Food goodness

From: Serious Eats This is an old-fashioned kind of veggie side dish, but healthy and delicious. As much as I love carrots (yum!), I had a bag of TJ's organic broccoli slaw that I wanted to use up, so I just used that instead. I also used some frozen TJ's pineapple tidbits, which I thawed before adding. It created enough pineapple juice during thawing to add to the sauce. 4 cups shredded carrot 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained and liquid reserved 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted and cooled completely 1/4 cup raisins 1/4 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt 1 teaspoon sugar Pinch of salt 1 In a medium bowl, combine shredded carrot, pineapple solids, pecans, and raisins. 2 In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice with all the yogurt, sugar, and salt. Stir until no lumps are left. 3 Add yogurt mixture into carrot mixture. Stir thoroughly to combine. Let sit a few hours in refrigerator so flavors can meld, though you can serve immediately if desi...

Adapted from Piece of Cake . Makes about 2 lbs of candy and is rather addictive. Chocolate-y and peppermint-y deliciousness!  24 oz dark chocolate, either good quality chips (Ghiradelli 60%) or bar (I used TJ's Belgian dark chocolate), chopped 15 Peppermint Jo-Jo's from TJs or Oreos, crushed 3 oz. white chocolate 3/4 C crushed candy canes or Starlight mints (use 1 C if using plain oreos) Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside. In a large glass bowl, place chopped dark chocolate and microwave at 30 second intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in cookie crumbs and pour onto baking sheet. Use an off-set spatula to spread chocolate mixture into an even layer. Sprinkle crushed candy cane bits all over chocolate in an even layer. In a small bowl, melt white chocolate in microwave in the same manner as dark chocolate. When melted, drizzle over chocolate and candy. Place baking sheet in fridge to firm up for at least 30 minutes. When fi...

We had our annual Christmas party this past weekend. I had lots of help in the kitchen this year (special thank-you shout-out to Kelly and Grg!) and we churned out some tasty treats! I had lots of people asking for recipes, and I directed them here, so I wanted to include a list of all the recipes they may be looking for. Here is what we served: Savory: Bacon-wrapped water chestnuts Pizza Bites Caramelized Onion and Apple Tarts Onion Dip from Scratch w/ crudites and honey-wheat pretzels Skinny Artichoke Dip with bruschetta pita chips Spanish Fig and Almond Balls , served with cheese board Cheese: brie, sharp cheddar, manchego, toscano, stilton w/cranberries variety of crackers, grapes, fig-orange marmalade, honey Sweet: Kahlua-Spiked Pecans Chocolate-covered Matzah Soft Molasses Cookies Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Apple pie (not homemade, ahem, sorry) Peppermint Crunch Bark

Adapted from: King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion I LOVE molasses cookies. I had them at my wedding. The recipe we used at my wedding is already posted here on the food blog as Karen's Molasses Cookies . That recipe is almost identical to this one, except that this one calls for less sugar and Kelly added more ginger and freshly-ground black pepper when she made this for our party. The end result was basically the same. 8 Tbsp butter, softened 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tsp salt 2 1/4 tsp baking soda 2 1/4 tsp ground ginger (Kelly said she used a little more) 1 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon freshly-ground black pepper, optional (a few twists of the grinder?) granulated sugar to coat cookies In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar. Beat in the molasses and eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda ...

Adapted From: King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion Kelly used spiced rum-soaked raisins in this recipe - just pour some spiced rum over the raisins and heat briefly in the microwave so the raisins soak up the rum. Drain any excess liquid before you throw the raisins into the dough. You can skip that step - it wasn't part of the original recipe, but we thought it would be good. 2 1/4 cups (9 1/2 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 4 tbsp butter 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 large eggs 1/2 cup yogurt, plain or vanilla, reg, low-fat or nonfat 2 tsp vanilla extract 3 cups rolld oats 1 1/2 cups raisins spiced rum, optional, for plumping the raisins Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside. If you want to plump the raisins, put them in a large mug and cover with hot water, or pour a bit of spiced rum over the raisins ...

From: LOL Foodie 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry dough, thawed 2 tbs butter half of a large onion 2 apples (Granny Smith or another tart variety) 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/3c fontina cheese, shredded 1 tsp minced fresh thyme 1/2 tsp salt Instructions Begin with prep work. Slice/chop the onion very thinly. Peel and core the apple, and chop it into pieces approximately the same size as the onion. Heat the butter in a saute pan over medium. Once it’s melted, add the onions and 1/4 tsp of salt. Saute onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the apples, and reduce the heat to low. Cook over low for about 30 minutes. The onions should be nice and caramelized, and lightly browned. Stir in the pepper and remaining salt. Remove from heat and let cool. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap and unfold the puff pastry dough. Slice along the folds already present in the dough, creating 3 even “strips” of dough. Cut each ...

From: BBC Good Food I really liked this. Makes a delicious addition to your usual cheese board. I think many of our guests didn't know what to do with it (despite my helpful signage suggesting people try it with cheese and honey). My suggestion is to start with a cracker, top with a slice of cheese (manchego, perhaps), a slice of the fig cake, and then a drizzle of honey. Yum! These also make a nice gift - just tie up a couple in a cellophane bag. Please note that you need to make these in advance because you have to let them dry for about a week before you serve - otherwise they will be a sticky mess. Ingredients 100g whole almonds , toasted 500g pack dried whole figs , hard stalk and centre of base removed 85g dried apricots , chopped into small pieces 50g dried cranberries 1 tbsp brandy 1 tbsp clear honey 1 tsp ground cloves 100g sesame seeds , toasted Directions: Whizz the almonds in a food processor until most are finely chopped, then tip into a large bowl. Roughly ch...

