Broccoli Salad

My sister came to visit with her daughter and grandchildren, and I'm not going to lie, I was nervous about having healthy kid-friendly food in the house. I tried to make lots of things in advance, or at least prep so that I could spend time with my guests. One of the best things I made (IMHO) was broccoli salad. The Amish Market makes a version that I've bought before, but I have never made it! It was delicious! I don't think the kids ate it, but I'm putting it into heavy summer rotation. I honestly didn't measure anything (except the dressing) and had lots of the ingredients in my pantry. 

Ingredients

5-6 cups of broccoli florets cut into small bite size pieces
2/3 c. craisins
1/2 c. bacon crumbles
1/2 red onion finely chopped
1/2 c. salted sunflower seeds

Dressing
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. greek yogurt
1 1/2 T. champagne vinegar
3 T. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

Toss salad ingredients with dressing, chill for at least an hour before serving. 

Rice Salad

 

I have no idea why, but when dreaming up this week's menu I found myself craving rice salad. I had taken a cooking class years and years ago where we made rice salad, and it just seemed like the perfect summer side dish. The 2022 version was absolutely delicious -- I think the most ingenious part was when it called for cooking the pancetta in the oil from the sundried tomato jar.

I used our favorite Gazebo Room Dressing instead of making anything. It was so good.

1 c. uncooked Basmati rice

8 oz. pancetta

1 orange pepper chopped

1/2 cucumber chopped

1/2 red onion chopped

8 sundried tomatoes chopped

3/4 c. grape tomatoes quartered

Kalamata olives

5 T. Gazebo Room dressing

Cook rice according to package directions, when done, transfer to a large bowl and let cool.

Saute pancetta in 1 or 2 T. of oil from the sundried tomatoes, let cool on a paper towel

Chop all the pepper, cucumber, onion, and and tomatoes, combine with olives in a bowl

Combine with rice and add pancetta. Add dressing and herbs. Mix well.

ENJOY

Summer Berry Tart with Short Bread Crust

I was searching for something on this blog, and saw that I had made a fruit tart at some point, said it was a success, but never recorded a recipe. For Memorial Day this summer, I wanted to try to recreate it since the strawberries and blueberries look so great right now.  So I searched on line and found an easy shortbread crust, then used a custard recipe from the wonderful Mary Berry. Next time, I might skip the whipping cream in the custard, it seemed to be able to stand alone without it. Chef's kiss -- delicious. 

Easy Short Bread Crust

2 sticks of butter softened

2 c. of flour

1/2 c. of confectioner's sugar

Mix ingredients together then press into your tart (or pie) pan. Press carefully to cover evenly and make sure to move crust up the sides of the pan.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes

Remove from oven and cool completely before filling

Mary Berry's Custard

1/2 c. sugar

2 1/2 t. cornstarch

1 T. gelatin (I used one envelope)

2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk

1 1/2 cups milk

1 t. vanilla extract

2/3 c. whipping cream (I think this could be optional)

Berries/fruit 

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and gelatin. In a medium bowl with a wire whisk beat the eggs and egg yolk with milk and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into gelatin mixture. Let stand for 5 minutes

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon well. About 20 minutes (mine came together faster than that). Remove saucepan from the heat.

Pour the custard into a large bowl, cool, then cover and refrigerate until the mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula fold the whipped cream into the custard.

Carefully remove the tart from the pan, place on a serving plate. Spoon the custard into the tart crust and top with the fruit or berries.

Amy Schumer's Husband's Potatoes

Suffice it to say, we have been cooking A TON during this pandemic. It's nice to have my daughter home and helping -- it's really brought some creative juices into the mix, for sure. We had a great time watching Amy Schumer Learns to Cook on Food Network and have tried a bunch of the recipes she watched her husband, Chris Fischer make. But the one that we keep going back to, the one that was actually requested for Father's Day this year was ASHP (Amy Schumer's Husband's Potatoes) -- they take a long time to cook but they are absolutely worth it.

