Food goodness

I have so much leftover protein from before/Christmas/after that it's not even funny. Not even a little bit. In a quest to do something with it other than just eat it over and over for dinner (don't worry, we froze it -- no food poisoning going on here, I hope), I've been looking for ways to "repurpose" our leftovers. With the leftover standing rib roast, I made vegetable beef barley soup. And after we ate that for dinner, I froze the leftover soup for lunches. With some of the leftover ham, I made this stew. I froze it all, because no one wants to eat bean soup in the house but me. (they're no fun) And it made a mighty fine lunch today, if I do say so myself. adapted slightly from Serious Eats 1 pound dried beans such as Great Northern, Cannellini, or Tarbais, soaked in water at room temperature overnight. (I used Navy beans, actually) 1 pound leftover smoked ham bones, scraps, and/or meat 3 quarts low-sodium chicken stock or water (I used a combo of the two)...

It would have helped if I'd posted this recipe before Christmas, right? When you still had holiday baking to do and needed a quick, good sugar cookie recipe. Consider this a jump start on next year's planning. These are good cookies, the dough is easy to work with, and they made the kids happy. All I need for a winning recipe. from The Kitchn 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 2 ounces cream cheese (1/4 of a standard cream cheese package) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 teaspoon lemon zest 3 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and add the sugar. Cream until light and fluffy. Add the egg, and beat until golden. Add the cream cheese and again beat until well incorporated. Add the flavorings and lemon zest. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl then add, bit by bit, to the butter/sugar mixture until fully incorporated. ...

I need a break from Christmas, but give me a couple days and I'll need one last go 'round. SAK and I were hoping to bake cookies but we didn't fit it in yet, so we're going to make these. I hope she'll want to eat them, considering how spicy Smitten says they are...more for me with my daily pot of tea! (One cup of molasses people! It's winter and we need our iron!) From Smitten Kitchen who says... Barely adapted from Martha Stewart, who knows a thing or two about gingerbread This gingerbread is spicy and dark, chewy but sturdy and only a little sweet. If you’re used to more tepid gingerbread men, it will surprise you. If you always found gingerbread a little boring, it will delight you. 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 4 teaspoons ground ginger 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves 1 teaspoon finely ground pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt 1 cup (2 sticks or 1/2 pound) uns...

We had these with our Christmas dinner, and they were fantastic. I didn't change a thing, other than to omit the salt, because my mom is on a low sodium diet. So here, go to Smitten Kitchen and make these mushrooms.

Ok, this recipe was originally from my mom's employee, Doneen. I've made it many times as is, but this morning I doctored it up a bit. I'll put my additions in italics. 1/4 C. oil or applesauce ( I used homemade applesauce I had canned ) 1/2 C. sugar ( I used half white sugar and half brown sugar ) 1 egg 1.5 C. quick oats ( I used old fashioned oats ) 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 C. milk 1/2 C. raisins, soaked first in hot water, then drained dash of nutmeg dash of allspice dash of cinnamon 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced Preheat oven to 350. Cream oil (or applesauce), sugar and egg. Add oats, baking powder, salt, milk, raisins, nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon; mix well. Spray an 8" baking dish with non-stick spray, or grease with butter. Place diced apples in the baking dish. Pour oatmeal mixture over apples in the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with milk.

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Foods . I happened to catch an episode of Everyday Foods on PBS about a week ago and this was one of the dishes featured. Michael and I really liked it and very happily ate the leftovers for lunch for the next 2 days. Serves 6. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced Coarse salt and ground pepper 2 shallots or half of a small onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup cup shredded gouda cheese (4 ounces) (Martha used Fontina but I used what I had on hand) 1 slice day-old bread, cubed -or- 2 handfuls of panko 1 handful of rolled oats 1 large egg 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves (I used dried sage) 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (93 percent lean) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Cook mushrooms, stirring once or twice, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside. Return skillet to medium and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add shal...

Geoff and I made this for Thanksgiving, and it was a hit. Bonus #1: it's done in the crock pot, which frees up your oven. Bonus #2: it makes the house smell really good. Source: Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker: Recipes for Entertaining, by Beth Hensperger Serves 6-8 Size of slow cooker: medium or large round or oval (Hensperger defines medium as 3-4.5 quarts and large as 5-7 quarts). Setting and cook time: Low for 6-7 hours * 2 pounds yams, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick * 2 medium-size tart cooking apples, such as Fuji or pippin, peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced 1/2 inch thick * one 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems * 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar * 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon * 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg * 1/2 cup unfiltered apple or pear juice (see note below) * 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits 1. Coat the inside of the crock with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Alternate slices of the yams and apples in the crock,...