From: Alton Brown Definitely make this one the night before you plan to serve it. It needs time for the flavors to meld. The onion flavor intensifies overnight, too. Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 cups diced onions 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 1/2 cups sour cream 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Directions In a saute pan over medium heat add oil, heat and add onions and salt. Cook the onions until they are caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Mix the rest of the ingredients, and then add the cooled onions. Refrigerate and stir again before serving.

From: Annie's Eats These were good, and could be adapted to a variety of fillings. I used pre-sliced pepperoni, which I halved. When I filled them, I put in 2 pepperoni halves, then a bit of mozzarella, and then 2 more pepperoni halves. These would also be good with pre-cooked, crumbled sausage, veggies, etc. Serve with a pizza sauce for dipping. I used on batch of pre-made pizza dough from Trader Joe's. pizza dough (enough for one pizza) 4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed (about 20-24 pieces) Sliced pepperoni For topping: Olive oil Italian seasoning Grated Parmesan cheese Directions: Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate or cake pan. Divide the pizza dough into 20-24 roughly equal sized pieces. Take one of the dough pieces, top with a cube of cheese and a slice or two of pepperoni. Pull the edges of the dough around the fillings and pinch closed. Place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces. Lightly brush the to...

From: Gina's Skinny Recipes You can make this in advance and just throw in the oven when your guests are about to arrive. I doubled it and it made a ton, which was unnecessary. I also forgot to put the bread crumbs on top, which I think would have been good. I served this with bruscetta-flavored pita chips and a variety of veggies. 13.75 oz artichoke hearts packed in water, drained 2 tbsp chopped shallots 1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt 1/4 cup light mayonnaise 1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano 1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded part skim mozzarella cheese salt and fresh pepper to taste 2 tbsp whole wheat bread crumbs olive oil spray Preheat oven to 400°. In a small food processor, coarsely chop the artichoke hearts with the shallots. Combine artichokes, yogurt, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, mozzarella, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Place in an oven-proof dish and top with breadcrumbs. Lightly spray the crumbs with olive oil then bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes, until hot and cheese is melted. S...

I hate to play into stereotypes, but there are some times in a woman's month -- er, life -- when she just needs chocolate cake. This isn't the finest gourmet cake you'll ever eat, but it exactly does the trick. From the Food Network , with a few modifications... Whisk 1/4 cup flour , 1/4 cup sugar , 2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder , 1 egg, 4 tablespoons milk , 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and a dash of vanilla extract and salt in a large mug until smooth. Throw in a handful of chocolate chips and mix again. Microwave until puffed and the top is done, about 4 minutes.

Pair Annie's recipe with a salad and it's dinner. Yield: about 6-8 servings Ingredients: 2 tsp. olive oil 1 lb. brown mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped 1 large onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 cups cooked brown rice, at room temperature 2 large eggs 1 cup cottage cheese (reduced fat is fine) ½ cup sour cream (reduced fat is fine) ½ tsp. coarse salt 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided Minced fresh herbs, for garnish (optional), such as chives, parsley, etc. Directions: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Lightly grease a 2 quart baking dish. In a large skillet over medium heat sauté the mushrooms in the olive oil, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released most of their liquid, about 5-7 minutes. Add the onions to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Add the rice to the skillet and...

You will love this soup. Gwen gave me an adorable cookbook as a present one year, The Soup Peddler's Slow and Difficult Soups: Recipes & Reveries by David Ansel. We agreed that a book with a title like that has a specific audience and we both believe we're it. We like our soups cooked long and slow with a story about a Jewish great aunt or annual neighborhood potluck to back up their authenticity. After using this book for a half dozen years, I now have a crush on the Soup Peddler, David Ansel. If/when I make it back to Austin, Texas, I will go to his shop and eat his soup (AND I will go again see the bajillion Mexican freetail bats depart from Congress Ave bridge for their night forage. Once is not enough.) The cookbook is a quirky, fictionalized account of his first year as the Soup Peddler. This recipe is from one of Austin's legendary restaurants, Guero. The soup: 1 chicken 12 C chicken stock 2 onions, cut into thin strips 3 carrots, peeled and very coarsely chopped...

From: Eating Well When You're Expecting This recipe uses fruit juice concentrate instead of sugar. I don't like things that are super sweet, and I thought these were just right. I don't know if kids would like these, but I thought they were good for my breakfasts this week. I'll freeze the rest. You can also add diced apples or pears when you add the raisins. I filled the muffin cups just about to the top. They don't expand too much. They did stick to the papers, though, so next time I might just spray the pan with Pam and skip the paper liners. 1 1/2 cups unprocessed bran 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 1/2 cup ground flaxseed 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 cup chopped toasted nuts (walnuts, pecans or almonds) 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1 1/2 cups white grape juice concentrate (I used apple juice concentrate) 1 1/4 cups buttermilk 2 large eggs, beaten lightly 3 Tbsp canola oil 2 tsps vanilla extract 3/4 cups raisins 1. Prehea...

