Homecoming, end of the garden, and orange roughy bundles.

Today is homecoming, I have no idea who they're playing, or even worse than that, is the football team any good.  One thing I do know is the homecoming parade was this afternoon and Rigby was in it.  I did walk down to Main Street to watch and snap a picture or two of the Jr. High band as they marched and played.

This morning I took the orange roughy out of the freezer to defrost.  I then went outside to get the garden ready for winter.  Once the garden was taken care of and I had been to the parade and back, it was time to pick Rigs up from school.  That within itself is an adventure.  On the way home Rigs wasn't sure she was going to the game tonight, she didn't want to see a movie, and I decided I didn't want to cook.  Hubby said let's go out for dinner I said ok, Rigs still wasn't sure she was going to the game, and hubby fell asleep on the couch.  So I made dinner.  I took the now defrosted orange roughy and placed in on top of some very thinly sliced potatoes, carrots, and onions, drizzled it with some blood orange olive oil and tossed it in the oven.  It was okay, not the dinner out I was so looking forward to, but it was okay.  Rigby finally decided to go to the game and now I sit here waiting for her to call for a ride home.

Pasta with Lamb Ragu

As I sit here typing this, the sky is grey and overcast and there is a wind advisory in place.  The t.v. is on for background noise and the dogs are sprawled out in the living room sleeping.  Occasionally Spike looks out the door or window and barks at the movement at the courthouse across the street.  The air in the house is perfumed with the scents from the simmering lamb ragu.  I started the ragu by sauteing diced celery, carrots, and onions in some olive oil.  When the vegetables started to soften I stirred in some tomato paste and then the ground lamb.  Once the lamb was no longer pink I seasoned the meat with thyme, rosemary, cumin, and coriander.  After adding the prerequisite red wine, chicken stock, and tomatoes, I reduced the heat and now it's simmering on the stove top.

The final product with the hand rolled pasta was quite simply AMAZING!  The sauce and the lamb together are delicious and perfectly seasoned.  The entire dish has a very rustic feel to it, including the thick strips of pappardelle.  If you didn't know there was lamb in this dish, you wouldn't guess it.

Pasta with Lamb Ragu

• Flat pasta of choice (I'm using a homemade papperdelle pasta)
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 onion, diced small
• 1 carrot, diced small
• 1 stalk of celery, diced small
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
•  1 teaspoon dried Rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• Olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil.  When vegetables start to soften, stir in the tomato paste, cook for 1 minute.  Add ground lamb and cook until no longer pink.  Stir in thyme, rosemary, cumin, and coriander, add in red wine and cook until wine is reduced by half.  Stir in chicken broth and tomato.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer.  Simmer until liquid is reduced, season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Cook pasta until al dente.  Once al dente, add pasta to sauce and finish cooking.  Serve warm with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and drizzle of olive oil.

Hand Rolled Pappardelle



Papparedelles Pasta drying prior to being cooked

To go with tonight's lamb ragu, I'm making my own hand rolled pasta, more specifically I'm making papparedelle.  I want a thicker noodle for this sauce and quite frankly today I have the time.  The noodles go together quickly in the food processor.  Once the noodle is made, a lot of time is devoted to letting the glutens in the pasta rest.  I'm rolling the pasta by hand, simply because we don't have a pasta maker, yet.  Once the pasta is cut into the shapes you want it, it does need to dry for at least 30 minutes, so plan ahead.  One of the benefits of fresh pasta is the short cooking time.  It literally takes seconds to cook fresh pasta and it tastes amazing.

Hand Rolled Pappardelle Noodles

• 2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
• 4 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Combine flour and salt in a food processor.  Combine eggs and olive oil in a measuring cup.  Turn food processor on low speed and slowly add in the egg mixture.  Mix until flour is evenly moistened and crumbly.  Test the dough by pinching it, if it feels sticky, add an additional 1 tablespoon of flour and process until incorporated.  When dough comes together in a loose ball, turn it out onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes.  When dough becomes smooth and elastic, shape into a ball and cove with an overturned bowl and let rest for 15 minutes.

Cut the dough into 4 equal parts and slip 3 piece back under the bowl.  Flatten the remaining piece into a disk and dust with flour.  Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough away from you.  Lift the dough, flour the work surface, if needed, turn the dough 90 degrees and roll out again.  Continue rolling the dough until you can see your hand through it.  Transfer to a floured baking sheet and let rest 10 to 20 minutes.

Place the rolled out pasta sheet on a clean work surface.  Gently fold the pasta sheet in half and then in half again.  Using either a pizza cutter or very sharp knife, cut pasta into strands.  Since I'm making pappardelle, I'm cutting mine 3/4 to 1 inch thick.

Once pasta is cut, gently shake the strands out.  Let pasta dry for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.  To cook the fresh pasta, bring a pot of water to boil, liberally add salt to the water and the pasta.  Cover and bring back to a boil.  Once water return to a boil, allow noodles to cook for 5 seconds.  Remove the pasta and add to the sauce. 

Wine-Braised Brisket with Onions

The star of tonight's dinner was a wine braise beef brisket with onions.  I love being able to toss together ingredients, pop it in the oven and then have a delicious meal without having to worry if it will turn out.  In reality, I started making this brisket last night.  The brisket, onions, spices, and liquid gets tossed into a pot and left in the fridge overnight.  So really all I had to do today was bring it to a boil on the stove top and then pop it in the oven.  The brisket was very tender, after marinading in the wine, broth, onions, and spices over night, and then braising in the oven all afternoon, yum.  Words can't even begin to describe the taste and the smell of the brisket, simply delicious.  I'm thinking this may become one of those dishes I turn to when having guests over.  It's that good.  I did start to reduce the remaining liquid for a sauce, but it was to rich and fatty tasting for my liking, so I didn't serve it with the brisket, not that it was missed. 

Wine-Braised Brisket with Onions

• 1 3 to 3 1/2 pound beef brisket
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
• 1 14 ounce can beef broth
• 2 large red onions, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cloves garlic, m inced
• 10 ounces fresh mushrooms, quartered

On the night before cooking the brisket, pat brisket dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Transfer wot a large dutch oven.  Add wine, broth, onions, thyme, bay leaf, and garlic.  Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

The next day, preheat oven to 325 degrees.  On the stove top, place dutch oven on high heat and bring to a boil.    Cover dutch oven and transfer to the oven.  Cook for 1 hour; stir in mushrooms, return pan to oven, cover and continue cooking another 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.  Remove brisket from oven, uncover and let stand for 15 minutes.

