Tonight's adventure

Making some cold weather treats.  The house smells yummy.  I'll update later.  Find Ina's recipe here:  Gingerbread Cupcakes

Using a Stick Blender

So this tool had lain largly under-used in my kitchen until my darling husby figured out that it needed a new batter to zoom through sauces.  Once turbo-charged it has become a favorite go-to tool.  By keeping the blender at the bottom of the pot there really is no splashing.  Do wear an apron though.

Here is a recipe that I enjoyed:  Spaghetti-Bolognese.  It shows a great comparison between store-bought sauce and homemade.  Of course the homemade sauce is excellent and much more cost-effective.  For my variation, I used Sara's Italian Sausage (found at King Soopers).  The pureeing is done on the sauce before the sausage is added in.  Tomato soup is a surprising ingredient that makes for a smooth sauce.  On a long day it cooks very well in a slow cooker.  This freezes very well.

Shiny, purple eggplants . . . lots of them!

So I also went way overboard with eggplants.  I had six plants - some the garden variety purple ones and some the lovely slender oriental ones.  Here is what I did with the ones littering my kitchen counter.  I sliced without peeling, any and all laying about, drizzled them with olive oil, placed them on a cookie sheet and baked the whole mess at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes until soft.  Once cooled, I combined them in the food processor with a can of drained cannellini beans, parsley and jarred roasted red peppers and a splash of lemon juice.  Once seasoned with a bit of smoked sea salt and a few grinds of pepper, we devoured this summer treat.  Next time may add some roasted garlic.

Ina Garten's Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

Once back from Memphis, it was time to start using the now ripening heirloom tomatoes.  Wow - what a great way to showcase summer's heirloom tomatoes. See Ina Garten's Tomato and Goat Cheese tarts for a simple and tasty tart.

Southern Fried Chicken

Usually I am not a fan of any fried food.  But, when in Memphis one must have some of Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken. The location is just south of Beale St. on Front St., downtown Memphis . The chicken was crispy and spicy and worth a half hour wait - or if you are impatient and hungry, worth calling in an order for pick-up.   We enjoyed a picnic at the nearby Riverside Park on the Mississippi.  Same trip we also enjoyed Southern comfort food, Memphis BBQ and Cajun specialties.  Ya'll would have enjoyed it!

Pesto, pesto!

Okay, so I went a bit overboard with the basil plants in the garden this year.  As they reached over two foot high, I started harvesting the leaves for pesto.  The recipe I used most was from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite (p.16).  I used a mixture of pine nuts (to use them up) and walnuts.  Quick work in the food processor got the leaves to pesto.  To store in the fridge, I covered the top of the pesto with olive oil to preserve the bright green color.  For longer storage, I did the same and then popped the container in the freezer.  To use the frozen, I scoop out what I need.

For yummy scrambled eggs, I stir in a scan teaspoon of pesto and a large tablespoon of ricotta as the eggs are setting up.  Served with braised swiss chard sprinkled with balsamic vinegar.  What a wonderful taste of summer.

From the same cookbook, I also enjoyed putting together a pan full of Roasted Chicken Thighs with Basil and Ginger (p.134).  Since I wasn't ready to part with one of my green tomatoes, I used peaches instead and it was delicious.  Think sherry, basil, minced garlic, fresh gingerroot . . . all easily baked in a mere 20 minutes.  The sauce is so good with bread or rice.

Blue Cheese Frenzy

While visiting Rock Bottom with friends for a round of steaks, I enjoyed their blue cheese and fiery butter topping on mine.  The next time we grilled steaks I replicated the topping by stirring a bit of cayenne into the olive oil I brushed on the steaks before grilling.  The blue cheese?  I scattered a third cup on the plate and let the steak rest on it for six minutes under foil.  Perfection replicated for a July BBQ!

California Quiche with Green Chiles

Thanks to Sandra S. for including this recipe in the V7 cookbook.  Think Montery Jack cheese, green chiles, diced ham, and knowing me - the addition of sauteed leeks.  My version also had four eggs (not three) and I used dried toasted onions (no additional salt) from Savory Spice to top the quiche.  Made for a June breakfast.

Garden breakfast

Ah the cool of a summer morning. Watering the garden . . . found lots of swiss chard ready. Breakfast: Rainbow swiss chard braised with olive oil, Murray River salt (pink), white pepper and finished with a few splashes of blueberry vinegar. Served alongside tomato omelette topped with mozzarella.


