It's Been Way Too Long...

I was at a barbecue with my parents yesterday and my mother mentioned to another attendee that I had a foodie blog that I hadn't made a post in since (Gasp) May! So today I sat down and decided I would attend to said blog. But then I noticed my dogs pacing in circles around the kitchen and dining room and realized it was nearly 6 pm and they hadn't had their evening walk. So, again, I walked away from the lap top... and the blog. I've been busy, doing what exactly, I have no idea.

The dogs have been walked and fed and now I'm on on my patio with a pale ale and my lap top and I'm ready to rock. The point is that I'm back, and possibly in full effect.

Unfortunately I don't have an idea for an "official post" but here are some photos to let you know what I've been up to in the last few weeks.

Poor Man's Coq au Vin

Turkey Spinach Meatloaf with Mashed Red Potatoes and Zucchini

My Husband's Grilled Chicken

Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Pork Chop Over Polenta with Chardonnay Gravy

Enchilada Suizas with Refried Black Beans and Basmati Rice

Wild Mushroom lasagna served with Filet and Broccolini

Thai Pork 2 ways with Yellow Curry and Sesame Lime Jus

Breakfast of Cranberry, Orange & Pecan Scones with Cherries

Above Scones with Homemade Blackberry Cherry Jam

Tonight with Happy Dog and Lap Top

Sausage and Greens

My blog program has been acting up lately so I haven't posted because I haven't had the time or want to deal with it. I actually tried to post yesterday but the formatting got totally screwed, so hopefully I can muddle through it today.

This year is the first year my husband and I have had a real garden. It's our first home and the first time we've had space to do anything more than some potted tomatoes and herbs. We have mountains of zucchini that are nearly ready for harvest and lots of tomatoes and herbs. We also have collard greens, and lots of them. They were actually a mistake, my husband hates greens and I meant to plant broccoli. So I have been trying to find ways to use them so my husband will eat them and enjoy it.

I found this recipe for a sausage and collard green pasta a few weeks ago and I tried it on myself. I love collard greens and pretty much any type of greens for that matter, so this was right up my alley. The pairing of the sausage gave the dish enough flavor so that the greens were not too bitter or overpowering. I'm going to try this dish on my husband tomorrow, hopefully with good results.

Ingredients:

1 bunch collard greens, about 1 lb. stems removed, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced crosswise into half inch slices ( I remove the full vein out because I think the texture is better)

3 T olive oil

1 T minced garlic (I used 2 cloves and will use 3 next time)

1 t hot pepper flakes (she says this is optional, but I think it is a must)

5 links hot turkey Italian Sausage 12 oz. ( I would say 1 link per person is about right, so I'll use 2)

Pasta (she uses 3/4 of a box or about 6 servings, I will probably use 1/2 a box)

salt-pepper to taste

Grated parmesan

Directions:

Bring small pot of water to boil, add sausage and cook at low boil 10 minutes

Let sausage cool and slice

Bring large pot of water to a boil, add sliced collards and boil 5-7 minutes, until tender

Remove collards from water, keep water in the pot and bring back to a boil

When water comes to a boil, add pasta and a small amount of salt and cook 9-10 minutes

Reserve 1 cup pasta water then drain pasta

While pasta cooks, in large skillet, heat 2 T olive oil and add sliced sausage and brown until well browned on both sides

Remove sausage and add remaining T olive oil and garlic and red pepper and cook 2 minutes, scraping bottom of pan to get browned sausage bits

Add collards and saute 2 minutes, then add pasta and enough cooking liquid to moisten dish, and cook 2 minutes more

Taste and season with salt and pepper

Serve hot with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Flexible Caserole Recipe

I love lifehacker.com so much, even more so when they feature recipes or cooking tips. The feature today was on an easy and flexible casserole recipe.

Flexible Casserole Ingredients:

1 cup main ingredient (protein)
1 cup second ingredient (vegetable)
1-2 cups starchy ingredient (pasta, rice, etc)
1 1/2 cups binder (sour cream, milk, canned soup, etc)
1/4 cup "goodie" (cheese, nuts, butter, etc)
seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic, etc)
topping ( french fried onions, breadcrumbs, etc)

You can read the full article and cooking instructions at lifehacker.com and the simple dollar.

Epicurious Top 30 Cake Recipes

So I decided to start a little diet yesterday and this morning my boss sent me an article, Thirty Top Rated Cakes from Epicurious.com. She's the devil. By cake number 2, I was literally salivating. Coconut cake... I pine for you.