Transfer brisket to cutting board; slice the meat across the grain.  For sauce, skim fat from the liquid and discard the bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and allow to simmer until sauce comes to desired consistency.  Season with additional salt and pepper, serve with the meat.

Warm Brussels Sprout Salad

I love nights like tonight, good food shared with friends.  Tonight I'm making a Warm Brussels Sprouts salad to go with the wine and onion braised beef brisket with garlic smashed potatoes.  I've been pleasantly surprised to learn that I like Brussels Sprouts when they're fresh.  In the past I've sauteed them with butter and bacon fat and believe me those are tasty.  Tonight, I'm roasting them in the oven and then tossing them with some balsamic vinegar, blue cheese, and some Salad Pizazz!  I discovered Salad Pizazz! in the produce isle at WalMart.  I'm thinking this will add a nice crunch and texture to the salad. 

Dinner was a success and the salad was spectacular!  The tang of the blue cheese and sweet from the cranberries and raspberries, paired with the crunch of the walnuts.  And let's not forget about the Brussels Sprouts, perfectly roasted, seasoned with salt and pepper and just prior to roasting, I tossed in a few sprigs of fresh thyme.

Warm Brussels Sprout Salad

• 2 pound Brussels Sprouts, cut in half
• 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (I used a white lemon balsamic)
• 1 package Salad Pizazz! (I'm using the Raspberry Cranberry Walnut Frisco)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place Brussels Sprouts on a prepared baking sheet, lightly spray with cooking spray, season with salt and pepper and roast in oven for 15 minutes, turning once.  Remove Brussels sprouts from oven, toss with blue cheese crumbles, Salad Pizazz, and balsamic vinegar.  Serve warm.

Samoa Cupcakes

For dessert tonight, I'm trying out a new cupcake recipe I found on www.foodbuzz.com.  This cupcake is a play on the very popular Samoa Girl Scout cookie, or where I came from Caramel Delights.  It's a chocolate cupcake flavored with coconut flavoring, topped with a caramel frosting, sprinkled with coconut, and drizzled with chocolate.  It just sounded delicious and it seems like a good way to end tonight's meal. 

As the cakes baked, the smell of chocolate and coconut filled the kitchen.  The frosting is a caramel frosting, made with homemade caramel.  These things are going to be sweet.  To finish them, I heated up some dark chocolate syrup and drizzled that on and then sprinkled on the coconut. 

Samoa Cupcakes

Source: Sugar Duchess Blog (http://www.sugarduchess.com/2011/01/samoas-cupcakes/)

• 12 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup milk or water

Preheat oven to 350 degree and prepare cupcake tins.

In medium size bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.  Mix well and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing until well combined.  Add the vanilla and coconut extract.  Slowly blend in the flour mixture and milk, alternating flour and milk.

Scoop batter into prepared cupcake liners, filling each 1/2 to 2/3 full.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Allow cupcakes to cool completely.  Once cooled, frost with Caramel Frosting.

Caramel Frosting

• 2 sticks of butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Melt the butter in a 2 quart saucepan.  Stir in brown sugar and salt and heat the mixture to boiling, stirring constantly.  Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, until sugar is totally dissolved.  Stir in the milk and return to a boil, stirring constantly.  Remove the pan from the heat and cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the vanilla, the gradually stir in the powdered sugar.  Adjust consistency with a little more milk if necessary. 

When cupcakes are completely cool, frost them and drizzle with chocolate syrup.  Sprinkle with coconut.

Baked Potato Soup

Today is one of those cold rainy days, perfect for making soup.  Today I'm making a Baked Potato Soup using the left over baked garlic potatoes from last night.  Rigby doesn't typically like potato soup, but she loves this one.  Sometimes I'll serve the soup with additional cheddar cheese and sour cream dolloped onto with a sprinkle of green onions and bacon, depends on the mood.  Tonight, I'm garnishing it with leftover herbed sour cream from last night and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.  Each bite of soup is like biting into the best loaded twice baked potato you ever ate.  It goes without saying you could change the "toppings" in the soup based on your taste preferences. 

Baked Potato Soup

• 2 pounds baked potatoes, cut into pieces
• 6 strips bacon, cut into chunks
• 1 bunch green onion, white and light green parts thinly sliced
• 7 cups milk
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream

In pan large enough to accommodate the liquid, cook bacon until crispy.  Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  Add butter to remaining bacon fat in pan.  Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of flour.  Season with salt and pepper.  When roux is formed, gradually whisk in milk, ensuring all lumps are out of the mixture.  When all milk is added, stir in potatoes, crisp bacon, and green onion.  All soup to simmer on stove top until thick and creamy, about 20-30 minutes.  Stir in sour cream and cheddar cheese, stirring well.  Serve with additional sour cream and cheddar cheese sprinkle on top.

Mock Sourdough Bread

To go with tonight's Baked Potato Soup, I'm making Mock Sourdough Bread.  Mine is a mock sourdough, because I'm not using a sourdough starter.  In the past I've grown my own sourdough starter, but in the end I always end up forgetting to feed it.  I do pretty good with it when it's on the counter waiting for the bacteria to take over, then I move it to the fridge or as I've started to refer to it in my mind, the Sourdough Graveyard.  It's almost like the argument you have with your children when they want a pet, who's going to take care of it?  I'm like that with sourdough starter.  Anyway to save me from killing another harmless starter, I'm making mock sourdough.  The sour taste in this bread will come from the plain yogurt and lemon juice, meanwhile a packet of yeast will cause the bread to rise.  But trust me, it still tastes like sourdough.

Mock Sourdough Bread

• 6 3/4 to 7 1/4 cup flour
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2/3 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups water

Combine yeast and 2 1/2 cup flour, set aside.  Combine water, sugar, salt, and oil in a sauce pan and heat until warm , but no higher than 130 degrees.  Usually when the sugar and salt dissolves, it's warm enough.  Pour into flour mixture, add yogurt and lemon juice and mix well.  Gradually beat in as much of remaining flour as possible.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until dough forms a slightly firm, smooth, and elastic ball.  Place in a well greased bowl, turning so all sides are greased, cover and let rise until doubled in size.