Amy Schumer's Husband's Potatoes (ASHP)

Potatoes (as many as you need for your family -- I usually do one person + one extra)
Olive Oil
Salt
Garlic (2 cloves)
Mayonnaise
Paprika


Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Wash potatoes (keep skin on) and cut into bite sized pieces
Boil potatoes in salted water for about 20 minutes (until tender)

Drain and put potatoes into a bowl add olive oil (enough to coat) and generous amount of salt. SAVE THIS BOWL

Turn them out onto foil lined baking sheet(s) and pop into preheated oven

Cook for 30 minutes, then remove pan from the oven and flip the potatoes
Return to the oven for another 30 minutes

While the potatoes roast mix a dollop of mayonnaise (enough to lightly cover the amount of potatoes you're working with) and enough paprika to influence flavor without overpowering everything. Stir in grated or minced garlic. Do this in the bowl you used prior to roasting potatoes

When potatoes are done roasting add potatoes to mayonnaise mixture, stir gently to coat.

Pasta Salad

I can't even remember why, but an occasion came up, and I wanted to bring pasta salad. I'm not a huge fan of dill, but thought I'd try this recipe from Perfect Party Food (a great resource to have around the kitchen) -- and it was delicious.

Dilly Pasta Salad with Feta, Peppers and Olives

Dressing
1 1/2 c. olive oil
2/3 c. white wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. dillweed
1 t. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. ground black pepper

Salad
1 lb. shell pasta
2 T. olive oil
1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 cucumber 1/2 inch dice
1 c. Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1 1/2 c. crumbled feta (preferably flavored)

Combine the dressing
Assemble the salad and pour 1/2 c. of dressing over it to coat
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours
30 minutes before serving, toss with additional dressing.

Roast beef sliders

My husband and I made a resolution to entertain more, and we invited our neighbors over for an Oscar Party. Chris suggested we make roast beef sliders and a heavy appetizer since the party started at 7 pm. Easy (my new favorite recipe adjective), elegant, delicious —.an inspired suggestion. Will definitely bring these to parties in the future!

Roast beef sliders
24 slider hamburger buns
2 lb. deli roast beef
1 lb. horseradish cheese
2 sweet vadalia onions chopped and sautéed
2 T. Melted butter

Prepare roasting pan with cooking spray to avoid sticking
Place the slider bottoms in a roasting pan.
Layer cheese, roast beef, onions, cheese onions each bun
Place tops on each sandwich, brush butter on each sandwich
Cook for 20 minutes in oven preheated to 350 degrees

Tomato Pie

We went to a baby shower a long time ago, and one of the featured food items was Tomato Pie. I am under the impression that it's a Philadelphia thing. My daughter (who was about 14 at the time) came home, found a recipe, and made it all by herself (SO PROUD). Then we never made it again.

I love the blog Simply Recipes as a resource for recipes -- and they had tomato pie featured recently. I made it last night, and it was a hit again. Using store bought crust was a huge time saver -- and while it takes a bit of investment to pre-bake the pie shell and get the pie done, it is certainly worth the effort and a great summer Sunday meal!

Tomato Pie
INGREDIENTS
1 9-inch pie shell
1 small onion chopped
3-4 tomatoes, cut in half horizontally, squeezed to remove excess juice, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup sliced basil
2 cups  grated cheese (combination of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack, or Gruyere or Mozzarella) I used Gruyere and Mozarella -- yum!
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon (or more to taste) of Frank's Hot Sauce (or Tabasco)
Freshly ground black pepper

Pre-bake pie shell to a light brown
Put the chopped tomatoes in a colander with salt while shell bakes, when you are ready to use them, blot with a paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible
Layer onions, then tomatoes, then basil in the pie shell
Combine cheese, mayo, and hot sauce in a medium bowl -- mix thoroughly. Add enough mayo to make the combination somewhat spreadable.
Spread cheese combo over pie contents
Bake 350 degrees until lightly brown and bubbly (I started the timer at 25 minutes, then checked every 5 or so until it looked done -- I think it took about 40 minutes total)

Couscous Side Salad

My co-worked Amy told me she made this salad over the weekend, and it sounded great. Its the only thing I managed to make this week, but it was super well received (and I had enough leftover that I'll eat it for lunch a few times this week)








