Anne's Kitchen

Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle

2011-03-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

"A layer of beef, sauteed with peas and onions..."

Just a little Friends humor :) The great thing about trifles is that they look fabulous but are not difficult at all. AND they give you a great reason to actually use the trifle bowl you registered for way back when! I think there are some fancier versions of trifles, but this one comes together very quickly, and come on, who doesn't love a chocolate-PB combo? Plus if you might have some children in the crowd, I'd dare to guess that most kids will eat this! Thank you Kraftfoods.com for sending this to my inbox!

I actually had to leave out a layer of Cool Whip in mine because I ran out, so I'm posting a recommended change for 2 tubs of Cool Whip instead of just one.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Trifle

1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) Jello-O Chocolate Instant Pudding

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) Jell-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

3 cups cold milk, divided

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tubs (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed, divided (we used sugar-free)

1 bag Chips Ahoy! Cookies, chopped (we just used the regular, but they make all kinds you could try--including some with PB cups or toffee hunks in them)

3 Tbsp. chocolate syrup

Empty pudding mixes into separate medium bowls. Add 1-1/2 cups milk to each; beat with whisk 2 min. Add peanut butter to vanilla pudding; beat until well blended. Stir 1/2 cup COOL WHIP into pudding in each bowl.

Spoon chocolate pudding mixture into trifle bowl; cover with layers of half each of the remaining Cool Whip and chopped cookies. Repeat layers, using vanilla pudding mixture.

Drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Again, I didn't feel like I had enough Cool Whip left over in my one container to make two decent layers with it--so I'd recommend just eyeballing it and doing what you think is best. Even with just one layer of Cool Whip it was delicious!

Hoppin' John Stew with White Cheddar Cheese Grits

2011-02-27T11:12:00.001-08:00

So I had never before heard of Hoppin' John Stew, even though it completely sounds like something I would have at least tried before. But it caught my eye around the holidays as I was flipping through my Southern Living Recipes of 2010 cookbook, and everything in it sounded perfect! We've actually had this twice since the beginning of the year because it made enough to freeze leftovers--and both times Bobby all but licked the bowl clean! And so did I, who am I kidding?

I thought it would be timely to post this because I've found myself struggling with recipes as we transition between the seasons and I thought others may feel that way too. The very cold Winter months are a good time for heavy casseroles, stews, chili, etc. but now that we're thawing out of our deep freeze and creeping ever-so-slowly into Spring temperatures, I find myself wishing for tilapia and summer salads--but we're not quite there yet! So it's difficult to find the happy medium. But I do think this recipe is a good one for the end of Winter because although it's a stew and definitely feels like comfort food, it's not TOO heavy and has just enough of a kick to it!

I'll also say this was my first time making grits...and I didn't do very well! I'm not a grits expert by any means, so it was hard for me to gauge when they were fully cooked, and I made them a little underdone the first time around. The second time I called in Bobby and his South Carolinian heritage to offer grits-cooking wisdom. He had a way of knowing just by the resistance he had stirring them at certain intervals how done they were...and they weren't ready until MUCH after I would have taken them off. So if you are new to grits, I advise you keep them on the stove for a while after you think they're done, just to be sure. We also adjusted the recipe some to be low-sodium friendly, and it was all still delicious.

Hoppin' John Stew

1 Tbs butter
1 cup chopped smoked ham (I picked up sliced low-sodium ham from our deli)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 (15-oz.) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2 (10-oz.) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained (I opted for two cans of No Salt Added tomatoes and added a 10oz can of green chiles separately)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (couldn't find any, dried cilantro worked fine, but just do a few shakes of it)

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add ham and onion, and sauté 3 to 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in black-eyed peas, tomatoes, green chiles, corn and sugar. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in cilantro. Serve immediately over White Cheddar Cheese Grits.

White Cheddar Cheese Grits

2 cups chicken broth (the first time I did one cup broth and 1 cup water; the second time all water and couldn't tell a difference)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded white cheddar cheese

Bring chicken broth and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in grits, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Serve immediately.

Superfood Salad

2011-02-10T18:18:00.001-08:00

I'm obsessed with this salad. Obsessed. It's like someone (or my AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner app) took all of my favorite things and put them in a salad. This recipe is clearly intended to feed 4 people, and Bobby and I shamelessly ate the whole thing. But when you're eating something that is so packed with superfoods, and they're so YUMMY, that it's just impossible to stop! It was pretty quick for a Tuesday night, too.

Basically, we've had lots of good dinners this week, but nothing will top this salad in my mind.

Superfood Salad

2 salmon fillets, grilled
2 Tbs butter
pepper to taste
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (I just used the whole container)
12 grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
a few handfuls of spinach, washed and dried, enough to make a salad (original recipe actually calls for leaf lettuce, but spinach is so much better for you)
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and cubed
5 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar (we were out so I used some Champagne dressing)
1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled (I used what was left in our container, probably more like 3 oz)

While grilling salmon (or use leftovers), saute mushrooms in butter over medium heat until tender. In a large salad bowl add Spinach, salmon, tomatoes, mushrooms, avocado, cilantro, jalepeno, and feta. Sprinkle generously with pepper. Toss with olive oil and white vinegar (or other type of vinaigrette you've got on hand) and serve immediately.

Really, there are so many things going on in this salad, that I can understand the doubt about them combining well. But they combine like heaven in my salad bowl and I'm mad at myself because I've had this recipe for over a year and never tried it until this week! But the important thing is I have it now :-)

We finished the evening with homemade chocolate chip cookies (see January 2010 for recipe).

Beef Bourguignon and Sugar-free Pudding Pie

2011-01-30T15:37:00.000-08:00

B: So it's beef stew.
A: No, it's Beef Bourguignon.
B. So...it's like beef stew?
A: It's different.
B: It looks like beef stew.

OK fine it's basically beef stew that took me about 3 hours longer than a normal beef stew would have done! This was an experiment out of the American Heart Association's Cookbook, and it turned out well. It doesn't look as pretty as what Julie Powell made in Julie and Julia. But I haven't actually read the Julia Child recipe to see how it varies. But they made it look so yummy in that movie that I had to try it when I saw a recipe for it! And it was good. However, it did take a little while to make...so I would definitely recommend making this on a lazy Saturday or Sunday. It was great Winter comfort food (I think comfort food is the only good thing about Winter, don't you?) It also made delicious leftovers! I'm a little bit of a leftovers snob, but I happily ate leftovers of this the next two days! And sometimes with a soup or stew, it gets a little better as it "settles" and all the flavors mingle together a little longer. Which is why they recommend the long cooking time in the first place! I currently am doing the same thing right now with my spaghetti sauce...must cook a minimum of two hours to get just right.

Beef Bourguignon

2 Tbs flour
pepper to taste
1lb lead beef chuck roast, all visible fat removed, cut into 1 inch cubes
1tsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 med clove garlic, minced
2 cups small whole mushrooms (we used baby portobellos...YUM!)
2 cups finely chopped tomatoes (4 medium) or 14.5oz no salt added diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water, plus more as needed
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp rosemary
1/8 tsp marjoram
3 cups peeled, coarsley diced potatoes (4 medium)
2 cups coarsly diced carrots (4 medium)

In a large bowl, stir together flour and pepper. Add beef, turning to coat. Heat a Dutch oven over med-high heat. Remove from heat and spray with vegetable oil spray. Add oil, coating the bottom. When oil is hot, cook beef for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in mushrooms and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until mushrooms absorb liquid. Stir in tomatoes, water, wine, and herb seasoning. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary to keep bottom of pot covered. Add potatoes and carrots; simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until tender.

I actually just used three potatoes and I think it turned out just fine! You can also do a slow-cooker version. Where you coat the meat in flour, and then just add everything to your slow cooker pot for 8-9 hours on Low.

For dessert I made a Sugar-Free Pudding Pie. This looks very fancy, but honestly it wasn't! Bobby had seen these berries in Costco, and insisted on having them...even though January isn't exactly known for it's delicious berries, ya know? However, I was pleasantly surprised with how good they were. So I had a pie crust on hand and some sugar-free pudding and had the idea to mix them all together! Easy, EASY dessert that looks put-together and takes no time at all! And you won't feel too guilty about indulging.

Sugar-Free Pudding Pie

1 reduced fat graham cracker pie crust
1 package sugar-free instant vanilla pudding
1 3/4 cup milk
1 cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries

Instant pudding actually has special directions for making a thicker batch of pudding for pies, and it calls for less milk. I think normally it calls for 2 cups. So make the pudding according to directions and pour directly into pie crust when mixed. Let chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours before topping with berries.

Of course, you can trade out your favorite pudding flavor and toppings. But if you're like me and a little intimidated by baking, this is a great alternative!

Pepper Jelly Pork Chops and Citrus Spinach Salad

2011-01-23T15:26:00.000-08:00

OK I'm back for real this time! I was so excited that Bobby moved home in November from his two months away, that I didn't really take into account that he still wasn't going to be here with any regularity because of all his travel for interviews. Which are FINALLY over! I can't tell you the extent to which, last Sunday evening I wrote down a full week of menus on my whiteboard and nearly cried tears of joy! I'm so happy to have Bobby back home with no planned impending travel, and a regular work schedule (Family Med til mid-Feb).

We have several health related goals for 2011, and in particular we're working to lower Bobby's cholesterol and reduce his sodium intake. So you may see some changes in the blog as a result. Also, in recent months, I've started eating more chicken! I make no promises that I'll be making chicken regularly...but I hope to have chicken in the menu plan at least once a week. This week we're having it in sweet and sour stir fry...as soon as I find a recipe for low-sodium sweet and sour sauce.

So the following is what I consider to be my first official new recipe of 2011. Both can be credited to my new Southern Living 2010 Annual Recipes cookbook that I got for Christmas. We really liked this pairing--spicy with citrus--and definitely plan to make it again...maybe with chicken!

Pepper Jelly Pork Chops

4 (3/4-inch-thick) bone-in pork loin chops (about 2 1/4 lb.) (We actually just made two)
3 tablespoons butter, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 large jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup red pepper jelly

Melt butter with oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and cook on one side until they look about half way cooked, then flip and do the other side. The timing on this will vary based on the size of your pork chop, since some are ridiculously thick. When finished, remove from skillet, and keep warm.

Add flour and jalapeño to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until flour is golden brown. Add wine, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet; cook 1 minute or until almost completely reduced. Add chicken broth, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Whisk in pepper jelly until melted and smooth. Lower the heat and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened. Return pork to skillet; turn to coat. Serve pork with sauce.

It's spicy, but YUM! Then paired with a citrus salad (so great this time of year with all the fresh citrus). I made this salad dressing, and tossed with spinach leaves, toasted almonds, and chunks of a cara-cara navel orange (the pink ones). But you could do a regular orange or a grapefruit.

To toast your almonds, just add half a package of almond slivers to a small skillet and stir on med-low heat until a few begin to turn a golden color.

Citrus Vinaigrette

1 (1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped sweet onion
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup olive oil

Pulse first 6 ingredients in a blender or food processor until blended. With blender running, add olive oil in a slow, steady stream, processing until smooth.

My little food processor won't run unless the lid is on, so I added the EVOO after the first 6 ingredients were well blended, and it worked out fine! Serve with warm bread (my favorite these days is the Rosemary Olive Oil bread from Costco, and I make a little saucer of good olive oil with some dried basil flecks and Italian seasoning.)

Spiced Apple Coffee Cake / What I'm Loving Wednesday

2010-11-24T12:07:00.000-08:00

I'm back! And just in time for the holidays! Actually, I'm just doing a mini-Thanksgiving this year since it'll just be me and Bobby, so no new Thanksgiving Super-Post for you. But I am coming back with a bang, regardless, because today I'm sharing a recipe for the best (and I do mean BEST) spiced-apple coffee cake you will ever taste. But as part of that, I'm going to steal a little blog-thing from my friend, Beth Ann, and do a What I'm Loving Wednesday post because I think they're such a cute idea. And a good way to re-ignite the blog! So here we go.

What I'm Loving

1) Bobby's home! He's been gone for two months doing away rotations in South Carolina and Florida and now he is back home, in the cold, with ME! And Gus and Shadow. No, it did not go quickly, and do not suggest anything otherwise to me. I really did try to cook in his absence...for about a week. And then I gave up and spent the following 7 weeks eating stir-fried veggies, Healthy Pop and apples, cheese and crackers, carrots and celery with hummus, etc. I'm going to have to be very careful not to balloon now that he's back and I'm cooking again. It's Thanksgiving week so I'll be a little lenient on my diet this week, but next week--back to it!

2) These two, for obvious reasons.

3) Baby Lily is going to be born today! Bobby's sweet cousin Katie, and her husband Noah, are at the hospital and in labor right now. They will be the most amazing parents and cannot wait to meet the new addition to the family! The question remains...will she be blonde? or a redhead?

4) Apples. I love fall because I get the best apples. I'm *kind of* an apple snob, and I'm extremely picky...but I can't help it! I'm from Washington! What do you expect? But I love going to Kroger or Whole Foods these days (mostly Kroger, the budget is super-tight right now) and stocking up for the week on Braeburns, Granny Smiths, Fujis, Cameos...the list goes on. I want them cold and crisp. Don't give me a mushy apple. If you do, I'll just feed it to Bobby.

5) Pandora. Obviously not a new thing, but I've got it on almost all the time now. It's great with headphones for work when people are clipping their nails over the cube wall. Dis.Gus.Ting.

6) My Mariah Carey All I Want For Christmas Is You ringtone! I don't think this requires explanation. And just the fact that we're entering the Christmas season...just love it! Christmas music, lights, scents, gingerbread! All of it!

7) And finally, the best (seriously best) Spiced Apple Coffee Cake in the world. I got this recipe from one of my cooking technique classes at Williams-Sonoma. So you know it's delicious! When I tried the sample in class, I nearly melted. And at the time, had no one to make it for! So I waited patiently and made it for Bobby on Monday evening so the whole apartment would smell like spiced apples when he came home, and that way he'd have yummy breakfast all week long. I can't stop "trimming the edges" as my dad would say. And do you know why? Because it has the best ingredient in the world. And I'm not talking about butter, Julie Powell. Although butter, real butter, is in there too. The best ingredient in the world, in my opinion, is: Cream Cheese. Have you ever had anything with cream cheese that you didn't swoon over? I didn't think so. It gives it the perfect texture. So I know we're on the tail end of Fall, but please make this ASAP! You won't regret it.

Williams-Sonoma Spiced Apple Coffee Cake

For the cake:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 tart cooking apples, such as Granny Smith or Braeburn, 1 lb. total, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped (I used Granny Smiths...yum-o)
2 Tbs. strained fresh orange juice, lemon juice or apple juice (I used lemon, because that's what I had on hand)
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs

For the vanilla glaze:

3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 Tbs. condensed skim milk, warmed, plus more as needed
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or square baking pan. If using a glass baking dish, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, toss the apples with the juice. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sug ar, cardamom and cinnamon. Add to the apples and toss to coat. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture in 2 or 3 additions and beat well until smooth. Using a large rubber sp atula, gently fold in the apples just until evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes. Do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let co ol for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar, the 2 Tbs. milk and the vanilla until smooth and pourable. Adjust the consistency of the glaze by adding more milk, a few drops at a time, if needed.

Flip the cake on a wire rack set to cool. While the cake is warm, drizzle with the glaze. Let the cake cool to room temperature. Cut into wedges or squares to serve.

Delicious! OK here's a photo of our cake (minus one piece...) and a photo from Williams-Sonoma. More recipes coming soon!

Chiles Rellenos Casserole

2010-09-26T11:54:00.001-07:00

Have you noticed I gravitate toward one-dish-wonders covered in cheese? :)

I'd like to preface this post by saying I won't be cooking much this fall since Bobby will be away (see other blog for details), and cooking for 1 isn't that interesting! There will be a lot of stir-fried veggies, cheese and crackers, and hopefully just a minimal amount of pasta--but really it's the easiest thing to make for one person! I'm completely open to some suggestions though if you've got them!

And if there's interest on the part of the readers, I'm happy to post a few favorite recipes without a photo (because it's unlikely I'll actually make them). For example, I went to my technique class at Williams-Sonoma this morning (my favorite weekend ritual) and today was all about Fall Baking. I picked up some great tips and recipes, but if I were to make a whole apple coffee cake or fruit crisp, I'd just eat it! So leave some comments if you'd like some recipes even without pictures.

But back to the cheesy dinner at hand! This came out of my Cooking Light Cookbook, and definitely got both our approvals for a repeat appearance. 15 minutes prep, and total cooking time of an hour and 5 minutes--estimated 333 calories per serving. Not too shabby.

