Two Recipes

Dad's Pinto Beans

2012-02-23T10:18:00.000-05:00

In one hour I'm jetting off to Austin, Texas to be with some of my favorite people on this Earth for a weekend of fun, relaxation, music, wine, Mexican food, and laughter. I couldn't be more thrilled.

Because I'm going to be gone for the weekend, I'll leave you with a quick, easy, soul-warming recipe and a promise to write again as soon as I get back. That means no list this week, but go out and find your own Friday list of inspiration!

My parents plan their meals for the week on Sundays, like I do, and at least once a week it seems like they are making pinto beans and corn bread. When I was home last, my dad made his recipe for me, and I fell in love. It's super easy, and is actually made for a slow cooker (that's how Dad does it).

It starts with red onion, garlic, carrots, and bell pepper--chopped!

Olive oil into a big heavy pot (if using a slow cooker, just throw all the ingredients in and set on low to cook all day).

Next goes veggies and garlic.

The vegetables and aromatics cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, just until they are beginning to soften but not brown. Then goes two cans of rinsed pinto beans.

And a can of fire roasted tomatoes!

Stir that all around and season with salt, pepper, a little chili powder, cumin, and a pinch of cayenne for heat. My dad uses something he found called "pinto bean spice" which he swears is the secret ingredient, but I can't find that so I winged it. Anyway, let it cook for a couple of minutes, then add about 1/2 cup of chicken stock and let it simmer for at least an hour.

When the beans have simmered and the flavors have all gotten to know each other, transfer about a cup of the bean/tomato mixture to a food processor and puree. This gives the beans a creamy soup-like texture which I like. If you want your beans as is, then skip this step!

Return the pureed beans to the pot and stir.

Serve your pot of beans in a bowl with a dollop of sour cream on top and maybe even a few sliced jalapenos.

You could also add some shredded cheese, maybe some chopped raw onions or scallions? It's your world, you do what you want.

This is true comfort in a bowl. It's warming and a little spicy and reminds me of home. It's also a super easy, set it and forget it (but if you're using a pot like I did, don't forget about it for too long) meal that is perfect for a weeknight in which you don't want to cook a single thing.

I'm off to Austin where I will be eating real, authentic Mexican food and listen to live music. Oh man, I can't wait.

Here's the recipe!

Dad's Pinto Beans

Ingredients

1 red onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cans pinto beans, rinsed
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (less if you want)
1/2 cup chicken stock
whatever toppings your little heart desires

Method

In a large heavy pot, add olive oil over medium heat. Add vegetables and aromatics and cook for about 4-5 minutes, until they are just beginning to soften but not brown. Add garlic and cook one minute more.
Add pinto beans, tomatoes, and seasonings and stir to combine. Let cook for about 4 minutes and add chicken stock. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for at least an hour.
About 10 minutes before you are ready to serve, add one cup of the bean mixture to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add pureed beans back to the pot and stir. Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.
Serve with desired toppings!

Enjoy! See you all next week! Woohoo, vacation!

Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms and Sausage

2012-02-21T12:40:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid, my mom tried to pull the whole, spaghetti-squash-as-real-spaghetti thing. Her intentions were good, obviously, but she figured if she had told us what it really was, we would have turned our noses up (she was right). So, she served it with marinara sauce and just kept quiet. Well, we figured it out, and from then on I decided spaghetti squash wasn't for me. Give me pasta, or give me squash, but don't give me squash pretending to be pasta!

Here's where I think people go wrong with spaghetti squash. They try, like my sweet mama, to pass it off as a healthy alternative to carb-loaded pasta, but, spaghetti squash isn't spaghetti. It just isn't. It's stringy, like spaghetti, but that's pretty much all it has in common with the stuff.

It is, however, delicious in its own right. It doesn't need to be spaghetti! Once I got over the fact that it wasn't trying to trick me, I embraced it. Spaghetti squash isn't tricky, it's just squash. And it's wonderful.

Spaghetti squash for all.

I started this recipe by roasting a spaghetti squash. I don't have pictures of this part, because I'm silly, but I took a sharp paring knife and poked holes all over the squash, then roasted it in the oven for about an hour and 20 minutes. I took it out of the oven and let it sit until it was cool enough to handle, then cut it in half and scooped out all the seeds. I shredded the flesh with a fork so it came off in strands (like spaghetti, but don't be fooled!)

Meanwhile, I browned some chicken sausages on all sides.

When they were brown, I took them off the heat, sliced them up, and returned them to the pan.

Once the sausage had cooked through completely, I added a package of sliced baby bella mushrooms.

I let those cook for a couple of minutes, then seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little pinch of red pepper flakes.

When the mushrooms and chicken sausage were finished cooking, I added some chopped fresh sage and the flesh of the spaghetti squash right into the pan.

I seasoned it again with salt and pepper and added some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

I served it up in a bowl with some added Parmesan cheese on top. Kind of like pasta. But it's squash!

The verdict? Spaghetti squash is delicious. Maybe it was the transparency of the recipe (I knew I was getting spaghetti squash and not spaghetti, because, you know, I cook for myself these days) or maybe it was the copious amounts of Parmesan cheese and that fresh sage, but this was to die for.

It was flavorful and the texture was delightful. I loved the addition of chicken sausage to add more protein and flavor, and the mushrooms were wonderful.

And talk about light! Spaghetti squash is only, like, 42 calories for a cup of cooked squash. I said I wasn't going to compare this to spaghetti, but if I were, in the health department, spaghetti squash would clearly win. Bottom line, this is a healthy dinner that doesn't sacrifice taste.

Here's the recipe!

Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms and Sausage

Ingredients

1 Medium spaghetti squash (about 3 1/4 pounds)
1 package of chicken sausage, Italian flavored
1 package of sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt
pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes (I used a very, very small amount.)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a sharp paring knife, prick the squash all over. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 1 hour and 20 minutes, flipping half way through. Remove from oven and let cool until you can comfortably handle it. Slice the squash in half and remove the seeds. With a fork, shred the flesh into long, spaghetti like strands. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, add cooking spray and add chicken sausage links. Brown on all sides, then transfer to a cutting board. Slice sausage and return to skillet. Continue to cook until sausage is completely cooked through. Add olive oil at this point and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and a small pinch of red pepper flakes. Add fresh sage.
When the mushrooms have cooked down, add spaghetti squash and season again with salt and pepper, then carefully toss to combine. Add cheese and toss again.
Serve in bowls with extra Parmesan cheese on top.

Enjoy!

Friday Finds

2012-02-17T14:58:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday friends! This is the start of a week-long vacation week that will involve cooking, cleaning, shopping and manicures, then end in Austin with some of my very favorite people. I couldn't be more thrilled.

Do you follow me on Twitter? If so, you know that this past weekend I made homemade, fresh, warm, crusty baguettes (recipe coming soon!) and was super proud of myself. I may have posted about it more than a couple of times. Because of this, and my success at homemade soft pretzels, the unthinkable has happened. Yep. I've caught the baking bug.

This week's list is all about bread. What can I say, I'm obsessed!

I've had my eye on this cinnamon-sugar pull apart bread for about a year now. Now that I'm not afraid of yeast, it's happening.
Homemade bagels! Salt bagels are my favorite. And Everything bagels. And Asiago cheese bagels. And all bagels.
This oatmeal molasses bread looks rustic and hearty. Perfect for morning toast!
You know that brown bread from Outback Steakhouse? Well, I would make a meal out of that, and have. This bread looks like that, and it makes me happy.
Rosemary Focaccia bread would be good with anything, especially olive oil and salt.
This loaf of bread has ricotta and olive oil in it! Homemade bread and homemade cheese means a weekend of fun for me!
This no-knead bread has been all the rage on the Internet for a while now. I'm going to join the fun.
Finally, the mother of all bread endeavors: Croissants. If I can make croissants correctly, I'll call myself a baker. I'll have done it!

Get ready for some bread, folks. Oh, and I learned something last week: Don't bake while wearing black. Flour. Everywhere.

Have a great weekend!

White Bean Hummus with Kale

2012-02-16T23:33:00.000-05:00

Since I got my food processor, I have reveled in the freedom of being able to make hummus at any time, provided I have a can of legumes. I've made two batches of hummus with traditional chickpeas and both were quick, easy, and delicious. This time, however, I wanted to try something a little different.

I had a whole bunch of kale left over because of it's absence in this soup, and a can of white cannelloni beans, and I always have garlic, so I threw it in the food processor and made a delicious, vitamin packed dip!

I gathered my ingredients: a whole bunch of kale, white beans, tahini, lemon (juice and zest), garlic, cumin, salt and pepper.

That is a mountain of kale. In retrospect, I would have used about half of that. You should use about half of that.

Anyway! I boiled some water and added the kale to cook for a couple of minutes.

The cooked kale was added to the food processor and was whizzed around a couple of times.

Next goes the tahini, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice and cumin.

I processed that, then added a can of white beans with a little of the liquid they sit in. I added some salt and pepper and tasted for seasonings. I ended up adding a bit more salt, but that's up to you.

This dip has all the flavors of a great hummus, and all the health benefits a mountain of kale has to offer. It's creamy and garlicky, and the kale gives it a great flavor and texture.

Like I said, when I make this recipe again, I will probably cut the kale in half. A little goes a long way, as you can see by the extremely green color of that hummus. It would also probably be a little easier on my food processor. That kale was hardy!

If you're looking for a healthy snack to have on hand, this is definitely a good one. I ate it with carrot sticks for lunch, along with some tuna, and was very happy. It will last up to a week in your refrigerator, so snack away!

Here's the recipe!

White Bean Hummus with Kale

Ingredients

1 can of white beans (I used cannelloni beans)
1 lemon (zest and juice)
1 bunch (or 1/2 a bag) kale, chopped, ribs removed
2 tablespoons Tahini
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Method

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add kale and cook for 3 minutes, until kale is wilted and bright green in color. Drain and add to food processor. Pulse a couple of times until cooked kale is chopped up.
Add lemon zest and lemon juice, cumin, tahini, and garlic and pulse together. Add can of white beans with a little bit of the liquid and pulse to combine. Season with salt and pepper then taste for seasonings, adjusting if necessary.
Serve with fresh veggies, pita chips, or as a spread for a wrap!

Enjoy!

Creamy Orange Pasta with Shrimp

2012-02-13T22:19:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things about recipe writing is how creative I think it is. On Sundays, when I'm making my menu for the week, I spend a lot of time researching, flipping through old recipes, and, sometimes, the best times, following a whim.

These whims (and this whim, specifically) usually go something like this: Orange. Pasta. Always. Cream? Ugh. Diet. Orange, low fat, pasta. Protein. Shrimp. Yes.

It's a lot how I used to plan out a painting. I used to make my art teachers crazy because I would sit in front of a blank canvas for days and days, not doing anything. I was planning--painting in my head. Once I felt ready, I'd begin and go from there. It was my favorite part about painting, that moment right before beginning.

Recipes, especially if they are done the way I tend to come up with them, could go horribly wrong or they could rock. Either way, it's extremely creative and I love it. But, don't worry, this recipe isn't a flop. This pasta rocks.

This pasta was inspired by this orange pasta and this lemon pasta . Both are divine, so I shouldn't have been surprised that this recipe turned out great.

It starts with boiling water and orrechiette pasta, like most good things do. Then, in a large skillet I added a tablespoon of olive oil and some minced garlic and cooked for a couple of minutes. Then I added some flour and whisked until smooth.

To that I added about two cups of skim milk and whisked until well combined. I also added some Parmesan cheese, then let that cook for a couple of minutes and thicken up a bit. Finally, I added the zest of one orange, then salt and pepper.

When that had thickened enough to thinly coat the back of a spoon, I added the juice of one orange and stirred to combine.

Meanwhile! On the other burner... I heated a pan with another tablespoon of olive oil, then added some shrimp that I had seasoned with salt, pepper, and just a pinch of red pepper flakes. I also squeezed a little bit of orange juice over the shrimp for good measure.