We had so much kale and other miscellaneous dark leafy greens from our CSA, and this used them up delightfully. The taste certainly comes through, but it's tempered by the creamy goat cheese and the sharp lemon. Originally from 101 Cookbooks . (Kelly, I was wrong -- not Simply Recipes after all!) Her notes: I used penne here, but you can substitute whatever pasta you like. Spinach can be substituted for the kale if you like as well. My notes: I used some fancypants spinach egg noodles that I got for Chanukah. And I definitely will be using other random leafy greens the CSA chooses to throw at us. 4 cloves of garlic, peeled 4 small shallots, peeled [I used a regular white onion) 1 small bunch of kale - 1/2 lb / 8 oz, stalks removed, washed well [mine was two ziplocs full of curly and straight and who knows what kinds of kale] 1/3 cup / 80 ml extra virgin olive oil [I just used a glug or so] 1/3 cup / 2 oz goat cheese, plus more for topping 2 tablespoons + hot...

Adapted from the Lake Austin Spa Resort recipe from Shape Magazine. Serves approx. 6 12 oz. buckwheat noodles 1 C shelled edamame 2 cloves garlic 1 inch piece ginger, peeled 1/3 C hoisin sauce (I omitted b/c I was out and just added more of the other ingredients) 1/3 C mirin 1 T + 1 t brown sugar 2 t sesame oil 1-2 t chili sauce (I use Sambal Olek) 2 t fish sauce 2 T soy sauce or tamari 1 C grated carrot 1 C red and yellow peppers, julienned 1 C sliced water chestnuts 3 scallions, thinly sliced 1/4 C fresh cilantro (omitted) 2 T black and white sesame seeds, lightly toasted 1.25 lbs center-cut salmon fillet* Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add noodles and edamame. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until soba is al dente. Drain noodles and edamame and rinse under cool water; set aside. In a food processor, add garlic thru soy sauce/tamari and whiz until blended. Pour noodles and edamame in a large bowl and add veg. Pour over sauce and sesame seeds and toss to combine. Chill i...

Adapted from: Allrecipes.com I adapted this to make it healthier, and it still tasted great. I used Kelly's go-to substitute for heavy cream: a can of evaporated skim milk. It was still rich and creamy, minus all the fat. I also scooped out and baked the seeds from the squash, just like pumpkin seeds! 3 delicata squash, halved lengthwise and seeded 2 medium onions, chopped 2-3 cups vegetable broth, depending on how thick you want it 12 oz can of evaporated skim milk 1 tablespoon butter salt to taste ground black pepper to taste Directions Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place the squash, cut sides down, in a baking dish. Bake 35-40 minutes or until tender. Cool. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until onion is softened but not brown. Scrape the squash out of the flesh and add to onions. Add the stock and heavy evaporated milk. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Puree the soup in...

This is in the slow cooker right now. You can eat it over rice with some veggies (like we plan to do) or make some sort of lettuce wraps. Get some fresh rice paper at the Asian store and wrap it in that! I bet it's even good in a whole wheat tortilla. 1 giant pork roast -- mine was about 8 pounds, I think ginger -- a lot. I used the stuff in the squeezy tube, because I had it and it was easy. If not, just get a huge piece and grate it up. 6-8 cloves garlic, smashed 1 bottle hoisin sauce, 12-15 ounces -- again, get thee to an Asian market. Hoisin sauce is cheap there, and you can buy it in big bottles. Plop that pork roast in the slow cooker. Put the grated ginger (or the squeezy ginger) on top. Throw in the garlic cloves. Pour the hoisin on top. Cook for 10 hours, or until the pork is able to be shredded with 2 forks. (Freeze all the extras, and you've got a couple meals!)

Yum! Yuuuuuuummmmmmmmm! These were really super awesome good. Very easy, take no time at all to make, and your house will smell amazing. Adapted from: Culinary in the Desert 1 cup granulated sugar (a little less would probably be fine, too) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 large egg white 4 tablespoons Kahlua 4 cups pecan halves Preheat oven to 325 In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together egg white and Kahlua. Add pecans and stir well to combine. Sprinkle half the sugar mixture on top - mix well. Pour the rest of the sugar on top and stir until completely combined. Scoop the mixture onto a large baking sheet lined with foil and coated with nonstick spray. Spread the pecans to an even single layer. Bake until pecans are lightly toasted and browned, stirring every 10 minutes - about 20 to 25 minutes total. Remove from the oven and scoop the hot pecans onto wax or parchment paper to cool completely.

From: 101 Cookbooks These cookies are like chocolate meringues full of walnuts. I made them to put into the holiday goodie box for my intern, who is gluten-intolerant. These aren't my favorite cookie overall, but they were a pretty good gluten-free choice. 3 cups / 11 oz / 310 g walnut halves, toasted & cooled 4 cups / 1 lb / 453 g confectioner's (powdered) sugar 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons / 2 oz / 60 g unsweetened cocoa powder scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt 4 large egg whites, room temperature 1 tablespoon real, good-quality vanilla extract Preheat oven to 320F / 160C degrees and position racks in the top and bottom third. Line three (preferably rimmed) baking sheets with parchment paper. Or you can bake in batches with fewer pans. Make sure your walnuts have cooled a bit, then chop coarsely and set aside. Sift together the confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, and sea salt. Stir in the walnuts, then add the egg whites and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Sp...