Chiles Rellenos Casserole

1/2 lb ground chicken
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
16 oz can of fat-free refried beans
(2) 4oz cans of whole green chiles, drained and cut lengthwise into quarters
1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
1 cup frozen corn, thawed and drained
1/3 cup flour
1 1/3 cup skim milk
couple shakes of Tabasco
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Preheat your oven to 350. Cook the chicken and onion together in a non-stick skillet over med-high heat, until browned. In a large bowl, combine the chicken mixture and the next 5 ingredients. PAM an 11x7 baking dish (you can see I went for my corning ware) and arrange half of the green chile strips in the bottom of the dish. Top the chiles with 1/2 cup cheese. Spoon the chicken mixture onto the cheese and spread gently--leaving a 1/4inch border around the edge of the dish. Cover evenly with the corn. Arrange remaining chile strips over the corn, and top with 1/2 cup cheese. In a smaller bowl, combine the flour and salt--gradually adding milk and Tabasco. Whisk until blended. Stir in eggs and egg whites, and pour whole mixture over the casserole. Bake for 1 hour and let stand 5 minutes.

Might be a lot of ingredients, but it went really quickly. You could also substitute the ground chicken for ground turkey or extra-lean beef depending on your preference. And of course, I probably added more cheese :)

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2010-09-08T16:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally made a cake that didn't fall apart when it came out of the pan! I'm sure the gooey caramel and fruit topping of pineapple upside down cakes had nothing to do with that, and it was all completely and totally my mad baking skillz.

Bobby usually prefers fruit-based desserts over heavy chocolate treats (weirdo), so I thought he'd really like pineapple upside down cake just for that reason. Apparently this kind of cake was a new concept for him and it was hard to tell whether or not he really liked it. Usually when we have desserts lying around, he goes through them pretty quickly--but with this, he only ate it when I served it and took it to him. I happened to really like this recipe and thought it was delicious, so I'm overruling his underwhelming reaction. He does insist he enjoyed it though, but I'm not totally buying it.

This is a pretty quick and easy recipe, but I'll note that the original calls for it to bake in a skillet instead of a cake pan. That's not a technique I've tried before, and putting my non-stick skillets in the oven to bake for a while makes me a little nervous. A Dutch oven is one thing...that's what it's intended for right? But a skillet... So anyway, I used my 9x13 cake pan, which worked fine, but it was a thinner cake, as you can tell from the photo. I think in the future I might use something between a 9x13 and a 9x9.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 can sliced pineapple, undrained
maraschino cherries
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Using a skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from heat and mix in the brown sugar. Pour mixture into a baking dish and layer pineapple slices on top. Place a maraschino cherry in the middle of each pineapple slice. Separate the eggs. In a large bowl or using a mixer, beat the egg yolks until lightly fluffy. Add 1/2 cup pineapple juice, white sugar and vanilla. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Sift baking powder, flour, and salt--combine well. Beat egg whites until stiff then fold into the egg yolk mixture (this was new for me, and I've since learned it's best to have your eggs at room temp for this). Add this mixture on top of the pineapple. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes.

Because of the gooey top, you won't want to use a cooling rack for this type of cake--instead wait until it cools 20 minutes or so, then turn upside-down onto a cake. You can tell from my picture that I omitted the cherries because I forgot them!

Caribbean Rice and Beans

2010-08-29T11:54:00.001-07:00

Can you tell? It's a new background! I'm still not sure why my other once disappeared, and this one looks similar...but I thought it had a nice "recipe-ish" quality to it.

I did get back into cooking, dieting, and exercise this week! Needless to say I'm tired now :) But I feel much better. I've got lots of new recipes and cookbooks to energize me, not to mention Bobby is done with Honors Surgery and will be at home for the next 4 weeks! He'll be studying for his next set of Boards, but still--he's home!

This dish is from my Cooking Light Cookbook, and I actually found it in the "Meatless Main Dishes" chapter. Don't tell my husband (no meat, no meal). But to stick to his rule, you can tell from the photo that I paired this with flat-iron steak drizzled with Chimichurri sauce (you can get it bottled at Whole Foods, fyi) and served the Caribbean Rice and Beans as a side dish. It still makes enough for a main dish, so you could do that, or have some leftovers for lunch the next day.

As usual I probably put more cheese on than it actually calls for, negating the "Light" part of Cooking Light...but I just can't help it!

Caribbean Rice and Beans

2/3 cup water
2/3 cup uncooked instant rice
1 tsp oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 diced green bell pepper
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 cup coarsely chopped tomato
A few shakes of salt, crushed red pepper, and cumin
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
15 oz can black beans, drained
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook rice according to directions on the box, keep covered in saucepan and set aside. Coat large skillet with PAM or oil and add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute about 5 minutes or until tender. Add chopped tomato, salt, crushed red pepper and cumin--then saute about another 2 minutes. Stir in rice, cilantro, and black beans. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with mozzarella and serve.

Depending on how fast you chop, this could take 20 minutes. Then if you'd like to serve as a side, just have your meat grilling at the same time. I think it would also be good to add some fresh corn if it's in season. Very easy, plenty for everyone--so it's great for a weeknight as a main dish or a side!

Mom's Ribs

2010-08-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

Well, this is now two summers in a row that I've taken an unintentional blog hiatus. Summer to everyone else seems to be a time of leisure, but for me it ends up being a time of more work, more travel, and less time for anything else. Last summer I didn't blog much because Bobby was doing a mandatory AHEC rotation in Northern Kentucky. I don't actually know what AHEC stands for, but in general it's where they send the students to under-served areas for their rotations. So since I was by myself and didn't cook, I also didn't blog. This summer he has been doing Honors Surgery (translation = working an average of 90 hours per week). If you think that's some sort of hyperbole, then you should start reading my other blog to get your facts straight. Of course that also translates to a 100% share of household things. Couple that with my "long" hours at work this summer, and there just hasn't been time. But blogging, along with a renewed commitment to diet and exercise, are things I hope to pick back up now that summer and surgery are winding down and I'm feeling much more rested.

I'll be honest, I haven't cooked anything for a while, but I'm looking forward to it! So I dug through some pictures to see what I'd made but hadn't posted yet and came across my mother's baby back rib recipe. To be fair, I think she got this from her friend Deborah, but whatever. Ribs are one of those things that are really pretty easy to do, and this recipe make it so simple that it's a shame not to make them more often! You've seen my other baby back rib recipe that used a slow cooker, but this one is totally over the stove top, just in a really large pot.

Baby Back Ribs

2 lbs baby back ribs, cut into 2-3 rib sections with sharp kitchen scissors
6-8 green onions, chopped
2 T sherry
4 T rice vinegar
6 T sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water

Layer rib sections with onions in a large soup pot (about 5 qts). Combine remaining ingredients and pour over ribs. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Cover, and cook for 2 hours--but carefully rotate the rib sections often, about every 30 minutes.

When the ribs are tender, remove them. Increase the heat, and cook the sauce down until syrupy. Put the ribs back in the pan to coat, and serve with mashed potatoes.

So good, so easy :) Ribs might seem heavy for summer, but if you eat them on an outdoor patio, they're pretty perfect. Add corn or tomatoes and any meal seems more like summer, right? I warn you that I may go through another blogging dry-spell this Fall when Bobby is away for a while, but I'm officially soliciting recipes for 1 if you've got them to share! Now I have to figure out where my pretty blog background went??!

Deluxe Guacamole

2010-07-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

Like many good cooking ideas, this one came from Whole Foods. A few months ago on a whim I picked up a container of fresh guacamole at Whole Foods (in the produce section). It was outstanding! It became a regular item in our fridge as the weather kept getting warmer. And then after a few $6-8 containers, it occurred to me to flip it over to read the ingredients, since (duh!) I could probably make it cheaper! Especially since it was made at Whole Foods, there was unlikely to be any ingredients with more syllables than "avocado". So I scribbled them down and began a guacamole adventure of sorts that has lasted most of the summer! I've been picking up fresh avocados from Kroger or Whole Foods every Sunday and mixing and matching different ingredient ideas. Since all guacamole really comes down to a ripe avocado (and not over-doing the onion), they've all been pretty good.

This past weekend, I made the "deluxe" version. It's a kitchen-sink approach to guacamole--everything that *might* go in, did. It was fantastic! You can use all of these ingredients, or just the ones you have in the fridge, and you'll get a delicious result. Serve with Restaurant Style Tositos and an ice-cold adult beverage of your choice. I love summer!

Anne's Deluxe Guacamole

4 ripe avocados (have some give, but not mushy), pits removed
1 ripe tomato, diced
1/4 yellow onion, diced (you'd think purple onion would be better because it has that tang, but yellow is much preferred if you're not a big onion fan but like a little flavor)
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and diced into very small pieces
2 medium-sized cloves of garlic, crushed
1 handful fresh cilantro (can substitute 1-2 tsp dried)
4-6 shakes of the Tabasco bottle
5-7 shakes of salt
2 Tbs lime juice

I recommend putting the avocados in a medium-large mixing bowl first, and mashing them with a fork. Then add all remaining ingredients and blend well with the same fork or a spoon. If you have leftovers, be sure to put them in an air-tight Tupperware container. All guacamole turns a little brownish overnight, but give it a good stir the next day and the green will come back quickly. It's still good--if not better!--the next day.

Dios mio, is it Friday yet? Also, if you're looking for more I Married a Doctor posts, I promise I didn't abandon my 2nd blog, I just prefer to write them on weekends and have been a bit occupied lately! Looking forward to a quiet weekend...

Cheesy Rice and Bean Strata

2010-07-03T07:20:00.001-07:00

You know, for some reason I always thought "Strata" meant eggs. But I guess that's a frittata? So if you know what constitutes a strata let me know. I didn't exactly follow this recipe on this one, and it turned out delicious, and probably would have been delicious even if I had. But the main lesson I learned was: 5 cups of rice is a LOT of rice. I also learned that when you have something that calls for 5 cups of rice (and probably 5 cups of anything!) you should *always* use the dish the recipe tells you to for cooking. But it called for spinach and I forgot it at the store...so I thought since I wasn't going to use spinach that I would use a dish smaller than my 9x13 Pyrex for baking. Turns out 5 cups of rice probably doesn't fit in anything except the largest baking dish possible. Next time I make this (and there will be a next time) I might even take it one step further to my 9x13 Le Cruset.

So since I left out the spinach, I thought I'd throw in some fresh sweet corn because we had a few leftover cobs that wouldn't last through the week otherwise--and this time of year I just can't bear to waste good sweet corn. So to get the corn off the cob and into a casserole, you want to boil it on high for 5-8 minutes, and once it gets cool you can stand it up vertically and cut down the cob with a sharp knife. Needless to say this Cooking Light recipe made a ton! We had plenty of leftovers for the week! I also wonder if it's really "Cooking Light" if you double the cheese...hmm :) It's a great vegetarian recipe that you could easily add a lb of ground beef or turkey to if you have a "no meat, no meal" eater. But it makes enough to fill anyone up, I promise. Oh! I also have to mention that a year and a half later I started using my rice cooker! I absolutely love it and cannot believe I've been making it stove-top for so long.

Cheesy Rice and Bean Strata

2 Tbs EVOO
2 cups chopped red/purple onion (I probably did 1 cup)
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 10oz package of fresh spinach (we accidentally omitted)
2 19oz cans of kidney beans, drained
16oz jar of picante sauce
12 tomato slices
5 cups cooked basmati rice
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup jack cheese, shredded
Optional 1 cup sweet corn off the cob
1-2 cups Quick Mole Marinara sauce (read on...)
Optionally top w/ sour cream and green onions

Preheat to 350 and prepare your rice. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over med-high. Add in onion, cumin, and garlic--saute for about 2 minutes. Add spinach and saute another minute until the spinach wilts--then remove from heat. Combine beans and picante sauce in a large mixing bowl. PAM your baking dish and spread half of the bean mixture in the bottom. Top the mixture with 3 cups of cooked rice, and top with tomato slices. Layer on spinach mixture, remaining 2 cups of rice, and then second half of the bean mixture. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

While that's baking, grate the cheese and cover. Then in a medium saucepan make the Mole Marinara. I completely admit I read this sauce recipe and thought it wasn't going to be worth it! But it added a great flavor to the strata and I'd make more next time. After 30 minutes in the oven, uncover the strata and top generously with cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Mole Marinara

2 Tbs EVOO
3 Tbs minced Anaheim chile
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
Half jar of your favorite marinara (I used Paul Newman's Shock-a-something or other)
2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp dried cilantro

Combine and heat on medium while strata bakes.

Barbecued Flank Steak w/ Chutney-Bourbon Glaze

2010-06-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

Oh my that's a title! I love it when things sound super-fancy but really take no work at all. This was absolutely delicious, and we were heartbroken when we couldn't finish it all! The only downside was I tried a new recipe for stuffed tomatoes (shown) with ricotta, lemon zest, and garlic...which sound fantastic, but were incredibly disappointing. No thanks to Rachel Ray on that one. But the flank steak comes out of my Cooking Light Cookbook, and was great for a warm evening during the week. Could also be good for a nice Father's Day meal! Flank steak is also difficult to photograph...so it may not look as appetizing as I swear it is.

Barbecued Flank Steak with Chutney-Bourbon Glaze

1 lb flank steak
1/3 cup peach or mango chutney
1/3 cup pineapple juice
3 Tbs bourbon (or apple juice if you feel boring)
1 1/2 Tbs rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Tabasco 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Prepare your grill (we don't have an outdoor grill, but this worked just fine on the Forman). Add all ingredients into a large ziploc bag to marinate. Keep in the refridgerator for at least 15 minutes (I think we marinated for about an hour). Remove and place steak on grill, reserving marinade. Pour remaining marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally, and remove from heat to thicken. Grill steak about 8 minutes per side or until it's cooked to your liking. Cut flank steak strips on a diagonal and serve drizzled with the glaze.

It was a great combination of flavors--I'd recommend some fresh sweet corn on the side :-) I also just learned how to boil sweet corn: remove husks and wash. Place corn cobs in large pot of water with 1/4 c sugar and bring to a boil. Boil approx 8-10 minutes and remove. Summer food is the best! :)

Summer picks

2010-06-10T18:49:00.000-07:00

Make no mistake about it--Summer is my favorite season! The only downside is that sometimes, it's just too hot to eat. So while I cook a little less, I do have a few simple things I seem to be growing quite attached to as we hit the mid 90s...

1. Greek Yogurt

I eat a lot of yogurt, usually Yoplait Light. I got really curious about Greek yogurt a few weeks ago because I kept hearing about all the great health benefits. So I looked it up and sure enough it has nearly double the protein as regular yogurt, while staying relatively close in fat in calories. You can easily get fat free, and only about 10 additional calories--but the trade off for double the protein is completely worth it. If you like thicker yogurt, and I do, definitely give it a try. But keep in mind, not all Greek yogurt is created equal when it comes to taste! Believe me, I've tried all kinds. There are not as many flavors as you find with other yogurts....no Blueberry Pie or any of those other flavors that annoying woman on the Yoplait commercials goes on and on about. But so far both Yoplait and Dannon make plain, vanilla honey, strawberry and blueberry flavors. At Whole Foods I saw another brand with caramel. If you want to try out Greek yogurt, please please please get the Dannon! I was so disappointed going through the Yoplait, but I wasn't ready to give up. The Dannon flavors are by far the best. In the mornings I like to empty the container into a cereal bowl and add fresh berries and that new low-fat Special K Granola. I love parfaits...but just remember the ones you make yourself will always be better! Also worth noting that when I would eat the 100 calorie Yoplait, I'd be starving by lunch. With Greek yogurt, I stay full all morning. So that's huge for me. Also avoid the plain. It's a great substitute for sour cream...but it's a great substitute for a reason...

2. Veggie Sandwiches

Obviously I'm no vegetarian. I often tease Bobby that he wouldn't have even dated me if I had been...which he doesn't find funny one bit! But I've liked veggie sandwiches since high school. They remind me of Kate :) They're great because they're obviously pretty low in fat and calories, and you can always make something different. So I've been giving myself a few extra minutes in the morning to plan for additional slicing time. With extra-fiber whole grain bread (about 60-70 calories per slice), I'll add 2 Tbs of reduced fat chive and onion cream cheese to one side. Then top with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper (switch up the color for new flavors), and sprouts. For extra flavor, I've discovered that adding whole fresh basil leaves is great. If you're not a cream cheese person, you can add Dijon mustard and/or another slice of cheese like Havarti or provolone.

3. Gigantic bowls of fruit salad

This is not a new thing in my kitchen! Every Sunday during the summer time, Bobby and I raid the produce section and bring home anything and everything that's fresh. I wash the berries, he chops the melons, pineapples, and kiwis, and we throw everything into a HUGE bowl. The biggest one we have clean at the time usually. It usually lasts 3-5 days depending on the quantity, and we eat it as snacks, desserts, or side dishes all week long. No need to add poppy-seed dressing (gag me!) because a good mix will have tons of flavor and that's just a filler. The only thing to note about gigantic fruit salads is that you don't want to add bananas (they turn brown) or cherries (pits!). We keep those around all summer too, but eat them separately. But otherwise: watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, kiwi, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries are our favorites!