I cooked the shrimp over medium heat for a couple of minutes, until they were pink throughout. Then I added the shrimp to the sauce.

Finally, right before I combined the sauce with the pasta, I added some basil that had been chiffonade-d? Chiffonade'd? I cut it into ribbons, that's what I mean.

Finally I combined the orecchiette with the sauce and shrimp and tossed to combine. This, by the way, smelled out of this world. The orange and basil are so wonderfully fragrant. Yum.

I served the pasta in bowls with more basil on top and, of course, shredded Parmesan cheese.

Citrus cream sauce is just about the best thing to be added to pasta ever. It's creamy and satisfying but the citrus zing adds balance and lightness. It's the best.

The shrimp was flavorful and a good compliment to the pasta and sauce. I also loved the orecchiette; they're like little pasta bowls themselves! Perfect vehicle for the perfect sauce.

But back to what I was saying--recipe development. The best part about a recipe that goes from a whim to a comforting bowl in front of you is when it turns out to be exactly what you wanted. That's the thing about creativity; it's risky, but when it works out, it's so worth it.

Here's the recipe!

Creamy Orange Pasta with Shrimp

Ingredients:

1 pound orecchiette, or other short pasta (but really, the orecchiette is awesome)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1 orange, zest and juice
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and Pepper, to taste
A pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup basil, cut into ribbons (chiffonade--I have no idea how to write that in the past tense. Sorry)

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and return to the pot, then set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add flour and whisk constantly until smooth, about 1 minute more. Add milk and whisk until combined. Cook for 2 minutes, then add Parmesan cheese and stir. Reduce heat to low and season with Salt, Pepper and Orange zest. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until thick enough to thinly cover the back of a spoon. Add half of the orange's juice and stir. If it's too thick, add a splash of milk.
In another skillet, add the other tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Season shrimp with salt, pepper, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and the other half of the orange's juice. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through. Add the shrimp to the orange cream sauce, along with any liquid from the skillet.
Right after the pasta is drained, add half of the basil to the sauce and stir. Add sauce and shrimp to the drained pasta and toss gently to combine, until all the pasta is coated with sauce.
Serve in bowls with more basil and grated Parmesan on top.

Enjoy!

Friday Finds

2012-02-10T17:51:00.000-05:00

I've never been one to dwell on Valentine's day. I like it because I like days in which I get to dress in theme, because chocolate is a major player, and because I adore sending and receiving handwritten mail, but I don't buy into the singing gorillas or expensive flowers. I don't ignore it, I just like to put my own spin on it. This year will involve a nice dinner in rather than out, copious amounts of chocolate, and an outfit of pink, red and gold. Like I said, I love a good theme.

Valentine's Day Cards

Here's a list of some Valentine's inspired items I've had my eye on this week:

Pretty handmade Valentines with glittery messages are sparkly and dainty and perfect.
I will Wear Pink. Did I mention that already?
I think that these wontons look amazing. They do have garlic, but they also have goat cheese, so...
For dinner, K has asked for Steak. I think I can do that, and if not, this post shows me how.
On the side, maybe some roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon?
Or lemony asparagus and potatoes. Yum.
Cornmeal cookies sound interesting and delicious, and I could play with food coloring, which is fun.
And this pound cake speaks to me. Dense, buttery but with a citrus zing--I'll have two please.
For Valentine's breakfast, pink donuts with toasted coconut. And after breakfast, you could have one for lunch!
But this chocolate tart is all I can think about. Look how shiny!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and that you spend Valentine's day with someone or something you love. Dress thematically, too. It's an attitude changer.

Skinny Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Ham

2012-02-07T12:10:00.000-05:00

In an effort to slim down, stick to my resolutions, and embrace the whole new year, new me notion that is so popular come January 1, I have taken some of my favorite recipes and slimmed them down. Dieting is not forte, because as you know, I have an affinity for cheese that transcends my willpower. That's why this time around, I'm not dieting. I'm...adjusting. See? It's all about word choice.

Thus, a lightened up version of my favorite, decadent, baked comfort food, macaroni and cheese! With low fat or fat free ingredients, a bit of added vegetables and some cubed ham that was inspired by the macaroni and cheese at our favorite neighborhood haunt, this lightened up version is easier on the waistline but does not skimp on taste. It's perfect!

I started the mac and cheese by boiling some salted water and cutting up a head of broccoli into bite-size florets. I also took a ham steak and cubed it up.

When the water was boiling, I added the elbow macaroni and cooked until al dente. About three minutes before the pasta was finished, I added the broccoli and cooked for three minutes then drained the whole thing.

Meanwhile, on the other burner, I brought some fat free milk to a simmer.

When that was simmering, I added some fat free cream cheese to the milk and whisked it. Here's the thing though, fat free ingredients don't melt that well, because there's just no fat to melt. It's the truth. I had to cut the cream cheese into small pieces and then whisk the heck out of it in order to incorporate it into the milk and thicken the sauce.

Once the cream cheese was incorporated, I added some shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese and whisked. I seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little bit of cayenne pepper for heat, then reduced heat to low and let it simmer until slightly thickened.

When the pasta and broccoli was cooked and drained, I added it back to the pot, added the ham, and tossed to combine.

I poured the sauce on top and stirred to combine. In a casserole dish that I had sprayed with cooking spray I added the pasta mixture. I topped it with some breadcrumbs, more reduced fat cheddar cheese, and sprayed the top with more cooking spray so it would brown.

Into the oven it went, for about 20 minutes until the cheese was melted and bubbly.

And voila! A baked version of everyones favorite comfort food, without the guilt.

I will be honest, it's no Haley Family Recipe, but in my mind, that's like comparing apples and oranges. The broccoli and ham added lots of flavor and the sauce was creamy and delicious. If you're at all interested in lightened up recipes, or just want to be able to eat Macaroni and Cheese three times a week, definitely try this one. It's delicious!

Here's the recipe!

Skinny Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Ham

Ingredients:

1 pound package of elbow macaroni
1 ham steak (usually found near the sausage/bacon in the supermarket), cut into about 1 cm cubes
1 head of broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
2 cups skim milk
1 package of fat free cream cheese
1 1/2 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less, to taste)
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a casserole dish by spraying with cooking spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add pasta to the boiling water and cook until three minutes to being done. Add broccoli and cook for three more minutes. When pasta is al dente, drain both pasta and broccoli and return to the pot. Add cubed ham and toss to combine.
Meanwhile, in a medium sized pot, heat milk until simmering. Add cream cheese by breaking it up into small pieces and whisking constantly until incorporating. It won't melt well, don't worry. Just whisk, whisk, whisk. When the cream cheese is incorporated, add 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and whisk until melted. Reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened. When the sauce is thickened, pour over pasta, broccoli, and ham and stir to combine.
Pour mixture into casserole dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup of reduced fat cheddar and top with breadcrumbs. Spray with cooking spray and put in oven for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and breadcrumbs are slightly toasted.

Enjoy!

Friday Finds

2012-02-03T18:05:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite weeks of the year. I like football a lot, but that isn't why--I honestly don't care who wins this game on Sunday. No, what I like about this week is that my Google Reader is flooded with all the food I dream about but rarely let myself have. Yep. It's Super Bowl food, and you better believe it's fried, it's cheesy, and it's mouthwatering.

Thank you football.

Here are some of the game-day worthy things that caught my eye this week.

Baked potato chips. Potato chips, baked. These would be perfect with some blue cheese dip.
Another kind of chips, only fried, and with pickles. I want. Now.
A lighter version of Caesar salad means I can eat more pickle chips, right? Perfect.
Garlicky shrimp is always a crowd pleaser. Just make sure when you're yelling for that QB, that you're doing so away from your fellow party goers. It's the garlic, not you.
Jalapeno poppers and grilled cheese sandwiches create happiness together just for us.
Bake these mozzarella sticks. It's all of the cheesy glory, without the fried mess.
Pizza is classic party food, but put some potato on yours, and you're everyone's new best friend. (Psst... you could even use this pizza dough...)
These little sliders are called football sandwiches. I've actually had them before and I'm telling you, they're the best. Make these. I want some right now.
Homemade soft pretzel dough, wrapped around a hot dog. Pretzel Dogs. Beautiful.
What's a party without something sweet? After all that salt, I'm going to want one of these chubby hubby bars. It's got everything in the world that I like. Including salt. What?

Come Monday morning I'm going to be in the gym, sweating all of this off, but on Sunday, I'm going to enjoy myself, enjoy football, and eat some pickle chips and pretzel dogs. You should too.

Happy weekend!

Tomato, Potato, and Rosemary Soup

2012-02-02T23:00:00.001-05:00

I forget things. It happens all the time. It always has, and it probably always will. I tell you this because I like you, and I want you to know that my intentions are always good, and I am not careless or lazy. I just forget things.

This evening, I finished work, packed up my things, and strolled home. I love Thursday nights; that's when I look back on my week and reflect. Tonight I thought: This life is pretty good. Work is pretty good. Dinner is always good. I'm thinking this as I walk up to my front door, reach for my keys, and realize they aren't there.

They aren't there because they're still at work, hanging in the supply closet that I forgot to lock.

In problem-solving mode, I walked to my car to drive back to work, only to find that those parking tickets I've been putting off paying came to collect. There was a big, shiny, yellow boot on my front tire. Lovely. I text K to let him know that I have access to neither home nor vehicle, then called the number left on my car and speak to the kindest lady, who was right in the middle of helping me with the boot issue when my phone died. Everything was broken.

Following his instincts that this was a situation in which I needed help, K shows up and saves the world. Again. He gives me a phone charger and a ride, which sometimes is all a girl needs. Or, this girl at least.

So I forget things. It isn't a quirk, it's my personality. If I'm using up space in my brain for things like the weekend or what I'm having for dinner, I don't have room for things like keys. And if I forget my keys, you better believe there will be a boot on my tire. And my phone will always die. Always. I remember what my 8th grade science teacher told me about Uranium, but on a Thursday night? My keys are getting left at work. It's just the way I am.

I'll also forgot the kale in a Tomato and Kale soup. Whatever.

This soup, while missing a very key ingredient, was warm and comforting and delicious. I didn't miss the kale, which is convenient considering I only remembered it after I had finished my meal.

It starts with onion, celery an garlic. Good things.

Those are chopped and added to a large pot with olive oil and cooked for a couple of minutes.

Next goes some sprigs of fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, and a couple of bay leaves. Rosemary makes my heart sing.

White wine is added and then cooked until reduced.

And now tomatoes and potatoes, salt and pepper.

Cover everything with chicken stock and a little bit of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour.

Meanwhile, cut up some sandwich bread and line a baking sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray then add bread and spray again. Toast in oven until golden brown.

When the potatoes are fork tender and the flavors in the soup have melded and concentrated, remove the sprigs of rosemary and thyme.

Serve in bowls with toasted croutons on top and more cracked black pepper.

I'm not a huge fan tomato soup, but with the addition of the vegetables and potatoes, this felt more like a hearty vegetable soup than a tomato soup.

The rosemary infused the entire soup with a wonderful flavor and the broth was one of the best I've ever tasted. And! It's even better the second day!

I wish I could remember basic, every day functions. Keys elude me. However, I don't wish that I had remembered the kale. This soup was good, even if it was meant to be something different. And this night was good, even if it was meant to be something different (ahem, easier). That's life, right?

Well, It's certainly my life.

Here's the recipe!

Tomato, Potato, and Rosemary Soup (adapted from Food52)

Ingredients

2 onions, diced
4 stalks of celery, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 fresh bay leaves
1 cup white wine
1 can Fire Roasted tomatoes
4 Yukon gold potatoes
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
Salt and Pepper
2 pieces sandwich bread
Cooking spray

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions and celery. Cook for 3 minutes, then add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add rosemary and thyme and pour in wine. Let cook for 5 minutes, until wine has reduced, then add potatoes, fire roasted tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Cover with chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour, up to 3 hours.
Meanwhile, cut bread into cubes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray then add bread. Season with salt and pepper and spray bread with cooking spray. Place in the oven for 5-10 minutes, watching closely so they don't burn. Remove when croutons are golden brown.
When potatoes are fork tender, taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly. Remove rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. Serve in bowls with croutons and freshly cracked black pepper on top. Parmesan cheese would be divine also.