From: Taste of Home I made this as one of the dishes for our Christmas party last night and it went over well. In the past I used to use a cranberry-apple chutney topping from TJ's, but they discontinued it this year, so I found this recipe to try instead. Everyone liked it, even though most people couldn't figure out what was in it. :) 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons water 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar Dash salt 1/2 to 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed 1 round Brie cheese (8 ounces) In a small saucepan, combine the apricots, brown sugar, water, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in rosemary. Remove rind from top of cheese. Place in an ungreased ovenproof serving dish. Spread apricot mixture over cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is softened. Serve with crackers. Yield: 6-8 servi...

This is a Weight Watchers recipe, which I modified slightly from Veggie Venture . She says it's either one point or zero points, depending on how you choose to identify it. I tasted it after it finished cooking, and it's really, really good. I'm going to stick it in the freezer for easy lunches for the next two weeks, when I'll need a break from all the holiday overindulgence. (Plus, I'm going to be counting points for real in just a few weeks, so I'm going to need recipes like this in my back pocket!) 6 cups vegetable broth (I used 6 cups water and vegetable Better than Bouillon) 2 cups bok choy, chopped 2 cups Chinese/Napa cabbage, chopped 1/4 cup fresh ginger, thinly sliced and julienned (they somehow didn't have ginger in the store when I went last week, so I bought this ginger puree in a tube. I just squirted some in) 4 oyster mushrooms, sliced thin (they didn't have any oyster mushrooms either. I threw in a whole container of white button mushrooms...

Based on this recipe for winter squash, red lentil and chickpea stew, but with fewer ingredients. It comes out very orange. Serves 4-6 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 medium carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick 1 cup chopped onion (1 large) 1 pound pumpkin or winter squash, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro plain nonfat yogurt Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Halve squash and scoop out the seeds. Sprinkle with cayenne, salt and black pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 30-45 minutes, or until squash is squashy. Scoop out squash and cut into chunks. Set aside. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat oil and add onions and carrots and cook until beginning to soften. Stir in br...

adapted just slightly from: Annie's Eats My first attempt at a recipe that requires a candy thermometer! These were actually very easy to make, and I am going to put them in the goody boxes that I give to my coworkers on Friday (along with a couple of kinds of cookies). I used fleur de sel from Williams-Sonoma, because I wasn't sure if the regular coarse sea salt that I already had in my cabinet would be too salty or not. I even had to substitute some of the sugar for turbinado, because I was inexplicably out of sugar. I ended up using about 1/2 regular and 1/2 turbinado, and it still turned out just fine. Yield: 64 caramels Ingredients: 1 cup heavy cream 5 tbsp. unsalted butter ½ tsp. vanilla extract 1 vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise and scraped 1¼ tsp. fleur de sel, plus more for sprinkling 1½ cups sugar ¼ cup light corn syrup ¼ cup water Directions: Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment. In a sma...

This is so good that I just opted to eat it for lunch AND dinner, despite the fact that there is leftover Thai food in the fridge. I don't even recognize myself right now. From a blog called An Edible Mosaic . I doubled the recipe, which made it fit in a 9x13 casserole dish, and I substituted some winter veggies from our CSA for the eggplant. (Yield: 2 servings) [I got 6 out of doubling it somehow; didn't measure any of my vegetables] Eggplant: 1 small (1/2 lb) eggplant, thinly sliced into about 1/4-inch rounds Olive oil Salt and pepper [I used two large leeks and a medium-sized acorn squash.] Quinoa/Tomato Layer: 1/4 c quinoa 2 tsp olive oil 1 small onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 c tomato sauce (store-bought or homemade…if you want to make homemade, roasted tomato sauce or thick marinara sauce would be nice) 1/4 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp dried mint [I didn't have this and probably threw in about 2 t Italian seasoning] Pinch allspice Salt and pepper ...

Last week we threw a baby shower for one of our interns who is due in a couple of weeks. She has been craving Indian food throughout her pregnancy, and is also gluten-intolerant. SO....we threw a gluten-free, vegetarian, Indian-food baby shower for her on Friday. Yum! Everything was so good and the office smelled amazing all afternoon. Anyway, this was my contribution. I tripled the recipe, cooked it the night before, and then brought it to work in a crockpot and reheated it before the party. I think you could probably cook the whole thing in the crockpot if you wanted- just cook the sauce ingredients for awhile, puree, then add the chickpeas and cook longer. Served it with chopped cilantro on top. Adapted slightly from The Wednesday Chef . Serves 2-4. 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon minced ginger 1 small Thai bird chili, chopped or 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes, with liquid 1 1/2 teaspoons papri...

You'd think all I do is bake bread and cookies, wouldn't you? I swear that I cook regular food, too. I made these to serve at our holiday open house tomorrow and they are quite tasty and festive. But not so festive that you couldn't serve them at another time of year. Or leave out the peppermint extract and sub in another. Add more espresso powder, sub a smidge of coffee liqueur and make them more coffee flavored. BTW, you'll want to give these a rest in the fridge before baking--at least 2 hours or overnight. Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies Adapted from Cooking Light and Bakers Royale . 4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup) 3/4 cup powdered sugar 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 5 1/4 teaspoons canola oil 1 1/2 ounces dark chocolate chips (good stuff like Ghiradelli not Nestle) 1 teaspoon instant espresso granules or instant coffee granules 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 3 tablespoons light-colo...