I am officially obsessed with brussels sprouts. Yum. I've made this three or four times and finally have it the way I like it, I think. It's loosely based on this recipe from Gina's Skinny Taste, but there are a lot of modifications at this point... I'll still put her nutritional info at the end, but I'm not sure how valid it is any more. Ingredients: 1 package of low-fat chicken sausage, squeezed out of the casings a few splashes of olive oil 2 cloves garlic, chopped  12 oz brussels sprouts, shredded [Wegmans sells these prepackaged, which is amazing; if you are starting with whole sprouts, just dice them them as finely as you can] 1 small onion, diced small 1 carrot, peeled and diced small 1 celery stalk, diced small other optional diced veggies: zucchini, yellow squash, spinach, red or green pepper 28 oz crushed tomatoes  a few T oregano and/or herbs de provance pinch sugar pinch crushed red pepper salt and fresh ground pepper to taste 14 oz ...

Yesterday I went to a craft show at a fire hall in Lancaster Co. As I was leaving the house I said to Todd, "I bet they're going to have chicken corn soup for sale" and they did. It was really good, and I decided to try to make something similar at home today. I wanted something a little heartier, though, so I added some extra ingredients. I also wanted to use up some turkey I had in the fridge, and some turkey stock taking up room in the freezer. You could just as easily use chicken. I just made this up as I went along, so I'll do the best I can with the recipe. 2 Tbsp butter 2 med onions, diced 1 cup diced celery diced peppers, your fave kind (if desired. I used some banana peppers) 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 quart turkey stock 3 cups diced potatoes (I left skins on), divided 2 bay leaves dried thyme dried rosemary 4 turkey cutlets 1.5 cups diced carrots 1 can corn, drained 1 can creamed corn pot pie noodles, or noodles of your choice (optional) milk or cream, i...

adapted from "time for dinner" My favorite part of this cookbook is the back where it says "if you have this, make this." So, taking either a rotisserie chicken or one of those roasted chickens I made, meat pulled off the carcass... Bake a package of biscuits according to the directions. While they are baking, heat 4 Tbsp. of butter in a medium soup pot. Add a chopped onion, 3 chopped carrots and 2 chopped stalks of celery. Saute for 10 minutes, then whisk in 6 Tbsp. flour. Add 1/2 c. of white wine and stir until paste forms. Add 4 c. chicken stock, stirring until smooth. Simmer over low heat until thickened. Add the shredded chicken and some frozen peas, cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Split the biscuits in half. Place bottom halves in bowls, ladle chicken mixture over top, cover with biscuit tops. Yum.

One of the other things I cooked during the marathon cooking day was a pot of barley. I had never really thought of using barley as a side dish grain, like rice, but again, that cookbook suggested it, so I gave it a shot. It was surprisingly good, actually. The kids ate rice. I haven’t convinced them yet. They did, however, try this salad. They love beets, but mostly because they make you pee pink. The other prep work I did was to roast some beets in the oven, when I was roasting acorn squash for dinner. I slipped the skins off before I put them in the fridge, which cut down on my work. We had this with the sausages and apple s. It was a lovely fall-ish meal. adapted from "time for dinner" Two cups of cooked barley, in a large bowl. Toss with cooked, peeled beets, 1 can of (drained) mandarin oranges. Toss with a dressing made of 1 part orange juice, 2 parts olive oil.

So...I had some bratwurst in the freezer, and these cooked apples in my fridge. This was super quick. from "time for dinner" In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, brown brats (or whatever sausages you're using) on all sides. Remove, reduce heat, and add a little olive oil and a sliced red onion, 1/4 head of red cabbage (shredded), and the cooked apples (sliced). Saute until the cabbage wilts. Add some of the leftover cooking liquid from the apples, along with a few Tbsp. of cider vinegar. Turn the heat up, add the sausages, and cook through.

A bushel and a half is a lot of apples. Luckily they don’t go bad very quickly, and I have an extra fridge to store them all. I made a huge batch of applesauce in the crock pot with some, and then made these cooked apples. These are also from the same cookbook, so they will be serving dual purposes. We ate 2 ½ of them with the pork, and probably could have eaten the whole pan if I hadn’t wanted to use them for another recipe. adapted from "time for dinner" 5 apples, cored 4 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 c. apple cider 1 cinnamon stick 1 strip lemon peel 2 whole cloves Peel the apples (or not, if you liked cooked apple peel. I do not.) Combine the remaining ingredients in a heavy medium saucepan. Boil for 1 minute, then add the apples, coating them in the liquid. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, flipping the apples halfway through.

Braised pork So, back to the cookbook from G. I made this braised pork, which was a huge hunk of meat. It was enough for dinner for the four of us, and then 3 more meals. I portioned it up and put two in the freezer and one in the fridge for a recipe later in the week. adapted from "time for dinner" one 5 to 6-pound pork shoulder 1 garlic clove 2 Tbsp. paprika 6 Tbsp. olive oil 2/3 c. orange juice 1/3 c. lemon juice Stab deep slits with a knife into the pork shoulder. In a small food processor or on a cutting board, make a paste from the garlic, paprika, and 2 to 3 Tbsp. of the olive oil and smear over the pork. In a Dutch oven set over medium high heat, brown the pork in the remaining olive oil. Add the orange and lemon juice and cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer until internal temperature of the pork is 140 degrees, about 1.5 hours.