4. Smoothie King

With as much fruit and yogurt I keep around, you'd think I'd be all about making fresh smoothies. And I do recommend it if you can. But I'm lazy and don't like cleaning my blender that often! So I hit up Smoothie King whenever possible :)

5. Banana Coladas

Bobby and I discovered the magic of banana coladas on our honeymoon in Antigua. We now make them whenever we can find coconut milk, and bring them to the pool in freezer cups. I'm not really sure if that's allowed, but the lifeguard hasn't turned us away yet. To make a banana colada add ice, dark rum, coconut milk, fresh ripe bananas (read: brown), and powdered sugar. You may want more/less sugar depending on your preferences.

Other non-food related things I'm into right now: Yoga, spray tanning, and sundresses. I'm also starting a new blog that I wish I would have started three years ago about our whole med school...med world, really...experience. The link is over on the right column. I haven't started it yet, but I will this weekend. Just something to share our experiences, help me process things, and try to show others what our life is like as we wrap med school and enter residency in the year to come. Because if one more person thinks I'm exaggerating when I say 80hrs a week, I might hit them. 80 hours if we're LUCKY! See...I need an outlet HA!

Blog Invasion!

2010-06-06T16:52:00.000-07:00

So Anne left town and I'm left to fend for myself. Not being the planner in the household, I decided to open up the fridge and see what I could throw together. It was a long week for both of us, resulting in many failed dinner plans. My solution? Take everything out of the veggie drawer and chop it to bits. Grab the chicken tenderloins and chop those up too. Throw them all in the wok with Tabasco and crushed red pepper. Mix it all and you have: Kitchen Sink Stir Fry

--Bobby

Banana Pudding Squares

2010-05-31T19:15:00.000-07:00

And so ends my epic battle of conquering banana pudding! OK so maybe it wasn't epic, but it was a few years in the making. Let's just say I started with banana soup in '07, and have since found what I believe will become Bobby and I's preferred banana pudding recipe going forward. Of course, I did actually mess this one up too--but it tasted amazing anyway :) Kraftfoods.com emailed this to me a little while ago and I bookmarked it. I had planned to may keylime pie for Memorial Day, but Kroger apparently has discontinued the sale of keylime juice?? Add that to the growing list of things I'll have to get from Whole Foods. So I went with banana pudding squares as a backup, and it worked out fabulously!

Banana Pudding Squares

1 box Reduced Fat NILLA Wafers
1/4 cup or a half stick of margarine, melted
8 oz reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tub of fat free or sugar free Cool Whip
3 bananas, sliced
2 packages of instant sugar-free vanilla pudding
3 cups cold skim milk
1 square of Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, grated/"zested"

OK this is a modified version because I added an additional layer of NILLA wafers. Start out by separating out 40-45 NILLA wafers and crushing them very finely. In a mixing bowl, add the melted butter to the crumbs and mix well. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9x13 pan, and refrigerate. The Kraft recipe doesn't specify how long, but I'd give it at least 30 minutes. This is where I got impatient and went "wrong". In another mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Add 1 and a half cups of the Cool Whip and whisk until blended. Spread this mixture evenly over the NILLA crumb bottom. This is where mine went in a different direction. My crumb-crust didn't set and I gave up and mixed the crumbs with the cream cheese mix. Then I firmly re-pressed the mixture into the bottom of the pan. So if you can get it into two distinct layers, great. If not...mix it, repress, and move on! Then add one layer of banana slices. In the mixing bowl used for the cream cheese mix, add the two packages of instant pudding and 3 cups of milk. Whisk quickly for 2 minutes and pour over bananas. Top with additional layer of NILLA wafers (my addition) and refrigerate until ready to serve. Right before serving, spread remaining Cool Whip over the wafers evenly. Use a lemon zester or other fine grating tool and grate the chocolate square into shavings over the top of the Cool Whip. Serve in squares.

Mine doesn't look quite as pretty as the picture on Kraftfoods.com, but it was absolutely delicious. This topped the Memorial Day meal of burgers, my first (failed) attempt at homemade baked beans, broccoli casserole, and watermelon. Needless to say we are stuffed and will be rolling ourselves back to work in the morning.

We did have a wonderful and relaxing long weekend that was absolutely perfect. On Friday we walked to Mexican food...then on Saturday we started the day by going to yoga, then followed it with a trip to Whole Foods for sushi, then to the pool with a pitcher of banana coladas for a few hours, before I surprised Bobby with massage appointments in Westport Village, and then we walked to Napa River Grill. It was perfect. Then on Sunday, Bobby played 18 holes with some of the med school guys while I went for a run...and today we hit the gym early and then spent the afternoon at the pool again with banana coladas before dinner. We don't get a lot of vacation with Bobby's schedule, so to have a full 3 day weekend together was great...even if it was a "staycation" :) So tomorrow begins June, and Bobby will wrap up Peds and his 3rd year in the next few weeks, and I'll be diving into Intern-a-palooza 2010. But definitely looking forward to another long weekend next weekend in Seattle!

Linguine w/ Sun Dried Tomatoes

2010-05-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge pasta lover. My blog probably doesn't even convey how much I love pasta and all of it's carbo-loaded goodness. And that's because since I love it so much, I have to be sparing about the frequency with which I consume it! But it occurred to me earlier this year that I was trying so hard to avoid pasta in our weekly menus, that it rarely, if ever, made an appearance. I'd make spaghetti in the Winter now and then, or smoked-salmon fettuccine for special occasions, but for the most part I left it out of my weekly plans. Which, I'm sure, any nutritionist would praise! But like all things yummy and gluttonous, pasta is fine in moderation. So with moderation in mind, I'm re-integrating an occasional pasta into our dinner repertoire. Not every week...but every other week or so. In my rediscovery of pasta dinners, I'm amazed at how quickly they're prepared! This one is 15 minutes or so, and very fresh tasting--perfect for a quick summer weeknight! Courtesy of Southern Living.

Linguine with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

1 16oz package of linguine
1 7oz jar of sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup EVOO
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
2 Tbs thin fresh basil strips

Drain the tomatoes and reserve 2 Tbs of the oil in the jar. Cut the tomatoes into thin strips. I discovered Bobby doesn't like the texture of sun-dried tomatoes, and if that's the case for you, I recommend dicing them instead so there's less surface area to feel the texture. Prepare the pasta according to directions, and while it's boiling... Heat the pine nuts in a large nonstick skillet over med-low heat and stir often about 5 minutes or until fragrant. No oil or butter needed. Remove them from the skillet, and increase the heat to medium and saute the garlic in the reserved oil from the tomatoes and the EVOO--just about a minute until you can smell the garlic (sorry Dad) Stir in the tomato strips and remove from heat. In a large pasta bowl, toss the pasta, the tomato/oil mixture, feta, and basil. Top each serving with pine nuts and freshly ground pepper.

As you can see from my picture, there's broccoli in my version and that's just because I had some leftover that I didn't want to waste. So with that in mind, you could up your veggie intake by adding broccoli or asparagus to your boiling pasta just as it's about to finish. And of course, you could always add grilled chicken (but despite Bobby's stringent "No Meat, No Meal" rule, he ate every bite and didn't even comment on the vegetarian nature of dinner!) I fixed this the evening before Bobby went on-call, expecting to have leftovers...but I didn't have any!

In other unrelated news, we had a wonderful weekend with Bobby's parents, who came to Louisville to see Wicked for Jan's birthday. Although Bobby and I had seen it during it's first Louisville tour, the performance was breathtaking, and even better a second time! We are so fortunate to have seen so many wonderful Broadway national tours while in Louisville (Phantom, Mamma Mia, Cirque Dreams, Wicked x 2, and next year Les Mis 25th Anniversary!!! I'm doing a little happy dance).

Mexican Skillet

2010-05-17T17:47:00.000-07:00

So the thing about Mexican food, is that nothing else can look so unattractive and yet taste SO good! But it's not exactly a pretty cuisine. Especially when you're basically doing nothing but throwing your favorite ingredients into one skillet and mixing them together. Delicious and quick, but not exactly up for an Anne Gibbons "Photo Finish" of sorts. But this was too easy and too reliable not to share, even without a picture! Thank you Southern Living.

Mexican Skillet

1lb ground beef (get 4% if you can)
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 package of Uncle Ben's instant Spanish Style rice
1-2 cups salsa
1/2 onion, chopped
2 Tbs lime juice
2 Tbs cilantro
add cheese, guacamole, or sour cream to top (you know we topped with cheese...)

In a large skillet combine the onion and ground beef, and cook over med-high until meat is fully browned. Add 1-2 cups of salsa depending on your preference for spice, the black beans, lime juice, and cilantro--mix well over medium heat while preparing rice. I used the 90 second microwavable rice, because it was Monday and the fewer dirty dishes the better! Add rice, stir well, and remove from heat. Top with cheese or other desired topping and serve immediately!

And plenty of leftovers for those on-call nights! Can't eat brie and a baguette all the time... :)

Stuffed Shells

2010-05-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

Count on me to make heavy Italian dishes in 80 degree weather :) I can't help it! I love cheese, I love pasta...I won't live without either! The first time you make stuffed shells, it goes pretty slowly because you want to be careful and not break the shells and you're trying to stuff the right amount, etc. But the more times I make this dish, the quicker it goes by. So once upon a time I only made them on weekends, but now I can do this pretty quickly on a weeknight, as long as I remember to thaw the spinach. This is a vegetarian recipe, but I've seen some variations where you can add sausage. Also important to note that this makes more than can fit in one 9x13 pan! So have your 9x9 ready to go as a back-up pan for leftovers (can freeze or eat later in the week). And even then, you might still have extras!

Stuffed Shells

1 box jumbo pasta shells
15oz part-skim ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella (one bag of the 2% stuff works)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
10oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp Italian seasoning (I use a little more)
Pinch of ground nutmeg (I use a little more)
26oz jar of your favorite sauce (I use Paul Newman's Marinara)

Preheat oven to 375. PAM your 9x13 baking dish. Cook pasta shells according to package label directions; drain and set aside to cool. While pasta cooks, in a large bowl, stir together ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, egg, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and nutmeg. Spread 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce over bottom of baking dish. Stuff shells with cheese-and-spinach mixture and place in dish. Spoon remaining sauce over shells and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake about 10 minutes longer, until bubbly and cheese begins to brown.

Enough to eat for a week! In keeping with my love of cheese, Bobby is on call tonight and I plan devour a wedge of brie for dinner :)

Cube Steak with Mushroom-Sherry Sauce

2010-05-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

Oh look! a blog-post! Bet you thought they went away :0) I've actually just been repeating a lot of tried and true recipes this spring, and between busy days at work and Bobby's spreadsheets most of the time I just wasn't up to more computer time! Generation Y probably would disown me for that though. If only there was an iPhone app for residencies! But for those interested in more than just recipes, Bobby has officially decided on General Surgery (which I may have posted previously, but just in case!) and is in the process of applying for two away-rotations this Fall. An away rotation, or "visiting student clerkship" is where a 4th yr med student can spend 4 weeks at another hospital to get exposure to different environments. This is also considered a 4 week interview a lot of times. And the great news is that we're FINALLY completing and submitting the applications! So after much (MUCH) researching and spreadsheets and CV edits and personal statement drafts, it's almost complete! If all goes according to plan, Bobby will be gone for 8 weeks this Fall. I will be extremely lonely so consider that an open invitation for anyone who's out there. Kinda funny when your ideal scenario involves an absentee spouse for 8 weeks :o)

But back to beef. This I pulled out of a Healthy Eating magazine the girls at work gave me! It's super quick and has about 275 calories for just the cube steak and sauce. Cube steak is often a "step-child" cut, but for a quick night it was great. You can see from the picture that we added some mashed potatoes (instant because I was lazy) and a basic green salad.

Cube Steak with Mushroom-Sherry Sauce

2-4 4oz cube steaks
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 green onion, diced
1 Tbs flour
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
2 Tbs reduced-fat sour cream
a few Tbs of olive oil
salt and pepper

Sprinkle steaks with pinches of salt and pepper. Heat about a Tbs of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add steaks to cook, turning once until browned and cooked through (3-4 minutes on each side). Transfer steaks to a warm plate and cover. Add another Tbs or two to the skillet, and toss in the mushrooms and green onion with sprinkled pepper. Stir until mushrooms brown (3-5 minutes). Sprinkle mushrooms with flour and stir to coat for about 1 minute. Add thyme, sherry, and broth--then bring to a boil. Boil until sauce thickens a little bit (it'll coat the back of a wooden spoon when ready) and usually about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Add steaks back to the skillet and toss to coat.

The sauce was very good over the mashed potatoes as well! Bobby was a huge fan and so was I. We'll definitely be repeating this one again on busy weeknights. I actually didn't cook the steaks long enough at first because the original recipe calls for 2 minutes on either side. I don't believe in "medium" cube steak...so we microwaved them for 3 more minutes til they cooked through! Also, if you're curious--our preferred instant mashed potatoes are Idahoan brand. If you skip back through old blogs I've got a quick recipe for real mashed potatoes for two...but sometimes I just don't have the arm muscle! Also recommend Kraft's Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Italian Vinaigrette for light salads.

Orange Pound Cake

2010-04-25T12:34:00.001-07:00

Alright I don't have a picture for this one because it (like most of my cake failures) fell out of the pan into pieces. However, those pieces were quite yummy and stayed moist and fluffy all week! This was my first try--of what I assume will be quite a few--of my new Cake Mix Doctor book. Courtesy of a boss who is bound to have Individualization up there somewhere. Half the people on my floor swear by the book so I'm looking forward to getting more adventurous. I thought Orange Pound Cake was an easy place to start, and it was. But since it fell out of the pan, I'll have to think of something to get my baking confidence back!

Orange Pound Cake

1 package yellow cake mix w/pudding (Pillsbury--and I used Reduced Sugar, worked well)
1 cup fresh orange juice (I used the new low sugar Tropicana)
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar (I used Splenda...do you sense the low-sugar theme yet?)
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs

Glaze

My glaze didn't turn out very well...I think the actual recipe calls for too much OJ. So pour a little bit of OJ into your mixing bowl, along with about a Tbs of orange zest (optional). Then add at least 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar and stir until blended. If too runny, add more sugar until you reach a good "glaze" consistency. I soaked my cake on accident and it was basically like pouring OJ all over the cake. Still tasty though :o)

Preheat oven to 350. Place all cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer on LOW for one minute. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Increase speed to MED for 2 more minutes until batter is thick and well blended. Spray a bundt pan with PAM and lightly flour the interior. Add batter and bake for 45 minutes.

Now my book says to remove it from the oven and place on a wire baking rack to cool for 20 minutes before trying to remove from the pan. Then using a knife or spatula to run down the sides before turning it over onto a plate. Just make sure you run the knife down the outside ring AND the inside ring. I think this is where I went wrong. Invert the cake onto the wire rack and let cool for 30 more minutes before adding the glaze.

Spicy Pork-and-Orange Chopped Salad

2010-04-04T10:49:00.001-07:00

Hi :-) OK well first things first: My birthday cake was delicious, just in case you missed that on Facebook. Please see the posted pictures for the cake in all it's chocolaty glory. I won't be sharing the recipe though, sorry! I did not use Naynie or Mom's frosting because I didn't have a double boiler, but my mom found me a fantastic Italian Chocolate Creme frosting that was delicious! So perhaps we just all make it with our own frosting? It was divine!

The end of March was not conducive to a lot of new recipes, and we mostly ate pizza. But last week as we got back on the healthy food bandwagon, we tried this new one from Southern Living, and I highly recommend it! Quick and healthy for a weeknight dinner. It is a bit spicy--which we loved--but if it's not your thing I can tell you how to reduce the spice.

Spicy Pork-and-Orange Chopped Salad

1lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2in pieces
2tsp to a whole packet of Szechwan seasoning blend (less for less spice, more for more spice!)
1 Tbs olive oil
2 navel oranges
1/2 c bottled low-fat Sesame Ginger dressing (eyeball it)
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/4 c fresh cilantro
1 romaine lettuce heart (we actually used a half-head of green leaf lettuce)
3 cups shredded coleslaw mix (about half a bag)
1/2 cup wasabi-and-soy flavored almonds (I couldn't find them and used plain--they worked)

After cutting the pork into pieces, place all pieces in a plastic bag with the Szechwan seasoning--shake to coat. Then saute pork in hot olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat, about 8-10 minutes or until done. I always cut the thickest piece in half to determine if it's fully cooked. Peel the oranges and cut them into 1/2 inch slices. Pour dressing into the bottom of the salad bowl, then stir in oranges, cilantro, and cucumber and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Add lettuce, coleslaw mix, and finally the pork. Toss very gently and garnish with the almonds. Garnish with more oranges or cilantro as needed.

This really is a great new recipe for spring. We always struggle with dinner salads because so many end up covered in cheese or chips or Caesar dressing and negate the health-factor of having a dinner salad to begin with. But this one is light, fresh, and still filling. A big thumbs up from us and definitely work a try! Happy Easter to everyone and let's all look forward to some warmer weather and spring/summer menus :-)

Lemon Bars

2010-03-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

Obviously after the red velvet cake fiasco, I've been feeling a little glum about my baking skills. So I signed up for a series of free baking classes at Williams-Sonoma and plan to combat this insecurity by increasing my baking frequency. Good for my coworkers, bad for my waistline. Heading to the gym when this post is finished, in fact.