Created by my friend Ann and published by Joy the Baker . I made this last night and now I will never use another recipe. I'm sure you could do some tinkering if you wanted -- and actually, now that I think about it, I did omit the nuts and use Earth Balance instead of butter. I also have a ridiculous surplus of apples from the first delivery of our CSA, so I just filled up a 9x13 glass dish with apples and left the amount of topping the same... and it was still perfect. Crunchy topping, ridiculously gooey and caramel-y inside. Filling: 5 to 6 medium-size apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices. (About 7.5 cups) [mine was probably more like 10?] 3 tbsp granulated sugar 1.5 tsp cinnamon Topping: 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/3 cups lightly packed brown sugar 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 stick unsalted butter, well-softened [I used Earth Balance] 2/3 cup finely chopped pecans (optional) 1/3 cup quick oats [I used traditional] Preheat the oven to 350. Generously grease an ...

I could use some expert counsel from my favorite expert cooking counselors. This year, we're going to DC for our annual friends-and-fun Thanksgiving meal (after the real holiday instead of before), and there are some unusual constraints: 1. Driving down on a Saturday for a wedding, staying overnight in a hotel, making the meal on Sunday. The hotel does not have a refrigerator. This means that the before-the-fact prep has to be pretty limited... I think we might buy and brine the turkey and bring it down in a cooler (in fact, last year we brined the turkey overnight in the trunk of my car anyway to keep it away from critters, so that's actually not unprecedented). But everything else is a little more of a challenge -- I don't have enough cooler space for dishes with dairy products, for example, and that would make me too nervous anyway. I obviously don't want the meal to end with a nice bout of food poisoning for all my favorite people. 2. We'll probably have six hou...

Watch the Working Class Foodie video and tell me you're not a little bit in love with Rebecca. 1 pint heavy whipping cream 1 pound mascarpone cheese 1 cup confectioner's sugar 2 egg yolks, beaten 1.5 tsp vanilla 1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice ladyfinger cookies a delicious beer (I used a seasonal beer, but I think I'd use a darker, bolder tasting beer next time - porter or even stout) cocoa powder for Whip the cream with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer with the balloon attachment. Set aside. In a large bowl mix together the mascarpone, sugar, beaten egg yolks, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this mixture aside. In a shallow bowl, dunk each ladyfinger in beer and then arrange them in a single layer in a glass casserole dish. Spread a layer of the mascarpone & whipped cream mixture over the ladyfingers. Dust with cocoa. Repeat this for the second layer. Cover and chill for several hours, overnight if possible before serving. Serves 12

From King Arthur Flour's Whole Grain Baking . This recipe is one I use at home pretty regularly when I don't have time to fiddle with a regular yeast bread. Alissa, this should be just what you need to get started with baking bread from scratch. 1 1/4 C lukewarm filtered water (don't use tap--the chlorine can kill the yeast) 1/4 C orange juice 3 T molasses 3 C whole wheat flour or white whole wheat 1/4 C nonfat dry milk 1 1/4 t salt 2 t instant/rapid rise yeast 1 T vital wheat gluten (optional) Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan and set aside. Grease well or the bread will stick. You don't want to know what happens if you forget to grease the pan. Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat vigorously by hand if you're the sort to do that or use your KitchenAid like I do and use the paddle attachment. This dough is pretty wet and sticky so the paddle is what you need. Beat on med-high speed for 3 min. Scoop the batter into your ...

From: Pioneer Woman Ingredients 3 cups Apple Juice Or Apple Cider 2 gallons Cold Water 4 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Leaves 5 cloves Garlic, Minced 1-½ cup Kosher Salt 2 cups Brown Sugar 3 Tablespoons Peppercorns 5 whole Bay Leaves Peel Of Three Large Oranges Preparation Instructions Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover. Allow to cool completely, then pour into a large brining bag or pot. Place uncooked turkey in brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours. When ready to roast turkey, remove turkey from brine. Submerge turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside. Discard brine. Remove turkey from clean water, pat dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method.

I just finished up hosting our first Thanksgiving dinner at our house. We did it early so that we can actually take a vacation next week while everyone else is stuffing themselves silly. I've never cooked a whole bird of any kind, so I did a bit of research first, and this is what I went with. I actually used PW's brine, which I will post next, but I used Alton's method for roasting the turkey. If you're going to use this method, I would recommend watching the YouTube video "Romancing the Bird" to watch how he does it, because the crucial "Turkey Triangle" is not mentioned in this post , but is required if following this method. For the aromatics: 1 red apple, sliced 1 onion, sliced 1 cinnamon stick 1 cup water 4 sprigs rosemary 6 leaves sage Canola oil Directions Click here to see how it's done. 2 to 3 days before roasting: Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F. Make your brine, using your favorite...