Once doubled, punch dough down and let rest 10 minutes.  Divide dough into 2 equal pieces and shape into a ball.  Place dough rounds onto a greased baking sheet and flatten each ball until it is about 6 inches in diameter.  Using a sharp knife, cut criss-cross slashes on the tops of the loaves, cover and let rise until double in size, about 30 minutes. 

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 to 3 5minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped.  Remove to wire racks and allow to cool.  

Souffle Pancake with Apple-Pear Compote

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Food Network Magazine is my favorite magazine.  With the cooler fall weather approaches, I've started the transition our meals to more hearty dishes and I've started to incorporate those fall flavors into our meals as well.  I've also noticed, a lot of the dishes I make recently contain alcohol of some variety, I wonder if I'm trying to tell myself something.  This morning it's a Souffle Pancake with Apple-Pear Compote.  I made the compote in the afternoon the day before, as it needed to cool for a minimum of 2 hours before serving.  The recipe called for 1 cup of prune pitted, I didn't have prunes in the house and I really don't like prunes, so I used some dried mixed fruit I had in the pantry.  It was mostly apples and pears with a few prunes thrown in, so it worked.  After reconstituting the fruit in hot water with black tea bags, it was time to dump the mixture into a sauce pan with some cognac, sugar, and other delicious things.  As the liquid reduced to a syrup, I peeled and chopped the apples and pears.  after throwing them in the pan and letting the mixture reduce even more, I declared it delicious and ready for refrigeration.

So this morning I awoke and after making a pot of coffee, I made the souffle.  Once in the oven, I heated up the apple and pear compote I made yesterday.  Once the souffle was done and out of the oven, I dusted it with confectioners' sugar and dumped on the majority of the fruit compote.  The first bite delicious.  The souffle melts in your mouth and the combination of fruit, awesome.  There are no leftovers from breakfast.  Rigby didn't care for the fruit part, but she did enjoy the souffle.  This is a definite must make again recipe.

Souffle Pancake with Apple-Pear Compote

Inspired by Food Network Magazine

• 1 cup chopped dried fruit
• 2 black tea bags
• 1/2 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla paste
• 4 wide strips lemon zest
• 1/2 cup cognac
• 2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cut into wedges
• 4 Bosc Pears, peeled and cut into wedges
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Soak the dried fruit and tea bags in 1 cup boiling water for 20 minutes. 

Discard the tea bags and add fruit and liquid to sauce pan, as well as sugar, lemon zest, pinch of salt, vanilla paste, and cognac.  Cook over medium heat until syrupy, about 10-15 minutes.  Add the apples and pears and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.  Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Melt the butter in a 12 inch cast-iron skillet.  Transfer 2 tablespoons of butter to a blender.  Add the eggs, salt, heavy cream, flour, orange juice and zest, and almond extract.  Blend until smooth.  Reheat remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in cast-iron pan and swirl to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.  Add the batter and transfer to the oven and bake until puffed and golden, 15-20 minutes.  Reheat the compote, remove the lemon zest.  Dust pancake with confectioners' sugar and serve with the compote.

Burger with Blue Cheese and Red Onion Marmalade

For the last two weeks I've been craving a burger.  Not just any burger, but a blue cheese burger with red onion marmalade.  The craving kicked in when I saw a commercial for HyVee with Chef Curtis Stone making this burger.  I had planned on making burgers earlier in the week, but the weather was yucky and I wanted lasagna.  Today the sun was shining and there was a slight wind, a typical fall day and perfect for grilling.  The recipe called for a quick aioli, I left it off, I didn't feel like making it.  I also skipped the step of grilling the bun, just wasn't happening. 

The first bite of the burger was pure pleasure.  The red onion marmalade was sweet, but not over powering and mixed with blue cheese, amazing.  The contrast of sweet and salty on top of a burger, yum.  I used a soft home made roll that I made at froze.  We are definitely going to repeat this burger.

Burgers with Blue Cheese and Red Onion Marmalade

Source: Chef Curtis Stone, HyVee

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 red onion, cut in half, then cut into 1/4 in wide slices
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup dry red wine (I used a Cabernet)
• 1/4 red wine vinegar
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 buns split in half
• 4 ounce blue cheese
• Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and saute until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until the onions are tender, about 12 minutes.  Sprinkle sugar over the onion.  Add the wine and vinegar and bring to a simmer, simmer until the liquid evaporates and the mixture become slightly syrupy, about 15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and keep warm until ready to serve.

Shape patties, season with salt and pepper and lightly drizzle top with olive oil.  Place oil side down on preheated grill, cook for 3-4 minutes.  Flip burgers, top with blue cheese and cook an additional 3-4 minutes.  Remove burgers from grill and allow burgers to rest for 3 minutes.

Enjoy burger on a bun of choice topped with red onion marmalade.

Vanilla Kahlua Crepes with Peaches and Cream Filling

This morning for breakfast I made Vanilla Kahlua Crepes with a Peaches and Cream Filling.  I was in the kitchen making a pot of coffee when I spied the bowl of fruit on the counter.  It had apples and peaches and one lonely orange in.  I thought an apple spice muffin would be tasty OR an apple pancake.  Then I thought peaches and cream something, specifically a crepe filled with peaches and cream.  The crepe I made was a vanilla Kahlua crepe, (thanks Angi, the crepes are her recipe) it's delicious by itself, but with the fruit filling, even more so.  Each bite was filled with the sweet taste of peach with just a hint of nutmeg (last minute recipe addition) and the smooth richness of the cream cheese.  Rigby is not a fan of crepes, which is to bad, as these are pretty darn tasty.

Vanilla Kahlua Crepes with Peaches and Cream Filling

•  2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Kahlua to taste
• 2 peaches, washed, stones removed, and cut into strips
• 6 ounce cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• Sprinkle of nutmeg to taste
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together eggs, flour, milk, water, melted butter, vanilla, and Kahlua to taste.  Set aside until bubbles disappear, 15 to 30 minutes.

Whisk cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until smooth.  Fold in peaches, sprinkle with nutmeg.  Fold until nutmeg is incorporated, set aside.

Pour just under 1/4 cup of crepe batter into a buttered pan, swirl around batter and let cook for 1 minute.  Flip and cook for 10 more seconds. 

