Mia Cucina

Adults Only Brownies

2012-01-23T15:29:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not posting a recipe for hash brownies on my food blog. However, these aren't the kind of brownies you want to bring to the church bake sale or pass around at your child's birthday party. Will and I were both craving something sweet last night, and after finding this recipe and realizing I actually had all of the ingredients in my pantry (which never happens, by the way) I immediately decided to give this dessert a go. Umm, yeah. I never really considered myself a chocolate fanatic, but over the past 18 hours I've found myself looking for excuses to go back in to my kitchen to sneak an extra brownie. The Grand Marnier adds a fantastic kick, and the orange zest is the perfect addition to the incredibly rich chocolate. Don't bake on an empty stomach!
Source: All Recipes

Ingredients:

4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
4 tablespoons brandy-based orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier®)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange zest
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square baking pan.

2. Over low heat, melt chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl, beat sugars and eggs until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes with electric mixer). Add melted chocolate, 3 tablespoons of the Grand Marnier, vanilla and the orange peel, mixing until well blended.

4. Mix in the flour, salt and chocolate chips (on low speed if using an electric mixer). It should look like this:

5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth the top.

6. Bake for 30-35 until sides look done and top feels firm. Inserting a toothpick 2 inches from center should come out clean; however, center will jiggle and look undercooked.

7. Remove from oven and brush top with the remaining 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier.

8. Cover pan with foil or plastic and cool completely. Cut into 2 inch squares. Store covered at room temperature or they may be frozen. Defrost covered at room temperature.

Smothered Pork Chops

2012-01-18T11:36:00.002-05:00

After a wonderful holiday season, a move from Boston to Shreveport, Louisiana and the celebration of Tony's first birthday, I finally have the time to update my blog again! Will, Tony and I spent Christmas in Alabama with my in-laws, who very graciously entertained 2 adults, a baby and a mischievous beagle. Not to mention, we were treated to some fabulous Southern home cooking! Before we left, I was given 2 beautiful cast iron skillets and a couple of recipes (since we'll be living in the South for at least 2 years, I decided I needed to learn to cook like a Southern girl!). One of the recipes I received was my father in law's recipe for smothered pork chops. This was the perfect weeknight dish; the prep was very simple, and the pork chops just simmered in the gravy for a few hours while I took care of Tony. Naturally, I served this dish with some amazing homemade cornbread (that skillet is already coming in handy). For the marinade, you can use any kind of sauce that strikes your fancy. I chose a ginger lime marinade.

Ingredients

2 large pork chops
Marinade of choice
Extra virgin olive oil
Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups water or stock (I used chicken stock)

Directions

1. Marinate pork chops in sauce (I kept them in the marinade for about 7 hours, but it doesn't have to be that long).

2. Dredge the pork chops through the bread crumbs, making sure they're coated evenly.

3. In a large pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Brown the pork chops on each side. Remove from the pan, and set aside.

4. Sauté the vegetables until they are soft and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

5. Add the stock to the pan, and stir to combine.

6. Add the pork chops to the mixture in the pan.

7. Cover and turn the heat down, and let the pork chops simmer for about 2 hours. They should look like this when they're done:

Sunday Morning Sticky Buns

2011-12-12T20:10:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love reading. I will read pretty much any genre (with the exception of science fiction, which never interested me), and it's one of the reasons I chose English as one of my majors in college. A few years ago, I discovered Jodi Picoult, and I instantly fell in love with her books, her writing style, her characters; honestly, pretty much everything about her. One of my favorite JP books is Handle With Care. Without giving too much away, it's about a family who lives in New Hampshire, and a close personal friend of the mother's. The mother is a stays at home with her two daughters, but she used to be a pastry chef. Her youngest daughter has osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease), and the mother decides to file a wrongful birth lawsuit against her OBGYN, who in this case is her best friend. One of the things I loved the most about this book was the addition of pastry recipes at the beginning of select chapters. I've been wanting to try one of the recipes for a while now, but let's face it-with an 11 month old, I don't have too many opportunities to make chocolate raspberry souffle. However, this recipe for the Sunday Morning Sticky Buns seemed easy enough (it was, although it took a few hours).

Something else I really liked about this book....I honestly don't know how I feel about it. I'm not sure I've ever disliked a character so strongly (other than the obviously evil ones), but I'm torn between disgust and sympathy. Which, I'm sure, is probably what the author was aiming for. Have any of my readers read Handle With Care before? If so, what did you think of it? I would be curious to hear your opinions.
Adapted from Handle With Care

Ingredients:

Dough:

3 ¾ cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 t salt
2 packages active dry yeast
1 c heated milk
1/3 c butter, softened
1 egg

Caramel:

¾ c dark brown sugar
½ c unsalted butter
¼ c light corn syrup
¾ c pecan halves
2 T butter, softened

Filling:

½ c pecans, chopped
2 T sugar
2 T brown sugar
1 t cinnamon

Directions:

1. To make the dough, mix together 2 cups of the flour, 1/3 cup sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl.

2. Add the heated milk, the egg, and 1/3 cup butter, and beat at low speed for a minute, pausing frequently to scrape the bowl. Add flour if necessary, to make the dough easier to shape.

3. On lightly floured surface, turn dough out and knead five minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. When finished, put into greased bowl and turn over once, so greased side faces up. Cover and let proof until double in size, about 1½ hours.

4. Stirring constantly, heat 3/4 cup brown sugar and ½ cup butter to boiling.

5. Remove from heat and add corn syrup.

6. Pour the mixture into a 13x9x2 inch ungreased pan. Sprinkle with pecan halves.

7. For the filling, mix together the chopped pecans, the 2 T of sugar and 2 T of brown sugar, and the cinnamon, set aside.

8. Take your fist and punch down the dough. Then, on a lightly floured surface, flatten it into a rectangle, about 15x10 inches.

9. Spread with 2 T of butter and then dust evenly with the chopped pecan mixture.

10. Beginning at the 10 inch side of the rectangle, roll the dough up tightly and pinch the edge to seal. Roll it, stretch it, mold it until it is even, a cylinder.

11. Cut the roll into eight quarter-inch slices, and place in pan, not quite touching. Wrap pan tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate at least 12 hours, overnight.

12. Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Immediately invert on a platter and serve warm.

Chicken Marsala

2011-12-06T09:35:00.000-05:00

I have no idea why, but I was always under the impression that chicken marsala would be a huge pain in the butt to make. I don't really know what kept me from making this recipe (or any chicken marsala recipe, frankly) for the first six years Will and I lived under the same roof. It wasn't until last week, when I was flipping through recipes on the Food Network website, that I decided to give Emeril's version a go. Needless to say, I was surprised at how ridiculously easy it was, not to mention incredibly delicious! It took me a long time to convince my husband to eat mushrooms, but now he really enjoys them and I get an enthusiastic response whenever I suggest a new recipe that calls for shiitake, cremini, portobello, etc. I knew this dish would be a winner, and I was told in no uncertain terms to make it again. Off to the liquor store I go to pick up another bottle of marsala wine!
Source: Food Network

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
2 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in halves and pounded thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
3 cups sliced mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake)
3/4 cup Marsala
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions:

1. In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and Essence and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

3. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid.

4. Add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

5. When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly.

6. Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan and continue to cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, add salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately.

Butternut Squash Risotto

2011-12-01T10:12:00.000-05:00

I had kind of a "duh" moment after I made this recipe; after taking the time (almost an hour) to prepare it, it occurred to me I didn't take any step-by-step pictures like I normally do with my new recipes. Well, at least I managed to shoot the finished product, right? This recipe was too delicious not to post on my blog (not to mention, how cool is it that I'm slowly but surely trying out more squash recipes?? My mom will be so proud). Despite the long prep time, this was a perfect side dish to serve alongside my chicken marsala. The flavor was incredible, and unlike many rice sides I've eaten in the past, this one didn't feel too heavy. Definitely on the "make again" list!
Source: All Recipes

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed butternut squash
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
5 cups hot chicken stock
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Place squash cubes into a steamer basket in a saucepan. Add water, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow to steam until the squash is tender (10 to 15 minutes), then drain, and mash in a bowl with a fork.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir for 2 minutes until the onion begins to soften, then stir in the rice. Continue cooking and stirring until the rice is glossy from the butter, and the onion begins to brown on the edges, about 5 minutes more.
Pour in the white wine; cook, stirring constantly, until it has evaporated. Stir in the mashed squash and 1/3 of the hot chicken stock; reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir until the chicken stock has been absorbed by the rice, 5 to 7 minutes. Add half of the remaining chicken stock, and continue stirring until it has been absorbed. Finally, pour in the remaining stock, and continue stirring until the risotto is creamy. Finish by stirring in the Parmesan cheese, and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Braciole

2011-11-30T10:22:00.001-05:00

I admit, the above picture isn't the best, but I promise this meal is so delicious! It's worth the time and the hassle (although I wouldn't recommend this particular recipe if it's a busy weeknight, you have a thousand things to do, and you have family members who want their dinner and they want it NOW). I usually save the braciole for a Sunday dinner, or at least a weeknight when I'm not feeling rushed. The only thing I would change about this recipe is the size of the flank steak. Giada uses a 1 1/2 lb steak, and to be perfectly honest, that's just not enough. I have a very difficult time fitting the bread crumb mixture on a steak that size, and it always falls out of the roll into the pan when I'm browning the steak. Very annoying. So, I would try and find at least a 2lb flank steak if you can. Other than that minor suggestion, this recipe is absolutely perfect alongside a pasta dish, salad, etc.
Source: Food Network

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1/3 cup grated provolone
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak
1 cup dry white wine
3 1/4 cups simple tomato sauce, or store-bought marinara sauce (I use my Sunday Gravy)

Directions:

1. Stir the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend.

2. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.

3. Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly.

4. Starting at 1 short end, roll up the steak as for a jelly roll to enclose the filling completely.

5. Using butcher's twine, tie the steak roll to secure. Sprinkle the braciole with salt and pepper.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

7. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the braciole and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.

8. Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil.

9. Stir in the marinara sauce.

10. Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After 1 hour, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. The total cooking time should be about 1 1/2 hours.

11. Remove the braciole from the sauce.

12. Using a large sharp knife, cut the braciole crosswise and diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over and serve.

Orechiette with Sausage, Beans and Mascarpone

2011-11-26T09:36:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it took me so long to find such a delicious recipe. Contrary to popular belief, I really don't serve a pasta dish more than once a week (and honestly, I'm trying to cut back to pasta once every other week). I've been focusing on less carb-heavy dishes and more recipes that include fresh vegetables and lean meats. However, this recipe of Giada's just seemed too tasty to pass up. I thought I had experimented with every type of pasta known to man, but as I was making this recipe it occurred to me that I had never used orechiette before. Let me tell you, I absolutely loved it. If this dish wasn't so unhealthy, I would find an excuse-any excuse, really-to make it again next week. The only thing I changed was the sausage. I'm really not a fan of turkey sausage, so I purchased sweet Italian sausage from our local Italian grocery/deli. I highly recommend this. Simple, satisfying, and delicious. Enjoy!
Source: Food Network

Ingredients:

1 pound orechiette pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound turkey sausage, casing removed
1 small onion, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

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

2. In a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and onions. Using a wooden spoon break up the sausage into bite-sized pieces as it browns.

3. Continue cooking until the sausage is golden and the onions are tender. Add the beans and oregano cook for 2 more minutes.