Enjoy!

Homemade Pizza Dough

2012-01-30T23:04:00.002-05:00

Here it is folks, the moment you've all been waiting for! Are you ready?

It's stand mixer time! It's pizza dough without the kneading, press a button and it's done, walk away and do something else, pizza dough time!

But you might need a refresher. Remember this?

She's beautiful. And large. It takes up more space than my kitchen has to offer but I love it. Every single bit of it!

The first thing I made with my stand mixer was Alton Brown's pizza dough recipe. It starts with salt and olive oil in the bowl of the stand mixer.

Meanwhile, add some warm water and a package of active dry yeast to a measuring cup and add some sugar. Let that foam for a couple of minutes, then add to the salt and olive oil.

Next add some bread flour to the bowl and mix on low with the paddle attachment, just until the dough comes together.

When the dough comes together, attach the dough hook and mix on medium until the dough forms a ball around the hook.

Let the mixer run for about 10-15 minutes. Walk away and do something. Or watch in amazement as a machine does all of your work. Next, take a piece of the dough and stretch it out thinly. If you can see light through the dough without it breaking, it's done! Add some oil to a large bowl and add the dough to the bowl. Cover with a dishtowel and let sit in a warm place for at least an hour.

When the dough has doubled in size, split the dough in half and put one half in a zippered bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days. I actually liked the dough better after a couple of days, after it had aged a bit. I made a barbecue pizza that was delicious.

With the other half, make some pizza! I split the remaining dough again and made two small personal pizzas by topping them with our desired toppings and baking in a super hot oven until the dough was fully cooked and crispy. Toppings are up to you, but I made one with a variety of cheeses for the boy, because he's a pizza purist, and one with bacon and blue cheese for me, because I like bacon and blue cheese. That's all.

The dough was delicious and crispy and chewy and homemade in a stand mixer. I loved it!

I only remembered to take a picture after we ate half of the pizzas. We were too excited for homemade pizza to wait!

I don't know if you can tell or not, but I'm totally in love with this stand mixer. There will be many more recipes to come, I promise. However, if you do not have a stand mixer, you can totally do this by hand, and just knead the dough for about 5 minutes until you can see light through a piece of it. See above.

Here's the recipe!

Homemade Pizza Dough (Slightly adapted from Alton Brown)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon Olive oil, plus more for oiling the bowl
2 cups bread flour
Whatever toppings you want!

Method

Place sugar, water, and yeast in a measuring cup. Stir and set aside. Let sit until the yeast begins to foam.
Meanwhile, add salt and olive oil into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture and bread flour. Mix on low with the paddle attachment, just until the dough comes together.
Remove paddle attachment. Spray dough hook with cooking spray then attach to stand mixer. Mix on low until the dough forms a ball then raise speed to medium and let mix for 10-15 minutes. Test the dough by taking a piece and stretching it with your fingers. If you can see light through the dough without it tearing, it's done.
Oil a large bowl with olive oil and place dough in the bowl. Cover with a damp dish towel and place in a warm place. Let rise until the dough has doubled in size.
When the dough has finished rising, split in half and reserve half the dough by placing it in a plastic bag and refrigerating it.
Top the other half of the dough with your desired toppings and bake in a 500 degree oven for about 7-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

(Saturday) Friday Finds

2012-01-28T17:12:00.000-05:00

I was at a meeting yesterday and got a flat tire on the way home. Then I got stuck in traffic, because the tire was changed just in time for rush hour. Then I almost ran out of gas. Then I got gas. Then I did not go to the gym. Then I came home, drank a glass of wine, watched Thursday night shows, and turned my brain off.

This is my weekend.

Thus, my weekly list of lovelies comes on Saturday this week. Sorry!

That fried chicken on the cover of Bon Appetit has decided to camp out in my brain. These wings help distract me.
Also, this chicken. It's a combination of fried and roasted chicken, and I like that very much.
Now I need to find something to help distract me from these salty, crunchy darlings. I'll let you know how it goes.
I pinned this earlier this week because here's something you should know about me: if you put avocado on something, I will want it.
There's something so enticing to me about pizza in a cast-iron skillet. It feels rustic, and I don't have to sleep outdoors.
This tortellini soup is perfect for the pea pesto tortellini that is currently in my freezer.
Sloppy Joes, Tex-Mex style, with spicy jalapenos and guacamole. See #4.
When life gets busy, the first things to go are the things I don't particularly care for. Like cleaning. I need help.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend! Go eat something delicious, why don't you!?

Cajun Shrimp Boil

2012-01-23T20:09:00.000-05:00

When K and I went to Texas in October, we had big plans to go out, see the sights, and gallivant around town. We saw Cowboy stadium, went out to delicious dinners, and went to the Texas State Fair. By the end of the trip, we were tired. So on the final night, we decided to stay in and have a classic shrimp boil. A big bowl of shrimp, potatoes, and corn with spicy, horseradish-y cocktail sauce and lemon wedges. Simple, clean, delicious.

Recently, while wandering through the grocery store, surprisingly without dinner plans in mind, K and I remembered that meal and the fun conversation and decided to try it. Spicy Cajun shrimp, potatoes, and cocktail sauce and a big bowl--it was perfect.

A shrimp boil is actually very easy to do. I started with potatoes and boiling water. The potatoes cooked until about 15 minutes before they were finished, then I added lots of Cajun spices and shrimp boil seasonings. Old Bay seasoning, Emeril's Essence, thyme, garlic cloves, onion, cayenne pepper, lemon, salt and black pepper all went into the boiling water.

After a couple of minutes, I added a pound and a half of deveined shrimp with the peels still on and let those cook for about 10 minutes.

When the shrimp were pink and cooked through, I drained the whole pot and transferred it to a big bowl. I squeezed the juice from one lemon over the top and put it in the fridge for about an hour, until the shrimp were cooled.

Meanwhile, I baked some corn muffins and whipped up some spicy cocktail sauce. The Haley's don't do wimpy cocktail sauce. Bring on the horseradish!

The final spread included the shrimp and potatoes, cocktail sauce, butter for the corn muffins, the corn muffins themselves, and lemon wedges.

A little wine doesn't hurt either.

This was such a wonderful meal. The shrimp was slightly spicy but not overbearing and paired nicely with the potatoes and corn muffins.

It's a quick, simple meal that is both filling and delicious. And, if you decide you want some crusty french bread instead of the corn muffins, it only uses one pot! I love not doing dishes.

Here's the recipe!

Cajun Shrimp Boil

Ingredients

4 yukon gold potatoes, cut in half
1 1/2 pounds shrimp with the shell still on
1 onion, quartered into wedges
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
3 tablespoons Emeril's Essence (Cajun Seasoning)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons Kosher Salt
3 lemons
A couple of turns of freshly cracked black pepper

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender but not all the way fork tender.
Add all seasonings, garlic, the juice of one lemon and the lemon and onion and cook for 5 minutes more. Add shrimp and cook for about 10 minutes, until shrimp were pink and cooked through. At this step, my father explicitly said "Do not overcook the shrimp!" So, don't do that. Daddy would disapprove.
When the shrimp are cooked through, drain and transfer to a large bowl. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the entire thing, while they are still very hot, then refrigerate for at least an hour, until the shrimp are cooled, or at least cool enough to handle.
Serve with your favorite cocktail sauce, corn muffins or a crusty baguette, and lemon wedges from the remaining lemon.

Enjoy!

Friday Finds

2012-01-20T18:37:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday! It's a snowy one here in Boston, but I'm actually not complaining. We've had so little of it this Winter that I was starting to miss it.

Though two hundred year old sidewalks + snow + me = danger. Believe this.

Aside from the beautiful Winter wonderland I'm suddenly a part of, here are some other things that are inspiring me this week:

This soup looks awesome, but the crispy prosciutto shards are calling to me in a bad way.
This Dr. Pepper cake is a slice of home.
I love Pinterest, but let's be honest; some of the things on there are wacko. That's why I love this website almost as much.
I've watched every season of the Bachelor for the last 10 years. Ten years. It's more of a tradition now than anything, and this blog's recaps make me giggle the day after the Monday-night-drama-cry-fest.
Do you listen to Podcasts? I don't, except for this one, and I never miss an episode.
I found a new-to-me blog this week called The Pasta Man. I think I've found my new best friend.
Because I never stop thinking about Mexican food, ever, these enchiladas are making me drool.
Finally, this story truly shows how wonderful people are. I found it to be the most inspiring of them all, and I sure did hug my rescue kitty a little tighter. Watch the video and just try not to smile. I dare ya.

Hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing, warm weekend!

Oven Baked Ribs with Barbecue Sauce

2012-01-19T17:58:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, I had a craving for cornbread. Nothing else, just cornbread. However, since Jiffy corn muffins and butter does not a meal make, I asked K what he wanted with his cornbread and he replied, very simply: ribs.

Ribs? Can you even make ribs without a smoker, or at the very least, a grill? In Texas, the answer is usually no, but I live in Boston and I wanted cornbread and he wanted ribs. I would not be deterred. I did some research and realized ribs can be made inside--and in a tiny oven to boot!

Ribs aren't beauty queens. There isn't anything I can do about that fact.

I started the ribs by making some homemade barbecue sauce. I was gifted Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook over the holidays and knew that I wanted to use that recipe for my oven baked ribs.

The sauce starts with sweating some onions and garlic over medium-high heat.

I added some white wine vinegar and cooked until it was reduced by half.

Then I added some pureed tomatoes, water, and minced jalapenos. That simmered for about 10 minutes.

Next goes the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, honey, and molasses. I stirred it all together, lowered the heat, and let it simmer for about 40 minutes.

The recipe said to take this mixture and puree it in a food processor, but since I was just going to use it for the ribs, I omitted this step. I didn't want the extra dishes.

When the sauce was simmering, I lined a baking dish with foil and placed the ribs on top, then seasoned both sides generously with salt and pepper.

I poured the barbecue sauce over the ribs, then placed them in a 300 degree oven and cooked them until the meat was quite literally falling off the bone. After a couple of hours, the ribs were ready, as was the cornbread, and we were ready to dig in!

Oh, and that pan? Well, the sauce leaked under the foil, and because of all the sugar, honey, and molasses, it was completely toast. Needless to say, I went and bought a new one the next day.

I'm not a huge fan of ribs normally, but because they were cooked low and slow for so long, they were tender and tasty.

The barbecue sauce was phenomenal. It was sweet and a little spicy and the longer it cooked, the more concentrated the flavors became. I loved it. Also? I had some of the leftover meat on a pizza the next day and it was just as good. I love a repeat recipe.

Cornbread and ribs means a very happy couple indeed!

Here's the recipe:

Oven Baked Ribs with Barbecue Sauce (Sauce adapted from Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Canola oil
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes with their juices
4 jalapenos, diced (I kept the seeds and ribs intact for added heat, but you can remove them if you'd like)
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup molasses
salt and pepper
1 rack of ribs, cut in half

For the sauce:

Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium high heat. Add the onion an cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add vinegar and cook, letting it reduce by half.
Add the tomatoes, 1 cup of water, and the jalapenos and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, honey, and molasses and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened. This should take about 30-40 minutes. When it's done, taste for seasonings and adjust with salt and black pepper as needed.
If you want the sauce to be smooth like traditional barbecue sauce, at this point remove from the heat and transfer to a food processor. Puree until smooth and return to the pot.

For the ribs:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet very well with foil (I wouldn't want you to have to buy a new one like I did!) and place ribs on top. Season both sides liberally with salt and pepper, then pour about a cup of the barbecue sauce over the top.
Cook ribs for 4 hours, stopping midway through to flip them and coat again with another cup of barbecue sauce.
When ribs are finished done, transfer to a plate and cut between each bone.