Ingredients
Cooked Couscous
Spinach, roughly chopped
1 cucumber diced
tomatoes diced
2 avocados diced
red onion diced
1 lemon, juiced
4 T. olive oil

Cook the couscous and place in the fridge to cool
Chop and combine veggies
In a bowl, combine lemon and olive oil
Toss everything together

Macaroni Milanese

I spent some time at my sister's house this weekend while she's recovering from surgery. It's been like a retreat with my sisters and mom. We don't leave the house and the only activity is eating. We plan lunch while we are eating breakfast, and dinner while eating lunch. I have been getting New York Times recipes in my email every day -- and decided to take some time to investigate options when we were discussing dinner yesterday, and we landed on Macaroni Milanese. Universally rated a thumbs-up -- I do think this could be a keeper for my family as well (as long as they are open to mushrooms). I doubled the recipe to feed all 5 of us.

Macaroni Milense

1 lb. gemelli pasta
4 T. tomato puree
1 lb. mushrooms
8 slices of ham (can also use prosciutto)
4T. Madiera (we used dry sherry -- I'm sure red wine would work too)
4T. unsalted butter
6 T. Gruyere cheese
6 T. parmesan

1. Cook pasta in heavily salted water
2. In a separate saute pan, cook mushrooms, tomato puree, ham and wine over medium high heat (until liquids cook down to a glaze)
3. When pasta is done, reserve a cup of pasta water, and then drain the pasta
4. Return pasta to the pot, mix with cheese, butter and enough pasta water to get the cheese to melt
5. Add the mushroom/ham combination and mix well

Creole Jambalaya

With Border's going out of business, I decided it was time to scoot over there and find myself a new cookbook. I selected a big old loose leaf number from Southern Living, and decided I'd try to work a few new recipes into the weekly rotation. This is one of those recipes that has all the stuff we like to eat in one dish -- but don't be fooled, that doesn't always add up to a make again. This evening I was pleasantly surprised... it WAS universally well received. It took a while to make, although the food processor was a bit help with the prep work. I also had to abandon my stove top skillet and move to the electric skillet when it became evident that it wouldn't all fit. This recipe made enough for two dinners at my table. I think I'll add shrimp next time for a bit more diversity in protein...

2 T. butter
1 large onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
8 green onions chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 c. cubed cooked ham (1 pound)
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced (I used turkey sausage)
1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/4 t. ground red pepper
5 c. hot cooked rice

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; saute until tender. Add ham and next 5 ingredients. Cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in rice; cover and cook over low heat 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Black Bean Salsa

We're just getting started with summer, and I've already made two big batches of this delicious and nutritious recipe. I think it's great for those hot summer pot lucks where potato salad is a bit worrisome -- last time I made it, a neighbor said she'd like the recipe -- a sure sign that I should probably post it and get it into regular circulation.

Black Bean Salsa
2 cans of black beans, drained
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped
1 bunch scallions, sliced
one ear of corn, cooked and kerneled
1 c. picante sauce
1 clove chopped garlic
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 t. of cumin
1 t. of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix it all up and take it to a picnic! I've also added additional veggies like carrots if I have them around the house.

Heath Bar Brownies

I think I need to break out a new label for this entry -- things to make when the husband is mad.  I picked up the Heath Bar chips one day in the bakery aisle and had a few extra minutes the other night, thinking of the book club crew I threw these together, then spent the next 3 days defending them from family invaders.  Book club came and went, and fortunately, there are still some brownies left for the boss to enjoy.

All American Heath Brownies
1/3 c. butter
3 sections unsweetened chocolate
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 1/3 c. (8oz pkg) Heath Toffee Bits

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees, grease the bottom of an 8-inch baking pan
2. Melt butter and chocolate in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to chocolate mixture, stirring until well blended. Spread batter in prepared pan.
3. Bake 20 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from sides of pan. Remove from oven; sprinkle with toffee bits. Cover tightly with foil. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Remove foil, cut into squares.

