Food goodness

Got this from the Washington Post, including the summary. Summary: I'm betting this will find a semi-permanent spot in any omnivore's weeknight rotation. The sauce is sweet and tart, thanks to dried cherries, winy elements and Dijon-style mustard; some of it is used to glaze the onions and the quick-cooking, lean steak, with more served at the finish. Non-meat-eaters would like this sauce on a baked sweet potato or grilled portobello mushrooms. The meat can be cooked on a gas grill or under the broiler. Serve on top of baby arugula leaves lightly dressed with olive oil. 4 servings Ingredients: 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup dry red wine 1/2 cup dried tart cherries 1/2 cup sugar 3 medium red onions* 1 1/2 to 2 pounds thinly sliced top-round minute steak, cut into serving-size pieces** Salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard Directions: Combine the vinegar, water, red wine, dried cherries and sugar over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil,

These were very good, too. We had these Christmas Eve with ham and roasted vegetables. Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1 sprig fresh thyme 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg Butter 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for broiling Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a saucepan, heat up the cream with a sprig of thyme, chopped garlic and nutmeg. While cream is heating up, butter a casserole dish. Place a layer of potato in an overlapping pattern and season with salt and pepper. Remove cream from heat, then pour a little over the potatoes. Top with some grated Parmesan. Make 2 more layers. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Sprinkle some more Parmesan and broil until cheese browns, about 5 minutes.

Ernie requested this for Christmas Eve, so I had to go looking for a recipe. This one was really simple, and it was all gone that night, so it was good, right? 1 pkg. (4 serving size) Pistachio Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling 1 (20 ounce) can Crushed Pineapple, in juice, undrained 1 cup Miniature Marshmallows 1/2 cup chopped Pecans 1 1/2 cups thawed Whipped Topping Mix dry pudding mix, pineapple, marshmallows and pecans in large bowl until well blended. Add whipped topping; stir gently until well blended. Cover. Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.

from King Arthur Flour According to KAF, this is "a lovely cake for Thanksgiving breakfast; and makes a satisfying autumn dessert, as well." I made it on Christmas Eve, and we had it for and with breakfast on Christmas Day. It was absolutely delicious, and incredibly easy. Geoff took the leftovers into the office this morning. I'm sure he won't be bringing any home. 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter 1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk or yogurt (low-fat is fine) 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup (10 3/4 ounces) whole berry cranberry sauce 1/2 cup blanched slivered or sliced almonds, toasted* Glaze 3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) milk 1/2 teaspoon almond extract *Spread almonds in an ungreased 9" round cake pan, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 8 to 10 m

I'm far away from Amish country right now, but the person who posted this on RecipeZaar says this recipe hails from the ol' hometown. Perfect for Jews on Christmas morning. :) 3 cups rolled oats 1 cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 2 eggs 1/2 cup melted butter 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3/4 cup dried cranberries (I used golden raisins) 1. Preheat oven to 350. 2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in dried cranberries. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish. 3. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Note: Might be a good idea to let this sit for a while before trying to cut and serve... I'd envisioned it coming out of the baking dish in one solid chunk, like a casserole, but mine definitely fell apart when I cut it basically immediately after pulling it out of the oven, because it smelled too good to wait.

from Cooking Light Dec. 2007 1 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (about 6 2/3 ounces) 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces 1/3 cup ice water 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and measuring spoons; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine 1/3 cup ice water and vanilla; drizzle over flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until moist. Place dough on plastic wrap; shape dough into a 12-inch log. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap; chill at least 1 hour or until dough is firm. Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap dough log. Cut dough log into 24 (1/2-inch-thick) slices; place slices 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 15 m

By special request -- I made this for lunch today and Becky, Ernie and I each ate two bowls apiece. adapted from Soups by Williams and Sonoma 1/4 c. unsalted butter 2 lb leeks, white portions only, trimmed, carefully washed and thinly sliced 6 c. chicken stock, vegetable stock or water 2 lb. baking potatoes, peeled, quartered length-wise and thinly sliced salt and pepper 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives (optional) In a large saucepan, melt the better over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté just until they begin to soften, 3-5 minutes. Add the stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the ptoatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Blend if desired with immersion blender, or leave chunky. Can also add about 1 c. half and half or light cream, if desired. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chives.

Bon Appétit, December 2005 My old roommate Kristen used to make these for holidays and other parties, and I would find myself sneaking into the kitchen to snag a bunch of these before she would put them out for the other guests. They were super fantastic. I haven't attempted them yet, but hope to make them for our holiday party this weekend. 1/2 cup unsweetened medium shredded coconut* 3 large egg whites 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup coarsely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (pieces will vary in size from shavings to the size of small peas; about 2 1/2 ounces) Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut evenly on baking sheet; bake until toasted and evenly golden, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Cool. Reduce oven temperature to 275°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar; beat until peaks are thick and fluffy. Fold in coconut and chocolate. Drop generous rounded teaspoonfuls batter

From Cooking Light, December 2007 2 3/4 cups regular oats 1/2 cup slivered almonds 1/2 cup dried cherries 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots 1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts 1/3 cup golden raisins 1/2 cup honey 1/3 cup butter, melted Preheat oven to 350°. Combine oats, almonds, and next 4 ingredients (through raisins) in a medium bowl. Combine honey and butter. Drizzle honey mixture over oat mixture; toss to coat. Spread mixture in a single layer onto a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes; stir. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on pan. Break into pieces.