But Seriously, how good does that look. I'm thinking about trying a healthier version of a carrot cake for a dinner I'm having this weekend. Substituting whole wheat flour and then applesauce for some of the oil. I'll still do a yummy cream cheese frosting, just with less sugar. I'd love to try to make a coconut cake healthier, but even in theory, it just won't work.

I'll let you know how everything turns out.

Diet!!! Yuck

So I want to lose 14 pounds and a lot of my recipes don't exactly fit into the diet category. Almost everything I make is nutritious, I'm lucky that I love vegetables and whole grains, but it's not exactly diet-worthy. So now I have to somewhat overhaul the way I eat, which is no fun. I feel like my bread making hay day may be coming to a standstill.

I know that cutting out the sugar is my first step. Sad, that means no more honey pecan pork chops... Is a tablespoon of honey okay? I was thinking of maybe doing a citrus garlic pork chop instead. That might work. Then there's carbs, ugh.

I like to run, so I am a strong believer in carb loading on bread and pasta. Oh, and beer. I cut out the beer last weekend, so I'm a step ahead of the game. Now I just need to find a good substitute for pasta and bread. But I still need to get my fiber. I love spaghetti squash, so I think I'll be eating much more of that. I'll let you know what I find as a good substitute for bread.

If you guys have any good suggestions for healthy, high fiber desserts and breads, help me out. I know I'll need it.

Honey Pecan Pork Chops

A few nights ago I made a delicious and easy meal. We're talking under 10 ingredients, very little prep, and maybe 15 minutes total in cooking time. I think this dish will definitely be a repeat in our household. I found the recipe here.
I love pork and tend to do the same old meal over and over with it. I just started grilling it a few months ago which has helped to liven up the dinner repertoire. I love this meal because I'm really interested in 10 item or less meals now. I may have to add that as a new category because we all need a go to place for great quick and easy dinners.


Ingredients:
4 pork chops- pound thin with meat tenderizer
1/2 c flour
s & p to taste
2 T butter
1/4 c honey
1/4 c chopped pecans

Directions:
Melt butter in saute pan over medium heat
Mix flour and s & p and dredge chops so they are lightly floured on both sides
Add pork to pan and cook until browned ( 5-7 minutes on each side)
Remove pork from pan and add honey and pecans to the left over drippings
You can just pour the honey sauce on the pork chops, but I returned them to the pan to caramelize them. It was just great. I highly recommend this easy dish.
As you can see I served mine with mashed yams and steamed broccoli. The mashed yams just have a little butter, milk, and salt and the broccoli is steamed in water so total number of ingredients is exactly 10. Not too shabby.

Easy Substitutes When Baking

This happens to me all the time, I'm all set to start cooking and realize I've run out of eggs or milk. I've remedies this by keeping powdered milk and vegan egg substitute on hand at all times. Here is an awesome article from tipnut.com that lists substitutes for those things we may run out of.

I've listed a few great tips below, but go here for the full article.

Buttermilk Substitute: You can substitute 1 cup of buttermilk with the following quick recipe–In a one cup measuring cup, add 1 TBS of vinegar or lemon juice, then top up the rest of the measuring cup with milk. Set aside for 5 minutes, stir, then use as buttermilk in the recipe.

Baking Powder Substitute: Try 1/4 tsp baking soda & 1/2 tsp cream of tartar to substitute for 1 tsp baking powder.

Chocolate Squares Substitute: 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa & 1/4 cup melted Crisco (Substitution for 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate squares).

Fool Proof Pie Crust

Here's a pie crust recipe from instructables.com that claims to be foolproof. I haven't tried it myself, but I think we all need fool proof recipes in our arsenal. Also, pie crusts are so versatile, you can make a savory or sweet dish. And the ingredients for pie crusts are normally in our cupboards or refrigerators so it's one of those things we can easily whip up and fill with something yummy. Maybe quiche or a vegetable pie would be nice for spring. Be creative.

Ingredients and directions from Instructables.com
To make two 9-inch crusts * 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour * 1 teaspoon table salt * 2 tablespoons sugar * 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut…

Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until dough just starts to co…

Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together.

Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Once your dough is thoroughly chilled - as firm as a cold stick of butter - it's ready to roll out. Roll the dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap to prevent dough …

My New Obsession... Onion Marmalade

My boss made meatloaf sandwiches on Monday and one of the condiments she used was onion marmalade mixed with a bit of mayonnaise. It was like heaven; slightly sweet, slightly tart with that wonderful earthy oniony taste. So I've been addicted ever since. Yesterday I had to have a grilled cheese sandwich with the addition of the marmalade.