From: Simply Recipes Ingredients 1 pie crust (homemade or store-bought) 2 tablespoons olive oil 2-3 large red onions (about one pound total), thinly sliced Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup heavy cream 3 large eggs Pinch nutmeg 6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1 1/2 cups) Pre-Baking the Crust 1 On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Fit into a 9-by-1 1/2-inch round tart pan, pressing dough into corners. Transfer to freezer to chill for 30 minutes. 2 Preheat oven to 350°. Line pastry with parchment paper, wax paper, or aluminum foil, pressing into the corners and edges. Fill at least two-thirds with baking weights - dried beans, rice, or aluminum pie weights. Bake first for 15 minutes, remove from oven and let cool a few minutes. Carefully remove parchment paper and weights. Poke the bottom of the pie pan with the tines of a fork and return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until lightly golden. (Fork hole...

There is nothing in this recipe that is even remotely related to chop suey or Chinese food in general. In fact, I have no idea why they call it chop suey. To me it's sort of like homemade hamburger helper. All I know is that it was quick, used one pot, was not expensive, and the kids gobbled it up. So that's a winner, in my book. Adapted from Cheapy, Healthy, Good 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided 1 3 lbs ground turkey ½ lb (2 c.) uncooked elbow macaroni ½ cup minced onion ½ cup chopped green pepper and/or celery (I used both, and probably used a little more than half a cup) 2 8-oz cans tomato sauce 1 cup water 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teapsoon pepper 1-1 ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1In a large nonstick skillet or saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add turkey, onions, and peppers/celery. Cook until browned, breaking it up with the back of a spoon as you go. Add macaroni and cook another minute or so. Add tomato sauce, water, salt, pepper, and Worcestersh...

Quick is relative, because this still takes an hour to make. But it's quicker than doing it the traditional way, which takes for-ever. Adapted (slightly) from The Kitchn kosher salt freshly ground black pepper 6-8 large (about 3 pounds) chicken thighs, skin on 3/4 cup (about 1 ounce) dried wild mushrooms (I used way more than this -- I just used the whole package) 1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) chopped bacon 1 large onion chopped into 1/2-inch pieces 2 medium carrots, cut into large bite-size pieces 5 large cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed 2 tablespoons tomato paste 3 cups dry, fruity red wine (zinfandel, burgundy) 1 cup chicken stock 2 bay leaves 4 whole sprigs fresh thyme Lightly sprinkle the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Set aside. Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and pour enough boiling water over to just cover. (I used a cup) Over medium heat in a 4-6 quart (large enough to accommodate the chicken) deep skillet or dutch oven with a lid, brown the bacon,...

This is a Weight Watchers recipe that is surprisingly rich-tasting and delicious. 20 oz butternut squash, fresh, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch chunks 8 oz uncooked bow ties [I used whole wheat rotini; obviously the type of pasta doesn't matter much] salt & pepper 1 cup(s) buttermilk 1/4 cup plus 4 tsp Parmigiano Reggiano, [I used romano] 3 Tbsp fresh sage, minced Place squash on prepared baking sheet and roast until tender and starting to caramelize, about 25 to 30 minutes. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. After squash has been roasting for about 15 minutes, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pot. Add squash, buttermilk, salt and pepper to pot; toss over low heat to warm through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and sage; toss to mix and coat. Spoon about 1 1/2 cups of pasta into each of 4 serving bowls; top each with 1 teaspoon of remaining Parmesan cheese and serve immediately. (7 points per serving; 5 i...

I doubled this recipe, so that it would fill the slow cooker I've got. Also, Ernie said he would suggest adding some potato to it the next time, so bear that in mind. I didn't try it (I was eating clam chowder), but Gaby devoured hers. from A Year of Slow Cooking 1 quart chicken broth (4 cups!) 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup finely chopped onion, or 1 tablespoon dried minced onion flakes 1 (32-ounce) package of frozen corn 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 (6-ounce) can lump crabmeat, drained and picked throug 1 cup half and half or heavy cream (to add later) Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Pour the broth into your crockpot, and add butter and onion. Stir in frozen corn, garlic, butter, and the crabmeat (make sure you pick through canned crab---shells often occur!) Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, high for 4 hours, or until the onion is cooked through and translucent. If you'd like a thicker broth, pulse a few times with an immersible blender, or scoop out a cup or so and blend in a tradi...

I was craving clam chowder the other day after watching a food show where they were making clam chowder. So I went looking for recipes, and found this one, which wasn't hard at all. So, so good. If you don't like clams, though, go ahead and skip this because it's got lots of clam flavor. Adapted from Epicurious 3 8-ounce bottles clam juice 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter 3 slices bacon, finely chopped 2 cups chopped onions 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 bay leaf 1/4 cup all purpose flour 7 6 1/2-ounce cans chopped clams, drained, juices reserved from 6 of the cans 1 1/2 cups half and half Bring bottled clam juice and potatoes to boil in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until bacon begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Add onions, g...