Serve with corn muffins and enjoy!

Baked Brie Minis

2012-01-16T19:43:00.000-05:00

There's isn't much that I like more than cheese; I feel like I've made that abundantly clear to you. So it shouldn't be a surprise when I tell you that I baked it. I took creamy brie, topped with sweet cherry preserves and wrapped the whole thing in buttery puff pastry.

But it was New Year's Eve! If there is ever a time to wrap cheese in puff pastry, that's it. Isn't it? Yes.

This is also the first post you've seen shot with my new camera! Let me know what you think!

Baked Brie Minis are simple. Brie, puff pastry, cherry jam.

First comes the puff pastry, cut into equally sized rectangles.

Next comes the brie, topped with cherry jam.

And finally, another piece of puff pastry layered over the brie and jam, then sealed and decorated with a fork.

That's it! Well, almost. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and then that's it! Pop it in the oven for about 25 minutes and voila, baked pastry cheesy goodness.

These were a fancy appetizer for a fancy night, but I think they'd be pretty awesome on a Tuesday.

What do you think?

Here's the recipe!

Baked Brie Minis (adapted from Joy the Baker)

Ingredients

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1/2 round brie cheese
1/2 cup Cherry jam
Kosher salt

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Take thawed puff pastry and cut along the already folded seams, making three large rectangles. Then cut those rectangles into fourths, making twelve rectangles per sheet. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry.
Add a small piece of brie to twelve of the rectangles. Top with the cherry jam, then top with the remaining twelve pieces. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt, then bake for 25 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden brown.
Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Friday Finds

2012-01-13T19:24:00.000-05:00

It's cold, windy, and not snowing up here in New England and all I want to do is curl up with a glass of wine and watch a movie. Luckily, it's Friday and I can! Hope your weekends are just what the doctor ordered, who I saw today, actually. I'm taking those resolutions seriously.

Here's a little bit of what I found inspiring this week:

1. An easy soup recipe that can act as lunch throughout the week, and it's reminiscent of chicken enchiladas? J'adore!

2. Tracy puts mashed potatoes in her gyros. This is what genius looks like. C'est magnifique.

3. This is by far my favorite sh*t someone says video. I also kind of hope it's the last. C'est tout!

4. Speaking of soups... is there anything wrong with potato soup? It will always remind me of mon amie Katy and her sweet mama.

5. If you follow me on twitter, you know that I made a kale and tomato soup this week, sans kale. Il et typique. Maybe I can use it in this tostada?

6. And this ravioli? This will be happening tout suite.

7. If I can find a way to make this brunch dish without half a cup of olive oil, I'll let you know, immediatement.

Are you wondering why I'm throwing amateur French at you and showing you pictures of myself from five years ago? Ahem....

8. Midnight in Paris. It's beautiful. It's inspiring. It's something you need to see tonight, sil vous plait.

9. It also makes me want these. RIGHT NOW. There's nothing better than pain au chocolate and a caffe au lait, except maybe if it's eaten at an outdoor cafe on the Left Bank.

10. Does anyone want to make that happen? Anyone? Pain au chocolate for everyone! You buy the ticket, I'll get the pastries.

A girl can dream, right? Happy weekend!

I did it!

2012-01-10T13:02:00.000-05:00

What a year. I know the New Year has come and gone, and most of you are settling into what I call the January Slumps. It's that cold, gray time that immediately follows all the light and sparkle (and food) of the holidays. Last year, I was doing the same thing--settling in--until I decided to go to Blogger.com and commit myself to writing my adventures and misadventures in my unbelievably small kitchen for all to see. It was my Resolution, to eat better and get excited about cooking and eating, and with that I sent out a very timid email to my closest friends and family with a very simple plea: "be kind."

And you really were! It still blows my mind that people read this stuff, and I'm really grateful and humbled. It's so much fun for me; I get to cook, write, eat, research, and basically immerse myself in food. How wonderful.

I went to some conferences, participated in a cooking contest, gave away an apron, and got lots of new toys, some of which are now overflowing into the living space of my apartment because my kitchen can only hold so much. I've never really had a hobby before, and I'm loving every minute of it.

But let's get down to business. One year ago today I resolved to try two new recipes per week for one whole year. Lets do some math:

52 weeks x 2 recipes per week = 104 recipes.

I posted 129 times in 2011.

I did it!

My kitchen survived, if a little worse for wear, and I did too, even if that means this year the gym and I are becoming fast friends.

Which brings me to 2012. Resolutions are evidently my January 10th tradition.

I resolve to learn how to use my new camera and to learn about aperture, ISO, white balance, and exposure. It's fun, intimidating and exiting.

I resolve to write more, pay more attention to this space I've created and enjoy so much, and commit to the content, design, and food. I even have a calendar of future posts, because calendars make me follow through. Did I mention I'm a dot com? I'm well on my way.

I resolve to eat healthier and be healthier, which means less carbs, less fat, and more movement. It also means long overdue trips to doctors' offices. I despise doctors' offices.

I resolve to learn how to bake, specifically with my newest and most beloved toy. That's right folks, I can stop dreaming because thanks to a handsome gentleman, they've all come true!

I resolve to put thought and care into my future, but still be present. This year I'll be transitioning into a new career, finishing my Master's degree, and trying my very hardest to get it together. These things stress me out just typing them, which brings me to the latter part of this resolution: be present. Look around more. Admire. Sit still.

I will still write, still cook, and definitely still eat. I'm hoping you'll come along with me to keep me accountable and keep me company.

No recipes today, just resolutions. But just you wait; I have stand mixer adventures to report! It's amazing. But you already knew that. Happy new year!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Sausage and Kale

2012-01-09T23:08:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, I crave a comprehensive dish, and sometimes I crave ingredients, and I end up with a full dish. This recipe is a product of the latter. I was inspired by this pasta recipe over at Simply Scratch, and in a move totally uncharacteristic of myself and everything I hold dear, I decided that I didn't need the pasta. Instead, I wanted kale.

Want to know something? I didn't miss it. The pasta, that is.

I know. You're wondering who is writing this post, because it can't possibly be Hatsie. I hear you.

But there's goat cheese! See, I'm still here. I'm still me.

I started this dish by roasting some butternut squash. I'm really into butternut squash. It's sweet and the texture is divine.

I drizzled the squash with some olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little cayenne pepper. I roasted the squash for about 35 minutes until it was soft.

Meanwhile, I heated a skillet over medium heat and added some Italian sausage.

I browned the sausage and then transferred it to a colander to drain.

I added a whole bunch of stemmed and chopped kale to the skillet and covered with a lid to let it wilt down a bit.

When the kale had wilted and the squash was nice and roasted, I added the sausage and squash to the skillet, tossed to combine, then seasoned with salt and black pepper.

Here's where you have some options: serve this on some pasta or rice, for a nicely balanced meal, or leave the sausage whole and serve the kale and butternut squash on the side. Me? I just threw it in a bowl and topped it with creamy, tangy goat cheese.

Everything is better with creamy, tangy goat cheese.

Which brings me back to my original point: ingredients. I was in the mood for sausage, roasted butternut squash, and kale. And I'm always in the mood for goat cheese. Instead of trying to center all these ingredients around some central point, like pasta, I followed my intuition and let it be.

And it was good. The sweet butternut squash, the earthy kale, and the spicy sausage paired perfectly together. The goat cheese did what goat cheese always does--it elevated.

So even if dinner looks, or seems, a little weird, don't judge. Just go with it. You might surprise yourself! And put some goat cheese on it for goodness sake.

Here's the recipe!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Sausage and Kale

Ingredients

1 medium Butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 bunch kale, ribs removed, and chopped
salt and pepper
3 ounces goat cheese (chevre)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place cubed squash on the baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until squash is tender.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown sausage, breaking up as you go. When it is browned, transfer to a colander over a bowl and drain. Wipe out the skillet and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and add kale. Place a lid on top so that the kale can wilt. Using a spatula, toss the kale periodically until it is wilted, about 4 minutes.
Add sausage and roasted butternut squash to the skillet and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with goat cheese.

Enjoy!

Friday Finds

2012-01-06T11:53:00.000-05:00

Like you, I have all sorts of goals for this new year, many of which have to do with Two Recipes. This year I'm calling them goals, not resolutions. Or maybe I'm resolving to achieve my goals; either way, you'll hear about them soon enough.

One of those goal-resolutions, though, is to round up all the inspiration I find throughout the week and list it here, both as a way for me to remember what I found beautiful, convicting, or mouthwatering, but also to share all those feelings with you!

And because I don't want to leave you without something to look at, here's the creature I live with every day. Spread out on my lap like Superman. This is my life.

This week, I have sort of a theme, and that theme is to get off my couch, go to the gym already! and stop eating so much pasta, blue cheese, bacon, and bread. You know, goals.

Adam from the Amateur Gourmet gives awesome tips on How to Support Yourself as a Food Blogger. I'll be referring to this often, I think.
Tracy from Shutterbean.com's Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms just might be able to break me of my pasta addiction. For this week, at least.
I love me some Brussels Sprouts and these look divine.
I feel like I will be doing good if I can stick to soup and kale, even better if they're together!
Resolutions for 20 somethings--talk about convicting!
I can get into quinoa if it comes in a cake. I can get into anything if it comes in a cake.
More kale, but in a salad (score) with roasted butternut squash (double score!)
I found this lovely website that is everything I like: It's adorable, approachable, and offers low calorie, healthy recipes that use real ingredients, not diet food.
One of my favorite photography blogs written by a truly inspirational person, talks about goal setting. Caroline's super talented, folks.
And finally, the tool I'm currently using to keep myself on track and accountable. It allows you to track what you eat, which is eye-opening to say the least. Right now, I'm working on being really, truly honest with myself. Yikes.

That's what I'm working on this week. I'd love to hear what some of your goals are, and where you're finding inspiration these days! Although, if it has to do with bacon or blue cheese, please, be kind. I'm trying here.

Another New Year!

2012-01-03T19:28:00.000-05:00

Well folks, Happy New Year! I hate to sound cliche, but 2011 flew by, didn't it? But really, what year doesn't? I'm thinking that a year that drags means it's a year that is probably not filled with exciting, forward propelling things. That's not a life I want to live. Luckily, this year, I didn't!

Here's a little recap for you:

It all started with Tuna and White Bean Pasta and Caesar Salad.

The most popular post on the site thus far is this delicious, mayonnaise-less Dijon Potato Salad.

My favorite recipe of the year was what I like to call Risotto Bliss.

But these cookies were pretty awesome too.

I made Ricotta Cheese from scratch!

I ate way too much pasta.

And most excitingly, I don't know if you noticed this or not, but if you look up at the top of your screen, you may just notice that I'm now a dot com! TwoRecipesBlog.com is where you can find me from now on!

It has all been wonderful and exciting and delicious and I loved it all. Every single bite.

But it's not over yet! The food journey is continuing into this new year and I can't wait for the delicious bites to come. I do hope you'll join me!

Mexican Braised Pork Shoulder

2011-12-22T12:08:00.000-05:00

...Or how I branched out from my tried and true Pulled Pork recipe.

I think it's important to try new things, to take calculated risks. It makes life more interesting and at the very least, one gets an interesting anecdote. These are the things that keep us moving, keep us growing. I'm all for it.

That said, I've been going back and forth about whether or not to try a new pulled pork recipe for months. Part of me thought, Why mess with a good thing? A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush--or something like that. But another part, the part that won, knew that it's just a recipe and if it doesn't work, or isn't as good, well then now I know. Plus, braised pork is never a bad thing. Ever.

That being said, I went through my file of recipe clippings from various magazines and found a recipe from the May issue of Bon Appetit for Chile-Braised Pork Shoulder Tacos. Tacos. Yes. If all else failed, I would still have tacos. Calculated risks, people.

I started making my braised pork by boiling some water, then pouring that boiling water over 6 dried Hot New Mexico Chiles.