The Japanese eggplants are just peeking out the bottoms of the blossoms.  The large tomato plants are growing, growing. They are loving these hot summer days.  The small patio tomato plant continues to produce a tomato each day.  They never make into the house somehow!  Basil has gone wild in both corners.  A few more days and then I'll tie up the zucchini & acorn squash to their new lattice.  The raised bed housing the herb garden and lettuces is flourishing.  Radishes have poked up and the arugula is taking off.  Green onions are still a bit thin.  Am thinking to plant a second wave of green onions & arugula.  This bed has been moved this year so it is only in the sun in the a.m.  All the plants seem happy!

Ah Summer Cooking

Since I had a 'leftover' turkey still in the freezer, it seemed like a good time to defrost it & put it on the grill.   In a large reusable foil pan I put one stick of melted butter, a well salted and peppered turkey (giblets removed), and half a bottle of my standard cooking wine: Seven Daughters - a blend of Riesling, Symphony, Chardonnay, Orange Muscat, Gewurtztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc & French Colombard.   If I had my druthers, I'd just use French Columbard, but lately it's been hard to come by.  All went onto a pre-heated grill that remained at 400 degrees, for about 2 1/2 hours (14 pound turkey).  I did baste it about every half hour with the 'broth' in the pan.

Meanwhile, I made the dough for cookies - Pebbly Beach Fruit Squares from Alice Medrich's Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-Mouth Cookies.  The dough needs to be chilled for at least two hours.

Next, I put together the recipe for Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole (from the Oct/Nov 2010 Cooks Country magazine).  Think mushrooms, garlic and thyme melded into a wonderful sauce punctuated by ground up dried toasted onions all melted into a chicken broth and heavy cream sauce.  Fresh green beans are added and then cooked for two hours (in my crock pot) . . . until bubbly and tender.

On to prep my other side:  Cauliflower, Leek and Potato casserole made from a recipe in Bake until Bubbly.  Contrary to the recipe, I prefer to slice the potatoes and halve then slice the cauliflower so that they can be boiled for 20 minutes together with the sliced leeks.  Once tumbled into a casserole, they are topped with their signature sauce.  The sauce was made from a roux then adding heavy cream with gruyere cheese melted into it.  

While all the above were cooking or baking or grilling, I finished making the cookies, using 1/2 cup of finely chopped candied ginger and 1/2 cup of dried cherries, soaked in red wine for the filling.  Oh my - the really did turn out chewy and yummy.  And, these cookies are supposed to keep for up to two weeks . . . don't think they'll last that long!

The beautifully browned turkey was allowed to stand for 20 minutes while tented with foil.  While carving the turkey, the Cauliflower, Leek and Potato casserole went back into the oven to reheat.  It only takes 20 minutes initially to bake.  Since we were already to eat, the last side didn't get made.  Perhaps tomorrow we'll have spinach salad with strawberries for lunch!  The turkey yielded a wonderful amount of 'broth' that will be cooled in the fridge so the fat can be skimmed off and then possibly made into soup with some of the leftovers.

Updating, updating!

Yes, I really have been cooking since January.  In fact, I've been keeping a log of what I've eaten.  Here a two of my new faves:  Chicken with Mustard Tarragon Sauce
http://www.rachaelraymag.com/search/chicken%20mustard%20tarragon%20sauce?searchSource=hdrbox-Recipes
     My notes: I used bone-in, skin on chicken breasts.  After they had rested (after cooking) I used my boning knife to carve the meat off the bone and to slice it diagonally before adding it into the finished sauce.  For the sauce, I used only one tablespoon of the mustard and substituted fat free half and half.  I also used a scant 1/2 teaspoon of dried tarragon instead.  What a flavorful dish - loved the side salad with it.
     For dessert, from the April Food Network magazine: Monster Marshmallow Cookies.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/monster-marshmallow-cookies-recipe/index.html
     My notes:  These are wonderful, chewy, crunchy cookies.  I did reduce the sugar to 3/4 cups of each kind and used regular oats instead of quick oats.  For the next batch - I'll add a bit of cinnamon and use bittersweet chocolate chips.  For the glaze, I added extra fat free half and half to thin it enough to drizzle.  Next time, I would double the glaze recipe and just sprinkle the finely chopped nuts on top afterward.  
     Another fave I revised to make into a veggie dish:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dynaction=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000701077
While this is awesome on its own, for a potluck, I substituted fresh asparagus for the shrimp.  It was so good!
     Other foodie news:  We just spent a week up in Breckenridge.  We did some skiing, some shopping and a lot of eating at favorite restaurants.  First up was Ember (used to be Alpine). We missed Happy Hour, so still sat at the bar, but ordered off the regular dinner menu.  I had the Lamb Osso Buco with preserved lemon risotto, chocolate chai sauce and an apricot chutney.  Wow!  Gary had the Chorizo Stuffed Chicken served with steamed broccolini and parsnip and tomato puree.  It was both beautiful and tasty - easily the best chicken I have had in a very long time.  For dessert we had a dessert that included Grand Mariner Creme Brulee with a  side of Apple and Cherry Cobbler, garnished with White Chocolate Sticks.  Oh My!  And, since we were at the bar, we had a Blueberry Crush (blueberry vodka, blueberries, mint, lemon) as well as a taste of a Sexy Lady (jalepeno infused vodka, passion fruit juice, lime).  Yes, we did walk home the six blocks to walk off some of this dinner.  
     Another night we went to Happy Hour at Relish (my very favorite) and had the most interesting Pork Belly Sliders with a jalapeno relish.  The house wines were delightful and Gary's custom Margarita was the best I've tasted in awhile.
     For our other dinner we went to Salt Creek Steakhouse.  I know, I know - a steakhouse!  But, the Pan-Seared Scallops in jalapeno-citrus sauce were outstanding as was their Mixed Greens Salad with Goat Cheese, which also included sun dried cherries and tomatoes, toasted almonds and a red wine vinaigrette.  Gary happily shared his entree special of the evening, a grilled bison steak with a peppercorn sauce.  And yes, we walked the ten blocks home from dinner that night!