Three Summer (ish) Dishes

Bored with the same old same old, and feeling like a bad mom because we really haven't been eating at home, I pulled out the cookbooks and tried three new recipes.  One I liked a lot (read: kids did not like); one was okay (if I had invested in real fresh shrimp I think it would have been better) and tonight's is a definite make again.

First: Pasta Primivera (from Giada)
I liked it, husband asked "Where did you get this recipe?" (read: I don't like this very much) and it was way too many vegetables for the kids.

• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
• 2 medium zucchini or 1 large zucchini, cut into thin strips
• 2 yellow squash, cut into thin strips
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs or herbes de Provence
• 1 pound farfalle (bowtie pasta)
• 15 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
On a large heavy baking sheet, toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to coat. Transfer half of the vegetable mixture to another heavy large baking sheet and arrange evenly over the baking sheets. Bake until the carrots are tender and the vegetables begin to brown, stirring after the first 10 minutes, about 20 minutes total.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
Toss the pasta with the vegetable mixtures in a large bowl to combine. Toss with the cherry tomatoes and enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.


Second: Roasted Shrimp and Orzo salad
One of the kids actually said he liked it.  He may have been trying to suck up though.  Husband has been eating leftovers of it (but it may be time to toss the whole thing)

Ingredients

nocoupons

• Kosher salt
• Good olive oil
• 3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
• 1 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
• 1/2 cup small-diced red onion
• 3/4 pound good feta cheese, large diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.
Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Don't overcook!
Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.


Third: Chicken Piccata (from Ina Garten) -- easy fast.  Only daughter, 12 and I ate it, but what is not to like, breaded chicken, lemon and butter (and wine) sauce... perfect. 

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 2 split (1 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 extra-large egg
• 1/2 tablespoon water
• 3/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
• Good olive oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Sliced lemon, for serving
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
Mix the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the egg and 1/2 tablespoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread crumb mixtures.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.
For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel. Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves and serve 1 chicken breast on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley

Mexican Lasagna

Okay, I had to post this one because my husband said it was awesome and dipped back into the dish a stunning THREE times during the meal. I got the recipe from the Food Network web site -- word of warning, it takes about an hour in the oven to cook -- but I made it with leftover chicken and ingredients I had on hand.

12 oz. cooked chicken, cut into cubes
1 c. salsa
8 oz. sour cream
1 1/2 c. mexican cheese
1 t. chili powder
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1 can chopped green chilies

combine in a bowl and set aside.

Cut tortillas into wedges and line bottom of 10x10 dish (sprayed with non stick spray)
top with 1/2 of the chicken mixture
add another layer of tortilla pieces
top with second half of chicken
top with 1 c. of mexican cheese

Bake, covered by foil for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. After 30 minutes, remove foil and bake another 30 minutes.

Best Macaroni and Cheese EVER

I love love love love macaroni and cheese. My mother used to make it with velveeta and milk -- but of course I had to find a much more difficult way to make it. We got this recipe at a family fair years ago, a cheese company was one of the exhibitors. I only make it occassionally, because I would eat it all the time, and there is no redeeming nutritional qualities to this dish. Maybe that's why it's so good.

I think the kids could go either way with this dish. Not sure the husband likes it so much either. Who cares? If Mom is happy, everyone is happy.

Macaroni and Cheese
2 c. macaroni
3 T. each butter, flour
1/4 t. dry mustard
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 dash of Worcestershire sauce
2 c. whole milk, heated
4 c. (16 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 c. buttered bread crumbs

Cook and drain macaroni. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter. Whisking constantly, sprinkle flour over. Continue whisking while cooking until a thick,smooth paste with a nutty aroma forms, about five minutes. Add mustard, pepper, Worcestershire. Whisking througout, gradually add milk. Cook until thickened and bubbly.

Reduce heat to low and whisk in 3 cups Cabot Sharp Cheddar Ccheese until melted. Stir in macaroni until well coated. Pour into a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish (coated with non-stick spray). Sprinkle remaining cheese over evenly and top with crubs. Bake until hot throughout, bubbly and golden on top, about 20 minutes.