4. Add the cup of pasta cooking liquid and stir, scrapping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

5. Add the mascarpone cheese and stir until it dissolved into a light sauce.

6. Add the salt, pepper, and hot pasta.

7. Stir until coated and serve.

Genovese-style Artichokes

2011-11-26T09:24:00.000-05:00

I was a little intimidated by this recipe, because I've never cooked with whole artichokes before. It just so happened that I was watching the episode of Everyday Italian when Giada was making this recipe, so it helped to watch her prepare the artichokes. Once I got over my initial trepidation, I found that this was really a very easy recipe. (Not to mention, I'm immediately drawn to anything that is cooked in wine!). One of the reviewers on the Food Network website was a vegetarian, and she said she substituted vegan bacon for the prosciutto, and it worked perfectly. So fear not my vegetarian friends, you are not excluded from this delicious dinner!
Source: Food Network

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
1 pound button or Roman mushrooms, trimmed and chopped (about 4 cups)
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces), chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 fresh artichokes, trimmed and cleaned
2 cups white wine

Directions:

1. In a large, heavy skillet heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until the mushrooms are tender and the onions are golden.

2. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a medium bowl and let the mixture cool slightly. Add the prosciutto, parsley, Parmesan, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.

3. Gently pull apart the leaves of the trimmed artichokes to slightly widen the spaces between the leaves.

4. Stuff the mushroom mixture in the spaces between the artichoke leaves.

5. Place the artichokes in a heavy, high-sided pan so they fit snugly enough to stay upright. Pour the wine and 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pan.

6. Pour the 1/4 cup of olive oil over the top of the artichokes.

7. Place the pan over medium-high heat. Cover the pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, until the artichokes are tender. Remove from the pot and serve immediately.

Pull-Apart Pumpkin Bread

2011-11-21T12:21:00.000-05:00

Let me tell you, this bread was worth the long, drawn-out prep and baking time. It was a pain in the butt to make, but it is SO delicious and perfect for fall! Jessica from Sunny Side Up in San Diego posted this recipe in her blog about two months ago, and I found it on a cooking message board that I frequent. It just looked too good to pass up, and I knew the icing with rum would win my husband over. This is another treat that I will be bringing to Connecticut for Thanksgiving this year.
Originally found on Sunny Side Up in San Diego
Adapted from Willow Bird Baking

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Pull-Apart Bread Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups bread flour

Filling Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Butter Rum Glaze Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon rum (like Jessica, I wanted to have more of a rum flavor in the icing, so I used 1 T)

Directions:

1. Grease and flour a loaf pan and set aside.

2. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown the 2 tablespoons of butter. Let it bubble and foam and when you see it start to brown, stir it so that it browns evenly.

3. When it’s the color of dark honey, remove it from the heat and pour it into a large heat-safe mixer bowl to cool. (I left the butter in the saucepan because I kind of forgot to read this step, but it was okay).

4. In the same saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the milk until it bubbles.

5. Remove it from the heat and pour it into the bowl with the butter. Let these cool until they’re about 100-110 degrees F (use a candy thermometer to check). Set the saucepan aside for another use later.

6. Stir the sugar and yeast into the milk/butter mixture and let it sit for about 10 minutes to proof (it should foam).

7. Stir in pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup flour.

8. Add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring between each addition. When the dough is combined, knead on low speed with a dough hook until smooth and elastic (about 4 minutes with a mixer).

9. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with a damp cloth.

10. Let it rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours until it doubles in size.

11. While the dough is rising, whisk the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Melt the two tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat, and add the sugar mixture to the pan. (Well, this is what I did. You can also just brown the butter and set it aside, and pour it over the dough later. Your call). Set aside to cool.

12. Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface, punching the dough down and kneading for about 5 minutes.

13. Roll it out to a 20 inch long and 12 inch wide rectangle, lifting corners periodically to make sure it’s not sticking.(After 3 frustrating times of having the dough stick to the surface, this is what I got. Don't judge me!).

14. Spread the browned butter over the surface of the dough with a pastry brush and then sprinkle the sugar mixture over the top, patting it down to ensure it mostly sticks. (One of the greatest things about this recipe is that it's so forgiving. In the original instructions, you're not supposed to mix the sugar with the browned butter. Naturally I did, but it still turned out okay).

15. With the long edge of the rectangle toward you, cut it into 6 strips (do this by cutting the rectangle in half, then cutting each half into equal thirds.

16. Place these portions one at a time into your greased loaf pan, stacking them vertically (it should kind of look like this...I had a bit of trouble with this part).

17. Cover the pan with a damp cloth and place it in a warm place for 30-45 minutes to double in size.

18. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

19. When it’s risen, place the loaf in the center of the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until dark golden brown on top.

20. Cool for 20-30 minutes on a cooling rack in the loaf pan.

21. In a small saucepan, bring the butter, milk, and brown sugar to a boil over medium-high heat.

22. Remove it from heat, add the powdered sugar and rum, and whisk it to a smooth consistency.

23. Drizzle glaze over top. (I was SUPPOSED to remove the bread from the loaf pan, but I was in kind of a hurry so I didn't bother. Again, it wasn't a big deal).

Braised Chicken Tarragon

2011-11-13T09:59:00.000-05:00

Fun fact-I've never tried tarragon before. A day or two before I decided to tackle this dish, I was talking to my mom and mentioned that I was trying a new recipe with tarragon. Surprisingly, she didn't sound too enthusiastic. (My mom is a pretty adventurous eater, so I didn't quite know what to make of her reaction). She said she wasn't a huge fan of tarragon because of the lasting licorice flavor. Being the licorice lover that I am, I decided to forge on ahead with my plans for this recipe. Honestly, I didn't get a "licorice-y" taste at all, and neither did Will. Both of us decided we really enjoyed this recipe, and with the exception of the heavy cream, it was really quite healthy. Not to mention I will use ANY excuse to cook with wine. I had to alter this recipe a little bit, because this was technically a one-pot meal. However, I don't have a stovetop-safe slow cooker, so I had to improvise a little bit. Like all Williams Sonoma meals, this recipe required lots of prep time, but I think it was well worth it.
Source: Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 chicken, about 4 lb., cut into 8 pieces
2 large leeks, white and light green portions, rinsed well and thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tbs. chopped fresh tarragon
3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths
1/2 cup heavy cream
Mashed potatoes for serving (see related recipe at left) I did not do this.

Directions:

1. In the stovetop-safe insert of a slow cooker (I used my Le Creuset braiser) over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Working in batches, brown the chicken on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

2. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

4. Add the wine and cook, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom, until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 1 minute.

5. Add 1 Tbs. of the tarragon, 2 Tbs. of the parsley, the lemon juice, broth, carrots and chicken.

6. Transfer the insert to the slow-cooker base. Cover and cook on high according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the chicken and carrots are tender, about 3 hours.

7. Stir in the cream during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

8. Stir in the remaining 1 Tbs. tarragon and 1 Tbs. parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with mashed potatoes alongside. Serves 4 to 6.

Cranberry Apple Pie

2011-11-11T12:15:00.000-05:00

Ever since we moved to Boston, our lovely Connecticut family invited us over to their home for every possible occasion ("welcome to New England, let's get together again," Thanksgiving, Easter, Fathers Day, you name it). Naturally, I choose to thank them in forms of food and booze! We were once again invited to join them for Thanksgiving, and I wanted to bring a different dessert this year. Whenever I go on a sweets baking craze, I insist that Will be my guinea pig (he has yet to complain about this). I'll admit, I was a little hesitant to make this pie, because while I love cranberries, Will tends to shy away from desserts with fruit in them. However, this pie was an exception. It did NOT last long, and Will was constantly sneaking pieces for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dessert. I was stunned. It appears as though I have a fruit pie convert! This will definitely be making an appearance for Thanksgiving this year. Here are a couple of changes I made:

1. I mixed all of the ingredients for the filling together. The original instructions tell you to add the apples and cranberries afterward, but I was worried that the paste wouldn't cover the fruit well enough. My method worked just fine.
2. This recipe calls for a LOT of sugar (2 cups). That's way too sweet, in my humble opinion. I like the tartness of the cranberries, and I didn't want that to be compromised. I used 1 1/4 cups of sugar, and that was more than enough.
3. Unless you cut back on the orange juice and add more cornstarch, this pie will be very runny. I recommend letting it cool completely on the counter and then sticking it in the fridge for a few hours to solidify.
4. I just preheated my oven to 400, and cooked the pie for 50 minutes. This was perfect.
Adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
4 cups sliced peeled tart apples
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches) (I used my recipe for 2 servings of my basic pie crust)
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Add apples and cranberries; toss gently.

2. Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry. Add filling; dot with butter.

3. Roll the remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Cut vents in pastry, using a small apple cutter if desired.

(I also added some pretty dough decorations using my fall cutouts from Williams Sonoma!)

4. Place over filling; seal and flute the edges.

5. Bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F; bake 50 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.

Leek and Canadian Bacon Quiche

2011-11-10T10:17:00.000-05:00

As delicious as this meal was, I can't say it was a stress-free preparation. Everything went wrong, and I do mean everything. From the stubborn, crumbly crust to the egg mixture seeping out of my elevated tart pan and making a mess all over my counter. In fact, by the time the quiche was ready to go in to the oven, I was in the pissiest of moods, and I threw an oh-so-mature temper tantrum in my kitchen. Disasters aside, as I stated before, this recipe was delicious. I don't think I've ever cooked with leeks before, but I've found that I truly like them. This wasn't the healthiest recipe in the world, so I made a few changes here and there (I used turkey bacon instead of Canadian bacon, and I used fat free half and half). If you love quiche, you have a lot of time on your hands and you don't get flustered easily, this meal is for you.
Adapted from Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:

For the pastry:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
3 to 4 Tbs. cold water

For the filling:

6 slices Canadian bacon, cut into strips 1 inch
long by 1/4 inch wide
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 leek, including tender green portions, carefully
washed and cut crosswise into slices 1/4 inch
thick
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
6 oz. Gruyère or Jarlsberg cheese, shredded
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

Directions:

1. To make the pastry, in a bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Add the butter and shortening and, using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.

2. Sprinkle in the water 1 Tbs. at a time, stirring gently with a fork after each addition and adding only enough of the water to form a rough mass.

3. Using floured hands, pat the dough into a smooth, round flattened disk. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. (Try as I might, I could not get this mixture to form a disk. I finally gave up, dumped it all in a ziploc bag, and put it in the fridge for 1/2 hour in hopes that it would be a little easier to work with).

4. Preheat an oven to 425ºF.

5. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry dough into a 12-inch round. Drape the pastry over the rolling pin and carefully transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Gently ease the pastry into the pan. Trim the pastry even with the pan rim. (Ha. Hahahahahaha. That SO did not happen. Here's what mine looked like:)

However, I refused to be thwarted. I simply pressed the crumbly mixture into the pan until formed a passable shape, like this:

6. Prick the bottom and sides of the pastry shell with a fork.

7. Form a double-thick 12-inch square of aluminum foil, poke a few holes in it, then press it into the pastry-lined pan.

8. Bake the pastry for 8 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the pastry looks dry but not brown, about 4 minutes more. Remove from the oven; reduce the temperature to 325ºF.

9. To make the filling, in a nonstick fry pan over medium heat, sauté the Canadian bacon until it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

10. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off the fat, reduce the heat to medium-low and melt the butter in the pan.

11. Add the leek and sauté, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

12. In a bowl, using a fork, beat the eggs until lightly frothy.

13. Stir in the half-and-half, salt and pepper.

14. In another bowl, toss the cheese with the cornstarch.

15. Add the cheese, bacon and leek to the egg mixture and stir well.

16. Pour into the pastry shell. (For the love of God, don't do what I did. When the pastry shell came out of the oven, I set it on a hot pad to cool. Big mistake. The bottom of the pan became slightly elevated, and I completely forgot about it. When I poured the egg mixture over the pastry shell, it seeped out from underneath the tart pan and made a huge mess. This is why I don't have a picture...).

17. Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. If the edges are browning too quickly, cover them with strips of aluminum foil.

18. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove the pan rim and place the quiche on a serving plate. Serve warm.