Okay, so let’s talk about those chickens I roasted. I stripped the meat off the bones (and ate a lot of the skin), and put in a ziploc bag for recipes later in the week. And was left with two lovely chicken carcasses. Mmmm…carcass. My chickens still had a little meat on the bones, because I’m too lazy to pick them completely clean. And I didn’t bother picking the wings, again, because I’m lazy. I saved all the drippings from those chickens, too, because that right there is liquid gold. Gold I didn’t turn into gravy, since we weren’t actually eating the chickens when I cooked them. Into the crock pot went: 1 chicken carcass, plus any of the skin from the chicken I didn’t eat. Half the chicken drippings (since I roasted 2) 1 carrot, snapped in half (I didn’t bother peeling) 1 stalk of celery, snapped in half Now, you could add all kinds of things at this point, if you like. Peppercorns or a bay leaf or an onion. I saw something that suggested parsnip, and I just happen to have one lonel...

Source: Real Simple , October 2011 Why, yes, it is butternut squash week at our house! Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 20m Total Time: 50m Ingredients 1 3-pound sugar pumpkin or 3 pounds kabocha or butternut squash—peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces 5 tablespoons olive oil kosher salt and black pepper 4 leeks (white and light green parts only), chopped 4 to 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth sour cream, croutons, and paprika (preferably smoked), for serving Directions 1. Heat oven to 400° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the pumpkin with 3 tablespoons of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the roasted pumpkin, 4 cups of the broth, and ½ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 3. In a blender, working in batches, puree...

Source: Real Simple , October 2011 Geoff and I have made this a few times. We've substituted shallots for the red onion. Geoff prefers the red onion, but I'm not really a fan of either one, so we'll be leaving them off my salad the next time we make it. Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 10m Total Time: 50m Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, delicata squash, or sugar pumpkin—peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (we used a 20-oz package of pre-cut butternut squash) 5 tablespoons olive oil kosher salt and black pepper 1/2 cup hazelnuts 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 6 cups mixed greens (about 4 1/2 ounces) 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (1 cup) Directions 1. Heat oven to 400° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until golden brown and tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly. 2. Meanwhile, spr...

Kind of the ultimate comfort food. As usual with the Pioneer Woman , this doesn't exactly qualify as health food, but I used all low-fat dairy products and soy crumble, and it still tasted great. We ate it with roasted brussels sprouts , which were an excellent complement. Ingredients: 1-1/4 pound ground chuck [I specifically chose this recipe because I had a package of soy crumble and couldn't tell if it was going to be disgusting, so I wanted to disguise it in a dish with a lot of strong flavors...] 1 can 15-ounces tomato sauce [I used half a jar of leftover tomato sauce] 1/2 teaspoon salt freshly ground black pepper 8 ounces of e gg noodles 1/2 cup sour cream 1 1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese 1/2 cup sliced green onions 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce. 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then sim...

G bought me a cookbook for my birthday, filled with lots of recipes for busy parents -- although I like to think it'd work for any busy person. I'll be making lots of recipes from the book this week, and already I can tell you that doing a lot of the prep work the weekend before makes for an easier time during the week. So, I've got a couple chicken recipes I'll be trying. The cookbook says start with rotisserie chicken, in an effort to make it even easier. But I find roasting chicken is so easy, and worth the effort. This recipe caught my eye a few weeks ago, because Ferran Adria is a culinary genius. Make a recipe that is one of his, without all the "tricks"? Sounds like a good idea to me. This one is a lot of work, but it's so, so good. Adapted from Serious Eats (because I didn't bother with the pan sauce) 2 whole chickens, 4 1/2 pounds each 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 lemons 20 dried bay leaves 3 3/4 teaspoons dried rosemary 1/3 cu...

Adapted from: Annie's Eats Ok, so, I would definitely make this again, but with some changes. I am going to put the original recipe here since this is what I followed, and I will explain the adaptations I would make next time. Basically, this was too sweet for me, but still worth eating, and I am about to polish off the whole thing, which I have been eating every morning for breakfast for the past week (it makes a lot). If you prefer your oatmeal on the less-sweet side like I do, cut back significantly on the sugar Also, I didn't think there were enough bananas for the amount of oatmeal that this made. Third, I think next time I will try this with apples on the bottom instead of bananas, because I think the tartness from the apples would work nicely with this recipe, and would offset the sweetness a bit. But, with those things in mind, I will make this again, but I will play around with it a little bit. Ingredients: 1 cup steel cut oats 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided 4...

How is this recipe not here? I was too lazy to go searching through my recipe box, so I typed some searchy things into our search box and it's not here. It should be here. And now I'm off to make peanut butter cookies. 1 c. peanut butter 1/2 c. brown sugar (either kind) 1/2 c. white sugar 1/2 c. butter Mix together. Add: 1 egg 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp. soda Beat with hand mixer. Add: 1 1/2 c. flour with 1 tsp vanilla. Mix well. Chill dough for 30 minutes. Roll into balls, press with fork to flatten. Bake 10 minutes at 375. They're foolproof, these cookies.

I can't believe I didn't post this recipe. Because it is so, so good and you all need to run out and make it, quick like. I'm really just going to post the link, because I didn't do anything different than the recipe. I took these to work, and my guys (I have all guys that work for me) raved about them. Several weeks later, they're all still talking about the cupcakes and asking when I'll make more. That might partially be because they're all bachelors and don't do any baking themselves. Anyway, make these cupcakes .

