Food goodness

I've made this cheesecake plenty of times, but it's been a while. It was requested for a dinner in April and I figured I'd better find it sooner rather than later. I'll be making it again soon, just to make sure my technique hasn't suffered in the last few years. from Food and Wine 1 1/2 cups walnut pieces 1 3/4 cups sugar 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 2 cups sour cream 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 2 pounds cream cheese, softened 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped 4 large eggs, at room temperature 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract 1/2 cup heavy cream Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 10-inch springform pan. In a food processor, pulse the walnuts with 1/4 cup of the sugar until finely ground. Add the butter; pulse until the mixture resembles moist sand. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 12 minutes, or until browned around the edges. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream with 1/4 cup of the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the vanil

From: The Food Network I made half of these as appetizers according to the instructions, and the remaining half I made into 4 larger entree-size "pies." Rather than rolling the puff pastry out into the large 12 x 24 rectangle per the instructions, I first cut it in half (much easier to work with a smaller portion). I rolled out two 12 x 12 squares - made half into appetizers, and cut the other half into 4 big rectangles. 1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach 1/4-pound firm feta cheese, coarsely crumbled 2 cloves garlic, pressed About 20 grinds black pepper Small dash nutmeg Flour, for dusting 1 (10 by 9.5-inch) piece of packaged puff pastry Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Thaw frozen spinach in microwave according to package directions or by running under warm water. Drain spinach, squeezing the excess liquid from it. In a bowl, mix the spinach, feta, garlic, pepper, and nutmeg together. Flour a clean, dry countertop or other flat working surface (I used a large cutting b

In our house, everything is made better by bacon. At least, that's the theory according to my dad and Ernie. We didn't have any pancetta, so we used bacon instead. And a happy Christmas dinner was had by all. From Giada 8 large garlic cloves 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) tied boneless pork loin roast Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta 1 1/2 cups chicken broth 1 1/2 cups dry white wine Blend the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and oil in a small food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the garlic is minced. Sprinkle the pork roast generously with salt and pepper. Arrange the pancetta slices on a work surface, overlapping slightly and forming a rectangle. Spread half of the garlic mixture over 1 side of the pork and between the 2 loins that meet in the center of the tied pork roast. Place t

From: All Recipes One of my favorite appetizers. Mm. Bacon. 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, halved 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut in half 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup tomato-based chili sauce 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. Wrap each water chestnut with a piece of bacon. Place the rolls seam-side down in a baking dish. 3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until bacon is crisp and cooked through. Drain off the grease. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, brown sugar and chili sauce; pour over the bacon-chestnut rolls. Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes.

Yum! This was delicious, and makes a great gift. You can also just do one type of chocolate, rather than layering like this recipe calls for. A single layer would be easier, as you would not have to worry about freezing the bottom layers completely so they don't swirl when you add the top layers of warm melted chocolate. Either way, delicious. I used this recipe for the layered bark. Here is a recipe for a single layer bark. 17 ounces high quality white chocolate, finely chopped 6 ounces peppermint candy canes, crushed (this was 12 candy canes, but I think 8 would be plenty.) 7 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate 5 1/2 tablespoons whipping cream 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract Turn large baking sheet bottom side up. Cover securely with foil. Mark 12 x 9-inch rectangle on foil. Stir white chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) until chocolate is melted and smooth and candy thermometer registers 110

These are still baking, so I'm not sure what they taste like, but they sure smell good! From Betty Crocker 1 cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 large eggs 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1. Heat oven to 350F. Spread hazelnuts in ungreased shallow pan. Bake uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Cool. 2. In large bowl, beat sugar, butter, almond extract, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in hazelnuts. Place dough on lightly floured surface. Gently knead 2-3 minutes or until dough holds together and hazelnuts are evenly distributed. 3. Divide dough in half. On ungreased cookie sheet, shape half of dough into 10x3in rectangle, rounding edges slightly. Repeat with remaining cookie dough on same cookie sheet if room or second sheet. 4. Bake about 25 min

(Ew, that sounds DIRTY, that's what she said, etc. etc.) :) I am now officially Trying to Eat More Protein, so I started off by roasting a whole chicken tonight, which I have never done before. It wasn't as challenging as a turkey, and it turned out really well. I won't copy out the Bittman recipe I used because I think it's pretty basic, and also that most normal people have roasted chickens before, but here is a spice rub I found online somewhere that really made it delicious. 1/2 t of the following: salt ground black pepper dried oregano dried basil paprika 1/4 t cayenne Mix with 6 T olive oil. Before baking, I rubbed it under the skin and drizzled half of it on the potatoes and parsnips and garlic roasting beside the chicken; after the first 20 minutes at the high temperature, I flipped the chicken and poured the rest of it on top. Dee-licious.

from Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine This was a nice change from the standard pasta dish. I served it as a side dish tonight, but it would also be good as a main dish. It was very easy and quick to throw together. 1 pound penne pasta (I used whole wheat) 2 T butter 1 onion, chopped (next time I'll add a clove or two of chopped garlic) salt & pepper 1 15-oz. can pure pumpkin puree 1 cup heavy cream (I used evaporated whole milk) 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for topping 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion (and garlic, if using) and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and heavy cream and bring to a boil. Return the pasta to the pot, along with the reserved pasta water, and toss. Stir in the parmesan; season with salt & pepper. Top pasta with parsley and more parme

Ok, so this is totally unhealthy, but delicious. Ellen brought this to a pot-luck lunch I attended this week. Apparently the church ladies ask her to bring this dish every time, so she never gets to make anything else. At any rate, it was tasty and she gave me her recipe. It specifically says not to use reduced fat ingredients, but I'm going to give it a try when I make it to see what happens. I'm guessing that reduced fat ingredients will probably be ok, but non-fat might not work as well. I'll report back. Ingredients: 4 whole chicken breasts 3 hard cooked eggs, diced (optional) ½ can condensed cream of chicken soup 2 cups finely chopped celery 1 cup mayonnaise - (do not use light or low fat) 1 cup sour cream - (do not use light or low fat) 1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained ½ cup slivered almonds 2 tablespoons minced onion 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 regular size can French fried onions 1. Cook chic

This is from my new favorite cookbook, Mark Bittman's veg book (move over Nigella!) and I am obsessed with this recipe. No, it's not the lowest fat thing in the world but it is hearty and delicious and should very easily be able to be made in a crock pot. My problem with the crock pot is that by the time I get around to thinking about making dinner in one, it's usually too late. Oh, and this is vegan so for those of us trying to cut back on dairy, it's so yummy you won't even think about cheese. 3/4 C roasted peanuts 2 T oil 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced in half moons 1 T minced fresh ginger 1 T minced garlic pinch cayenne or so to taste (I also added red pepper flakes at the end) S&P 6 C veg stock or water 2 sweet potatoes (total of 1 lb), cut in thin half moons or small dice 1 can diced tomatoes (recipe says to reserve liquid for another recipe but I dumped both tomatoes and juice in the pot) 1/2 lb collards, kale or spinah 1/4 C chunky peanut butter

Geoff and I made this on Sunday, and had the leftovers on Monday, all because I was craving this dish after having a shepherd's pie tart when I was having tea with friends a few weeks ago. Awesome. If you've got leftover mashed potatoes from Turkey Day (or after Christmas in a few weeks), this is a good way to use them up. From The Joy of Cooking (75th Anniversary edition, page 102-3). If you've used Joy before, you know that ingredients are incorporated into the recipe, rather than listed at the beginning. Like Joy, I'm putting ingredients in bold, to make them stand out a little more. Place in a large pot of cold water over medium heat: 1-1/2 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled and quartered Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and mash with a fork or potato ricer or masher, adding the reserved cooking water along with: 1 tablespoon butter Salt and white pepper to t

When we were in Costa Rica for our honeymoon, we stayed at the Arco Iris (Rainbow) Lodge near the Monteverde Cloud Forest. We had breakfast at the lodge twice. The first day I tried a slice of a dark brown quickbread, but I wasn't entirely sure what it was. It looked like a date bread, but tasted like banana. It was a really dark color, and came in small squares about 2 inches in size. It was really good. The second morning I tried it again, and decided it was definitely banana bread. I went for a second piece, but it was gone. I waited about 20 minutes to see if the cook would bring out another one. She did, and it was still hot from the oven. I grabbed 4 slices, wrapped them in a napkin and slipped out the door. We ate the banana bread later that morning on our drive to the next town. I declared it the best banana bread I had ever had, and wished I had absconded with the whole loaf. A few weeks ago I emailed the Arco Iris Lodge and begged them for the recipe. I told

We had this with the cheesy beer bread. This is the most cooking I've done in several weeks -- it was like I knew what I was doing with an infant and a 6-year-old. From Annie's Eats 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ -inch cubes 1 medium onion, chopped 1 ½ tsp. garlic powder 1 tbsp. oil 2 (15.5 oz) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed 1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth 2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. dried oregano ½ tsp. pepper ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper 1 cup reduced fat sour cream ½ cup whipping cream fresh cilantro and paprika, for garnish In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, sauté chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chiles and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; let simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and whipping cream. Sprinkle with paprika and top with fresh cilantro for garnish, if desired.

