingredients prepped. I sliced and roasted the eggplant the night before, and sliced the zucchini before as well. Some other party foods on the menu was pea pesto, stuffed mushrooms, and kataifi wrapped shrimp and fennel and orange salad. What are some of your party food favorites?

I'm alive!

2011-03-25T16:12:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone! It has been sooooooo long since I have posted. And there is a good reason, I promise. I got engaged! Adam proposed on October 17 during our vacation in hawaii. It was incredible to say the least and I still think about that special moment. Of course I've been cooking since October, but have been so busy with wedding planning. Me and my parents have been a great team and I cannot wait for the big day! September 4, mark your calendars! I figured this would be a great time to post because I'm hosting my dog's birthday party this sunday! She is turning 5 years old and we're having my parents, sister and future in-laws over for lunch. Just a good excuse to get everyone together and nosh. I'm planning a great menu, just have to get it all done. I will post photos and recipes soon after the party. Can't wait!

Zucchini Carbonara

2010-10-12T19:11:00.006-04:00

I was planning on making zucchini bread for brunch this weekend and I misread the amount for zucchini's and bought way too many! 3 too many to be exact. So what did I do? Combine my favorite pasta dish, pasta carbonara, with soft luscious zucchini's. I was out of turkey bacon so I left it out but added plenty of garlic to make up for it. I just cubed up 3 zucchini's, sautéed them with garlic and salt and pepper, and added them to the pasta. Then at the end, hit the pasta and zucchini with the egg/parmesan mixture. Delicious!!!!

1/2 box of pasta, any shape

3 zucchini, cubed

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 Boil water for pasta. Beat 2 eggs in a separate dish and mix with parmesan.

2 While water is boiling, heat olive oil in deep skillet and throw in minced garlic and cubed zucchini and cook together for about 7-8 minutes until softened.

3 Drop pasta into boiling water. Cook until al dente and drain.

4 Once zucchini is softened, mix the drained pasta into the deep skillet with the zucchini.

5 Pour egg/parmesan mixture over the pasta and zucchini and quickly, using tongs, mix thoroughly until egg sauce is shiny and thickened. Serve with more grated parmesan on top. Enjoy!

Caramel-Spiced Apple Butter

2010-10-05T18:44:00.007-04:00

I am so happy Fall is here! I love autumn flavors and colors and the bright crisp in the air. Recently, my co-worker was telling me about her canning equipment. "That sounds so cool!" I said, "I would love to make my own apple butter..." The next day she brought me her canning pot, rack, tongs and a great recipe book by Ball. I was so excited to experiment! I ended up making a caramel-spiced apple butter, perfect for sunday morning toast.

I used a recipe from Ball Jar's Blue Book. Here is a similar one. It is exactly the same except I used 3 lbs of apples instead of 4, and cut the rest of the ingredient in half.

It yielded 3, 1/2 pint jars. These are great holiday gifts for friends or family. Enjoy!

Butter Bean & Artichoke Tomato Sauce

2010-08-24T21:15:00.004-04:00

There's nothing like the smell of homemade tomato sauce. You really feel like you made a gourmet healthful meal pus it is SO easy. The stuff in the jar works for last minute meals but if you have some times please please try making your own. You will love yourself for it. All you need is high quality crushed tomatoes in a can (I used an Italian brand from my local grocery store), garlic, salt and thats it! The rest is up to your imagination. I dumped in a can of artichoke hearts and a can of butter beans. The butter beans gave sort of a smokey undertone which I liked. I also threw in some sliced kalamata olives. Absolutely delicious!

Simple Dessert: Honey Figs

2010-08-18T20:09:00.008-04:00

I was perusing the farmers market during my lunch break the other day, as I often do, and spotted these gorgeous juice-filled figs. They are wonderful sweet or savory. A great savory party appetizer could be a grilled fig topped with goat cheese. However, for a simple dessert you don't have to think about, halve the figs and drizzle with honey. It's is a refreshing, sweet summer dessert without the oven heat.

What is your favorite oven-less dessert?

10-minute Asian Soup

2010-08-12T20:27:00.007-04:00

I was grocery shopping with my sister this past weekend and saw her grab a smallish bag of soba buckwheat noodles. Thats a good idea, I thought, so I grabbed a bag as well. When I think of soba noodles I instantly think of the soup that you would get in sushi restaurants. Salty flavorful broth with slurpy noodles and fresh slivers of spinach. Absolutely satisfying. I recreated it at home and it tasted exactly the same! I couldn't believe how easy and quick it was. You can also put some bok choy or cubed tofu in as well. You really won't believe how this tastes!

Soba Noodle Soup

adapted by savvy vegetarian

1 bundle of soba noodles (usually comes 3 bundles in a package)

4 cups broth

1 pint baby bella mushrooms, sliced thin

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp rice vinegar

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

few handfuls of fresh spinach

fresh ground pepper

1 Bring a pot of water to a boil and drop in the noodles. Buckwheat noodles cook rather quickly, so about 4-5 minuter for a bundle should be enough. Drain and rinse with cool water. Drain again.

2 While the noodles are cooking, combing the broth, mushrooms, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and ginger in a soup pot. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

3 Stir in fresh spinach until wilted but still bright green. Stir in noodles and add about 2 cups fresh water. Season with pepper to taste.

White Bean Dip

2010-08-09T20:19:00.006-04:00

I recently had an extra-small dinner party of 4. There was a mediterranean theme going on and I wanted to start off the meal with a dip and some homemade spanakopitas (not pictured). This white bean dip is packed with flavor and is hard to stop going back for more. I like that it has some color from the herbs and is not only white, which is not as attractive, especially next to a beige cracker. This would also be great with pita chips rubbed with garlic and dried oregano. I just opted for simple seeded crunchy crackers that I had at home. It was a hit!

White Bean Dip

adapted via Giada De Laurentiis

1 can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

3 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup parsley

1/4 cup greek yogurt

salt

black pepper

1 Combine all ingredients in the work bowl of the food processor. Pulse until smooth, but still a little bit chunky.

2 Serve with pita chips or crackers.

Oh, and here's a peek of what I served for the dinner party: Lamb and shrimp kebabs, bell pepper salad and israeli couscous salad with olives and roasted tomatoes.

Pizza Bake-Off!

2010-07-11T17:09:00.008-04:00

A few weeks ago, my friend Amy and I planned a pizza bake-off party. Each of us would bake our own pie's at her and Michaels place while the boy's played with the dogs, drank beer and took some shots of us prepping. It was so fun!!

Here's how it went down:

This is Amy. She is sweet, kind and a fantastic cook.

This is me stretching out my dough.

This is amy stretching out her dough. She split hers in two to make two different pizza's: one she was going to grill and the other to bake. Just for kicks!

This is me brushing my dough with garlic infused olive oil. Mmmm.

Oh. I should probably introduce the pooches. This is my dog, Meshy. She is hyper, loves food, and loves to snuzzle.

This is Maddie, Amy and Michael's dog. She is super affectionate has the sweetest smile!

This is Amy's baked pizza with sauteed mushrooms and onions. Delicious!

This is Amy's grilled pizza with homemade tomato sauce basil and mozzarella! The tomato sauce really made it special.

This is my pizza with roasted tomato, basil and goat cheese. I loved the warm golden goat cheese on top. Next time I might add tomato sauce or pesto instead of tomato slices.

Overall it was a great night and so much fun making dinner with friends. What pizza would you make for your own pizza bake-off?

Tomato-Gorgonzola Bruschetta

2010-07-03T21:35:00.006-04:00

Me and my friend were talking about bruschetta the other day. We were wondering — is bruschetta referring to the bread? or the topping? Should this post be named bruschetta with tomato & gorgonzola instead of tomato-gorgonzola bruschetta? If one of you knows, do share!

Either way, this is fantastic finger food. I especially love the tomatoes warm and collapsed on the crispy bread. Right before serving, I crumbled gorgonzola on top and lightly tossed so it'll slightly melt the cheese. Amazing!! As for the bread, I used up the ends of a sourdough loaf I use for sandwiches. Any bread will work. I put a pat of butter on each slice and sprinkled it with rosemary (I only had dried) and put it under the broiler for a few minutes. Please try this, its quick, delicious and definitely a crowd-pleaser.

Tomato-Gorgonzola Bruschetta

1 pint grape tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, minced

olive oil

salt 'n' peppa

1 Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash tomatoes and drain. Halve each tomato lengthwise and place on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Toss all together.

2 Bake for about 15 minutes until tomatoes have collapsed. Right before serving, crumble gorgonzola on top and lightly toss. Arrange the crispy bread around the tomatoes and serve.

Crispy Rosemary Bread

1 Slice bread and arrange on baking sheet. Put pat of butter on each slice and sprinkle with rosemary.

2 Broil for about 5 minutes until golden brown.

And the winner is...

2010-07-01T21:19:00.002-04:00

Congratulations Jessica! Email me your mailing address to claim your prize! ;)

A Refresher

2010-06-29T18:18:00.010-04:00

It's scorching outside and I have a feeling you need something refreshing and cool. Just like this carafe! It's a great looking glass bottle for water or wine. That means it can go from a casual patio lunch to a late night cocktail party. I love the elegance and shape of the bottle and it also comes with a handy solid-glass stopper. It's from CSN Stores which has a great selection of home good sections like bathroom vanities, cookware, and modern furniture design.

