Light and Fresh

**Sorry for the re-post, but I fixed the link for the Shrimp, Jicama & Mango Salad!!*

Today was absolutely gorgeous outside. So much so, that it was impossible to work ;-) Maybe it was just the blue skies after a few days of rain, but I couldn't stop staring out the window! I went in for the morning to do what was absolutely necessary, then took off. Hey, it's the last day our boss is out of town, so i took advantage and went on a nice, long 5+mi walk! (shh, don't tell!)

When I got back and saw these photos on my desktop waiting to be posted about, I knew the timing was perfect. First one featured some mangoes and jicama that were on sale...

Shrimp, Jicama, & Mango Salad

You can find the recipe here. I love the crunch of jicama and the sweetness of the mango in this dish!! I had some Maple-Glazed Butternut Squash & Parsnips alongside, to use up things that were in my fridge. It was a little camera-shy though :) Besides for cutting back a bit on the butter and using dried rosemary instead of fresh, I followed the recipe. This also had a nice textural contrast with chopped marcona almonds amidst the creamy roasted roots! This would make a nice side on your winter table!

The parsnips became another fabulous side dish, this time inspired by Esi-- Parsnip, Carrot & Scallion Fritters. I had more parsnips than carrots in my mix, used WW panko bread crumbs, and egg whites instead of the eggs. I cooked mine up in my favorite nonstick pan (which apparently is no longer available?), no extra oil needed! Served on a bed of baby spinach with a large dallop of hummus. These were awesome!! I don't know why, but these really exceeded my expectations and I can't wait to make them again :)

Parsnip, Carrot & Scallion Cakes

I almost forgot--giveaways!! Sarah has got it goin' on with Bob's Red Mill, and Rose-Anne also has a giveaway going on. Click on over and you might even get to learn how to use your kitchen to fall in love ;-) You can also participate in a scavenger hunt to find something chocolate-covered and win some great loot!

Argentina

Matt and I spent the better part of March in Argentina. We arrived in Buenos Aires on a bright Tuesday morning and spent the next couple of weeks exploring.

We paused in the city for a few days on both ends of the trip. There, on streets that often reminded us of Paris, we walked. We visited cemeteries and antique shops; drank espresso and wine.

Then we headed north, driving hundreds of miles in a tiny Chevrolet Corsa, often on dirt roads snaking through the foothills of the Andes. We visited the vineyards of Cafayate and the tiny mountain towns near Salta.

There were midnight dinners, eaten outdoors against the faint chill of a late-summer breeze. There was parilla - often steak, chorizo, or morcilla cooked over a wood-fired grill. There were tamales and empanadas, jamon crudo and queso fresco. Dulce de leche came on everything.

It was a wonderful, needed escape. Now we're back in the U.S., hit with the expected though unpleasant reality of Matt's impending departure. He is packing as I write. Stacks of books and clothes litter the apartment. More soon.

Choc Hazelnut Gelato

Phew, what a week! Here are more doggie pics and nutella-like treat as promised!!

About a week or so before my parents came to visit, my dad casually mentioned that someone he works with had given their son an ice cream maker for christmas. When they went to visit him, he had made two kinds of ice cream for them. I took this as a hint :) I knew I wanted it to be a tad richer than my first ventures, and when I saw Elra's Hazelnut Praline Gelato I knew just what I was going to make for my parents.

Dante

I tried to make my own hazelnut praline, as I already had some hazelnuts in my freezer. If you can find roasted, peeled hazelnuts, buy them. Whatever they cost. I think this is my least favorite thing to do in the kitchen. Seriously, I've done it twice now and find it so frustrating, not even half of them peel nicely.

Sampson

Back to the candy. I think my patience was lacking when I tried this step, but my sugar never really completely melted. I went ahead anyways, and ended up with some nuts that had some hardened sugar around it. When I went to grind this in my food processor, the furthest I could get it was a very fine powder. Hmmm. How to make it a paste?? I thought about adding a bit of oil, but then it hit me--melt some chocolate and mix that with the ground hazelnuts!!! (I'd be lying if I said this came quickly, I think it took a few hours, but I was doing this in steps, ahead of time) I took a small handful of bittersweet chocolate chips, melted them in the microwave, then added it to the hazelnuts to make a lovely chocolate hazelnut spread. And then I almost ate it all before it went into the ice cream. :)

Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato

Luckily I saved most of it from immediate consumption, and weighed it at 6-8oz if i remember correctly. I had 3c of milk, so used that and scaled back the cornstarch a bit. The link above has the method for actually making the ice cream. Oooh yeah, it came out fantastic, tasted just like nutella to me!! Mom thought it almost had the consistency of ice milk, which I've never tried. I thought it was nice and creamy-- awesome since it didn't have the egg yolks and heavy cream that find their way into regular ice cream. And I used fat free Lactaid milk with this, as that's what I always have on hand. (Although that may change, as I recently tried Smart Balance Lactose-free Skim milk and it might win out!)

If I did this again, I'd skip the whole candy-making step, maybe even using almond flour (which I can get pretty cheaply at trader joe's) and melted chocolate instead of the praline paste and jumping right into ice cream making!! Luckily I have one scoopful left! Who's ready for summer? :)

peek-a-boo!