I know I could go out and buy the stuff, but I've made jam before, so I decided to take a crack at it. I combined a few different recipes to fit my tastes.

About.com Onion Marmalade Recipe

Group Recipes Onion Jam Recipe

Recipe Zaar Red Onion Jam Recipe

Here's what I did


Red Onion Marmalade:

Ingredients:
2 Large red onions (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 bottle white wine ( I used Charles Shaw Chardonnay because I think $2 wine is more than enough for a condiment)
1 c water
1/2 c sugar
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T olive oil
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Directions:

Heat medium, non reactive saucepan to medium low heat and add olive oil
Add chopped onions and garlic and saute, stirring often, until they become translucent, 10-15 minutes
Add remaining ingredients and cook covered for 30 minutes
Turn on exhaust fan, this can get stinky
Uncover pan and turn heat to medium
Cook an additional 45-60 minutes, stirring periodically to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom, until the liquid has reduced and sauce seems syrupy
This will thicken more upon cooling as well

This should keep for a few weeks in a closed container. It can be used on a variety of meets as a condiment or addition to a sauce. I like it mixed with mayo, but it can also be mixed with cream cheese for a dip. Enjoy

Chocolate Powered Race Car

Seems like a waste of chocolate to me, but I guess it is sustainable... Thanks to Jalopnik.com via Geekologie for information on this edible vehicle.


A Warwick University-based team has unveiled a Formula 3 race car built using sustainable materials. Its body is made of potatoes, the steering wheel is carrots, and the fuel is derived from chocolate. Delicious.

Chick here to read full article

Gizmodo's 53 foods so Disgusting you May Not Want To Eat Again for A Week

If you don't read Gizmodo for the gear articles, you have to peruse it for all the weird stuff. Here are some entries from a recent Photoshop contest they held. Enjoy, at your own risk...

Click here to see all the entries.

5 Minute Ice Cream

Uh Oh, just looking at this made my thighs fatter.

5 minute ice cream

1 pkg frozen fruit

1/2 c sugar

2/3 c heavy cream

1 t vanilla

Place all ingredients in blender and mix until substance resembles ice cream

Thanks to http://www.instructables.com/ for this chilly delight

Rosemary Focaccia

I love focaccia and it is one of the easiest breads to make. It doesn't require much kneading and it really only needs one rise. It may be the high fat content in the bread, but whatever it is, it's darn good. It's basically a pizza dough without out the work and you can still top it with yummy things like kalamata olives, caramelized onions or just herbs, as I did. I served it along side a meal, so I just used rosemary from my garden as a topping.


I used Tyler Florence's recipe.

Ingredients:

1 pkg yeast
1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 T sugar
3 1/2 to 4 c flour
1 T salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T Rosemary
Cornmeal, for dusting
Cooking spray

Directions:

Proof yeast by stirring it in a large bowl with sugar and the warm water. If you have a standing mixer just put it in the bowl of the mixer for 5-10 minutes until it gets foamy.
Add the salt and stir to combine.
Add the flour a 1/2 c at a time.
Add the olive oil.
If you're using the stand mixer just turn it on medium for 5 minutes and let the mixer do the work, you will only need to knead for a minute at the end. If you are kneading the dough, just knead for 5 minutes on a floured surface until the dough is a little stretchy. Add flour if needed
Roll the dough into a ball and place into a bowl sprayed with cooking spray
Spray the top of the ball with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap or wet towel
Let rise for 45 minutes until doubled
Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and dust with cornmeal
Remove dough from bowl and stretch into an oblong shape and place on the sheet
Flatten it out somewhat uniformly then press finger prints into the dough
Sprinkle with rosemary
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes
Remove plastic and bake on the bottom rack for 15-20 minutes

Pureed Kohlrabi

While at the farmer's market this weekend I decided I wanted to try out some new vegetables. One of the most interesting veggies was the kohlrabi; it looks like a little green heart with it's ventricles shooting out into leaves. It was so interesting to me I had to purchase it. I had never seen or heard of kohlrabi before and the person working the stand couldn't tell me much about it, but I knew that Google could. So into my canvas bag it went.

While searching for kohlrabi recipes I found many of the recipes used the kohlrabi only as an addition to a salad, soup or stew. I wanted it as a side dish, but I wanted it to play the main part. That's when I happened upon this recipe from Farmgirl Fare. She even says "For the only thing you should ever be doing with kohlrabi is turning it into puree. Trust me." I trust you Farmgirl, I do. So I began the process of pureeing kohlrabi.