I put a smaller lid on top and pushed down so that they were all submerged. Those got a nice soak for about 30 minutes, until they were soft, and then I removed the stems and transferred them to a blender. I blended the chiles with some sugar and lime juice and a little splash of the water in which they had been re-hydrated, then blended it all up.

Meanwhile, I took a whole pork shoulder, bone and all, and placed it in a large bowl. With a very sharp knife, I trimmed off most of that fat you see there on top.

Then I poured the chili marinade on top and rubbed it all over the pork.

That went into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, while I started building the base of my braise. In a large pot, I sauteed onions, garlic, some bay leaves, dried oregano, cumin, and all spice.

I let that cook until the onions were softened, then I added a 12 ounce bottle of beer. The recipe calls for Negro Modelo, but I didn't have any, so I used the lone bottle of Harpoon IPA that had been sitting in the back of my refrigerator, waiting for an opportunity like this. Once the beer had come to a boil, I lowered the pork down into the pot, poured on any remaining chili mixture, covered it with a heavy lid, and stuck it in the oven.

The pork braised for 4 hours on very low heat, and every hour or so, I took it out, turned it, and basted it with the braising liquid. After it was done cooking, I removed the pork from the pot, and skimmed off as much fat from the top of the braising liquid as I could. After the fat was (mostly) gone, I put the pork back in the braising liquid, then shredded it with tongs.

And voila:

Ok, so, pulled pork on its own isn't that pretty.

At this point, I tasted the pork and man was it bland. I had a moment of panic thinking: THIS is why you don't mess with a good thing. Four hours of cooking and what do you have to show for it??? Then I took a step back and realized it was probably bland because I hadn't used salt once in this recipe. See, I overlooked the one part in the recipe where it says season the pork with salt liberally on all sides. Oops.

Obviously this would not do, so I added some salt and a couple of pinches of chili flakes to up the spice factor. I thought the chili rub would make it spicier, but I think all that cooking time mellowed them. Once the seasonings were adjusted, and the spices and flavor was to our liking, we assembled our taco station.

It looked a lot like our taco station from the last time we ate pulled pork tacos:

Sour cream, guacamole, cheese, hot sauce; you get it. This time, however, I found cojita cheese, and while K preferred your standard shredded Mexican blend cheese product, I thought this new variety was delightful. It was salty, crumbly, delicious.

While the pork flavor on it's own wasn't knock-your-socks off like my other pulled pork recipe, the flavor paired perfectly with other Mexican ingredients. While the original pulled pork is divine, it's flavor is pretty strong, which means it can overpower whatever it's on top of or next to. This pork doesn't do that. This pork has wonderful flavor, but still lets the rest of the taco ingredients do their thing.

The pork itself was tender and fell right off the bone, which, if you watch any Food-Travel-Extravaganza shows, is always their test for perfectly cooked pork shoulder.

Trying new things can be fun and delicious. And who says a person can't have two pulled pork recipes in her rotation?

Not me. Not anymore!

Here's the recipe:

Mexican Braised Pork Shoulder (adapted from the May issue of Bon Appetit)

Ingredients

6 dried chilis*
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 7-pound Pork shoulder (i used bone-in)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons Olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon allspice
1 12-ounce bottle Dark beer
1/2 cup crumbled Cojita cheese
sour cream
Cilantro
hot sauce

Method

Place chilis in a medium bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover, then place a plate or a smaller lid on top to submerge. Let soak for 30 minutes, until softened. Drain chilis, reserving about 1 cup of soaking liquid.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chilis, sugar, lime juice, and 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid into a blender. Blend until a smooth paste forms. Add more soaking liquid if necessary.
Place pork in a large bowl and trim most of the fat off with a sharp knife. Season pork generously with salt on all sides and spread paste over pork. Cover and chill.
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, and allspice. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, about 7 minutes. Add bear and bring to a boil. Add pork to the pot, pouring on any additional chili paste left in the bowl. Cover with a heavy lid and transfer to oven.
Braise pork, turning and basting every hour, until fork-tender, about 3 1/2 to 4 hours (depending on the size of your pork)
When done, remove pork to a platter and skim off the fat of the braising liquid. Return pork to pot and shred, using two forks or tongs.
Heat tortillas either in the oven or in the microwave and assemble your taco bar. Serve pork and tortillas on a plate, and put all other taco ingredients in bowls. Make your own tacos!

*I don't know much about dried chiles, so I bought what I could find, which were "New Mexico hot chiles." The recipe calls for 4 dried ancho chiles and 2 chiles de arbol or japones. If you can procure these, or know what they are (or even better, what they taste like!) definitely go for it.

Enjoy!

Linguine All'Amatriciana

2011-12-20T12:09:00.000-05:00

I have guilt induced writer's block. I admit, I've been avoiding Two Recipes. I think it's because it's close to the New Year and my resolution is almost done and now I need to think about what's next. This is not my strong suit, the "what's next." Poor foresight; that's what they called it.

I know that I want to keep cooking. I know that I want to keep writing. But do you want to keep reading? Does this continue to be a resolution? Or is this a permanent gig I've got going here?

So while I think about these trivial things that I'm making into a big deal, here are some bacon and carbs for you. Think of it as a little pick me up--everything you've come to expect from me and from Two Recipes. Bacon. Pasta. Done.

Linguine All'Amatriciana is just a fancy, albeit beautiful, Italian word for pasta with spicy tomato sauce laced with crunchy, salty, smoky bacon. So, it's awesome, obviously.

It starts like all good things start, by frying up some bacon.

Now, I'd recommend doing this even you're cooking a recipe that doesn't call for it, because everyone in your building, or household, will think you're awesome. You make bacon happen. They want to be your friend. Trust me.

After the bacon is crunchy, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and drain. Pour off all of the bacon fat, save about two tablespoons, then add chopped onion and some garlic.

I don't have a picture of this because the pan was too hot and I had to move fast. Sorry.

To the onions and garlic, add 1 can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes, salt, plenty of black pepper, a little bit of oregano, and a good helping of crushed red pepper.

Stir to combine, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for at least 20 minutes so the flavors meld and become nice and concentrated. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the linguine and cook until al dente. When it's finished, reserve some of the pasta water, and drain. Return the pasta to the pot, and pour on the tomato sauce.

Toss that around a bit, adding some of the starchy pasta water if needed, then add the bacon!

"Oh hello. I'm your neighbor (husband, wife, child, sister, brother, etc), I just couldn't help but smell your delicious cooking (bacon). Would you like to be friends?"

That's right.

Toss all the glorious bacon and pasta and tomato together. Serve it in a warmed bowl with plenty of Parmesan on top.

This pasta flirts with the edge of being a simple "red sauce" pasta, but the bacon saves it. Not that simple red sauce is a bad thing. It's actually one of my favorite things. But I also like bacon, so.

I hope you all forgive me for being absent. I made you bacon and pasta, so I think you should. Bacon makes friends (see: everything I've been talking about so far).

I'm going to work on this foresight thing. In fact, I foresee some exciting new things for Two Recipes, and I hope you'll be there with me! It's working already.

Here's the recipe!

Linguine All'Amatriciana (adapted from Cooks' Illustrated)

Ingredients

6 ounces bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (less if you like)
28 ounce can of diced San Marzano tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound dried linguine
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Method

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook to al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain and return to the pot.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat and return to medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Add diced tomatoes to skillet and season with salt, black pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes, while pasta is finishing.
Add sauce to drained pasta and toss to coat, adding extra pasta water if sauce needs thinning out. Add bacon and toss again.
Serve in bowls with grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Enjoy!

Curried Sweet Potato Salad

2011-12-12T12:26:00.000-05:00

Technically it isn't Fall anymore. I mean, it's pretty far from Fall; it's below freezing outside and all of my Christmas shopping is finished. (Yes!) But Fall is my favorite season and a big part of that is the food--it's hearty and flavorful and colorful and delicious. I see no reason why we can't keep celebrating the best parts of last season well into this one.

Enter sweet potato salad. Potato salad, but with sweet potatoes. And dried cranberries. And toasted pecans. It's Fall in a bowl.

This is so simple but so interesting and unique. It starts how most good things start: roasting sweet potatoes.

I cubed some sweet potatoes and tossed them in olive oil, then roasted them for about 40 minutes until they were cooked but still pretty firm. While those were roasting, I mixed up the dressing and prepared the rest of the ingredients.

The dressing is a mayonnaise based mixture, to which I added some curry powder and course ground mustard. I whisked that until combined, then I added some chopped toasted pecans and chopped scallions.

Then a whole bunch of dried cranberries. I adore dried cranberries.

When the potatoes were finished, I added them right into the dressing, still warm, and mixed to combine. I tossed the potatoes in the dressing until well coated, then popped it in the refrigerator to cool.

I took this side dish to a "friendsgiving" potluck and I have to say, it was a hit. It's everything people love about fall, but in a unique way. The curry powder gives it a wonderful warmth, even though it's a cold side dish; the cranberries and pecans add just the right texture, and the sweet potatoes--well sweet potatoes are the best. The end.

I suggest bringing this to your next holiday party. It is easy to whip up and I promise, everyone will love it.

Here's the recipe!

Curried Sweet Potato Salad (from The Homesick Texan)

Ingredients

4 pounds Sweet potatoes
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Curry powder
1 teaspoon Course ground mustard
2 Scallions, sliced
1 cup Dried cranberries
1/2 cup Chopped pecans, toasted
Salt and Pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil then spray lightly with cooking spray. Place cubed sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and roast for 40-45 minutes, until cooked but still firm.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix together the mayonnaise, curry powder, and mustard. Add scallions, pecans, and dried cranberries and stir. Set aside until the sweet potatoes are ready.
Add cooked sweet potatoes when still warm and toss until completely combined. Add salt and pepper if needed, then cover and cool for at least 3 hours.

Enjoy!

Portobello and Bleu Cheese Panini

2011-12-07T13:02:00.000-05:00

In high school, I went through a phase where I didn't eat red meat at all. My mom is a vegetarian and has been for years so this wasn't much of a stretch, since we were never the family that sat down to a nice steak dinner. The only red meat I really missed, and by that I mean pined for, was a hamburger, which actually is the reason I started eating beef again. I adore hamburgers.

But in my beef-free days, I would always get jealous of the "black and bleu burger" or the "steak with bleu cheese butter/sauce/brick" and the like. Why couldn't they put bleu cheese on chicken? What about on a nice veggie sandwich? Bleu cheese was and remains to be my everything, so I didn't think it was fair that it seemed to be reserved for a juicy steak.

This is my payback. A portobello mushroom panini with gorgeous hunks of bleu cheese. It's flavors mimic steak, but it's completely veg! Except for the bacon grease, which isn't veg, but is easily interchangeable with butter or oil. Wonderful.

It's also super easy.

I started by heating some bacon grease over medium heat. I feel the need to whisper bacon grease. That's what small font means. Whispering.

When that was melted, I added whole portobello mushrooms, gill side up, and cooked until browned.

Then I flipped them over and cooked them on the other side until the mushrooms were nice and brown and delicious. At this point, I seasoned with salt and pepper, then added a splash of balsamic vinegar. Just a touch!

I removed the mushrooms from the pan, then added two pieces of buttered bread, butter side down. To the bread I added blue cheese, then the mushrooms, then I put it all together.

I don't have a panini press so this is more classic grilled-cheese style, but if you have a panini press and the counter space to use it, by all means! Press!

I flipped the sandwich a few times until each side was perfectly golden brown, then I transferred it to a plate and sliced the sandwich in half.

The mushrooms give this meatless sandwich a distinctive meatiness and the blue cheese is everything I've ever asked for and more.

The cheese is creamy and sharp; the mushrooms are delicious; the bread it toasty and crunchy and buttery.

Who needs steak anyway?

Well, I do actually. But that's neither here nor there.

Here's the recipe!