I can't wait for one of you to have this carafe for 4th of july weekend!

All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me what your favorite 4th of july food is. It can be a snack, dip, drink, whatever you like.

Winner will be chosen using a random integer generator and will be announced Thursday evening.

Open to residents of the U.S. or Canada.

Tale of Two Sandwiches

2010-06-20T14:11:00.006-04:00

Adam and I have different views on food. Of course he loves the food I prepare, but if I weren't in the picture, he would be eating easy mac, hot dogs and cheese dip every night. I'm sure some of you understand what I mean;) So, Sunday afternoon Adam and I were making lunch together and he was set on making grilled cheese — buttery bread and all. Here's how it went down:

How about some mustard on the bread, too?

Nope, just cheese.

Tomatoes?

Nope, just cheese.

Pesto?

Nope, just cheese.

Fine!

I ended up making myself toast with pesto, fresh mozzarella and salted tomatoes (all the ingredients Adam declined) and it was delicious! Of course, Adam loved his grilled cheese, too.

Which sandwich would you choose for yourself?

Apple Crisp

2010-06-12T19:31:00.007-04:00

I don't normally bake, but today I looked over at my fruit basket and saw a high pile of apples that I left for Adam when I was out of town this week (he did not eat any of them!) So, I instantly thought to make apple crisp because it's gooey and delicious and I love that crunchy topping. Plus, my favorite part — no pie crust to worry about! This is a spectacular dessert and very easy, even for an amateur baker like me.

You start with some cinnamon sugar mixture tossed with about 7 peeled sliced apples.

Then the streusel topping. Flour, brown sugar, butter and oats!

And into the oven it goes at 350 for about an hour. And it comes out like this: Hot and bubbly and crisp on top.

And of course, a la mode is highly recommended.

Yummmmmm.

Note: I did sort of step-by-step photos for this recipe because it was easy to transport the baking dish to my large window in my living room. I usually don't show step-by-step photos when I cook because it is too difficult to take the pan, skillet, saucepan to the living room every step for a photo. I hope I have a window in my next kitchen! Let me know if you like the step-by-step or not. I will try to do more if you do. Enjoy!

Apple crisp

via joy the baker

about 7 apples, any type will do, peeled, cored and sliced

3 tbs sugar plus 1.5 tsp cinnamon mixture

Topping:

1 1/3 cup flour

1 1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 stick butter, slightly softened

1 Preheat oven to 350. In an 8x8 baking dish, arrange a layer of apples and top with some cinnamon/sugar mixture. Repeat, alternating apples with cinnamon/sugar until all apples and remaining mixture are in the baking dish. Toss all together.

2 In a separate bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and butter. Using your hands, mix well together until butter is evenly mixed throughout. Take a handful and mix the topping in with the apples. Sprinkle the rest on top, covering all the apples.

3 Bake for about an hour until bubbly and hot. You might want to bake it on top of a baking dish in case the liquid bubbles over while baking. Serve warm with ice cream.

Shrimp Scampi

2010-06-03T20:39:00.004-04:00

Ohhhhhhhhh yeaaaa.........come to mama.

Thats exactly what you were thinking when you saw this photo, right?

Or maybe you're thinking that you could never make this at home because it will never compare to your favorite shrimp scampi at your local Italian restaurant...

Well, I'm here to tell you that this DOES compare to your favorite shrimp scampi. It is delicious and perfect for a crowd or even just for two. It is great for left overs (cold!), too. You start with 1 lb of frozen raw deveined peeled shrimp. I have tried both roasting and stir frying shrimp. I can tell you that I much prefer the convenience of roasting because they cook more evenly and quickly, but I love the golden color and crust of stir fried shrimp. The taste is exactly the same, so if you have a few more minutes go the stir-fry route. I will explain each way in more detail below.

1 lb frozen deveined peeled shrimp, raw

Seafood seasoning (mix of paprika, garlic salt, onion powder)

3 garlic cloves, minced

olive oil

2 tbs butter

1/4 cup white wine

1 lemon, juiced

angel hair pasta

1/2 cup chopped parsley

freshly grated parmesan

1 Thaw previously frozen shrimp (of course, you can buy them fresh at the seafood counter as well) and pat dry. Season well, both sides of shrimp.

2 Heat a large skillet with olive oil and butter. Sauté minced garlic until it infuses the oil with garlicky goodness. Lay the shrimp in one even layer (you can do this in batches if your pan isn't big enough). The shrimp must sizzle or your pan isn't hot enough. Cook the shrimp until pink on one side, then flip to the other side, one by one. About 2-3 minutes per side

3 Set aside your shrimp once cooked. In the same pan, add about 1/4 cup white wine and deglaze the pan, scraping the bits of shrimp garlicky nuggets from the bottom of the pan. Add another tablespoon of butter and the juice of 1 lemon.

4 Boil water for the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

5 Pour pasta in the pan with the liquid and coat the noodles with the sauce using tongs.

6 Add in chopped parsley and plenty of grated parmesan.

7 Toss the shrimp with the noodles, serve with more parmesan.

Greek Salad

2010-05-25T19:52:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I crave coming home and cutting vegetables up. Is that strange? I love hearing the clap of the knife against the wood cutting board. And I love that my dog lies on her belly and watches my every move with her eyes. It relaxes me. This weekend I was especially excited to chop up these veggies because I went to a new farmers market in town and couldn't wait to taste them. They were perfect.

The great thing about a big salad is it's refreshing, juicy and makes you feel good inside. This classic greek salad does not have lettuce, which makes it easier to eat I think. Feel free to add any other vegetables you have. I added kalamata olives, slivers of red onion and chunks of feta. The dressing is simply lemon juice, olive oil and salt. I hope this inspired you to go home and make a BIG salad! You won't regret it.

Spicy Honey Chicken Thighs

2010-05-21T19:50:00.007-04:00

This delicious chicken thigh dish is juiced with bold flavors and a hint of spice. The spice rub serves as a crust for the chicken which is broiled in the oven until a deep golden brown....and it doesn't stop there! The chicken is then brushed with a honey glaze which adds a layer of sweetness. This was such a delicious and easy dinner. I served it with roasted brussel sprouts and homemade garlic bread. And don't worry if you don't have all the spices. Any combination of spices will work, so be creative!

Spicy-Honey Chicken Thighs

via cooking light

2 tsp garlic powder (I ran out so I added some ground ginger instead)

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne red pepper

8 skinless boneless chicken thighs

6 tbs honey

2 tsp apple-cider vinegar

1 Preheat broiler (I used my toaster oven because the chicken pieces were pretty small)

2 Mix the spices in a shallow bowl and press the chicken pieces onto the spices until covered, both sides. Continue with rest of chicken.

3 Broil the chicken under the broiler for 5 minutes on each side.

4 While the chicken is cooking, prepare the honey glaze by combining the honey and cider-vinegar in a small bowl.

5 Brush the chicken with the honey glaze and broil for an additional 1 minute, repeat with other side.

Monday Night Dinner

2010-05-04T19:58:00.005-04:00

Have you ever had one of those dinners at home that came together so quickly but then eating it together with the person you love made you feel just so thankful? I had one of those dinners on Monday night.

It was a casual yet delicious meal of luscious scrambled eggs

crispy yukon golds

a sliced cucumber and tomato watercress salad and a whole roasted artichoke (not pictured).

We had the food on all separate plates and just grabbed a fork and ate off the plates on the table. It was such a fun way to eat and also delicious! What are some of your favorite dinners that you shared with your loved ones?

Butter Beans with Caramelized Shallots and Parmesan

2010-05-03T18:43:00.006-04:00

This side dish took literally 5 minutes to make. It also took me literally 5 minutes to make up. I grabbed a can of butter beans (they are a wide lima bean), a shallot, some grated parmesan and that was it! I sauteed the shallots until they were sweet and caramelized then I threw the beans in with the shallots until warm and crisp on the outside. To top it all off, I grated fresh parmesan cheese on top as well as chopped parsley for some color. It may not be the prettiest dish, but it was SO good! The smoky shallots and crisped beans were a great combo and will definitely be made again. If you can't find butter beans, lima beans will work as well.

Butter Beans with Caramelized Shallots and Parmesan

1 can butter beans, or lima beans, washed and drained

1 shallot, sliced

Parmesan cheese, grated

Chopped parsley, optional

1 Heat a medium skillet with olive oil and saute the sliced shallot until light brown and sweet.

2 When the shallot is soft and browned, throw in the butter beans until lightly crisped on the outside. Add more olive oil if needed.