This recipe is from Simply Recipes. It's incredibly easy to throw together and it tastes incredible, too. 12 oz. of high-quality white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips 5 regular sized candy canes, crushed up 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract Break up peppermint candy into little pieces. Melt the chocolate according to the manufacturer's instructions. Once melted, add the peppermint extract and stir. Pour the melted chocolate out onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and spread out with a spatula or wooden spoon. Sprinkle the peppermint candy chunks on to the chocolate and gently press them in with yours hands. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes or until hardened. Break into pieces and serve or store in the fridge in an airtight container.

From: Culinary in the Country I first found, and then lost, this recipe a couple of weeks ago. I really wanted to make them for our office party last week, where I have been taste-testing cookies for possible inclusion in our wedding cookie bar next year. After searching all the usual food blogs and not finding it again, I put out an SOS to Shannon, who found the recipe promptly. I think I missed it because I was looking for Rollo cookies, and the title clearly says "caramel-filled." At any rate, they were a big hit at work and at home, and I think will make it onto the cookie bar. The actual chocolate cookie isn't tremendously sweet, which works for me because I don't like super sweet things. This has more of a dark-chocolate flavor. I thought they were best just out of the oven while the caramel was still warm and gooey. 1 cup butter,softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teas

These are supposed to be wheat free, but I didn't have any gluten free white flour or gluten free baking powder, so they're just normal. If you wanted them wheat free, though, just substitute those two ingredients. This recipe is from Waitrose's monthly recipe cards. 125g slightly salted butter, softened 150g light brown sugar 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 150g plain white flour, sifted 1 tsp baking powder 100g white chocolate, chopped into small chunks 50g fresh or dried cranberries 1. Preheat the oven to 200 C /400 F. 2. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla together until light and creamy. 3. Stir in the flour, baking powder, chocolate and cranberries, plus 2 tablespoons of cold water and mix until they are thoroughly combined. 4. Place heaped teaspoons of the mixture onto the baking trays, leaving plenty of space between them for the cooks to expand during cooking. 5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. (My first batch had burned

These are like sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking. They're so easy and absolutely delicious. The recipe is from Betty Crocker's cookbook. 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 1/2 cup shortening 2 large eggs 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp cream of tartar 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup sugar 2 tsp ground cinnamon (You can use self-rising flour, which I did, but be sure to leave out the cream of tartar, baking soda and salt) 1. Heat oven to 400 F 2. In a large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, the butter, shortening and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. 3. Shape the dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon sugar mixture then place on an ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. 4. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

This is a wonderful slow cooker recipe that fills the house with its delicious aroma and makes me hungry all day. It's from The Slow Cooker Cookbook by Gina Steer. Serves 4 225g / 8oz dried black beans, soaked overnight (I use kidney beans and pinto beans as well) 2 tbsp sunflower oil 1 large red onion, peeled and chopped 2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 2 celery sticks, trimmed and chopped 1/2 - 1 tsp dried crushed chillies 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried mustard powder 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped 8 spicy pork or Toulouse sausages 410g / 14 1/2oz can chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp maple syrup 300ml / 1/2 pint beef or chicken stock 2 fresh bay leaves 1. Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water. Next day, preheat the cooker on high while preparing the ingredients. Drain the beans, rinse and place in a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Boil steadily for 10 minutes, then drain and place in the slow cooker. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying

This is from my supervisor at work. She makes great baked goods, and apparently this is a recipe that she made sometime last year, before I started working here, but people still talk about these cookies. (The notes are hers. I haven't had a chance to try them yet, but I didn't want to wait to post them since they sound so good!) Makes about 25 sandwiches 1 cup packed light-brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 2 large eggs, room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots, (about 3 large carrots) 1 cup chocolate chips (the original recipe calls for raisins) Cream Cheese Frosting: cream 8 oz butter until fluffy, add 8 oz cream cheese and beat until smooth, add 1 lb confectioner’s sugar and

from Cooking Light (June 1998, but I found it on their website) This was really easy to put together, and we liked the combination of flavors. It helps that I love chickpeas. 2 teaspoons olive oil 2 cups chopped tomato 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 cups hot cooked angel hair (about 6 ounces uncooked pasta) 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Asiago cheese 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Basil sprigs (optional) Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomato and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes. Add pasta, basil, salt, pepper, and chickpeas; cook 2 minutes. Place mixture in a bowl; stir in cheese and vinegar, and garnish with basil, if desired. Yield: 4 servings (1-1/2 cups)

from Cooking Light, Dec. 2007 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 3/4 cup white chocolate chips 1 1/2 cups oven-toasted rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies) 3/4 cup dried cherries 1/3 cup slivered almonds Cover a large baking sheet with wax paper. Place semisweet and white chocolate chips in a medium glass bowl; microwave at HIGH 45 seconds. Stir, and microwave an additional 45 seconds or until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Add cereal and remaining ingredients; stir quickly to combine. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet; chill 1 hour or until firm.