Look at this, me cooking like I had my act together or something. This bread was really good. We've still got half a loaf of it, and I'm resisting the urge to go eat it all right this moment. Only thing I would add is that next time I might use even more cheese. Because you can never have too much cheese. Adapted from Annie's Eats 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 4 ½ tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar (or more!) 12 oz. beer (we used a really light beer...next time I'll use an ale or dark beer) 2 tbsp. butter, melted Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9×5” loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder. Whisk to combine well. Add cheese and whisk to combine. Slowly add beer to dry ingredients and stir lightly until just combined, and all ingredients are completely moistened. Place into a prepared loaf pan and pour melted bu

Todd asked for a Black Forest Cake for his birthday this year. I've never made one, but this one was pretty easy. Many recipes I looked at called for more alcohol (kirsch or cherry liquor). This one didn't call for it at all, but I added a bit of brandy to the cherry filling mixture. I thought the cherries were really tasty. A little on the sweet side, but matched well with the cake which was moist but not overly sweet. All in all, it worked out well and everyone liked it. 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups white sugar 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 3 eggs 1 cup milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 (20 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries (I used 2 bottles of Morello dark cherries from Trader Joes) 1 cup white sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup of brandy or kirsch, optional 3 cups heavy whipping cream 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

From Williams Sonoma by way of Annie's Eats I don't know why I made these, since I knew I was going to have a big cake. At any rate, they turned out pretty well.... almost fudge-like in consistency. I was afraid the graham cracker crust would crumble, since it didn't require baking, but it didn't. It held together well. Also, this is listed as one of W-S's kid-friendly recipes, since it doesn't require baking and the steps are pretty simple. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks 6 whole graham crackers 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) 1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 pinch of salt 1 cup miniature marshmallows 2 whole graham crackers or 1 cup mini-graham cracker shapes Line an 8-inch square baking

From Simply Recipes I made this as one of the appetizers at Todd's party tonight. I actually halved the recipe, because we only had 12 people, and 2 loaves of bread seemed like too much. The amount of cheese (1/2 the recipe) worked well with the one loaf of Italian bread that I bought. I also popped the bread under the broiler first for a couple of minutes first, before I topped it with the cheese, to toast it up a bit. It was a big hit. 8 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese 1 lb shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 to 1 cup chopped green onion (to taste) 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 Tbsp sour cream (optional) 3-4 cloves garlic, minced 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup, 4 ounces), softened to the point of being slightly melted 1 to 2 loaves of French or Italian bread, depending on the size of the loaves 1 In a large bowl, mix together the cheeses and the green onion. Stir in the mayonnaise and sour cream. In a separate small bowl blend the butter and garlic until smooth. Add the butter mixture

Heather always has these at her parties, and made them for my bridal shower earlier this year. I'm going to make them for Todd's birthday party game night this weekend...if I don't eat them all first. 4 oz. (1/2 pkg) cream cheese, softened 1/2 C. shredded jack, pepper jack or cheddar 1/4 C. sour cream 1/4 tsp. onion salt 1 C. canned black beans, drained, rinsed (Heather suggests using a full can) 3 flour tortillas (10") Salsa for dipping Mix cheeses, sour cream, and onion salt with electric mixer on medium speed. (Or, mix by hand). Puree beans in food processor. Spread a layer of beans on tortilla. Spread cheese mixture over beans Roll tortillas up tightly. Refrigerate 30 minutes (or overnight). Cut into 1/2 inch slices. Serve with salsa.

From: Cooking Light I make this a lot in the fall/winter. I can't believe I never posted this recipe before, but I couldn't find it in the archives. I like this dish, but I think it needs to be seasoned well or else it is a little bland. For this reason, I typically increase the amounts of herbs, salt and pepper, and I use the full head of roasted garlic instead of just the half that the recipe calls for. Tonight I tried roasting the butternut squash first, and it honestly didn't make a ton of difference in my opinion. But the herbs and garlic do make a difference here. Don't skimp on those things. 8 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups) 1 whole garlic head 4 ounces pancetta, chopped (regular bacon is also fine) 2 cups vertically sliced onion 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 4 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 2 pounds) 1/2 cup organic vegetable or chicken broth 1/2 teaspoon