3 Garnish with grated parmesan and parsley. Enjoy!

Red Onion and Bleu Cheese Pizza

2010-04-20T19:56:00.011-04:00

Frozen pizza is by far the one of the easiest & quickest dinners for us. There are just some nights you want to take the night off. Well believe it or not, making your own pizza takes the same amount of time as baking a frozen one. You can find pre-made pizza dough in the refrigerated deli section of your grocery store. It's a great way to use up some loose ends in your fridge. You could scatter small chunks of chicken breast, frozen veggies, whatever you like. I've done a BBQ chicken pizza (use bbq sauce instead of marinara), a hard-boiled egg pizza, and a E g g p l a n t & O l i v e p u f f p a s t r y p i z z a. This time I went for a caramelized red onion and bleu cheese pizza. It was fantastic! The crust was perfect and I love those big bubbles in the edges of the pizza. Don't be scared of pizza dough, it's really fun to play with!

Red Onion and Bleu Cheese Pizza
pre-made pizza dough
Half red onion, sliced
Blue cheese crumbles, around 1 cup

1 Preheat oven to its highest temperature, mine is 500 degrees. Take pizza dough out and place on the counter while you prepare remaining ingredients. (hint: pizza dough is always best used a few days after its made)
2 Heat a medium skillet with olive oil and saute red onion until caramelized and wilted, about 10 minutes. You can sprinkle some brown sugar to help the process going.
3 Roll out the dough by gently stretching or using a rolling pin to the desired thickness and size. I kind of go for the odd-sized shape to make it look more homemade. Place on large baking sheet and brush some olive oil and season with a little salt.
3 Scatter the red onions evenly around the pizza, then with the bleu cheese crumbles.
4 Place in oven and bake for 12 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Enjoy!

Sugar-Broiled Grapefruit

2010-04-17T19:10:00.010-04:00

My mom used to make this when we were younger as a quick weeknight dessert. We loved it. It was juicy, sweet, tart and also fun to eat. It was like a scavenger hunt, scraping all the last bits of sweet nectar from the bottom of the grapefruit. My mom crumbled some brown sugar on top and microwaved it. It was still delicious, but I wanted to give it a deeper, smokier flavor. I broiled it in the toaster oven instead and it was great! I think any citrus would work, orange would be especially lovely too. I also sprinkled some sea salt before serving because I was craving a sweet salty flavor. Give this a try as an easy dessert, snack or even breakfast.

Just slice the grapefruit in half, crumble brown sugar over the entire exposed grapefruit and put under the broiler for 10-15 minutes or until caramelized.

Awesome Chickpea Salad

2010-04-16T16:04:00.004-04:00

This is another dish from my mediterranean dinner party menu. I kind of threw this together about 30 minutes before the party, but it ended up being one of my favorite salads of the night!

It is very simple but very flavorful, too. This filling salad has chickpeas, cucumbers, red onion, shredded carrot, mint, parlsey, lemon juice and olive oil — all things that are laying around the kitchen. And of course, you can substitute any of the veggies, or beans for that matter, with whatever you have on-hand. I bet a chopped up hard-boiled egg would be great, too. Plus, not only is it delicious right when you make it, but it is also great the next day, straight out of the fridge for a quick cold lunch or snack. Give it a try!

Chickpea Salad

serves 6

adapted via Martha Stewart

2 cans chickpeas, drained and washed

1 seedless cucumber

1/2 red onion, chopped and soaked in a bowl of water for 20 minutes

3 shredded carrots

3 tablespoons fresh mint

3 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley

1/2 lemon juiced

olive oil

salt 'n' peppa

1 In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix. Combine lemon juice with olive oil, to taste, and season.

2 Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Serve cold, after 30 minutes of letting the dressing meld with the salad, or can be served right away if you are pressed for time. It will still be delicious!

Spinach-Ricotta Stuffed Shells

2010-04-13T19:33:00.004-04:00

These shells were one of the dishes I made for a dinner party the other week. They were deliciously stuffed with clouds of ricotta and spinach and smothered with marinara sauce. They were also especially great because they could be made ahead and frozen until the day of the party. All you do is bake them for 30-40 minutes and they are ready. I will post some other dishes from the party later on this week. In the meantime, enjoy these heavenly stuffed shells!

Spinach-Ricotta Stuffed Shells

1 box jumbo pasta shells

15 oz ricotta cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp dried parsley or 1 tbs fresh parsley

1 tsp dried basil

3/4 cup grated parmesan

salt 'n' peppa

pinch of nutmeg

8 oz mozzarella

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed

2 cups prepared marinara sauce

goat cheese, optional

1 Cook pasta shells al dente, drain and set aside. I drizzled some olive oil on them to prevent them from sticking.

2 Combine ricotta with eggs, parsley, basil, parmesan, salt, nutmeg, half of the mozzarella and spinach.

3 Lay the shells out on a baking sheet and stuff, one by one, with a large spoonful each.

4 Pour half of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish (or two small ones). Then place the stuffed shells on the coated dish. Pour the rest of the sauce over the shells, then sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella on top. (I sprinkled some goat cheese over the mozzarella because I had some leftover that I wanted to finish, completely optional)

At this point, if you want to freeze them, cover with saran wrap, then aluminum and place in the freezer. When ready to bake, place in oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

And the winner is...

2010-04-02T23:53:00.004-04:00

Congratulations hex conduction hour! Thanks for sharing your favorite tool. Please contact me at znachman@gmail.com with your mailing address to claim your prize! :)

Blogiversary giveaway!

2010-04-01T10:06:00.006-04:00

Well, it's been about a year since I've started this blog, can you believe it? It has been so much fun to share photographs and recipes with fellow bloggers who are all so kind and talented. To celebrate this momentous occasion I am having my very first giveaway!!! Of course it had to be cooking/kitchen related because this is a food blog after all!

It is a BergHOFF stainless steel salt shaker and pepper mill set. Isn't it pretty? I loved it when I saw it and thought it was so modern and sleek. They are from allmodern.com. They have an awesome selection of everything from furniture, (even italian brands), to home bars (perfect for entertaining), to kitchen accessories.

One lucky winner will receive this stainless steel salt and pepper mill set (yes, both salt and pepper!) Just leave a comment and tell me what your favorite kitchen gadget is. It can be anything, a tool/pot/knife/teapot/doodad, whatever. Just tell me what ur fave is!

The deadline to enter is tomorrow, Friday by midnight. I will pick a winner randomly. Good luck!!

Adam's Famous Asparagus

2010-03-20T19:31:00.006-04:00

This post has been a long time coming... Ever since valentines day I've been meaning to post about Adam's asparagus that he made me as part of his classic steak dinner. I have never ever had asparagus like this. They are tender, juicy and absolutely delicious. The sauce is made up of 3 ingredients — butter, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. How can you go wrong with that, right? He roasts the asparagus with Jane's mixed up salt seasoning, (read about it here, its fantastic) and olive oil. Then while the asparagus is roasting, he melts the butter and and adds the soy and balsamic and then, my favorite part to watch, pours it over the roasted asparagus. And in case you were wondering, he also served rib-eye steak (my favorite type of steak), sautéed bell peppers with red onions, and creamed spinach. YUM!

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce

1 bunch fresh asparagus (look for thick stalks and closed tips)

olive oil

salt seasoning, to taste

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim ends of asparagus (or snap the ends off) and rinse. Dry the asparagus and lay on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet (we do this in the toaster oven, so we use the smallest baking sheet).

2 Brush asparagus with olive oil and season with salt seasoning, to taste

3 Make sure the asparagus are in one layer and roast for 12 minutes.

4 While the asparagus is in the oven, melt butter in a small saucepan. Then, remove from heat and stir in the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar.

5 Once the asparagus is done roasting, pour the sauce and serve immedietely.

Delicious Carrot Cake

2010-03-14T12:02:00.008-04:00

I had such a craving for carrot cake the other day. Maybe it was the spring-ish weather we've been having. Or maybe it was just that amazingly rich frosting that I needed. Either way, I was going to make it. And I was going to eat it. And that was that.

This cake is a great way to use up a few carrots left in the crisper. The rest of the ingredients were pretty standard but I did add 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt to the batter because I really love a super moist cake. I also cut the sugar in half because I wanted it to be more of a cake you could eat with tea or coffee, rather than a overly sweet dessert. The frosting balanced that out though because it was just the right amount of sweetness. Next time I think I would add 1 or 2 more grated carrots, however this was absolutely delicious, and perfect for the beginning of spring.

Carrot Cake

adapted by The Pioneer Woman

For the Cake:

1 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups grated carrots, finely

For the icing:

1 stick unsalted softened butter

16 oz cream cheese

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup pecans, chopped finely

1 In a large bowl, beat the eggs, oil and sugar together.

2 In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

3 Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat little by little. Add grated carrots to the batter and stir.

4 Pour into a greased 9x13 pyrex and bake 25 minutes.

5 While the cake is in the oven, prepare the icing by creaming the softened butter and cream cheese together. Add sugar and vanilla and blend well. Then, add the pecans and stir throughout. Spread on cooled cake.

Brunch Berries

2010-03-07T16:30:00.004-05:00

I made these white chocolate strawberries for brunch alongside a baby dutch pancake. I originally wasn't going to post this, but this image just makes me so happy. I hope it brightens your Sunday!