I was skimming my Southern Living yesterday morning and saw this recipe. I thought that was a good place to get back on the horse, so to speak, and since we were having salmon with steamed green beans and white wine for dinner--lemon bars sounded like the perfect dessert. I was thrilled these turned out so well! I used Sugar in the Raw, which is kind of brownish instead of white, so they aren't as yellow as they may have been otherwise. But taste delicious. Bobby said he'd never had lemon bars that didn't come out of a box before. I didn't know they came in a box...? But I thought it was pretty funny when he was like "They're good! how do you get them to taste like lemons?" to which my response was "Umm...I used lemons?"

Lemon Bars

2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (I just squeezed the whole lemon, not sure how much that amounted to)
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 Pyrex with heavy duty foil or parchment paper and PAM it. Mom, is parchment paper like wax paper? They talked a lot about it at Williams Sonoma this morning, but I was afraid to ask questions. Make sure the foil extends over the ends of the dish to lift it out later.

Stir together 2 cups of flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or fork. I didn't have the former, so I tried using a dinner fork, but that sucked. So I just used a whisk from my old stand mixer (pre-KitchenAid), and that got the job done. Once it's crumbly, press firmly into the bottom of the dish and bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs until they're smooth, and then whisk in the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Lastly, add the additional 4th of a cup of flour and the baking powder. When the crust is brown, pour mixture evenly over the top, and then bake another 25 minutes.

Let it cool in the pan for 30 minutes, and then use the sides of the foil to lift. Gently pull the foil away from the sides of the bars. Sprinkle the tops with additional powdered sugar and cut evenly.

SO good! Between these and my cookie class I'm feeling a little better. Bring on Naynie's cake at the end of the week!

Also--had a really good panini this week: Sourdough bread with bacon, white cheddar cheese, and Granny Smith apple slices. Very tasty.

Layered Enchilada Bake

2010-03-14T13:06:00.001-07:00

Let's be honest...if it's covered in cheese, it gets two thumbs up from me. I've been using this particular recipe for probably about a year, and it will be one I continue to swear by. Originally emailed to me from KraftFoods.com, it's definitely a weeknight keeper! It calls for ground beef, but you can probably tell in the picture that I usually use ground turkey for this. Again, if you cover it in cheese, you may just want to cut some calories where you can, right?

Layered Enchilada Bake

1lb ground beef or turkey
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups of your favorite salsa
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4cup Italian Dressing
2 Tbs taco seasoning (I just use the whole package...)
6 flour tortillas, 8"
1 cup sour cream
1-2 cups shredded cheddar

In a large skillet brown the meat with the onion. Once browned, add the two cups of salsa, black beans, dressing, and taco seasoning. Line the inside of your 9x13 Pyrex with foil and PAM it. Place three tortillas in a row (will be overlap) on the bottom of the dish, and top with half of the meat/bean mixture. Place a "dollop" of sour cream in the middle of each tortilla. I'm going to use this platform to speak out against fat free sour cream. Do NOT ever try to cook with it. I cannot stress this enough. It's not even really sour cream. Just don't use it. Anyway... spread the sour cream out with a butter knife or small spatula, and cover with half of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers and cover with foil. Bake on 400 for 30 minutes and then remove top foil. Bake an additional 10 minutes. If you're feeling fancy you can top it with shredded lettuce or diced tomatoes. But usually by the time it's done Bobby's already hovering with his fork. You can also make ahead and refrigerate overnight or freeze it. Great for leftovers or lunch the next day!

Also, if you want to see a video-demo, go to http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/layered-enchilada-bake-107317.aspx.

Anne's Breakfast Casserole

2010-03-07T16:43:00.000-08:00

I don't make up a lot of recipes. I may fudge things from time to time, but there's very few instances where I just kind of wing the whole thing and say a little prayer. Luckily, something wonderful happened this time! So I'm claiming this recipe as mine, all mine. And I must say, it turned out beautifully! Bobby ate two platefuls and I had leftovers the next day and even my cube-mate thought it looked and smelled delicious :-) But since Bobby's schedule is a little odd, I figured what a good thing to have on hand, because you can eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner just depending on when he's home. You could also make this a quiche of sorts, but I don't have a pie plate, so it's a casserole.
Anne's Breakfast Casserole

1 package Simply Potatoes Southwest-style shredded hash-browns
1/3 cup butter, melted
1.5-2 cups diced ham
1 cup shredded jack cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
5 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
lots of pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 425. PAM the bottom of your pyrex or casserole dish, and melt the butter in the mircowave. Blend the whole package of potatoes with the melted butter either in a mixing bowl or carefully in your casserole dish. Use a spatula to press potatoes firmly into the dish to create a solid bottom layer. Top potatoes evenly with shredded jack and cheddar cheeses, and then top evenly with diced ham. In a small mixing bowl, beat 5 eggs with cream and add pepper. Pour evenly over the ham. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes. Cool for just a minute or two and then serve.

In other interesting life news the SUN has come out! Spring is actually going to happen and it's very exciting. All members of the Gibbons household are extremely pleased (although Bobby doesn't see a lot of daylight these days, so he may not know yet...) I also made Ghiradelli Double Chocolate brownies this weekend, and would like to stress their superiority over all other brownie mixes. HANDS DOWN. I also made a yummy little appetizer (thanks Cooking Light Cookbook) of small cheese tortellini, cucumber chuncks, and red bell peppers cut into bite-sized squares tossed with a little bit of Italian Vinaigrette dressing (to prevent the cheap taste that some Italian dressings, particularly Kraft's, can have). Put one of each on a toothpick and served chilled. Could also supersize this appetizer by adding a square of hard salami, grape tomato, kalamata olive, and/or square of feta on a kebab skewer. But I was short on time and couldn't find skewers.

Sticky Slow-cooker Drumsticks

2010-03-07T16:32:00.001-08:00

So I may have forgotten to take a picture of this one, but it's really good! Now the recipe specifically said drumsticks, and I did some drumsticks and some breasts...and the drumsticks were by far better. The breast meat got very dry in the slowcooker--but maybe if you wanted to try bone-in breasts instead of boneless? That might be better. Otherwise I'd stick with drumsticks and maybe some wings if you wanted to branch out. But really, this took me about 20 minutes in the morning and it was delicious! Pair it with some sticky rice and sauteed bell peppers, and you're good to go! Maybe snow peas... Anyway, thank you AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner iPhone App! Because yes, there's an app for that.

Sticky Slow-cooker Drumsticks

2-4 lbs chicken drumsticks, skin removed (use really good kitchen scissors)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced (my garlic actually went bad so I substituted for ~2tsp of garlic powder)
8oz can of tomato sauce

This is a recipe you will definitely want to use slow-cooker liners for. Again, these are made by Reynolds, and they're with the Reynolds wrap and Ziploc bags. So PAM the crock pot, place the liner in, and PAM the liner. Otherwise the brown sugar will make your crock pot a mess that will need to soak--and who has sink space for that? Place all drumsticks into the slow cooker, spread them around. Then in a medium mixing bowl, mix soy sauce, brown sugar, tomato sauce, and garlic. Pour the sauce evenly over your drumsticks and cook on LOW for 8 hours.

The soy sauce makes it a little salty, so you may want to add more sugar for balance. But it's really good, and the meat falls right off the bone. I'm expanding my chicken horizons...

Smoked Salmon Fettuccine

2010-03-02T19:25:00.000-08:00

OK so by now you should all know that we can officially file Bobby's red velvet birthday cake under "Things That Didn't Work." I leave out one little thing because I'm being NICE, and it turns to a brick. Not to mention the frosting was like painting a red brick with straight butter. Mmmm Mmmm Good, right? Bobby ate the obligatory "I love it honey!" piece and we tossed the rest. And to think, I got my beautiful cake plate dirty for nothing!

But the evening was redeemed with my (mother's) smoked salmon fettuccine. So simple, and so reliable! And I may have grown up eating my dad's freshly smoked salmon, but you really can get some good pieces at the grocery store--especially for pasta! If you're not a smoked salmon aficionado, make sure you go to the seafood section and usually under the fresh fish display they will have packaged smoked salmon fillets. Make sure you get a fillet, and not thin slices--because those are called lox and they go on your bagel, not in your pasta. Bobby has brought them to me many-a-time only to be sent away.

Bobby's Birthday Smoked Salmon Fettuccine

2-3 smoked salmon fillets
1 box of bow-tie pasta (it has a great way of holding bits of salmon)
1/2 cup diced onions
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
1/4th cup butter
2 cups heavy cream1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Tabasco, salt & pepper to taste

Flake the smoked salmon into bite-sized chunks with your fingers or a fork. In a large skillet, saute the onion in butter for about 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese cubes and stir into the onions until melted. Add cream and a few dashes of Tabasco to the skillet and keep warm over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, boil pasta and drain once cooked.

My mother heats a large pasta bowl in the oven and then moves the pasta over and prepares the rest in the bowl. I'm not too sure my pasta bowl can go in the oven, so I pour the pasta into the skillet with the cream sauce to finish the prep. Combine pasta and sauce, add smoked salmon and stir well. Serve immediately and top each bowl with a few pinches of Parmesan cheese, and add salt/pepper (esp. pepper) to taste.

It's a pretty quick and easy dish, but smoked salmon isn't in the budget every week--and neither is cream sauce! Different kind of budget though haha :-) So it's great for special occasions. We also rounded out Bobby's birthday with the conclusion of Bobby's OBGYN rotation and a *successful* final exam for him, followed by the BEST meal ever at Palermo Viejo on Bardstown. There was provaleta, empanadas, steak, more pasta, pancakes de dulce de leche, homemade banana icecream, and of course a great bottle of Cabernet. He is officially over the 20-something hill and older than me for 4 whole weeks! See you at the other end of Pisces my love...

Shepherd's Pie

2010-02-23T19:20:00.000-08:00

OK so I decided I wanted to make Shepherd's Pie. Beef? Good. Mashed Potatoes? Good. You get the idea.

So I went through every cookbook I have, and nearly every single one had a version of Shepherd's Pie. Some had lists of ingredients all the way down the page, others used completely foreign things like rutabagas (seriously? I don't even really know that those are). Some had interesting variations with cubed steak instead of ground beef, or the addition of red wine--no complaints there. But in the end, since I'd never made it before, I just wanted a quick and simple variation--so foodnetwork.com and Rachael Ray to my rescue! You know, she gets a lot of flak for not being a "chef", but as far as I'm concerned, neither am I! And if I can make it in 30 minutes... well then, that's just a delightful bonus.

Oh, and if you're wondering why I'm only making this with beef (some versions will mix ground beef and lamb, others will only be lamb)--it's quite simply because I won't touch the stuff. Mary had a little lamb...little lamb... Think Kate Hudson in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

Shepherd's Pie

2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 Tbs sour cream or softened cream cheese
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup cream (or low sodium chicken broth)
1 Tbs olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
1 cup beef stock or broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
1/2 cup frozen peas
Salt, pepper, and paprika

Pre-heat oven to broil or 425-450 (we don't have very many dishes we can broil). Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

While potatoes are boiling, brown and crumble ground beef in a large skillet. Season meat with salt and pepper. Once browned, add chopped carrot and onion to the skillet. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.

Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and bake until potatoes are evenly browned.

Like all casseroles, it may or may not turn out very pretty...but here we go! Just remember, beef? Good. Mashed Potatoes? Good.

Weekly Menu 2/21

2010-02-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

Apparently lots of people find it funny that I create weekly menus for Bobby and I. If you don't already do this, I highly recommend it. It A) Saves you money B) Makes you less likely to eat junk food C) Gives you a meal to look forward to and D) Streamlines your grocery trip. So since it's late and I'm getting sleepy, instead of a recipe tonight I'm going to share our weekly menu and what you can look forward to being added to the blog.

Also, clearly I "redecorated" :-) If it's too pink, let me know!

Sunday: Salmon Caesar Salad (I've made the executive decision not to share my mother's Caesar salad recipe because otherwise what would I bring to potlucks and dinner parties to show off!)

Monday: BBQ Chicken Pizza (Spread pizza dough like Boboli or Pillsbury with your favorite BBQ sauce, top with LOTS of mozzarella cheese and add chunks of grilled chicken and diced red onion)

Tuesday: Shepherd's Pie (this is a new one for me, I'm excited! I'll post if it's good)

Wednesday: Smoked Salmon Fettuccine Alfredo and Red Velvet Cake (Happy Birthday to Bobby! I plan to post both of these)

Thursday: Leftovers :-)

Friday: Probably Palermo Viejo (our favorite restaurant in Louisville) to celebrate Bobby's birthday more officially

Saturday: Stuffed Shells w/ Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce (yum! will post also)

In other good news the snow has melted for Bobby's birthday week! I consider this a "turning point" weekend for us in terms of weather. So it's my advice to others out there cooking to gather up your favorite cold-weather menu items (comfort food) and add them to your menus quickly! Soon will be the season for summer salads, fruit salsas, and margaritas! Oh wait...those are good in any season...

Grilled Salmon w/ Ginger-Orange Mustard Glaze

2010-02-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

Coming to you again from the Complete Cooking Light Cookbook. Seriously, I'm just beginning to crack this powerhouse of a cookbook. This is quick and easy, and you can grill or bake. It recommends marinating for 30 minutes, but the sauce is pretty strong, so I think if you were really pressed for time you could heat the sauce over the stove and drizzle over your fillet. I also think this would be good with chicken--assuming most of you like chicken more than I do :)

Grilled Salmon with Ginger-Orange Mustard Glaze

1/4 cup orange juice1/4 cup soy sauce (go low sodium if you can)
1/4 cup sherry
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbs grated fresh ginger (I used the kind that comes in a jar because I didn't feel like peeling any--but fresh ginger will always taste best)
2 Tbs honey
Salmon fillets

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Place salmon fillets into a plastic Ziploc bag, and pour marinade over them. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then remove from the bag to grill or bake (425 for 30 minutes in a tin foil "boat" to catch excess liquid). Pour remaining marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Serve over the fish, or on top of quinoa or rice for flavor.

I know there are many salmon purists in my family, and believe me I love fresh, grilled, Pacific salmon when it's in season. However, Bobby and I are still trying to eat fish 1-2 times per week and I've got to add some variety! Especially during the "down" months where you may get more previously frozen Pacific fish, or Atlantic. If you don't know the difference, then I don't want you reading my blog! Just kidding :) Kind of...

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

2010-02-09T18:35:00.000-08:00

Dear T&C,

This post serves no other reason than to remind you of what snow looks like.

Sincerely,
Your pale and pasty sibling counterparts

Scallops and Pistachio Pesto Pasta

2010-02-09T17:42:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, I'm BACK! It was a long month of living in the dark ages while my PC was cleansed of an insane virus. I've never had a computer virus like that...and I lost everything that wasn't backed up. So now I'm just trying to slowly put my PC-life back together. On the upside, I now have Windows 7 and all of my pop up windows are pink :)

But that did leave you all with a month of unposted recipes. I'll do my best to make up for a few of them, and they'll certainly be out of order (based on what photos I re-acquire faster). So let's get it started with a bang and I want everyone to say "Pistachio Pesto Pasta" 5 times fast. This recipe comes from The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook, a book so large in size and scope I'm only just beginning to tackle it.
Scallops and Pistachio Pesto Pasta

1 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 Tbs chopped pistachios (good luck finding them unpeeled...but it gave Bobby something to do so he felt like he was contributing)
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
Pinch of salt
Pinch of paprika
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 tsp olive oil (just eyeball it)
3/4 lb sea scallops (if you don't like large scallops, you can use bay scallops which are more bite-sized)
1/4 cup flour
Another pinch of salt
2 tsp butter
2 cups angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti

Place first 9 ingredients into a food processor (doesn't have to be a large one). Process until mixture is smooth and scrape the sides with a spatula to get everything. It doesn't look like enough when you blend it, but trust me it will be. Then, combine the scallops, flour, and pinch of salt in a large Ziploc bag--shake to coat. Heat butter in large skillet over med-high heat. Add scallops and cook for 3.5-5 minutes on each side until done. While scallops are cooking, boil pasta and drain. Move pasta into a mixing bowl and coat with pistachio pesto. Split pasta into serving dishes, and top with scallops. Sprinkle with remaining black pepper and parsley flakes for color.

And because this is a Cooking Light recipe, you should all know that it's 556 calories per serving and 15.2 g of fat. Overall it goes pretty quickly and you could have this done in under 30 minutes without a problem--thus just giving the illusion that it's fancy and you slaved away all day. It turned out that I don't like scallops as much as I thought--texture is a little funny and I couldn't tell they were cooked thoroughly--so next time I'll plan to use smaller bay scallops. Also worth noting that scallops are in season and can be found fresh until later in the Spring.

Ta-Dah! I'm back!

New Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-01-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

OK so usually I follow the Tollhouse recipe because I'm pretty plain and simple like that with my baking. But tonight unfolded an unusual "crisis cookie baking" situation...

