Food goodness

When I was going through fertility treatments last year, I craved roasted brussels sprouts. Pans and pans of roasted brussels sprouts. Turns out I just crave them when it's cold outside, and it really has nothing to do with injecting myself with hormones. These are so, so good. I'm going to have to insist you make them right away. from Alton Brown , who I adore 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, rinsed and trimmed 3 ounces coarsely chopped pecans 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 4 ounces coarsely chopped dried cranberries (I used dried cherries, because it's what I had in the house) Slice the Brussels sprouts using the thinnest slicing disk of a food processor. If you do not have a food processor, you may slice thinly with a knife or a mandoline. Set a 10-inch straight-sided saute pan over medium-high heat and add the pecans. Cook, stirring continually, until the pecans darken in color and begin to give

I've got bags of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which cut down on the amount of work I have to do when I want to make chicken. Unfortunately, I often run out of recipes. This one was really good, and I'm sure I'll be making it again. Ernie and I think it'd be just as good with just the marinated chicken, but he insists everything is made better by bacon. from the Pioneer Woman (my adaptations in bold) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (I used boneless, skinless thighs. so everwhere she says breasts, think thighs) Thick cut bacon 1/4 c. Bacon grease 1/2 c. Honey 1/2 c. Dijon Mustard Lemon juice 1/2 tsp. Paprika Crushed Red Pepper (optional) Sharp Cheddar Cheese 1/4 c. Canola oil To begin, mix together 1/2 cup Dijon or country/grainy mustard with 1/2 cup honey. Add juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. And have some fun here! Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne if you like things a little spicy. (I left the spicy out, so G

From Simply in Season , a More-with-Less cookbook 3 C sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 1/2 onion, chopped 1 T olive oil Saute in large frypan in oil until tender. Add water or apple juice as needed to prevent sticking. 2 C cooked black beans 1 t ground cumin 3/4 t ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt Add to pan and heat mixture through. flour tortillas cheddar cheese, shredded sour cream salsa cilantro The recipe includes an instruction to fill and roll up the tortillas (8), lightly spray with olive oil and then cover and bake at 350 for 20 min. We skipped this and assembled individual burritos fajita style and it was great. I was skeptical that the sweet potato would cook without liquid and it totally did.

I am in love with two blogs. Everybodylikessandwiches is my homie. She makes healthy, interesting food, I love her creativity and her writing, and I am completely convinced she'd fit right in to our group of friends. So much so, that I kind of fully expect this to happen one day. Smittenkitchen is my interwebs mentor. Her enthusiastic commentary makes me believe in myself in the kitchen, and as a result, try things like baking bread and roasting whole chickens. Whose food do you love?

I really like that you roast this bird in a skillet in the oven. Kev liked the results, as evidenced by the shiny new meat thermometer he put in my stocking for Christmas. ha! I actually didn't season the bird a day ahead and it was still quite lovely. Adapted from the cookbook from the Zuni Cafe, San Francisco copied and pasted here from smittenkitchen by hefk The original recipe falls over three-plus pages in a small font and includes a fantastic amount of detail. It’s a great read. However, I prefer recipes that cut to the chase a bit more, so I have edited this down significantly, into the hopefully dish- and time-saving way I would approach it next time. It is typically served with the Bread Salad (recipe at http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/12/zuni-cafe-roast-chicken-bread-salad/) but I see no reason you can’t use any of your favorite side dishes instead. To me, the real genius is getting that bird so perfectly roasted all over with only a modicum of fuss. Serves 2 to 4 One

Yet another thing I love about my Vegetarian Times subscription (thanks, Kelly!) is that you can sign up to get a seasonal recipe from the archives once a week. This one came at just the right time -- when we have a lot of citrus sitting on our counter but not very many good tomatoes -- and it is excellent. I tipped the balance way toward the oranges and away from the tomatoes; in the recipe , it's the opposite. 3 clementines, peeled and chopped [I only had two sad lonely clementines, so I used two Honeybell oranges too] 2 cups (about 1 1/4 lb.) chopped very ripe tomatoes [I used one Roma] 1/4 cup chopped white onion [I used red] 6 Tbs. finely chopped cilantro 1 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice, or more to taste 1/4 tsp. salt, or more to taste Combine all ingredients in bowl, and mix to blend. Taste for seasoning, adding more lime juice or salt if desired. This salsa is even better the next day. [I wouldn't know, because I ate 90% of it on a burrito for lunch.]