Eggplant, Olive & Pesto Pizza

2010-03-02T20:44:00.009-05:00

This doesn't look like just any pizza, does it? Let me tell you that it's not. For one thing, it is jam packed with all things yummy — silky roasted eggplant, garlic spiked roasted tomatoes, salty kalamata olives, buttery pesto (seriously, I licked the spoon and said, out loud, 'omg, that is like butter!'), tangy feta cheese and lots of grated white cheddar (it's all I had left in the fridge). The next thing about this pizza that makes it special is the crust. It is made of puff pastry. Of course I didn't make it from scratch, I defrosted a frozen puff pastry sheet and there was my crust — light, airy and crispy. This crust can work with any toppings you want, how simply and easy!

Eggplant, Olive & Pesto Pizza

1 puff pastry sheet - yields 6 square pieces

3 korean eggplants (they are smaller and narrower than regular american eggplants, but those will work as

well)

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Pinch of cumin

olive oil

1/2 lb grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise

1 garlic, chopped finely

spoonful of pesto (mine is from tj's and is awesome)

shredded cheese, any will work

kalamata olives, pitted

feta cheese

1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take out 1 puff pastry sheet and defrost on the counter, this will take about

40 minutes.

2 Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise and brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with cumin.

Do this with all 6 halves. Broil for about 10 minutes on each side until soft and bruised. (I did this the night before using the

toaster oven and kept the roasted eggplants in the fridge overnight but you can do this the day of as well).

Cube up the eggplant and set aside.

3 Slice up the tomatoes and chopped garlic and mix. Broil for about 5-7 minutes until softened and starting

to break down. (you can broil the eggplant and tomatoes at the same time)

4 Once the puff pastry is defrosted, roll it out a bit thinner and prick with a fork all over. Brush the

outer edge (what will end up the crust) with olive oil and cover the interior with pesto, smoothing with the

back of a large spoon.

5 Next, top with shredded cheese then the eggplant, tomato/garlic mixture, then the olives then the feta and

then top with more shredded cheese!

6 Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Braised Short Ribs & Garlic-Horseradish mashed potatoes

2010-02-28T20:17:00.006-05:00

Braising makes practically anything delectable, even leeks. Remember braised leeks? those were amazing, but this. This is a whole new level of deliciousness. Just imagine fall-off-the-bone flavorful meat with sauce so good you want to slurp with a straw. Oh, and don't let me forget the mashed potatoes. I served them as a bed for the gorgeous short ribs so that each bite would have a bit of tender meat and soft creamy potato. This is truly a fool-proof feast. It's hard to mess up because if you find that the meat is not fall-off-the-bone tender, than you just stick it back in the oven. Please make this. You will not be sorry. I promise.

Braised Short Ribs, serves 2

adapted by Pioneer Woman

4-5 short ribs, bone-in

kosher salt

ground pepper

dried thyme

about 3 carrots, diced

1/2 large onion, diced

1 shallot, diced finely

2 cups red wine

2 cups beef or chicken stock

2 bay leafs

1 Preheat oven to 350. Heat a dutch oven to high heat with a bit of olive oil. Season the short ribs with kosher salt, ground pepper and dried thyme on all sides (if you have fresh thyme, use it). Sear each side of the ribs in the dutch oven until nice and deeply browned, not just gray. Once all the ribs are browned on all sides, remove from the dutch oven onto a plate and let rest.

2 Lower heat to medium high and throw in the diced carrots, onion and shallots into the same dutch oven and cook for about 2 minutes. Raise heat to high and pour in red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up the brown bits of flavor from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil. Pour in the stock and cook for another 2 minutes.

3 Season with salt and pepper and drop in the two bay leaves.

4 Return the short ribs to the pot and cover. Place in the oven for 2 hours. Then lower the heat to 325 and cook another 30 minutes.

5 Remove the dutch oven and let rest, covered, for at least 20 minutes. Once rested, skim fat off with a ladle or large spoon (or refrigerate so that fat solidifies at the top, and then reheat on the stove) and serve on mashed potatoes and spoon plenty of sauce on top.

Garlic-Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

1 When there is about 20 minutes left of braising, cover the peeled and quartered potatoes and garlic cloves with cold water, season with salt and bring to a boil.

2 When potatoes are fork tender, drain in a colander and return the potatoes and garlic cloves to the original pot. While on low heat, add milk, butter and horseradish. With a potato masher, mash all together until smooth and creamy. The garlic cloves will be soft and will mash with the rest of the potato mixture.

3 Spoon half the mashed potatoes on a plate and smooth with the back of the spoon. Serve with two short ribs and spoon more sauce on top to finish.

Apple-Cinnamon Coffee Cake

2010-02-20T19:56:00.004-05:00

I still have apples left, can you believe it? After using some to sauté with cinnamon and butter, I decided to make an apple cinnamon cake with crunchy pecan topping for my mom. Just 'cause. I found a great recipe and I loooove the crunchy topping. It's the best part. I ate the topping and just picked at the cake part, even though it was tasty.

Next time I have apples laying around, I think I will try an apple crisp — more crunch. What's your favorite way to use up apples?

On a side note, don't you love this baking dish? It's so bright and festive. Love it. Always puts me in a good mood when I use it.

Apple-Cinnamon coffee Cake

adapted by my recipes

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk, I used skim

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 cup sliced apples

Streusel

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Stir. In a separate bowl, combine milk, melted butter, vanilla, and egg.

2 Add wet ingredients slowly to the dry and stir until just moist.

3 Pour batter into an 8 or 10 inch baking dish.

4 Arrange sliced apples in a circular pattern on top of the batter.

5 Prepare the streudel by mixing the brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans and cut butter until it resembles clumpy sand.

6 Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter and apples. Bake for 45 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Steamed Mussels in White Wine Broth

2010-02-15T16:06:00.006-05:00

Who here orders steamed mussels in a restaurant because they are amazing? That's what I thought. Most of you do, me included. I love love mussels and the broth is to die for, right? I always sop it up with bread at the end because I don't want any to go to waste. Well, today is your lucky day because I found out it is so easy to make at home! And it tastes the same as in the restaurant, I swear! The most important thing is to buy them fresh from a seafood counter, one that you trust. I bought mine from Wholefoods and guess what? They are not expensive! I bought 2 lbs for me and Adam as a late lunch, and that was plenty, for $6 and some change. It really is easy and inexpensive, but impressive. I may even prepare mussels as an appetizer for guests, that's how easy and delicious it is. The next most important thing is cleaning them well before steaming. I covered them in a large bowl with cold water and left them for 20 minutes. This way all the dirt and grit falls to the bottom of the bowl. Then you have to debeard them, which sounds weird, but mussels have excess vegetation that grows within the shell and they kinda stick out from the shell. They look like stringy, well, beards. So you have to pull each one out before you cook them. Then comes the fun part! Steam for 10 minutes and then you're done. You are left with a lovely broth, I made mine with white wine, chicken stock, shallots, butter and olive oil. Oh, and a squeeze of lemon juice. This resulted in A LOT of broth, even too much for me, so next time I may cut back on the chicken broth.

Steamed Mussels in White Wine Broth

adapted by inspired taste

2 lbs mussels (think 1 lb per person)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup chicken broth (maybe 1/2 cup is better?)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

lemon wedge

1 Place mussels in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for 20 minutes until all grit and dirt fall to the bottom of the bowl. After that, de-beard the mussels by pulling out the excess vegetation and discard. If any of the mussels are open, discard.

2 In a large pot heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Stir in shallots until softened, then garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in white wine, chicken broth and drained mussels.

3 Cover pot and steam over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

4 Serve immediately with chopped parsley and squeeze of lemon juice. I also added a pat of butter to swirl in at the end. YUM!

Sautéed Apples with Butter and Cinnamon

2010-02-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

I bought a big bag of red delicious apples and besides eating them whole as a snack I wanted to make something with the remaining 3 I had left. Then cracker barrel popped in my head, as it often does, and I thought "sautéed apples!" I peeled and sliced up the 3 apples I had, sauteed them with butter until soft, then seasoned with cinnamon. You see that brown sugary syrup in the pan? That's the good stuff you want. MMM-mmm. It was a nice little side dish or can even be served as dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Delicious, fast and versatile!

Soft sliced apples with butter and cinnamon

3 apples, any type, peeled and sliced

1-2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Heat a skillet over medium high heat and throw in the sliced apples and butter. Sauté until soft, about 3 minutes.

2 Season with cinnamon, stir and serve!

Chicken Pot Pie-less

2010-02-04T15:14:00.008-05:00

This is my second chicken pot pie I made in two weeks. Why? Two reasons – because it is sooo good and comforting in this cold weather and easy to just heat up for lunch and because I roasted 2 birds. I have no idea why I roasted two birds at once, but it ended up working out because I got two of these chicken pot pie's out of them. Thats how good they were. This is a perfect way to use up leftover roast chicken. It's hot, saucy and packed with carrots and peas as well. Instead of using actual pie crust, I was lazy and just whipped some yukon gold potatoes as a topping. The original recipe by Martha used phyllo dough instead of heavy pie crust which would have been wonderful but I didn't have any in the freezer, so the mashed potatoes were a perfect alternative. It's kind of like a shepherds pie but instead of ground meat there's chicken. You can either poach a whole bird or use any leftover chicken you have and hand-shred it. You don't need a whole bird for this recipe. There's lots of ways to use up leftover chicken — chicken quesadillas, chicken salad, bbq chicken sandwiches, and of course chicken pot pie-less!