I was trying out a new recipe in my crock pot "Easy Cheesy Chicken" from my AllRecipes.com iPhone app. I had read the reviews and they were good, but many who tried it recommended adding a bag of chopped broccoli and some mushrooms--two of my favorite ingredients. So I do, and when Bobby and I got home this afternoon we walk through the door and the apartment REAKS! I can't even describe it properly, but it was like stench coming out of every corner of the apartment! Bobby started gagging. Thank goodness I usually use crock pot liners (found with Ziploc bags at the store) so even though it was still hot, we could tie off the liner with our dinner in it, trash it, and move the trash to the balcony. We are so classy like that. But the whole apartment still stinks to the point of Bobby having to hide in his office. So I go to work with my Clorox wipes and lemon spray cleaning everything and lighting candles. And I decide to fight fire with fire...get rid of one stench by baking something that will smell really yummy!

Brilliant, I know, but turns out I don't have any eggs. So I yell to Bobby to Google me anything to bake without needing eggs, and he finds a Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. About halfway into it I discover I actually do have one egg hiding in the back of the fridge, and toss it in. Turns out, this recipe not only cures my kitchen of overcooked broccoli stench, but has won our hearts and is our NEW GO-TO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE. Seriously they came out huge! look! they're like the size of biscuits!
Anne's Adaption to Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/4th cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 (few sprinkles) of salt
1/2 cup butter, softened (didn't have any of that either, so I used butter-flavored Crisco and still best cookies ever)
1/4 cup white sugar (used Splenda)
1/2 cup honey
1 to 1.5 cups chocolate chips (less if you don't like sweet cookies, more if you do)
1 egg!

Preheat oven to 300. In a small bowl combine the flour, soda, and salt with a wire whisk, and set it aside. With an electric mixer, blend butter, sugar, egg, and honey (I poured the honey straight into the mixing bowl and kind of eyeballed-it). Beat at medium speed until soft and scrape sides with a spatula if needed. Add flour mixture and chocolate chips, and mix until well blended.

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes.

The recipe calls for 2 dozen, but I use a *little* more than a spoonful, and just made 12 giant cookies, as shown above. SO GOOD!

Gingerbread

2009-12-14T19:44:00.000-08:00

I happen to think my gingerbread is delicious. Bobby on the other hand can be found eating fig newtons and Popsicles instead of the gingerbread. It has me doubting my abilities! But this recipe from my mom is a very good, simple holiday favorite that will have your nosy coworkers eying your breakfast saying "What's that...?" which really means "Why didn't you bring me some?" And the answer is, because I plan to eat it all!

Gingerbread

16oz apple sauce (I used No Sugar Added)
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup dark molasses (I had to ask the Kroger lady where it was!)
2 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1-1/3c sugar (or 2/3 cup Splenda)
2/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 325. In a medium saucepan bring the applesauce to a boil (who knew you could boil applesauce? it just never occurred to me). Once boiling, stir in molasses and baking soda. Set aside to cool. In a medium mixing bowl, mix flour, salt, and all spices. Then in the larger bowl of either you electric mixer, or whatever bowl you use your handmixer with, beat the eggs until they're light in color. Gradually beat in sugar and continue beating until it's thick--then gradually add in the oil. Alternately fold in flour mixture and applesauce mixture. Once well blended, pour into a PAMed tube pan or bunt pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, then let it cool for 15 minutes before turning it onto a cooling rack or beautiful Williams-Sonoma cake plate courtesy of T&C--thanks guys!

Sing with me now..."My gingerbread, gingerbread, gingerbread rocks...Gingerbread Yum and Gingerbread Fun..."

Chicken Delicious

2009-12-11T14:09:00.000-08:00

Bobby and I are accepting new name suggestions for this dish. It's not that it wasn't delicious, it was a definite Keeper, but just not fans of the title. So let me know if you think of something.

I don't eat a lot of chicken. I actively avoided it for most of 2008 and well into 2009. But I'm coming back around. So when I do find a good chicken recipe (read: one that masks the taste of chicken), I'm more than happy to share! Chicken-people should cherish these rare posts. Thanks to my AllRecipes.com DinnerSpinner iPhone App for this one!

Chicken Delicious (new name coming soon)

2-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbs lemon juice
Pinch of Celery Salt
Pepper to taste
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup (reduced sodium)
1 can Cream of Celery Soup (didn't even know they made that...)
1/3 cup Cooking Sherry
Hefty handful of shredded Parmesan

Cut chicken breasts in half (the original recipe calls for this, but you can probably leave them whole if you prefer), wash and pat dry with paper towel. Spray inside of slow cooker (yay slow cookers! and if I haven't made a plug for Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners, they're wonderful), and place chicken halfs around the bottom. Sprinkle with lemon juice, celery salt, and pepper. In a medium mixing bowl, mix 2 cans of soup and sherry together. Pour over chicken breasts, and top generously with Parmesan cheese. Heat on LOW for 8-10 hours (8 hours for fewer breasts, on up to 10 for many breasts--I did 3 breasts at 8-8.5 hours), or HIGH for 4-5 hours.

I recommend serving over rice or quinoa, but it's not necessary. It was really good. And when I got home from work, I sauteed a box of sliced mushrooms in sherry, and added them to the slow cooker--stirring them into the sauce while I cooked the quinoa. I would also note that the parmesan cheese changes color and consistency when it's in the slow cooker that long. I was freaked out that there was some stringy thing happening to the chicken (because I'm already paranoid about it), and halfway through dinner realized it was the cheese! Shown above with steamed squash and zucchini with a little EVOO and Italian Seasoning sprinkled on it.

Dijon Crusted Salmon

2009-12-09T17:45:00.000-08:00

I just watched Antoine's proposal, so forgive me if there's typos from my teary, blurred vision!

My mother (who does not believe in overpowering salmon with extra flavor) is probably sticking her tongue out in disgust and already elected not to read this blasphemous salmon post--so to that I respond with "It was Atlantic salmon! I have to do something with it!" And really, this would be good with tilapia or other white fish too. I'm sure there are many salmon-eating novices (like Bobby) out there who don't think there's a difference between Pacific and Atlantic salmon, and I'm sure the fish-lady at Whole Foods rues the day she asked me if I knew the difference (Tshca!) So if you're like me, and want to eat fish in the "off-season" to stay healthy and get those Omega-3s or whatever, this is a good way to add some flavor to an otherwise bland salmon fillet.

Dijon Crusted Salmon

2 salmon fillets
4(ish) Tbs of Dijon mustard
1 cup Panko crumbs or other breadcrumbs
1 handful shredded Parmesan cheese
Dried parsley
Salt & Pepper

Pre-heat oven to 425. When baking salmon or other fish, I like to peel off a 1'x1' square of aluminum foil for each fillet. PAM the aluminum foil. Place an uncooked fillet in the center of each foil square, and curve the edges of the square up to make a box or boat for the fish (this prevents juices or seasoning from sticking to a baking sheet) and put the foil boats onto a baking sheet. Use a butter knife to spread the Dijon generously over the top of each fillet (about 2 Tbs per piece of fish). In a small mixing bowl, combine Panko, Parmesan, a few sprinkles of dried parsley, and a few pinches of salt & pepper. Using a generous handful or by pouring from the bowl, top each fillet of fish with the seasoning. Bake for 30-35 minutes depending on the thickness.

Great with a side of broccoli--my personal fave!--and a whole grain baguette. This is also a good way to do pork chops in the oven. Tomorrow is a chicken recipe! They're rare, get excited.

Easy Cheesy Creamed Corn

2009-12-09T15:48:00.000-08:00

OK so Bobby and I eat pretty healthy most of the time, but obviously in Winter it gets a little tougher because most nights we just want to alternate between chili and pasta. And there's fewer veggie options for sides. I'm not suggesting creamed corn as a veggie, since corn is pretty much straight starch, BUT it is a nice Winter comfort side. I got this recipe from Kraftfoods.com a few years ago and have been using it ever since, because really, if it has cream cheese it has to be delicious. Shown below with crab cakes topped with sweet chili sauce (see archive) and spinach salad.

Easy Cheesy Creamed Corn

1 can cream-style corn
1 small bag of frozen corn
2oz/2Tbs cream cheese (1/3 less fat)
1/2-1 cup of grated cheddar cheese, amount depending on preference (obviously you can guess which way we tip the scale on that one!)
Sliced green onions for garnish, if desired

In a medium saucepan melt the cream cheese over medium heat, stir frequently. Add cream-style corn, and frozen corn. Heat on med/med-high for 10 minutes, or until frozen corn is cooked through. Stir in grated cheddar cheese, and top with green onion slices for garnish.

Quick easy side and sooo good! But again, anything with cream cheese gets my seal of approval :) Just noticed that looks like an insanely large portion, but I swear that's just the angle!

Thanksgiving Take-Aways

2009-11-30T18:54:00.000-08:00

I've learned that in corporate life--and life in general--it's all about the "take-aways". So what were my "take-aways" or "key learnings" (substitute your buzzword de jour) from Thanksgiving 2009? Everybody seemed to like the list in the last post, so I'll stick with that holiday trend:

1. Never trust Kroger.

After assuring my friend Alex and I that they would, in fact, provide me with a cooked, WARM, and ready-to-serve turkey, they still found a way to succumb to the Can't-Find-a-Cooked-Turkey-To-Buy-in-Louisville Curse. I sent Bobby to pick up the turkey while I mashed the potatoes (more on potatoes later in the list), he returns in a huff of "OKDon'tfreakout!" Just what every first-time Thanksgiving hostess wants to hear from her hubby, right? He presents me with a white trash bag (tall, kitchen) with yellow drawstrings and GIBBONS scribbled across the front in a black sharpie. I was too distraught to capture this on the iPhone cam because at the time it was NOT funny. Kind of like how leprosy ISN'T funny. It's a little funnier now. The turkey was cooked, put back in a little turkey bag that left imprints all over it, put in a trash bag, and into the refrigerator. COLD. Once removed from it's bags and onto my counter, it was probably the ugliest looking turkey I'd ever seen in my life. Bobby proceeded to attack it with our large kitchen knife (read: not a turkey carving device of any sort), and butchered the poor bird all over again--and all over our counter. It was enough to make this card-carrying carnivore want to turn over a new Vegetarian leaf. Really, I hope Bobby treats his surgical patients a little better under the knife. So all in all...don't trust Kroger.

2. Make your own turkey.

See above.

3. Don't use Fat Free Cheese in Macaroni and Cheese.

Let's call this "Bobby's take-away", and leave it at that.

4. If you're going to mash 10 potatoes by hand, do NOT wear a cashmere turtleneck.

Thank you, Secret Invisible Solid.

5. Dinner should always be after 3:00pm.

Otherwise it looks awkward when you carry the remnants of the champagne bottle back to your room for a "nap". I'm not saying I did that. I'm just saying it's a take-away.

Turkey aside, everything turned out really well. The Bourbon Brown Sugar Ham was the hit of the meal, the Mexican cranberries were delicious, the broccoli casserole was wonderful as always, the potatoes were perfect, and the mac & cheese was better reheated the next day :) You're probably all really sick of looking at your own Thanksgiving left-overs, but here are some snapshots of a few of the dishes before dinner--and my fabulous place mats and napkins (on sale at Pier 1 for $2/ea!!!) Totally showing off my beautiful wedding gifts too! And of course, our surprise dinner guest who wanted us all out of her chairs ASAP.

Thanksgiving SuperPost

2009-11-23T17:21:00.000-08:00

And now...the blog post you have all been waiting for...for approx 48 hours--the Thanksgiving SuperPost! I am so excited because this is my very first attempt at hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and therefore a little relieved it'll just be for four people :-) My hope is that it'll be a successful meshing of Bobby and I's traditions. So if you really don't have anything else to read, here's a tally of Bobby and I's compromises and concessions:

1. Turkey AND Ham
Winner: Bobby
We'll be having both

2. Mashed Potatoes
Winner: Anne
Don't get between me and my potatoes

3. Macaroni and Cheese
Winner: Bobby
I don't know why I fought it, it's not like I don't love Mac & Cheese

4. Cranberry Sauce
Winner: Anne
Who cares if I'm the only one who eats it?

5. Broccoli Casserole v. Steamed Broccoli
Winner: Bobby
I guess things covered in cheese are pretty good...

6. Pumpkin Pie
Winner: Bobby

7. Bobby makes his own #$@*&! pumpkin pie
Winner: Anne

8. Dinner Time (lunch or dinner?)
Winner: Bobby
Butts in seats by 12:30 or 1:00pm

9. Gravy Boat Debacle
Winner: TBA
I need a gravy boat to serve gravy. Bobby is (and I quote) "Morally Opposed" to gravy boats because it would imply we ate gravy regularly.

Compromise casualties: Stuffing, Sweet potato casserole, Green bean casserole

OK enough of that...onto what you're actually reading this for!

Champagne Turkey

OK I'm going to be totally honest here. I have ONE oven. So as much as I love this turkey recipe, and would love the bragging rights of making my own turkey, I just can't do it this year. Thank you Kroger for helping me out! However, IF I were to make my own turkey, my mother and I swear on Grammy's fudge that this is the very best turkey you can make.

1 (12 lb) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 apples, cored and halved
1 Tbs garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 (750 milliliter) bottle champagne

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse turkey, and pat dry. Gently loosen turkey breast skin, and insert pieces of butter between the skin and breast. Place apples inside the turkey's cavity. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place turkey in a roasting bag, and pour champagne over the inside and outside of the bird. Close bag, and place turkey in a roasting pan.

Bake turkey 3 to 3 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees F when measured in the meatiest part of the thigh. Remove turkey from bag, and let stand for at least 20 minutes before carving.

It makes the BEST gravy too!

Holiday Ham with Ginger and Bourbon

Because it's not a Kentucky holiday without some Bourbon. Bobby made me buy some Jim Beam from Costco so I'd stop cooking with his Four Roses!

1 fully cooked ham, 5-6lbs, outer skin and fat removed
4in piece of fresh ginger root
1/2 cup (ish) of Bourbon
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (1/4 cup if using Splenda)

Score a diamond pattern into the ham, 1/4 inch around top and sides. Peel ginger root with a spoon and grate finely. Place ham into crockpot or slow cooker. Combine ginger, Bourbon, and brown sugar in small mixing bowl and pour over the ham.

Cover, and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Baste often.

Mom's Mexican Cranberries

Since I'm the only one eating them, I'm making them the way I like!

1 (16oz) can jellied whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 (10.5 oz) jar jalapeno pepper jelly (preferably red but green works)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

Cook cranberry sauce, pepper jelly and 1/4 cup cilantro in a small sauce pan over low heat, stirring often, until jelly melts. Pour into serving dish and mix in remaining cilantro. Cool in fridge until dinner time.

It's good on turkey and ham both, and if you end up with a so-so turkey, it's the best! I'll also use it on turkey paninis with some brie after the holiday :-) Everything's better with brie!

Mom's Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These may be a little bit more work, but they are worth every mouth watering bite! I don't care how you've previously made mashed potatoes. From now on you should make these--end of story.

10 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
6 cloves of garlic, crushed (sorry Dad)
1 cup butter
8oz cream cheese (I use 1/3rd less fat, but I mean, it's the holidays...)
1.75 cup sour cream
2 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper

Bring 3" of water to boil, add potatoes and garlic. Cook until tender. Mash with all your strength (or Bobby's strength in my case) until smooth and creamy. Add cream cheese, butter, sour cream, salt and pepper. Mix very well. Spoon into a 3-4 quart baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes at 350.

**Can be made a day ahead of time and refrigerated! Just be sure to bring them to room temp before baking.

Jan's Mac & Cheese

This recipe was actually the very first blog post! So you can flip back through the archives, or keep reading. I've eaten a lot of mac & cheese in my day, and this is by far some of the best I've had.

1 (8oz) package of elbow macaroni, or about 2 cups uncooked macaroni
2 cups milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp onion salt
4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted

Cook macaroni according to the package directions, and drain. Place milk, flour, and onion salt into a container with a lid that you can shake. Once the lid is on tightly, shake for approx 1 minute.

Stir together flour mixture, 3.5 cups of cheese, and cooked macaroni is a large mixing bowl. Pour mixture into Pyrex or other 9x13" baking dish that has been greased or Pam-ed. Sprinkle evenly with last 1/2 cup of cheese, followed by the breadcrumbs. Pour melted butter evenly over the top (to keep the breadcrumbs from burning). Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Easy Pumpkin Pie

Last but not least. Oh, who am I kidding? We use the Libby's recipe!

1 (9in) unbaked deep dish pie crust (in freezer aisle)
3/4 cup white sugar (use less if working with Splenda)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 eggs
1 (15oz) can Libby's 100% Pumpkin
12oz of Evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 425. Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in a small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce temp to 350, and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 2 hours.