Not so much fresh

Before I forget, I wanted to thank Justin, from Marx Foods, who sent me samples of some of their whole spices!!

Totally made my day :) I can't wait to use them! And I finally took down the snowflakes... we did pass the first day of spring after all.

Part of the reason for my lack of posting?

Dante & Sampson

More doggie time!!!! Seriously, I can watch them play with each other for hours :) So entertaining! And when Dante wants to cuddle on the couch with a movie, who am I to fight??

Oh right, food. For now all I got is this Beet, Fennel & Jicama Salad w/Macadamia Nut Dressing. It was just ho-hum. I like fennel better caramelized, not so much a fan of it fresh (hence the title of this post). But hey, I tried! The tomatoes seemed slightly out of place, and the dressing had potential, but didn't seem to fit here. Maybe in cookies ;-) I could've just been in the mood for something warmer given this weeks' *chilly* temperatures in Boston.

Next time I promise something more tasty... and I got one word to entice you back-- nutella. You'll be back to see what it is, right? :) Thought so!!

Still more contests... Ricki is having another sweet contest, and I only wish I was closer to Toronto! Trust me, this one's good, b/c I never thought I'd say that :) Elina and Abbie are taking their turn playing Granola Mix-a-lot. There are also a bunch Newman's Own goodies up for grabs, and last but not least, there's also a chance to get your paws-err, hands, on Barney Butter! That should keep you all busy :)

WW Oat Bread

More bread baking since I couldn't bring myself to spend even $2.50 on a loaf of bread at the store. It's not that much, but knowing that I could make my own loaf for less than that, I opted for the latter. I probably just spent the $2.50 on something else, but that's besides the point!

On to the bread... I had copied this recipe down awhile ago so I went ahead and made a loaf of Whole Wheat Oat Bread. For the flour I used a mix of WW, WWW, and AP flour. I also needed more flour than called for, easily another 1/2c. As temperature, humidity, elevation can all play games with bread recipes, I went with my yeast experiences and added as much as needed so the dough was no longer sticky.


The result was a fantastic loaf of bread!! Maybe my best loaf yet ;-) Nice and moist, full of flavor it was fantastic on the side of a bowl of soup, or Winter Ratatouille w/Poached Egg.



I'm so behind with my blogging and reading (sorry!!), but I did happen to notice a Vita-Mix giveaway over at Jumbo Epanadas. Oh how I would rock this puppy out :) Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Roasted Pepper Bruschetta

I love bruschetta and you've seen my recipe before. Here is a perfect appetizer to throw together when you have unexpected company. Of course, this is only going to work if you keep your pantry well stocked. In the near future I will be posting about how I stock my pantry and all the items that I like to keep on hand. This time I happened to have a niece piece of fresh mozzarella in my fridge but in a pinch you can use any type of mozzarella. My mom likes to buy a lot of items in bulk so she buys a big bag of shredded mozarella in Costco and divides them into small bags and keeps them in her freezer. I buy mozzarella and other cheeses when they are on sale in the supermarket. If you have a block of Polly-o or Sorrento cheese that's fine, just slice it thin. If you have shredded mozzarella use enough to neatly cover the bread.

The next pantry item I used for this appetizer is a jar of roasted peppers. If you happen to have a few beautiful red bell peppers to roast I would definitely recommend that. If you would like to know how to do that, see my recipe here. However, we're talking about simple today so I didn't do that this time. Drain peppers and slice them into strips and place them in a bowl. I like to dress or "fix" my peppers (as my mom would say) with cracked garlic, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and a little salt. If you have the time let the peppers marinate in that mixture for an hour or as long as you can. If you are kalamata olive obsessed like Steve and I are you can throw in some olives. I always have some in the fridge that I pick up at the olive bar at our local Stop and Shop. So slice those in half or smaller and add them to the bowl with the peppers.

Now you're ready to make the bruschetta. Slice the bread on an angle so you have a larger surface area than you would have if you just sliced it straight down. Besides, it looks prettier this way, don't you think? Drizzle with a little oil and toast under the broiler, flip them over and toast the other side. Be careful not too cook them too long, you want a crunch but you don't want to burn them or break your teeth on them. Next add whatever type of cheese you have, fresh sliced, block sliced or shredded. Put back under the broiler just long enough until cheese melts. Arrange on a plate and top with roasted peppers and olives. That's it!

I know this isn't a structured recipe but when you're throwing something together in a pinch who has time to read a recipe, right? Hope this all made sense to you guys! If not, let me know and I will right up a "proper" recipe. :-)

Skirt Steak and Broccoli Rabe

I really like Skirt Steaks. My brother-in-law Tommy got me into them years ago but I don't make them that often. They tend to be fatty but the fat is visible and easy to trim. Steve didn't think he liked them so I shied away for them for a long time. Since I've been in the spirit of getting "The Boss" to try more things I like I decided to give them a shot. To my surprise, he actually approved of them. I love when I am able to get him to try (and like) new things. We have both been able to do this for each other. Steve got me into Sushi, Guacamole and Egg Drop soup! The soup is actually a funny/cute story. On one of our first few dates Steve and I decided to do Chinese Take-Out and a movie. When Steve took out the menu for his favorite Chinese Restaurant he went right to the Egg Drop - Wonton Mix soup and said that we have to get this because it's so good. I never had Egg Drop soup. One of my coworkers used to call it Phlegm Drop Soup and that's all I could think of. "Do you like that?" he asked. "Yes, yes, it's fine." I told him. I didn't want to seem like I was difficult. When the food came I was hesitant to try it but didn't let him know. So, I tasted it and LOVED it! From that moment on it's been my favorite thing to order at a Chinese Restaurant. I'll never order plain Wonton Soup again! Sometimes I'll even get just plain egg drop!