Chicken Pot Pie-less 1 tablespoon butter
2 medium shallots
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and peppa
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons flour
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
leftover roast chicken, shredded
3 tablespoons parsley
1/2 cup slightly thawed frozen peas
3-4 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 Preheat oven to 425. Cover your peeled quartered potatoes with cold salted water and bring to a boil.
2 Meanwhile, melt butter in saucepan and soften the shallots, garlic, salt and pepper over medium heat. Cook until all the flavors are melded together and pour in 1 cup of the chicken stock. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock into the flour in a separate bowl. Whisk into shallot mixture and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, will thicken.
2 Add carrots into the saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in shredded chicken to coat and return to a boil.
3 Remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley and peas. Transfer to a baking casserole dish.
4 While the chicken mixture is cooling, drain your potatoes and mash them up until smooth. Season again with salt and pepper. You can use a hand beater too for extra creaminess.
5 Spread the mashed potatoes over the chicken mixture in one even layer. Using a fork, make peaks in the potatoes by dragging the tines of the fork in large sweeping circles. Pop into the oven until the mashed potatoes are golden brown.

Pasta Carbonara

2010-02-04T14:31:00.006-05:00

Ok, I've never had pasta carbonara. Never made it at home and never had it in a restaurant either. Why has no one told me how amazing this is?! I have heard of it, but I guess I ruled it out because I don't eat bacon. Enter turkey bacon. Thank goodness for these strips of smoked salty turkey because this is by far the best pasta dish I have ever made. Even better than my favorite. Now, its not as fast and easy as my favorite pasta, there are a few steps involved, BUT it is soo worth it. Oh my gosh, it was so good – garlicky, creamy, cheesy, smoky, slurps through your lips. Mmmm. Please make this. It is absolutely ridiculously heavenly delicious!

Pasta Carbonara

adapted by Pastor Ryan via Pioneer Woman

1 lb angel hair pasta

4 eggs

a couple strips of turkey bacon, or the real thing

1 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for garnish

8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 small onion

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup white wine or dry vermouth

handful of parsley, I didn't have any fresh so I sprinkled some dried parsley

ground pepper

1 Slice up your turkey bacon and cook in a medium skillet until browned and crispy. While the bacon is cooking, heat a big pot of salted water for your pasta. When it comes to a boil, add your pasta and cook until al-dente. I used angel hair, which is very thin, so it cooks fast so be sure to watch it if using angel hair.

2 Remove and drain turkey bacon on a paper towel. Meanwhile, throw in diced onion into the same pan and cook until softened over medium high heat.

3 Thinly slice the garlic and throw in with the onions. Cook together for a few minutes and remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

4 Now, drain off any grease from the pan and return it to high heat until starts to smoke a little. Pour in white wine and whisk to get all the juicy bits stuck on the pan, thereby deglazing the pan. Add 1 cup chicken stock. Return the turkey bacon and onions and garlic back to the pan and bring to a simmer.

5 In a large bowl big enough for all of the pasta, crack 4 eggs and add the freshly grated parmesan cheese and parsley. Stir all together.

6 Drain the pasta. Be sure the pasta is very hot. Pour pasta into the egg mixture and then pour the turkey-bacon onion mixture. Mix all together and toss well. Tongs work well here. Garnish with more parmesan and parsley and get ready to taste heaven.

Dulce De Leche Chocolate Pudding

2010-02-02T19:38:00.005-05:00

Let me warn you now, if you have an aversion to chocolate or sweets please continue to scroll down to another recipe because were entering a rich thick dark chocolate zone. Seriously, this thick pudding is really rich so I served it with some berries to tone it down. Ice cream could be nice as well. A spoonful of pudding and berry – I was in heaven. The sliced almonds were also a nice crunchy texture against the smooth and creamy pudding. I had recently found some dulce de leche (in bar form) at the hispanic section of my farmer's market so I wanted to incorporate it into this pudding. Hey, some dulce de leche couldn't hurt anyone, right? So I finally found a recipe that combined both sweets and it was deeeelicious. I served them in individual ramekins and even had some left over for a quick snack. I urge you to spoil yourself and make this chocolate pudding asap. You don't even have to share it with anyone. I won't tell.

Dulce De Leche Chocolate Pudding

adapted by Cafe fernando

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups half 'n half

6 oz dark chocolate, I used 70% cacao, coarsely chopped

1 cup store bought dulce de leche, in bar form not liquid

sliced almonds, for garnish

1 Combine cornstarch and sugar in a large heatproof bowl.

2 Slowly whisk in milk and place the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water and stir, scraping the sides and bottom.

3 After the mixture thickens, about 20 minutes, add 6 oz of chocolate into bowl and continue stirring until smooth and thick.

4 Add dulce de leche and stir until melted.

5 Strain through a mesh strainer into individual ramekins (this took a while) and let cool until room temperature.

6 Top with sliced almonds and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with fresh berries or ice cream.

Potato Salad

2010-01-31T15:09:00.004-05:00

This is yet another recipe from A Homemade Life. I know potato salad is usually for warmer weather, but who says you can't have it as a side dish next to say, pot roast? It is filling and delicious. The recipe called for hard-boiled eggs but I didn't feel like doing all that. I added coarse ground mustard to the ranch and mayo dressing, as well as dried dill because I didn't have any fresh on hand. It was truly delicious and even better the next day! I used baby Yukon gold potatoes, aren't they pretty? They almost shimmer underwater.

You can bookmark this recipe for the summertime or make it with your next roast! Enjoy!

Potato Salad

1 lb baby potatoes, scrubbed (I sliced some lengthwise and half wise just to change it up)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup mayo

4 tablespoons ranch

1 tablespoon coarse ground mustard

2 tablespoons fresh dill, or 1 tablespoon dried

1 Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until potatoes are tender when pierced, about 15-20 minutes.

2 Drain them and set aside to cool.

3 Slice the potatoes however you like and put in a large bowl.

4 In a small bowl stir together the mayo, ranch, mustard and dill. Pour dressing over the potatoes and stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate overnight if serving next day.

Pot Roast

2010-01-28T20:48:00.004-05:00

This is my first pot roast, however, pot roast as I found out, is basically braising meat over low heat over a long period of time. I've mostly braised brisket or short ribs, but this time I used a cut of meat that was foreign to me – eye round roast. I've always seen it at the grocery store but never cooked with it. It's a somewhat tougher piece of meat and that's why it must be cooked long and low. Long and low –yummm. The meat was tender and falling apart at some parts, especially the bottom. I love the fallen apart saucy mess at the bottom of the crock pot, I usually eat that first while slurping up the sauce.

This recipe has very minimal ingredients: water, red wine, soy sauce, sliced onions and brown sugar. Oh and garlic, can't forget that. Mine came out a tiny bit salty because I salted the meat and added soy sauce, which already constitutes enough salt. So, don't salt your meat beforehand. All you do is dump the water, red wine, soy sauce, onions and brown sugar in the crock pot with the meat, set on low and 10 hours later you will have a saucy roast beef. It is best eaten the next day, but the day of is fine as well.

Pot Roast

2.5 - 3 lbs eye, top or bottom round roast

1 cup red wine

1 cup soy sauce

1 cup water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves

1 Slice onion into half moon slices and throw it in the bottom of the crock pot. Take one of the garlic cloves and slice very thin, put aside. Mince the other clove and throw in with the onions.

2 Pour in the wine, water, soy sauce and brown sugar over the onions and garlic.

3 Pierce a few slits around the meat and insert the garlic slices in each one.

4 Drop the meat in and cover. Set on low for 8- 10 hours.

Banana Bread with Chocolate

2010-01-23T11:06:00.004-05:00

I recently bought "The Homemade Life" by Molly Wizenberg, the author of the blog Orangette. I was a big fan of her blog – simple photos, interesting compositions and witty writing. The book was no disappointment. Her recipes are woven throughout memories of her father and family. 've had banana bread before, but never like this. It is so moist, delicate and it doesn't scream banana, it is mild and delicious. This particular recipe originally included ginger, but I'm not a huge fan so I left it out. This was really easy, even for me, and lasts up to 5 days, covered in aluminum foil on the counter. It is especially yummy heated up in the toaster for breakfast. If you try it with ginger, let me know how it goes! Enjoy!

Banana Bread with Chocolate

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups unbleached flour

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, or chocolate bar broken up into shards

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas, about 3 bananas

1/4 cup well-stirred whole milk plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a standard loaf pan (9x5 in) with cooking spray.

2 Melt butter in the microwave. Set aside.

3 In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the chocolate and whisk well to combine.

4 In a separate bowl, lightly beat the the eggs. Add the mashed banana, yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir to mix well.

5 Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently. Do not overmix, but there should be no unincorporated flour.