Once all crepes are made, fill with 1-2 teaspoons fruit filling and roll crepes.  Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Today I'm making a vanilla bean ice cream.  I totally realize it is the very first day of autumn and winter is just around the corner, but I'm making it anyway.  Once again I'm using Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at home.  Instead of using a vanilla bean, I'm using vanilla paste from Madagascar, it's my favorite vanilla.  With vanilla paste, you'll still get the intense vanilla flavor and the vanilla seeds, and a jar of vanilla paste costs about as much as a vanilla bean, but use what you like.  What I love about this book is the ice cream base is pretty much the same for all flavors, the amount of sugar may change based on the flavor.  This vanilla ice cream does have a very intense vanilla taste.   I'm thinking it will go perfect in a cup of coffee tomorrow morning.  I know for certain the cognac ice cream goes great in coffee, so I'm reasonably sure the vanilla will as well.  The texture of this vanilla ice cream is similar to that of custard, only without the egg taste.  I'm thinking Rigby is having a root beer float later tonight.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Source: Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
•  1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) cream cheese
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped and out, seeds and bean reserved (I used 1 tablespoon vanilla paste)

Combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons milk to form a slurry, set aside.  Whisk together sea salt and cream cheese until smooth, set aside.  Prepare ice bath.  Combine remaining milk, heavy cream, sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla in a large sauce pan.  Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat and boil for 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and gradually whisk in slurry.  Return pan to heat and bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. 

Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese mixture until smooth.  Pour the mixture into a 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag into the ice bath.  Let stand adding more ice as necessary until cold, about 30 minutes.

When cold, remove the vanilla bean if using.  Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister and spin until thick and creamy.  Pack the ice cream into the storage container, press a sheet of parchment paper directly against the surface and seal with an airtight lid.  Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Pepperoni Studded Lasagna

Tonight's dinner was suppose to be a blue cheese burger with a red onion marmalade, but when I woke up this morning it was cool, overcast, and drizzling.  Figures, I plan on using the grill and the weather is not the nicest.  Instead I'm making a pepperoni studded lasagna.  I was channel surfing the other day and watched Guy Fieri make this lasagna on his show.  Sounds like the perfect meal to for the quickly approaching autumn weather.  I'll save the burger for this weekend when it warms back up into the 70's.

This lasagna now has the honor of being the ONLY lasagna that Rigby likes.  When she got home from school today, she tried the pepperoni after the fat had been rendered and loved it.  I'm seeing a BLT in out feature with pepperoni instead of bacon.  Biting into this lasagna is like biting into a pizza, but so much better.  It's cheesy and the combination of the Italian Sausage and the Pepperoni is amazing.  The sauce is perfect, the fresh basil and fresh oregano go perfectly with the pepperoni and the sausage.  This is a definite MUST repeat lasagna.  I'm looking forward to leftovers tomorrow.

Pepperoni Studded Lasagna
Source: Guy Fieri, Food Network.com

• 2 pounds lasagna sheets
• 2 cups sliced pepperoni
• 1 pound ricotta
• 16 ounces shredded mozzarella (I'm using up the left over 5 cheese Italian cheese I have in the fridge)
• 2 pounds bulk Italian Sausage, cooked
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil.  Add onion and cook over medium to low heat until transparent, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until almost brown, 2-3 minutes.  Add tomatoes, bring sauce to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add basil, oregano, salt and pepper to taste and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.  Cool and store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season liberally with salt and cook noodles until almost done.  Remove from water and shock in an ice bath. 

In a medium saute pan add pepperoni and saute over medium heat until crispy.  Remove from heat and drain on paper towel.  Cook Italian sausage in the same pan as the pepperoni. 

In a 10x14x3 inch baking sheet, pour 1 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom.  Layer lasagna sheets on the bottom of the pan, overlapping by 1/2 inch.  Add 1/3 amount of ricotta, 1/3 mozzarella, 1/3 amount of sausage, the sprinkle generously with Parmesan, add 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and 1/4 cup of pepperoni.  Repeat this 2 more times. 

On the very top sheet, top with remaining ricotta, tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, and dust with Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven; let sit for 15 minutes.  Cut and serve.

Apple Brie Panini

This morning as I wandered through the house trying to decide what to have for breakfast, I had just decided on making some toast with the bread that I had made yesterday.  Then I spotted the bowl of fruit sitting on the counter and thought a panini would be delicious for breakfast.  I had some brie in the fridge I had bought at the co-op and hadn't used.  Since the only lettuce in the house was Hearts of Romaine, I decided to go outside and pick some fresh lettuce that is still growing.  I turned the panini press on to heat up while I gathered ingredients and chopped everything up.  The first bite of the panini you taste the creaminess of the brie and the tart, juiciness from the granny Smith apple I used.  It was a nice little breakfast and a good way to start the day.

Apple Brie Panini

Makes two sandwiches

• 1 Granny Smith Apple, sliced
• 4 slices bread
• butter
• 4 pieces of spinach
• Brie cheese, sliced

Preheat panini press to high heat.  Butter outsides of bread.  Top bread with spinach, apple slices and brie.  Place on panini press and cook until bread is toasted.  Slice in half and enjoy.

BLT's with Blue Cheese-Buffalo Aioli

Tonight's dinner was the "He Made" part of the BLT challenge.  While I did enjoy the BLT Sandwich Salad, I must say this BLT was pretty darn amazing.  I did change the aioli he used as his dressing.  I used the homemade bluecheese dressing last night and added some hotsauce to it and used that instead of the aioli he used.  I still included the aioli ingredients in the recipe if you want to use it.  The other change we made was adding a few slices of avocado to the sandwich.  It added a creaminess and changed the texture of the sandwich so slightly, for the better.  It goes without saying, Rigby didn't eat the avocado or the onion, BUT she loved the dressing.

BLT's with Blue Cheese-Buffalo Aiolo
Source: Aaron McCargo, Food Network Magazine

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 small clove garlic, grated
• freshly ground pepper
• 8 1/2 in thick slices country-style bread (I'm using freshly made bread), lightly toasted
• 16 strips good quality, thick-cut bacon, cooked and cut in half
• 3 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 leaves Bibb lettuce (I sliced some Hearts of Romaine in half and used that instead.)

Combine the mayonnaise, blue cheese, hot sauce, garlic, and freshly ground pepper, stir well.