Wow, I certainly went off topic. Anyway, I came up with this marinade after looking at a few marinade recipes in my Weber cookbook. None of them jumped out at me so I used some of their ideas in combination with what I had in my pantry and spice cabinet. I was very happy with the result. It was a little on the salty side so don't add any salt to this at all. Marinate the steaks for an hour or longer. I have a nifty marinator from Tupperware that can be flipped over without leaking. It's great for steaks. A good tip whenever you are using a thick saucy marinade is to pat the meat dry before you grill it, especially if you are using a grill pan like I did. This prevents the sauce from burning and causing smoke which will set off the smoke alarm. Yes, I am talking from experience. It happens to the best of us, right? So besides the marinade there really isn't a recipe because we all like our steaks cooked differently. I cooked these for about 8 minutes on each side and they were nice and red in the center. Leftovers are great for fajitas the next day (as long as you don't overcook them on day one)!


Marinade

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp cumin
t tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp terriyaki sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp honey

Turkey and Spinach Stuffed Shells

Raise your hand if you're addicted to the food network! I am! I have many shows recorded and Saturday mornings I can't seem to turn it off. I watch it while I clean...this is why it takes me all morning and early afternoon to clean our 2 bedroom condo...I get easily distracted. Well a few weeks ago I watched Giada make stuffed shells for her sister. This wasn't a new show but I guess this time it got my attention. Giada stuffed her shells with turkey and artichokes. Sounds interesting, I certainly do like artichokes but I wasn't really feeling that this weekend. So instead I made two boxes of shells (1 and half would have been plenty) and I stuffed half with turkey, spinach and ricotta and the other half with the normal cheese filling for ravioli, stuffed shells or manicotti, ricotta and mozzarella. My mom made her usual Sunday Sauce and it was delicious. She had meatballs and sausage and small chicken steaks in it. Both of the fillings were great! Everyone seemed very surprised and pleased with the turkey stuffed shells so now I have my creative juices flowing and will try something new next time.

I use part skim ricotta and part skim mozzarella but feel free to use the full fat versions if you like. You could use lean ground turkey if you like that but for my taste it is a little dry. I buy the ground turkey that's a mixture of white and dark meat. If you use the leaner meat I would suggest adding some more ricotta so it's creamy and not dry. I don't usually measure the amount of ricotta, I just add it in and taste it, same with the egg. I used only one egg but it was an extra large egg so depending on the other ingredients you chose you may want to add two large eggs.


Turkey and Spinach Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

1 package of stuffed shells, cooked until al dente and cooled on a cookie sheet
1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed to remove water
1 - 1 1/2 cups ricotta (approx)
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
salt and pepper, to taste
dash of nutmeg
extra virgin olive oil
1 -2 eggs, beaten
Prepared Sauce (see below)

Directions:

1. Sauté ground turkey in olive oil until browned, season with salt and pepper, drain fat and set aside in large bowl.

2. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add chopped spinach, seperating it with your fingers when you add it to the pan, season lightly with salt and add pepper and nutmeg. Once mixture is cooled add to bowl with turkey. Add ricotta and romano cheese, taste. You may want to add more romano, salt or pepper at this time. Add egg and combine.

3. In a lasagna pan add one layer of sauce to prevent shells from sticking. Fill shells well with a tablespoon of mixture, adding more if needed. You want to be able to see the filling but you don't want it to overflow from the shell. Add shells to pan. Top shells with sauce but don't drown it. You want to be able to see the shells. On top of the sauce add a layer of shredded mozzarella. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling.





Michele's Basic Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cans Tuttorosa crushed tomatoes (use whatever brand you like)
1 medium onion, diced
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
fresh basil, to taste (dried or frozen can also be used)
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (if you like more spice add more)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. sugar (optional)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning and basil. Stir to combine flavors.

2. Add crushed tomatoes and stir. Fill about 1/3 can with water and swish around to clean tomatoes from sides and then pour into next can and do the same thing. Add to pot. Stir and add sugar, salt and pepper.

3. Let sauce come to a boil and add fried meatballs to the pot and stir gently. Reduce heat and let sauce simmer for 2 hours stirring frequently. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

If you want to add sausage, beef steaks, pork ribs or neckbones saute them in oil in the same pan as the meatballs and add to sauce when you add meatballs putting heavier meats in first.

Not your average Chicken & Rice!

Another great recipe from FatFree Vegan Kitchen, this Turkish Pilaf did not disappoint! Instead of cooking my own rice, I took a shortcut with a brown and wild rice pouch. I also took Susan's suggestion and made it ahead of time. My parents and I went back for seconds!