Yes, another soup recipe from Isaac's. But it's good and why not, anyway? I did this from memory so the quantities are not exact. This is so easy and fast and makes great leftovers for lunch. You could make this in your crockpot but it's not the kind of thing where you could dump all of it in along with the tortellini and leave it for 6 hours or so b/c your pasta will probably fall apart. If you're going to be home, then add the tortellini an hour or so before serving. 1 package tortellini (I used cheese and roasted garlic) 3 large tomatoes, chopped (you can use canned but we still have fresh 'maters at the market) 1 medium onion, small dice 1 small carrot, small dice 1 stalk of celery, small dice fist-full of a combination of thyme, oregano, parsley and basil (or to taste) S&P 46 oz (give or take) of tomato juice 2-3 cloves of garlic 1 large pkg of baby spinach, roughly chopped 2 T o.o. Saute onions, carrot and celery until softened and add garlic. Add sp

the love-hate relationship with Heidi continues... I can't get enough of this salad, but I just start go all RachRay on her a**when she starts with the holy grail ingredients and meticulous prep instructions. (even my inner kitchen witch sees no need to improve on this perfect dressing) 2 tablespoons miso 1/2 teaspoon powdered mustard (or a bit of whatever mustard you have around) 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey or agave) 1/4 cup (brown) rice vinegar 1/3 cup mild flavored extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon pure toasted sesame oil (optional) 1/2 of a medium-large cabbage (bag o' slaw. BAM. done. Both regular cole slaw mix or Trader Joe's broccoli slaw mix are awesome.) 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted (I rock and roll two handfuls of roasted almonds with my mezzaluna) 1/2 medium red onion, sliced (I saute these for a couple of minutes to take the onion bite down.) 3/4 cup chives, minced 8 ounces extra-firm or baked tofu (I like teriyaki flavored baked tofu) , room tem

I made a batch of these for company. The company went a little nuts for them. My husband went a little nuts for them. The neighbors enjoyed them the following day. These are the kind you eat one, maybe two of (and I am NOT usually that girl) and are full. This recipe does things a little differently and I went ahead and listened instead my usual routine of sniffing skeptically and making up work-arounds that require minimal effort and time. I saw significant effects from: 1) letting dough set up overnight in the fridge 2) using the paddle instead of the wire whip attachment on my mixer 3) using two kinds of flour and sifting each like crazy Leite’s Consummate Chocolate Chip Cookies Adapted from David Leite via The New York Times Takes: 45 minutes, plus at least 24 hours’ chilling Makes: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies. 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour (I used pastry flour and could taste it, which was both good and bad) 1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour 1 1/4

I had a giant clamshell of spinach in my fridge that wasn't getting eaten fast enough, so I adapted a recipe I found in Simply in Season. It was very easy and who doesn't like egg, spinach and cheese? It would be a good potluck or brunch contribution. 4 eggs 1/2 C wheat flour 1/2 C wheat pastry flour 1 lb spinach, chopped 3/4 C shredded cheese 1 C cottage cheese 1/2 t nutmeg salt Preheat oven to 350. Mix eggs, wheat four, pastry flour, nutmeg and salt in bowl. Stir in cottage cheese and shredded cheese. Fold in spinach. Grease a square baking pan. Bake for 30-40 min.

I especially like to eat food that I can wrap up in a tortilla. We often have "chinese burritos" in our house, and even though I adjusted some of the ingredients (portos instead of shiitake, reg. bok choi instead of baby, reg, stir fried tofu for smoked) this particular recipe is really really good. From Veg Times, Jul/Aug, 2008. 2 lg eggs 2T sesame oil 1/2 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced 3/4 lb baby bok choy 2 med carrots, matchsticks 3 green onions, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 T soy sauce 1 t balsamic vinegar 5 oz. smoked tofu, matchsticks 12 warmed tortillas or mu shu wraps hoisin for garnish Make omelet with egg; transfer to cutting board to slice thin ribbons. Stir fry in sesame oil in the following order: mushrooms - 5-7 min. bok choi, carrots, onions - 3-4 min garlic - 1 min Add soy sauce & vinegar to pan. S&P Add tofu & egg to warm through. Serve with wraps & hoisin

thank you again, "The Helpful Housemate" 1/2 C sugar 1/4 C brown sugar 2 C flour 2 t baking powder 1/2 t baking soda 1/2 t cinnamon 1 t nutmeg 1 egg 1 C applesauce or chopped apples 1/4 C melted butter, or veg oil 1 t vanilla 1/2 C raisins 1 C milk (handwritten under typed ingredients) Preheat oven to 350. In a medium sized bowl, sift together the sugars, flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Add the egg, butter, apples and vanilla. Finally, stir in the raisins. Pour into a greased loaf pan or muffin tin and bake at 350. The loaf will take 1 hr to bake and the muffins will take 20-25 min.

another one from "The Helpful Housemate" makes 12 muffins or 1 loaf 2 C flour 1/2 C sugar 2 1/2 t baking powder 1/2 t baking soda 1 t salt 1 C oatmeal 2 T veg oil/melted butter 1 1/4 C sour milk (mix milk with 1 t vinegar) 1/2 C dried fruit 1/2 C nuts cinnamon & sugar Prehead oven to 350. In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and oatmeal. Add the oil or butter and milk and stir until smooth. Stir in the fruit and nuts. Pour into greased loaf pan or muffin tin and dust the tops with cinnamon sugar. Bake loaf for 1 hr. Bake muffins for 20-25 min.