Portobello and Bleu Cheese Panini

Ingredients

1 tablespoon bacon fat (or butter)
2 portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 ounces bleu cheese
2 slices bread
1 tablespoon butter

Cooking Directions

In a large skillet, melt bacon fat or butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms gill-side-up and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Flip them over and press down so that the gills are flat on the skillet. Cook for another 3 minutes. flip over again so the gills are facing up and season with salt and black pepper. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for 2 more minutes, until the vinegar has cooked off some. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium and butter two slices of bread and place them in the skillet, buttered side down. Add blue cheese to both slices and let toast for 2 minutes, until the cheese has melted slightly. Add mushrooms to one slice and top with the other slice of bread. Using a spatula, press down so the sandwich has that pressed panini quality. Flip and press again. Remove to a plate and slice in half.

Enjoy!

Ragu Bolognese

2011-12-01T12:40:00.000-05:00

Last Monday, the day before I went home for Thanksgiving, I was hurrying down the crazy ladder-like stairs in my tiny loft apartment and wiped out, somehow managing to break a toe. So, let me paint this picture. I slipped, bumped down the stairs, somehow got thrown forward, and landed on my face. I'm laying on the floor and my cat is like, "what are you doing down here?" and I'm trying to figure out if I can move, much less walk.

Like, how does that happen? I hobbled through Monday and Tuesday, then hobbled through the airport, then hobbled back to Texas and put my foot up for a week. No problem. My foot was black, but fine. I wasn't even going to tell you.

Then, that last night, I was also in a hurry, and somehow managed to get that injured pinky toe caught on something else that I didn't notice because I was in a hurry, and I collapsed. Fell on the ground. I may have screamed. A lot. People. Broken toes are not something to be taken lightly. And! It's so annoying because this toe is so small and insignificant, except that you try to wear shoes without them touching your pinky toe. You can't!

So, here's a little window into my life. There's a cat that doesn't know what boundaries are, a whole lot of pasta, and when I'm in a hurry, I hurt myself. Every, single, time.

Alright already. Let's talk about something better, something infinitely more enjoyable than a bum pinky toe. This Ragu Bolognese is slow cooked, rich, meaty, comforting, and perfect. It's everything.

The actual Ragu needs to simmer for over 2 hours on the stove, so I started making this in the morning so I wouldn't have to eat dinner at 10pm. I started by sauteing some onions and garlic in a large dutch oven until soft.

Then I added the meat; I added ground beef and chopped pancetta to the onion party.

The meat browned for about 15 minutes, then I added wine, scraping the bottom of the pan while it boiled. Next came the chicken stock and tomato paste.

That looks awful. It gets better, I promise. Anyway, I seasoned the sauce with salt and pepper then reduced the heat to low and let it simmer on the stove for about an hour and a half. When it was done simmering, it looked like this:

See what a difference time makes? In both cooking and toes, it makes all the difference. When the ragu had simmered for about 90 minutes, I added some milk, then covered it, but not all the way, and let this simmer for about 45 more minutes.

When the milk was incorporated and the sauce had thickened, I removed it from the heat and let it cool, then stored it in my refrigerator until I came home that night. Refrigerating the sauce also made it a bit easier to skim off some of the fat. When I got home that evening, I heated the ragu and boiled some water for fettuccine.

I cooked the pasta to al dente, then added it to the ragu and tossed until each strand of pasta was coated in the sauce.

I served the pasta with a little bit of grated Parmesan on top, because I can't not.

As much as I whined in the beginning of this post about my stupid broken pinky toe, I want to sing the praises of this wonderful, not broken, Ragu. I don't know what I was expecting; I'm the one that cooked it and I know very well that the only tomato product I put in the sauce was tomato paste, but I expected Ragu to be, well, kind of like that jarred stuff--bright red and laced with oregano. This ragu bolognese was nothing of the sort.

It was luxurious and rich and had a wonderful, deep flavor. It felt like a special occasion eating this. It's special occasion pasta!

It also made wonderful leftovers, as the flavor of the sauce just seemed to get better as time went on. We ate this the next night, bumping whatever recipe I had lined up, and couldn't have been happier.

So, although I can't seem to figure out how not to hurt my toe, I feel a little better knowing that I do know how to make ragu, and a pretty awesome one at that. Careful planning and two hours is all you need, and if you don't have the luxury of cooking in the morning, make this a weekend meal. Maybe for a special occasion? Maybe for a holiday dinner party? Hmm?

Just, please be careful with your toes.

Here's the recipe!

Ragu Bolognese (Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine)

Ingredients

1 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
3 ounces pancetta, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
2 1/2 cups beef or chicken stock (I used chicken because I had it on hand)
1 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt and pepper
1 cup milk
1 pound fettuccine (or tagliatelle if you can find it!)
Grated Parmesan for serving

Method

Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and let soften, about 6 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
Add ground beef and pancetta. Cook until browned, about 15 minutes.
After the sauce has simmered for 1 1/2 hours, bring milk to a simmer in a small sauce pan, then gradually add it to the sauce. Cover the pot with a heavy lid that is slightly ajar and simmer for 45 minutes, until milk is incorporated. You can add more stock if it seems to thick. (at this point, you can let it cool and refrigerate it up to 2 days. Just rewarm it before going on to the next steps!)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add fettuccine. Cook according to package instructions, to al dente. Drain and add cooked pasta to the sauce. Toss for 2 minutes until each strand of pasta is completely coated in sauce.
Serve in bowls with grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Enjoy!

Basic Hummus

2011-11-27T22:08:00.000-05:00

If you know me well, you know that I say that I will know I've made it, when I have a KitchenAid stand mixer, a counter in which to use it, and a food processor. Those are all that I want in my culinary life right now. I mean, a dishwasher would be nice too, but that's more apartment envy stuff.

Well! Guess what?

Food processor....check! Thanks to the listening skills of a certain gentlemen (or the fact that I may or may not talk about my need for a food processor incessantly), I received a lovely little 4-cup food processor to celebrate a not so lovely, not so little birthday a couple of weeks ago.

First thing on my lengthy list of food processor foods? Hummus!

I started making my hummus by actually roasting some garlic.

I placed some whole cloves of garlic in tin foil and drizzled some olive oil on top. I roasted them in the oven for about 45 minutes until they were soft and almost sweet. Once the garlic had cooled enough to handle, I squeezed the good stuff out of the skins and into my brand new beautiful food processor.

Yum. Roasted garlic is so dang good.

I pulsed the garlic until pureed and then added chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, some of the liquid the chickpeas were canned in, a generous helping of Sriracha and salt.

I buzzed that mixture a couple of times, scraping down the sides of the food processor as I went.

When the texture looked smooth and to my liking, I transferred to a bowl then drizzled some olive oil over the top.

This was delicious and so much more flavorful and satisfying than any hummus I have ever bought at the grocery store. The texture was wonderful; it was smooth but not monotonous.

I liked the sweet, roasted flavor that the garlic imparted, but next time I might add a couple of raw garlic cloves as well just to punch up the overall garlic flavor. I'm really into garlic.

I served this hummus with some carrots and some warm pita bread. It was the perfect lunch and would have made a wonderful appetizer.

You know what? Hummus is super easy to make, provided you have a food processor. And you know what? I do! I will definitely try new variations on hummus. Roasted red pepper? Sure. Maybe add some sort of herbs? Yum. I have the tools, I can do whatever I want!

If you have a food processor, do this now. If you don't, just talk about it over and over and over, not because you're dropping hints, but because you crave hummus, and hope that someone is listening!

Here's the recipe!

Basic Hummus (Adapted from Ina Garten's Recipe)

Ingredients

6 cloves garlic, with the skin still on
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, with liquid reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup tahini
6 tablespoons lemon juice (two lemons worth)
2 tablespoons chickpea liquid
Sriracha or other hot sauce, to taste

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make a "boat" out of foil and place garlic cloves in it. Drizzle olive oil on top, then roast for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Once garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze cloves out of their skins and into food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a couple of times until garlic is pureed. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until hummus reaches desired consistency. Taste for seasonings and add salt or additional hot sauce if your heart desires. I needed to stop and scrape down the sides a couple of times.
When hummus is to your liking, transfer to a bowl and drizzle some more olive oil over the top. Serve with pita and whatever raw vegetables you have on hand.

Enjoy!

White Bean and Prosciutto Pasta

2011-11-26T11:45:00.000-05:00

It's been a week filled with family and food. So much food. I'm sure it's been that way for all of you, and for that, I'm happy for you. Isn't this great?

If you can think about planning your meals for the week (you do that, don't you?), which I really can't right now, here's a quick, easy, and yummy dish that doesn't require much more than boiling water and opening a can of beans.

I started by heating some olive oil in a large skillet and crisping up some chopped prosciutto.

That cooked until the prosciutto was a little crispy...

Then I added some diced onion and minced garlic.

I let that cook for a couple of minutes until the onions were beginning to soften and the garlic was fragrant. Next comes the beans. I opened a can of white cannelloni beans, then drained and rinsed them and threw them into the skillet.

To that I added just a little bit of chicken stock, seasoned with salt, pepper, and thyme, then reduced the heat to let it simmer.

Meanwhile, I had been boiling pasta. I'm always boiling pasta in the meantime. When the pasta was finished, I reserved some of the cooking water, then drained the pasta and returned it to the pot. I added the prosciutto and white bean mixture and a little splash of the pasta water, then tossed for a good two minutes so that the pasta soaked up some of the liquid. I served with some freshly grated Parmesan on top and some black pepper.

I like this dish because it's light yet filling. The beans bring some added heft and wonderful texture to the pasta.

This was a great lunch the next day also. I served it cold as a pasta salad and it was awesome. If you wanted to cook this as a pasta salad, just make it a day in advance and refrigerate it overnight.

It's the perfect weeknight meal, although after this weekend even I am a little overloaded on carbs. Maybe it's a nice end of the week meal. Yeah. End of the week. We'll all be ready for pasta then, right?

Totally.

Here's the recipe!

White Bean and Prosciutto Pasta

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces Thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into small pieces
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 can White Cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 pound ziti or other short pasta
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme)
Parmesan cheese for serving

Method

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook to al dente according to package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain and return to the pot.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add prosciutto and cook for about 5 minutes, until slightly crispy. Add onion and garlic and cook for 3 more minutes, until onion is softened and garlic is fragrant. Add drained and rinsed beans and cook for a couple minutes more.
Add chicken stock and season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, as the pasta is cooking.
Add prosciutto and white bean mixture to drained pasta with a splash of the cooking water and toss for 1-2 minutes until the pasta has absorbed some of the liquid.
Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and some black pepper.

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Risotto with Chicken Sausage

2011-11-23T18:35:00.000-05:00

I'm back! I appreciate you all for hanging in there, and if you haven't, and you completely forgot I was here, that's OK too. Maybe my New Year's Resolution this year should be to not start a blog, but to actually, you know, write. I'll be better! I promise!

Anyway, lately, on Facebook, everyone has been writing about the things they are thankful for in preparation for the big day of thankfulness, Thanksgiving. Which is tomorrow, by the way. Tomorrow. True to form, Thanksgiving snuck up on me and all of a sudden I looked up and realized I needed to pack because I'm leaving for Texas in three hours. Even so, I do like the idea of saying, out loud, what we are thankful for, if for no other reason than to remind us to be thankful.

So, here goes: Thankfulness, A List:

I'm thankful for family. Right now they are sitting around our kitchen table playing some dice game for quarters, because it's not fun if your not playing for money. They're pretty cool.
I'm also thankful that we're all able to be together right now.
I'm thankful for friends, especially the ones who I can call and pick up a conversation from 4 months ago as if no time had passed at all.
That guy I eat dinner with sometimes. I'm very thankful for him. I'm not sure I've met someone that knows me as well as he does, which is all the time awesome and sometimes a little jarring. Like when I'm annoyed because he reminds me to not to forget the vodka 4 times, and then I have to go back home because I forgot the vodka. Whatever.
I'm pretty thankful for my uncoordinated, obese, lovey-dovey kitty cat. He brings me a whole lot of joy, and all I have to do is make sure his food bowl isn't empty!
I'm thankful to live in a city that has seasons. Remind me of this in January-March.
I'm also thankful that I can walk pretty much everywhere in that city.
And that there are airplanes to take me away from that city, if need be. See: January-March.
I'm thankful for my job. I absolutely love what I do. It's fun, challenging, inspiring, and rewarding.
I'm thankful that I'm in a Fellowship that is supportive and has given me the opportunity to pursue my Masters.
Good health, too. Two of my toes are currently broken, but other than that, it's good!
I'm thankful for good food.
I'm thankful for cooking and that it's such a great creative outlet for me.
And this space right here and for Y-O-U. I love that I get to write about food, and I love that you are reading it.
Lastly, I'm very thankful for risotto. Though this shouldn't surprise any of you.