Spread 2 to 3 teaspoons of the aioli on each slice of bread, then top with 8 1/2 slices of bacon, a few slices of tomato, some onion, and a leaf of lettuce.  Top each with another slice of bread.  Slice the sandwich in half.

BLT Sandwich Salad

When the latest copy of Food Network Magazine came, I went through and tabbed all the pages with recipes on that I wanted to try.  I got to the he made she made section and I tabbed the BLT Sandwich Salad recipe, I thought it looked pretty darn delicious.  When Rigby looked through the magazine, she tabbed the BLT's with Blue Cheese-Buffalo Aioli, she thought it looked like and epic BLT.  So I'm compromising, tonight we'll have salad with dinner and tomorrow night we'll have the BLT. 

I did make a few modifications to this salad.  The biggest one was the salad dressing.  I tried it, my husband tried it and we decided to not use it, I used a homemade blue cheese dressing instead.  I used Hearts of Romaine and grape tomatoes, simply because that it what I had at the house.  I also didn't use all the croutons the recipe called for.  But it was a very tasty salad. 

BLT Sandwich Salad

Source: Sunny Anderson, Food Network Magazine

• 1 head Romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 4 slices white bread
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 6 strips bacon
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the lettuce, tomatoes, and onion in a large bowl; set aside.  Cut the bread into crouton-size cubes.  Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.  add the bread cubes and toast, tossing until golden, about 6 minutes.  Set aside.

Combine the brown sugar, paprika, lemon zest, and crushed pepper in a small bowl.  Add the bacon and press to coat on both sides.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then place the thyme sprigs on the parchment paper, then lay a piece of bacon on each sprig.  Bake until the bacon is caramelized and crisp, about 20 minutes.  Let cool slightly on the baking sheet.  Cut the bacon into bite size pieces; add to the bowl with the lettuce.  Discard thyme.

Dress the salad with dressing of choice and top with croutons.  Enjoy!

Gingerbread

Yesterday I made gingerbread to go with some cognac ice cream I was making.  The recipe I used was perfect.  Made a 9x9 pan of gingerbread, so I'm fairly certain what's left today will be gone tomorrow.  The gingerbread was good by itself.  Fresh grated ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg with just a few tablespoons of sugar and a full cup of molasses.  It wasn't a dense gingerbread, nor was it dry.

I split my gingerbread in half and put half a scoop of cognac ice cream on each half.  The flavors of the gingerbread with the alcohol and creaminess from the ice cream, made for the perfect fall dessert.

Gingerbread

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

In a large bowl, cream the shortening and sugars until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg.  beat in the water and molasses.  combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.  Gradually add the creamed mixture and mix well.

Transfer to a greased 9x9 inch square baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 33-37 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cognac Ice Cream

Tonight we are having some friends over for dinner.  I'm doing a simple meal, oven fried chicken, summer squash casserole, and a BLT Sandwich Salad.  Dessert is going to be a gingerbread cake topped with cognac ice cream.  For the ice cream I'm using Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home.  We were first introduced to this book on NPR and since ordering it, we've used, I love it.  The ice cream is always creamy and when froze, it rolls into a perfect ball.  It's just good ice cream.

The final results on the ice cream, delicious.  The alcohol was very noticeable at first and then the sweetness from the cognac and sugar kicked in along with the creaminess from the ice cream base.  Paired with homemade gingerbread, absolutely perfect.

Cognac Ice Cream
Source: Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream at Home

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons cream cheese)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup Cognac (I used hubby's good cognac)

Mix 2 tablespoons milk with cornstarch to make a slurry.  In a large bowl whisk cream cheese and sea salt until smooth.  Combine remaining milk, heavy cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a saucepan, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat and cook for 4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry.  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.  Remove from the heat.

Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into cream cheese mixture until smooth.  Stir in the Cognac.  Pour the mixture into a one gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in an ice bath.  Let stand until cold.

Pour the cold ice cream base into the frozen canister and spin until thick and creamy.  Pack the ice cream into a storage container, press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid.  Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Gumbo

Tonight for dinner we're having gumbo.  Gumbo is a stew or soup that originated in southern Louisiana in the 18th century.  The gumbo I'm making is thickened with a roux (flour and butter) and has smoked sausage, chicken, and shrimp.  As I sit here typing this, the gumbo is starting to come to a simmer for the first time and it's smelling pretty darn amazing.  I'm starting to get excited for dinner tonight, hopefully this is something Rigby will be willing to try.  Since I don't like okra I'm not adding it to the gumbo, but if you like okra, add 2 cups of the stuff when you add in the tomatoes.  This is one of the occasions where I followed the recipe pretty much to the letter.

As it simmered on the stove top, I did take a taste, just to check seasoning.  Talk about delicious!  The flavors of the green peppers, followed by the smokiness from the sausage.  The salt of the beef bouillon.  The flavors work well together and they're making the house smell really good this afternoon.

Gumbo

Source: Paula Deen

• 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I cut the chicken into cubes prior to cooking)
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 pound smoke sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
• 4 cups hot water
• 5 beef bouillon cubes
• 1 14 ounce can stewed tomatoes with juice
• 1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cooked

In a heavy bottom dutch oven, heat oil.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove.  Add the sausage and cook until browned, then remove.  Sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons butter and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes.  Let roux cool.

Return the dutch oven to low heat and melt remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.  Add the onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Add the Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, and the parsley.  Cook, stirring frequently for 10 minutes.  Add 4 cups hot water and the bouillon cubes, whisking constantly.  Add the chicken and sausage.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.  Add the tomatoes (and 2 cups of okras if you're using it) cover and simmer for 1 hour.  Add shrimp just prior to serving.  Serve over steamed white rice.  Enjoy!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Friday morning Rigby had Cinnamon Roll Pancakes for breakfast.  I got the recipe from Cuisine at Home.  One of the things I didn't do was make the cream cheese glaze or the maple syrup glaze for the pancakes.  First I didn't have sweetened condensed milk in the house and secondly, I felt it was way to much sugar for someone heading off to a day of school.  The pancake it's self was nice. Since I don't have apple pie spice in the house I used cinnamon and nutmeg.  I thought they turned out just fine.  Rigby said they were good, just not a pancake she would want to eat all the time.  I think the next time I make these, I'll do it on a weekend, make the icings, and then ship her outside.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Adapted from Cuisine at Home

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients, set aside, (I combined the dry ingredients the night before to help speed up the process making them in the morning). Whisk together buttermilk, cream cheese, maple syrup, egg and vanilla in a separate bowl. Fold buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients until just moistened (small lumps are OK). Let batter rest 10 minutes (this allows the baking soda to activate and will produce lighter, fluffier pancakes).