BBQ Pork Sandwiches

2011-11-09T12:54:00.000-05:00

I have no doubt that some BBQ purists will want to crucify me after this post; after all, the meat hasn't been "smoked" for hours on end on an outdoor grill, and I didn't even make my own BBQ sauce. But you have to give me a little credit here-I'm a Wisconsin girl who grew up detesting anything remotely related to BBQ until I married my Louisiana boy. Once I started visiting his family down South, they introduced me to the REAL places. You know, those tiny little shacks on the side of the road that have those brown paper towels for napkins? I instantly became a BBQ convert, and while I'll never achieve that true Southern flavor, I'd like to think I came fairly close with this recipe (at any rate, my husband approved and he's damn picky about his BBQ). One of the nice things about this recipe is that even though it calls for boneless pork ribs, you can easily buy a cheaper cut of meat, since all those hours in the slow cooker will make the meat tender. I just happened to buy the pork ribs because they were on sale. Also, unless you are making your own, I recommend the Jack Daniel's Original BBQ sauce for this recipe. Will and I really enjoyed the flavor.
Source: All Recipes

Ingredients:

1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
3 pounds boneless pork ribs
1 (18 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce

Directions:

1. Pour can of beef broth into slow cooker.

2. Add boneless pork ribs.

3. Cook on high heat for 4 hours, or until meat shreds easily.

4. Remove meat, and shred with two forks. It will seem that it's not working right away, but it will.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Transfer the shredded pork to a Dutch oven or iron skillet, and stir in barbeque sauce.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Crazy for Cranberries

2011-11-06T13:51:00.000-05:00

I have to say, one of the many great things about living in New England is the access to their fabulous cranberries in the fall. I LOVE cranberries, and I've embarked on a cranberry-baking adventure these past two months (more cranberry posts to follow). My parents flew out to Boston to visit us over my birthday weekend at the end of October, and I wanted to have a simple yet tasty breakfast treat for them. I couldn't wait to try this recipe and plow through one of the four bags of cranberries I picked up at the grocery store. One thing about this recipe; the original poster on All Recipes clearly had a case of "not double checking after posting the recipe online." If you click on the link, you will see what I mean. She repeats her steps twice....just bake with caution. You won't be disappointed!
Source: All Recipes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries (I used two cups)
TOPPING:
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Chop cranberries in food processor.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.

3. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.

4. Fold in sour cream.

5. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt; stir into the creamed mixture just until moistened.

6. Fold in cranberries.

7. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two thirds full. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over muffins.

8. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done.

9. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove to a wire rack.

Split Pea Soup

2011-11-06T09:11:00.000-05:00

This past month and a half has been somewhat rough. Long story short, I was hospitalized for a week (had to have emergency surgery, and the recovery took longer than expected). Luckily, my awesome sister in-law flew up to Boston from Austin, TX to help out. She was an absolute godsend; I seriously don't know how Will and I would have survived without her here. In addition to giving Will a hand with Tony, taking care of me while I recovered, the laundry, she also cooked some delicious meals. (Did I mention before how fortunate I am to have married into a family of fabulous cooks??). One of the things she made was this split pea soup, which I probably haven't eaten since I left my parents' house at 22. My mom would occasionally make this soup when I was growing up, and even though I enjoyed it I never made it for Will. However, Aimee's soup was so good I knew I would have to make it on my own. I was surprised at how easy it was! Even though the recipe only calls for a 1-lb ham hock, I had a (much larger) one left over from dinner a few nights before. It gave the soup a rich, wonderful flavor. I would make this again in a heartbeat.
Source: All Recipes

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon vegetable oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)
1 pound dried split peas
1 pound ham bone
1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
This isn't included in the original recipe, but I also added a few carrots.

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, saute onions in oil.

2. Add the split peas, ham bone, and enough water to cover ingredients; season with salt and pepper.

3. Cover, and cook until there are no peas left, just a green liquid, 2 hours. While it is cooking, check to see if water has evaporated. You may need to add more water as the soup continues to cook.

4. Once the soup is a green liquid remove from heat, and let stand so it will thicken. Once thickened you may need to heat through to serve. (It should look like this).

Nana's Rosemary Chicken

2011-10-20T20:42:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite dishes to make in the fall; it's healthy, flavorful, easy, and cheap. My nana has been making this roast chicken for years, and it was something my mom frequently made at our house when I was growing up. When Will and I went to Marinette to visit the grandparents this past summer, my nana made this for Will and I when we stopped by her place with Tony. It was delicious as always-she didn't disappoint! The veggies are optional, but I LOVE roasted veggies with chicken, so I chose to include them in this recipe. I generally use carrots, red potatoes and onions but feel free to use whatever strikes your fancy.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (about 4 lbs), rinsed thoroughly and patted dry
fresh rosemary, chopped (a LOT!)
salt and pepper, to taste
extra virgin olive oil
2 bulbs garlic, peeled
2 bay leaves
carrots, peeled
2 large white onions, peeled and quartered
4-5 small red potatoes, cubed

Directions:

1. Pour olive oil on the bottom of the roasting pan (enough to completely cover it). Add veggies to pan, and salt and pepper them.

2. Salt and pepper the chicken.

3. Cover the chicken with the cloves of garlic (make sure to add plenty to the cavity).

4. Sprinkle rosemary all over the chicken, and add the bay leaves.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Cover and cook for 2 hours (baste the chicken every 1/2 hour).

7. Uncover for the last 15 minutes of cooking, so the chicken looks like this.

Rainy Day Cookies

2011-09-24T15:24:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, I spent most of July, all of August, and the first week and a half of September visiting my family in Wisconsin. The weather, for the most part, was unbearably hot. For those of you who think the temperature in the Midwest never rises above 60 degrees, you're wrong. Luckily, there was one special day when we received a brief reprieve from the heat, when the clouds came in, and even though it was only noon the entire house was dark. You know what I'm talking about...this beautiful, amazing afternoon.

I LOVE the rain. I also love cooking and baking when it's pouring outside. There's just something about rainy days like this one that make me grab my purse, hand the baby off to Will, and run to the grocery store to pick up the extra ingredients I need to make a special treat. Maybe it's because it finally felt like fall was in the air, but I absolutely had to have oatmeal raisin cookies (naturally, there was no oatmeal in the house). It was just so much fun to bake one of my favorite cookies from my childhood, and have that delicious aroma of butterscotch and vanilla in the kitchen. Save these for your next rainy day. :)
Slightly adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 2/3 cups butterscotch chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl beat the butter or margarine, white sugar and brown sugar together.

3. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating well.

4. Stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until blended.

6. Stir in the oats and the butterscotch chips (I also added raisins).

7. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

8. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges begin to brown.

Look who I found outside waiting for the cookies!!!

Cuban Ropa Vieja

2011-09-23T13:55:00.000-04:00

Tony and I recently returned from a 2-month visit to my parents' house in Wisconsin. We had a wonderful time, which naturally included eating at all of my favorite Milwaukee restaurants. Unfortunately, by the time we came back to Boston, my bad summer eating habits caught up with me. Once again I'm back to cooking almost every night (not that I'm complaining about that), buying tons of fresh veggies and lean meats from the grocery store, and searching the web every night for healthy recipes. I came across this one on All Recipes, and I instantly knew it would be a winner. It was incredibly easy to make, and the meat was SO tender and flavorful. Have I mentioned before that I'm in love with my slow cooker?
Source: All Recipes

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds beef flank steak
1 cup beef broth
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 small onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Directions:

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the flank steak on each side, about 4 minutes per side.

2. Transfer beef to a slow cooker. Pour in the beef broth.

3. Add the tomato sauce, then add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, cilantro, olive oil and vinegar.

4. Stir until well blended. Cover, and cook on High for 4 hours, or on Low for up to 10 hours. When ready to serve, shred meat and serve with tortillas or rice.

And Now, For Fall

2011-09-23T09:40:00.000-04:00

Few people will understand how much courage it took for me to give this recipe a try. When I was a kid, I had an abnormal hatred of squash. Don't ask me why, I just absolutely hated everything about it. The taste, the color, the texture. When I was four I was hospitalized because I had the flu and I was severely dehydrated, and the doctor assumed that I had found my way into a cabinet and eaten something poisonous. I remember his questions very clearly:

Doctor: "Marisa, do you know why you got sick?"
I nodded.
Doctor: "Did you eat something that made you sick?"
I nodded.
Doctor: "Which part of the house were you in when you ate something nasty?"
Me: "I was in the basement." (In my parents' old house, we would sometimes get to eat our dinner in the rec room downstairs so we could watch TV).
By the now the doctor is smiling and nodding, thinking he solved the mystery.
Doctor: "Marisa, did you eat something downstairs that made you sick?"
I nodded.
Doctor: "What did you eat? Did it make you sick right away?"
Me: "Yes it did, it was awful. I had to eat stuffed peppers and squash."

I seriously thought this doctor was going to pee himself laughing. He was convinced that I went down in the basement and ate some kind of cleaning product or rat poison. Little did he know as a child I was forced to stuffed peppers and squash, which in turn made me vomit uncontrollably for days (in my little kid mind, anyway). The next morning the nurse came in to replace the IV bag, and she told me they filled it with stuffed peppers and squash. hahahahaha.

Okay, enough with story time. I would like to state that I have overcome my childhood fear of squash, and I was brave enough to give Giada's penne with butternut squash and goat cheese recipe a try. Surprisingly, both Will and I really enjoyed it! I substituted whole wheat penne for regular, since I'm trying to watch what I eat. Since squash is in season, this is a fantastic dish to make for a fall weeknight.
Giada's Penne with Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 (2-pound) butternut or kombucha squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 onion, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
Olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound penne pasta
1 cup (8 ounces) goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted (see Cook's Note)
1 packed cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan

Directions:

1. Put an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Spray a baking sheet, liberally, with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.

3. Mix the squash and onion together and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Bake for to 40 to 45 minutes until the vegetables are golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

5. While the squash mixture is cooling, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water.

6. Put the pasta, goat cheese and 1 cup of pasta water in a large serving bowl. Toss until the cheese has melted and forms a creamy sauce.

7. Add the squash and onion mixture, the walnuts and the basil.

8. Toss well and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with Parmesan and serve.

Fourth of July Blueberry Pie

2011-09-23T09:17:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm aware that I made this pie on Independence Day and it's now September 23rd. What can I say, I have an 8-month old! A lame excuse, I know (there are plenty of mothers out there who can seemingly do it all without breaking a sweat; however, I am not one of those mothers). Since my child has decided to take morning naps again, I've found that I have a little more time to myself and I can catch up on my much-neglected food blog. Anyway, back to the pie. There's just something so incredibly patriotic about blueberry pie! I had been craving it for the longest time this past summer, but I really try not to make too many desserts unless we're having company. Unfortunately for me, my craving did not pass, and the fresh blueberries at my local grocery store just kept looking better and better each day. I finally gave in, and I was not disappointed!
Blueberry Pie

Ingredients:

3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon butter
2 servings of basic pie crust

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over blueberries.

3. Line pie dish with one pie crust. Pour berry mixture into the crust, and dot with butter.

4. Cut remaining pastry into 1/2 - 3/4 inch wide strips, and make lattice top. (Check out the badass lattice cutter I bought from Pampered Chef!). Crimp and flute edges.

5. Bake pie on lower shelf of oven for about 50 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Basic Pie Crust

2011-09-23T09:05:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to make this "tutorial" (if you will) for quite some time now. If you have ever attempted to make your own pie crust, only to find flour all over your kitchen counters, lumpy pieces of dough stuck to your rolling pin, and a crumbly mess that by all rights should have slid seamlessly into your pie dish, then you're not alone. I struggled with pie crust for a long time before I admitted defeat and asked my mother (my own personal pastry guru) for help. I don't know what I was thinking, but a few years ago I offered to make an early Thanksgiving dinner for my husband's entire K-9 section (with their families, it was about 25 people). I planned on making 3 different kinds of pies, and I dedicated an entire afternoon to preparing them. Within 1/2 hour, my kitchen was a disaster, I had no pie crust to speak of but a sticky, crumbly mess, and I was so frustrated I almost burst into tears. I called my mom back in the States-we were living in Germany at the time-and she helped me create what I consider to be the perfect pie crust. (The closest Food Network recipe I found was Alton Brown's Pie Crust). Over the phone, no less! Yes, my mom is awesome. Before I start my tutorial, I would suggest that you do the following before embarking on a pie-making adventure:

1. Make sure you have at least a few hours to yourself. The more rushed and frazzled you are, the more messy the dough will be. I assure you, the dough can sense your anxiety.
2. Make yourself a cup of caffeine free tea, or a glass of wine (my personal preference). Again, if you are calm and relaxed, the dough will behave.
3. Make sure the water you're using is ice cold. I usually pour a glass of water and add a few ice cubes to it.

so, without further ado....