Also adapted from the new cookbook. It's in the slow cooker today on this gray, rainy day, when I've got a sick almost 3-year-old (!) laying on the couch, being very demanding. You don't have to have the sick pre-schooler in order to be able to make this recipe, though. 1 qt. chicken broth (do yourself a favor and get the low sodium, low fat kind) 1 bag frozen corn 1 small onion, diced 3 red skinned potatoes (I think any potato would work), diced 1 small green pepper, diced 1/2 c. heavy cream (half and half would also work) salt and pepper to taste bacon, fried and crumbled Combine broth, corn, onion, potatoes, and green pepper in crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours. Mash half (or use an immersion blender) to thicken, and add cream. Cook on high until heated through. Use the bacon as a topping. (You could also use some cheese as a topping, too)

Truth is, we haven't been make a lot of earth-shattering recipes lately. Sometimes we fall back on old favorites -- like braised short ribs -- and other times we just fall back on quick and easy. This seems to be the season of quick and easy. Lucky for me, I got a couple new cookbooks for my birthday, and so I'm back in the kitchen. With quick and easy. This is adapted from the "Crockpot Slow Cooker Best-Loved Recipes," which Gaby and Katie picked out for my birthday. 4-6 boneless pork chops 4-5 medium apples, sliced (the recipe calls for Golden Delicious, but I used gala) 3 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. salt Place pork in crockpot. Cover with apples. Combine brown sugar and salt in a small bowl; sprinkle over apples. Cover; cook on low for 6-8 hours. (definitely 8 if you start with frozen pork, like me)

These were fast to prep and fast to cook. Just reminiscent enough of crab cakes that we took out the Old Bay and gave a shake over the finished patties. They are moist and lemony enough that they don't even need a condiment. From Elise >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ingredients •2 6-ounce cans tuna •2 teaspoons Dijon mustard •1/2 cup white bread torn into small pieces (bread crumbs) •1 teaspoon lemon zest (I zested the whole thing) •1 Tbsp lemon juice (I juiced the whole thing) •1 Tbsp water (or liquid from the cans of tuna) •2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley •2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives, green onions, or shallots •Salt and freshly ground black pepper •A couple squirts of Crystal hot sauce or tabasco •1 raw egg •2 Tbsp olive oil •1/2 teaspoon butter (I didn't use this) Method 1 Drain the liquid from the tuna cans. If you are using tuna packed in water, reserve a tablespoon of the tuna water, and add a teaspoon of ...

From Elise . This was sooooo delicious. We served it over polenta. It did take a while (30 min) to pull all this together but then it cooks itself for 90 minutes. Mincing is close work; I got my mindfulness dose today. I loved the texture of the sauce because the veggies don't cook to complete uniform sauciness. Reviewers compared it to a bolognese (meat) sauce and while I love that it can be made entirely, beautifully vegetarian, the hearty texture and earthy flavors make me agree with this assessment. >>>>>>>>>>>> The onions cook for a long time, during which you can prep the rest of the vegetables if you want to save some time. If you are using dry herbs, use half as much. The mincing is important, as the sauce is not strained or puréed. Ingredients •1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms •4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil •2 medium yellow onions, peeled and minced (yielding about 2 cups minced onion) •2 carrots, peeled and minced (yielding about 1 1/2 c...

I wanted to make something as an extra special thank you to some of our friends who gifted us with spectacularly awesome gifts at our housewarming party and I thought the Maple Syrup Spice Cake would be just the thing. Topped with this recipe for Walnut Praline Topping from Joy the Baker. I could have made the pear spice cake since I have pears in the fridge but honestly it was more work and dirty dishes than I had time for today. Also, the maple syrup cake is actually not very sweet so this topping is perfect for it. And it is heaven. I used toasted pecans because I think they go really well with this particular recipe. And it's so good I have to stop myself from cutting one more tiny piece. Also, this is not vegan in any way so if you are serving the cake which is vegan, well, keep that in mind. 1 stick butter 3/4 C packed brown sugar (I used dark) 1/4 C cream 1 C toasted pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped Combine butter, brown sugar and cream in a medium saucepan on me...

Happy new year, friends! My old friend M first found this recipe and I've made it a few times over the last few years, and decided it's basically foolproof. J and I made it last night, and it was massive -- far bigger than a dinner plate -- and wildly delicious. Thanks, Diana ! She recommends plumping the raisins beforehand by covering with hot water or brandy or fruit juice and letting sit for 3 to 5 minutes. (She also has bread machine variations and a few others on her website.) Ingredients : 1 tsp. granulated sugar 1 1/2 cups warm water 2 packages (1/2 oz./4 1/2 tsp./14g) instant yeast or bread yeast 7 to 8 cups bread flour (approximately) 1/8 tsp. powdered saffron or a pinch of saffron threads (optional) 2 tsp. salt 1/4 cup honey 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup (4 oz./8 tbsp./113g) butter or margarine, melted (or 1/2 cup vegetable oil may be used) 3 whole eggs 2 egg yolks 1 1/4 cups golden raisins, plumped *(See below on How to Plump Raisins) Egg Wash: 1 egg yolk...