Hefk and I both made this Smitten Kitchen recipe last weekend. I think she followed the directions properly, and hers came out delicious. I screwed it up in two different ways (1. using yeast that expired in November 2007; 2. foretting the powdered milk in the first step) but made random adjustments and it also turned out delicious. I immediately decided that this is the most forgiving, perfect bread in the world and it is amazing with honey and in sandwiches and I look forward to eating it as a snack when I get home from work and I am never ever buying supermarket bread again. Of course, I tried it again today, and it is... not quite as delicious. It didn't rise enough and it's a little flattened, a little dense. I'm chalking this up to the expired yeast, though, which I didn't coddle quite as much as I did last week, and I'm going to venture a guess that this is still a forgiving, perfect bread recipe. Makes one 2-lb. loaf 2 1/2 cups (11.25 oz) unbleached high-gl

Bread! Made with yeast! Gwen is probably thinking "geez, took her long enough." All I know is that I'm on a good baking streak right now. And I think I'll be making lots of bread. With yeast! This bread was super easy to make and tastes really good. I made with with Parmesan this time, but I think I'll try it with Asiago cheese the next time, because I really love Asiago. And everything's better with cheese. from Annie's Eats For the biga (starter): 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup whole wheat, pumpernickel or rye flour 1 cup warm water 1/8 tsp. instant yeast For the dough: all of the starter 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup warm water 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. instant yeast 4-5 oz. Parmesan (or other) cheese, cut into 1/4-inch dice, plus extra for grating over the top To make the biga, combine all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix until well blended. Cover the bowl, and leave it at cool room temperature (68-70 degrees F) for 12-20

I usually make my pot roast in the slow cooker, but this was really, really good. adapted from "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman 1 clove garlic 1 piece chuck or rump roast 1 bay leaf salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 Tbsp. olive or peanut oil 2 c. chopped onions 1 c. peeled and chopped carrots 1/2 c. red wine 1 c. beef broth Peel the garlic clove and cut it into tiny slivers; insert the slivers into several spots around the roast, poking holes with a thin-bladed knife. Rub meat with salt and pepper. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Brown meat on all sides, taking your time. Adjust the heat so the meat browns but the fat does not burn. Remove the meat to a platter and add the vegetables to the Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the red wine and cook, scraping the bottom, until the wine has just about evaporated. Add about half the stock and the bay leaf, return the roast to the pot, and turn the

I bought a big pork roast the other day without the slightest clue how I wanted to cook it. So I turned to Mark Bittman, because he's never steered me wrong. from How to Cook Everything 4 cloves garlic, peeled 1 medium onion, quartered 2 Tbsp. fresh oregano, or 1 Tbsp. dried 1 Tbsp. salt 2 tsp. freshly ground pepper 2 Tbsp. peanut oil (preferred) or any other oil 2 Tbsp. wine or cider vinegar 1 (4-7 lb) pork shoulder or fresh ham Mix the first five ingredients together in a food processor, adding the oil in a drizzle and scraping the sides as necessary. Blend in the vinegar. Rub this mixture well into the pork, getting into every nook and cranny you can find. Set meat on a rack and let sit, uncovered, for 1 to 24 hours. Refrigerate if time is greater than 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350. Roast the pork for about 3 hours, turning every 30 minutes, until it is well done and very tender. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting it up.

I know Becky recently posted a recipe for shepherd's pie, but I had these leftover parsnips that I didn't know what to do with -- and I don't think I'd actually ever eaten shepherd's pie before this, let alone made it, so I wasn't brave enough to start experimenting. And this recipe was REALLY good... both J. and I kept exclaiming about how savory and delicious and warm it was. 2 pounds small yellow-fleshed potatoes, halved 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 10 ounces cremini mushroom slices 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 parsnips, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 onion, chopped 1 pound 93-percent lean ground beef [I used turkey, but Kel, you might be able to get away with soy crumble... maybe...] 1/4 cup flour 1 1/2 cups beef broth [I used vegetable] 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes Salt and pepper 3/4 cup 2-percent milk 1 1/2 pounds baby spinach 1. In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes and enough salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then lower

Courtesy of Nigella Express . I've been meaning to try this recipe since my birthday when my MIL gave me this cookbook...pity it took so long to make because it's quite yummy. 1 T butter 1 T veg oil (I used all butter) 2 baby leeks or 2 fat scallions, finely sliced (I had neither and used a bit of yellow onion, minced) 1.5 C arborio rice 1/2 C white wine (I used a sauvignon blanc) 1 t dijon mustard (I probably put in more than that) 4 C hot veg stock 1 C grated cheddar (use sharp cheddar if you have it) 2 T chopped chives (I didn't have any so I used parsley) Melt butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. I like to use my dutch oven for this. Cook the onions until soft. Add the rice and stir for a minute or so. Add wine and mustard and stir until wine is absorbed. Add a ladleful of hot stock at a time and allow it to absorb. Stir rice before adding the next ladleful of stock. When rice is al dente (about 20 min or so), add cheese and stir until it melts. Serve immedia