Heat a large griddle or nonstick skillet over medium-low. Spray griddle with cooking spray. For each pancake, pour about 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle.

Cook batter until bubbles form on surface, 2-3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until golden, 2-3 minutes more. Keep pancakes warm on baking sheet in the oven while cooking remaining pancakes.

Marble Cake with Chocolate Swiss Meringue Butter Cream

What a busy baking week.  Rigby celebrated her 14th birthday on Friday and she needed cookies for the school music department bake sale.  A couple dozen cookies and a cake, should be easy, right?  Sure.  Friday morning loomed and I was out of bed making Rigby some cinnamon roll pancakes for breakfast before school.  At the same time, I whipped up her favorite S'mores cupcakes for her to enjoy with dinner that night.  The actual birthday cake was for Saturday when my parents came. 

So pancakes are made, cupcakes are cooling, and Rigby is delivered to school.  Now it's time to make my contribution to the bake sale the school music department was having on Saturday as well.  Cookie are made and packaged up and now it's time to deliver the Caramel Pecan Rolls I made the day before.  Then back home to make the cake.  At her request, I made a Marble cake with chocolate frosting.  Not just any frosting, but chocolate Swiss meringue butter cream.  Swiss meringue butter cream is tricky to make to begin with, but add melted chocolate to an already delicate recipe....  Thankfully the frosting turned out and the cake was delicious as well.  Over all Rigby's birthday was a success.  Her big gift, a guitar.

Marble Cake

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper; butter and dust with flour. In a bowl, mix the 3 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt. In a cup, mix the milk with the vanilla.

Beat the butter at medium speed until light and creamy. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl. Beat in the dry ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with the milk mixture and scraping down the bowl.

Mix 2 cups of the batter with the melted and cooled bittersweet chocolate. Scrape the remaining batter into the pans. Dollop the chocolate batter over the batter in the pans and swirl with a knife. Bake in the lower third of the oven for about 35 minutes, until springy. Let cool for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a rack. Peel off the paper, turn the cakes upright and cool completely.

 

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Butter Cream

• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup melted and cooled semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Put egg whites and sugar into the top of a double boiler over a pan of simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm (about 160 degrees).  The egg whites will start to foam and grow as you heat them.

Pour heated egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg white mixture on high speed until it forms stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until fluffy and cooled, about 7 minutes.

Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low, add butter two tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Increase speed to medium-high; continue beating until frosting appears thick, about 3 minutes.

Reduce speed to low; add vanilla extract, chocolate and cocoa and continue beating 2 minutes to eliminate air bubbles.

Name this Dish! From Food Network Magazine

Late last week I received the latest and greatest copy of Food Network Magazine.  One of the things they do is publish a recipe and ask for readers to come up with a name for that dish.  This time the dish uses spaghettie squash and I had a request for squash recipe, so to kill two birds with one stone, tonight I'm making spaghetti squash.  I'm hoping to have the "spaghetti" out of the squash before Rigby gets home from school and discovers we're having squash tonight.

Mission accomplished, I had the squash in a bowl by the time Rigby got home from school, the sauce bubbling away on the stove top, and a delicious loaf of pretzel bread was cooling on the counter.  When she asked what kind of pasta I used, I lied and said rice noodles.  She didn't know the difference,  but she did pick out the capers as I thought she would.  All in all a very delicious dish that I will most certainly be repeating in the future.

Food Network Magazine Name this Dish
Source: Food Network Magazine

• 1 small spaghetti squash
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1.2 cup diced pancetta
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 to 4 anchovy fillets
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 28 ounce can tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 4 basil leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Put the squash cut-side down in a microwave-safe dish with 1 cup water.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and microwave until tender, about 15 minutes.  Uncover and let cool slightly.  Use a fork to scrape out the flesh in strands; transfer to a bowl.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the pancetta and cook until crisp, about 4 minutes.  Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes, smashing the anchovies into the oil, and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the wine and bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the olives, capers, and basil.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Add the spaghetti squash to the sauce and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil and top with grated Parmesan cheese and additional basil leave prior to serving.

Pretzel Bread

I'm making pretzel bread today.  Pretzel bread is simply a french bread braided, brushed with egg wash, and sprinkled with some fine sea salt.  It's also delicious and I'm thinking it will go well with the spaghetti squash I'm making for dinner tonight.  Bread baking is a science of sorts.  I make bread similar to the way I cook, I dump everything together and it turns out pretty delicious.  My bread starts with warm water, yeast, and honey.  I finish my bread with flour, salt, and olive oil.  What makes this bread like a pretzel is the finishing touches.  Braiding the dough, egg wash, and the sprinkle of fine sea salt prior to baking.  I like to bake this bread at 425 degrees until it's done.  When pulled from the oven, it's chewy and salty with a soft center.  So delicious and Rigby loves it.  Tonight she pointed to the two end pieces and said these are mine, but by that time, hubby was already chewing on one of her favorite pieces of bread.

Pretzel Bread

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 package active, dry, yeast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/2 - 5 cups of all purpose flour

In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and honey.  Let sit until yeast starts to proof, about 5 minutes.  Once yeast has proofed, stir in 2 cups of flour.  Let mixture sit until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.  Using the bread hook on the mixer, mix in olive oil, salt, and 2 more cups of flour, mix until well combined.  Mix in remaining 1 cup of flour 1/4 cup at a time, until a ball has formed.  Turn ball out into well greased bowl, turning ball to ensure all sides have been coated.  Cover and let rise in warm area until doubled in size.  Once doubled, punch dough down and let rest for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes has elapsed, divide dough into 3 equal pieces.  Roll the 3 pieces into ropes of about equal length, (mine are never the same size), press the top ends together and braid dough.  Tuck ends under and place onto baking sheet covered in parchment paper.  Cover braided bread and let proof until double in size, about 30 minutes.  Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt and bake in 425 degree oven until golden brown and baked through, about 20-25 minutes. (bread will sound hollow when you tap it)  Let cool, slice, and enjoy!