6 Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

7 Bake 50 minutes to an hour until the loaf is a deep shade of golden brown. Cool the loaf for 5 minutes. Let it cool completely before slicing.

Note: Molly says this bread freezes very well, wrap it in plastic wrap and then again in aluminum foil.

Lemon-Scented Rice with Lentils & Sautéed Onions

2010-01-17T11:53:00.014-05:00

I love rice. But, I find that I don't eat it as much as I would like, probably because it is shoved in the back of the pantry and I never think to make it. When I was in Israel, I ordered a delicious meat platter — I don't remember what type of meat— and it came with this amazing rice. Soft buttery white rice dotted with lentils and sautéed onions. It was such a delight to eat. The memory popped into my head the other day and I decided to recreate it at home. I ate it as a hot snack on a cold rainy day and it was the most satisfying bowl of rice. I adapted it slightly and added lemon juice and lemon zest for more zing in the rice. This is a great side to quickly heat up for a weekday meal or lunch — and It's even better the next day.

Lemon-Scented Rice with Lentils & Sautéed Onions

1 cup basmati rice, or any rice you choose : 2 cups water

1/2 onion, chopped

1 cup green lentils : 3 cups water

1/2 lemon juice and zest

Parsley sprigs as garnish, optional

1 Wash rice under cold water until water runs clear. Bring 2 cups salted water to a boil. Add rice and bring back to a boil, cover.

2 While the rice is boiling, bring another saucepan with 3 cups water to a boil. Add lentils and bring back to a boil.

3 Both will take about 20 minutes until tender and all the water is absorbed.

4 Heat a small skillet with olive oil and sauté the chopped onions until golden. Place onions on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

5 When all ingredients are ready, let cool and mix in the onions into the rice and stir well. Spoon some lentils into the rice and stir. I like more rice than lentils but you can choose whatever ratio you like.

6 Zest 1/2 a lemon into the rice mixture, along with its juice. Stir all together.

Serve with other half of lemon and parsley sprigs optional.

OMG! Cinnabon Cake!

2010-01-12T21:28:00.013-05:00

For some reason I've been gravitating toward baking recipes more and more. Ever since I made churros last week, I was like "Hm. I could do this!" I realize the churros recipe last week was a simple recipe but it was huge for me. I think it's because I am buying new cookbooks and I always ignore the last third of the book – the dessert/baking chapter. It would be a waste of money not to use the whole book, right? Right. Well, I am definitely taking baby steps into the baking world and this cinnabon bread is the perfect recipe for an amateur baker like me. It was featured on kitchn.com, blogged by Framed. Since I looooove cinnabons, it instantly caught my eye. I'm so glad it ended up being a relatively simple and easy recipe (and I had most of the ingredients on hand, too!) This tastes exactly like a cinnabon you would have at the mall, icing and all! ooey gooey cinnamon-y delicious! Instead of individual cinnabons, it is one big cinnabon cake you can cut into and serve warm, drizzled with icing. Perfect for guests, if you don't eat it all first!

Cinnabon Bread

1 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

4 tsp active dry yeast

2/3 cup warm milk

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

Cinnamon topping

3 tbsp butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tbsp milk

1. Lightly butter a 8x8 round or square baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt,

3. In a measuring cup, warm the milk and dissolve the yeast in the warmed milk. Stir in the vegetable oil, vanilla extract and egg into the same measuring cup and into the flour mixture.

4. Mix until smooth and pour into prepared dish. Let rest for 15 minutes.

5. While the dough rests, mix together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl until crumbly (I used my hand to mix together).

6. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the dough and press lightly down into the dough.

7. Place pan into a cold oven and heat it to 350F. Bake for 30 minutes until set.

8. Cool for at least 30 minutes before whisking the icing.

9. Serve warm with lost of icing!

Pasta with Mushroom Cream Sauce

2010-01-11T19:26:00.005-05:00

I haven't posted a pasta dish for a long time, but don't worry I've still been eating it regularly– my favorite way, of course. I've also been eating a lot of mushrooms lately. Mainly just sauteed in butter with shallots –yum! I thought to add these indulgent flavors in a cream sauce over pasta. I used shiitake, but any mushrooms or a combination of mushrooms, would work. This was such an easy and quick sauce to make — just melt some butter, saute some minced shallots until softened, throw in the chopped mushrooms, pour in the half and half or cream, season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese. By the time your pasta is cooked, the sauce is ready. Enjoy!!

Pasta with Mushroom Cream Sauce

2 tablespoon butter

1 shallot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 8 oz package of shiitake mushrooms, or any variety, roughly chopped

1 cup half and half

salt 'n' peppa

1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Pasta of your choice, cooked al dente

1 Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat with shallots until softened. Add in minced garlic.

2 Throw in the mushrooms and cook until golden and soft. Pour in the cream, make sure the heat isn't too high, you don't want to boil the cream.

3 Season with salt and pepper to taste. Throw in the parsley and stir.

4 Pour over pasta of your choice and garnish with fresh parmesan cheese!

I am sending this pasta dish over to ascientistinthekitchen for presto pasta night!

Smoked Paprika & Parmesan Grilled Fries

2010-01-06T20:30:00.006-05:00

The first time I made grown up fries on my george foreman grill, I used olive oil, sea salt and oregano and fresh thyme. This time I went a spicier route with smoked paprika. Have I mentioned how much I love this spice? It is similar to paprika but much bolder and smokier, especially delicious when used on roast chicken. I was sure the smoky flavor would pair perfectly with my grilled fries. I didn't use measurements on this side dish, just threw a bunch of stuff together in a bowl and tossed. On top of the golden fries, I grated lots of fresh parmesan cheese. YUMMM! Crispy, smoky and cheesy. I couldn't get enough!

Smoked Paprika & Parmesan Grilled Fries
3 Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin medium wedges
olive oil, enough to coat
smoked paprika, enough to coat
salt 'n' peppa
fresh parmesan, grated

1 Heat your george foreman grill to High.
2 In a large bowl, toss peeled and sliced potatoes with some olive oil, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
3 Arrange potatoes in one even layer and close the grill. Grill time will take about 20 minutes, until there are grill marks.
4 Garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese

Churros

2010-01-02T17:52:00.008-05:00

I recently found this recipe on a new blog, the sophisticated gourmet. The photos brought me back to disney world where I last had churros, about 15 years ago. I loved the crunchy cinnamon/sugar crust on the hot tender doughnut. Did you know churros are spanish doughnuts? I didn't. Anyways, I know I hate to bake but this was the type of baking I could actually pull off. It has minimal ingredients and I happened to have all the ingredients in my pantry – except ground cinnamon, which was strange, so I grated some whole cinnamon sticks instead and it turned out absolutely delectable. The only difference between disney churros and mine were the insides. Mine turned out more custardy than airy, but it was still very good. This recipe only made 6 or 7 churros, depending on how short you cut them, so they were gone pretty quickly. These were pretty simple to make, even for an amateur baker like me, so give it a try!

Churros

1/2 cup water

1 oz salted butter

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 cup flour

1 large egg at room temperature

vegetable oil for frying

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 Bring water, butter, 1 tablespoon sugar and lemon zest to a boil in a medium saucepan.

2 Remove from heat and stir in the flour, return to heat, and continue to stir until a smooth ball forms. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for a few minutes.

3 With a mixer, I used a handheld, on medium speed add the egg and continue to beat until a smooth, about 2 minutes.

4 Heat 2 inches of oil in a pan until hot but not smoking. You can flick some flour in the oil to see if it sizzles, if it does than the oil is hot enough.

5 While the oil is heating, mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.

6 Spoon the dough into a pastry bag, I used a gallon ziploc bag and snipped the tip. Hold the bag a few inches above the hot oil and pipe a few lines, as short or as long as you'd like. I didn't try and make them look perfect. You can always cut them later if they are too long.

7 Fry the churros until golden brown, turning only once. Drain oil off on a paper towel and roll in the prepared cinnamon sugar mixture.

Fried Egg Sandwich – the perfect hangover breakfast

2010-01-01T16:36:00.009-05:00

I recently bought the Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics and once I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it. New years day was the perfect opportunity after a long night of celebrating until 4 am! I surprisingly woke up at a reasonable hour, and this was exactly what I needed — fried cheesy bread topped with a fried egg. I used multigrain bread instead of white because thats what I had at home. I also used sharp white cheddar instead of gruyere or fontina, and arugula instead of fresh oregano. This sandwich is easily adaptable to whatever you have lying around the kitchen, so be creative! That's the beauty of sandwiches after all.

Fried Egg Sandwich

serves 2

4 slices of bread, I kept the crusts on but you can cut them off if you'd like

3 eggs

splash of milk

a few slices of white cheddar

a few arugula leaves

salt and pepper

chives optional

1 Prepare two sandwiches with a few slices of cheddar, some leaves of arugula, and salt and pepper.

2 In a small bowl, whisk 1 egg with a splash of milk. Heat a pan with olive oil over medium heat.

3 Dip the two sandwiches into the egg mixture and let the excess drip. Pan fry the two sandwiches until golden brown and the cheese is melted. Set sandwiches aside on plates.