To go with this, I served up Crispy Panko Mustard Chicken, and somehow forgot to take a picture--oops! I doubled the mustard and used a combo of regular yellow mustard and whole grain dijon. Quick, easy, and tasty!! Although next time I'd probably cut back on the butter... but that's just me :) While the two dishes don't necessarily go "together," I was going for speed and we all enjoyed the party of flavors!


More contests!! Chances to win Mix My Granola at Soap & Chocolate and Missy Maintains. Remember how I joked about looking for a YouBar giveaway? My prayers were answered at Run to the Finish :) And don't forget about Jenn's giveaway for her 1st Blogiversary.

Marble Loaf Cake with Nutella

Recently I had the pleasure of making a new friend on Bakespace. Her name is Dajana and she lives in Italy. She posted a picture of a beautiful marble cake that she made and she swapped out the cocoa powder and used Nutella in it's place. Just seeing her photo and the word Nutella together convinced me that this non baker (that would be me) needs to bake this cake. I definitely panicked a bit because I had to convert the metric measurements to American Standard. I had some help from this lovely lady and some of my other wonderful Bakespace friends, like Shane of Culinary Alchemy. So, equipped with my conversions, Nutella and a couple of glasses of wine, I was ready to go. I'm going to blame it on the wine because I did not read the directions clearly and didn't whip the egg whites just sort of scrambled them. The result was a cake that sunk in the middle. It still tasted great but it was not perfect. Two days later, sans alcohol, I made this cake again. Well, this time it worked! Hooray! I am so proud of myself when I have baking success because, well, it's rare, but I don't mind!

Here's the recipe the way it was given to me originally and next to it I are the American Standard Conversions.

Ingredients:

250 g flour (2 cups)
150-200 g butter (14 Tbsp)
200 g sugar (1 cup minus 1 1/2 TBSP)
4 eggs, whites separated from the yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder / or Nutella

Directions:

1. Whisk the egg whites with a little salt until firm, and set aside.

2. Beat the yolks with sugar, add butter, vanilla and mix well.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour with baking powder.

4. Add flour and egg whites to to the batter (alternating - a couple of spoons of flour, then a couple of spoons of egg whites). Mix everything well, and then divide the batter in two. Leave one half yellow, and add cocoa powder or Nutella to the other half.

5. In a bread pan, (greased and floured) alternate yellow and brown mixture. Bake for 40-50 mins at 180°C (350 F), or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Brunchin it :)

While my parents were in town, I got to host a brunch with my mom's cousin and his wife. I did alot of the prep ahead of time so that the morning was very relaxed :) On the menu...

Sweet & Spicy Bacon

Sweet & Spicy Bacon
I've seen this everywhere, I think it originated from Gourmet

1 pkg bacon
2T turbinado sugar
1/8t cayenne pepper
1/4t fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350deg. Line two baking sheets with parchment, and place bacon in single layer. Bake 20min. While this is baking, mix spices. After 20min, I drained this and lined them with a fresh sheet of parchment, flipping them over in the process. Sprinkle spice mix over the bacon, and bake for another 20min or so until nice and crispy. Drain on paper towels before serving!

Monte Cristo Bake

The challah I recently posted was fabulous in a Monte Cristo Bake. As you all mentioned, it is a fabulous vehicle for french toast!! And this was a great savory take on the breakfast dish. I subbed some egg whites for some of the eggs and used probably 1 1/2c finely shredded cheddar and gruyere. Yes, I'm aware this defeats the purpose of a vegan challah, but it was the whole wheat and flax that appealed to me :)

Breakfast Casserole

To incorporate some veggies into the meal, I also made a Breakfast Casserole with asparagus, portabellos, sundried tomatoes and goat cheese. It was inspired by Kalyn's recipe, and I pretty much followed her lead! I added some sundried tomatoes, crumbled in some goat cheese (~2oz?), used thyme instead of Spike seasoning, and baked it in a 9"sq pan. Oh, I used a mix of eggs and egg whites here too.

My guests brought along a nice fresh fruit salad, completing the meal quite nicely :) Great food and great company, what more could you ask for??

A Hearty Challah

Stress has got the best of my sleeping, but I'm looking forward to a visit from my parents this weekend :) I'll have a lot to post, but for now I leave you with an awesome whole wheat challah that will be featured at brunch tomorrow. Whaddya know, it's even vegan!!




I also have to tell you about the lunch I threw together today, but no picture because I didn't have time to find batteries this morning. Imagine this: baby spinach, 1 pouch mango chipotle salmon, ~1c cooked wheat berries, leftover roasted eggplant and sweet potato (prob ~2T each), the butt of a red pepper diced, and goat cheese (~1oz). Warmed up just a little bit, mixed all together, it was pretty delicious!! And random :) Talk about cleaning out the fridge!


Some more contests...
Granola giveaways galore, at Lucky Taste Buds and N Her Shoes. If you like Pure bars (or wanted to try them), head over to An Apple a Day for a chance to win some! How about the first Morels of the season? Marx Foods is giving away 2lbs to one lucky winner! Hope you guys have a great weekend :)

Baked Challah French Toast

I love breakfast foods! When I got to a diner I'm always torn between ordering breakfast or lunch. I love french onion soup but give me some french toast and a poached egg and I'm so happy. It all depends on what everyone else is ordering though. If I am sitting there enjoying my soup and then I get a whiff of bacon and eggs...deep regret. I'm just so indecisive when it comes to this!

