Three Coast Cooking

Braised Kale with Bacon and Cider

2011-06-22T21:21:00.000-07:00

So I had a half a bunch of kale left after that salad the other day, and I didn't want it to go bad while I went out of town this weekend. Thanks to Cooking Light, I made this delicious dish and ate it as the main dish instead of a side. Here y'all go:

Braised Kale with Bacon and Apples, from Cooking Light
Yields 6 servings (2/3 cup each)

3 slices bacon (I used turkey bacon)
1 1/4 c. thinly sliced onion
1 lb. chopped kale
1/3 c. apple cider
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 c. (10 oz.) diced Granny Smith apple (I used Gala)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
(I added a tsp. of minced garlic)

In a dutch oven or large saute pan, cook chopped bacon for 5 minutes or until crispy. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving drippings in pan. Add onion and garlic to pan and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add kale and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until wilted. Add cider and vinegar, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove crispy bits, and cook covered for 10 minutes. Add apple, salt and pepper and cook another 5 minutes or until apple gets tender, stirring occasionally. Top with bacon and serve.

I had to add some margarine and olive oil because I didn't have much drippings left from the bacon, but that's not a big deal. I added garlic with the onion, which the recipe didn't call for, and I used a gala apple instead of a Granny Smith, but it was still absolutely delicious. I didn't hae quite as much kale as the recipe called for, either, but it worked out just fine. Y'all seriously need to try this one.

Healthier eating?

2011-06-19T18:39:00.000-07:00

Ladies,

I'm working on eating a cleaner diet -- lower in bad carbs and higher in protein -- and I stumbled across this receipe via Sweat in the City. It's pretty damn delicious, and you all should try it.

The Bye-Bye Cravings Chick Pea Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing
The Salad:
1 can chickpeas
2 cups Kale, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 super crunchy apple, cored and chopped
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tbsp onion, chopped
2 tbsp dried cranberries (preservative free, if possible)

The Dressing
1/2 cup EVOO
2-3 tbsp. Tahini
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. raw honey or raw agave
Optional: 1 tsp. minced garlic

**I added a couple dashes of Tony's and about a tablespoon of Splenda to jazz it up a tad, and I didn't have walnuts so I used pistachios instead. Also, I hate celery, so I omitted that. But it made this gigantic salad, and I could only eat half. And so healthy! Ya'll should try it!
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Crawfish Remoulade

2010-06-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

So I have absolutely no groceries and absolutely no money, and to top it off, Charlie and I are in competition to see who can reach their goal weight faster. Therefore, I'm trying to eat as healthy as possible. To that end, I was looking for something delicious but super healthy for dinner, and here's what I came up with.
It started as crawfish remoulade over lettuce with tomatoes last week, but I had more crawfish in the freezer and a bit of remoulade left. No lettuce though. So instead I cooked some spaghetti, sauteed the crawfish using Pam, Tony's, garlic powder, red pepper, onion powder and seasoned salt, tossed the crawfish in the remoulade, and added a slice of turkey bacon and about a half-ounce of reduced fat feta cheese. I can't tell you how good it was!
Here's the remoulade recipe:
1 tbsp. chopped celery
1 tbsp. chopped onion
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. Creole or spicy mustard
1 tbsp. yellow mustard
1 1/2 tbsp. ketchup
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
Salt
Cayenne Pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Combine crawfish with enough remoulade to coat, and set aside to marinate. Add more remoulade to dish to taste.

Here's the thing: I omitted the celery, and added chopped bell pepper the first time I made the remoulade. I thought I wouldn't have enough for the second dish so I made more, but I didn't have an egg or lemon juice. I just sort of combined the old remoulade with the new remoulade, and I added a bit of extra ketchup because it didn't look the right color. Anyway, you can make it as spicy as you want, and I also added some capers to the pasta. Super delish.

King Ranch Chicken

2009-11-30T17:11:00.000-08:00

Well hello, ladies! I decided it's been far too long since I've posted anything here, especially since I cook at least one big meal a week. So let's start this gig back up.
I needed something to do with all the massive amounts of turkey leftovers my mom sent me home with, because, to be honest, I really don't eat much meat. Especially not by itself. I'd rather have a salad or soup or something like that any day. So I decided to make King Ranch Casserole with turkey instead of chicken. It turned out pretty good, although the turkey got a bit dry (I always find turkey dry, however) but I also had to leave it in the oven a bit longer because my guests were late to dinner...and I took a nap on the couch. But it's really simple, so here you go.

1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Rotel tomatoes and chiles
1 can chicken broth
2-4 chicken or turkey breasts (I had a good 2 lbs. of turkey, white and dark meat, but it really was too much. Two breasts would be about right.)
1 package corn tortillas
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt
Pepper
Granulated garlic
Red pepper

Mix together both cans of soup, Rotel and about 1/2 to 3/4 of the chicken broth in a large bowl, and add salt, pepper and garlic to taste.
Boil or saute chicken until done, or use leftover chicken.
In a separate bowl, pour remaining chicken broth. Cut tortillas in half, dip in chicken broth until wet, and layer the bottom of a casserole or baking dish until covered.
Spread 1/3 of the soup mixture over the tortillas, enough to cover them, and sprinkle half the meat on top. Then sprinkle one or two small handfuls of cheese, just enough to stick.
Repeat layer a second time the same way, and then finish with a layer of tortillas and soup mixture only. Add the rest of the cheese until covered, and bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven for about 40-45 minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbly.
Let stand about 10 minutes, and serve with sour cream and salsa on top.

Barbecue Spaghetti

2009-07-27T20:55:00.001-07:00

In my cooking rut the other day, I decided to try something new that sounded somewhat crazy: BBQ spaghetti. I had seen it while in Memphis and also watched The Neelys make it on their show, and I figured my mom's BBQ sauce is so damn delicious that it was worth a shot. It was really rich, so I could only eat small portions at a time, but I'm going to consider that a good thing. The BBQ sauce takes the longest to make, so I made that the night before, as well as the potato salad. Then, when I was ready to eat, I simply cooked the pasta and meat and dug in! Here's the deal:

For BBQ Sauce:
1 medium white onion
2 tbsp. butter
2-3 cloves of garlic (depending on preference and size)
Large bottle of Ketchup (that super-large one)
1/2 c. White Vinegar (cider vinegar works here too)
1 1/2 tbsp. dry Mustard powder (if you don't have this, you can use two tbsp. of yellow mustard)
1 small box of brown sugar
2 12 oz. cans of lite beer
1 small can of tomato sauce or paste
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Large dash of Worcestershire sauce

Add chopped onion, garlic, vinegar and butter to large pot and cook until onions are translucent and soft (be sure not to burn the garlic.) Add mustard and entire bottle of ketchup, then brown sugar. Stir and let cook for about 10 minutes, then add beer, salt, pepper, cayenne and Worcestershire sauce. (I added one can of beer and it was fine, but two probably would've been better. This is up to you.) If sauce is thin, add tomato sauce/paste. If not, leave it out.
You may need more sugar depending on whether the sauce is too vinegary. This varies depending on how long you let the vinegar cook out at the beginning. Just taste and see, and if it isn't sweet enough, add granulated white sugar.
Cook for an hour to an hour and a half, stirring often. Be careful not to let it bubble too much or burn.
This recipe makes A LOT of sauce. You can keep the sauce in the refrigerator for about a week or two, but it freezes really well. Then, when you want to defrost some, you can simply spoon out what you need and microwave it. YUM!

For Spaghetti:
3 cups BBQ sauce
Pam cooking spray
1 lb. spaghetti
1 tbsp garlic
Salt, pepper
1 lb. ground pork (or chicken would work great too!)
1 med. onion, chopped

Cook spaghetti as directed to al dente. Spray bottom of nonstick pan with Pam and brown onions. Add garlic, ground pork (or chicken) and brown, adding salt and pepper. If you have BBQ seasoning, now would be a good time to throw some of that in too. Once meat is fully cooked, drain off excess fat. Add BBQ sauce and stir until warm. Drain pasta and add straight to skillet, mixing everything together. ENJOY!