Ingredients:

4 kohlrabi bulbs with leaves

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c cultivated mushrooms (I used cremini and oyster), quartered

3 Tablespoons cream (or milk, chicken stock, olive oil, or water) I used skim milk

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

*Trim the kohlrabi bulbs, peeling them if the skins seem tough. Rinse the leaves (discarding any that are yellow) pat them dry, and coarsely chop. Set aside. But the bulbs into 1-inch chunks.

*Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil, and add the kohlrabi chunks. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.

*Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and saute over medium-low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, another 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let garlic brown.

*Add the mushrooms and the reserved kohlrabi leaves to the skillet. Cover, and cook 5 minutes. Then uncover, and cook, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated, 3 minutes. Set the skillet aside.

*Drain the kohlrabi chunks and place them in the bowl of a food processor

At this point she suggests blending everything together, but I blended the chunks alone and they turn into this beautiful light green puree with a lovely mild broccoli taste.

Then I added the dark green leave and mushroom puree mixture

*Transfer the puree to a saucepan and reheat over low heat, stirring, 2 minutes.
*Makes 6 portions

I will definitely make kohlrabi again. I think that next time I will use the leaves as greens and just use the bulb for the puree because it really was so tasty.

Spinach, Mushroom, and Sun-Dried Tomato Salad

My husband and I have recently started harvesting vegetables from our tiny home garden. We're still waiting for green beans, tomatoes and zucchini, but we have tons of spinach, collard greens, and herbs. So last night I made a wonderful spinach salad from our home grown harvest.

Spinach Salad
Ingredients:
2 c Spinach
1/2 c sliced mushrooms ( I used cremini, oyster and button)
1/4 c chopped onions
1/4 c halved pecans
1/4 c sun-dried or oven-dried tomatoes (see oven dried tomato recipe below)
1/2 T olive oil

Dressing:
3 T balsamic
3 T olive oil
1/2 t brown sugar
1 t seeded mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat a saute pan to medium and add olive oil
Saute mushrooms and onions until golden
While mushrooms saute, whisk all ingredients for dressing
Place spinach in bowl and add mushroom mix while hot so spinach slightly wilts
Add tomatoes, pecans and toss with dressing

Note:
I called the tomatoes in this salad sun-dried but they are actually oven-dried. Oven drying tomatoes is a great thing to do with tomatoes that are on the edge of going bad; just at that wrinkled stage, if there is any rot present, they're toast. Keep in mind the drying process is low and slow so it can take 8-10 hours. I put them in an hour or 2 before I go to bed and just turn off the heat and let them sit in the warmth of the oven until I wake up.

Ingredients:

3 Tomatoes

1 T olive oil

Pinch Salt

Cooking spray

Parchment paper or tin foil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees

Place parchment on cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray

Slice each tomato in 6 or 7 slices and place on parchment

Brush with olive oil

Sprinkle with salt

Cook for 1-2 hours then turn off heat (if they still look plump after an hour keep in longer)

Keep in oven 6-8 hours longer with heat off

These keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. I put them in an old mason jar with extra olive oil.

Blue Cheese Souffle...and Reconstructed Buffalo Wings

So what I was really craving for dinner on Saturday night was buffalo wings with celery sticks and creamy blue cheese dressing. But buffalo wings does not a meal make. Especially when it was my husband's first night home after his long project. So I decided to reconstruct the essentials of wings into a meal.



I decided to translate the blue cheese dressing into a blue cheese souffle.



The wings were a more literal translation; I stuffed a a chicken breast with a crunchy celery stuffing and sauteed it in butter and hot pepper sauce. I served it along with a baby green salad with a refreshing raspberry vinaigrette.

The blue cheese souffle was absolutely amazing and surprisingly easy to make. I have heard horror stories about souffles but I threw caution to the wind and gave it a whirl anyway. I think patience is the key to a good souffle. Keeping the heat low and slow seems to be really important. Also, not worrying about completely incorporating the fluffy egg whites into the yolk and milk mix is important. I didn't even really fold them in too much, just a quick flip over and figured it was enough...and it was. The souffle held it's height and it was fluffy and creamy and just plain wonderful.