Almost Vegetarian Breakfast Bagel

Today is one of those rare mornings where hubby didn't have cases at work AND I made breakfast for the two of use.  Since Rigby was already at school, I could make us an "adult" breakfast.  Lots of veggies and cheese that isn't cheddar.  I started by chopping 3 slices of bacon into thin strips and sauteing it with a little onion, you could leave the bacon out if you wanted to make it meatless.  To that I added some pepper, tomatoes, spinach, and some eggs.  I let it all hang out until the egg had set, then divided it up on two bagel topped with some provolone cheese.  I used very little salt and pepper in this recipe, allowing the fresh vegetables to flavor the sandwich on their own.  To melt the cheese, I popped the assembled sandwiches in the oven for about 5 minutes.  This allowed the egg to finish cooking, the cheese to melt, and the bagel to toast a little.  Not a bad breakfast to start the day with.

Almost Vegetarian Breakfast Bagel

Makes 2 breakfast sandwiches

• 2 bagels (any flavor, I used plain bagels, because that's what we had)
• 3 eggs
• heavy cream
• 1 small pepper, dice small
• 1/4 cup small diced red onion
• 3 pieces of bacon, cut into small strips
• 2 small tomatoes, diced medium
• 1 handful spinach chopped into ribbons
• 4 slices cheese.  (I used provolone, but use what you like)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut bagels in half and place on baking sheet with one slice of cheese on each half of the bagels.  Set aside.

In a heated saute pan, add bacon and diced onion.  Cook until onion is tender and bacon is starting to brown.  Meanwhile, add eggs and a splash of heavy cream to a bowl and mix until well combined.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.  Add pepper and continue cooking until pepper is soft.  Add tomatoes and spinach and cook for one minute.  Add egg mixture and cook until egg is set.  Divide egg mixture in half and place on prepared bagels.  Place top of bagel onto egg and bake in oven until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.  Allow sandwich to rest about 5 minutes prior to eating.  Enjoy!

Sweet Baked Salmon with Bow Tie Pasta

Last night's dinner: Sweet Baked Salmon with Bow Tie Pasta.  We were  going to have salmon Sunday night, but things changed.  It was hot and and we ate a lot of salsa in the late afternoon.  I started by making the marinade for the salmon, when I tasted the marinade, it didn't taste like anything.  After a quick look around, I spotted the bottle of ginger honey balsamic vinegar and add about 1/4 cup, retried the marinade and yum. 

The pasta was cooked and then added to some chopped spinach and fresh garden tomatoes.  Drizzled with a garlicky lemon vinaigrette and tossed with some shredded Parmesan cheese, delicious.  Rigby ate the salmon without issue, but picked at the pasta.  I think she was trying to decide if I used basil or spinach in the pasta, since I didn't tell her what it was. 

Sweet Grilled Salmon with Bow Tie Pasta

• 4 - 4 oz. salmon fillet
• 6 tsp. soy sauce, low sodium
• 6 tsp. brown sugar
• 3 tsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 tsp. water
• 1/4 cup flavored balsamic vinegar (I used a honey ginger balsamic)
• Bow tie Pasta (I used about 7 ounces of whole grain pasta)
• 4 medium size tomatoes
• 3 handfuls baby spinach leaves, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 ½ tsp. olive oil
• 4 tsp. parmesan cheese

In small bowl, combine brown sugar, olive oil, salt and pepper, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce. Use this as a marinade for the salmon and refrigerate for 30 min-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place salmon on prepared baking sheet and discard leftover marinade. Cook salmon for about 15 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Boil pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes and spinach in a bowl. When pasta is done cooking, drain and immediately add to bowl with spinach and tomatoes. Let stand for a few minutes while combining garlic, lemon juice and olive oil; whisk until well mixed. Drizzle dressing over pasta mixture, top with Parmesan cheese and toss gently to coat.  Enjoy!

Fiery Yellow Pepper Salsa

This morning I jumped out of bed with the intention of making salsa.  In addition to the basic chunky salsa, I made a fiery yellow salsa.  Also from the Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving.  This salsa is hot!  Thankfully or unfortunately it only makes 2 pints of salsa total.  Which lead to me making the second batch.  The heat comes from a combination of jalapeno peppers and hot yellow peppers.  When I was looking for hot yellow peppers yesterday, I could only find habaneros, so into the pot they went today.  When hubby finally dragged himself from bed to the kitchen, he tried it and his eyes watered.  Rigby didn't want to try this one. 

Fiery Yellow Pepper Salsa

Source: the Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving

• 2 cups chopped sweet yellow pepper
• 2 cups chopped peeled ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped hot yellow peppers
• 1/4 cup finely chopped jalapenos
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander

Combine all ingredients, except for coriander in a large nonreactive pot.  Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered for about 15 minutes or until mixture is thickened, stirring frequently.  Stir in coriander and cook for 2 minutes.

Ladle into jars to within 1/2 inch of rim.  Process using hot water method for 20 minutes. 

Popcorn Chicken

This week I haven't really felt like cooking a lot.  I would love to blame that on all the canning, but since the most I make in the course of a day is 8 pints of whatever, that is truly not the case.  Last night I made Oven Fried Popcorn Chicken.  I've found a nice hot oven and good breading will give you a product that tastes like something that's been fried.  I started with some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and chopped them to bite size bits.  Next I tossed those bites of chicken into a Sriracha Mayo and just let them sit for a few minutes to absorb some flavor and it later helped to hold the bread crumb on.  After the chicken was done in the mayo bath, I scooped it out in small batches, and tossed it into a zip lock bag of seasoned panko, tossed to coat and then onto a prepared sheet pan.  I used salt and pepper to season the panko.  When all the chicken was on the sheet pan, I sprayed it with a little cooking spray and popped it into the oven.  About 15 minutes into the cooking process, I flipped the chicken, sprayed it with a little more cooking spray and back into the oven.  While the chicken was cooking, I whipped up a batch of blue cheese dressing to dip the chicken in. 

When I finally took the chicken out of the oven it was brown and looked pretty crunchy.  First bite, crunch of the panko.  Juicy, moist chicken breast with a hint of heat from the sriracha.  Repeat recipe, you bet.