2009-07-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Ladies! I'm stuck in a food rut! It's so bad that I invited people over for Sunday night dinner/True Blood watch party, and I'm seriously considering ordering pizza instead of cooking. This is definitely not a good sign for me.
I considered making some delicious gourmet burgers, and then I considered making The Neelys' BBQ spaghetti...but it all just sounds like so much work! When did I get too lazy to cook?!
I feel like if I find the right recipe/motivation, I can get back into it. It's like working out: once you get into the rhythm and see the results, you can't stop. So I need your help, ladies. Throw me some good recipes that will kick-start my cooking drive!

Sunday Fried Chicken

2009-04-19T16:06:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning with an uncontrollable craving for fried chicken. Maybe because I've spent the week in Louisiana and being in the South has taken over my mind, I don't know. I haven't fried chicken in years, but I decided to roll up my sleeves and fry a little chicken today.

Ingredients:
-- Chicken pieces, I had thighs, but you can pick your favorite pieces
-- About two cups of milk
-- Two eggs
-- 2-3 cups of flour
-- Garlic powder
-- Black pepper and salt
-- Red pepper
-- Oil, I use vegetable but you can easily sub peanut or shortening

For gravy:
-- Three tablespoons flour
-- A can of evaporated milk
-- Water

Tools --
I used a large sized pot, but any pot size will works
A candy/frying thermometer
A meat thermometer

Place all of the chicken in a bowl and cover with milk. Let chicken sit in milk bath for at least an hour. You can let it sit overnight in the fridge if you would like.

Place flour and all seasonings in a ziplock bag. I like lots of garlic, but you can season to taste.

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl.

Remove chicken from milk bath one piece at a time, dipping in milk and then dropping into seasoning bag. I put three pieces in at a time and then shook the bag. Flour all chicken.

Pour oil to pot so there is about 4-5 inches deep but not more than halfway full. It should at least be as deep as the thickness of your chicken pieces.

Attach the candy thermometer to the pot so you can monitor the heat of the oil. Heat the oil to about 275-300 degrees.

Place chicken pieces in pot so that no pieces are on top of one another, but each have a place on the surface.

Cook for about 15-18 minutes for dark meat or about 13-16 for white meat, monitoring the temperature so it remains between 275-300. When done use a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken is 180 degrees.

Let sit about 5 minutes before eating on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels.

I made a white gravy to go with the chicken. Here's how:

Take about 1 cup of the oil used to fry the chicken. I put it into a second smaller pot. Try to get some of the crispy chicken pieces that are good and brown in the bottom of the pot.

Heat the oil and add about 3 tablespoons of flour, if you have left over flour from seasoning, you can use that.

Brown the flour in the oil over medium heat, continuously stirring with a whisk. Begin to add evaporated milk while continuing to stir the gravy. It will get really thick really quick. Keep adding milk until it looks like grits or oatmeal.

Then slowly add water, still stirring, until it is the consistency you want (thin enough to pour but not too thin).

I like to taste mine and then add the same seasonings I used on the chicken if it's not tasty enough.

I served mine with mashed potatoes and cooked some artichokes, that I wasn't 100 percent pleased with.

Potato Salad

2009-03-11T23:58:00.000-07:00

Considering the failures of my recent cooking attempts, I decided to do something to boost my culinary ego. The go-to dish: potato salad.
I absolutely LIVE for my mom's potato salad. But she's currently 6 hours away, so that's not gonna happen. Instead I've had to learn to make it myself. While it still lacks just a bit to be desired from hers, I happen to think it's pretty darn delicious, and I'm improving it every time.
I don't like super mayonnaise-y potato salad. Mine has to be pretty mustardy-yellow and tangy. And it has to have a lot of pickles. So here it is (in one-person amounts):

Cut up and boil 1-2 regular baking potatoes, depending on size, until they slide off a fork stuck into them.
Remove from hot water, rinse with cold water, and peel skin off potatoes.
Put potatoes in a mixing bowl and add:
1/4-1/2 cup light mayo
1 1/2-2 tbsp. yellow mustard
2 1/2 tbsp dill relish
1/4 cup finely chopped onion (I prefer red onion)
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped fine
1 tsp fresh dill, chopped (if you have it, just adds an extra kick)
Seasoned salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Dash of cayenne pepper

Mix together, but try not to mush up the potatoes too much. It should be a bright yellow color. The longer you let it sit, the better it will be. It's also really good if you add paprika to it. I have to admit, my favorite way to eat it is with some of my mom's BBQ sauce on top. She makes the best sauce, and something about the warm sauce and cold potato salad is SOO good!
Do y'all like potato salad? How do you eat it?

50 Things to Make With a Jar of Pasta Sauce

2009-03-11T21:56:00.001-07:00

Found this in Food Network Magazine... (actually, a coworker found it and let me copy it because she saw how excited I was about it. Some of these are really weird, but others sound delicious! I bolded the yummy ones, and italicized the odd ones. What do y'all think?