I've never cooked with butternut squash and I don't know why because it's super delicious and super easy. It's also super beautiful. Would you look at that color? Lovely.

I started making this risotto by peeling and chopping a large butternut squash into 1/2 inch pieces. I diced some onion too. Meanwhile, I put 4 cups of chicken stock over medium heat and brought it to a simmer. That comes later.

Then, in a large dutch oven, I heated some olive oil and added 4 links of chicken sausage.

I turned them until they were brown on all sides, then took them out of the pan and cut them on the bias.

Next, I added a little more olive oil to the pan and when it was hot, I added the onion and the butternut squash.

I let that cook for a couple of minutes, then added some minced garlic and the sliced chicken sausage.

That cooked for a few minutes, then I added 1 cup of arborio rice and stirred for 1 minute, just to toast the rice a little.

Now it's risotto time! First comes the wine and STIR!

Then chicken stock! STIR!

Then more chicken stock! In 1/2 cup increments! Until the rice is tender! STIR!

When the rice is al dente, remove from the heat and add a little cream, a little butter, and a little cheese.

Here's the deal, the risotto is a lot prettier than that, but because it's orange, and it's in a blue pot, the camera made the color a little funky. And I either don't have a setting, or don't know how to use my camera enough to fix it. Just trust me here.

Serve this risotto with some extra cheese on top and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.

If I had been able to find some sage, I would have put that in here too, but I haven't been able to find sage. I guess I could go to a different grocery store. I should probably go to a different grocery store.

The butternut squash in this risotto becomes soft but still holds it's shape. It colors the risotto a lovely orange Fall-ish color which I adore, and it's creamy, rich, warm, and filling.

I'm so thankful for creamy, rich, warm, and filling risotto. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving tomorrow and take some time, if you haven't already, to think about what you're thankful for. Big or small, just give thanks.

Here's the recipe!

Butternut Squash Risotto with Chicken Sausage

Ingredients

1 Large butternut squash, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 links Chicken sausage (I used a roasted garlic variety, but whatever looks good would probably be fine)
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup White wine
1/4 cup light cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Salt and Black Pepper

Method

In a medium pot, heat chicken stock over medium heat until simmering. Reduce heat and keep warm.
In a large dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken sausage links and let brown on all sides. Transfer to a cutting board and slice.
Add remaining olive oil to the pot and heat. Add butternut squash and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add garlic and chicken sausage and cook for 3 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper
Add arborio rice and stir for 1 minute. Add white wine and stir constantly until all liquid is absorbed.
In 1/2 cup increments, add chicken stock then stir until liquid is absorbed. Repeat until rice is al dente, which should take about 30-40 minutes. You may not use all of the chicken stock, but then again, you may!
When the rice is al dente, remove from the heat and add cream, butter, and cheese. Stir to combine. Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.
Serve with additional Parmesan cheese and black pepper if desired. If you have sage, mince that up and throw it on! Yum!

Enjoy! And Happy Thanksgiving!

American Lamb Pro-Am

2011-11-15T22:42:00.000-05:00

If you read Two Recipes, are my friend on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, or, I don't know, have sat next to me on the subway in the past month or so, you've heard that I recently competed in the first ever American Lamb Pro-Am. I've talked about it a lot.

If you haven't done any of those things, let's re-cap:

Bostonchefs.com emailed me and asked if I wanted to participate in the American Lamb Pro-Am.
I said yes.
I went to Russell House Tavern and asked the hostess where it was that I was supposed to pick up my lamb.
The hostess looked at me like I was crazy.
I found people at the bar who were also waiting for lamb while the hostess figured out why there were 3 women sitting at the bar asking for an uncooked leg of lamb.
I got the lamb and took it home.
The lamb sat in my refrigerator overnight. This isn't important, but it did happen.
I got home from work at 6:30pm
I cooked the lamb and made taco accoutrements
We ate dinner at 11:30pm. We were sleepy, but it was delicious.
I blogged about Roast Lamb Tacos
You people voted for me like crazy.
I fell in love with each and every one of you.
I made it to the top 4!
Mom and Dad came in town. They're supportive like that.

Great. We're all caught up.

At the event I met Jason Cheek, the chef at KO Prime, who had taken my recipe and turned it into something magical. He brought the decorations too. It's like he read my mind.

For the most part, he kept the components of the recipe the same, he just turned everything up a notch. He braised the lamb instead of roasting it, which was a huge improvement, he house smoked some cotija cheese which was out of this world, and he topped the whole thing with house pickled red onions. I wanted to take a vat of them home with me. I didn't.

Once the event was in full swing, the chefs were busy assembling tacos, while I stood next to the table, smiling, with a glass of wine, talking to people about my recipe.

As people entered, they were given a Bostonchefs.com wooden chip, which would be their one vote for the evening. Meanwhile, tacos were served, consumed, and voted for. After a while, all the votes were in and tallied and we waited to see who was going to go home with that awesome trophy.

My mom looked like that the entire time. Smiling just like that.

And the runner-up is.... US! I've never been called a runner-up; it sounds so much more glamorous than second place. I did not get the trophy, but I did get an awesome hat.

Feels like winning to me!

Basically, I had a blast. I met some really great people, got to eat some amazing food, and was able to talk about food, which I obviously love (see: Right Here. You're reading it. Right now.)

It was loads of fun and I wish all of you could have been there. Hopefully there will be more events like this in the future!

Now or Never Chili

2011-11-11T15:22:00.000-05:00

It's Veteren's Day, and like many, I'm forever grateful to those who have served our country. It's a incredible sacrifice for both them and their families, and I hope I never lose sight of that.

However, this Veteren's Day, I'm thinking of one veteran in particular. My Grandfather, Len Charpentier, served as an Army Pilot during World War II and, as one would expect, it was a major part of what made him, him. He had stories that were so incredible they sounded like plots to movies, except that these stories were just, like, his life. He'd start to tell you a story, and just when he was getting to the amazing, unbelievable, movie-plot part, he'd say "but I'm boring you. You probably don't want to hear about this." And that was just how Granddaddy was.

He was charming and intelligent and loved food, wine, the Dallas Cowboys, and a room full of people. He read cookbooks like novels and subscribed to almost every food and wine magazine there was. Did I mention the man was charming?

For real.

Anyway, I was recently flipping through some back issues of his subscription to Cooks' Country and I found a recipe for Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili. Nothing about this recipe would have caught my eye--it was just your average chili recipe--except that next to the picture of the bowl of chili was written, in Granddaddy's handwriting, "Now or Never."

It's simple and to the point, yet acutely profound. Kind of like him.

I decided that with the cooler weather and the beautiful leaves, that yes, it was "now or never", and it was definitely time for chili.

I don't have a slow cooker, so I changed the recipe up a bit to fit my needs. I don't think Granddaddy would mind.

I started by sauteing some onions in a large dutch oven.

Then I added a red bell pepper to the onions and let that cook for a couple of minutes.

When the vegetables had softened a bit, I added the ground turkey and some minced garlic and let it cook until the turkey was no longer pink.

While the turkey was cooking, I toasted some ground spices in a dry pan until just fragrant. Granddaddy had highlighted this step, which makes me giggle, because it's so like him. He was the type of guy that had everything in his garage secured by the properly sized bungee cord. Not only was nothing out of place, but nothing was going to fall out of place. Precision, people.

That's chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Those toasted for about a minute until they were fragrant, then I added them to the turkey, onion, and bell pepper mixture along with some tomato paste.

I stirred that around a bit then added some kidney beans that had been drained and rinsed.

Next came the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Finally, I added chicken broth, a bit of brown sugar to tame all the tomato-y acidity, and some minced chipotle peppers. I like my chili a little spicy so I also added some of the adobo sauce that the chipotles chill out in.

I brought the entire mixture to a boil, then reduced the heat to simmer, covered it with a lid, and cooked it, stirring occasionally, for about an hour to let the flavors mix and mingle and concentrate.

When the chili was ready, I grated some pepper jack cheese because it's what I had on hand, then ladled the chili into a bowl and topped with the grated cheese.

Other toppings could include but are not limited to: sour cream, chopped green onions, cheddar cheese, raw onions, cilantro, etc.

This recipe was delicious. It was a little spicy and smoky and sweet. It was rich and hearty, just like a good bowl of chili should be.

But let's get back to the "now or never" part. Friends, let's live this. On a day like today, when we are all purposefully thinking about our veterans and the people who sacrifice so much, so that we can make chili on a Tuesday night, let's remember, it's now or never. This is life. It's happening right now.

You don't have to make chili, but go do something that you've been wanting to do. Do something that makes you feel full inside. Get inspired. Laugh! Eat carbs--or don't, whatever. Drink wine. Smile at a stranger. Hug someone! Definitely thank a veteran.

This may be just a bowl of chili, but to Granddaddy, a proud veteran, I guess it seemed so intriguing to him that he felt the need to remind himself, it's now or never. And because of this, thankfully, I'm reminded as well.

Here's the recipe!

Now or Never Chili (Adapted from Cooks' Country)

Ingredients

1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 yellow onions, diced
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 canned chipotles, minced, plus more of the adobo sauce
salt and pepper

Method

In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions. Cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook for 4 minutes more. Add ground turkey and garlic and cook, breaking meat up with a spoon, until turkey is no longer pink. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
Stir in beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, minced chipotles, and adobo sauce. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour, stirring every so often.
When chili is finished, taste for seasonings and add salt if needed. Serve with your desired chili toppings--I used cheese because cheese is never wrong.

Enjoy!

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

2011-11-07T19:14:00.001-05:00

So, this post is more about a new pan and less about the recipe. Although the recipe was fantastic and you should definitely try it. However, about a month ago I tweeted that although I'm usually categorically against kitchen tools that only do one thing, seeing as I have one cabinet total for all of my tools and utensils, that I was most definitely going to find and buy a doughnut pan. I think it was the recipe for peanut butter and banana doughnuts with brown butter icing over at Shutterbean.com that got me going.

Anyway, a couple of weeks later I happened upon a Sur la Table which happened to have a doughnut pan, and $11 and 24 hours later, I had hot doughnuts straight out of the oven.

For my first batch I went simple; simple cake doughnut, simple cinnamon-sugar-browned-butter topping. I followed the recipe that came with the pan because that seemed to be the easiest way to get doughnuts out of my oven in less than an hour. I was right.

I'm so happy I broke my own rule. Space shmace. Doughnuts win.

I started making my doughnuts by combining flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, a little cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl I whisked eggs, milk and melted butter then added the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

I whisked that until it was just combined and just like that, I had doughnut batter.

I poured the batter into my greased doughnut pan and baked them for about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet I melted some butter until it started to brown and smell nutty and delicious, then removed from the heat and added it to a bowl. I also prepared a plate of cinnamon sugar, which took me straight back to childhood when I had a piece of cinnamon toast every single morning.

When the doughnuts were finished, I turned them out onto a cooling rack, very gingerly, because these suckers were hot, dipped them in the browned butter, then in the cinnamon sugar, and then set them aside to cool completely.

I repeated this process until all of the batter was gone. This made about 12 doughnuts, 7 of which actually made it to my staff meeting the next morning.

I can't wait to try new combinations of doughnut flavors. Also? Icing. Absolutely that will be happening. Meanwhile, you should find the nearest Sur la Table, or go right here and pick up a doughnut pan. Then make some cinnamon sugar doughnuts, pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea, and take a minute for yourself.