Last year Steve and I got a few couples together to go apple picking. Everyone met at our place first for breakfast. That was so much fun for me! I experimented with baked french toast and it was a huge hit! So last weekend when my childhood friend stayed over with her Fiance there was a request for a repeat of this dish. I was happy to make it again but the only problem was that I combined a few different recipes and never wrote down what I did. That was before I started this lovely little blog that forces me to write down recipes! I did find some notes scribbled onto one paper but not enough information was there. Now that I made it again I think I left out a step. Oops. I didn't bake the french toast again with the topping which is what I think I was supposed to do. I didn't have the topping in the oven at all. I'm pretty sure that's wrong now that I think about it. I also feel like 3 cups of milk is a lot. I will try it next time with a little less because it seemed a little wet in the middle and it was cooking at 425 and got nice and browned on top. I think in the future I will cook it for about an hour at 350.

The taste was great! I don't think it was missing anything at all! I would absolutely make this again and now that I have this written down I will be able to perfect it. Wish me Luck!


Ingredients:

French Toast:

1 loaf Challah Bread, cut into 1 inch slices
3 cups whole milk
3 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tbsp dark corn syrup or maple syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts


Directions:

1. In a baking dish layer slices of bread so that they are touching and rip a slice of bread into pieces to fill in any holes. Make two layers.

2. In a bowl combine eggs, milk, sugar, extracts, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour this mixture over bread. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

3. Next morning, preheat oven to 350. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan melt butter and take off the heat. Add corn syrup/maple syrup, brown sugar and nuts. Stir to combine and it will make a paste.

4. Spread mixture over bread that soaked up eggs and milk.

Bake for approximately 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.


Like I said above, I did this wrong. I baked it before I put the topping on. This is what it looked like puffed up and golden.



Here's the topping!

My Italian Grandmother goes Moroccan!

Well, that certainly would never happen if Nanny was still alive. She shunned all things not Italian unless it was Wonton Soup and Lo Mein. What can I say, she liked to stay true to her roots. I on the other hand am a little more adventurous. A year ago I went to Marakesh, a Moroccan restaurant for the first time. I really enjoyed it, the flavors were so different and the colors so vibrant. I thought about going back many times. Unfortunately, I am the only one in this two person household who had a desire to go back. I still wanted to get my fix so I searched high and low for a recipe that resembled my meal at Marakesh. I found a recipe at a blog called A Weight Lifted: Healthy Weight Loss Blog for Women Tired of Dieting. I wasn't looking for a specifically healthy recipe but if it's healthy then why not? Right?

I made some changes and additions to the recipe so it would be closer to the meal I had at Marakesh. I think I need to improve on it slightly so it fits my taste a little more. I used this recipe as a guide and made the mistake of using the cooking time that was recommended but I forgot (silly me) that I cut the chicken smaller than the recipe stated because that is how I remembered it. Obviously, if you cut the chicken smaller it's going to cook faster. Duh! I know this but I wasn't paying attention. The great thing is that once everything is sliced and diced this doesn't take a long time to make. I would absolutely consider it for a weeknight meal again. In the future I will leave out the zucchini. I love this vegetable in pastas and soups but it just didn't seem to pick up the flavors. A little too bland for me but there was zucchini in my dish at the restaurant. I also don't think I would use diced tomatoes. Maybe some tomato paste and chicken broth. Usually when I use diced tomatoes in a sauce they get very sweet. This didn't happen and the spices just didn't work for me. That could just be because my palate is not used to this. It doesn't mean that it didn't belong there.

A Tagine is a special clay pot with a cone shaped cover that is used in Moroccan cooking. Stew type meals that are cooked in these pots (like the meal I made) are also called Tagines. Now I don't have a traditional Tagine but I used my Le Creuset and it worked wonderfully. Any heavy pot with a tight fitting cover should work.

You can see the original recipe here but I will post it with all my changes and the proper cooking times for how I made it.

Tagine of Moroccan Recipes and Couscous

Adapted from aweightlifted.blogs.com

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup butternut squash, cut into 1- inch pieces
1/2 cup sweet potato, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups diced canned tomatoes
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup zucchini, cut in 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons raisins
1 box Near East Couscous, any flavor you like, prepared as instruced on box


Directions:

Saute onions in oil until softened. Add garlic and all seasonings, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Add carrots, sweet potato, butternut squash, tomatoes and enough water to cover. (Next time I will try using chicken broth and tomato paste or sauce instead.) Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmering. Let veggies cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Add chicken, raisins and zucchini, stir and cover. Let cook for about 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and zucchini is tender.

Meanwhile, cook couscous according to package directions.

Serve chicken and veggies on top of couscous.

Is it Thursday yet??

As I wrote the last post, I was wondering about what makes something ice cream vs. frozen yogurt vs. gelato, etc. Thanks to Lee who asked the same question, I found this informative link The Buttermilk Sorbet is actually more sherbet, as it contains dairy. Semantics, sure, either way it tasted very refreshing!