50 Things to Make With a Jar of Pasta Sauce
1. Spanish Rice: Cook 1 cup rice according to package directions, substituting 1 cup pasta sauce for 1 cup of the water; stir in capers, Spanish olives and chopped scallions.
2. Potato Casserole: Mix mashed potatoes, some pasta sauce and grated Parmesan cheese in a casserole dish; top with more sauce and cheese and bake 425 degrees for 30 minutes.
3. Baked Brie: Slice the top rind off a small wheel of brie. Cover lightly with pasta sauce and seasoned bread crumbs and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes; sprinkle with fresh herbs.
4. Mussels Marinara: Sauté sliced garlic in olive oil in a deep skillet. Add a pinch of saffron, ½ cup white wine, 2 cups tomato sauce and 3 pounds mussels; cover and cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes.
5. Zesty Chip Dip: Combine equal parts sour cream and pasta sauce in a bowl stir in grated Parmesan cheese, ground pepper and oregano.
6. Quick Ratatouille: Sauté chopped bell peppers, zucchini, onion, eggplant and garlic in olive oil. Add 2 parts pasta sauce to 1 part water and some fresh basil; simmer until vegetables are tender.
7. Cocktail Sauce: Mix pasta sauce with horseradish and hot sauce to taste; serve with shrimp.
8. Minestrone Soup: Boil 1 jar pasta sauce and 5 cups water. Stir in cooked small pasta, chopped mixed vegetables, canned beans and grated Parmesan cheese; cook until vegetables are tender.
9. Tomato Butter: Blend 1 stick butter and ¼ cup pasta sauce in a food processor; stir in chopped parsley. Use plastic-wrap to roll into a log; refrigerate.
10. Olive Tapenade: Combine 1 cup pasta sauce with ½ cup chopped kalamata olives, ½ cup chopped roasted peppers, a big spoonful of capers and some parsley; serve with crackers.
11. African Stew: Sauté chopped onion, garlic an d ginger with curry powder; add 1 jar pasta sauce, 2 cups water, 1 can white beans and a diced sweet potato; simmer until tender. Stir in ¼ cup peanut butter.
12. Cream of Tomato Soup: Sauté chopped fresh herbs in butter; add 1 jar pasta sauce, 2 cups water, ½ cup heavy cream and a pinch of nutmeg; simmer for 5 minutes.
13. Stuffed Mushrooms: Mix breadcrumbs, chopped mushroom stems and grated Parmesan cheese with a bit of pasta sauce; stuff into mushroom caps, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
14. Buffalo Wings: Lightly coat chicken wings with equal parts pasta sauce and hot sauce; roast at 425 degrees for 40 minutes.
15. Clam Chowder: Sauté diced celery and onion in butter with thyme and a bay leaf. Add 1 chopped potato, 2 cups pasta sauce, 1 bottle clam juice and 1 cup water; simmer 15 minutes.
16. Tomato Croutons: Toss 2 cups cubed stale bread with ½ cup pasta sauce, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons olive oil; bake at 400 degrees until golden, about 10 minutes.
17. BBQ Brisket: Brown 4 pounds brisket in oil with chopped onions, garlic and red pepper flakes. Add 1 jar pasta sauce, 1 jar water, ¼ cup cider vinegar and ¼ cup brown sugar; cover and simmer 3 hours.
18. Eggs in Purgatory: Simmer 1 cup pasta sauce in a small skillet. Crack in 2 eggs, cover and cook until the whites set; top with pepper and grated Parmesan cheese.
19. Tuna Marinara: Simmer pasta sauce with halved olives, capers and a drained can of Italian tuna; toss with pasta.
20. Stewed BLT: Cook chopped bacon in a deep skillet; add pasta sauce and escarole and cook until greens are tender.
21. Pizza Potato: Made a deep slit in baked potatoes, then stuff with some pasta sauce, chopped pepperoni and shredded mozzarella; bake at 400 until the cheese melts.
22. Italian Meatloaf: Add 1 cup pasta sauce, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese and some chopped rosemary to a basic meatloaf recipe (using 2 pounds ground beef). Bake; top with more sauce and cheese 15 minutes before it’s done.
23. Baked Beans: Simmer 1 cup pasta sauce with ¼ cup honey mustard, ¼ cup brown sugar and 1 large can white beans until bubbly.
24. Tomato Mac and Cheese: Mix some pasta sauce with prepared macaroni and cheese in a baking dish; drizzle with more sauce and bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly.
25. Instant Salsa: Mix 1 cup pasta sauce with 2 tablespoons lime juice, ½ cup corn kernels, chopped cilantro, diced red onion and a dash of hot sauce.
26. Sweet-and-Sour Franks: Bring 4 cups thinly sliced onions, 1 cup pasta sauce, ½ cup water and 2 tablespoons brown sugar to a boil; cover and simmer 40 minutes. Serve on hot dogs.
27. Vodka Penne: Simmer ½ cup heavy cream and 3 cups pasta sauce in a skillet for 3 to 5 minutes; remove from heat and stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons vodka. Toss with cooked penne.
28. Saucy Marinade: Combine 1 cup pasta sauce with ¼ cup balsamic vinegar and ¼ cup olive oil; add smashed garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Use as a marinade for 1 pound chicken or pork.
29. Tomato Biscuits: Spread refrigerated biscuits with pasta sauce; top with grated cheddar cheese and chopped scallions and bake as directed.
30. Country Captain: Brown chicken parts in olive oil with curry powder and chopped onions and bell peppers; add pasta sauce and simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
31. Taleggio Panini: Spread pasta sauce between 2 slices of crusty bread and top with taleggio cheese; cook in a buttered skillet or panini press.
32. Poor Man’s Parmigiana: Alternate slices of garlic bread and mozzarella in a baking dish; top with pasta sauce and bake at 375 degrees until golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes.
33. Tomato Polenta: Stir a dollop of sun-dried tomato tapenade into some pasta sauce; warm and spoon over prepared soft polenta.
34. Italian Quesadilla: Spread some pasta sauce on a tortilla; top with grated mozzarella cheese, sliced mushrooms and shredded chicken; fold in half and pan-fry until golden.
35. Chilaquiles: Cook 4 cups tortilla chips in pasta sauce until slightly softened; stir in chopped cilantro and top with grated cheddar cheese and sour cream.
36. Creole Stew: Sauté chopped onions, bell peppers and celery; add Creole seasoning, sliced smoked turkey sausages, pasta sauce and a big splash of broth; serve over rice.
37. Poached Cod: Simmer pasta sauce in a skillet; add cod fillets, cover and cook until just firm; top with chopped herbs.
38. Enchilada Sauce: Toast some chili powder in a nonstick skillet; add pasta sauce and canned green chiles and heat; drizzle over enchiladas or tacos.
39. Pizza Sticks: Brush refrigerated breadstick dough with pasta sauce; sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and bake. Serve with extra sauce.
40. Greek Beans: Simmer pasta sauce with a cinnamon stick, a bay leaf and a splash of red wine vinegar; serve over white kidney beans; top with feta cheese.
41. Tomato Omelet: Whisk 3 eggs, salt and pepper; pour into a buttered skillet and top with grated fontina cheese and a few tablespoons pasta sauce. Cook until almost firm; fold in half and cook until desired doneness.
42. Bloody Marys: Mix 6 ounces vodka, 1 cup pasta sauce, ½ cup water, 6 tablespoons lime juice and 1 tablespoon horseradish in a pitcher; season with celery salt, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce.
43. Spiced Okra: Simmer fresh or frozen okra and canned chickpeas in pasta sauce season with cumin, mustard seeds and coriander.
44. Polenta Bites: Slice a tube of pre-made polenta into rounds. Broil until heated through; lightly top with pasta sauce and grated fontina; broil until cheese melts.
45. Tomato-Fennel Soup: Thin pasta sauce with water; add sliced fennel, vegetable juice and a splash of pernod and simmer.
46. Chickpea Pasta: Simmer pasta sauce with chopped celery, anchovies and chickpeas; serve over penne.
47. Red Pepper Coulis: Purée jarred roasted red peppers until smooth, stir into pasta sauce and serve with steamed fish.
48. Sloppy Joes: Brown bulk Italian sausage, chopped onions and bell peppers; stir in pasta sauce and heat; spoon onto rolls.
49. Tomato Vinaigrette: Whisk ¼ cup red wine vinegar with ½ cup olive oil, some shredded basil, salt and pepper. Whisk in a spoonful of pasta sauce; drizzle over arugula.
50. Eggplant Rolls: Grill or broil thinly sliced eggplant until tender. Spread with pasta sauce and ricotta cheese; roll up and secure with toothpicks.

Obviously, I find anything that's supposed to be Spanish/Mexican in flavor to be made with ITALIAN pasta sauce a bit odd. Am I wrong for this?

Low fat Egg Salad

2009-03-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

Alright, per Ginger and Krysten's request, here is my egg salad recipe. I was really surpised to find I liked egg salad because I HATE mayo. If I'm going to eat mayo, it better be low fat and heavily disguised by other flavors. (I also was suprised that I like potato salad for the same reasons, but I only like the kind they serve at Minute Maid Park. I don't know what's in it, but someday when I'm rich I'm going to buy a luxury box and do nothing but fill out my scorecard and eat potato salad.)

Anyway, I found this recipe here and adapted it a little bit. I barely put any mayo, so mine is more chunky and less goopy. I added an handful of parsley, and lots of cracked black pepper. I've seen recipes that put all kinds of stuff in it, from peppers to bacon (hmmm spread that on a bagel or biscuit and have breakfast egg salad? That's an idea.) Green onions, chives or shallots might be good too.

I spread mine on toasted whole wheat bread (just regular sandwich bread works). If you don't toast it, its all too soft with the egg salad unless you use some hearty country bread or something. Any bread would be good.

4 Hard-boiled Eggs, peeled and chopped
Less than ¼ cup Light Mayonnaise
1 Celery Stalk (no ends or leaves), finely chopped
2 teaspoons Red, finely chopped
Handful of chopped parsley
1 ½ teaspoons Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed if possible)
To taste: Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1. Make sure your eggs are cooled, and chop them finely. I used a pastry cutter to get diced down small enough with out making a huge mess. Toss with chopped celery, which should also be very fine. You don't want to taste it, just to get that crunch.
2. Combine mayo, red onion, parsley and lemon juice in a separate bowl
3. Fold mayo mixture into egg mixture. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

-Sarah

Sausage and pink sauce pasta

2009-03-02T12:33:00.000-08:00

I'm in love with pasta. I could eat it every day of the week. I'm also a big fan of making food with what I have in the refrigerator. This weekend I threw together a quick pasta dish that came out pretty tasty, so I figured I would share.

- A box of cooked Fusilli
- 3/4 a stick of butter
- Three medium size cloves of garlic
- A small onion
- A package of sweet Italian sausage
- A cup of white wine
- Half a pint of heavy cream
- Diced tomatoes (I used canned and drained them because the sauce would be too thin with the juice but fresh can easily be substituted)
- A cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta and set aside, or cook during preparation if you can multi-task.

In a large skillet melt the butter. When the butter gets warm, add garlic and onion and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Remove sausage from casing and cut into small chunks. Add sausage pieces to skillet and simmer until brown, but not fully cooked.

Add cup of white wine and let simmer until broth reduces by half.

Add the half of a pink of heavy cream, tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, let simmer while stirring until well mixed.

Add cook Fusilli and let stand for a few minutes so the noodles can suck up the sauce. Enjoy!