from a homemade cookbook called "The Helpful Housemate," written by my friend Emily's friend, Kristen makes 1 lg pizza crust or 4 calzones 1 1/2 C lukewarm water 1 T (or 1 pkg) yeast 1 T honey 1/2 C whole wheat flour 3 1/4 C (divided into 1 1/2 and 1 3/4 C) unbleached white flour 1/3 C cornmeal (plus some for baking sheet) 1 1/2 t salt 2 T olive oil In a large bowl, dissove yeast and honey in water. Cover and let it stand for 10 minutes or until frothy. To the yeast mixture, add the whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 C white flour and cornmeal and beat thoroughly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let mixture stand for 10 min. Add salt & olive oil and slowly begin to stir in the rest of the flour until the dough becomes kneadable. Turn it out onto a clean surface and knead for 5 min., until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise in a warm oven for an hour. (turn on oven to 200, until it gets warm, then turn it off.

I had this recently at a pot-luck, and many people asked for the recipe. It's similar to (but surely does not top) Gwen's mom's carrot casserole. Most people thought it was made with sweet potatoes instead of carrots. It seems like a simple side dish that is quick to throw together. When I make it I might try to cut back on the butter just a bit, and maybe add some cinnamon. Carrot mixture: 1 lb. carrots 2 eggs 1/2 c. sugar 3 Tbsp. flour 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 c. melted butter 1/2 tsp. baking powder Topping: 1/2 c. pecans, chopped 3 Tbsp. brown sugar 2 Tbsp. butter, softened Cook carrots until tender. Drain. Puree carrots in a food processor or blender. Stir in eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, butter and baking powder. Pour into a buttered casserole dish. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Meanwhile, mix topping ingredients together in a small bowl. Take the casserole out and sprinkle the topping over it. Put back in the oven and cook for another 15 minutes.

This is adapted from a Rachel Ray recipe , and it was really good. Next time, though, we'll make the pockets deeper so we can get more of the filling in each breast. 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts salt and pepper 4 to 5 ounces blue cheese (or Asiago) crumbles A handful arugula leaves from bulk bins, chopped A handful baby spinach leaves from bulk bins, chopped 4 slices bacon Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Using a small sharp knife cut into the thick end of the chicken and make an incision reaching 2/3 the way down the breast. Loosen up the incision with your fingers to make a hole. Season the chicken with pepper. Combine the cheese with arugula and baby spinach and stuff the breasts. Spiral-wrap the breasts with the bacon tightly to cover the meat evenly. Place chicken on a nonstick baking sheet and roast 20 to 22 minutes until bacon is crispy and chicken is firm.

This is adapted from a recipe found here . It was incredibly easy and tasty. Definitely not vegetarian, but I'm sure you could make it that way by substituting mushroom broth and leaving out the Worcestershire sauce. 2 boxes (32 oz) beef broth (low sodium kind) 6 T butter 3 large, sweet onions 1/2 T granulated sugar 1/4 cup sherry (or dry white wine, which is what I used) Worcestershire sauce French bread swiss cheese Heat your slow cooker to high and plop your butter in to start melting. Slice the yellow onions into rings. Break up the onion slices with your fingers, and stir them around in the melted butter. Cook this way for at least an hour, possibly two. Check to make sure there's no burning. Add the beef broth, sugar, a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce and sherry/wine. I used 1 1/2 boxes of broth for the amount of onions I had. Cook on high for 6-8 hours or low for 10-12. It takes a while for the onions to get translucent and pliable Before serving, slice bread and to

I just saw Shannon's request for this now. This recipe comes with the caveat that even though I have cooked this about 20 times with Debbie, it never comes out as well when I do it alone as it does when she makes it. That said... Cut a mix of sweet and regular potatoes (or either one you have on hand) into about 1" dice. Chop an onion while you're at it. Boil water for the potatoes and cook them until they're almost soft enough to eat. Heat oil in a skillet; I think she often uses a blend of olive and vegetable to get them crunchy. Put in about a teaspoon of whole mustard seeds and a teaspoon of whole cumin seeds to flavor the oil. Saute onions until translucent and add potatoes. The trick is getting them really browned on at least one or two sides... this is the part that never works that well for me. It's important not to disturb them too much. Season with salt and pepper and eat a lot of them.