This is fantastically easy, and a one-dish meal. That's my sort of cooking. adapted (slightly) from Serious Eats 1 tablespoon olive oil 6 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced salt and black ground pepper 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 3 cups water 12 ounces rotelle (3 ¾ cups) 1/2 cup red wine 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup minced fresh basil 1/3 to 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped handful of capers 1 cup shredded or minced part-skim mozzarella cheese Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Combine oil, garlic, pepper flakes, anchovies, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, water, rotelle, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain vigorous simmer, until rotelle is almost tender, 15 to 18...

From: Use Real Butter 3 heads of broccoli, trimmed and divided into bite-size pieces 1 small red onion, small dice 4-6 slices bacon, fried and crumbled 1/2 cup cashews, roughly chopped 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1 cup mayonnaise (or 1/2 cup mayo and 1/2 cup plain yogurt) 2 tbsps sugar 4 tbsps vinegar (I used red wine vinegar) Combine the broccoli, onion, bacon, cashews, and cranberries in a large mixing bowl. Mix the mayonnaise (and yogurt, if using), sugar, and vinegar together and pour over the vegetables. Toss together and refrigerate for a day for best flavor.

Warning: Do not attempt the following recipe(s) if you don't like goat cheese. Every part of them has goat cheese. And that is why they are delicious, especially the biscuits, which are hands down the best ones I've ever made (although I haven't ever tried the ones Kelly posted a little while ago). Not really adapted in any substantial way from Joy the Baker/Mark Bittman/another guy. Curried Sweet Potato Soup serves 6 to 8 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup coarsely chopped onions 1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon chopped ginger (I used powdered; why do I keep forgetting to buy fresh ginger) 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (I didn't have any and threw a whole pod in, which I kept in until I was ready to start blending. Not sure if it did anything or not; it's hard to tease that out from the rest of the spices) 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (in a lovely feat of grace, I dropped the entire bottle in and...

Adapted from: Fine Cooking , by way of Lancaster Farm Fresh CSA blog This was kind of like a souffle, I guess. I've never made a souffle. :) But I do know it was DE-licious. We both had seconds. I actually made this in 4 smaller ramekins and reduced the time a bit - just keep an eye on it and remove from oven when it is browned around the edges. Serves 6-8 1 small cauliflower (about 2 pounds) 2 tablespoons olive oil; more for the gratin dish Kosher salt 1¾ ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 3¾ cups milk 4 Tbsp unsalted butter ½ cup all-purpose flour 3 large eggs 2 large egg yolks 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil freshly ground black pepper Directions 1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees. 2. Core the cauliflower and separate it into florets. Cut the florets into ¼-inch-thick slices. Put the cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with wo Tbsp olive oil. Spread in an even layer, season with ½ teaspoon salt, and roast until tender,...

Okay, Food Goodness Ladies, it's that time of year. Time for Paula Deen's pumpkin gooey butter cake. Whenever I ask Michael which dessert is his favorite he always says it's difficult to choose but he always, always names this one specifically. So, I was thinking that this year I would try to lighten it up a bit. I know, it's called gooey butter cake for a reason but last year when I made it I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if I cut back on the butter and sugar just a bit. Here's a link to Paula's website wherein her son has lightened up the original gooey butter cake . I don't know, am I being difficult about this? Should I just leave well enough alone or should I fiddle with it? What do you think?

Do you ever find yourself saying "Hmm, I would love to make a lovely fall dessert but am all out of eggs and/or butter..."? Or "I just adore spice cake. I should make one right now!" Or "My vegan friend is coming for dinner, what shall I mae for dessert?" Then look no further. And this cake could not be easier to make. Adapted from the Oct. 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times . I made this cake 3 times before I adapted it the way I liked it. Recently I made it for my FIL's birthday b/c it seemed sturdy enough to ship. It fits quite well in the medium sized priority mail boxes offered by USPS. According to my MIL, it arrived intact and so delicious my FIL had eaten all of it within 2 days. 3.5 C whole wheat flour 2 t baking powder 2 t baking soda 2 t cinnamon (preferably Vietnamese cin) 1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 t ground cloves 1/2 t ground ginger 1/2 t allspice 1/2 t salt 1 C pure maple syrup 2/3 C canola oil 1 1/3 C water 2 T vanilla extra...

I started having doubts that I should try this recipe only after I was past the point of no return, and realizing I didn't have two of the four ingredients in the title (mushrooms and ginger). I also was not sure I was liking it... the lemon and the sesame oil smelled weird together, and I was annoyed at having to get out the immersion blender. Yeah, that was crazy. This is definitely a different taste than what I'm used to, but it's really good. Unusual and lemon-ly delicious. Lemon Ginger Dressing 3/4 teaspoon Asian chlli powder (or cayenne) [I threw in thai-garlic chili sauce] Grated zest of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 inch section of ginger, peeled and grated [I used about 1 t dried] 1/4 cup rice vinegar [I didn't have this and just used a squirt of red-wine vinegar] 1/3 cup soy sauce 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 3 tablespoons olive oil The Noodles 9 ounces dried noodles (spaghetti, linguine, udon, soba) [I used s...