-- Ginger

BBQ Shrimp

2009-03-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

As we all know, Lent in Louisiana is really just an excuse to eat massive amount of seafood rather than fast or abstain (as if giving up meat is so hard on the Gulf Coast.) I miss good seafood so badly. I definitely grew up spoiled.

Anyway, I had a craving for BBQ shrimp last week, and I found this recipe in my new Cooking Light Complete Book (great cookbook, I totally recommend it) Of course, it's nowhere near as good as what you'd find in New Orleans and because it's light, it's more wine based than butter based. But it's quick to make and most of the ingredients are probably already in your fridge, and you can use frozen shrimp since this recipe seasons the hell out of them, so its a good home-away-from-home recipe for those of us stranded without good seafood.

If you don't have everything the recipe calls for, just mix and match seasonings. Like all good Louisiana cooking, its no exact science. Put the shrimp on french bread for a po-boy or just eat them plain. The leftovers are even better because the sauce intensifys in the fridge.

1/2 cup fat-free Caesar dressing
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
5 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds large shrimp
1/3 cup dry white wine

1. Combine the first 11 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet; bring to a boil.
2. Add shrimp, and cook 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add wine, and cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done.

-Sarah

Happy Mardi Gras! That means King Cake time

2009-02-24T14:50:00.000-08:00

Since I'm more than 1,000 miles away from Louisiana for Mardi Gras this year, I decided to make a king cake and share it with my coworkers. The King Cake newbies seemed a little alarmed by the colored icing, but everyone seemed to enjoy it. It involves a lot of butter and elbow grease (for the stirring) but it's totally worth it. This can definitely be filed under "All I want in life is a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer."

I got the recipe from a Web site, made it once before and decided to make a few changes the second go round.

1/2 c. warm water
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 c. plus 1 tsp. sugar
About 5 cups of flour, more or less as needed
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. warm milk
5 large egg yolks
1 stick plus 2 T. butter, cut in slices and softened
1 egg slightly beaten with 1 T. of milk
lots of ground cinnamon (I used about 3-5 tablespoons)
1 tiny plastic doll (you can find the dolls at a party store in the baby shower section)

Optional Cream Cheese Filling all creamed together:

1 8-ounce pkg. cream cheese
1 c. confectioner's sugar
2 T. flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
a few drops of milk

Cake Directions:

Pour the warm water into a small shallow bowl and sprinkle yeast and 2 teaspoons of sugar into it. Allow the yeast and sugar to rest for several minutes, then mix thoroughly. Set yeast mixture in a warm place for 10 minutes (I put mine in front of a space heater). Combine 3 and 1/2 cups of flour, remaining sugar, nutmeg, a tablespoon of cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make sure the ingredients are all mixed up.

Separate center of mixture to form a hole and pour in yeast mixture and milk. Add egg yolks and using a wooden spoon, combine dry ingredients into the yeast and milk mixture. When mixture is smooth, beat in 8 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Soften the butter in the microwave but be careful not to let it totally melt.

This is the arm work. Keep stirring the mixture for about 5 minutes. It will start to get really elastic. The recipe claims that it will turn into a "medium soft ball" but in neither attempts did this occur until I started mixing in a little more flour.

I used my counter top to knead the dough, cleaning it well ahead of time and cover it in flour. Keep kneading it and adding more flour until it's no longer sticky. Knead for another 10 minutes until "shiny and elastic."

Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of a large bowl evenly with one tablespoon softened butter. Place dough ball in the bowl and rotate until the entire surface is buttered. Cover bowl with a heavier kitchen towel and allow dough to rise in a warm place for about 1 and 1/2 hours or until it doubles in volume.

Coat a large baking sheet with one tablespoon of butter and set aside. After the first rising, place the dough on a floured surface and punch it down with a heavy blow.

On second attempt I decided to split the dough in half and make two cakes. They fit better on the pan, were less doughy (which was kind of not good) and allowed for a filed and plain version.

Beat the dough out into a long rectangle. Sprinkle a good deal of cinnamon over the middle of the rectangle. For the cream cheese filled variety, spread it over the middle. Fold the rectangle in half long ways and twist so it's spiral shaped.

Then bend it around to make an oval, pinching the ends together. Place it on the buttered cookie sheet.

Place the completed ring on the buttered baking sheet, cover it with a towel and allow it to rise for 45 minutes or until it doubles in volume. After the second rising, brush the top and sides of the cake with the egg and milk wash. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and hide the plastic baby inside the cake.

For the cake pictured above, I just used food dye to color store bought icing. But last time I made a really delicious royal icing recipe.

For the icing:

5 tablespoons powdered egg whites (found on the baking aisle of your local grocery store)
6 tablespoons water
1 pound powdered sugar
2 tablespoon vanilla
food dye

Combine all ingredients except vanilla and food coloring. Beat with a hand mixer until they form a stiff peak. I did this once using real egg whites and it took much longer to get to peak.

Stir in vanilla and food dye and spread away.

---- Ginger

In honor of Top Chef, Fabio's chicken

2009-02-23T11:34:00.000-08:00

So I know I've been a bad blogger, life got busy, but last week in honor of the start of the Top Chef finale I made the chicken Fabio prepared in the "Last Supper" challenge.

It was quick and easy, so I highly recommend it to even the most basic-level chefs.

The chicken portion of the recipe called for:
1 whole chicken
rosemary and sage, enough to fill the chicken inside
1 lemon

I picked up a Perdue Roaster Chicken for a couple of reasons. 1.) They're a little meatier, 2.) They have a temperature pop-up indicator like come with turkeys and 3.) It was on sale.

Clean the chicken and remove the gibblets from inside. (I set mine aside and am going to use them with the leftovers to make soup.)

Stuff the inside of the chicken with the rosemary and sage.

The recipe said to cut them lemons in half and then grill the lemons, but since it's cold outside and I have no access to a grill, I caramelized them over the exposed burner of a gas stove using a skewer.

I then squeezed some of the lemons over the chicken before sticking them inside.

I sprinkled a little salt and pepper over the outside of the chicken and then placed it in a roasting pan.

I put it in the oven at 475 degrees for 10 minutes and then lowered the temperature to 375 degrees. The Fabio recipe said to roast for another 30 minutes, but since I used a larger chicken it took about an hour and half checking it about every 10-15 minutes after the 45 minute mark.

When the indicator pops on the chicken, remove it from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

It was so easy to cut up since the meat was practically falling off the bone and it was super moist.
I served it with mashed potatoes and steams asparagus I picked up that day at the local farmer's market.

---- Ginger

Eat them! They're good for you...

2009-02-05T09:39:00.001-08:00

I ate brussels sprouts for the first time last week at a restaurant on Santana Row, and I immediately fell in love. I know they sound awful, but they are so good when cooked well. What's not to like? They're like doll-sized heads of lettuce! I decided to tackle the vegetable often portrayed as the nemesis in children's books this week.

Most of recipes I found steamed the sprouts before sauteing in them. I think just sauteing them would wilt the outside but not cook the inside thoroughly. I wanted to make this recipe, but my Internet was down at my apartment and I had to improvise.

1 lb brussels sprouts
3 slices of prosciutto
1/4 cup of pecans
1 T of butter
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Quarter the brussels sprouts and steam them in a large pot until slightly tender, but not all the way cooked.
2. Toast pecans in oven for about 5 minutes.
3. In a saute pan, cook prosciutto until crisp. Drain prosciutto and slice into thin ribbons.
4. Re-heat pan that you cooked the prosciutto in (do not clean!) Add a little olive oil and butter to the pan, then saute brussels sprouts until wilted and crispy. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Toss in bowl with pecans and prosciutto.

Crawfish Etoufee

2009-02-02T20:25:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I want to declare myself (with Emeril Lagasse's help) the new crawfish etoufee queen. I had some frozen crawfish, about 12 oz. worth, and I wanted to do something different (for me) with it. So I started searching. Here's what I came up with, and let me tell you, it was yummy!