Had some extra blue cheese to use up, so I tried this recipe without much variation. I poached the chicken, which was really easy and lets you avoid cutting it up raw. 1/2 lb. Farfalle (bow-tie) pasta [I used ziti] 6 oz. cooked chicken breast, sliced 1/4" (may be grilled, poached or broiled) 2 TB. extra virgin olive oil 1/3 C. onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1-1/2" lengths 1/2 C. red bell pepper, diced 1/2 C. basil leaves, loosely packed, sliced thinly [I used one of the frozen basil cubes in the freezer] 4 oz. Blue Cheese, crumbled Serves 4 Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse, drain and set aside. In medium nonstick skillet, heat olive oil; add onion and sauti until translucent. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more; add asparagus, red bell pepper, and 1/2 cup water. Cook uncovered until water evaporates and asparagus is tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in basil, pasta, and sliced chicken; add salt and fre

Alright, so I think this falls under both technique and really good fish recipe. I think you could easily use this for chicken, if you wanted blackened chicken, you just might want to increase the cooking time in the oven until the chicken is done. Another product of having too much time on my hands, and Food Network almost constantly on my television. From Guy Fieri 2 tablespoons paprika 1 teaspoon cayenne 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon chili powder 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 (6-ounce) catfish fillets 2 tablespoons canola oil 2 tablespoons butter 4 lemon wedges On a plate, mix together the paprika, cayenne, thyme, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper for the blackened spice mixture. Dredge the catfish fillets in the spice mixture and set aside. Heat a large cast iron fry pan or saute pan over high heat until it is "white hot." Add oil to

From: Annie's Eats I made this cake for a friend's birthday this past weekend, and it was a big hit with everyone. I had to take lots of pictures of it, because it was the most impressive-looking cake I think I've ever made. For the cake: 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 ½ cups sugar 2 large eggs 2 large egg yolks 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup buttermilk 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (optional) For decorating: 1 ½ - 2 batches peanut butter frosting (below) (I made a double batch and had about 1.5 cups leftover) miniature Reese’s cups, halved and/or chopped For the cake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 9×2” round cake pans, dust the insides with flour (I used cocoa powder), tap out the excess and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper (don’t skip the parchment paper. I only used parchment

I made this to bring to a World Series party tonight, and served with pita chips. I guess it's the same basic recipe as hummus, but with different beans. It was nice to have something just a little different. I'm sure you could play around with it and add other flavors as well, such as sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, different herbs, etc. Ingredients: 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 2 cloves garlic (I just used one large clove) 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup olive oil (I used less than this) 1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves Salt Freshly ground black pepper Directions: Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl. Serve with pita chips or veggies.

These are also known as Black-Bottom Cupcakes, from David Liebovitz's "The Great Book of Chocolate." Smitten Kitchen and Annie's Eats have also posted this recipe with nice photos. See my notes at the bottom regarding the debate between regular-size muffins and mini-muffins, paper cups versus no paper cups, and filling to the brim versus filling to 90%. Yield: 12 full-size or approximately 48 mini cupcakes For the filling: 8 ounces cream cheese, regular or reduced fat, at room temperature 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg, at room temperature 2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped For the cupcakes: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 5 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process) 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup water 1/3 cup unflavored vegetable oil 1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Make the filling: Beat together the cream cheese, granulated

This is from Recipes from the Night Kitchen, another great cookbook I got from the library. Sally Nirenberg opened a soup restaurant (the Night Kitchen, duh) in the early 80s in Brookline, MA, and then collected her recipes into this book. She tells little stories in the margins and has photos and drawings and I love it... I think I need to buy this one. Anyway, this soup was delicious. Here are her margin notes: There are many versions of Pasta e Fagioli, Italian Pasta and Beans. Southern Italians make it differently than Northern Italians, and Italians in America make it yet another way. This is the American-in-America version, a synthesis of them all. Feel free to experiment with different kinds of beans and different shapes of pasta, but don't leave out the rosemary, it is especially wonderful here. [I totally left out the rosemary... somehow we don't have any! I quadrupled the basil, though, using one of the pre-pesto cubes I froze in the ice-cube tray during basil season

From Allrecipes.com I was in the mood for pancakes and pumpkin and this is a great way to have both. 2 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground allspice (I didn't have any--all I had were cloves and cinnamon so used a 1/4 t of cloves and an additional 1/4 t of cinnamon) 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I was out so I used fresh ginger) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups milk 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 egg 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons vinegar *I also added a dash of vanilla In one large bowl, mix the dry ingredients. In a second bowl, mix the wet ingredients and pour over the dry ingredients. Mix just enough to combine. Grease a hot griddle with oil or butter and pour 1/4 C of batter per pancake. Use more if you like l

I saw this recipe a long time ago and stuck it on the back burner because it was still so hot outside. It's not hot anymore, and this smells really good baking in my oven right now. And easy to make. From Annie's Eats 1 chicken breast salt and pepper 1-2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil ½ large onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 4 oz. mushrooms, sliced 1 (24-oz.) jar pasta sauce 8 oz. ricotta cheese 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 tsp. Italian seasoning 9-12 lasagna noodles, uncooked (depending on size of dish) 2 cups spinach, chopped ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese Place the chicken breast in a large non-stick skillet and season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat until cooked through. Cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Add 1-2 tbsp. of olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic to the pan and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté until onion is tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the pasta