We apparently have two other pasta e fagioli soup on this site, and it's interesting now not-similar both of those versions are to each other or to this one, which is from How to Cook Everything. It could definitely be modified in 8000 different ways. 5 T olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 t minced garlic 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 t dried 3 c drained beans of any kind [I used one can of dark-red kidney and one can of cannelini] 2 c cored, peeled, seeded, diced tomatoes [Bittman says canned are fine and use the juice; I only had crused and used one big can, which made the soup have a tomato base, pretty much] 6 to 8 cups stock or water 1/2 lb tubettini or other small pasta 1/2 c minced fresh parsley 1/2 c Parmesan [however much you have is fine; this is just for on top] Place 4 T of olive oil into a large, deep saucepan or casserole and turn the heat to medium. A minute later, add the onion and half the garlic [I threw it all in at this point]. Cok until the onion softens, stirri...

Adapted from: Annie's Eats I'll be honest - I didn't measure anything. I just opened a zip-lock bag, poured in all of the ingredients, zipped it up and let it marinate all day while I was at work. I cooked the pork chops in a skillet on the stovetop, but the original recipe calls for grilling them. At any rate, the marinate is really good and Todd told me 3 times that we have to remember this marinade because it was so good. 2/3 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1/3 cup brown sugar 3 cloves chopped garlic dash of ground ginger (use fresh ginger if you have it) pork chops Mix all ingredients together in a plastic bag. Add pork chops. Marinate in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Remove pork chops from marinade and cook with your preferred cooking method. If you want to, you can pour the marinade into a saucepan and boil it for a few minutes and then use this to baste the pork chops as they cook, or reduce to a sauce for the chops. Or not, if you don't w...

I'm working all kinds of whacky, stressful hours at The Job right now, preparing for a presentation that will hopefully earn me the promotion they've been talking about and a nice hefty raise to go along with it. At night, when I get home, I'm mush. Total mush. Which makes it especially nice that Ernie cooks dinner and it's waiting for me when I get home, to shovel in my face so I can go play with the girls for a few minutes. He tells me this was super easy and took no time at all. The hardest part, he said, was boiling the pasta. And you know how easy that is. All I can verify is that it was darn tasty and I had seconds, and those delicious carbs propelled me to a tickle war with both girls (which I won, thanks very much). from Annie's Eats 12 oz. linguine pasta 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp. unsalted butter 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 2 (6.5 oz) cans minced clams, juices reserved ½ cup heavy cream (or half-and-half) -- We used half and half Salt and pepper G...

Want to impress your family? Make this. Seriously. When they come into the kitchen and see you painstakingly stuffing each pasta shell, it is really impressive. And then your (older) kid will go to school and tell all her friends "my mom made these from scratch" and come home and tell you "all the kids were really impressed with your shells." And the little one? She will just scowl at you, because she's almost 2, but will come home with an empty container from preschool. So. You can make these as is, or you could substitute turkey sausage, or you could use your favorite marinara recipe. The real star is the pasta shells stuffed with all that lovely cheese. Also, this makes a ton. So be prepared to have people over, or to eat a lot. adapted slightly from Pioneer Woman 8 ounces, weight Jumbo Pasta Shells 30 ounces, weight Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese 1 c. Parmesan Cheese, Grated, Divided ½ cups Grated Romano Cheese 1 whole Egg 12 leaves Basil, Chiffonade 2 Tablespoon...

Adapted from the latest issue of Cooking Light . We had some friends over for dinner tonight and managed to throw this together along with a spinach salad with herbed goat cheese, apples and sugared walnuts and chocolate pudding cake for dessert. Did I mention that I made this in my electric pressure cooker b/c my stove blew up yesterday and threw sparks at me whilst blowing every fuse in our house. 3 times. Seriously. That aside, this was really good and I can hardly wait to have leftovers tomorrow. 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 8 ounces hot Italian sausage 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced 2 large garlic cloves, minced 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained S&P to taste 2 cups evaporated milk (or 2 cans plus a little water) 3 cups water 1 cup uncooked polenta 4 ounces goat cheese 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Heat a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Remove sausage fr...

Adapted from: Myrecipes.com Use the freshest (and therefore most flavorful) carrots you can find for this. I used a mixture of regular carrots and purple carrots from our CSA, and ended up with an unattractive colored soup (paging Bridget Jones), but it still tasted yummy. :) 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 3/4 cups Vidalia or other sweet onion, in large slices 2 pounds carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Dash of ground ginger 2 cups water 2 cups fat-free, less-sodium vegetable broth 2 tablespoons heavy cream Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle oil over carrots and onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast in oven until tender and browned, about 25 minutes. 2. Add water and broth to stockpot or Dutch oven; bring to a boil. When carrots and onions are browned, add them to the stockpot. Add cream. 3. Use an immersion b...