1 stick (or 4 oz.) of butter -- I actually used Smart Balance Light.
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 a medium yellow onion (about a cup), chopped
1 small bell pepper
1/4-1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped celery (optional--I omitted this)
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 1/2 cups shrimp/chicken stock or water
1 lb. crawfish tails
Cooked long grain rice
Tony's
Hot Sauce
Worcestershire sauce

Ok, so here's what I did, with some small addendums:
Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large-ish pot. Add the flour and cook, making a light colored roux. (I added 2 tbsp at first, but when I had a bit too much liquid later I added another tbsp. or so. I got a little impatient so my roux was really light. It could stand to cook to a light brown/tan color.)
Add the vegetables (onions, bell pepper and celery...which I didn't use), garlic, bay leaves and salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the sherry to deglaze pan and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. (NOTE: I accidentally overdid the sherry -- it said add 2 tbsp. and I put in about a half a cup, hence the extra flour. But somewhere in between these amounts would be about perfect.)
Then add stock and crawfish tails and bring to a boil. (I couldn't find seafood stock, so I used about 3/4 cup of chicken broth and another 3/4 cup of water. Also, as it was boiling, I added a liberal amount of Tony's -- didn't think you could make anything Cajun without it! -- and about 2 tbsp. of Louisiana Hot Sauce. Then I added a couple dashes of Worcestershrie sauce.)
Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring, and then turn heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes or more to thicken.
Emeril's also calls for parsley, but I'll be honest. I never put parsley in anything that calls for it. Other than color, I really don't see what it adds to the dish. I never miss it.
I served it over brown rice because, well, I didn't have white rice and I kind of like the brown.
It also calls for lemon juice right at the end, but I forgot about that (which is disappointing, because I bought the lemons). I bet it would add a little something, but I didn't really miss it.

Anyway, I know that sounds confusing, but I just kind of went off Emeril's recipe from foodnetwork.com and added my own to it as I went. So far, so very good!

Beer Bread

2009-01-20T20:56:00.000-08:00

So I have now become obsessed with beer bread. Ok, to be honest, I've always loved it, but now I can make it myself. I got this recipe from a food blog on Blogger called Farmgirl Fare, and I've tried the dill and sharp cheddar one already. It was delicious but just a tad doughy (does anyone know how to fix that? More/less flour?) Right now the rosemary and feta version is baking in the oven. I'll let ya'll know how it turns out.
Anyway, here's the recipe:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder (make sure it's fresh!)
12 ounces beer (any kind you want to try)

Optional Glaze: 1 egg & 2 tsp water, beaten

For Dill and Sharp Cheddar:
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 2 tsp dried)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, dill, and cheddar in a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in beer and mix just until combined. Batter will be thick. Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan, brush with egg glaze if desired, and bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool 10 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

For Rosemary and Feta version:
3/4 cup feta cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
(Add in place of the dill and cheddar, obviously, and do all the same steps.)

So far I've only tried Bud Light, because I usually just stop at the gas station and grab a beer, but I plan on trying darker/more exotic ones soon. I'll let you know how that goes.
Does anyone else like to bake bread?

This isn't a recipe. Yet.

2008-12-30T17:49:00.000-08:00

Does everyone know about Harry and David? It's that catalogue that sells the fresh fruit, like the pears and stuff?
Well, they have an outlet store by my house in Houston, and my mom and I went in there this weekend. They have all sorts of crazy stuff, like salsa and dips and spreads and crackers and soup mixes and...
Ok, sorry, got all into it. Anyway, they have 12 different kinds of salsa, and half of them are fruity: Cherry, Strawberry, Peach, Mango, Pineapple, Raspberry Chardonnay. I bought the strawberry, although I haven't tasted it yet. But the one I did taste was Garlic, and it's FANTASTIC! Everyone must now go to their Web site and purchase some. They also had one that was cilantro-olive and a Habanero one.
I also bought an olive Bruschetta that I'm going to put on pasta. It's really good on bread too. I'll let y'all know how that turns out.

Holiday Treats

2008-12-22T20:26:00.000-08:00

Ever since I got back home to Louisiana for break, I have made about 20 pans of cracker candy. I honestly don't even want to look at the stuff again. Which is why I forgot to take pictures. What is cracker candy, you ask? Um, delicious (when you haven't been handling it for 10+ hours). My mom and I have made it for our family and friends every Christmas since I could use the oven. It's a great gift because a) lots of people haven't had it before b) you can put it in pretty bags with ribbon and c) it's goooooood.

Cracker Candy
1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter
1 cup of brown sugar
30 saltines
1 package of chocolate chips (I like the miniature ones because they spread better)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lay crackers out side by side on a foil lined cookie sheet (5 by 6 rows). Heat butter and sugar in saucepan over medium heat. Stir OFTEN or it will burn. Heat for about 5 minutes or until bubbly. Like most candy, you want the sugar and butter to be combined and you want it to be pulling away from the sides of pan when you stir it. Pour sugar mixture over crackers and bake for about 6 minutes or until bubbling (again). Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Wait a few minutes, then spread with a spatula until all crackers are coated with layer of chocolate. Freeze cracker candy until hard, then peel away foil and break into pieces. Keep refrigerated.

As for packaging, I like to either put them in cute cellophane bags with sparkly wire or in brown paper bags (put cracker candy in ziplocs first) with holes punched in the top and rafia. I found some cute labels here at one of my favorite craft blogs. The Pretty Procrastination blog has all kinds of great PDF dowloads of cards and labels and other crafty goodness.

Not bad, eh? What are yall baking up this season? I believe I heard Ginger tweeting about some holiday cookies...

p.s. How much fun is it that we're all on twitter now? Readers (if we have any lol), add syokubaitis57, gingergibson, erinparker and krys930 to hear more about our cooking adventures!

-Sarah

Ooey Gooey Bars (aka "Crack Brownies")

2008-12-12T11:38:00.000-08:00

I know Sarah requested me send this recipe to her a while back, and I honestly don't remember if I did. Oops. But hey, I'm posting it here now, and that totally makes up for it, right?

It's a really simple recipe with a wonderful result. I baked these for a going away party yesterday, and my boss's wife wanted the recipe for a dinner party this weekend. They're that good. Mmhmm.

Bottom Layer:
1 package chocolate cake mix (I used devil's food)
1 stick butter, melted
1 egg

Top layer:
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese
1 stick butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tbs. vanilla extract
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 small package bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix bottom layer's ingredients together and pour into greased baking dish. Press down and spread out until even and flat across the bottom of the dish.

Mix every ingredient but the chocolate chips for the top layer. (I like to mix everything but the powdered sugar together, then add that in increments last.) When well-mixed, pour on top of the bottom layer in the baking dish and spread. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of layer.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

Leave it out to rest and cool for at least 30 minutes. Then serve.

It's wonderful when still gooey and warm -- yum!

What are some of y'alls favorite easy dessert recipes?

-Erin

Everything but the Kitchen Sink dip

2008-11-23T01:02:00.000-08:00

My mom and I used to make this dip all the time when I was little, which probably explains a lot of why I was, well, a larger child. But if you're in the mood for a splurge or something really salty, this is it.

1 cup sour cream
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp hot sauce (I prefer Louisiana blend)
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp onion powder
Paprika
seasoned salt
pepper
red pepper/cayenne
dried parsley flakes
small dash oregano
dried dill
lemon pepper

Now you see why it's called Everything but the Kitchen Sink! I stopped putting measurements because, well, I just do it to taste. I like mine really garlicky with a good spicy kick, but obviously you can back off or omit the pepper/hot sauce if you don't like that. You're pretty free to put/not put whatever you want into it, and I always add new things just to see how they taste. I recommend using plain Lay's or Ruffles chips for this, but keep in mind how salty they are when you're making the dip. It's not really good, though, with Frito's or tortilla chips. Something about the texture. Potato chips are definitely better!

-Krysten

Gwhack-a-mole

2008-11-23T00:57:00.000-08:00

Hehe, that's how my grandma says guacamole, and it cracks me up every time!
I decided I would post my guacamole recipe as well.

I use, obviously, an avacado. I like the Mexican ones much more than the California ones for some reason, probably just another by-product of being from Southeast Texas. Anywho, the first thing I do is add about a half a lemon's worth of juice, to stop the avacado from browning.
I always have to have tomatoes and chopped onions in my guacamole, too. It's required. In fact, the ex hated tomatoes, so I would always make two batches because I had to have mine WITH tomatoes. Ass.
Moving on...
I add fresh garlic if I have it, and if not, powdered. I always go heavy on the garlic because, well, I love it. And I'm scared of vampires. If I have fresh jalapenos, which is rare, I'll add one of those too. But regardless, lots of pepper and Lawry's seasoned salt -- it just makes the flavors brighter to me -- and a dash of cayenne pepper, and voila! Gwhack-a-mole!