Perfection!

(The picture was taken with my groovy new camera -- birthday gift. I think my blogging career is really going to take off now!)

Lot's of Cooking Going On!

Well the kitchen has been a busy place the last few days -- lots to "take with" and a new addition to the family menu (for me and my husband at least, not sure the kids were too into it).

Quiche
First was the quiche -- the PTA at the kids' school always has a welcome back brunch for teachers right before the first day of school. Last year I volunteered to bring 2 quiches, but forgot (typical). Miraculously, I remembered this year. I made two quiches, using store bought crust. They took forever to bake -- but they were finally finished and I ran them over to the breakfast (better later than never). Have no idea how they tasted, as I had to drop them off... may make them for dinner sometime (not with spinach and mushrooms of course)

Quiche Lorraine (with bacon)
Quiche with spinach and mushrooms.

One pie crust per quiche
Gruyere or Swiss cheese
Eggs
Heavy Cream
Onions
Bacon

Cook filler. I wilted spinach and sauteed mushrooms for one quiche, I fried the bacon and cooked the onions for the other. Put the filler on the bottom of the crust, beat 3 eggs and 1/2 c. cream, added the cheese (about 1 cup) -- pour over the filling, bake at 350 for 45 minutes (until knife comes out clean). Let cool slightly.

Turkey Meatballs in Marinara

1/4 c. plain dried bread crumbs
1/4 c. chopped flat leaf parsley
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 T. whole milk
3/4 c. grated Romano cheese
3/4 t. salt
3/4 t. ground black pepper
1 lb. ground turkey
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
5 c. Marinara sauce

In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, milk, 1/2 c. cheese, and the salt and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Shape the meat mixture into bite-sized balls.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Working in batches, add the meatballs and cook wthout moving or turning the meatballs unitl brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn the meatballs over and brown the other side, about 3 minutes longer. Continue to cook until all the sides are golden brown. Add the marinara sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the flavors blend, about 5 minutes.

I think I wrote about these before. I made these at 9pm one Sunday night (with Mad Men on TV) for a baby shower for a friend at work. Giada was my girl... and hooked me up with the recipes.

Marinara Sauce
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 small onions finely chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 celery stalks finely chopped
2 carrots peeled and finely chopped
1/2 t. sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 t. ground pepper
2 (32 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent (about 10 minutes). Add the celery, carrots and 1/2 t. each of salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 more minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves until simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaves, season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste.

Risotto
Speaking of Giada.... I made my first risotto last night. I've heard that it's hard and time consuming, but I've also been sort of obesessed with the idea of risotto for dinner. Again, I turned to Giada and found a reasonable recipe... not too much butter, and only 4 cups of chicken stock, which I had in my freezer.

4 c. chicken stock
3 T. butter
3/4 c. chopped onion
1 1/2 c. Arborio rice
1/2 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the pot and continue to heat over low flame.

In a large heavy saucepan, melt 2 T. of butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. ADd the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaoporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 c. of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 c. at a time, stirring constatnly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total. Remove from the heat. STir in the Parmesan cheese, the remaining tablespoon of butter, and the salt and pepper. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

So Much to Blog About ... where do I begin?

I think it's because I recently read Julie and Julia... I am obsessed with cooking new things! (But tasty and normal, not French and involving bone marrow). It's downright kooky. Just yesterday I made Zuni Roast Chicken (absolutely, postively the BEST roast chicken recipe EVER!) and 2 batches of cookies (Chris's favorite, Reeses peanut butter cup cookies; and oatmeal chocolate chip for the teachers at school).

Before that I made blue cheese stuffed meatloaf and two chicken pot pies. It's crazy I tell you.

There's also the chicken pot pie...

Growing up, my mother let each of us "opt out" of a meal and have a hot dog instead. My opt out meal was chicken pot pie. Sorry Mom, I really didn't like the noodle/stew/soup concoction you slaved over -- and she did. She made the noodles from scratch. Now that I'm a mom, I understand how disappointing it is to really want to give your family something GOOD and have them ask for a hot dog instead.