Basic Pie Crust

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
6 T butter, chilled
2 T shortening, chilled
ice cold water (a few T)

Directions:

1. Place butter and lard in freezer for 15 minutes. When ready to use, remove and cut both into small pieces.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt by pulsing 3 to 4 times.

3. Add butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until texture looks mealy.

5. Add lard and pulse another 3 to 4 times.

6. Remove lid of food processor and spritz surface of mixture thoroughly with water. Replace lid and pulse 5 times. Add more water and pulse again until mixture holds together when squeezed.

8. Place mixture in large zip-top bag (I just used a piece of Cling Wrap; it worked just fine), squeeze together until it forms a ball, and then press into a rounded disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

9. Remove dough from refrigerator. Cut along 2 sides of the plastic bag, open bag to expose dough, and sprinkle both sides with flour. Cover again with plastic and roll out with a rolling pin to a 10 to 11-inch circle. (As you can see, my "circle" was lacking at best. Whatever, it still worked!).

10. Alton goes on to give instructions for "blind baking" (putting dry beans inside the crust in a pie dish to bake before you add filling) but hardly any of my recipes call for blind baking, so I'm just going to give you the last instruction from my mom. With your rolling pin, roll up the dough so it sticks to the pin, like so:

11. Roll out dough in to a 9-inch pie dish. Happy baking!

Giada's Chicken Saltimbocca

2011-07-03T06:55:00.000-04:00

I've wanted to try this recipe for a long time, but since it takes a little while to prepare, I had to save it for a weekend when Will was home and could keep an eye on Tony while I got some time to myself in the kitchen. I LOVED this recipe of Giada's; I've had chicken saltimbocca in restaurants before, and this was the closest I have ever come to re-creating my favorite chicken saltimbocca dinner I had in Rome. I can't wait to make it again!
Source: Food Network

Ingredients:

6 (3-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded to evenly flatten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 paper-thin slices prosciutto
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Place the chicken cutlets flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.

2. Lay 1 slice of prosciutto atop each chicken cutlet.

3. Squeeze the frozen spinach to remove the excess water. Season the spinach with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, toss the spinach with 1 tablespoon of oil to coat.

4. Arrange an even, thin layer of spinach atop the prosciutto slices.

5. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over each.

6. Beginning at the short tapered end, roll up each chicken cutlet as for a jellyroll. Secure with a toothpick.

7. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

8. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

9. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter.

10. Simmer the cooking liquid over high heat until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 5 minutes. Season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove toothpicks from the chicken. Drizzle the reduced cooking liquid over the chicken and serve immediately.

Maple-Hazelnut Oatmeal

2011-07-03T06:41:00.000-04:00

Another delicious meal, courtesy of my Cooking Light Slow Cooker cookbook. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, my camera battery died before I could get the "finished" shot. Sorry readers, the above picture is the best I could do. I thought this recipe was absolutely delicious, and this is coming from a girl who normally doesn't put a lot of effort into breakfast. Especially since I've been on a health kick lately, I'm much more the "grab a bowl of Cheerios and slice up a banana" type of person. However, this oatmeal just looked too good to pass up. The only thing that's slightly problematic about this recipe is the timing. It was my goal to have a hot, fresh-from-the-slow-cooker bowl of oatmeal first thing in the morning when I woke up with Tony (which, if I'm lucky, is around 7am). However, this oatmeal needs to cook for 7 hours in the slow cooker. So what was I going to do? Press the "cook" button at midnight? Yeah right. I ended up making it in the middle of the afternoon, and then just put the finished oatmeal in tupperware in the fridge overnight. I'm pleased to report, it was absolutely delicious the next morning! I will definitely be making this again!
Source: Cooking Light Slow Cooker cookbook

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fat free milk
1 1/2 cups water
2 Gala apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
2 T brown sugar
1 1/2 T butter, softened
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
Cooking spray
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 T chopped hazelnuts, toasted

Directions:

1. Bring milk and water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.

2. Place hot milk mixture, apple, and next 5 ingredients in a 3-quart electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or until oats are tender (I personally found 7 hours to be too long; I think 6 to 6 1/2 hours would be better).

3. Ladle oatmeal into individual serving bowls; top with maple syrup and hazelnuts.

Company Pot Roast

2011-07-03T06:29:00.000-04:00

A few months ago, when I decided to begin my weight loss journey, I purchased the Cooking Light Slow Cooker cookbook from Amazon. I love using my slow cooker, especially now when I have an active 6-month old who doesn't always allow me a leisurely amount of time to make dinner. This recipe looked-and tasted-absolutely delicious, although I had to make a few small changes. The biggest change involved the mushrooms. Our grocery store was out of the dried shittake mushrooms, so I just bought the regular ones and used them instead. (This worked out just fine). I also cut back on the amount of vegetables suggested in the recipe, simply because I didn't have enough room in my slow cooker. Will and I both loved this dish, and it was a tasty, healthy take on regular pot roast.
Source: Cooking Light Slow Cooker cookbook

Ingredients:

1 (2-lb) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut in half
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup beef broth
1 (.35 oz) package dried morsels or dried shittake mushrooms
1 T cracked black pepper
3 T sun dried tomato paste or regular tomato paste
2 medium onions (about 3/4 pound) quartered
1 (16-oz) package carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
16 small red potatoes (about 2 pounds), halved
1 T canola oil
1 1/2 T all-purpose flour
3 T water

Directions:

1. Combine roast, soy sauce, and garlic in a large zip-lock plastic bag; seal bag, and marinate in regrigerator at least 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.

2. Bring broth to a boil in a small saucepan; add mushrooms. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Drain mushrooms through a cheesecloth-lined colander over bowl, reserving broth mixture.

3. Remove roast from bag, reserving marinade. Sprinkle roast with pepper, gently pressing pepper into roast. Combine reserved marinade, mushroom broth mixture, and tomato paste; stir well and set aside.

4. Place mushrooms, onion, carrot, and potato in a 6-quart electric slow cooker; toss gently.

5. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add roast, browning on all sides.

6. Place roast over vegetables in slow cooker.

7. Pour tomato paste mixture over roast and vegetables.

8. Cover and cook on LOW 10 hours or until roast is tender. Place roast and vegetables on serving platter; keep warm. Reserve cooking liquid in cooker, increase heat to HIGH.

9. Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add water, stirring with a whisk until well-blended. Add flour mixture to cooking liquid in cooker. Cook, uncovered, 15 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring frequently. Serve gravy with roast and vegetables. (I did not even bother with this. I had miscalculated the time to start the roast, so by the time it was actually finished, it was 9:30 pm and Will and I were starving. It still tasted great!).

Artichoke and Goat Cheese Strata

2011-06-28T14:30:00.000-04:00

It may not look like the most appetizing dish from the above picture, but I promise this meal was delicious! At least, I thought it was delicious. Will, not so much. As soon as I told him I was trying out a new recipe for dinner, he asked what the main ingredients were. "Artichokes and goat cheese." His face fell. Seriously, you should have seen it. You would have thought that I told him I was serving liver and onions for dessert. Apparently, my husband has something against artichokes. I have no idea why; ever since I tried the Quattro Stagioni pizza in Italy, I fell in love with artichokes and use them whenever possible. But, I digress. I loved throwing this dish together for a quick weeknight dinner, but it can also be a fantastic side dish. I'm not a vegetarian, but my dear friend Justine is (check out her Halloween blog here!), and I'm going to try and include some more delicious meatless recipes for her.
Source: Cooking Light, March 2011

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (about 1 large)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
1 3/4 cups 1% low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 (1-pound) loaf country-style white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
Cooking spray
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese, divided

Directions:

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Stir in artichoke hearts and garlic; cook for 8 minutes or until artichoke hearts begin to brown, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove from heat, and stir in herbes de Provence. Cool 10 minutes.

4. Combine milk, black pepper, salt, and eggs in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.

5. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and bread; toss gently to combine.

6. Stir in artichoke mixture, and let stand for 20 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 375°.
8. Spoon half of bread mixture into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

9. Sprinkle with half of goat cheese, and top with remaining bread mixture. Sprinkle remaining half of goat cheese over top.

10. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Fruit Tart

2011-05-20T20:32:00.000-04:00

This delicious dessert has been a part of my family's Easter celebration for as long as I can remember. My mom would wake up on Easter Sunday and begin the last-minute baking. When I had my first Easter away from home, I knew I wanted to carry on the tradition (I'd also like to add that while this was a typical holiday dessert for us, this is also a perfect treat in the spring and summer. I made this for a friend's baby shower one time). While this is somewhat time consuming, it's very easy to prepare, and I always had fun decorating the tart with the different kinds of fruit.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks of butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 T cornstarch
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 pkg vanilla chips, melted
3 T sugar
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 pint strawberries, sliced
2 kiwis, sliced (optional)
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 can pineapple chunks, drained (reserve liquid)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar. Slowly add flour; mix well.

3. Press into ungreased 11-inch tart pan with sides.

4. Bake 25-30 minutes, then cool.
5. In a mixing bowl, beat vanilla chips and cream.

6. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth.

7. After the cream cheese is blended into the mixture, it should look like this:

8. Spread over crust, wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

9. Decorate with fruit.

10. In saucepan, add sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and reserved pineapple juice. Bring to a boil.

11. Brush over fruit, and chill for two hours.

Ina's Penne with Five Cheeses

2011-05-16T16:15:00.000-04:00

I have to be honest here-this was not one of my favorite recipes, and I'm not sure I will make it again anytime soon. This surprised me, because even though I don't particularly enjoy watching The Barefoot Contessa, I have to admit I like a lot of Ina's recipes. This one just seemed to fall short, though. I wouldn't recommend it if you're on either a budget or a diet (as a matter of fact, I'm on both-I just happened to have 3 out of the 5 cheeses necessary in our house at the time, which is what prompted me to give this recipe a try). Here are my personal pros and cons for this pasta dish.

Pros-This is a very easy dinner to throw together. It requires hardly any prep time, very little cook time, and you really won't dirty up your kitchen too much. Also, the ingredients are very easy to find in your local supermarket. And as a final pro, if you're making this dish for a man (or men) chances are they will be pleased. Maybe it's just me, but I have yet to find a man who will turn down a meal that is swimming in cheese.

Cons-This is a very expensive recipe to make. I've been trying to slash our grocery budget, and as I mentioned before, the only reason I made this new dish is because I already had most of the ingredients in the house. Also, I personally found it to be too rich. Even though this recipe only calls for 1/4 cup of gorgonzola, I thought it was overwhelming. Not to mention the two cups of heavy cream....yeah. I'm pretty sure I blew an entire day's worth of calories on this dinner.

All that being said, to each their own. Will liked this recipe a lot more than I did, and I would be willing to make it again if he requests it. I'll just to have to add a two-hour workout session to my day! ;)
Source: Food Network

Ingredients:

Kosher salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup crushed tomatoes in thick tomato puree
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (1 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup shredded imported Italian fontina (1 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup crumbled Italian Gorgonzola (1 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1/4 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 pound imported penne rigate pasta
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Bring 5 quarts of salted water to a boil in a stockpot. Combine all the ingredients except the penne and butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

2. Drop the penne into the boiling water and parboil for 4 minutes. Drain well in a colander and add to the ingredients in the mixing bowl, tossing to combine.