BTW, Sarah, I might try the Worcestershire idea. That sounds interesting.

-Krysten

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

2008-11-19T16:47:00.000-08:00

Erin asked for my Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie recipe a few days ago, and being the blog crazed person I have been lately, I decided to just put it up here. I got this recipe from covering a luncheon in Lake Charles for the American Press. It was more of a cooking demonstration than a luncheon, and they handed out recipes in the end. I love this recipe because you make the crust in the pie plate, and its quick, easy and less messy. The crust is kind of salty to make up for being less flaky than other pie crust, which is good next to the chocolate. But if that's not your thing, just use a frozen store-bought crust. I've never done this, but during the demonstration the chef topped the pie with peppermint whipped cream. He made fresh whipped cream with a mixer, then added a few tablespoons of peppermints that he had ground up in a food processor until they were superfine like sugar. It was amazing on the pie -- and on top of coffee.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie
Crust:
1 1/2 C of all purpose flour
1 t of salt
1/2 C oil
2 T milk
Combine ingredients and press into a 9'' pie pan.

Filling:
1 C sugar
1/2 flour
2 eggs, well beaten
1 stick of butter, melted
1 t vanilla
1 C chocolate chips
1 C pecans, chopped
1/2 C coconut
Mix sugar, flour, eggs, butter and vanilla. Fold in chocolate chips, pecan and coconut. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Brush edges of pie crust with cream or egg wash (optional) to brown crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until brown.

So there you go, EP. Enjoy!

As for me, I'm looking for a good pumpkin pie and an apple pie. Does anyone have tips/recipes? Or other favorite pies?

-Sarah

Grilled Cheese

2008-11-19T12:47:00.000-08:00

I'm with you, Sarah. I LOVE grilled cheese. My mom gave me one of those old sandwich toasters (not a panini press — no lines). It doesn't require any butter at all, and it only takes like 3 minutes. You can put anything in there!

My favorite recently has been to put sandwich-sliced Chorizo (you can find it near the Walmart deli section) and mozzarella or pepper jack. It's delicious!

Also, I made a four-cheese grilled sandwich with American, cheddar, mozzarella and feta. Yum.

My favorite restaurant in Natchez has this creamy balsamic dressing that is about the consistency of thick ranch, and I spread it on the bread sometimes. It's spicy and tangy.

(As you can see, I'm addicted.) Anyone else?

-Krysten

Taco Soup

2008-11-19T11:28:00.000-08:00

Hey girls, this is a really simple recipe for a really hearty, warming soup. I made it last night because it was so freaking cold, and it did just the trick. Enjoy it with a beer if you're feeling frisky!

1 lb. ground beef

1 med. white onion

2 cans diced or stewed tomatoes

2 cans pinto beans with jalapenos

2 cans hominy (yellow or white)

1 can water

1 can beef stock

2 pkgs. McCormick taco seasoning

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Sour Cream

Tortilla Chips

Brown up your ground beef and saute your onions in the bottom of a big soup pot, adding a bit of salt and pepper. Once the meat is done, scale back the heat to about medium/medium-high, and add both cans of tomatoes.

Add the can of water and the can of beef stock.

(HINT: You can add two cans of water if you don't have the beef stock, or if you plan on letting it cook longer. The stock just makes it taste like it's been cooking all day without having to spend more than 30-45 minutes on it.)

Add the two packets of taco seasoning and the packet of ranch dressing mix and let simmer about five minutes, then add all the pinto beans and hominy (don't drain). (NOTE: Hominy is large corn that doesn't have the waxy skin. I like to use one can or white and one of yellow, but it really doesn't matter. They taste the same. If you can't find hominy, corn will work too.)

Let simmer for at least 10 more minutes, or put it on low-medium and let cook as long as you need it to. This works great in a crock pot as well.

To serve, spoon into a bowl and crush tortilla chops over top. Add a dollop of sour cream and as much cheese as you want, and enjoy!

-Krysten

Latest food obsessions

2008-11-18T12:01:00.000-08:00

I know this post doesn't have an actual recipe, but does have some pressing food issues I've had on my mind.

For starters, did anyone know that in England food processors are called "blitzers"? That's what the really hot English chef on the Food Network said. How cool is that? I think we should get that to catch on in the U.S.

I know this I'm way out of the loop, but can someone explain the Top Chef phenomenon? I've caught a handful of episodes here and there, and I watched the premiere last week. Now I'm hooked. Even thought I abhorr reality television (don't hate, but I don't even watch Project Runway any more), this show is awesome. So what have I missed? Big moments, bitchy fights, funny quotes, intense challenges --- fill me in!

Ok here's some actual recipes. I also found a great salad recipe, called Insalata Pomodoro. It's like a salad carbanora --a warm salad of mixed greens with scrambled eggs on top. (I know...another recipe that sounds weird, but stick with me here.) It's a perfect salad for cold weather because its warm and filling, but still healthy. I used proscuitto instead of pancetta, and it tasted great. Proscuitto is Italian ham, and pancetta is italian bacon. I love pancetta because sometimes proscuitto is too salty for me, but it worked great for this. As a side note, DailyCandy.com emails are lots of fun. They send you information on new stores, restaurants and events in the big city of your choice and also have an "everywhere" edition with online fun.

On to my other new food obsession -- grilled cheese. This weekend, I came home late Saturday night starving and made myself the best grilled cheese sandwich ever (outside of Chealsea's, of course). I didn't have the classic cheddar/white bread combo on hand, but I used some sourdough bread (that's practically all they eat in the Bay Area, and I'm learning to love it) and fresh mozzarella cheese (the kind that comes in balls and is super soft). I spread butter, black pepper on the bread and grilled it as usual and...wow. Make sure you slice the sourdough relatively thin, or it will overpower the cheese. The fresh mozzarella melts beautifully---very stringy and buttery. It sounds like a weird combo with the sourdough, but trust me -- it's incredible. Grilled cheese and glass of white wine at the end of a Saturday night out -- what more could you want? Except maybe Cane's. I hate to admit it, but I miss that stuff.

My midnight grilled cheese got me thinking on what other good variations would be. I found a few recipes that I'm curious to try -- Emeril Lagasse's Fontina, Mushroom, Proscuitto and Truffle Grilled Cheese (tres gourmet, no?) and my beloved Tyler Florence's version with cheddar, bacon and green apple because everything is just better with bacon, right?

So what are your favorite versions of grilled cheese? Any crazy variations or no-fail tricks?

So that's all I got for now. What have yall been cooking lately? Thoughts, recipes, sugggestions?

-Sarah

The Polenta Chronicles

2008-11-16T16:57:00.000-08:00

I've always been curious about polenta. How could I not be? It's like Italian grits! I've never made them, or had them in a restaurant, but after buying a box at the neighborhood Italian butcher shop, I decided to give it a shot. However, the box I bought was so authentic that the instructions were in Italian. Excellent. Time to hit the interwebs.Polenta can be soft or firm. Soft polenta is a creamy cereal, like grits. Firm polenta is soft polenta that has has been chilled, sliced and then either grilled, toasted or fried. I decided to make soft polenta one night (again with the grits theme).

I settled on Tyler Florence's Creamy Corn Polenta, since I've always like my grits creamy. I love Tyler Florence, mainly because he's handsome and lives in San Jose. And of course, he can cook! I can dream, right? I found a recipe for http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/polenta-bites-with-caramelized-mushrooms-recipe/index.html to top it with, and sauteed some frozen shrimp (my go-to protein these days). It works for grits, why not polenta? (Can you tell that most of my polenta knowledge was also based on grits?)
I followed the recipe exactly, except I except for using more milk and hot water instead of chicken stock to thin it out (didn't have any on hand). As soon as a whisked the polenta in, the mixture was very thick so I watered it down immediatly, wanting the grains to soak up liquid and be creamy. Maybe this was because I used "polenta express" but next time, I'll use 1 cup instead of a 1 and 1/2. Also, salt it when you put the polenta in, not 20 minutes later. Otherwise you will need tons of salt later (that's just grits 101, girls!)