________________________

Well OK. I'm tired of typing and you're probably tired of reading. Just remember that if you're also cooking with one oven to watch the dishes closely. The dish on the top rack will heat faster, so you made need to have them switch places halfway through. Here's the FINAL MENU for Gibbons Family Thanksgiving, check back over the weekend for photos of how everything turned out--and HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Final Menu

Oven-Roasted Turkey
Holiday Ham with Ginger and Bourbon
Mexican Cranberries
Garlic Mashed Potatoes and gravy
Macaroni and Cheese
Broccoli Casserole
Crescent Rolls
Pumpkin Pie
Chocolate Cake
Champagne

Southwestern Soup

2009-11-22T18:24:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, Bobby and I have been dieting most of the Fall, so I haven't had the opportunity to be as creative with our weekly menu as I like to be. Lots of grilled fish and veggies most nights...but hey, it's working :-) But here is a great Southern Living recipe that 1) doesn't break the caloric bank 2) is perfect for crisp Fall weather, and 3) double perfect for Thanksgiving week because it makes a ton and you'll feel like you're eating light all week leading up to Starch Day--I mean Turkey Day.

This is delish and has just the right amount of kick.
Southwestern Soup

1lb ground beef (or turkey, but we're saving turkey for later in the week)
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 (16oz) cans of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15oz) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
14-15oz of Rotel, undrained
1 (14.5oz) can of petite diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1 (14.5oz) can of beef broth
2 cups frozen corn
1 envelope of taco seasoning (we use low sodium)
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups of water
Dallop of sour cream and chopped cilantro to garnish

In a soup pot or dutch oven brown the ground beef/turkey, onions, and garlic over med-high heat until meat is cooked. While browning, rinse and drain all the beans. Then add beans, tomatoes, broth, corn, taco seasoning (basically everything but the garnish), plus the 4 cups of water. Cover and simmer on low to med-low for 30 minutes. Top with sour cream and cilantro.

Yum! Make sure you save or freeze the leftovers. In other news, had a wonderful weekend in Florida with T&C--Bobby was missed, of course. Bobby's starting his last leg of Internal Medicine tomorrow, and his parents are coming up for Thanksgiving on Wednesday or Thursday following Papaw's surgery (replacing the battery in his pacemaker). So stay tuned tomorrow for a pre-Thanksgiving SuperPost--which will include the final menu! And if anyone has good ideas for quick and easy Thanksgiving centerpieces, please send 'em to me!

Cranberry Brie Chicken Pizza

2009-11-01T18:32:00.000-08:00

What could be more delicious sounding? Seriously. I made this for myself because Bobby turned up his nose and opted to go out with some friends, and then complained that the smell of brie in the oven made the kitchen stink! Guys! But it took a good deal of self control not to eat the entire pizza, so I'm pretty proud of myself. So thank you, AllRecipes iPhone application for introducing me to this delicious idea!

Also note, when I was describing it to one of my coworkers, she let me know that she does something similar with her Thanksgiving leftovers--and adds brie to a turkey panini with cranberry sauce. So you could take that route, or add turkey to the pizza instead of chicken. Needless to say I'm pretty fired up about Thanksgiving leftovers already :-) Especially since I'm overruling Bobby and keeping the mashed potatoes (whoever heard of something so ridiculous as a person opting to CUT mashed potatoes from the overgrown Thanksgiving menu! Clearly that should have been established pre-wedding--like when I gave him the courtesy of telling him one week before the wedding that I never intended to mow a lawn EVER--there are just some things you should clearly discuss first, and the priority of mashed potatoes on the holiday menu is one).

Cranberry Brie Chicken Pizza

1 Boboli thin crust
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 4-6 chicken tenders
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1 wedge brie
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Grill chicken breasts or tenders or dice in to cubes and cook in a pan over the stove. Heat oven to 350. Place boboli crust on baking sheet. Spread cranberry sauce over the boboli--one cup may not look like it's covering the whole pizza, but when I used the whole can things got very messy in the oven and made the boboli a little soggy. So I think about a cup should do it, because it'll cook down a bit when heated. Cube the brie into bitesized pieces and place evenly around the crust. Add diced chicken, and sprinkle a handful of mozzarella cheese over everything. Bake for 20 minutes and serve!

And it's good cold the next day too :-)

Apricot Chicken

2009-10-18T18:44:00.001-07:00

Now if you're familiar with Cranberry Chicken, you'll recognize this as being extremely similar. I found this recipe popping up in a few different books and online, and since Bobby and I like Cranberry Chicken so much, I thought it couldn't be too bad to try!

It's very good, but sweeter than Cranberry Chicken--apricots don't really have the tang that cranberries do. But all-in-all it is quick, easy, can be made the night before and refrigerated, and really good.

Apricot Chicken

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 cup (ish) of Fat Free Catalina dressing
1 jar of apricot preserves (we used Sugar-free and it was plenty sweet)

In a mixing bowl combine the dry onion soup mix, the Catalina dressing, and the apricot preserves. Mix until blended. Pre-heat oven to 400, and Pam a 9x13 baking dish. Use a paper towel to pat down each chicken breast, and place in the baking dish. Cover with all of the apricot mix. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes for 3 breasts, or longer for additional.

Serve over rice or quinoa, and spoon extra apricot mix onto the chicken. Pair with a green salad or veggie and Yum!

And if you want to make the Cranberry version--substitute the apricot preserves for a can of whole berry cranberry sauce, and pat the chicken breasts with a little bit of garlic salt.

Mom's Chili/Frito Pie

2009-10-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

I triumphantly return from yet another leave of absence. But with a completely legit excuse because believe it or not, hand surgery doesn't make you feel up to extra typing at the end of the day! While I'm not going to include a pre-op picture (because this blog is for hungry people, not those looking to lose their appetites), but I have included an embarrassing iPhone pic of Shadow smothering me while I was on pain killers. But for those purely interested in food I'll keep the life updates brief: My hand is healing, I have a cool scar; I work, Bobby works, we work (you see the fun pattern?); Bobby is on Internal Medicine and has ruled out specializing in Kidneys; Shadow and Gus are sad the weather is changing and walks and screen door time are becoming more infrequent--but otherwise good.

The blog is also blue--in effort to sooth me into what will surely be a blustery winter--or perhaps more because I got tired of green. I'm also going to try to post a photo with each new recipe so the two I post today will have photos--as well as the Cajun Mahi-Mahi.

So in the spirit of Fall, I made Mom's chili. Taylor would again call this a non recipe, but it varies from the package directions so I think it counts. And I DID take a photo of the chili itself, but you know, the funny thing about photos of chili is that they're never really appetizing. So instead I'm including an "action shot" of the Frito Pie in the making.

For you non-Southerners (and I don't categorize myself as such, but more of a pseudo-Southerner since I'm not without full-functioning use of Bless-Her-Heart's and Shake-A-Leg's), Frito Pie is the best thing that happens to chili. It's when the spicy hot goodness blends with shredded cheddar and a handful of Fritos. Mmm Mmm Mmm.

Mom's Chili/Frito Pie

1 package Carol Shelby's Chili Mix (in KY they come in double packages, so make sure you split it in half and save the rest in a ziploc bag)
1 lb lean ground beef
1 can chili beans
8oz tomato sauce
16oz water

The back of Carol Shelby's Chili Mix will tell you to add different things, but just stick with what my mother does. Brown the ground beef in the bottom of a dutch oven or soup pot. Once fully cooked, add the water, tomato sauce, chili beans, and mix. Carol Shelby's mix comes with flour for thickening, cayenne pepper for spice, and salt. I mix in the flour and about half of the cayenne. Cook covered on med-low for at least 45--but an hour is better.

Before serving, put a handful of Fritos in the bottom of your bowl, and top it with a handful of cheddar cheese. Then pour the chili over it to melt the cheese thoroughly. It should get enough salt from the chips and cheese, but you may need to add a few extra sprinkles if the meat was really lean. And there you have Frito Pie--the best thing you can do for your chili.

Cajun Mahi-Mahi

2009-09-24T17:21:00.000-07:00

And no, "Cajun" is not a euphemism for "burnt."

We had this earlier in the week and I thought I should probably post it before I become a hunt-and-peck gimpy typist for a few days! We've started doing a little more shopping at Whole Paycheck--I mean, Foods--and this past week we found some delicious-looking Mahi Mahi. Using all possible recipe-providing iPhone apps I still couldn't find a recipe I liked so we decided to try blackening it (our favorite way to order it in a restaurant). But it turns out you need a cast-iron skillet to blacken things and I'm pretty sure Calphalon does not equal cast-iron. So as we do with just about everything, we turned to the trusty George Foreman Grill and some serious spices.

Cajun Mahi-Mahi

1lb Mahi Mahi filets (2)
2 tbs Chili Powder 1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Onion Salt
2 tsp Thyme
2 tsp Paprika
1 tbs Creole Seasoning

Cut the fish into two fillets. With Mahi-Mahi, make sure you cut the fillets around the vein line to avoid a fishy flavor (thank you Food Network!) Mix all spices in a medium to large shallow bowl. Dredge each fillet in the spices, and add to *extremely* hot grill (to make it seem blackened). Fish should be ready in 5-6 minutes and you'll want to make sure you have some Popsicle for dessert! I should note I pretty much made up the measurements for the spices and went for a more dump-and-pour method...but I think that's pretty close. Just don't over-do the chili powder because then a whole box of Popsicles won't save you. Serve with steamed green beans.

Favorite Steamed Green Beans

2 handfuls of washed green beans with ends cut off
2 tbs Asian salad dressing (Kraft light)
1 tbs low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbs sesame oil

Steam green beans over the stove or in microwavable Ziploc bag. While they're steaming, mix dressing, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Pour over steamed green beans. The pairing of the Asian flavor actually compliments and almost cools-off the Cajun fish. Could also do this with Tilapia...

Creole Fried-Rice

2009-09-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I completely lost the original Southern Living recipe for this, and instead made it up this past week. But it's still good, so I'm sharing it anyway. Perhaps like all things Creole, it's a bit of a "kitchen sink" recipe, so I'll tell you how we make it, and other potential variations for you (to the best of my memory!)

Creole Fried-Rice

1lb chicken tenders, grilled, diced
1/2 lb kielbasa (we have discovered turkey kielbasa works well), grilled, sliced
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled
NOTE you can use any combo of the above based on your preference. For example, I'm not much of a shrimp eater thanks to a bad experience in Mexico, so we combine the sausage and the chicken.

1 can chicken broth (reduced sodium)
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 small to medium yellow onion, diced
2 cups rice or 1 cup quinoa
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Tabasco
Creole seasoning
Olive oil
**Other add-ins include sliced okra or fresh jalapenos

Prepare rice or quinoa according to directions, substituting chicken broth for water. While rice/quinoa is cooking, grill chicken or sausage on outdoor grill or George Foreman. Or if preferred, you can use one large skillet. I'll reiterate that you should adapt this recipe for your preferences. Brown the onion and garlic in a large skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil. If cooking chicken or shrimp in the same pan, add those in at the same time with hefty few shakes of Creole seasoning (I'm pretty generous with my seasoning). Once meat is cooked and/or onions and garlic are soft, add in sausage, previously grilled chicken if applicable, and diced peppers with additional shakes of Creole seasoning. The general rule of thumb I invented is: whenever you're adding meat to the skillet, add more seasoning. Stir for a few minutes until everything is heated through and peppers begin to cook. Add rice or quinoa with several dashes of Tabasco, and stir all-together in the skillet until you hear the rice or quinoa sizzling. Serve immediately.

So as you can tell, there's not really any strict way of putting this together, but if you dump and pour all of the ingredients and somehow everything gets cooked, it's delicious! As if Southern Living would print something that wasn't right? I just read my Fall issue this morning and am now dying to decorate chocolate moon-pies with jack-o-lantern faces. I think I'll give them out at work during October. In reality, as much as I hate the fact that Fall leads to into the season I HATE and refuse to name--I can't hold that against Fall now can I? So with that, I think I'll go find some mums for the porch. OH I will also try to start taking pictures of my recipes. You know me--always in such a hurry to eat!

Southwestern Salad w/ Chicken

2009-09-19T11:37:00.001-07:00

The only bad thing to say about this recipe is it makes a TON! And of course, salad is a little difficult to save. But it's absolutely delicious and something fresh and light as we go into Fall. I should also note that my mom doesn't make it with chicken, so it can be a completely vegetarian-friendly dish all on it's own. BUT since Bobby has his whole "no-meat-no-meal" philosophy, I throw in some diced chicken tenders. Oh, and my mom layers it too and it's really very pretty. I just dump and pour--but either way use the largest salad bowl you have.

Southwestern Salad (w/ Chicken)

1 head of romaine lettuce, shredded
5 plum tomatoes, chopped
15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small purple onion, chopped (or bunch of green onions, chopped)
80z of shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 lb of grilled chicken tenders, chopped
15 oz can of Mexican corn with green and red peppers, drained
6 oz can of sliced ripe olives, drained (we have to omit these for Bobby)
2 cups of crushed Baked Nacho Doritos

Cook chicken tenders on George Foreman, regular grill, or chop and heat in skillet. Layer in this order, or "dump and pour". Top with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette (see below).

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

1/3 c fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 c olive oil
1 tsp sugar (I use Splenda)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 c lime juice
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 tsp salt

Ideally, process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. I usually don't read all the way to the end of my mom's instructions and just mix together in a Pyrex measuring cup. The downside of that is the cilantro stays large, but I LOVE cilantro, so I'm OK with it.

Top salad with dressing and either serve in layers or stir stir stir with really large or heavy duty salad tongs. I need some. Stocking-stuffer hint.

Trust me on this

2009-09-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

And for my final post of the week (Bobby went to bed at 8 tonight after downing a package of Lean Pockets like a college freshman, and is on call tomorrow, thus no more cooking) I give you a Gibbons staple! This is one of the fastest, easiest things you can possibly make, it's not too terrible for you, and it reheats excellently--I've had it twice for leftover lunches this week. This was first served to Bobby and I by Whitney Blocker Mashburn, and it was introduced to us merely as "Cheesy Beefy Thing." I thought titling my blog post "Cheesy Beefy Thing" was probably a bit weird, so really you have to trust me (and Whitney). As further proof this should be incorporated into your dinner rotations, Colleen trusted me and she and Ryan have had it several times. So there.

You can do a lot of substitutions so I'll present all the options.

Cheesy Beefy Thing

1 lb ground beef (OR substitute ground turkey or chicken--this week we opted for turkey)
2 cups rice (white or brown, OR substitute 1 cup quinoa)
1 large jar of your favorite pasta sauce (Whitney opted for Ragu with veggies, while Bobby and I go strictly for Paul Newman--we switch it up between his Marinara, Four Cheese, or this week we used his Garlic and Fire-Roasted Tomato)
2 cups shredded mozzarella (2% is good)

Cook rice or quinoa according to package directions. While your starch of choice is cooking, thoroughly cook the ground beef, turkey, or chicken. In a large mixing bowl combine the cooked meat, the the rice or quinoa, the entire jar of sauce, and the 2 cups of mozzarella. Stir, stir, stir. Pam a 9x13 Pyrex or other baking dish and pour in mixture--spread evenly. Top with sprinkled additional mozzarella or Parmesan if desired, and cover with tin foil. Bake covered at 350 for 20 minutes, then remove the foil. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

So I get that you wouldn't normally combine rice, beef, and marinara sauce, but seriously just trust that it's quick, yummy, and can reheat all week long--so make it on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. And the lighter version with ground turkey, quinoa, and 2% cheese is JUST as good. Or ya know...as close as you get with ground turkey :-) I'll also note that since Bobby gets to make requests, so do readers. So if there's something that you recommend, or want more chicken recipes in general, or know of something I make and want the recipe for...feel free to submit!

Pulled Pork (Tenderloin)

2009-09-08T15:36:00.001-07:00

Well our A/C is out and while I wait on maintenance in our now-80 degree apartment, I'm beginning to feel little bit like last night's dinner in the slow-cooker! First off, if I haven't said it before, a slow-cooker is the workweek's best friend. It may sound antiquated or just plain hard to lift from the bottom shelf of the pantry BUT it's worth it. And I've found a few recipes that work year-round, so you don't just have to lug it out in the winter.

So this was an Anne and Bobby creation last night and a first round attempt at making pulled pork for 2 from a pork tenderloin. BBQ aficionados will note that most pulled pork is actually pork shoulder, but we're not really trying to feed an army around here--so tenderloin it is. We had some hiccups BUT I've modified the following and it should be delicious, and perfect for homemade pulled pork sandwiches.