3. Divide the pasta mixture among 6 shallow ceramic gratin dishes (1 1/2 to 2-cup capacity). I used one large dish, and this worked just fine.

4. Dot with the butter.

5. Bake until bubbly and brown on top, 7 to 10 minutes.

Giada's White Bean and Chicken Chili

2011-05-16T14:36:00.000-04:00

Last year, my mother gave me the new Giada At Home recipe book for Mother's Day, even though I was pregnant and technically not a mother yet. She said when I became a mother, it would be easy to forget to make time for myself, but I should still try to do the things I enjoy most (obviously, cooking being one of those things). Naturally, my mom was right. Since Tony was born four months ago, my days have been filled with feedings, diaper changes, visits to the pediatrician, singing lullabies and reading baby books. Not that I don't enjoy every minute I can with my son-he is my world, and I'll never forget how wonderful it is to see him smile at me when he wakes up from a (rare) nap, or the way he fits perfectly into my arms and snuggles with me while I'm carrying him around. That being said, I haven't had a lot of time to try new recipes or update my food blog. Adventurous cooking is now reserved for the weekends, when my husband is around to watch Tony and give me a break for a few hours.

A few weekends ago, I pulled the Giada cookbook off the shelf and flipped through it, determined to try and new recipe that wasn't too time-consuming or difficult. Her white bean and chicken chili sounded both delicious and manageable, and once Will and I sat down to dinner a few hours later, I knew it was a winner. Unlike a lot of other Giada recipes I've tried in the past, this chili dish had the perfect amount of flavor. I especially loved the fennel seeds-I don't think I've ever used them in a recipe before! It was light, healthy, and perfect for a chilly spring evening. (I realize this particular dish may be better suited for winter, but we live right outside of Boston and we've had a very cold spring so far!). I will definitely be making this again.

Source: Giada At Home

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 lbs ground chicken (I used ground chicken breast)

salt

2 T ground cumin

1 T fennel seeds

1 T dried oregano

2 tsp chili powder

3 T all-purpose flour

2 (15-oz) cans cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained

1 bunch (about 1 lb) Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed

4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

2. Add the ground chicken, 1 tsp salt, the cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.

3. Stir the flour mixture into the chicken mixture.

4. Add the beans, Swiss chard, corn, and chicken broth.

5. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Lower the heat and simmer for 55 to 60 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened.

6. Add the red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Ladle the chili into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Wasabi and Panko-Crusted Pork with Gingered Soy Sauce

2011-04-22T20:38:00.000-04:00

I feel so strange admitting this, but I used to hate pork chops as a kid. As in, I detested them and I would throw a fit whenever I saw my mom preparing them for dinner. I have no idea why, because as an adult I love pork, and I love trying new recipes involving pork chops. This particular recipe is one of my new favorites. I never thought that I could serve a pork dinner with my favorite accompaniments for sushi (soy sauce, ginger and wasabi) but lo and behold, it can be done! This was a surprisingly easy recipe, and Will ate his dinner so enthusiastically I was worried he was going to be sick later on that evening. (He wasn't). I can't wait to make this dish again!
Source: Cooking Light, March 2006

Ingredients:

2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1 teaspoon peanut oil
Cooking spray
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon wasabi paste
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions:

1. Place panko in a shallow dish. Place egg white in another shallow dish. Dip pork in egg white; dredge in panko.

2. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; add pork. Cook for 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from pan; sprinkle with salt.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Add ginger to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Combine broth and the next 4 ingredients (through wasabi) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

4. Add broth mixture to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

5. Stir in green onions.

6. Spoon sauce over pork.

Middle Eastern Beef Kebabs

2011-04-22T20:24:00.000-04:00

Whenever I hear people say something to the effect of "I eat heavy, greasy, fattening foods because they taste good" I become extremely annoyed. I've been on a quest to make healthy, exotic, and savory recipes since I had Anthony, and I haven't been disappointed yet. There are SO many wonderful healthy and delicious recipes out there, and I get frustrated with people who aren't willing to branch out and explore these delectable options. I purchased the Weight Watchers cookbook at Bed Bath and Beyond last month, and I've been having a lot of fun sifting through the recipes. I've mentioned in a few previous posts that I'm trying to expand my culinary horizons, and this recipe for Middle Eastern Beef Kebabs definitely fit the bill. The spices added an intense but not overpowering flavor to the meat, and the fresh vegetables mixed with the couscous was a perfect addition. This meal was so simple to prepare, and it's definitely on my "make again for a weeknight" dish list.
Source: Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 onion, coarsely chopped
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
dash cayenne
1 lb beef tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 white mushrooms
2 cups hot cooked whole wheat couscous

Directions:

1. To make marinade, combine chopped onion, lemon zest and juice, oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, and cayenne in food processor or blender and puree.

2. Transfer marinade to large zip-close plastic bag; add beef. (I didn't have one on hand, so I just used a large bowl and covered it with plastic wrap. This worked just fine). Squeeze out air and seal bag. Refrigerate, turning bag occasionally, at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

3. Spray broiler rack with nonstick spray. Preheat broiler.
4. Alternately thread onion wedges, bell peppers, mushrooms, and beef on 4 (12-inch) metal skewers.

5. Put skewers on prepared broiler rack and broil 5 inches from heat, turning, until vegetables are tender and beef is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve with couscous.

Mario Batali's Spaghetti alla Gricia

2011-03-09T11:42:00.000-05:00

I love Mario Batali's recipes, but it isn't too often I get a chance to give them a try. I either can't find the necessary ingredients, I don't have enough time, or as of late Tony just gets in the way of me making dinner altogether! However, I found this recipe on the Food Network website, and not only did it look quite tasty, but relatively simple. Tony and I made the trip out to my favorite Italian market to pick up the pancetta, and I made this dish for dinner last night. It was wonderful, and really very easy to put together. Again, since I'm trying to eat healthier, I lightened this recipe up a little bit by using whole wheat spaghetti.
Source: Food Network

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small piece dried chile pepper, crushed
1/2 pound guanciale, may substitute bacon or pancetta, diced
1small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound spaghetti
Salt and pepper
Pecorino Romano, for grating

Directions:

1. In a 12 to 14-inch saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat. Add the chile pepper and pancetta and render the fat from the pork.

2. Remove the pancetta, reserving on a plate lined with paper towels. Add the remaining oil, onion and garlic and cook gently until golden brown, discarding the chile.

3. Return the pancetta to the pan and keep warm.

4. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until tender yet al dente.

5. Drain the pasta and add to the saute pan with the pancetta.

6. Grate the pecorino over, toss over high heat 1 minute, and serve, divided evenly among 4 warmed pasta bowls.

Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi

2011-03-09T11:31:00.000-05:00

Ever since I had Anthony, I've been trying to eat as healthy as possible. I didn't gain a lot of weight with my pregnancy (not from over-eating, anyway...I had some complications near the end and gained water weight) but I want to shed the extra pounds as quickly as possible, since summer is right around the corner. I don't know why, but I've had such a craving for seafood lately. Since I couldn't eat seared tuna during my pregnancy, I've been going kind of overboard lately! When I found this recipe, I knew I had to try it. It falls under my healthy dinners category, and I love anything with ginger. This was an incredibly easy recipe, and it was absolutely delicious. Not to mention I had almost all of the ingredients in my pantry!
Source: All Recipes

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 clove garlic, crushed or to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (6 ounce) mahi mahi fillets
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

1. In a shallow glass dish, stir together the honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic and olive oil.

2. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper

3. Place them into the dish. If the fillets have skin on them, place them skin side down. Cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to marinate.

4. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Remove fish from the dish, and reserve marinade. Fry fish for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, turning only once, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fillets to a serving platter and keep warm.

5. Pour reserved marinade into the skillet, and heat over medium heat until the mixture reduces to a glaze consistently. Spoon glaze over fish, and serve immediately.

Saffron Buns

2011-03-09T11:18:00.000-05:00

I had every intention of making this one of my "12 Days of Treats" posts, but that whole giving birth thing got in the way. ;) Even though these saffron buns are enjoyed at my parents' house every year at Christmas, they're too delicious to NOT post about 3 months later. My mom has been making these amazing buns for years, and she always makes them a couple of days before Christmas. They're definitely time consuming, but the taste-and the way the house smells afterward-is heavenly. My mom normally makes a double batch since they don't last very long, but I just did a single batch this year since it was just Will and I at Christmas.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter
1 pkg saffron
1/2 cup boiling water
2 pkg dry active yeast
1 egg, beaten
4 1/2-5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup currants
1 cup chopped candied fruit

Directions:

1. Boil water, add saffron to a mug, and mix together. Cover and let sit for a few hours.

2. Scald milk

3. Stir in sugar, salt and butter. Cool slightly, but keep warm.

4. In a large bowl, add yeast, warm milk mixture, egg, and saffron tea, in that order, beating after each addition.

5. Add your first two cups of flour; beat until smooth.

(It should look like this)

6. Add currants and fruit

7. Now add flour one cup at a time-dough should be stiff.

8. Remove from the bowl and knead for 8 minutes, and form into a large ball.

9. Butter a large bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour.

10. It should be doubled in size, like so:

11. Punch down, and form into buns.

12. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a cake pan and form buns.

13. Bake about 25 minutes until they are slightly golden brown.

14. Brush with melted butter,

15. and sprinkle with sugar.

My Love is Here!!!

2011-02-23T20:05:00.000-05:00

So I realized I haven't updated in almost two months, but I promise I have a very good reason-my little Prince Charming has arrived! William Anthony (Tony) was born on January 5 at 11:21 a.m, 9.25 lbs and 21.5 inches. He is the love of our lives, and although he doesn't really seem to enjoy sleep we just can't get enough of him. Unfortunately that means his mommy hasn't had much of a chance to try new recipes or update the food blog, but I know I'll get back into the swing of things! In the meantime, I'm adjusting to my new role as a full-time mommy.

Day 6: Spritz

2010-12-26T17:11:00.000-05:00

One of the things I love more than anything else is an old, tried and true cookbook. It doesn't have to have the name of a famous chef on it, it doesn't have to be famous, period. Both of my parents grew up in Marinette, WI, a small town about an hour north of Green Bay. When I was growing up, we would make the trek up north every year for Christmas, and we would stay at my Nana's house. We always spent Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa's, and Christmas morning with my Nana and the rest of my mom's family. During the days leading up to Christmas, all the women would be in the kitchen making dozens of holiday treats, and they got most of their recipes from this cookbook.

It's absolutely hilarious; it was published in 1958 by the Wisconsin Electric Power Company, and when you open the cover, the front page boldly proclaims, "Be Modern...Cook Electrically!" and "Electricity Does It Best!" Definitely an oldie but a goody. I have to say, there are some amazing recipes in here! Many of them are cookies I've had over the years during the holidays, but there are also some recipes I would like to try my hand at next year. The recipe in here for Spritz is one of my absolute favorites; it's very simple, very easy to throw together, but you can truly taste Christmas in every bite. Unfortunately my cookie press decided to punk out on me, so instead of pressing the cookies into pretty little shapes I kind of had to improvise.
Source: Wisconsin Electric Power Company cookbook, Christmas Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup and 1 T sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
colored sugar, food coloring, small candies for decorating

Directions:

1. Cream butter well. Add sugar. Cream until light and fluffy.

2. Add egg, vanilla and almond extract. Beat well.

3. Sift flour and salt together.

4. Add to creamed mixture. Blend.

5. Knead dough in hands until it is soft and pliable.

6. Press dough through cookie press onto ungreased cookie sheets.

7. Decorate with colored sugar or small candies.

8. Bake at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes.

9. Makes about six dozen.

Day 5: Mock Baby Ruth Bars

2010-12-26T16:57:00.000-05:00

These delicious bars have been a Christmas classic in my parents' house for as long as I can remember. Christmas just wouldn't have been the same without them. When Will and I got married and we spent Christmas in Wisconsin for the first time, he had the opportunity to try my mom's Mock Baby Ruth Bars. He was pretty cranked about the idea to begin with, since this recipe contains chocolate and peanut butter, but I don't even think Will was prepared for the cravings that followed his first bite! Every year in December, he will hang around the kitchen and casually say "so when are you making the chocolate peanut bars?" Trust me, it's a winner every time. Thanks for passing along the recipe, Mom!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup of butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups "quick" Quaker Oats
1 pkg milk chocolate chips
1/2 pkg butterscotch chips
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup salted Spanish peanuts

Directions:

1. Combine butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl.

2. Melt together in microwave until smooth.

3. Stir in crunchy peanut butter and vanilla.

4. In a large bowl, add the Quaker Oats.

5. Pour the melted mixture into the bowl with the oats, mix together, and press into a greased cake pan.

6. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove, and let cool.