For those of you who read PW, she posted this recipe for Knock You Naked brownies which are a knock-off of DLM's Killer Brownies . Normally I do not use a box mix for anything outside of making Paula Deen's butter cake but 1.) I wanted to take something to work for our training session yesterday and 2.) I haven't had a Killer Brownie since before we moved from Dayton and 3.) they come together quickly. In fact, these brownies were served at my bridal shower in Ohio. Anyway, I made this even easier on myself and not only used cake mix but also used Fleur de Sel caramel from Trader Joe's. Here's the recipe: 1 box german chocolate cake mix 1 stick butter, melted 1.5 C toasted pecans, finely chopped 1/3 C evaporated milk 1 jar caramel sauce 1/3 C chocolate chips powdered sugar for dusting prior to serving Preheat oven to 350 and butter an 8x8 pan. Grease well or you'll have a devil of a time cleaning it later. Also, you can double this recipe and bake in an 9...

I have a ridiculous swiss chard surplus from the garden. This year is the first time I've grown chard, and I didn't realize that after you cut it, it grows back, like spinach! Ah, the magic of leafy greens. So I've been trying to think of creative ways to use it, and one of the best I've found, inspired by this blog post , is to make a sort of hash. Chop tons of chard -- like, seriously, way more than you think is reasonable -- and dice the stems pretty finely, separating them out from the leaves. Heat some olive oil on low in a skillet and throw the stems in first, with chopped garlic and onion. (I like red onions the best for this because they make it sweet.) After a minute or two, throw in the leaves. When everything is soft, make little holes/nests in the chard mixture, so the bottom of the skillet shows through. Turn the heat up to medium. Spray a little more oil into each nest, so nothing sticks. Crack one egg into each nest and sprinkle with salt and pe...

I'm usually not crazy about tabouli because I don't like the taste of bulgur, for some reason, so using Israeli couscous was a nice substitute. We had friends over for dinner last night and served this with stuffed green peppers , and we made the filling out of couscous, chicken sausage, onions, peppers, Parm and oregano. (Loosely based on this Food Network recipe .) 1 package Israeli couscous, about 1 1/2 c dry salt and freshly ground black pepper juice of 2 lemons a big glug of olive oil  generous servings of chopped herbs to taste; we used a blend of cilantro, oregano and mint  a few shakes of zatar (optional but good) 6 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced bunch of scallions, chopped Bring a medium-size saucepan of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the couscous and cook until al dente, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain the couscous, run cold water over it for a few seconds to prevent clumping, and set aside to cool. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, zatar, and salt and pe...

This is adapted from Skinny Taste 1 onion, chopped 1 16-oz can black beans 1 16-oz can kidney beans 1 8-oz can tomato sauce 10 oz package frozen corn kernels 2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies 2 1/2 tbsp cumin 3 tbsp chili powder 2 1/2 tbsp paprika 2 1/2 tsp. onion powder 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 24 oz (3-4) boneless skinless chicken breasts Place chicken in crockpot, then add beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, and spices on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours.

I made this tonight to have with chili, as an alternative to our usual cornbread. So, so tasty. And super simple. We all broke ours into pieces, and then stuffed the air pockets with the chili and ate sort of like a pita. Certainly not something you can eat all the time -- because it is fried dough -- but a totally good treat. I'm not even going to bother to transcribe the recipe, because I want you to go read all about fry bread at the Smithsonian . And then I want you to make some. We had a nice discussion at dinner tonight about how the Native Americans eat this, and then we got sort of serious about why they first made this -- reservations and how the government used to give them crappy food and how this is really food borne out of necessity. Gaby probably internally rolls her eyes and thinks "can't I just eat the tasty bread in peace?" Too bad she's stuck with us.

You guys, this is chocolate chip cookie (really chocolate chip pie) nirvana. It's what those huge cookie cakes from the mall should taste like. And I went a little overboard with the undercooking -- I love cookie dough and underdone baked goods in general, so I took this out after about 30 minutes instead of the 35-45 that Heidi suggests. It wasn't enough and the cookie was really kind of soupy (although delicious!)... until I put it in the fridge, still in the skillet overnight. Then the nirvana hit and it was sort of like just-barely-cooked solid dough. You. guys. So. good. Next time, though, I'll leave it in the oven for another 5 minutes -- I would have been nervous to serve it to anyone when it was that uncooked. (Note that it didn't stop me and Jared from eating the entire thing ourselves over the course of not very many days.) 3 cups whole-wheat flour [I used 2 c whole wheat pastry flour and 1 c AP) 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ...

Made this for Old-Bay-loving J's birthday this year, along with the Old Bay version of the magic corn and bean salad and some fresh green beans from the garden. Mm. Be forewarned: It makes about six small cakes, and we finished the whole thing just the two of us. If you're feeding more than two, I'd double. 1/3 cup white wine 2 large sprigs parsley 1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns 1 pound cod [I used the flash-frozen stuff from Wegmans, which I think is excellent, thawed in the refrigerator for a day] 4-5 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt Freshly ground pepper 1/2 red onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish 1 teaspoon old bay [I used more like a tablespoon] 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste 1/4 cup panko 1/4 cup mayonaise 1/2 cup flour Combine 1 c water with the wine, the sprigs of parsley, and the peppercorns. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. [the original recipe has you do this with a ...

J and I went to Blue Hill Farm for our anniversary, the foodie-est thing we've ever done and the best meal I've ever had. And now I want to figure out how to make wheatberry pudding and half-dehydrated peaches and egg yolk carbonara and lots of other things. We posted about it on our wedding website ; go forth and read if you so desire!