Bear with me the next few weeks, things will be busy and I'm not sure how much I'll be able to cook, post, and comment on all of your lovely blogs. A few random things tonight...

Some buffalo chicken, that I served up with some pasta and leftover roasted red pepper and tomato sauce. I had some crushed Buffalo chips that I mixed with a little bit of ground Fiber one and WW panko bread crumbs. This mixture was used to bread chicken breasts (patted dry, dip in egg sub, then breading) before baking at 350 until I remembered about them. Topped off with some Franks, this was very yummy :)



Next up was a Chicken Chorizo, Sweet Potato & Black Bean Soup. It was just ok, though, so I don't think it's worth posting the recipe. Maybe I'll play with this a bit...



Last up is my entry for the Great Peanut Butter Exhibition, Sandwiches. Any guesses as to what's in it??


Let's not forget the contests... Another chance to try Erin Bakers products at Missy Maintains, and Turtle Mountain coupons up for grabs by Heather, who *may* love almond butter almost as much as I do :)

Frozen Buttermilk Goodness

I have been working my way through the freezer (full of veggies, fruits, baked goods, meats, soup) to make room for my christmas present. With an almost-full container of buttermilk in my fridge, and my bowl good and frozen, I got churning!


First up was a Buttermilk Sorbet from Cooking Light. So light and refreshing, with a little tang from the buttermilk, this would be fantastic in the summer! I enjoyed it on top of a vitatop, out of the container, and topped with fresh berries :)

Buttermilk Sorbet w/Vitatop

To use the bag of strawberries in my freezer, I also did a half batch of Strawberry Buttermilk Gelato, also from Cooking Light. Good thing, too, this was was just as good! I don't like to discriminate when it comes to ice cream... or nut butter, for that matter :) They each shine in their own right!

Strawberry Buttermilk Gelato

And in other exciting eats, I finally tried a bowl of blended wheat berries (with milk and half a banana),a la Katie, topped with Heather's chocolate pudding. Delish!! Mine were probably half-blended, but i like the chew :)


And while I'm at it, visit Foods that Fit for a giveaway to celebrate her new site :)

A Twist on Stuffed Mushrooms

Most of us have made or at least have eaten mushrooms that are stuffed with breadcrumbs. I have even shared a recipe for basic Stuffed Mushrooms a few months back. What I'm sharing today is a unique twist on Stuffed Mushrooms, it's unique but still versatile as I feel most recipes are. Again, this is a recipe that I got from Rachael Ray. Her recipe calls for Portobello mushrooms (which I love) but sometimes these can be a bit pricey. I made these with Cremini mushrooms which are sometimes called Baby Bellas because that's what they are, portobello mushrooms that haven't grown to their full size. These are a staple mushroom for me. I never buy white mushrooms because they have no taste and since creminis aren't exotic they are affordable. If portobellos are available you should definitely use them. They are big and beautiful great for this stuffing.

Besides the mushrooms I used I didn't make any changes to the recipe. I really liked this recipe my only comment is that I didn't really taste the balsamic. Maybe if it was more of a syrupy balsamic like one that you purchase or reduce yourself it might have a more noticeable flavor. Otherwise this recipe is a keeper. If you use the Portobellos it makes a great presentation as a first course or if you are using the smaller ones they are great in an appetizer assortment.

This recipe can be found on the food network or see below.

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Portobellos

Ingredients:

Portobellos:

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, a drizzle
5 medium portobello mushroom caps
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Stuffing:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small yellow skinned onion, chopped
1 pound fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 can, 6 to 8 count, 15 ounces, artichoke hearts in water, drained well on paper towels
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped, about 2 tablespoons
3 slices Italian bread, toasted and chopped into small cubes
1/2 cup packaged or canned chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a handful

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of oil and the portobello caps. Season caps with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook 3 minutes on each side. Add balsamic to the pan and allow the vinegar to cook away as it coats the caps. Transfer balsamic glazed caps to a cookie sheet. Return pan to the stove and add oil, garlic and onion. Saute onions and garlic 3 minutes, add spinach to the pan and let it wilt. Coarsely chop artichoke hearts in the food processor and add to the spinach. Season veggies with salt and pepper and thyme. Add chopped toast and dampen stuffing with chicken or vegetable stock. Combine stuffing and sprinkle in a little grated cheese. Top each mushroom with 1/5 of the filling. Set mushrooms in oven for 5 minutes to set the filling. Cut each mushroom into 4 pieces and transfer to a serving dish.

Rachael Ray's Chili Mac

It was another cold day here in New Jersey and I needed something to warm me up. I had a pound of ground sirloin defrosting in the fridge but wasn't sure what I wanted to make with it. I didn't want to make soup because I have photos of Escarole and Mini Meatball soup that I still haven't blogged about. After some internet searching I found a recipe from Rachael Ray for Chili Mac. There was only one ingredient that I didn't have which was Jalapeño peppers. That didn't stop me because I knew I had chipoltle hot sauce in the fridge and that would provide enough heat that this chili needed.