from Cooking Light, Dec. 2007 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 1/2 ounces) 1 cup regular oats 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/3 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 large egg 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips Preparation Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring with a whisk; set aside. Place sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg; beat until blended. Gradually add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in pecans and minichips. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; c

adapted from Gourmet, Dec. 2007 I've taken the liberty of changing the directions a little, because they made no sense to me the way they were written. This was quick to pull together, and very tasty. You could easily make it vegetarian by omitting the sausage and increasing the mushrooms, or you could substitute turkey Italian sausage. We, however, used good old pork sausage. It made enough for Ernie to have seconds, and for me to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. 2 lb. precooked polenta (we used some that was garlic and sundried tomato flavored), cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds 1/3 c. grated parmesan 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casing removed (I used the stuff in the big tube, so I didn't have to remove the casing) 1/2 lb. mixed sliced fresh wild mushrooms 1/2 c. dry red wine 1 1/2 c. bottled marinara sauce Preheat broiler. Broil polenta rounds on a lightly oiled large heavy baking sheet until lightly browned in spots, about 7 minutes. Turn rou

I got this recipe from another blog I read. The author had gotten the recipe from Allrecipes.com, where it was called chicken and dumplings. Geoff and I thought it was more like a pot pie, so I'm renaming it here. The crust isn't a traditional pot pie crust, which is why I'm putting that part in quotes. Maybe if you left out the veggies, it would be more chicken-and-dumplings-ish. 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (we used the Healthy Request version) 1 can condensed cream of celery soup (we used the Healthy Request version) 1 onion, finely diced Veggies of your choice (we used a frozen bag of corn, peas, and carrots) -- optional Enough chicken broth to cover the chicken (we used about a cup, maybe more) 1 (10 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces Place the chicken, soup, and onion (and veggies if you so choose) in a slow cooker, and fill with enough chicken broth to cover. Cover, and cook for 8-9 hours on lo

From Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian -- Chanukah present! Yay! These muffins have infinite variations, but I made them with yogurt and blueberries tonight, and they were delicious and v. healthy. Basic muffin recipe: 3 T melted butter or neutral oil (grapeseed or corn) 2 c all-purpose flour 1/4 c sugar, or to taste 1/2 t salt 3 t baking powder 1 egg 1 c milk, plus more if needed 1. Preheat oven to 400. Grease standard 12-c muffin tin or line with muffin cups. 2. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Beat together the egg, milk, and melted butter or oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it. Using a large spoon or rubber spatula, combine the ingredients swiftly, stirring and folding rather than beating and stopping as soon as all the dry ingredients are moistened. The batter should be lumpy but smooth, and thick but quite moist; add a little more milk or other liquid if necessary. 3. Spoon batter into the muffin tin

When Becky and I were on our way back from Baldwin on Friday, we were talking (what else?) food. She shared this recipe with me and since I don't see it on the blog, I'm putting it up here. I didn't believe her completely when she said how good it was, but I trust Becky's taste in food, so I tried it. She's right, it's that good. And easy. 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 can corn (I used the no-salt kind) 1 can black beans 1 jar medium (or hot) salsa Put the chicken breasts on the bottom of the slow cooker. Dump all the other stuff (don't drain) on top. Cook on low for at least 5 hours. I cooked mine for 9 hours, Becky says she sometimes cooks it for 11 hours. Shred the chicken with two forks. Serve on tortillas with other taco fixings, if you like. Or eat it out of the crockpot, which I'm not ashamed to admit I just did. We'll be eating it later this week in taco salads (with baked taco shells).

Made this for a friend in lieu of a birthday cake -- she loves bourbon and loved this bread pudding, but it is quite bourbon-y and I'd recommend serving the sauce on the side. I thought it was best without the sauce, with just the little taste from the raisins. No leftovers, but I think it would have been good the day after. from Simply Recipes Bourbon Sauce: * 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted * 1 cup sugar * 1 egg * 1 cup Kentucky bourbon whiskey (I don't think you necessarily need this much) Bread Pudding: * 1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch squares (about 6-7 cups) * 1 qt milk * 3 eggs, lightly beaten * 2 cups sugar * 2 Tbsp vanilla * 1 cup raisins (soaked overnight in 1/4 cup bourbon) * 1/4 teaspoon allspice * 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon * 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted Bourbon Sauce: In a saucepan, melt butter; add sugar and egg, whisking to blend well. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.