7. In a large bowl, add the chocolate and butterscotch chips, smooth peanut butter and peanuts.

8. Melt in the microwave until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

9. Pour over the top of the crust, and let cool at room temperature. Cut into squares and serve.

Red Beans and Rice Didn't Miss Her!

2010-12-22T10:44:00.000-05:00

"To the beanpole dames in the magazine
You ain't it Miss Thang!
Give me a sista, I can't resist her
Red beans and rice didn't miss her!" -Sir Mix-A-Lot

I will freely admit I am one of those dorks who knows all the lyrics to "Baby Got Back." This can be somewhat problematic, seeing as how I am married to a Louisiana boy who loves his red beans and rice. I don't know what it is about this dish, but it makes me want to bust out my dance moves (which are even worse than my attempts at singing) whenever I see red beans and rice at one of our favorite restaurants in Shreveport. All silliness aside, it's taken me awhile to get the hang of this recipe, but I'm finally satisfied enough with the results to post the (slightly altered) recipe on my food blog. I found the original recipe on All Recipes, and while I don't deviate too far from the ingredients, I've added and eliminated a few, as well as the cooking method. Honestly though, everyone has a different way of making this dish, and you just have to find what works best for you. I will post my suggestions after each step.
Source: All Recipes

Ingredients:

1 pound dried red beans, soaked overnight
10 cups water (I think 8 is more than enough)
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning, or to taste
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped (I used two bay leaves instead)
1 ham hock (I omitted; I prefer the andouille sausage alone)
4 cups cooked rice

Directions:

1. Soak the beans overnight; drain in the morning before adding to the pot.

2. Place the beans and water into a slow cooker. (My slow cooker isn't big enough for this recipe, so I just use a large pot on the stovetop).

3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage in the skillet; remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and transfer to the slow cooker. Reserve drippings.

4. Add onion, green pepper, jalapeno pepper and garlic to the drippings; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.

5. Transfer everything from the skillet to the slow cooker.

6. Season the mixture with pepper and Creole seasoning.

7. Add the fresh basil leaves and ham hock. (I omitted the ham hock and used bay leaves).

8. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until beans are tender. If the bean mixture seems too watery, take the lid off the slow cooker and set heat to High to cook until they reach a creamy texture.It should look like this:

Day 4-Giada's Dried Cherries and Almond Cookies with Vanilla Icing

2010-12-17T11:15:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe of Giada's when I was browsing the Food Network website for new Christmas cookie ideas. That's one of the things that I love doing at the holidays-combining old and new traditions, culinary or otherwise. I absolutely love anything cherry related, and I was very excited to find this recipe. It was very easy to make, and the kitchen smelled so delicious!
Source: Food Network

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried tart cherries (see Cook's Note)
1/2 cup slivered, blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped (see Cook's Note)

Icing:

2 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons water, plus extra, as needed

Directions:

1. For the cookies: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, and salt until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

2. Beat in the egg.

3. Add the flour and beat on the lowest speed until just blended.

4. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the dried cherries and almonds.

5. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter.

6. Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Dough can be made up to 3 days in advance).
7. Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
8. Cut the log crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices.

9. Transfer the dough slices to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1-inch apart.

10. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges and puffed, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing, about 30 minutes.

11. For the icing: Put the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the vanilla extract and water, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture becomes a drizzling consistency. (Makes about 2/3 cups icing, enough to ice both variations.)

12. Put the cooled cookies on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or a fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 1 hour.

Cook's Note: To toast the almonds, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly toasted. Cool completely before using.

Cook's Note Alternative:
Replace the dried cherries with 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots and add 2 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts. Also, use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and omit the almond extract.

Day 3-Parkay Christmas Cookies

2010-12-17T10:58:00.000-05:00

These simple yet delicious cookies hold a special place in my heart, as they were always seen in my mom's kitchen during the month of December. This recipe has been in her family forever, and it only calls for five ingredients (unfortunately, including an amount of butter so obscene it would earn me the side-eye even from someone like Paula Deen). The end result is almost like a shortbread cookie, very buttery and comforting. The trick is not to bake these cookies too long; eight minutes in the oven is the absolute max. A great treat to bring to a cookie exchange, serve at an office party, or just to have at the house (but don't count on them lasting long. Will had every intention of taking them into work, but somehow that didn't happen).

Ingredients:

4 (yes, 4) sticks of butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup of sugar
4 1/2 cups of flour
red and green colored sugar for decorating

Directions:

1. Cream butter in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add sugar and vanilla, beating after each addition.

3. Add flour and mix well (but do not over-mix).

4. Dump colored sugar on a long roll of wax paper.

5. Divide the dough into 3 rolls, about 2-3 inches in diameter, and about a foot long.

6. Roll in sugar, and wrap in wax paper or saran wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice into small pieces, making sure the dough isn't too cold or the cookie dough will fall apart. They should look like this:

NOT this:

8. Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake for approx. 8 minutes. They should be a very pale tan. Do not remove from the cookie sheet 2-3 minutes after they come out of the oven.

Day 2-Alton's Paradise Macaroons

2010-12-10T07:07:00.000-05:00

While I wouldn't say my previous Christmas treat was difficult, it was definitely time-consuming. In fact, I don't think I've ever made a cheesecake that didn't require a lot of steps. I was ready to take a slight break after completing my first project, so I decided to give Alton Brown's Paradise Macaroons a try. I LOVE macaroons, but the last time I tried to make them (shortly after Will and I moved to Kansas in 2005) all I ended up with was a gooey, sticky mess in my kitchen. I'm still not sure what I did wrong, but I was determined to redeem myself with this recipe. Luckily, this was MUCH easier than the one I tried five years ago, and these macaroons are sinfully delicious. I ended up bringing a lot of these to the receptionists, nurses, doctors and midwives at my OB's practice last week, just to thank them for always being so nice and caring. They were very easy to package, and VERY well-received!

Source: Food Network

Ingredients:

2 (7 to 8-ounce) packages sweetened shredded coconut
2 ounces sweetened condensed milk
Pinch kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large egg whites at room temperature
5 ounces granulated sugar
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 ounce vegetable shortening
2 ounces finely chopped dry-roasted macadamia nuts

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Combine the coconut with the sweetened condensed milk, salt and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. (Side note-I received my Kitchen Aide Stand Mixer as a birthday gift from my parents last year, and I'm absolutely in love with it!).

4. Gradually add the sugar and continue to whip the whites until medium peaks form, 6 to 7 minutes.

(The egg whites should look like this)

5. Gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

6. Scoop tablespoon-sized mounds onto a parchment-lined half sheet pan.

7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately transfer the parchment with the macaroons to a cooling rack. Cool completely before topping.

8. Fill a 4-quart pot with enough water to come 2 inches up the side, set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Combine the chocolate chips and shortening in a small metal or glass mixing bowl and set over the simmering pot. Stir occasionally until melted, then remove from the heat.

9. Dip the cooled cookies in the chocolate mixture.

10. Sprinkle with the chopped macadamia nuts and place on parchment paper to set, about 30 minutes.

Cook's Note:

Alton prefers to use weight measurements for baking, to ensure the best accuracy. Please be careful if you try converting this recipe to standard measurements, especially for liquid ingredients. Two ounces of sweetened condensed milk is about 3/16th of a cup, which is less than 1/4 cup but more than 1/8 cup.

12 Days of Treats! Day One-Chocolate Cheesecake Candy Cane Bars

2010-12-10T06:51:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that these are the last few weeks Will and I will ever have as a family of two. It looks like our little one may be arriving before Christmas due to a couple of medical issues popping up, and even though time is of the essence, I'm determined to get in as much holiday baking and decorating as possible. Usually I like to take my time and space things out, but since I don't know how much time I'll be able to devote to my blog in the near future, I decided to go ahead with my plan to include the 12 Days of Treats. Some of these recipes (like this particular one) I recently found via searches on my favorite websites. Other recipes have been passed down to me by my nana and mother over the years, and they will always conjure up the most wonderful Christmas memories.

I decided to make this cheesecake recipe first, since I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand (trust me, this never happens! I am famous for having to make an emergency run to the grocery store when I'm in the middle of a recipe!). Even though an 8-inch square pan of cheesecake doesn't seem like a lot, trust me you will have more than enough. These little bars are extremely rich, and if you're talented enough to cut them into small pieces without destroying the crust-I'm not, for the record-you will have very satisfied family members, friends, co-workers, and neighbors.

Let the Christmas baking extravaganza commence!!

Source: Food Network

Ingredients:

Crust:

20 chocolate wafer cookies
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground coffee beans
1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Filling:

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, room temperature

Glaze:

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon light or dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons sour cream, room temperature
1/2 cup crushed candy canes (see Cooks Note)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with foil.

2. For the crust: Process the chocolate wafers in a food processor with the butter, sugar, coffee, and salt until fine.

3. Evenly press the crust into the prepared dish covering the bottom completely. Bake until the crust sets, about 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the filling: Put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl; heat at 75 percent power until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir, and continue to microwave until completely melted, up to 2 minutes more. (Alternatively put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water, and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.)

5. Blend the cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream together in the food processor until smooth. Scrape down the sides, as needed.

6. Add the eggs and pulse until just incorporated.

7. With the food processor running, pour the chocolate into the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.

8. Pour the filling evenly over the crust. Bake until filling puffs slightly around the edges, but is still a bit wobbly in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a rack.

9. For the Glaze: Put the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in microwave safe bowl. Heat glaze in the microwave at 75 percent power until melted, about 2 minutes.

10. Stir the ingredients together until smooth; add the sour cream.

11. Spread glaze evenly over the warm cake and scatter the crushed candy canes over top. Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.

12. Cut into small bars or squares. Serve chilled or room temperature.

13. Store cookies covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Cook's Note: To crush the candy canes, remove wrappers and place in a resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to roll and break the candy up into small pieces, about 1/4 inch or so.

White Bean and Sausage Stew

2010-12-09T08:24:00.000-05:00

There is just something so perfect about a hot, spicy stew when the weather gets cold. We haven't seen any snow in the Boston area yet (despite the fact that the rest of the East coast is getting slammed...ugh! We want a white Christmas too!), but winter is definitely in the air here. I was looking for a simple stew recipe with lots of flavor and spice, and I definitely found it in this recipe! I substituted andouille sausage for Italian, as I wanted more of a kick. Also, I didn't feel like facing rush hour traffic to go to the Italian market to pick up sausages. It was very easy to prepare, and my slow cooker did most of the work.
Source: All You, October 2006

Ingredients:

6 (3 oz.) Italian sausages
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 (15 oz.) cans white beans (Great Northern or navy), rinsed and drained
1 (28 oz.) can chopped tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 tsp. dried thyme
S alt and pepper

Directions:

1. Poke holes in sausages and put in a large nonstick skillet.

2. Add 1/4 cup water; bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook sausages, turning, until lightly browned and water has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

3. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes.