This recipe makes a lot (8 servings) so I have halved it so I would have enough for me and Steve and some leftovers for lunch. I have more than enough for lunch so I will be sharing that with my coworkers (taste testers!). I'm very happy with the way it came out. I wish I had some Mexican cheese to add to my dish but I didn't so I did sprinkle a little Romano. I know, I know, it's not an Italian dish but I was desperate. It's hard for me to eat any pasta without cheese!

Besides using only one pound of meat and half pound of pasta these are the changes and additions that I made. Did not use the Jalapeños but used 1/2 red bell pepper (because I had it) and a few shakes of chipolte sauce. I didn't use another hot sauce like Rachael uses but did add some smoked paprika, additional chili powder and adobo seasoning. Season this however you would normally season your chili. I don't measure the seasonings I just taste and adjust. I used two cans of diced tomatoes and broke them up with my wooden spoon as they cooked. With the amount of meat and pasta I had adding crushed tomatoes would make this dish too saucy for me. I wish I had scallions for garnish but I just finished my scallions a couple of days ago.

Here is the recipe in it's original form which could be found on the Food Network Website.


Ingredients:

1 pound corkscrew shaped pasta with lines or elbows with lines
2 pounds ground sirloin
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan in a slow stream) extra-virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seed and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 palm fuls) dark chili powder
2 tablespoons (1 palm ful) cumin
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce
Coarse salt
1 cup beer or beef broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Chopped scallions, for garnish
Directions
In a large pot, boil pasta until al dente.

Meanwhile, in a big, deep pot, brown beef in oil over medium high heat. Add onions, peppers, and garlic. Season meat mixture with chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Cook together 5 minutes, stir in beer or broth, and reduce liquid by half, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain pasta. Add hot pasta to chili pot and stir to coat pasta evenly. Remove from heat and garnish big bowlfuls of chili mac with chopped scallions.

Green Monster Muffins

Two posts in two days! Aren't you guys lucky? :) A hello to any first-time readers who found me via Miz!

Imagine my surprise when the amazing Mizfit asked me to do a guest post for her! Quite intimidating, but one morning the perfect opportunity arose. Check out the post :) Here are some action shots from those babies...

Up close and personal!

A trip to Spain, no France... oops!

Ever since trying my first Tortilla Espanola at Tapeo, I've wanted to make this at home. I had picked up some chicken/turkey andouille, which I kept thinking was chorizo, so I had this dish in mind. When I went to make it and realized my mistake, I went ahead anyways. It should work, right? Slightly different seasonings, but still delicious! I used a nonstick pan, so got away with a bit less oil, and also snuck in some egg substitute for some of the eggs.


This was awesome for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and reheated very well! If you ever make it to Tapeo, they had some pretty tasty sangria!! Went down nice and easy ;-)

Like to pave your own way? Visit Fit for Free and HealthingIt to enter a chance to create your own granola and cereal, respectively :) Any YouBar giveaways going on I don't know about?? There's also a chance to go raw with Mom on the Run!

Amatriciana Frittata

If you're like me you always have a ton of leftovers that you don't know what to do with. I don't know how to cook for two. I cook for at least four most days. Sometimes I take leftovers for lunch but sometimes there are still leftovers and I can't eat the same thing more than two days in a row, I get bored with it. However, if that dish is changed into something new it's not boring. That's what I did with my leftover Perciatelli all' Amatriciana for a quick lunch. I made a Pasta Fritatta, sometimes called Spaghetti Pie. Yes, normally this is made with spaghetti but it worked just fine with the Perciatelli.

There isn't a recipe for this because it's so simple. I beat two eggs and added a splash of milk like I would if I was making an omelette. I added a spoonful of Romano cheese and set it aside. In a small nonstick frying pan I added about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Once heated I added the leftover pasta making sure to include plenty of the diced tomatoes and pancetta. I had some Kalamata olives in the fridge (as always) and I sliced those up and threw them in as well. Once the pasta starts to get a little brown and crispy (my favorite part) I add the egg mixture to the pan and covering all the pasta. You may have to move the eggs around a little with a spatula so the eggs get through the strands of pasta. Once the eggs start to set I threw the pan in a preheated oven set to 350 degrees. Normally this wouldn't be necessary but since I only used two eggs (didn't want to go to crazy just for me) and the perciatelli is a little floppy, I didn't want to have any trouble flipping it. I let it bake for about 10 minutes and then removed it from the oven. Here's the tricky part, time to flip the Fritatta so the other side gets nice and brown. Do this by placing a plate that is larger than the frying pan over the pan and invert the Fritatta into the plate. This is always a bit scary but it was fine. Then I just slid it back into the pan and back over the flame for a few more minutes. As soon as the second side is cooked (this shouldn't take long at all since the pan is so hot) slide it onto a clean plate and slice like a pie.

This was delicious. The tomatoes were so sweet and the Kalamata olives added a salty kick. I loved it. If you like, serve this with a small side salad.

The photo isn't great but I never said it was the prettiest dish...my stomach didn't mind!