4 Crack the two remaining eggs into the pan, until the white is set but the yolks are still runny.

5 Top the sandwiches with the fried eggs and serve. Garnish with chives (optional)

Pomegranate Salad with Soy Vinegar Dressing

2009-12-31T15:47:00.006-05:00

I think this is the first real salad I have posted on here. I have posted a dressing, but never a whole salad. This is my favorite type of salad because it is quick and easy to prepare, no veggies to chop, just throw the greens in a bowl and you're done. For this particular salad I used pomegranate seeds as a garnish – super tasty and juicy. The dressing has a surprise ingredient – soy sauce – which adds just a touch of saltiness. I'll also show you a trick to opening up and seeding pomegranates too, my mom taught it to me. Its genius!

How to cut and open a pomegranate:

Step 1: Cut the pomegranate into quarters with a sharp knife.

Step 2: Fill a large bowl 3/4 of the way with water. Immerse one of the quarters into the water.

Step 3: While holding the pomegranate quarter underwater, begin to scoop out the seeds with your thumb, in the direction towards the bottom of the bowl, not up into your face. They will slip off pretty easily. You can break up the quarters further if you need to. The reason for the water is so that the rest of your kitchen won't be splattered with red juice everywhere. This way, it is contained underwater and is very easy to cleanup.

Step 4: Once you have finished removing all of the seeds from the pomegranate, pour the water and seeds over the strainer into the sink so that the seeds are kept inside. This can be done ahead of time and kept refrigerated once you are ready to assemble the salad.

Soy Vinegar Dressing

adapted from white on rice couple

1/2 garlic clove

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tsp dijon mustard

splash of soy sauce

ground pepper

1.5-2 tablespoons olive oil

Greens, I used a spring mix but arugula or spinach would work fine.

1 In a large bowl, rub the cut side of the garlic clove all around the bottom and sides of the bowl. This will add the hint of garlic once the salad is dressed.

2 Whisk together all the ingredients except the olive oil.

3 Drizzle in the olive oil in a thin steady stream, whisking all the time. Taste to see if it needs more olive oil or seasoning.

4 Throw some greens in the same bowl as the dressing and using tongs, coat the leaves with the dressing. Top with pomegranate seeds.

Roasted Corn Pudding in Acorn Squash

2009-12-27T19:18:00.003-05:00

This is another delicious, yet timely, recipe from Heidi at 101cookbooks. Sometimes it just feels good to eat vegetarian for an appetizer or meal. I served this as an appetizer; me and Adam each devoured half of the acorn squash and still had corn pudding left over.

I poured the remaining corn pudding into ramekins and baked them in the oven along with the squash — they are great as a snack the next day. My squash didn't brown like Heidi's did, but it was soft nonetheless. This recipe takes a while but is great for a lazy sunday afternoon because you don't really have to do much. Just set the timer and let the oven do the rest. This might be considered more of a fall dish, but hey, the market had tons of acorn squash and fresh corn and I couldn't resist!

Roasted Corn Pudding in Acorn Squash

adapted by 101cookbooks

1 small acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup milk

1 egg plus 2 egg whites

1/2 cup fresh corn, I added a bit more

1/2 cup chopped scallions

pinch of nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shredded white cheddar

1 Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Rub the interior flesh of the squash with olive oil, place cut side up on baking pan and cover each half with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes. (make sure the squash sits flat and doesn't tilt, or else the filling will make a mess)

2 In a bowl combine milk, corn, eggs, nutmeg, salt and half of scallions.

3 Fill the squash 3/4 of the way with the corn mixture and carefully place back into the oven, uncovered. Continue baking for 30 minutes or until squash is tender and pudding is set.

4 Once baked, sprinkle inner cavity with cheddar and switch the oven to broil. Watch it carefully so the cheese only melts and does not burn.

5 Serve with remaining scallions.

Baked Eggs with Spinach

2009-12-26T12:06:00.000-05:00

This was our dinner the other night.

Jealous?

You should be. Breakfast for dinner is my idea of the ultimate comfort food. The first time I made baked eggs at home, it was with tomatoes and onions. This time I opted for a spinach version, mainly because I had a lonely bag of spinach in the fridge ... and it was absolutely delicious. I served it with a dinner roll and the meal was surprisingly filling. This would be a great brunch dish for guests because it is not as time sensitive as scrambled eggs or omelets. This a sinfully delicious egg dish that will definitely be added to the repertoire, for brunch or dinner!

Baked Eggs with Spinach

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

9 oz bag of fresh spinach

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup half and half

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

4 eggs

shredded parmesan

1 Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2 Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a heavy oven proof skillet. Add half the spinach and toss until wilted. Add remaining spinach, toss, cover and cook for 2 minutes until tender. Drain in a colander and cool with cold water. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can (I did this with my hands) and roughly chop.

3 Wipe the skillet dry and melt butter over low heat with onions and garlic until softened. Stir in cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg and chopped spinach. Stir and remove from heat. Here, I transfered the spinach mixture to a casserole dish but you can leave it in the skillet if you'd like. Make 4 indentations in the spinach and crack four eggs in those indentations.

4 Bake uncovered for 7-10 minutes until whites are set. Lightly season with salt and pepper and parmesan cheese when done.

Late Latkes

2009-12-20T21:59:00.004-05:00

I know Hanukkah is over, but I haven't gotten a chance to post my favorite Hanukkah treat – Latkes!! Even though Hanukkah ended on friday, you can still enjoy latkes all year round. My grandmother prepares latkes all the time, sometimes as an appetizer. They are soooo good and everyone loves them. The toppings are where people have differing tastes. I am a sour cream girl. I love the cool cream on top of the hot crispy potato cake. Adam has to pair his latkes with applesauce (gross!) and some even like to mix sour cream with applesauce together (blech!) Toppings aside, these are a snack/side dish/appetizer everyone will love!

Latkes

4 potatoes, serves 2-3

1 egg, beaten

salt and pepper

vegetable oil

1 Peel the potatoes and grate with the largest grater hole over a large bowl.

2 Once the potatoes are grated, place them in a clean dish towel, and roll them up jelly roll style and squeeze out the excess liquid. The drier the potato shreds, the less likely they are to burn.

3 Once the potato shreds are as dry as you can get them, put them back in the large bowl and mix in the beaten egg, salt and pepper. Mix well throughout.

4 Heat a medium pan over medium high heat. Pour the canola oil, enough to cover entire pan.

5 Drop in the potato mixture by the spoonful into the hot oil. If the potatoes do not sizzle once they touch the oil, the pan is not hot enough. Work in batches, don't overcrowd the pan.

6 Once the potato cakes are golden brown, flip on the other side and cook until golden. Place on a paper towel to drain the excess oil and continue working in batches.

French Onion Soup

2009-12-20T21:10:00.003-05:00

Have you ever had french onion soup out at a restaurant and you loved it so much but never thought you could ever make it as good at home? Well, this recipe definitely will prove you wrong. I am confident when I say, that this recipe is even better than most restaurant french onion soups. It is Julia Child's recipe, who is the master of french cooking. I know it usually it served with giant croutons and melted cheese, but trust me it isn't a necessity. Can you guess what the secret ingredient is?

That's right. Cognac. It really transforms this soup from great to amazing. If you have it, you must use it here. If you don't, the soup will still be great but you'll be missing out!! I served this soup for my mom's birthday dinner and in all the hectic preparation, I forgot to put in the 3 tablespoons of cognac right before serving (gasp!!) So, I brought the cognac to the table and everyone passed it around, dropping a teaspoon in each of their bowls of soup. It was actually fun! I love home style meals where you serve yourself sauce, pass around sides, and main dishes are served table side, its much more intimate. Anyways, back to the recipe. Make this. ASAP!

French Onion Soup

5 cups thinly sliced yellow onions

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups beef stock

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup water, optional

1/2 cup dry white wine, or dry white vermouth

3 tablespoons cognac, right before serving

1 Cook the onions with oil and butter, covered, over medium heat for about 15 minutes.

2 Uncover, stir in the sugar and salt and cook for about 35 minutes, stirring frequently. The onions will turn a deep deep golden brown.

3 While the onions are cooking, in a separate saucepan, add the beef and chicken stock and bring to a boil. I found that the soup was a bit too salty for my taste, so I added a cup of water but it depends on your taste. If you used low sodium stock than I don't think you need the water.

4 While the stock is boiling, sprinkle the flour onto the onions and stir until absorbed.

5 Add in the boiling stock, wine and season to taste. Simmer partially covered for 30 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the cognac. Or, bring it to the table for some fun!

Baked Mashed Potatoes

2009-12-13T22:49:00.003-05:00

I've been on a major potato kick lately because of Hanukah, and guess what? I'm loving every minute of it. Potato latkes are my favorite Hanukah treat, I will post them up soon but we eat them too fast for me to photograph them! I'm sure I'll make another zillion latkes this week so hopefully I'll be able to snap some photos. For a change, I decided to make creamy mashed potatoes baked in individual ramekins. The tops were golden and crisp because of the breadcrumbs and creamy and smooth on the inside. This is a great side dish to any meat or fish — and easy!