From Nigella Lawson (I can't remember which cookbook). I remember she cooked this recipe on Rachel Ray last year around Thanksgiving. I made myself watch the show b/c I love Nigella but Ms. Ray's t.v. persona makes me nutty. We were strolling through the farmer's market this weekend and lots of vendors were selling squash and this recipe came to mind. Yum-o. (Seriously? Did I just write that?) 4.5 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes 1 T o.o. 1/4 C. maple syrup (my addition) 1 C blue cheese, crumbled 1C pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (I used walnuts this time but both are good) Preheat oven to 450. Toss butternut squash cubes with o.o. and maple syrup and dump into a baking dish. Roast for 30 - 40 minutes until done. Toss with chopped nuts and blue cheese crumbles and serve. We ate it as a main course but it would be a lovely side dish with pork or chicken.

The dal obsession escalates: I took "The Indian Vegetarian" out of the library, and this is the first one I've tried. The topping, specifically the browned onions -- made easy by my new birthday iron skillet from Kelly, hooray! is beautiful! -- is what made this flavorful, and even more might have been better; the beans are kind of bland. But it's good. The author says this dal is "considered light and easy to digest" and was one of her family's favorites. It was good topped with plain yogurt and would be better topped with raita. 1 c dried pink lentils (I used red; are those the same?), picked over and washed 1 c dried yellow mung beans (I used split), picked over and washed 6 c water (this is what I used, but I had to boil it for a long time -- next time, I'll do less) 5 fresh serrano or dried red peppers (I used crushed red pepper) 1 t salt, or to taste 1 T peeled and minced fresh ginger 1/2 c loosely packed finely chopped cilantro (I used mint, w

Okay, so I made this to go with the steak. And mine didn't turn out nearly as pretty as the ones on the television, but they were really good so I didn't care. Adapted from this recipe on Food Network. 3 pounds baby Yukon potatoes 2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning 3/4 pound bacon, diced 2 yellow onions, diced 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons Parmesan In large stock pot add potatoes, cover with water and add salt. Set heat on high and boil until fork tender. In a large saute pan over medium heat cook bacon and saute onions until caramelized. Remove bacon and onions from pan on to a paper towel to absorb grease, keep warm on platter, and leave remaining fat in pan. When potatoes are fork tender, drain, and with a clean kitchen towel, palm smash the hot potatoes to approximately 1/3-inch thick. Reheat fat in saute pan and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat to

I turned on the television the other day randomly and watched the chef on the screen make this steak. I usually could take steak or leave it, but this one looked good. The steak is easy to put together, and so is the sauce. I didn't actually have any sauce, because it had a lot of garlic and I was afraid of exacerbating the ever-present heartburn. But Ernie said it was really good, so I trust him. This recipe can be found on Food Network . 2 pounds flank steak or tri-tip, cut into 8-ounce pieces 4 tablespoons black peppercorns, lightly cracked 2 tablespoons kosher salt 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup red onion, minced 1 tablespoon garlic, minced 1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons brown sugar Cut flank steak into 8-ounce portions and lightly tenderize with mallet. Dust with crushed black pepper and kosher salt. Press salt and pepper into steak with the palm of hand. Transfer steaks to a baking dish and place in the

After a brief hiatus of eating a lot of random stuff, I'm cooking again. I've been craving spaghetti and meatballs since Wednesday, so I got off my rather large behind today and actually made it. This is bubbling away on the stove right now, and I've tasted both the sauce and the meatballs and they are GOOD. The recipe calls for beef and sausage...I think you could substitute turkey and it'd be just fine. From the ever-wonderful Simply Recipes , which always has the recipe I need when I'm craving something. Sauce 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3 cloves chopped garlic ½ chopped sweet yellow onion 1 cup very finely chopped carrots 1 cup chopped crimini brown mushrooms 2 28-oz cans Italian plum tomatoes (get San Marzano brand if possible) ¼ cup chopped fresh basil ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley 3 Tbsp tomato paste concentrate in tube ¼ cup grated parmesan-romano cheese blend Salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon) ¼ cup red wine Meatballs

I made this for a pot-luck dinner tonight. It was intended to be an appetizer, to be cut in squares. However, the dish I used was a tad bit smaller than the dish called for, so they ended up fairly thick. (I used an 8x8" instead of 9x9", which doesn't seem like much but does make a difference.) I ended up just serving the dish as a side, and people used a large spoon to scoop out portions. It went over well. I would recommend using a larger pan if you want to cut into clean squares for apps. Otherwise, I could also see making this again as a side dish, or even serving larger pieces as a main dish, with soup or a salad. 16 oz. cottage cheese 2 large eggs 4 egg whites 1/4 c. chopped green onion 2 oz shredded sharp cheddar 3 Tbsp butter, melted 1 tbsp. flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp granulated garlic 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes 20 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1 oz. fresh grated parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 350. In a lar