Paris recap

Just realized I had never posted food pix from the late May trip to Paris.  On every corner it seemed, there was a bakery beckoning with its goodies.  Most mornings we had croissants, some with chocolate, fruit, eggs scrambled with ham and cheese and cafe au lait.  Walking around Paris in the evening there was an abundance of cafes with literally dozens of filled crepes to choose from!  Paris is quite mad about Macaroons in many, many flavors.  Bon Appetite!

Roasted Smashed Red Potatoes

Roasted Smashed Red Potatoes 

12 red potatoes (no bigger than 1 1/2”)

olive oil

cracked rosemary (Savory Spice)

salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Coat the potatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle generously with the rosemary, salt & pepper, then place on the baking sheet.  Roast for 15-20 minutes until tender when poked with a fork.  Remove from the oven and place on a flat surface.  Using another baking pan or a potato masher, press down on potatoes until smashed.  Return the pan to the oven for about ten more minutes.  The potatoes will be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  Serve at once.  

New Cookbook! Quinoa: The Everyday Superfood 365

This cookbook by Patricia Green & Carolyn Hemming (2010) has me exploring healthy grains.  Quinoa is a quick-cooking grain full of protein that an basically be added into most any recipe.  The first one I made modified one of my faves - three bean salad.

After cooking 1/2 Cup Quinoa in a cup of water, I added it to a can of drained & rinsed garbanzo beans, a can of red kidney beans (also drained & rinsed), 1 Cup each of diced green pepper, celery, and red onion.  Next I mixed 1/2 C apple cider vinegar, 1/4 C olive oil, 1 diced garlic clove, 2 teaspoons dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper.  All the above was combined and served.  It also keeps for a few days in the fridge for a quick lunch.

December Eats

It was a crazy couple of months, so here are some of the things I made in November and December.

Gorgonzola Pear Toasts
This recipe was in the December Food Network magazine.

1 baguette, cut into 1/2" slices
2 T olive oil
1 8 oz package cream cheese
4 oz crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1 15 oz can sliced pears, drained
1/2 C candied pecans
2 T chopped parsley


1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly brush one side of the bread slices with the olive oil.  Place on a baking sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and gorgonzola cheese (I blended it all in the food processor), stirring until mixed.
3. Spread the toasts with the cheese mixture. Top with the pear slices and chopped candied pecans.  Sprinkle with the parsley.  (this is my modified version)

For the candied pecans, put 1/4 C sugar and 1 C pecans in a non-stick pan.  Heat on medium, stirring until sugar caramelizes on the nuts. Immediately remove from heat and pour out onto silicone mat to cool.  The extras keep well in a baggie.

For a veggie dish, I modified Cauliflower and Carrot Casserole  (Wright, Clifford.  Bake Until Bubbly, 2008) to include cauliflower, broccoli and leeks.  It was yummy!

First, I buttered an 8 X 11 glass casserole and preheated the oven to 350 degrees.  Then I steamed together half a head of cauliflower, separated into florets, half a head of broccoli, chopped and two leeks, cleaned and chopped.  These were then layered in the prepared pan.
In another saucepan I melted 3 T butter, then added in 3 T flour, stirring and cooking for two minutes to even out the flavor.
Next I added in 1 1/2 Cups 2% milk that I had preheated in the microwave, whisking constantly.  It took about 10 minutes for it to thicken.  Then I added in a scant cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese and then seasoned the sauce with salt and pepper and 1/4 teaspoon hot paprika.  The sauce was poured over the veggies and then baked for about 20 minutes, until hot.