That said, somewhere along the road to adulthood, I started trying other people's chicken pot pie. And guess what -- I loved it. So I searched my meager archives of recipes and found the follwing in the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook --

I've made two so far, neither time did I make the crust. Once I used regular old refrigerated pie crust, and once I used puff pastry crust. Both times I followed the recipe as written, but I know we can lighten this baby up (that'll be next time).

My kids (ok, just Kate) complained about the cooked carrots I'm sure I could put some other veggie in there, but she'd still complain, so why bother?

I'm going to start a section for meals you can make for sick neighbors, new mothers, and potlucks... and this one is going in there first....

Chicken Pot Pie
4 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts (2 lbs)
1 c. heavy or whipping cream
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 zucchini, unpeeled, uct into 1/2 inch pieces
5 T. unsalted butter
2 small yellow onions (8 oz), coarsely chopped
5 T. flour
1 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. Cognac or dry white wine
1 T. dried tarragon
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 egg
1 T butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place chicken breasts in a single layer in a baking pan. Pour the cream over and bake 25 minutes. Remove chicken from the cream; reserve the cream and cooking juices. Let the chicken cool and cut into 1-inch pieces.
3. Blanch the carrots in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook 1 minute more. Drain and cool under cold running water. Drain thoroughly.
4. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Do not let flour brown.
5. Add the broth andcook, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in the reserved cream and cooking juices and the Cognac. Cook over low heat until thick, about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the tarragon, salt, and pepper and simmer 1 minute. Add the chicken and vegetablesa nd mix gently into the cream sauce. Remove from heat.
7. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
8. Mix the egg and water in a small bowl. Pour the chicken filling into a deep 2-quart casserole or souffle dish. Roll out pastry and place on the dish. Trim the pastry leaving a 1-inch border. Brush the edge of the dish wiht egg was ten press the overhaning dough onto the dish. Crimp the pastry decoratively and brush the top with egg wash. Cut a steam vent in the center.
9. Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake on middle rack until the crust is golden, 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Lasagna With A Twist

Every fourth Saturday we bowl with our friends the Drissels. Their kids and our kids usually hang together while the parents bowl -- and we usually feed them dinner. Last Saturday I made this dish, I think it was pretty successful. My sister Karen sent me the recipe.

1 lb. ground beef (I used meatloaf mix)
1 jar (30 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 pkg. (14 oz) twist pasta, cooked and drained
1 lb. ricotta cheese (I used cottage cheese)
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 T. grated Romano Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet brown the meat, drain the fat. Add sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes. Combine pasta and meat sauce. Combine the cheeses in a medium bowl. Place half the pasta mixture in a 13x9 inch pan, top with cheese mixture and then the remaining pasta. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. I usually top with some additional mozzerella cheese.

Paella Fried Rice

This is a recipe I found in my Gourmet Cookbook, they even said it was "wacky" so I thought I'd try it. Being the big gambler that I am, I made it for the first time for a church potluck. I forgot that I'd bought a red bell pepper and overlooked adding the baby peas -- and I doubled the rice, oil and chorizo, but kept everything else the same -- and it was STILL good. One lady even asked me to send her the recipe! Next time I'll stick to the actual instructions...

“Paella” Fried Rice
From the Gourmet Cookbook, edited by Ruth Reichl

¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 T. cumin
½ t. red pepper flakes
1 large onion chopped
1 large red bell pepper cored, seeded, chopped
2 links mild Spanish chorizo, cut into chunks
4 c. cold cooked long grain rice (1 ½ c. uncooked rice)
11/2 t. salt
1 (10 oz.) package of frozen baby peas
1/3 c. pumpkins seeds, toasted
1 c. finely chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a 12” nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Add cumn and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chorizo, increase heat to moderately hgh, and cook, stirring, until sausage begins to brown, about 3 minutes (or longer, make sure sausage is completely cooked).

Add rice, crubling it to break up lumps, and salt. Cook stirring until some grains of rice begin to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Add peas and cook, stirring just until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in pumpkin seeds and cilantro.