The camalized mushrooms were amazing. I usual just saute quartered cremini mushrooms (much better flavor than white, they're like miniature portabellas) in garlic, salt, pepper and maybe some white wine if I'm feeling dangerous. But these were just almost easy and so good. Let the wine reduce down for about 10 minutes so the mushrooms can soak up the flavor and the wine can thicken. I'm definitely making those again, but maybe with a little less butter. I later cooked the shrimp in the same pan, with a little salt and pepper.

Overall, I think I'll be sticking to grits when I need some salty, creamy comfort food. But polenta is definitely interesting, and I'm curious to try it firm. It would be great with fish, maybe some green onions? Have y'all ever made/eaten polenta? What was it like?

-Sarah

Giada and her Pine Nut Cookies (which she definitely doesn't eat)

2008-10-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

San Jose held the Wine and Pear Festival this weekend (side note: what kind of lame festival is that? At least Louisiana has better themes, like Shrimp, Petroleum or Rice. Way to live up to your snobby rep, NorCal.) Jokes aside though, it was pretty cool because Giada DeLaurentiis spoke and signed books. Giada's talk was good, she's really cute and personable just like on TV. And she really is THAT skinny. The woman just had a baby! She eats pasta all the time! And she's like, a size negative 2? I don't get it. Life is cruel.

Giada's Q&A wasn't terribly cooking intesive, but she talked about how she got into cooking and about being on the Food Network (she did mention that she LOVES Paula Deen, and that she is one of the nicest people she's ever met. That made me really happy. Has anyone read Paula's autobiography? It's so great. She's a fabulous Southern Lady.) As for cooking, she did mention that lemon juice can be substituted for wine in most recipes if you don't have any booze around or if you don't drink (yeah I know, that really applies to all of us. Y'all can stop laughing now). I have better photos on my camera, but can't seem to locate the USB cable. So for now I'm just putting up the picture I took with my phone, even thought you can't see much.

The line for books was around the block, and to get in for that I would have had to skip her Q&A. Plus I didn't have a book to get signed. Oh well.

In addition to Giada, there were lots of food booths, wine tasting ($20 for 6 tastes? Not in my price range) and the weekly Farmer's Market. I think I'm going to go back to that every weekend because the produce was amazing. And it was cheap too! I ended up buying some local honey because my allergies have been bugging me out here, and some candied ginger (really yummy with fruit or in pies). Plus I ate a meal's worth of samples, including some crazy good Afghani spinach bread. Not a bad day at all.

In preparation for my Giada encounter, I made her Pine Nut Cookies. I've been eyeing the recipe for awhile now because I love pine nuts. Luckily, I can get them really cheap at Trader Joe's, much cheaper than back home. Its about $4 for half a pound, instead of $5 for a little 1 oz. jar. (Trader Joe's is a foodie's dream. Anyone want me to ship them some? Jk) But for the cookies you only need a handful of pine nuts, so its not too bad.

The recipe calls for fennel seed, but after consulting with our resident Pasta Queen and Italy Expert Erin Parker, I decided to nix that. I don't really like that taste of fennel (does anyone?) and it seemed like it might give the cookies a weird texture. But that's up to you. The dough need to stay cold for you to slice it, or the cookies will just fall apart. Put the log of dough back in the fridge in between batches. On a whim, I also sprinkled some turbinado sugar (the "sugar in the raw" that you see at Starbucks?) on top of the cookies along with the pine nuts.

Other than that, just follow Giada's directions:
Giada's Pine Nut Cookies

Here are the finished cookies after my friends got to them. I forgot to take a picture, and only a few survived...

What is your favorite Giada DeLaurentiis recipe?

-Sarah

Spaghetti Sauce

2008-10-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

It's getting cold in this part of the country and there is nothing like a good plate of spaghetti to warm you up.

My brother called me Sunday night to ask me how to make lasagna, so it gave me a craving for some. But since I make my own sauce, its a two step process. I made the sauce this week and there will be a lasagna recipe soon to follow.

Ingredients:

Three medium cans of tomato sauce.
A medium can of tomato paste.
Hamburger meat, at least a couple of pounds if you like a meaty sauce like I do.
A package of sweet Italian sausage.
A bottle of Italian salad dressing.
About a cup of Italian seasoning, available on the seasoning aisle as a blended seasoning.
A cup of sugar.
A clove of garlic.

Spray a large pot with Pam or other non-stick spray. I prefer the "High Heat" spray that Pam makes.

Pour the tomato sauce and paste into a large pot and stir to dissolve the tomato paste. Using the tomato sauce can, add about one and half cans of water.

Put the pot over medium heat.

Crumble up the meat and add to pot. Remove the casing from the sausage, crumble and add to pot.

Be consistent about stirring the pot because it will stick to the bottom and burn.

Add the Italian dressing to the pot.

I add about a cup of Italian seasoning, but if you're unsure about how it will taste, add half a cup and then keeping adding until its flavored to your liking. Stir well every time you add the seasoning because it needs to be evenly distributed.

Add the diced garlic clove.

Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring consistently to prevent burning. Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes to cook the meat and sausage.

Add the cup of sugar and stir, this will reduce the bitterness created by the tomatoes and meat.

The trick to making a good spaghetti sauce, in my opinion is a lot of tasting. Don't be afraid to add more of any ingredient. Sometimes the Italian sausage you pick up will throw the other flavors off. The pot I made this weekend had a somewhat citrus taste, so I added some more Italian seasoning to compensate.

-Ginger

Croutons

2008-10-16T20:46:00.000-07:00

As a semi-single girl, I end up either eating the same foods all week or throwing away lots of uneaten food. Lately, I've been trying to figure out ways to repurpose ingredients for different dishes. I always have stale sandwich bread leftover because there's just no way to eat a whole loaf of bread in a week by myself. I looked around online, and tried a couple of crouton recipes and ultimately came up with a great combination of all of them. Here's what I figured out.

Some recipes called for oil instead of butter, but I found that butter tastes makes the croutons much less greasy. It also soaks into the bread better and gives it a good flavor. Fresh garlic is a must, use more if you like really garlicky croutons for Ceasar salads. Some recipes called for garlic salt, but it makes the croutons powdery like the store-bought ones. But on the flip side, don't use fresh oregano. It will just blacken and not stick to the bread. The other key is to keep your oven super low. You don't want to toast the croutons, or it will just taste like crispy stale bread. You want them to cook very slowly at a very low temperature so they get crisp all the way through and browned all over.

This recipe is enough for about half a loaf of bread, which is usually what I have laying around. If you don't have a lot of bread leftovers, put stale bread in the freezer and stock up until you have enough to warrant some serious crouton-ing.

1/4 stick of butter, melted.
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced or finely chopped
1 T dried oregano (or any other DRIED herbs you have on hand...thyme? rosemary maybe?)
Salt/Black Pepper to taste

1. Cut stale bread into cubes.
2. Pulse ingredients together in food processor or mini chopper until garlic is very small. (If you don't have either of these, just mince your garlic really small and stir the mixture thoroughly by hand before tossing with bread.)
3. Toss with bread. Spread croutons over a cookie sheet covered with tin foil and bake at 200-250(depending on how hot your oven gets) degrees for about an hour or until browned all over. Flip the croutons about halfway through.

-Sarah

Filet Mignon

2008-10-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just crave meat, and this weekend for my one-man tailgate that was the case. I found two great cuts of filet mignon on sale at the local Acme Grocery store. I was really bummed when my apartment informed me I couldn't keep a grill in my unit, so I've had to learn to make them on the stove.

Ingredients:
-- Filet mignon
-- Garlic powder
-- Cayanne Peppe
-- Salt and Pepper
-- Worcestershire sauce
-- Soy Sauce

I put the clean steaks into a large freezer bag. It's easier, in my opinion, to season steaks in the bag because you don't have to keep washing your hands every time you turn the steaks over.

Sprinkle the seasonings over the steaks, coating both sides. I like to pat the seasoning into the steak, but not pierce it. Piercing the steaks creates holes where they can lose their juices during the cooking process.