Baked Mashed Potatoes

serves 2

4 Potatoes, peeled

salt and pepper

1 cup hot milk, heated in the microwave

Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, just enough to sprinkle on the tops

1 Peel the potatoes and immerse in a pot of cold water, enough to completely cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil ,cook for about 20 minutes until fork tender.

2 Drain potatoes and throw in to a large bowl, season with salt and pepper. With the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher, mash the potatoes until there are no clumps or bumps. Pour splashes of hot milk while you are smoothing out the potatoes, a little bit at a time, until completely smooth.

3 Fill ramekins with mashed potatoes, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake in the oven (I used the toaster oven) until tops are golden brown.

A French Snack

2009-12-07T18:28:00.005-05:00

Have you ever heard of this snack? Baguette, slathered with butter, topped with radish slices and finished off with some sea salt? I've been seeing it around lately and decided I should see what all the hoopla is about. Apparently, it is a very popular snack or appetizer in France alongside a glass of white wine. My verdict? Very tasty, however I wasn't overwhelmed. It was great but I don't see myself preparing it again anytime soon. Compared to my favorite snack, I think mine wins! No recipe here, I think the photo is pretty self explanatory.

Now, guess what else! You see that fluffy bread in the photo? Well..... I made it! I baked my very own bread. I feel so accomplished :) I followed the "no-knead" bread baking recipe step-by-step, and it turned out fantastic! Here is the site I followed. No bread machine required, just time and a dutch oven (I used my crock pot bowl) and whoala! This is what came out of the oven:

Isn't it pretty? The crust is crispy and crunchy while the inside is moist and soft. I think next time I will add a little more salt. I can't wait to try other types of breads, like olive and sun dried tomato. Please check out the website and you'll be amazed at what a little time and yeast creates! One tip, make sure to use Instant yeast, otherwise it won't rise as needed. Let me know how it goes!

Kale: two ways

2009-12-01T21:45:00.005-05:00

Kale is a wonderful thing, did you know that? It is a versatile green that can be used in anything from soups to casseroles or just as is. Were going to focus on how to prepare kale as is — pure, green and delicious!

I usually cook down some spinach as a green side dish, but I decided to switch it up when i spotted some kale at the farmers market. I cooked it the same exact way I prepare spinach — just throw it in a pan, stir in minced garlic, cook until barely wilted, and top with parmesan cheese. It's slightly tougher than spinach, but still very tasty. And pretty, see you how bright green it is? This is definitely a quick easy side dish for any occasion.

Garlicky Kale

olive oil

kosher salt

1 bunch kale

2 cloves garlic, minced

parmesan, optional

1 Remove center stalks and wash leaves very well to remove any dirt. Tear or roughly chop the leaves.

2 Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat with salt and throw in the kale. Stir in the garlic and combine throughout.

3 Cook, stirring, until bright green until soft but not wilted. Top with grated or shredded parmesan cheese if you'd like.

-------------------

Another way to prepare kale is to pop 'em in the oven and...whoala! Kale chips! They crisp up perfectly and taste like a salty chip, only healthy. Give this a try and I promise you won't be able to stop snacking!

Kale chips

1 bunch kale

olive oil

sea salt

1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove tough center stalks and wash leaves very well from any dirt. Tear into bite size pieces.

2 Arrange kale leaves in a baking pan, drizzle with olive oil and sea salt.

3 Bake for about 20 minutes until crisp. Add more salt if needed.

Quick Roasted Potato Slices

2009-11-30T22:19:00.002-05:00

Crunchy around the edges yet soft and tender in the center – the perfect roast potato. This is yet another quick and easy way to serve my favorite side dish. It takes about 15 minutes with just 4 ingredients – Potatoes, olive oil, salt, and paprika. I used a mandolin to slice the potatoes very thin (be careful with that blade!), tossed with the remaining 3 ingredients, and let the oven do the rest.

Roasted Potato Slices

3 russet potatoes

olive oil

paprika

salt

1 Prepare a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and preheat oven to 500 degrees.

2 Wash the potatoes and use a mandolin to slice them thin.

3 Lay potatoes in a single layer, some overlap is ok; brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and paprika.

4 Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Easy Eggplant & Olive Tomato Sauce

2009-11-14T22:01:00.004-05:00

I know that I've said my favorite way to eat pasta is plain with olive oil and feta, but this is one of the few sauces I will tolerate in my pasta, other than this one. It is a wonderful sauce that takes less than 30 minutes to make. It is especially excellent over rigatoni, a wide tube-shaped pasta, where the chunks of tomato and eggplant nestle inside the pasta tube for the perfect bite — yumm! It has greek flavors because of the olives which provide the perfect amount of salt to balance the sweetness of the tomatoes. I can't remember if I used capers or not in this sauce, but if you happen to have it in the fridge, pop 'em in!

I know I just posted an eggplant recipe but I just found this deep in my photo folder and had to share it asap!

Eggplant & Olive Tomato Sauce

1 medium sized eggplant, cubed

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cans fire roasted tomatoes with garlic (be sure to look for the one with garlic, it adds tons of flavor)

Green or black olives, kalamata work great too

salt 'n' peppa

1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cube up the eggplant and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes until tender.

2 While the eggplant is roasting, prepare a saucepan over medium heat and saute the diced onions until translucent.

3 Dump the two cans of tomatoes, sauce and all, and stir. Add in the olives and simmer until heated through.

4 When the eggplant is tender, put them in the sauce pan and give a good stir.

Serve on pasta with grated parmesan cheese.

Bite-sized Eggplant & Goat Cheese Appetizers

2009-11-09T19:55:00.004-05:00

These baby Indian eggplants are so cute! And even better, bite sized! Ok, maybe two-bite sized but nonetheless a great size for an appetizer. I washed and cut the eggplants lengthwise, leaving the stem so that it is easy to pick up and bite. I brushed them with an olive oil, garlic and paprika marinade and roasted them in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. Afterwards, I spooned some goat cheese on top. I didn't do anything fancy with how I put it on, I felt that it looks more natural and homestyle just slapped on. Just pick it up by the stem and take a bite of the warm roasted garlicky eggplant paired with the cool soft goat cheese...mmmmm. Enjoy!

Indian Eggplant & Goat Cheese appetizers

6-8 indian eggplants

5 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tsp paprika

goat cheese

salt

1 Wash eggplants and cut lengthwise. Salt and let sit for 15 minutes.

2 Prepare a bowl with some olive oil, garlic and paprika. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and brush the garlic olive oil onto the open face of the eggplants. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes and don't let the garlic burn.

3 Once the eggplants are soft, prepare a platter and scoop some refrigerated goat cheese onto the eggplants. Sprinkle with salt, pick up by the stem and bite!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

2009-11-08T19:02:00.002-05:00

I've been on a 101cookbooks kick lately. Heidi's recipes are so simple, healthy and delicious ever time. I wanted a healthy version of a classic lunch style soup — Broccoli cheddar soup. Potatoes are normally used to give a thicker consistency as an alternative to cream, as this recipe does. This is a must for your fall soup collection and a great way to get your veggies in. In the photo above I used mozzarella cheese as a topping because I used all my cheddar for the actual soup, but if you have cheddar leftover use it!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup- I omitted the croutons

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large potato, peeled and cubed

2 cloves garlic, minced

3.5 cups broth

1 large head broccoli cut into small florets (I used two small ones)

2/3 cup cheddar, shredded

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1 Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot, saute the onions until softened with some salt. Stir in the potatoes, cover and cook for about 4 minutes until tender.

2 Uncover, stir in the garlic and stock. Bring to a boil and stir in the broccoli. Simmer for about 5 minutes until tender.

3 Remove the soup from heat and blend with an immersion blender. Add the cheese and mustard. Add more water or stock if needed for desired consistency.

The underestimated Brussel Sprout

2009-11-03T20:16:00.006-05:00

Have you ever had a brussel sprout? I mean, I know people hear brussel sprouts and say "blech, gross!" but have you actually eaten one before?? I admittedly have not until I ordered it at a restaurant as a side dish. I asked the waiter what he recommended, as I always do, and I was surprised when he replied "the brussel sprouts." At first I was apprehensive but he talked me into it, and I am so happy he did. It was a delicious, slightly bitter tender green that melted in my mouth. The sprouts at the restaurant were sauteed in butter, but I opted for a slightly healthier version at home. I found this recipe at 101cookbooks. The golden sprouts were a great side dish to a fillet of fish.

You can even sprinkle them with grated parmesan cheese!

Try these as a side dish and I promise you will see brussel sprouts in a whole new way!

Golden Brussel Sprouts

1 pack brussel sprouts, around 20 sprouts

olive oil

salt

grated parmesan cheese, optional

1 Wash sprouts well and cut stems off. Slice each sprout in half from root to tip.

2 Heat a large skillet over medium heat with some olive oil, enough to coat the pan. While the oil in the pan is heating up, pour some olive oil on a plate and dip the cut side of each sprout into the oil and then place onto the heated pan.

3 Arrange the sprouts in a single layer in the pan (I had to do it in two batches) so none overlap. Sprinkle with salt and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes, taste one to test if tender enough.

4 Serve with grated parmesan, optional.