Pork Medallions with Wine Sauce and Toasted Almonds

A little over a year ago I attended a dinner party at the home of my friend Lindsay. This was the first dinner of many for our dinner group but still I haven't forgotten that dish. I haven't cooked pork that often and before today I only made a pork tenderloin one time. Problem is my boyfriend "The Boss" thinks that he doesn't like pork. Funny because he eats Ham, Prosciutto, Pancetta and bacon. "I don't eat white pork" he claims. His reason...it's too dry and flavorless. Well, when I tasted this dish at Lindsay's house I knew it was one I would have to try. I put it in the vault for the day that I become brazen enough to cook something that I very well know my honey won't eat. Ha ha! Well, let's say that I feel like I've earned the right to make foods that I like and he only semi likes or doesn't like. Relationships are about compromise, right? So tonight I went into the vault and pulled out Lindsay's recipe. It came from Food and Wine magazine and I'm not sure if she followed the recipe completely but I will give it to you in it's original form. The changes I made are very slight and only because I don't believe in running out to the store for silly little items that aren't (in my opinion) going to make a world of difference.

Here are my changes.

The recipe called for Riesling...too bad The Dinner Divas just drank the last bottle of Riesling on Saturday night, so I used Chardonnay instead. The recipe stated golden raisins and I have TWO boxes of regular (regular? not sure what else to call them) raisins so I'm not buying another box until at least one gets used up, of course, I used those. Lastly, I was supposed to use fresh thyme. I always have some fresh herbs on hand but this week thyme isn't one of them so I used dried and used about half of what the recipe called for. Dried herbs are much stronger than fresh, especially thyme. It could ruin a recipe if you overdo it. Hmm...guess what? I just took another look at the recipe and it doesn't specify if it's fresh or dried. It says "chopped thyme" I assumed that meant fresh but it may not. Sorry, I'm rambling. Just use half of the thyme, taste it and add more to your taste. That makes sense, right? One last thing. The recipe states that the pork only needs to be cooked for 4 minutes when browning and then an extra minute in the sauce. This is not enough. Unless I misread the recipe or it just isn't clear, it needs longer. I cooked it in the sauce for about 5 minutes but it still could have been cooked longer. I understand that pork can be pink in the middle but some of the pieces looked dark pink, like medium rare steak. So, just cook it a little longer to be safe.

Before I show you the recipe I want to tell you what I served with it. I followed Lindsay's lead and made yummy creamy mashed potatoes which tasted delicious with the wonderful gravy on it. I also made some french string beans because you have to have your greens in there, especially since this recipe has plenty of butter in it.

Oh and in case you're wondering what The Boss though of it...he actually enjoyed it! So pork may be showing up on the menu more often. Great things can happen when you take a chance!




Pork with Sweet Riesling Sauce and Toasted Almonds
Recipe by Bruce Aidells

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons slivered almonds
1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch-thick medallions
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, very thinly sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup late-harvest Riesling
1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/3 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped thyme

Directions:

1. In a small skillet, toast the slivered almonds over moderately high heat, tossing occasionally, until they are golden, about 2 minutes; let cool.

2. Season the pork medallions with salt and pepper, then coat in the flour. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the olive oil. Add the medallions and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned on both sides and just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

3. Add the onion to the skillet and cook over moderate heat until softened and just beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the Riesling, stock, raisins, vinegar and thyme and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid has reduced slightly, about 2 minutes.

4. Return the meat to the skillet and simmer until hot, about 1 minute. Transfer to a platter. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter to the sauce and cook over moderate heat, swirling, just until the butter is melted. Pour the sauce over the pork, garnish with the toasted almonds and serve.

Broccoli Rabe

Thanks to everyone for their broccoli rabe/raab/rapini suggestions! I will try the simple saute with it next time, but I was worried a bit by its bitter smell so I chickened out. Here's what I came up with instead...



Pasta w/Sausage & Broccoli Rabe
Serves 2



5oz orecchiette (if you want to make your own, check this recipe out!)
1 bunch of broccoli rabe, tough ends removed, then cut into ~1" pieces
1/2lb sweet italian chicken sausage
2 cloves garlic, pressed
a few shakes of red pepper flakes
5 sundried tomato halves, revived in some boiling water and diced

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt, then add pasta. Towards the last few minutes of cooking, add the broccoli rabe. When pasta is al dente, drain pasta and rabe.

While water is coming to a boil and pasta cooking, saute sausage. Once starting to brown, add garlic, red pepper flakes and sundried tomatoes. (I wait to add the garlic until the end b/c it always cooks so fast, this way it doesn't burn) Cook a few minutes, then turn off the heat.

When sausage mix and pasta/broccoli rabe is done, combine and toss. Separate into serving dishes (or tupperware). I finished it off with a drizzle of lemon EVOO and some freshly grated parmesan.

My thoughts? Very yummy, and I didn't really notice the bitterness I smelled when it was raw. The broccoli rabe sure beefs up the size of this dish!! The sausage is completely optional, and you could also saute the broccoli rabe before tossing it with the cooked pasta.

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Apparently 'tis the season for giveaways! Hit up Oh She Glows for a chance to get shredded. Is that a word? Anywho, there's also some Barney Butter up for grabs at Lucky Taste Buds. Help a girl out and go visit her site and NOT enter the contest. just kidding :) And ever tried Erin Baker's breakfast cookies? If not, pop on over to One Frugal Foodie for a chance to win :) And Trek on over to Simply Fabulous for another giveaway. And health nut for a BPA-free water bottle. Phew! Hope everyone had a great weekend!