4. Add beans, tomatoes and thyme.

5. Put half of bean mixture into a slow cooker. Arrange sausages on top, followed by remaining beans. Cook on high for 4 hours. Check after 2 hours and add water if mixture looks dry.
Remove sausages; slice thickly. Season beans with salt and pepper. Return sausage to stew. (Stew can be kept, frozen and tightly sealed, for up to 1 month.)

Mexican Chicken Casserole

2010-12-09T08:14:00.000-05:00

During the month of December, I've decided to embark on a "12 Days of Treats" baking adventure (oh yeah, and giving birth! That will probably happen this month, too!). Therefore, while I'm still on the lookout for new meals to try, I either stick to tried and true recipes, or I just look for something that's incredibly easy and won't distract me from my cookie, candy, and cake baking time. I found this recipe on Cooking Light, and I'm pleased to report it met my quick, easy, and tasty requirements. Shredding the cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts was a bit of a pain (next time I think I'll just buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store; so much easier and they're so delicious!), but other than that I was very comfortable with the preparation time and the end result.
Source: Cooking Light, December 1998

Ingredients:

1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, divided
1 3/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breasts
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup (2 ounces) tub-style light cream cheese
1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 ounce tortilla chips, crushed (about 6 chips)

Directions:

1. Combine broth and 1 can of chiles in a large skillet; bring to a boil.

2. Add chicken; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning chicken once.

3. Remove chicken from cooking liquid, reserving cooking liquid; cool chicken.

4. Shred meat with two forks, and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°.
5. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 can of chiles and onion; sauté 3 minutes or until soft.

6. Add reserved cooking liquid, milk, Monterey Jack, cream cheese, and enchilada sauce; stir well.

7. Stir in shredded chicken; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

8. Place 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray.

9. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers twice, ending with chicken mixture.

10. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and chips.

11. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Mama Mia!

2010-12-03T09:31:00.000-05:00

"Bubble, bubble, pasta pot,
Boil me up some pasta, nice and hot,
I'm hungry and it's time to sup,
Boil enough pasta to fill me up."

From one of my all-time favorite childhood books, Strega Nona (Grandma Witch) by Tomie de Paola. As I mentioned in a previous post, I've been mentally going over all of my favorite childhood stories that I want to read to our little one, and I remember I would beg my mom to read Strega Nona over and over again. When Will and I moved to Boston, we packed up a bunch of my old baby books to take with me. When I found the scribbled-on cover with Tomie de Paola peeking out of the moving box, I was overjoyed!

Finding one of my favorite books inspired me to try a new pasta dish for Sunday dinner last weekend. I've ordered penne arrabiata a few times at restaurants in Italy, but I never actually attempted to make it myself. I'm not really sure why, since I always enjoy the spicy flavor. I decided to lighten the recipe up a little bit by using whole wheat pasta (trust me, this was a major sacrifice!), but the flavor really came through with the crushed red pepper, and I felt that I could indulge guilt-free. I will definitely make this dish again in the future!
Source: Southern Living Cooking School, October 2004

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons minced garlic (about 5 cloves)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (28-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (29-ounce) can tomato puree
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 (16-ounce) box penne pasta
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese blend*
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
Garnishes: Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese shavings, fresh basil sprigs

Directions:

1. Sauté garlic in hot oil in a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat 1 minute.

2. Add tomatoes and tomato puree. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Stir in red pepper flakes and next 4 ingredients; cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.

3. Prepare pasta in a large Dutch oven according to package directions.

4. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta and reserved cooking liquid to Dutch oven, and sprinkle with shredded cheese. (I just found it easier to put the drained pasta in a new pasta bowl).

4. Stir basil into tomato sauce, and pour 3 cups sauce over pasta. Toss to coat. Serve with remaining sauce. Garnish, if desired.

Cranberry Eggnog Braided Bread

2010-11-29T09:44:00.000-05:00

This is one of those recipes I only make once a year, because it only seems appropriate at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Seeing as how on Christmas we always have panettone, saffron buns, and a multitude of other carb-heavy delights, I decided to bring this bread to Connecticut with us for Thanksgiving morning. I received this recipe years ago from an old co-worker of mine (not sure if this was a recipe from her family or if she got it somewhere else-sorry, readers!), and I absolutely love it. Depending on what you have in your kitchen, you can either use fresh cranberries or dried. I prefer fresh, just because I love the contrast of the tartness of the cranberries with the sweet eggnog frosting. Unfortunately my food processor decided to go on the fritz, so I had to add WHOLE cranberries to the mixture. It still tasted okay, but consider yourself warned-if you don't chop the cranberries, it will make the dough all that more difficult to shape. Regardless, this is a perfect addition to a Thanksgiving breakfast. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour (plus 2 extra cups for mixture, and extra flour for kneading)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 tsp nutmeg, plus a little more for dusting
1 1/4 cup eggnog, plus 2 T for frosting
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup dried or fresh cranberries
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt, active dry yeast, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg.

2. In a saucepan, heat 1 1/4 cup of eggnog and butter to approx 120-130 degrees (butter does not need to melt). Add to the flour mixture.

3. Beat on low until moistened, then beat on medium for 3 minutes.

4. Stir in the cranberries.

5. Add up to 2 cups of flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto floured board, and knead for 8 minutes.

6. Place in greased bowl, cover and let rise for one hour.
7. Punch down dough, and divide into thirds.

8. Braid the dough, either into a circle by pinching the ends together, or in a row (which I ended up doing).

9. Cover and let rise, about 45 minutes.
10. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden.

11. Combine powdered sugar, 2 T of eggnog, and vanilla extract in a bowl.

12. Drizzle over the braid. Dust with nutmeg, and allow to cool completely.

Thanksgiving Delights-Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

2010-11-29T09:22:00.000-05:00

As I've said many times before, I do not enjoy pumpkin pie. However, during Thanksgiving week I am always on the lookout for recipes that include pumpkin one way or another. This year, Will and I were invited to spend Thanksgiving weekend in Connecticut with our wonderful friends Abby, Diane, Mike and Tammy (plus many extended relatives). I wanted to bring something special for dessert, and I also wanted to try something new. I found this recipe of Paula Deen's-and really, how can you go wrong with Paula Deen at Thanksgiving-on the Food Network website, and it looked simple enough to throw together and transport from Boston to CT. I didn't actually end up trying it at Thanksgiving dinner (I had WAY too much to eat and I wanted to try Abby's delicious apple desserts) but the family members who did end up trying it seemed to enjoy it.
Source: Food Network

Ingredients:

2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
1 (5.1-ounce) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional

Directions:

1. Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely. (I used the brand below).

2. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool.

3. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding.

4. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl.

5. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping.

6. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.(Which is what I did....made everything a little easier).

Kiddie Dinner

2010-11-29T09:10:00.000-05:00

Despite the five years I spent living in Europe and trying exotic dishes, despite the unusual and challenging cookbooks I received for wedding presents that I couldn't wait to plow through, and despite my love of gourmet food, there are times when all I want to do is snuggle on the couch with Will and Murphy, watch a movie, and eat comfort food from my childhood. Take yesterday, for example. After Will and I returned home from mass and running errands, I absolutely had to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. Nothing else would suffice. (I would also like to point out that this is incredibly rare for me, and Will attributed my craving to my ninth month of pregnancy). I have to say, I was happier eating that PB&J than I would have been dining at my favorite sushi restaurant. Again, you will rarely hear me say such a thing! I decided that I should make a day out of my childhood cravings, and serve creamy tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner.

These past couple of months, I've been going through my favorite books from my childhood in my head, trying to remember the ones that I have to read to our baby. One of the classics in our house was the story of Gus the Ghost, who, at the end of the book, threw a party at the house he haunted and served toasted cheese sandwiches. Every time my mom read this book to me, she would make me a grilled cheese sandwich. (My love of tomato soup came much, much later). I don't think that good tomato soup recipes are particularly easy to find, but this one was perfect. Low fat, just the right amount of cream, and perfect for dunking your grilled cheese sandwiches in! So anytime you're craving a hot bowl of tomato soup on a chilly, rainy day or you just want to re-create special childhood memories, look no further.
Source: All You, February 2009

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes, with juice
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Warm oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Add garlic and cook until slightly softened and fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Stir in flour to blend, about 1 minute.

4. Add tomatoes with juice and broth to saucepan, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir or whisk constantly until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

5. Working in batches, carefully transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a bowl until all soup is pureed. (For the love of everything holy, don't make the same mistake I did. I thought I had MORE than enough room in my blender to add the entire batch of soup in at once. While technically that was true, the top exploded off my blender as soon as I hit the "puree" button. Hot tomato soup exploded all over the counter top, my cabinet, and myself. Not a pleasant experience).

6. Return soup to saucepan, stir in cream and cook over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until heated through. Do not boil.

7. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot in warmed cups.

Pulled Pork Tacos

2010-11-29T08:48:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness, I still find it hard to believe that something this delicious can still be so healthy! Will and I love shredded Mexican pork, but I've kind of had a hard time re-creating it in the past. This was one of the simplest recipes I've found for pulled pork tacos, but I'm convinced that the winning ingredient is the unsweetened cocoa powder. Don't ask me why. All I know is that between the two of us, Will and I polished off this dinner with only minimal leftovers to spare. Will couldn't stop raving about how delicious it was, and for a dinner that required hardly any preparation, I am more than willing to make this again in the future! One warning that is mentioned in the recipe but I would like to reiterate; avoid the temptation of lifting the lid on your slow cooker to frequently check on the pork. Every time you allow the heat to escape, that tacks on another 1/2 hour of cooking time.
Source: Real Simple, February 2009

Ingredients:

2 cups store-bought salsa, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Kosher salt
1 2 1/2-pound boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
18 corn tortillas
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
3/4 cup sour cream
1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa, and 1 teaspoon salt.

2. Trim the pork of excess fat.

3. Add the pork and turn to coat. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.

4. Twenty minutes before serving, heat oven to 350° F. Stack the tortillas, wrap them in foil, and bake until warm, about 15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred the pork and stir into the cooking liquid. Serve with the tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, lime, and extra salsa.

Tip: When using a slow cooker, resist the urge to lift the lid until the dish has cooked the minimum amount of time specified in the recipe. Each peek allows heat to escape and can increase cooking time by as much as a half hour.

Falafel-Stuffed Pitas

2010-11-20T12:02:00.000-05:00

As much as I love middle Eastern food, I've always been intimidated by it. I love falafels, but for the longest time I had no idea what was actually IN a falafel patty. Will has been deployed to Iraq multiple times, and there were a couple of instances when he was able to leave the base with the translators and have some of the local food. He praised it to the skies, and when I suggested trying a falafel pita recipe I found, Will practically started salivating on the spot. It was surprisingly easy, and this dish definitely fits in with my "healthy eating" week before Thanksgiving.
Source: Cooking Light, November 2003

Ingredients:

Falafel:
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large egg
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sauce:
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame-seed paste)
1 garlic clove, minced
Remaining ingredients:
4 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, cut in half
8 curly leaf lettuce leaves
16 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato

Directions:

1. To prepare falafel, place first 8 ingredients in a food processor; process mixture until smooth.

2. Divide mixture into 16 equal portions, and shape each portion into a 1/4-inch-thick patty.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties, and cook 5 minutes on each side or until patties are browned.

4. To prepare sauce, combine yogurt, lemon juice, tahini, and 1 garlic clove, stirring mixture with a whisk.

5. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini sauce into each pita half.