Pulled Pork (Tenderloin) Sandwiches

1 pork tenderloin (plain is preferred, followed by peppercorn) *Note* Plain pork tenderloin often comes in packs of 2, so be sure to freeze the other one. We made this from a frozen leftover and it took about a day and a half to thaw out.
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (we use and swear by Jack Daniels)
Chili Powder
Crushed Red Pepper
1 cup Bourbon (we use and swear by Four Roses)
1 cup water
1/2 cup honey

Pam your slow cooker. Pat the tenderloin down with a generous handful of chili powder. Regular blog readers might note Bobby and I like spicy food, but feel free to use less. Place tenderloin in the center of the slow cooker and sprinkle generously with crushed red pepper. Put honey in a microwavable bowl or Pyrex measuring cup, add Bourbon. Microwave for 30 seconds to thin out the honey, and stir well. Stir in additional 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce and pour over tenderloin. Rotate tenderloin in pan to ensure coating is all over. Pour the cup of water in the slow-cooker but not directly on the tenderloin (don't want all the seasoning to come off!) Cook on LOW heat for 6-6.5 hours. If you'll be home during the day, set the timer for 3 hours and rotate the tenderloin halfway through. It may look a little charred at the end, but once you take it out and begin forking it apart, it'll be perfectly done inside!

Strip the tenderloin apart with a fork (if the outside is tough use your kitchen scissors) and add to a toasted sandwhich or hamburger bun. Top meat with additional few tablespoons (or globs, whatever) of BBQ sauce. Serve with Mac & Cheese (1st blog recipe, or Velveeta) and a fruit salad and you're good to go!

I've already made tonight's dinner, but I'll post that tomorrow. I don't think people who like a good pulled pork sandwhich would sign off with "Bon Apetit!" Julia-Child-Style, so I'll leave you with a CHOW DOWN Y'ALL!

Macadamia Nut-Crusted Tilapia w/ Pineapple Salsa

2009-09-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

OK if it's new recipes you want, then new recipes you get! This is a warm-weather dish, so I highly recommend trying it out before things cool down too much, and it depends heavily on fresh pineapple (even if you don't like tilapia, find something to put this salsa on!) But it's delicious, I made it last night and when I handed Bobby his plate his eyes were almost as big! And I got the recipe from Cosmo of all places. Serve with Cilantro-Lime Rice or Quinoa and Sesame Snap Peas (listed below).

Macadamia-Nut Crusted Tilapia

1/2 c flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup crushed macadamia nuts
2 tilapia fillets (go for 3 to 4 oz each--mine were only an ounce and a half on accident)

Preheat the oven to 400 and Pam a baking sheet. Put flour, egg, and nuts in three separate shallow dishes. Coat/dredge the fish first in the flour, then the egg, then the nuts. Place each fillet on the baking sheet and cook 12-14 minutes for thicker fish or 10 for thinner fish. It'll turn a nice golden brown and flake easily with your fork. While that's baking...

Pineapple Salsa

1-2 cups finely chopped fresh pineapple
1-2 Tbs. minced purple onion
1/2 a diced jalepeno, seeds removed
1/4 chopped or minced cilantro

Combine everything in a bowl and serve over the tilapia. The combination of the pineapple with the jalepeno is divine. Also while the fish is cooking...

Sesame Snow Peas or Snap Peas (your preference)

1-2 servings of snow peas or snap peas
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs sesame seeds

I used snap peas because they're my preference. Steam the peas (if you don't have an over-the-stove steamer the Ziploc steamer bags are great), toss with butter until it melts, add sesame seeds and coat.

Cilantro-Lime Quinoa/Rice

We pretty much replace all rice dishes with quinoa so it's your preference. And I actually started the quinoa before the fish because it takes about 15 min. to cook.

Add 1-2 Tbs. of lime juice to the water when preparing the rice or quinoa by package directions. When ready, stir in additional lime juice if desired and 2 Tbs. chopped cilantro. All of it was SO good!

Back to...Blogging?

2009-09-07T11:39:00.001-07:00

OK so clearly I don't cook a whole lot in the summer. That's not to say I didn't try a few new recipes (on which I plan to do some retroactive posting on because, like a L'Oreal commercial, they're worth it). But summer is just not the most consistent time to be in the kitchen. And quite frankly after seeing Julie and Julia I felt a little bit like a cooking blog poser! So to that end I will say--I am in no way attempting to copy anyone or any idea. If you are looking for Julia Child-esque recipes, this is NOT the blog for you. I err on the side of Rachel Ray, and would like to reiterate that, with few exceptions, the majority of these recipes are going to be under an hour (and preferably 30 minutes) and weeknight-friendly. I am simply someone who likes to eat and share easy recipes for things others who also like to eat and don't have all day in the kitchen.

So my sister-in-law recommended I make a "triumphant" return to blogging on the first day of Fall...which I believe is the 21st or somewhere around there. But I personally mark Labor Day Weekend the official conclusion of summer--a time to trade in my summer-spirited red and pink Kate Spade tote for my practical, albeit still stylish, black leather Coach carry-all. Therefore, Labor Day is as good a time as any to get back to it.

And for anyone interested in tidbits other than cooking, you can continue reading. All-in-all we had a very nice summer--as Louisville summer's often are. Bobby spent several weeks up in the Cincinnati area doing a Family Medicine rotation with an emphasis in rural medicine. This contributed heavily to my lack of planned summer meals. He's now wrapping up his Psychiatry rotation, which means our dinner conversation steers in the direction of misguided or failed suicide attempts and other unpleasant aspects of Psychosis. Fortunately for Bobby he's found Psych much more interesting than he originally thought and has enjoyed his time there. Up next is Internal Medicine until Christmas. He'll be doing two weeks of career explorations during that time, and has chosen to focus on a week in Orthopedics and a week in Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. I'm sure med spouses everywhere are clucking their tongues with sympathy for me--and I'll take it :-)

I spent the summer working, working, and working some more. Babysitting interns is exhausting. Others get to spend their summer letting things slide, whereas my past few summers have been filled with late nights, forced mingling, and pre-campus stress. Fortunately this was all capped between a lovely weekend in Charleston on one end and a lovely long weekend in Seattle and a visit from T&C on the other. And if you follow me on Facebook you know that this summer was also dedicated to taking Gus to Puppy School! Despite initial concerns leading to several glasses of wine after each class, he GRADUATED! Think old school 90210 and sing with me now--Gus Gibbons Graduates! Gus Gibbons Graduates! And finally, Shadow Belle spent her summer trying to kill wasps through the screen door and sleeping in the sunshine while everyone worshiped her as the Princess of the Gibbons House that she is.

Now that any readers I have left are either caught up on Gibbons life or bored senseless, let's get back to dinner! :-)

Breakfast Bake

2009-06-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

Last year for my birthday, Naynie/Melissa picked out a 5 Ingredient cookbook for me. It's a great book, and I recommend it to anyone because really, who doesn't like recipes with 5 ingredients or less? This Breakfast Bake is possibly my favorite from that cookbook because we frequently have "Brinner" or breakfast for dinner. In fact, I've never actually made this for breakfast... but I'm sure it would be good.

Breakfast Bake

5 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup of Bisquick (we use the new Heart Healthy stuff)
1 lb ground hot sausage
2 cups of milk
1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (and you know we use closer to 2)

Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium high heat. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with PAM and pre-heat the oven to 350. Once the sausage is finished, spread it out over the bottom of the 9x13 baking dish and top evenly with the shredded cheddar (or cheese of your choice, really). In a mixing bowl slightly beat 5 eggs--break the yolk. Then add in the Bisquick and milk, blending together well. Poor the egg mixture evenly over the cheese, cover the pan, and bake for 35 minutes.

It makes a whole bunch and is great for leftovers!

Summer Spinach Salad

2009-06-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

Since I'm probably the only 25yr old that regularly reads Southern Living cover-to-cover, I feel it's my particular duty to pass along their recipes. This is a great side they put in their recent issue, or you could easily add grilled chicken if you wanted to make a whole dinner out of it. It also originally just called for Arugula, but I much prefer using Spinach (better for your eyesight), so that's my recommendation. But I promise this is great twist on a simple salad and Bobby was all but licking his salad bowl about 10 minutes after he questioned my use of feta cheese ("Eww why does it look like bleu cheese??" Just because it's crumbled doesn't make it moldy).

Simple Summer Spinach Salad

3 handfuls of washed and spun (or dried) baby spinach (this is an ideal amount for 2 people as a side, but use more if you're making a whole dinner out of it)
1 large zucchini
1/4 crumbled feta cheese
1/2 to 1 diced medium tomato
2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
2-3 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Place all washed and spun/dried baby spinach leaves in a large salad bowl. Use a vegetable peeler to cut the zucchini lengthwise into very thin strips until you hit the seeds. Put skinless zucchini strips into the salad bowl. Add desired quantity of diced tomatoes. Add feta cheese crumbles and chopped mint (I recommend just using good kitchen scissors to finely cut the mint). In a separate small bowl combine the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper--mix well. Top the salad with the dressing. Toss and serve immediately.

We had this with Buffalo Chicken Paninis (which Taylor would not approve of me posting because he feels paninis are not recipes), and it was a great compliment to the spice of the Buffalo sauce. The short of a buffalo chicken panini is spread a thin layer of buffalo sauce on one slice of panini bread and a thin layer of fat free ranch or bleu cheese dressing on the other. Add 1/4lb sliced chicken (I'm a deli snob so I got buffalo marined sliced chicken from the deli that day) a slice of mozzarella cheese to each side of bread and 2-3 tomato slices.

Honey-Chipotle Pork Tenderloin w/ Watermelon Salsa

2009-05-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

That's like a mouthful of a recipe title all on its own! Coming you from a wonderful little cookbook I picked up at Kroger titled "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes: For Two". And despite the lengthy title--it's not that hard! I had the pork in to cook before work and made the salsa before dinner...easy as keylime pie :-) And oh yeah, it's quite good! Has a bit of a kick to it, so be in the mood for spicy!

Keep in mind you can nearly always substitute a turkey tenderloin for a pork tenderloin if you prefer.

Honey-Chipotle Pork Tenderloin

1 1/4 lb boneless plain pork tenderloin (the ones at Kroger come in 2 packs, so just be sure to freeze the other one)
2-3 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 c honey (I used 1/2 cup to make up for what would inevitably stick to the mixing bowl!)
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced, OR 1 tbs chipotle paste
3 tbs lime juice
1 1/2 tbs adobo sauce

Spray the inside of your slow cooker with PAM or use a liner and then spray with PAM. Rub the tenderloin with the chili powder and salt. I didn't so much measure out the powder and salt, as sprinkle, rub, rotate...kind of like salt and peppering corn on the cob, if you will. If you want to be cautious of the chili powder, then measure out. Place the tenderloin in the center of your slow cooker. Place the honey and lime juice in a Pyrex/glass measuring cup or microwavable mixing bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute to melt down the honey (will make it easier to stir). Stir in the minced chipotle pepper or the paste and the adobo sauce (Note: I got a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced one, and then scooped out extra sauce). Pour the blended sauce over the meat. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours (keep the size of your tenderloin in mind). I would recommend rotating it in the sauce every so often if you're home. It should end up very tender and come apart like pulled pork.

Watermelon Salsa

2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1-1 1/2 c chopped watermelon
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 c diced purple onion (freeze the rest)
1/4 c chopped fresh Italian Parsley (you know, that thing everyone always accidentally buys when they mean to buy Cilantro..well who knew recipes used it!)
1 small fresh jalepeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tbs champagne or white wine vinegar
2 tbs olive oil (don't overdo!)
Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and either serve immediately over or side-by-side with the tenderloin, or put in the fridge.

While this dish is great as is (maybe with some corn on the cob as a side...), but about halfway through the meal I thought wow, a tortilla would really keep this together better. And Bobby said, "Yeah, with some cheese" because in our kitchen EVERYTHING is better with a tortilla and cheese!! So sure enough I scooped the remaining contents of our plates into some leftover tortillas and added slices of pepper jack cheese and absolutely delicious picadillo soft tacos!!!

Easy KeyLime Pie

2009-05-26T19:32:00.000-07:00

Ok so my mother's version of this has a whole crust recipe--which is really good, but also overly ambitious if I'm making it on a weeknight (which I am this evening). So I'm just going to pass along the deliciously creamy filling and that if you also are less interested in making your own crust that you invest in a reduced fat graham cracker crust that's already pre-made (baking aisle). And then it just takes 10 minutes! Bobby was like "is that it??" He'd barely just gotten the mixer out before it was time to put it away again. But should anyone want the crust part, post a comment, I'll add an adendum.

Anyway, the trick with this keylime pie is that it needs to be made ahead of time, so we're not eating it tonight. Instead, tomorrow I'll be posting a new recipe for Honey Chipotle Pork Tenderloin with Watermelon Salsa--and we'll be having keylime pie with that! So check back, that's coming soon :-)

Easy KeyLime Pie

1 graham cracker pie crust
1 container of fat free cool whip
8oz cream cheese (1/3 less fat)
3/4c KeyLime Juice (note the original calls for 1/2 but Bobby insists on extra keylime-y-ness)
4 egg yolks (and we recommend saving the whites for breakfast the next day or something)
14oz Eagle Brand Milk (Reduced or Fat Free)

In a mixer or food processor (I don't recommend ever trying to hand-mix anything with cream cheese), beat together the cream cheese, Eagle Brand Milk, and egg yolks. Slowly pour in the KeyLime juice while your mixing. Once you are lump-free, pour into the graham cracker crust, put the top back on it, and put it in the fridge overnight. Add with a hefty "dallop" of Cool Whip when serving. Don't forget to defrost the Cool Whip.

On a side note I did make an actual dinner tonight--beef and broccoli stir fry, and it was absolutely delicious. I've started making my own stir-fry sauces out of whatever happens to be in the fridge and looks Asian (sesame oil, soy sauce, always Hoison sauce, oyster sauce, ground ginger if I've been to Whole Foods that week, etc.) so those will be more difficult to type out, and since T&C are probably the only people reading and Taylor doesn't eat broccoli, this particular one won't be worth it! But it was really good :-) I'll type out my sweet n sour pork sauce next time I make that.

Breakfast Spaghetti

2009-05-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

This is more or less a version of spaghetti carbonera, but whatever! My mom used to make this for me all the time growing up and it's a favorite--I'm just so glad it quickly became one of Bobby's favorites too. Super easy and great if you've got a few extra eggs or leftover bacon.

Breakfast Spaghetti

Spaghetti noodles (enough for 2)
4 eggs
5-6 strips of bacon (we use turkey bacon)
handful of diced onion
2-3 tbs. olive oil
Pepper
Garlic salt

In a large skillet, thoroughly cook the bacon strips. Once they're cooked all the way through, set them aside on paper towels to absorb the grease. Add diced onion to the skillet, along with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Boil spaghetti in a large pot while the onion cooks. In a separate bowl, beat the 4 eggs and stir in a few dashes of pepper and garlic salt. When the pasta is ready and the onions are cooked, drain the pasta--do not rinse--and add to the skillet with the onions. Pour the beaten eggs over the pasta and stir thoroughly (the heat from the skillet will scramble the eggs around the pasta). Hold bacon strips over the skillet and crumble them--stir the bacon into the pasta, and serve immediately.

Redneck Dip

2009-05-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

I don't know what this dip is actually called...but I took it to a White Trash Bash BBQ this evening and it was a big hit...so we'll just call it Redneck Dip for easy reference! I'm pretty sure it's posted on the back of a package of Philly Cream Cheese...but oh well.

Redneck Dip

3 8oz boxes of cream cheese (get the 1/3 fat kind)
1 can of turkey chili
1-1.5c shredded cheddar cheese
dried parsley flakes
Bag of Fritos Scoops

Layer the bottom of a 9x9 Pyrex dish with cream cheese blocks (I recommend slicing each block of cream cheese in half long-ways before lining the pan with them--using the full block makes it really thick.) You will only use about 2 and a half boxes if you do it this way. Top with a can of turkey chili (or chili of your choice). Spread shredded cheddar cheese over the chili and sprinkle with parsley flakes for color. Heat in the oven at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until completely warmed. If taking to another location, bring it over cold, and heat it upon arrival. Serve with Fritos Scoops...always a crowd pleaser!!

Italian Pasta Toss

2009-05-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

This. Is. Delicious. I even screwed it up and it's still delicious! Basically as long as you kind of follow along and use some of the primary ingredients...This. Is. Delicious. And it makes enough to feed an army--Bobby and I both are getting a dinner and two lunches from this, and believe me, you're going to want those leftovers!

Italian Pasta Toss

1lb hot Italian sausage (remove casings if you get links, otherwise get ground)
1 package (about 14-16oz) tri-color rotini pasta (corkscrew)
6.5 oz of tomato pesto
1 can quartered artichoke hearts
1 3/4 c chicken broth (low sodium)
1/2 c dry white wine
3 tbs. dried basil
3 tbs. Italian seasoning
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Shredded Parmesan

Using a large skillet, cook Italian sausage over medium-high heat (cut into bite-sized pieces if using links)--should be about 8 minutes. Remove cooked sausage from the skillet and set aside in a bowl. Add crushed garlic and artichokes to the skillet and saute (may need to add some EVOO) until garlic is soft--about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the pasta in a separate pot until almost-but-not-quite-cooked or aldente. When finished, drain the pasta, but don't rinse. Add pesto, chicken broth, and wine to the skillet.

Heat the skillet on med-high to burn off excess (about 5-8 minutes). Add the aldente pasta to the skillet, keep on med-high heat (the pasta will absorb some of the sauce and finish cooking). After some sauce has been absorbed, add the sausage, basil, and Italian seasonings to the skillet and blend. Top generously with shredded Parmesan.