If I tell you where I got this recipe they might send their mafia after me b/c I changed some of the ingredients. Serves 4 6 portobello mushrooms (4-5") olive oil salt 1 pkg baby spinach (or thawed frozen chopped spinach) 3 T bread crumbs 1 T butter 1 medium onion (small dice) 2 medium garlic cloves (minced or pressed) 2 oz crumbled blue cheese (or goat cheese) 1/2 C toasted pine nuts (or walnuts) pepper cooking spray Place rimmed baking sheet inside oven and preheat oven to 400. Prepare mushrooms by wiping caps clean and scraping gills out. Cut off stems and reserve. Turn 4 mushrooms cap side up and score cap in a crosshatch pattern 1/2" apart. Brush olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with salt. Place mushrooms gill side up on preheated baking sheet and roast in oven about 8-12 minutes. Turn caps over and roast an additional 8-12 minutes until caps are golden brown and liquid has evaporated. Once mushrooms are done, set aside and set oven to broil. While mushrooms a

Courtesy of Mark Bittman and Gwen who gave me one of his cookbook's for my birthday (additional thanks to Alissa who got me a subscription to Cook's Illus--yummy portobello recipe to come next week) Okay, this is not so much a recipe as it is a way to use up some yummy late summer tomatoes from the farmer's market. EVOO for brushing and spraying 6 plum tomatoes, cored and halved lengthwise (I used heirloom) S&P 6 oz blue cheese of your choice 1 large head of Bibb or Boston lettuce, leaved pulled from core intact (I used mixed greens) 1/4 C vinaigrette (make your own or from a bottle - I used light bals. vin. by Newman's Own) 1/4 C chopped fresh chives or parsley for garnish (I didn't have any and it still tasted good) Adjust oven rack so it is 4" from broiler. Turn oven on to broil. Brush/spray baking sheet with EVOO and put tomatoes cut side UP on sheet. Smoosh a little if they don't stay level. Sprinkle withh S&P and crumble blue cheese and fl

I found this recipe on Mandajuice , and adapted it slightly based on what we had in the house. I think it'd be good with turkey sausage, if that's what you wanted to use. And you could certainly add more veggies -- if I make this again, I'll add green peppers, and maybe even tomatoes. This fed four of us for two days in a row, and there's still some in the fridge that will probably feed me for a few more days. So it makes a lot. But it was easy and then I didn't have to cook breakfast on Sunday when we had Richie and Sylvia here. One 2-pound bag of thawed hash brown potatoes (the cubes, not the strips) 1 lb of breakfast sausage 1 onion 1 package mushrooms 2 cups of cheese 1 dozen eggs 1/2 a stick of butter Salt Pepper Combine chopped onions, mushrooms, potatoes and half a stick of butter in a large nonstick skillet and cook until brown, turning as infrequently as possible so as to avoid smushing the potatoes. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and preheat your oven to 350

Yesterday I swung through Starbucks for some hot apple cider and a muffin on my way in to do some freelance copy editing. They had pumpkin cream cheese muffins, and I snagged one of those -- because it's fall and now I want to eat pumpkin all the time. Or maybe I'm pregnant and that's why I want to eat pumpkin all the time. In any case, today I made these muffins. They're fantastic. The recipe makes a whole lot of muffins, but you won't mind. from Annie's Eats For the muffins: 3 cups flour 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. ground cloves 1 tbsp. and 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 4 eggs 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil 2 cups sugar 2 cups pumpkin puree For the filling: 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 cup powdered sugar For the streusel topping: ½ cup sugar ¼ cup and 1 tsp. flour 4 tbsp. butter, cubed 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip until smooth. Form

I needed a cake to take to a coffee I'm going to tomorrow (even though I'm not drinking coffee) and this one, which I stumbled upon a few days ago, fit the bill. This cake is not quick, I have to say. It requires a lot of bowls, and has a lot of different steps. It's worth it, though. Recipe from Bake or Break Chocolate mixture 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate 1 cup pecans 1/4 cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons light brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Break chocolate into 1-inch pieces. Place in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until chocolate is finely chopped. Add nuts, sugars, and cinnamon. Pulse until nuts are finely chopped. Cake batter 1 & 1/4 cups sour cream 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 & 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup unsalted butter, slightly firm 1 & 1/4 cups superfine sugar, divided into 1 cup and 1/4 cup 4 large eggs, separated 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extr