6 bell peppers 1 lb turkey 1 1/2 cup cooked rice 1 can flavored tomatoes (I used fire roasted with garlic) 1 t worcestershire sauce 2 T ketchup 1 t black pepper 1/3 cup water Use as many peppers as you can get in your crockpot, but this is how many I can get in my 6 qt. oval crockpot. Cut the tops off the peppers, clean them out. Mix turkey, rice, tomatoes, worcestershire sauce, ketchup, pepper together. Fill peppers and put the tops back on. Put peppers in crockpot. Carefully add water to the bottom (do not pour on top of peppers). Cook on high for 4-6 or low for 8 -- you want the peppers to be nice and soft, but not falling apart, and the turkey to be cooked through.

From: The Commissary Cookbook So, once upon a time in Philadelphia, there was a restaurant called The Commissary. Their carrot cake was famous. People still talk about it, even though the restaurant is long gone. If you search the interwebs for the best carrot cake recipe out there, you will probably find at least a few people talking about the Commissary carrot cake. Two years ago a friend mentioned to me that he really likes carrot cake, and asked if I had carrot cake on my agenda any time soon. I didn't, but I remembered the request, and when that person's 40th birthday came around a few weeks ago I made this cake for him. It's not SO different from any other carrot cake recipe, but it is very tasty and delicious. The cake itself is very moist and flavorful, and the pecan filling and cream cheese frosting are the perfect complements. Of course, my supervisor Karen (who gives me all the best baking recipes) directed me to this recipe, and she makes it ...

I'm a sucker for anything called "the magic _______." From Everybody Likes Sandwiches , with fairly substantial modifications. 3 cobs of corn, uncooked, kernels sliced off with a sharp knife 1/2 red onion, diced 1 small green pepper, diced 1 large cucumber, seeded and diced handful each of fresh cilantro and basil [she suggested parsley, thyme and basil] 1 can of black beans, drained & rinsed 1/4 c olive oil juice of 2 juicy limes (should equal approx. 1/3 c) 2 heaping tsp gochu jang [her version had paprika, old bay and s&p] Toss everything together except the olive oil, lime juice and gochu jang or other spicy/sweet sauce. In a small jar, combine those three ingredients, shake, pour over the salad. Continue to ignore your stove or any other heat source for the rest of the night.

So, in the last three weeks, our CSA has netted us 6 pint containers of cherry/grape tomatoes. Plus the regular "slicing" tomatoes -- big heirloom ones. That's a lot of tomatoes. What to do with all the little tomatoes? Some are for salads, of course. Most, though, went into this last week. Oh, and one note. I don't often have 45 minutes before I even start preparing dinner -- the short people demand dinner that can be cooked quicker than that. So I roasted the tomatoes the night before, and stuck in the fridge so Ernie wouldn't have to rush around the kitchen on a Monday night. I think you could probably leave out the olives complete, and double the capers, and it'd be just as good. Maybe I'll do that next time. from Epicurious 2 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes, halved 1/3 cup olive oil 5 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper (omitted for little people) 3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano ...

Adapted from the Neelys I made a batch of this to use next weekend when I will be making pulled pork for 24 people at a family reunion. I wanted to make a double batch but didn't have enough ingredients on hand at home tonight. If I make another batch later in the week, I might try reducing the apple cider vinegar just a bit to see if I like it better that way. It's definitely good this way, but it is vinegar-y. I cut back on the sugar from the original recipe, as recommended in many of the comments, so that may have contributed to the strong vinegar tang, too. I may continue to play around with this recipe, but it's a good starting place. You could also throw this in the crockpot for a few hours instead of simmering on your stovetop. Ingredients 2 cups ketchup 1 cup water 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 5 tablespoons light brown sugar 1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard 1 tablespoon lemon...

What do you do when you pick 11 pounds of blueberries in half an hour? Cook something that will make them take up less space. I'm planning to eat this on yogurt for the rest of my life. Adapted from a Seattle Times recipe , mostly to increase the quantity and try to make it reduce faster. 6 cups fresh blueberries 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Combine the ingredients in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and cook over medium heat until the blueberry skins have popped and the mixture is thickened, about 20 minutes. Let cool and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes two large jelly jars (about 3 cups?) of sauce.

Shannon and I are mulling a change in FG's background, possibly to one of the templates shown here . In the comments, vote for your two or three favorites. Viva democracy!

From: Gina's Skinny Recipes This can be made in the crockpot (partially) or completely on the stovetop. I would like to figure out if you could do it all in one step in the crockpot, but in the comments Gina recommends not doing it that way. If I make it again maybe I'll experiment and try it, but this time I did the two-step process of making the chicken in the crockpot and then finishing it on the stovetop. Serve as is in a soup bowl, or over rice, or wrapped up in a tortilla, or over tortilla chips, etc. 3 chicken breast halves 1 small onion, quartered 1 tomato, quartered 1 carrot, peeled and chopped 2 cloves garlic, peeled 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 tbsp olive oil 1 small onion, thinly sliced 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced 1/4 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup tomato sauce reserved broth 1 tsp cumin, or more to taste (I like a lot) garlic powder salt and pepper to taste Place chicken, onion, tomato, carro...