We're back from the land of overindulgence (Vegas), and I'm trying to bring balance back to my poor, abused body. Happy body, eating at Mario Batali's restaurant and consuming mass quantities of cured pork products and excellent cheese. And truffles (the fungus kind). And the best chocolate creation I've ever put in my mouth in my entire life. With edible gold on it. And many, many bottles of tasty red wine. But my body, it took a beating and now I'm sick in retaliation. So it's back to green tea and water by the gallon, to flush out all the fat/salt/alcohol and vegetarian meals, except for dinner. Last night I was exhausted (red eye flights seem like a good idea, but not when you have to transfer halfway through the flight), so whipped up this stuffing and stuck it in some carnival squash I bought a few weeks ago that were taking up room in my fridge. 2 carnival or acorn squash, cut in half and seeds scooped out 1 cup rice -- I used a wild rice blend. You could...

This meets all my food-to-make-ahead-and-pack-for-lunch needs: healthy, has some protein, can be packed in a single container, easy to prepare, allows for adding a zillion leftover veggies. Also it is delicious. It reminds me of Alissa's curry grain salad and Shannon's Greek orzo salad , both of which I often make for lunches, but this has a Middle Eastern sort of thing going on. A different FLAVOR PROFILE, if you will. Can you tell I've been watching Top Chef? I changed the directions enough, mostly based on people's comments in the recipe, that I'll rewrite them; original directions here if you'd like to see them. 1 1/4 cups orzo pasta 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided [definitely do not need this much; I didn't measure but it was just a hefty splash] 3/4 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed and drained [any color lentil would be fine] 1/3 cup red wine vinegar [I used more than this, ...

I make fake raita all the time by mixing lemon juice with yogurt and salt, but this is much better. It makes a ton, though -- I halved it and it still seems like a lot. Original can be found here . 2 hot house cucumbers - peeled, seeded and thinly sliced [I didn't peel it] 2 cups Greek yogurt 3 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 1/2 teaspoon white sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Stir together the cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, mint, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

I never know quite what to do with the tomatillos I scavenge from friends' gardens (unless there are enough to make tomatillo salsa, which is kind of a lot). This is delightful. 6 oz tomatillos (6 or 7), husked and rinsed 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped 3 to 4 fresh serrano chiles, seeded [only if you want this to be very mild; we left some seeds in for some spiciness] and finely chopped 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 2 large California avocados (1 lb total) Preheat broiler. Broil tomatillos in a flameproof shallow baking pan about 4 inches from heat until tops are charred, 7 to 10 minutes. Turn tomatillos over with tongs and broil until charred, about 5 minutes more. Combine onion, chiles, cilantro, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add tomatillos 2 at a time, mashing with a fork or pestle to form a coarse paste. Pit and peel avocados. Add avocados to mixture and continue mashing un...

Adapted from Cooking Light . No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth but it sort of felt like it for a while there. I've spent the last 3 months doing a lot of quick dinners with fresh summer produce and didn't have the time to try very many new tasty recipes. This is one I tried a couple of weeks ago and is probably my new favorite pancake recipe. Would also make good waffles. Note: I made this in the kitchen with Michael hollering out the ingredients to me from the living room. This was a mistake as the part about taking a 16 oz can of cut sweet potatoes, pureeing and then only using 3/4 C of puree was translated into 16 oz of sweet potato puree--hey, I only have a 15 oz can of puree so it'll have to do. Oops. But like most of my cooking mistakes, it turned out well and these pancakes are, dare I say it: moist (ick, that word sounds so gross) and truly delicious. So, feel free to add the whole damned can of puree, I say! 1 1/4 cups WW pastry flour (w...

Adapted from: Everybody Likes Sandwiches 1 T olive oil 2 carrots, diced 1 med onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 2 sweet potatoes (yellow fleshed) or yams (orange fleshed), diced 3/4 c rice (I used brown) 2 T curry paste (I used sweet curry powder) pinch of salt & a good grind of black pepper water or vegetable stock 1 t maple syrup (optional) In a large pot, heat olive oil and add in carrots, onion and celery and saute until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the yam, sweet potato, rice and curry paste and let everything get coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour water or vegetable stock over everything so the liquid level is about 1-3 inches above the vegetables. Use less liquid if you want a stew, more liquid if you want soup. Turn down heat to a simmer, put on the pot lid and let it bubble away for 20-30 minutes. Does it need more liquid? Add it; otherwise it’s done when the vegetables are tender. Finish it off with a small glug of maple syrup, stirring it into the mixtu...

Hm. This is interesting. I have made baked oatmeal many times in the past, but my old recipe just has the standard apple-cinnamon-nutmeg flavor profile. This recipe, though it sounds similar, had a whole new flavor. Maybe it's the cardamom? I don't use cardamom often, so maybe that was it. Anyway, it smelled delicious while cooking, and did not disappoint out of the pan. I liked the combination of steel cut oats and old-fashioned. Adapted from Culinary in the Country . 1 cup apple cider (or juice, but cider is better) 1 cup water 1/2 cup dry steel-cut oats 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 2 medium apples, peeled, diced (try Granny Smith) 1/3 cup dried cranberries 2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger (I didn't have it so added a bit of ground ginger) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 pinch baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg 1 large egg 1/4 cup milk 1 1/2...