Can't wait for more leftovers tomorrow!

Caramel Fruit Dip

2009-05-19T15:50:00.001-07:00

I've been craving this for weeks and just whipped it up for dessert tonight (after steak, see below). Super easy, great for parties!

Caramel Fruit Dip

8oz Cream Cheese, softened (I use 1/3 less fat Philadelphia...can't do fat free, it tastes too weird!)
1/4c sugar (half if using Splenda)
3/4c brown sugar (half if using Splenda)
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together in blender, food processor, if you have a good whisk (my choice). Serve chilled with apple slices, assorted berries, melon, grapes, pineapple, kiwi...etc etc etc.!

Steak Marinade

2009-05-19T15:29:00.000-07:00

OK so yippee I finally have my computer back from my super studious spouse! And along with it came with an agreement that we would investigate a joint laptop venture--which (for anyone out there that actually checks this, and I don't think there's many!) would mean I posted more recipes and maybe, I dunno, write about other things too. Sometimes I have opinions haha!

But I'll try to add in a few recipes that I've made in the missed weeks, but I haven't been cooking as much due to travel etc. so not too many were missed!

But tonight, since our salmon went bad, we're going to grill some steaks and I just put them in my favorite marinade, courtesy of my mom.

Steak (or Kebob) marinade

1/2 c Sesame Oil
1/2c Soy Sauce (Light is always preferable)
1/4c Lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

Simply mix all of the ingredients together, then add to steak in a ziploc bag for up to 36 hours before grilling.

We're serving with corn on the cob, and steamed squash and zucchini.

Easy Pork Stir-Fry

2009-04-25T16:39:00.000-07:00

FYI Bobby has had my computer hijacked for weeks now...so he's making dinner updates very difficult! Here's a quick and easy recipe I made this week from Kraftfoods.com (which is a great website if you don't already get their emails).

Easy Pork Stir Fry

1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into thin slices

1 cup sliced carrots

1/2 cup Kraft Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

1/3 cup BBQ Sauce--we use Jack Daniels, it's DELICIOUS

1 cup snow peas or sugar-snap peas

1/4 cup chopped cocktail peanuts
2 c brown rice or 1 c quinoa

Cook rice or quinoa according to package directions. Heat large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add pork and carrots; cook 5 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing and barbecue sauce; stir-fry 5 min. on medium heat or until carrots are crisp-tender. Add snow peas; cook 2 min. Top with peanuts and serve over brown rice or quinoa.

In the store I couldn't find just a plain pork tenderloin, so I got a Peppercorn flavored one, and it still worked really well.

Bourbon and Brown Sugar Baby Back Ribs

2009-04-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

OK since this recipe makes 6lbs of ribs, that's kind of all we've eaten this week! But this is great if you like ribs but don't like all the fuss, and especially great if you love your slow-cooker/crock-pot because it just makes life soooo easy!

Bourbon & Brown Sugar Baby Back Ribs

2 tbs ground cumin
2 tbs chili powder
2 tbs brown sugar
4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp salt (which we omitted)
1 tsp ground black pepper
4-6 lbs baby back pork ribs
2/3c your favorite bourbon (we used Buffalo Trace)
1/2 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c chili sauce

In a small mixing bowl, combine cumin, chili powder, 2 tbs brown sugar, coriander, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly to combine. Cut rack of ribs into chucks of 3-4 ribs (hope you've got some good kitchen scissors for this!). Rub spice mix all over the ribs and place into the crock-pot. In another small bowl, mix together the bourbon, 1/2 c brown sugar, and chili sauce--pour mixture all over the ribs. Cover with the lid and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours (we did 8.5 and the meat fell off the bone, it was delicious). Occasionally lift lid and brush excess sauce over the ribs on top.

And I served with homemade mashed potatoes.

Mashed Potatoes for 2

3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 butter
salt & pepper to taste

Boil potato quarters until they're soft (stick a fork and determine how easily the fork goes in). Drain the water from the pan once finished, but keep the potatoes in the pan. Add butter and sour cream to the pan. Use a potato masher to combine until it's no longer lumpy. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

And you too can eat for a week!!!

Rosemary-Dijon Pork Chops

2009-04-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

While this dinner from last night wasn't my favorite (pork chops in general are not my favorite), Bobby was quite pleased. And it is nothing if not super-easy and pretty quick for a weeknight.
Courtesy of www.kraftfoods.com.

Rosemary-Dijon Pork Chops and Potatoes

1 lb. potatoes (about 3 small), cut into 1-inch chunks

1/4 cup Light Italian Dressing

2-4 bone-in pork chops (1-1/2 lb.), 1/2 inch thick

4 tsp. Dijon Mustard

1 package of Shake-n-Bake

1/4 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed

Heat oven to 375°F. Toss potatoes with dressing in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 7 min., stirring after 4 min. Spread pork chops with mustard. Mix coating mix and rosemary in shallow dish. Add pork chops; turn over to evenly coat both sides of each chop. Place in center of foil-lined baking sheet (faster clean-up later) that has been Pam-ed; surround with potatoes. Bake 30 minutes or until the pork chops are done (160 degrees) and potatoes are tender.

And now we're going to get some Costco pizza!

Southwestern Chicken Pizza

2009-04-08T05:09:00.000-07:00

One more and then I really have to leave for work. We had this one yesterday and it's very yummy. It's a take off of one of my favorite CPK pizzas.

Southwestern Chicken Pizza

1 Boboli or other pizza crust (we use wheat thin crust Boboli)
2 chicken breasts or 4-5 chicken tenders
1/2 package Taco seasoning (optional)
1 can black beans (drained)
1 small can of green chiles
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
1/2 cup verde or green chile sauce
1 tbs olive oil

Dice chicken into cubes with kitchen scissors or knife and cook in medium pan. If desired add taco seasoning to chicken while cooking. While the chicken is cooking, in a small saucepan, heat the drained black beans and the undrained small can of green chiles until the beans are soft. Once soft, use a potato masher to mash the beans into a paste--can be a little lumpy. Spread the tbs. of olive oil onto the pizza crust to soften it. Then add the mashed bean/chile paste as your sauce--spread evenly. Then top with pepperjack and mozzarella cheeses. Add cooked chicken. Then finish by dousing the pizza with a little bit of verde sauce all over for flavor. Follow cooking directions for pizza crust--usually 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Makes a great leftover for lunch too!

Crab Cakes

2009-04-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

OK I've made several of my favorite recipes lately, but have been working a lot on the computer so I haven't actually sat down to write them out recently, so sorry! Esp. to those specifically waiting on this one :-) Crab cakes are super easy and always a favorite in warmer months. You can make tiny crab cakes for appetizers or larger ones to serve with your favorite side (I usually pair with stuffed tomatoes.)

Crab Cakes

Approx. 1lb canned crab (2-3 cans, and get the most expensive kind because it'll be better)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tbs. fresh diced basil
2 tbs. fresh diced mint
2 tbs. fresh diced cilantro
1/2 bunch diced green onions
2 tsp. fish sauce (find in Asian foods section of store)
2 cups Panko crumbs (find in Asian foods section of store)
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce to top (find in Asian foods section of store, and optional)

Mix all of these together! Bet you thought it'd be complicated didn't you? I recommend dicing the basil, mint, cilantro and green onions with some good kitchen scissors. Heat oven to 350. Form cakes of desired size with your hands or a spoon, and place on a Pam-ed baking sheet. Cook for 15 and top with the sweet chili sauce if desired.

Jerk-Chicken Sandwiches

2009-03-29T16:40:00.001-07:00

Now, I'm really not all that into chicken. I wish I was...but you won't see a lot of chicken on here. And when you do, it's going to be covered in sauce! Just like this :-) Thanks for the inspiration Red Robin!

Jerk-Chicken Sandwiches

2 whole wheat sandwich buns, or thickly sliced bread (we used leftover panini bread)
2 thin sliced chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups Caribbean Jerk marinade
1 tomato, sliced
2-4 slices of pepper jack cheese
4 rings of fresh pineapple

Marinate chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Grill chicken on a Forman or outdoor grill, or cook over the stove in a large skillet. Place a slice of cheese on each side of the bread and warm in the oven until the cheese melts--usually about 350 for 5 minutes. Slice the tomato. Once the chicken is done, quickly sear the pineapple rings over the grill plates--just a few moments. Remove the sandwich buns from the oven, and top with chicken, tomato slices, and pineapple rings.

Be warned--although this dinner is quick and easy, it also gets messy when you're eating--have plenty of napkins! And apologies to Taylor, who does not think sandwiches and paninis are "real recipes"...just offering some fast and creative dinner ideas for weeknights!

Smoked Salmon Ravioli in Lemon Cream Sauce

2009-03-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

I got a little distracted this week! I made this on Tuesday night, and it was delicious! There are really 2 ways to make it...first you can make the ravioli yourself, which is outlined below, or you can buy pre-made smoked-salmon ravioli from Costco, which is what we actually did :-) It was delicious!

Smoked Salmon Ravioli:

2 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup water
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
2 packages of smoked salmon broken into flakes
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

In a medium bowl, mix together smoked salmon, ricotta, and Parmesan--set aside. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour and rest of ingredients with mixer on low speed. Mix about 2 minutes with spoon; stir in enough flour to make a soft dough; knead about 20 times until smooth and not sticky, adding more flour is necessary. Once the dough is ready, roll it flat with a well-floured rolling pin or pasta press if you have one. Use a round cookie cutter to cut circles into the pasta dough. Place 1-2 tablespoons of salmon/cheese mixture in the center of the circle (amount of stuffing will depend on the size of the circles). Fold the pasta over, making a half-circle, pinching the pasta closed. Cook raviolis in boiling water until done.

Lemon Cream Sauce w/ Mushrooms and Asparagus

2 cups whipping cream (reduced fat if you can find it)
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup sliced baby portobello mushrooms
2 cups asparagus stalks cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
2 tbsp. lemon juice

In a small skillet, saute mushrooms and asparagus in olive oil until cooked, then remove from heat and set aside. In a medium to large skillet, saute diced onion (hint: If you're like me and despise cutting onions, when you have a recipe that only calls for a portion of the onion, dice the whole thing and put whatever you don't use in a freezer-proof Ziploc bag and freeze). Once the onion begins to cook, add the Tabasco sauce and cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese melts. Then add the whipping cream and lemon juice. Continue stirring until thoroughly heated. Add the mushrooms and asparagus and reduce heat to low.

Once the ravioli is ready, pour the cream sauce over the top and add additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

It's very rich!!

Gourmet Cheesesteak Paninis

2009-03-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

OK so really it's pretty hard to mess up a panini--you think of what would be good on a sandwich, and it's instantly better on a panini grill. But having a "gourmet panini" obviously sounds a lot better than having a sandwich for dinner, and gets a hot dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.

So one of our favorite "gourmet paninis" is an upscale twist on the Cheesesteak sandwich.

Gourmet Cheesesteak Paninis

1 cup sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1/2 lb deli sliced roast beef
4 slices of provolone cheese
4 slices of any thick panini bread (usually you can find specified panini loaves in the bakery section, or ciabatta etc.--we use a wheat cracked sourdough)
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
Horseradish spread or deli mustard (Bobby and I have a difference of opinion)
Olive Oil

Saute mushrooms, onions, and peppers in olive oil using a medium to large skillet, while heating the panini press/grill (using a George Forman works too). Spead one side of each piece of bread with horseradish spread or deli mustard, depending on your preference. Then place one slice of cheese on each piece of bread. Top 2 slices of bread with 1/4 lb roast beef. Then evenly distribute the mushroom, onions, and peppers over the top of the roast beef once they're completely cooked. Place remaining 2 slices of bread and cheese on top of the sandwhich. Pour a generous amount of olive oil into a small dish. Using a pastry or other type of brush, generously brush olive oil onto the outside slice of bread--covering the bread entirely. Place each sandwich onto the panini grill/press oil-side-down. Quickly brush additional olive oil onto the top slice of bread before closing the grill/press. Paninis are ready when cheese is melted and meat is heated through. If you're using a Forman grill, this will be only a minute--so don't go far!

Lemon-Dill Salmon

2009-03-22T11:34:00.001-07:00

OK Bobby's Spring Break is over so I'm back in the kitchen...so check the blog this week for roast beef paninis, smoked salmon ravioli in a lemon cream sauce with asparagus and mushrooms, jerked chicken sandwiches, and crab cakes.

It took me a long time to learn to eat salmon outside of my parent's kitchen, but I've managed! And this is one of my preferred ways to prepare it, so I'm making it tonight.

2 salmon fillets (we usually buy ours from Costco)
4-6 sprigs of fresh dill
1/2 cup lemon juice divided
Fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. dried basil divided

Preheat oven to 450
Tear off 2 sheets of aluminum foil, approx. 12 in. in length
Place each salmon fillet on a foil sheet, and shape foil around the salmon so that all sides of the foil are up--making a foil "boat" around the fish. The top of the fish should still be visible.
Ground a reasonable amount of pepper over each fillet
Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. of dried basil on each fillet
Place 2-3 sprigs of dill across the top of each fillet
Pour 1/4 cup of lemon juice over each fillet--letting remaining juice stay at the bottom of the foil "boat"
Place each foil "boat" onto a baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.

Serve with wild rice and veggie or salad of your choice...we're having sauteed asparagus.

Mom's Carrot Cake

2009-03-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all of my birthday wishes! And in honor of my birthday, I was going to make Naynie's Chocolate Cake, only to discover--I DON'T HAVE THE RECIPE! Which is probably for the best, because it's not like Bobby and I need to eat a whole cake, right? So instead I'm going to share my favorite cake that I DO have the recipe for!

Carrot Cake

2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups flaked coconut
2 1/4 cups flour
8 oz can of crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
3 eggs

Combine sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl and blend with a wooden spoon. Stir in all dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in carrots, coconut, and pecans or walnuts. Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes (use a cake-tester or toothpick to stick in the middle and ensure it's fully cooked). When it's completely cool, frost with the Cream Cheese Frosting recipe below:

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 to 2 cups of powdered sugar
1/8 cup of milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all except powdered sugar and blend well with mixer. Beat in enough sugar to make the mixture spreadable.

Happy Birthday to me :-) We're going to the Melting Pot...yum!

Bobby's Golden Mac & Cheese

2009-03-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

I know it's St. Patty's and all...but we kept it American around here and made some delicious homemade mac & cheese tonight. Since Bobby's on Spring Break, it means he's in charge of the cooking, and this recipe is always one of my top requests. And like many yummy classics...we have Southern Living to originally thank! We've tweaked of course because according to Bobby "If it's not meat, it's not a meal!" (insert your Tool Time-worthy man-grunt here)

Golden Macaroni & Cheese

1 8oz package elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked macaroni)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon onion salt
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese **We use 2 cups of 2% and 2 cups of fat free)
1 cup soft breadcrumbs (about 4.5 slices, crusts removed)
1/4 cup butter or margarine (melted)
Bobby Modification: 1lb cooked spicy Italian sausage

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Place milk, flour, and onion salt in a container that you can shake, like a giant Tupperware or something. Be careful to make sure the lid is on tightly, and shake for approx 1 minute. Stir together flour mixture, 3.5 cups of cheese and cooked macaroni together in a large bowl. Add cooked sausage if using our modified version. Pour mixture into A 13"X9" Pyrex dish that has been sprayed with Pam (TIP: To keep from having to scrape your Pyrex dish at the end of the night, spray it with Pam, then line it with Reynolds Wrap, and then spray it with Pam again...then just throw away the wrap after dinner and wash the Pyrex without scraping!). Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese and then breadcrumbs. Pour melted butter evenly over the top. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Also worth noting that the butter is to keep the bread crumbs on top from burning in the oven. If you want to omit the bread and butter entirely, feel free...but it does lose the crunchy texture you would have otherwise.

And so it begins

2009-03-17T19:26:00.000-07:00

OK so my fabulous sister-in-law has been telling me for some time now that I need a blog. And in truth, I didn't really give it much consideration because I am pretty sure she might be one of a small handful of people that find my verbose email rants to be witty and amusing (thanks Court!) Then at dinner the other night, one of the other med school wives (we have a club, don't laugh) mentioned that she had a recipe blog--and I thought...I could do that.

As far fetched as it may be to my Island girls and the Sketch Crew-that-was, I actually have a lot of requests for recipes from co-workers and friends in Louisville--because lo and behold, I can actually do more in the kitchen than stare fixedly at a pot of water willing it to make my refrigerated pasta for me (I mean no disrespect to refrigerated pasta).

So instead of writing out recipes on my Humana mail or in a Facebook message, I thought I'd just keep tabs on what's cooking when I've got a quick, relatively healthy, or just plain delicious recipe that evening. I'll do my very best to site my sources, because I'm in no way original, and will hope to have occasional guest features from my mother (who passed on the cooking-gene) and Taylor (who motivated me to cook...because I mean...if he can do it...). And hopefully you'll find a few new ideas!