Add Worcestershire and Soy sauces to the bag. Shake the bag to coat the steaks.

Let marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. If you can wait longer, then try to max out around six hours.

Heat a skillet on the stove I like to use Pam High Heat non-stick spray when cooking meat on the stove.

Filet mignon cooks really quickly. Cook on medium heat on both sides for about 4-6 minutes each. I use a meat thermometer to make sure its cooked the right amount. You can also turn the heat up to high when its about 5 degrees away from being finished to sear the outside and give it a nice grilled taste.

Let the steak sit for about 10 minutes to allow the juices to settle before cutting in and enjoying!

-Ginger

Guacamole

2008-10-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

I've started to feel a little home sick with football season getting in full swing and me not being able to tailgate with fellow Tiger fans. So this weekend I decided to have a one-man tailgate dinner before LSU's tragic loss to Florida.

For the opening I made a nice big bowl of Guacamole.

Ingredients:
-- Three ripe avocados
-- A medium size tomato
-- A small, or half a large sweet onion
-- A lime or Fruit Fresh
-- Garlic Powder

Cut the avocados in half and remove pit. Use a spoon to get the edible part of the avocado out, be sure to scrape all the way to the skin since the dark green part on the edges is the tastiest in my opinion.

Dice the tomato and onion in the small pieces and add to avocado.

Add garlic powder to your taste.

Add the juice or a lime or fruit fresh, this keeps it from browning.

Stir it all together, mashing the avocado junks as you go.

Enjoy!

-Ginger

Apple Preserves

2008-10-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went apple picking in Media, Pa. and brought home a huge box of Golden Delicious apples. Since I couldn't possibly eat all of those apples in the time before they would go bad, I decided to preserve them.

Turns out finding mason jars on this side of the country this time of year isn't an easy task. So if you're going out in search of jars, I would call ahead first.

Ingredients:
Apples (whatever kind you have)
Mason jars for canning with seals and bands (enough to hold your apples)
Sugar

I peeled a pot full of apples. Then I used a corer to get them sliced into pieces and cored. I cut the chunks in half to make them fit into the jars easier.

I boiled a pot of water and added about two cups of sugar. I brought the water to a boil and then added the apples. I have a pot that includes a colander part that fits inside so I was able to remove and drain the apples without having to fish them all out.

The water should just cover the apples. They will float in the pot.

Boil the apples for about 15 minutes, until soft all the way through. Stir regularly to let all of the apples have time in the water.

Spoon the apples into the mason jars, filing each one entirely by pushing down on them with a spatula a little.

Wipe the rims of the jars to make sure they're clean and then snugly fit on the lids and tightly screw on the rims. You should do this while they're still hot.

Put the jars in a boiling water bath for 10-15 minutes. When they're done the lids shouldn't pop anymore.

I used the double boiler again by putting the jars into the strainer part and them dropping into the boiling water.

-Ginger

Pizza Rolls

2008-10-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

This is pretty basic, but it's the only thing I can type in without having notes handy...
PIZZA ROLLS

2 cups or 6 slices Mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni, Salami, Ham, or any kind of meat you want (already cooked)
Any additional pizza toppings you like
Pizza dough

Buy Pillsbury pizza dough (in a cylinder) with the biscuits and things at the grocery store. You can store it in the freezer as long as you need, and this makes a quick and easy dinner.
Unroll the dough and cut into four squares.
Place layer of cheese down first (1/2 cup or 1 1/2 slices)
Then layer meet and any other toppings.
Roll from one corner to the opposite corner, making sure to completely enclose all holes, or else the toppings will fall out.
Bake in preheated oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
Serve with marinara, ranch, BBQ sauce, whatever!

-Krysten

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-10-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

After watching the first half of the Project Runway season finale, my friend Kristen and decided to bake up some late-night chocolate chip cookies to help finish off our bottle of wine.

We based it off the Nestle Toll House Recipe but added a few of our own touches.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips (we threw in a few more until it was extra chocolaty)

The Toll House version said to preheat the oven to 375 degrees, but the first batch was a little crispy so we dropped it to 350 with better results.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.

Cream the butter, if straight from the fridge, its easier if you stick it in the microwave for about 15 seconds, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla.

Kristen and I spent this portion of the process lamenting about how we wish we had a Kitchenaid stand mixer.

Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Use a spatula to stir in chocolate chips. The recipe calls for pecans, but we opted to leave them out. You can mix in anything else you want. (I suggest a little peanut butter)

Scoop on to cookie sheet spray with non-stick spray. They work best using a tablespoon to make big heaping cookies.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes. Cool, or eat when they're nice and gooey.

-Ginger

(Light!) Chicken Alfredo Sauce

2008-10-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, Sarah asked me if I had a good alfredo recipe. I told her I had a good one, but it was really, REALLY unhealthy.

That night, I decided I wanted alfredo sauce for dinner, but I didn't have whipping cream or a lot of butter to make the full-fat recipe happen.

This was my 'healthier' creation (with ingredients I enjoy), and it turned out well considering this is the first time I attempted it.

Light Chicken Alfredo Sauce
Adapted from Agnoletti with Light Alfredo Sauce
Serves four.

Chicken
2 chicken breasts
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Light Alfredo Sauce
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt
1/2 cup 2% milk
2 tablespoons half and half
1 teaspoon flour
1/4 cup parmesan
Pepper to taste

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and season. Pour olive oil into pan over medium heat. Brown the chicken in the pan, stirring occasionally. After chicken is browned, take out of pan and dab excess oil off with a paper towel.

In the same pan, lower heat, add yogurt and milk and simmer. Be careful to not have the heat on too high because scalded milk in a sauce makes an unhappy sauce. Add the half and half and a teaspoon of flour to help thicken the sauce. Make sure to use a whisk to break apart the flour so it does not make the sauce lumpy. The sauce will gradually thicken over the heat.

As the sauce thickens, put the chicken back into the pan to meld with the sauce. Let them meld together for about ten to fifteen minutes. Add pepper to taste. After that, take the pan OFF the heat and pour in the parmesan. Keep in mind that the cheese will make the sauce saltier and once you add it to the mix, you cannot take it out. Measure the parmesan in increments so the sauce won't be TOO cheesy. (If that's possible.)

Once the parmesan melts through, pour sauce on top of pasta and enjoy.

What is YOUR favorite alfredo recipe?

-Erin

Pesto

2008-10-09T17:34:00.001-07:00

I love pesto. I will literally spread it on anything. And once you've made it yourself, you will never buy the pre-made stuff again. They're just not even the same thing. It freezes well too, so if you have lots of basil just make as much as you can and freeze what's left.

1 package basil leaves
1/4 cup of pine nuts (you can also use pecans or walnuts because pine nuts are a little pricey)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup parmesean, freshly grated
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt to taste

I use one of those mini choppers (its $30 at Target and totally worth it) because I'm too poor for a food processor. Put the parmesan cheese in first and grind until crumbly, then add basil, pine nuts, garlic and half of the oil. Mix well, then slowly add the rest of the olive oil until it forms a paste. Add salt to taste. You can also use a mortar and pestle (which I decided to try once, but its not that great and it takes forever. If you do want to give it a shot, grind everything together except the cheese and the oil, then process it all in the mini chopper/food processor.

Store in an airtight container with saran wrap pressed inside the tupperware to keep pesto from turning brown (if it does, it doesn't change the flavor, its just kind of gross looking). You can also cover it with a thin layer of olive oil, but this may thin your pesto out too much. It should keep for about a week or 3 months frozen.

Some of my favorite non-pasta uses of pesto:
-Spread on a turkey sandwich with some swiss cheese, broil for a few minutes for a quick, yummy lunch
-Spread on pizza in place of tomato sauce with some mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, artichokes, onions, spinach and feta. Or just with plain with cheese.
-Mix with some mayonaisse (I hate mayo, but I love this stuff) and put it on a sandwich or hamburger (I got this idea from a restaurant in Los Gatos. They had it on toasted sourdough bread with mushrooms, swiss, bacon, lettuce and grilled onions...amazing!)
-Use for bruschetta with fresh mozarella, ribbons of basil, sauteed mushrooms and a few pine nuts
-Straight out of the fridge on your finger ;)

-Sarah