Popcorn Chicken

• 3 Boneless, Skinless c=Chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 cup Mayo
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha (use more if you want it spicier)
• 1 teaspoon Lime juice
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 Box panko bread crumbs
• Cooking spray
• Dipping sauce of your choice

Combine mayo, sriracha, and lime juice, season with a pinch of salt.  Add chicken breast pieces and let sit for about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile in a zip lock bag combine panko with salt and pepper.  Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.  Working with a few pieces of chicken at a time, remove chicken from mayo mixture, allowing the excess to drip off.  Drop into panko and shake to coat, place on baking sheet, repeat until all the chicken is coated.  Lightly spray tops of chicken with cooking spray.  Place sheet pan in a preheat 425 degree oven and bake for 15minutes.  Remove pan from oven, turn chicken, and lightly spray with cooking spray.  Return pan to oven and continue cooking until done, about an additional 15 minutes.  Serve with dipping sauce of choice.  Enjoy!

Riesling-Poached Pear Sorbet

Another amazing recent addition to out cook book collection is Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams At Home.  So far I've made this sorbet and an ice cream from it.  The directions are easy to follow and the product is amazing.  The reisling poached pear sorbet was smooth and creamy, but at the same time, you feel like you're eating a perfectly ripe pear. 

Let's put it this way, it passed the Rigby test.

Reisling- Poached Pear Sorbet

Source: Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams At Home

• 6 medium pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Reisling
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan; and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Continue cooking for 5 to 8 minutes, until the pears are soft.  (cooking time will vary based on the ripeness of the pears)  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Puree the pear mixture in 2 batches in a food processor until completely smooth.  Force through a sieve.  Fill a large bowl with ice and water.  Pour the mixture into a gallon ziplock freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath.  Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.

Pour sorbet base into frozen canister and spin just until the consistency of very softly whipped cream.  Pack the sorbet into a storage container, press a sheet of parchment paper against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid.  Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

 

Basic Chunky Tomato Salsa

Yesterday was one of those days I was doing EVERYTHING in my power to avoid doing laundry and I have more tomatoes than we can eat ripening right now.  So I made salsa.  The recipe I used came from the Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving.  Makes sense I would use this book as I do not posses the patience to peel and chop large quantities of tomatoes, onions, peppers, you get the point.  I love this book for many reasons, but the most important reason being the small quantity of produce needed. 

The salsa turned out perfect, not to hot, but not to mild.  It even passed the Rigby test, meaning she ate the chunks in the salsa and not just dipped her chip in the juice.  She even ate the onions and jalapenos and she despises onions and jalapenos.

Basic Chunky Tomato Salsa

Source: the Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving

Yields: 4 pints

• 8 medium tomatoes. peeled and chopped (about 2 pounds)
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 sweet green pepper, chopped
• 2-6 jalapeno peppers, halved, seeded, and chopped (the number of peppers you use will determine the heat level.  I used 3 and it was perfect for our family)
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pickling salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Combine ingredients in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, for about 25 minutes or until desired consistency, stirring frequently.

Remove hot jars from canner and ladle salsa into jars within 1/2 inch pf rim. Process using boiling water method for 20 minutes.



Dilly Beans

Let me start by saying I don't like Dilly Beans.  I think Dilly Beans are wrong.  Green beans should be eaten fresh from the garden raw or blanched and frozen.  Having said that... My husband LOVES dilly beans and REALLY wanted some.  So I made some last week.  And we tried them last night with dinner. (It was more like chips and salsa and dilly beans, with neglected leftovers) They were absolutely amazing.  Imagine a really crisp dill pickle, condensed into a green bean. 

The recipe I used was from Put 'em Up! A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook.  The only change I made was the dill weed.  Since I didn't have fresh I used 1/2 cup dried dill weed and they turned out just fine.  As a matter of fact, I discovered I do like dilly beans and you know who else likes dilly beans?  Rigby, yes the 13 year old food snob likes dilly beans.

Dilly Beans

Source: Put 'em Up!

• 4 pounds green beans, washed, topped, and tailed
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup fresh dill weed (I used 1/2 cup dries dill weed)
• 2 tablespoons dill seed
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 4 cups distilled white vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt

Cut beans into lengths 1 inch shorted than the pint jars.  (I used one bean as the "stencil")  Pack the bean vertically in eight clean, hot jars, somewhat tightly.  Divide the garlic, dill weed, dill seed, and peppercorns among the jars.  (I counted out the garlic and dropped in the pieces and mixed the dill weed and dill seed together.  It came to about 1 tablespoon of the mix per jar.  I forgot the peppercorns and add them last minute)

Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium nonreactive pan and bring to a boil.  Pour the hot brine over the beans to cover by 1/2 inch.  Leave 1/2 inch of head space between the top of the liquid and the lid.

Process using the boiling water method.  Release the trapped air.  Wipe the rims clean; center the lids on the jars and screw on the jar bands.  Process for 15 minutes.  Turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and let jars rest in the water for 5 minutes.  remove jars and set aside for 24 hours.  Check seals, then store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.



The Meatloaf

Yesterday was Labor Day and it seems like everyone was grilling, except us.  The weather finally cooled off enough and we were able to make this meatloaf recipe we've been dying to try.  This meatloaf was inspired by Mary Beth Albright.  She was a contestant on Food Network Star and this is here meatloaf recipe, for the most part.  After making this meatloaf, I will never make meatloaf any other way again.  It's a full bodied meatloaf, moist, but not greasy and mushy like meatloaf can get.  I made few modifications to here recipe, left out the basil and totally skipped the BBQ glaze, opting instead for some ketchup brushed on.  Still, by far the best meatloaf EVER!

The Meatloaf

Inspired by Mary Beth Albright (www.marybethalbright.com)

• 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
•  1 clove garlic, minced (I used 2)
• 1 cup onions, diced small
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil.  Add in parsley and tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute.  Set aside and let cool.

Combine panko and buttermilk in the bowl you're mixing the meatloaf in.  Let sit for 5 minutes, allowing the panko to soak up the buttermilk.  Mix in the cooled tomato mixture and cheese.  Stir until well combined.  Add the meat and mix with your hands until well combined.

Free form mixture into loaf form on a rimmed baking sheet.  (I learned my lesson, line it with aluminum foil to make clean up way easier)  Brush top and sides with ketchup and place in oven and bake for about 50 minutes.  Be sure to brush loaf with ketchup about every 10 minutes during the baking process.  Cool for 5 minutes prior to slicing and enjoy!