She's right, it's perfect. This sort of makes an iced-coffee concentrate, which keeps in the fridge for a long time. I won't lie, it's messy and inconvenient (particularly if your dumb glass bowl decides to leak for no reason and you wind up with an inch of coffee all over your refrigerator shelf), but the results are worth it. I am an iced coffee fanatic in the summer, and cold-brew methods really do give you better, stronger coffee -- which has to be stronger since you need ice cubes, and unless you're super smart and make coffee ice cubes, the coffee gets diluted, and then even if you do have coffee ice cubes, it throws off your milk/coffee balance, which is problematic, and clearly I have thought about this an awful lot. PW recommends steeping this for at least 8 hours; I accidentally steeped mine for almost 24. It is strong, my friends. My current ratio is half coffee and half milk, plus a splash of delicious chemical-laden caramel macchiato fake cream . MMMM....

From: Pioneer Woman This is a good recipe for all the summer tomatoes that are starting to come in, from the garden and the farm share. You can use any kind of tomatoes - large, small, red, yellow, etc. We ate these piled high on fresh mozzarella with a bit of fresh-cracked black pepper and kosher salt. Todd also made a toasted/melted version for dinner, too - he toasted up some nice bread, piled on the tomatoes, placed some sliced mozzarella on top and then stuck it back in the toaster oven to melt the cheese. Sprinkle with sliced basil and, viola (as they say in France)! You could also serve it cold on toasted bread like bruschetta, or spoon it over some quinoa or cous cous for a side dish, etc. Ingredients 1 cup Canola Oil (I used less, and substituted olive oil) 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar 4 Tablespoons Sugar 1 teaspoon Salt Freshly Ground Black Pepper 3 whole Green Onions, Sliced 1/4 cup Chopped Parsley 18 whole Basil Leaves (chiffonade) 1/4 teaspoon Ground Thyme 2 cloves Garli...

Until last week, I'd never looked at Annie's Eats . I saw the url on several posts from foodgoodness posters and finally took a peek. This one is summery and nice. I messed with it, of course, but I'll just post as is and spare you my usual "but then I did THIS instead" litany. Just one thing, if you have a bread machine to make the dough and the extra hour for rising, homemade buns are easy , you guys. >>> For the salsa: 1 mango, diced 1-1½ cups diced fresh pineapple ½ of one red bell pepper, diced small ¼ cup red onion, finely diced 1 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro Juice of one lime Pinch of coarse salt For the sauce: (I halved it and had plenty for 4 burgers) 1 cup fresh chopped pineapple ½ cup low sodium soy sauce 1 inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced fine 3 tbsp. brown sugar 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ tsp. vinegar (apple cider or rice vinegar) ½ tsp. sesame oil 1 tbsp. cornstarch 1 tbsp. cold water For the burgers: 1 lb. ground sirloin 2 tbsp. finel...

Adapted from the Wood Prairie Farm website (and just about the most poorly written cookie recipe ever). 2 C whole wheat flour 1 t baking powder 1 t cinnamon 1/2 t soda 1/2 t salt 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 1 C white sugar 1 C dark brown sugar 1 T light corn syrup, optional* 2 large eggs 1 t vanilla extract 3 C old fashioned (rolled) oats--do NOT use instant 1 C dried blueberries 1 C chopped lightly toasted walnuts Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, leaveners, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl, whisk together and set aside. In your stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until lighter in color and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, corn syrup (if using) and then vanilla. Slowly add in flour mixture and be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl and beater to ensure everything is thoroughly mixed before adding the remaining ingredients. Add oats, berries and walnuts and stir on slow just until combined--the blueberries can be a bit fragile so be careful. If using a small cookie sco...

Adapted slightly from Mark Bittman in the latest issue of Cooking Light. This is a no-cook (if you leave out the chx), easy and delicious soup that I plan to make again. Also, it keeps well due to the citrus content. 2 ripe avocados, divided 1.5 C water 1/2 C fresh lemon juice 1 t honey S&P 1/4 t red pepper flakes 12 oz skinless, boneless chx breasts olive oil or cooking spray 1.5 C fresh corn kernels (or some fresh and some frozen or all frozen--it's up to you) 1 C chopped red bell pepper 1/3 C chopped green onions (I used red onion b/c that's what I had) 1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro, optional lime wedges Using your blender or immersion blender, plunk one avocado, peeled and diced into your work bowl and add water, lemon juice, honey, 3/4 t salt, 1/4 t pepper and the red pepper flakes; blend until smooth or it's reached the desired consistency. I also added the kernels from 2 ears of corn I had on hand and pureed them with the avocado. Then I used frozen roasted cor...

This? This right here? This is the new cornerstone for all of my cooking. Until, of course, I need a break from garlic. Which means it's a very long time from now. This very lovely garlic and olive oil is easy to make, fills the whole house with good smells, and is tasty, too. (what? i snuck a taste once the oil had cooled) Make some. You know you want to. from The Man, Rick Bayless Please note: the recipe does not call for the chipotle, but when I watched him in his PBS series, he threw a chipotle in. So I did, too. 4 large heads garlic OR 10 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups) peeled garlic cloves 2 cups olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup fresh lime juice 1 (or more) chipotle pepper Directions Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Break the heads of garlic apart, then mash each clove (a fist against the side of a knife is what I do) to release the clove from its papery skin; if using already-peeled garlic, scoop the cloves into a heavy plastic bag and use a rolling pin to mash them slightly. Stir ...