Also from Joy the Baker . So, I tweaked this recipe a bit and instead of using a layer of peanut butter fudge and a layer of chocolate fudge I combined them together and used my mom's recipe for 2 minute fudge with peanut butter. Either way it turned out tasty and delicious. So delicious that I had to send the dish of treats to Michael's office or I would have been tempted to eat half a pan. Make one batch of Rice Krispy treats according to pkg directions. Spread into an even layer in a 9x13 pan. Set aside and make fudge. 2 Minute Fudge 1 lb 10X sugar 1 C cocoa (I used Hershey's) 1 stick butter 1 t vanilla 1/2 C milk 1 C peanut butter Sift sugar and cocoa into a microwave safe bowl. Add all remaining ingredients except milk and peanut butter. Microwave on high for 2 minutes or until butter is melted (our current microwave requires 2.5 min). Pour in milk and stir vigorously. When all igredients are combined and smooth add peanut butter and stir to incorporate. You m

From Joy the Baker . Alissa shared this blog with me and now I'm addicted to reading it regularly. Makes 12-15 muffins 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour 1 1/4 cups oats 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 2 tbsp canola oil 1 large egg, lightly beaten 3/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper cases or spray with nonstick cooking spray. I used a 9x9 pyrex dish (I can't find my bread pan and my muffin tin sucks...durr...) In a large bowl combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a medium bowl combine applesauce, buttermilk, sugar, oil and egg. Make a well in dry ingredients and add applesauce mixture. Stir until just moist. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes for muffins and if you do it in a baking dish expect to bake for about 30 min

A good recipe for a snowy Thursday night. I added zucchini and blended part of it with the immersion blender. I also didn't have any white beans and used black instead, which tastes fine but looks, I suspect, a bit worse than the original would. From cooks.com : 3 1/2 c. water 1 tsp. cumin seeds 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinned chicken breasts 1 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 lg. onion, chopped (1 c.) 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I also added 1 lg. zucchini, chopped) 1 1/2 c. frozen white corn kernels, thawed 1 can (15 1/2 oz.) Great Northern beans, undrained 3 cans (4 oz. each) chopped green chilies, undrained (I omitted and chopped up part of a poblano instead) 3 tbsp. lime juice 2 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. ground coriander 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper 1/3 c. reduced-fat sour cream 2 tbsp. cilantro, fresh, chopped Combine the water and cumin seeds in a large saucepan. Bring to boiling. Add chicken. Lower the heat; cover the saucepan and simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender. D

From Simply Recipes . These are very light and not too sweet -- I made them for New Year's Eve and they were gone within 24 hours. 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup of sugar 1 egg, room temperature 1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 ½ large bananas) (I might increase this slightly next time for a more banana-y taste) 1 teaspoon of baking soda 2 cups of flour pinch of salt 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon of ground mace or nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves 1 cup of pecans (walnuts and chocolate chips are fine alternatives) (I used chocolate chips. no shock there.) 1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. 2 In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise. 3 Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixtu

These sound very very similar to the recipe Alissa posted below, just with wonton wrappers instead of puff pastry. From the Nasoya Web site : 1 pkg of Nasoya® Won Ton wraps 1 (14-oz) pkg of Nasoya® Organic Firm tofu (I omitted) 10 ounces fresh spinach (I doubled this) 15 ounces ricotta cheese 3/4 c grated Pecorino Romano cheese 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground black pepper (I added pinches of parsley, cayenne and nutmeg) Cook spinach with 2 tbsp of water in the microwave or on the stovetop for 5 minutes or until just wilted. Let cool and drain excess water. Place tofu in a food processor and pulse until it is pureed. Add the ricotta cheese, pulse until combined, then add spinach and grated cheese (and parsley and other spices) and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Take a wrap and place approximately 2 tbsp of mixture in the center of each wrap. Do not place filling near the

Easy as can be. And so, so tasty. From Food Network 1 quart heavy cream 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped 1 cup vanilla sugar, divided 6 large egg yolks 2 quarts hot water Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hou

Pia taught me to make these in our California apartment back in 2000, and Kev and I made them around or on New Year's Eve in 2003, 2005, 2006 and now 2008. It takes some time, but it's fun to assemble these while watching a movie or chatting with willing helpers. I haven't figured out a good veg version. That's the next project. The directions as she gave them to me are in regular font, my notes are in italics. You will eventually need about 2 packages of wonton skins/wrappers . combine in one very large bowl: 2 pkg/2.5lb of ground pork (about 1 K) 2 T soy sauce (more) 2 t salt 2 t black pepper (more) 1 t white pepper (more) 1 t toasted sesame oil 1 T cooking sherry or other aromatic alcohol 1 t Chinese five spice Stir these ingredients in one direction to keep the meat fibers sticking to one another so the jiaozi don't fall apart when cooking. I use my hands to mix this part . Cover and refrigerate. All of the remaining veg need to be finely minced so the m