Ingredients:

3 T unsalted butter, plus more for greasing ramekins
2-3 T grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese ( I didn't have this so I just used flour)
3 T all-purpose flour
1 c milk (I used skim)
5 egg yolks, lightly beaten
½ tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tsp. dry mustard powder (I was all out of this, so I used 1T prepared mustard, it was fine)
6 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (I used 4 oz blue cheese and 2 oz aged white cheddar)
5 egg whites

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the ramekins by rubbing the insides all over with butter. Divide the Parmigiano among the ramekins, holding them sideways and spinning them around to get the cheese to adhere to the sides. This gives the souffle something to cling to. ( This is where I used the extra flour)

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. When it is completely melted and the foam subsides, add the flour as you whisk constantly to form a smooth béchamel sauce. Cook for about two minutes, whisking constantly, to remove the raw flour taste. Slowly add the milk as you continue to whisk until incorporated and slightly thickened. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Whisk a small dollop of the hot butter-flour mixture into the egg yolks so they don’t cook when you add them to the saucepan. Now add the tempered yolks to your saucepan, whisking to incorporate. Add the salt, pepper and dry mustard. Whisk in the blue cheese.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the saucepan and gently fold them into the cheesy mixture with a spatula. Add the remaining whites in two more additions, folding them in gently. It is not necessary to fully incorporate the egg whites. Since the goal of folding is to preserve as much of their volume as possible, it is okay to see small bits of whites in the mixture. Divide the souffle mixture evenly among the prepared ramekins. Bake, directly on your oven rack, for 25 minutes. The tops should form golden brown, jagged plateaus and the centers should jiggle ever so slightly. For the most beautiful presentation, serve immediately.

This recipe was adapted from Tyler Florence but I found it at aminglingoftastes.com. Also, I used 1 2 quart souffle dish, but according to A Mingling of Tatses, you can use 4 8oz ramekins or 6 6oz ramekins.

Pizza Hack

I thought this was a really great idea for a pizza box. If you're ordering a pizza, it seems like this would be a good box to get it in. It breaks down into 4 plates and a smaller storage container for leftover pizza. Thanks to Slice.seriouseats.com and ecoincorporated.com for this cool item.

Yogurt Honey Chocolate Bars

A few days ago my husband requested I make some cookies for him to take to work. He was going to take left over grapefruit cake but because of its girth, there was nowhere to store it. I wanted to make something fun and tasty that a bunch of dudes would like but I also wanted to try something a bit unconventional, so that's where the yogurt and honey got mixed in with the chocolate.

Okay, so this is basically a brownie with a yogurt custard on top. But when it bakes, the middle stays so moist, it's like a layer of cookie, a layer of fudge and a layer of custard. MMMMM.

Ingredients:

8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 c butter (2 sticks) in pieces
1 1/3 c sugar
4 eggs
2 c flour
2 t vanilla extract
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

1 1/2 c plain nonfat yogurt
2 eggs
3 T flour
1/4 t vanilla extract
1/2 c honey
2 T sugar

Directions:

Line a 9 x 13" cake pan with parchment paper going up all sides and spray with cooking spray
In a double boiler or sauce pan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat
Preheat oven to 350
Remove from heat and beat in sugar, eggs and vanilla
Mix in flour, salt and baking powder until incorporated, but not over mixed
Spread into the lined pan

In another bowl mix yogurt, honey, flour, vanilla, sugar and eggs until smooth and creamy
Pour on top of brownie mixture
Bake for 45-55 minutes

I was making a large amount for a group of people but I imagine this can be halved and baked in an 8x8 pan for 25-30 minutes.

I think I might try lavender honey next time, just for kicks

S. Pellegrino 50 Best Restaurants 2009

And the winners are:
The 50 best restaurants in the WORLD

Easy Grilled Potatoes in Preparation for National BBQ Month

When it's as hot as it's been I don't want to be heating up the house any more than it already is with cooking and baking. I think we get a little reprieve today; with the mercury rising only to the 80's, but it's good to have yourself armed with a variety of recipes that don't require a lot of heating...or that can be prepared outdoors. Also, May is National BBQ Month, so it might be a good idea to have some grill recipes up your sleeve to get ready for the celebration.


You can grill pretty much anything; vegetables, meats, breads and some fruits all do pretty well on the grill. Potatoes are really easy and they look so pretty when they're done.

Ingredients:

2 potatoes
1 T olive oil
Fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil, sage...whatever you have on hand)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat grill to 300-350 degrees or medium (if charcoal grill make sure the coal has started and it seems reasonably hot)
Scrub potatoes to clean
Don't completely slice the potatoes, but slice them 1/2 way in 1/2 inch increments
Microwave on high for 4-6 minutes (the potatoes should be nearly cooked but not completely)
Allow to cool for 5 minutes and slice completely
Brush slices with olive oil (or toss in a zipper baggy)
Season generously with fresh herbs
Cook on open grill 5 minutes on each side
Remove from grill and season to taste with S&P

The microwaving makes this go much quicker because potatoes can take a long time to cook. So if you're doing burgers or steak on the grill as well, you don't have to have the grill running for an hour before you put the meat on.