6. Fill each pita half with 1 lettuce leaf, 2 tomato slices, and 2 patties.

Black Bean Soup

2010-11-20T11:52:00.000-05:00

This just may have been the easiest dinner I've made in a long time. Since it's the week before Thanksgiving and I know a calorie fest is on the horizon, I've been trying to make super-healthy lunches and dinners so I don't feel too guilty indulging in appetizers, turkey, stuffing, desserts, what have you. According to Will, my father in-law is the expert on black beans and rice, and while I would have loved to have tried his recipe, he a) had a busy work week and I didn't want to trouble him to search through the recipe collection, and b) I know his recipe includes ham hocks, and I can't find them ANYWHERE. Seriously, does anyone in the Boston area know where I can find a stupid ham hock? It's not sold at our grocery store and I'm beyond frustrated! Anyway, while I don't think this recipe would have met the standards of Will's Louisiana relatives, I found it very satisfying for a quick and healthy weeknight dish. The only complaint I have is that even though I cooked this soup for 10 hours in my slow cooker, I still felt like the beans weren't "done" enough. (I've had this same problem with red beans and rice, and my mother in-law suggested boiling the beans-uncovered-on the stovetop. Note to self for next time).
Source: Cooking Light, March 2009

Ingredients:

1 pound dried black beans
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup water
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 bay leaves
1 serrano chile, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Directions:

1. Sort and wash beans; place in a large bowl. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; cover and let stand 8 hours. Drain.

2. Combine beans, broth, and next 5 ingredients (through chile) in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 10 hours.

3. Discard bay leaves. Stir in juice and salt.

4. Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle each with 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro. Top each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Chicken Scallopine with Sage and Fontina Cheese

2010-11-16T08:56:00.000-05:00

You'll have to forgive me; my camera battery died right before the chicken finished cooking, so unfortunately I wasn't able to get my "dinner shot" of this fabulous recipe. I was browsing Giada's recipes on the Food Network website a few weeks ago, and I came across this one. It looked delicious, and the end result did not disappoint. It wasn't too cheesy, the tomatoes, wine and garlic added the perfect flavor, and my only regret is that I didn't pick up an extra package of chicken cutlets at the store. Will wanted to bring leftovers in to work, but unfortunately there was nothing left over to bring in! Even though this recipe looks time-consuming, it was very easy to make and perfectly appropriate for a weeknight.
Source: Food Network

Ingredients:

6 (4 1/2 to 5 1/2-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded thin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 sage leaves
3 ounces grated fontina cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, halved
1/2 cup white wine
1 (28-ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Special Equipment: toothpicks

Directions:

1. Place the chicken cutlets on a clean work surface, narrow end facing you. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Place one sage leaf crosswise on each of the pieces of chicken. (Side note-I could not find sage leaves ANYWHERE. I had to make do with torn bits of sage leaves in the spice sections).

3. Sprinkle each of the pieces of chicken with 1/2 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) of fontina cheese.

4. Roll up the chicken and seal with one or two toothpicks.

5. Warm the olive oil and halved garlic clove in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.

6. Add the chicken. Brown the chicken on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and remove and discard the garlic. (DO NOT discard the garlic!!! I don't know what kind of vendetta Giada has against garlic, but I promise the flavor is so much better if you leave it in).

7. Add the wine and simmer for 2 minutes while scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

8. Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes and red pepper flakes in a blender and blend until smooth.

9. Add the tomato mixture to the reduced wine in the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavors marry.

10. Return the chicken to the pan. Simmer the chicken in the tomato sauce for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over and simmer until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

11. Remove the chicken from the pan. Season the tomato sauce with salt and pepper. Spoon the tomato sauce onto serving plates or a serving platter. Slice the chicken into 1-inch rounds. Remove the toothpicks. Place the chicken over the sauce and serve immediately.

My Big Fat Greek Salad

2010-11-16T08:41:00.000-05:00

Even though I was known throughout college as a terrible procrastinator, I have to say I've really morphed into "Super Organized and Ahead of Schedule Marisa" in terms of preparing for our baby. Our nursery is almost completely finished (pictures to follow in a few days), Will and I have taken the childbirth class, I've read as many birthing/child-rearing books as I can get my hands on, and last week we met with our baby's future pediatrician. Will and I liked her instantly, and I'm so relieved we found such a wonderful doctor (and only 10 minutes away from our place, too!) the very first time around. Since we met with her at 7:00 in the evening, I knew I wanted to make a quick, easy, and healthy dinner once we returned home. I love Greek salads, but I haven't always been a huge fan of the accompanying salad dressings. This one, however, was delicious. I made the dressing before we left for the pediatrician's office, and when I got home all I had to do was chop up the veggies, cook the chicken, and dinner was ready. Despite the presence of kalamata olives and tomatoes, Will loved this salad and went back for seconds.
Source: Cooking Light, August 2001

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
8 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 cup sliced cucumber (about 1 small)
8 pitted kalamata olives, halved
4 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
2 (1/4-inch-thick) slices red onion, separated into rings
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese (I used lowfat cheese)

Directions:

1. Prepare grill or broiler.

2. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl. Brush the chicken with 2 tablespoons dressing; set remaining dressing aside. (I modified this a bit; I didn't brush the chicken with the dressing, but I cut the chicken up and sprinkled it with Greek seasoning before cooking it. I thought it gave the chicken a stronger flavor).

2. Place chicken on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook for 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

3. Combine the romaine lettuce and the next 4 ingredients (romaine lettuce through red onion slices) in a large bowl, and toss with the remaining salad dressing.

4. Divide the salad evenly among 4 plates; top each serving with sliced chicken, and sprinkle with feta cheese.

Orange You Glad You Tried This Bread?

2010-11-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, our good friend Thomas came to visit Will and I. Thomas was fortunate enough to have some extended time off from work, so the 3 of us were able to hang out and enjoy Boston for six days (well, Thomas and I were. Will still had a fairly busy work schedule). I wanted to have some breakfast-y things around the house, and when I saw this recipe for Pumpkin Orange bread I immediately knew I should give it a try. What I find so interesting is that for the longest time, I hated anything pumpkin. Actually that's not completely true, I always hated pumpkin pie as a kid, and frankly I still do. I can't explain why, but it always tasted mushy and disgusting to me. It wasn't until I was in college and I started drinking Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks that I slowly began to change my opinion; as it turns out, I love the flavor of pumpkin, I just don't like the pie. Thomas is the exact same way, and he was somewhat reluctant to try the pumpkin orange bread. However, once he tried it he said (in a very surprised voice), "I really like it!" So there you have it folks, this bread is able to convert even the most staunch pumpkin-haters! I will definitely be making this bread again while pumpkin is still in season.
Source: All Recipes

Ingredients:

1 large orange
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I omitted)
1/2 cup chopped raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

2. Cut orange into wedges, and remove seeds. Place orange, peel and all, in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth.

4. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

5. Stir in the pumpkin, water, and the ground orange.

6. Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.

7. Stir into batter just until moistened.

8. Stir in nuts and raisins.

9. Spoon into the prepared loaf pan.

10. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, then remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack.

The Apple of my Eye

2010-11-05T10:44:00.000-04:00

Oh my goodness. I cannot say enough good things about this delicious fall cake, so I will simply state that I had a LOT of happy, satisfied pregnant woman when I brought this treat to one of my childbirthing classes last weekend. We've been taking turns bringing in something to share with everyone during the break, and the weekend before two ladies brought in baklava (a personal favorite of mine). As soon as I saw this recipe for apple spice cake, I knew it would be a winner. There are currently two pieces left that have been sitting on my countertop for a few days, and Will has shown remarkable self-restraint by not gobbling them down in one sitting (mainly because he had an important PT test this morning...I am under the distinct impression that when he returns home this evening he will polish those bad boys off). This dessert was very easy to make, although I would allow yourself some extra time to peel, core, and slice the apples. Also, you have the option of using one of three frostings; I chose the brown butter frosting. I mean, that just screams "fall" to me. I did find that with the frosting I had to add a little extra liquid and powdered sugar, so don't be alarmed if you find yourself in the same situation. It's a very easy fix.
Source: Southern Living, October 2010

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
Browned-Butter Frosting,
Dark Chocolate Frosting, or
Cream Cheese Frosting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

2. Peel, core, and slice the apples.

3. Stir together butter and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl until blended.

4. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture, stirring until blended.

5. Stir in apples and 1 cup pecans. (Batter will be very thick, similar to a cookie dough.)

6. Spread batter into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan.

7. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 45 minutes).

8. Spread your choice of frosting over top of cake; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup pecans.

And here is the recipe for the browned butter frosting I used. Source: Southern Living, October 2010

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove pan from heat immediately, and pour butter into a small bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour or until butter is cool and begins to solidify.

2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beginning and ending with powdered sugar. Beat mixture at low speed until well blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

What a Croque!

2010-11-02T12:38:00.000-04:00

I suppose I should have mentioned in my previous post that it is impossible for me to eat French onion soup without a Croque Monsieur. I mean, does this sandwich scream "hell yeah I'm in Paris" or what?? You can find this tasty little creation at any French cafe, usually served with a side of pommes frites (in the interest of not gaining a ridiculous amount of weight, I usually opt for a green salad). I don't know what it is about the ham and cheese sandwiches in France, but they are unlike anything I have ever tasted before. If you don't believe me, simply ask my husband, who ever so kindly and patiently indulged my requests for "un sandwich avec jambon e fromage" every. single. day. we were in France. I also think the butter has something to do with it. But I digress, I'm getting way off topic here. When I decided to make the French onion soup a few weeks ago, I knew I had to find a good croque monsieur recipe. Let me tell you, this is not easy. It's so much more than just slapping a piece of ham and a slice of whatever cheese is leftover in your fridge on the nearest piece of bread. I recommend using a good quality ham (I'm partial to Virginia) and as this recipe recommends, shredded Gruyere cheese. The result is heavenly, and you'll never look at a ham and cheese sandwich in a sub shop the same way again.
Source: Cooking Light, January 2010

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fat-free mayonnaise
8 (1-ounce) slices Italian bread
6 ounces thinly sliced ham
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup fat-free milk
Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Combine mustard and mayonnaise in a small bowl.

2. Spread 3/4 teaspoon mustard mixture over each of 4 bread slices; layer each slice with 1 1/2 ounces ham and 1/4 cup cheese.

3. Sprinkle evenly with pepper. Spread 3/4 teaspoon mayonnaise mixture over each remaining bread slice; place, mustard side down, on top of sandwiches.

4. Combine egg substitute and fat-free milk in a shallow dish.

5. Dip both sides of each sandwich into the egg mixture.

6. Heat a large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sandwiches to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and cheese melts.

La Nuit Francais

2010-11-02T12:24:00.000-04:00

Interestingly enough, I never liked French onion soup until I went to Paris for the first time. I figured if I didn't like soupe a l'oignon in France, I was never going to like it. I'm happy to report I was pleasantly surprised, and for the rest of the trip (and the subsequent six trips to France I took over the next few years) I ordered the soup at any given opportunity. I wish I knew the secret of the French chefs, because I repeatedly tried to re-create this soup at home for quite a while now. I finally stumbled on this recipe from the Williams Sonoma website, and I think this is as close as I'll ever get to authentic French onion soup. Unfortunately, I couldn't find leeks at my grocery store, so I had to go without. This is a time-consuming soup to make, so don't attempt this if you have a million things going on during the week.
Source: Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. vegetable or olive oil
4 large red onions, thinly sliced (I used white onions)
1⁄4 tsp. sugar
4 leeks, including tender green portions,
thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups beef or chicken stock or prepared broth
1⁄2 cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1⁄2 tsp. minced fresh thyme or 1⁄4 tsp.
dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
12 baguette slices, each 1⁄4 inch thick
3⁄4 cup shredded Gruyère or Comté cheese

Directions:

1. Chop the onions (I used my handy food processor), set aside.

2. In a large non-aluminum saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 15 minutes. Add the sugar and leeks and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until richly colored and caramelized, 30 to 45 minutes. (You may need to increase the heat to medium to add some color at the end.)

3. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

4. Add the stock, wine, bay leaf and thyme. Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf and discard.

5. To serve, preheat the broiler. Ladle the soup into individual flameproof soup bowls. Place 2 or 3 slices of bread on top of each bowl and sprinkle with the cheese.

6. Slide under the broiler about 6 inches from the heat element. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.