Here's the recipe!

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts (Adapted from Sur la Table)

Ingredients

2 cups Flour
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for topping
butter, cinnamon and sugar for topping

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray doughnut pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk together. In a separate bowl, combing eggs, milk, and melted butter and whisk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk together until just combined.
Fill each doughnut hole approximately 2/3 full. Bake for 7-9 minutes until the top of the doughnuts feel springy when you touch them. Turn them out onto a wire cooling rack.
Meanwhile, melt 1/2 stick of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. The butter will foam, and just after it foams and starts to brown, remove it from the heat. It should smell kind of nutty. Transfer to a bowl. In a separate bowl or plate, combine equal parts cinnamon and sugar.
When doughnuts are hot out of the oven, take them and dip them in the butter, then the cinnamon sugar mixture. Return to the cooling rack and serve warm if at all possible!

Enjoy!

Classic Meatloaf, with a Kick

2011-11-04T14:19:00.000-04:00

It's November, which means my favorite time of the year is here! November brings with it fall foliage, pumpkin flavored things, warm drinks, and scarf and boot weather. It also brings sickness, feverish kids coughing in my face, freezing weather, a landlord that still hasn't turned on my heat, and, oh yeah, coughing.

Yuck.

But let's talk about the good things. Let's talk about the fact that after a dismal search last year, I have finally found the perfect black suede boots and have worn them every day since they arrived. Let's talk about how because the weather was so weird this year, the leaves are just now turning and when I look out my window, it looks as if I'm in a painting, all red and yellow trees. Let's talk about comfort food; warm hearty soups, baked goods, and, of course, meatloaf.

It isn't pretty, but who needs pretty! Let's make meatloaf!

I started by tearing up some white sandwich bread into small pieces in a large bowl.

I poured some milk over the bread and let it soak for about 30 seconds. Then I added onions, garlic, pepper jack cheese, and thyme.

To that I added some chili sauce, which is like ketchup but with a kick and some eggs to bind it all together.

I mixed that up and then added the meat. I added some ground pork...

...and ground beef.

I seasoned the whole thing with freshly ground black pepper, salt, and some red pepper flakes for added heat.

With clean hands, I mixed this up from the bottom up just until combined. General wisdom is that you don't want to over-mix the meatloaf or it will turn out dense and tough.

I lined a baking sheet with foil, then placed a wire cooling rack on top so that when the meatloaf was cooking the fat would drip down to the baking sheet, then I formed two loafs out of the meat and placed them on the wire rack.

Side note, I went to Sur la Table recently and saw a meatloaf pan. What makes it a meatloaf pan and not a regular loaf pan? I'll tell you. It had a raised and vented bottom so that the meatloaf doesn't sit in it's own grease. I'm generally against kitchen tools that only do one thing because of space, but this was pretty cool.

Anyway, I put the meatloaves into the oven for about 50 minutes. While they were cooking, I made a glaze for the meatloaf. In a bowl I combined the rest of the chili sauce, some ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. I mixed it all together and set it aside. When the meatloaves had baked for 50 minutes, I took them out of the oven and poured the glaze on top.

Pre-glaze:

Post-glaze:

I put them back in the oven for about 20 more minutes, until the meatloaf was completely cooked through. When they were ready I took them out of the oven and let them rest while I finished my side of mashed potatoes and gravy.

The added weight time made it a bit easier to slice into actual loaf like pieces, although if you wanted to make it a day in advance, refrigerate it, then reheat and slice that would make it perfect for slicing. Also, if you're the type of person that can plan to make something a day in advance, can you please teach me? Foresight was never my strong suit.

Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and brown gravy is so very good.

Even if there is a gravy flood.

In other news: there are some new features here on the blog! Look above, and you will see that I now have tabs! When you're sitting there, reading about what I cook, do you find yourself wondering more about me? Do you wonder, what makes Hatsie tick? Now you can find out. Click the About Hatsie tab and read away! You can also Contact Me and see what blogs I'm reading! And? Print Button below. BOOM.

Also, this weekend is the first ever American Lamb Pro-Am! Sunday I will be competing against my fellow finalists to see whose lamb dish is tops. Did you want to come? Tickets are still available!

Back to meatloaf, here's the recipe:

Classic Meatloaf, with a Kick (adapted from MarthaStewart.com)

Ingredients

4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
1/2 cup milk
2 small onions, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/2 cup grated Pepper Jack Cheese
1/2 cup chili sauce, plus 1/2 cup for the glaze
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 pound ground pork
2 pounds ground beef
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon Honey

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack on top. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine bread and milk. Let soak for 30 seconds. Add onion, garlic, thyme, Pepper Jack Cheese, chili sauce, and eggs. Mix to combine. Add pork and beef. Using clean hands and working from the bottom up, mix until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
Divide mixture in two and form two loaves. Place loaves on wire rack and bake for 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the glaze by combining remaining chili sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon Mustard, and honey. Set aside.
When the meatloaves have been cooking for 50 minutes, remove from the oven and pour the glaze over. Use a pastry brush to make sure all of the tops and sides are covered in glaze. Return to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes more, until juices run clear and the meatloaf is cooked throughout.
Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Flatbread

2011-10-31T20:43:00.001-04:00

Here's the thing. I'm going to bend my own rule for a bit. I'm going to call this a quick and easy recipe even though it takes longer than 30 minutes. Are you still with me? I mean, it's my rule, so I can break it, right? What I mean is, this recipe takes about 50 minutes, but the extra 20 minutes are spent sitting on your couch, not in front of the stove, so it totally counts.

And anyway, the only reason this takes longer is because you have to wait at least 45 minutes to let the onions caramelize properly, because onions don't caramelize in less than 45 minutes. I ask you, when is waiting for caramelized onions ever a bad thing? I'm happy we're on the same page, because this flatbread combines all of my favorite things: bread, caramelized onions, goat cheese, and pesto. It's right.

I started by slicing two medium yellow onions.

I heated some butter and olive oil in a large skillet...

...and added the onions over medium high heat.

I let the onions cook on medium high heat for a couple of minutes, just until they became golden and fragrant, then I reduced the heat to low.

I cooked the onions on low for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. This is the part that isn't so quick, but I swear to you that I was watching TV on my couch while this was happening. No kitchen time, except for the occasional stir. Promise.

When the onions had cooked long enough to be sweet and sticky, I added some balsamic vinegar and honey. I stirred to combine, cooked for a couple minutes more, then removed from the heat.

The hard part, meaning the waiting, is over.

I lined a baking sheet with foil and got my naan bread ready for assembly. I used Stonefire Naan Bread from my local grocery, but I'm sure whatever you can find will be wonderful.

I layered the Naan bread with some pesto, then the onions, and then the creamy, lovely, melt-my-heart goat cheese.

I topped with Parmesan cheese, seasoned with black pepper and red pepper flakes, and put it in the oven just until the cheese had melted and the Naan bread was brown around the edges.

I sliced the flatbread into four pieces and, dinner was served.

I really liked the Naan as the base for this flatbread, instead of pita, because it was more tender and less dry. I'm a huge fan of Naan bread anyway, so I'm happy I went this direction.

I love everything about this, least of all being that it was ridiculously simple to make. You should have this for dinner this week even if it is after a long day and all you want is cereal. Have this instead!

Here's the recipe!

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Flatbread (serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 medium sized yellow onions, sliced
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2 pieces of Naan Bread
4 tablespoons prepared pesto, divided
5 oz log of goat cheese
Salt
Pepper
Red pepper flakes
Parmesan cheese for grating on top

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt butter and olive oil. Add onions and cook on medium high heat for 3 minutes, just until softened and starting to brown. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, add balsamic vinegar and honey. Increase heat to medium,stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes more. Remove from heat.
To assemble the flatbread, place Naan on prepared baking sheet. Spread 2 tablespoons pesto on each piece of Naan. Top with onions, then pieces of goat cheese. Season with black pepper and red pepper flakes. Grate Parmesan on top to your liking.
Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is fully melted and Naan has started to brown on edges.
Cut into pieces and serve.

Enjoy!

Bucatini with Mushroom Ragu

2011-10-28T16:30:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, vegetables should taste like vegetables. Actually, most of the time vegetables should taste like vegetables. But sometimes, just sometimes, they should taste like meat. This is one of those times.

I found this recipe in an issue of Cook's Illustrated forever ago and have almost made it countless times. The most previous time I almost made it was when I decided to make mushroom risotto instead, because I have a problem. Speaking of, it's about time for some risotto. Stay tuned.

When I finally made this recipe, I mentally kicked myself for waiting this long. It is delightful. It is hearty. It is warming and delicious and makes my heart smile. This mushroom ragu changed my world when it comes to thinking about a rich hearty ragu sauce. The mushrooms transform into this meaty, rich sauce that is mind blowing. For real.

I just realized I didn't take any pictures of the final dish as it was served, because I was too busy stuffing my face to bother with details like, oh, the reason I'm taking any pictures in the first place. Sheesh. I wonder what it would be like to have a brain that remembered things. Sorry about that.

I'm still going to tell you about this, though, because it was pretty darn good and you deserve to hear about it. Just imagine in your little minds eye this pasta, with cheese all over it. Kind of like all of my other pasta dishes. You got it.

Let's go!

I started by cooking some chopped pancetta until crisp. Pancetta is an Italian cured meat that is comparable to bacon and therefore awesome.

Once the pancetta was crisp, I added some chopped portobella mushrooms that had been cleaned and had the gills removed, and some chopped white button mushrooms. I also added some garlic, tomato paste, and chopped fresh rosemary. Rosemary is my all time favorite herb. Besides basil. And maybe sage. Oh and thyme. Never mind.

I let that cook for a while until the mushrooms were slightly soft and the tomato paste had started to brown. Then I added some chicken broth, seasoned with salt and pepper, and stirred.

Then, because I can't leave well enough alone, I added some cream.

I let that simmer for about twenty minutes while I brought a pot of water to a boil and cooked the pasta. I chose Bucatini for this, which is a long pasta similar to spaghetti except that it's hallow in the middle. I'd never cooked with this variety of pasta before so when I saw it in the store, I replaced my boring old spaghetti for this new exciting, more hallow, spaghetti. If I had thought to take a picture of it, I would have, but I didn't. Instead, here's a picture of what the sauce looks like after it's been simmering.

Yum. When the pasta was al dente I drained it, returned it to the pot, then added the sauce on top. I tossed for about a minute until the pasta was completely coated in the sauce.

I served it in a bowl with grated Parmesan cheese and some more fresh chopped rosemary. Use your imaginations, people.

This pasta was every bit as hearty and rich as a meaty ragu, but without the three hour block it takes to cook. It was fast, easy, and delicious. I loved the earthy mushrooms and the rosemary, and the added cream made it silky and wonderful. Mushroom ragu wins.

Here's the recipe!

Bucatini with Mushroom Ragu (adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

Ingredients:

4 ounces pancetta, cut into 1 inch pieces*
2 large portobella mushrooms, stems and gills removed, caps cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pint button mushrooms, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary plus more for serving
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup light cream
salt and pepper
1 pound Bucatini or other long pasta
Grated Parmesan for serving

*Omit the pancetta and change the chicken stock to vegetable stock to make this vegetarian. I mean the pancetta will be missed, but I bet it would still be pretty good!

Method:

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and add pasta. Cook according to package instructions, to al dente. Drain and return to pot.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook pancetta, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms to skillet along with tomato paste, garlic, and rosemary. Cook for about 5 minutes until mushrooms have softened and tomato paste starts to brown.
Add chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes. Add cream and stir to combine, then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes.
When sauce is finished, add it to pasta and toss well, for about a minute, to combine so that all the pasta is coated in the sauce.
Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and a pinch of chopped fresh rosemary.

Enjoy!

Vegetable Fried Rice

2011-10-24T10:20:00.000-04:00

Remember last month when I said I was going to post a weeknight meal that can be made in 30 minutes or less every week? Well, the "every week" thing hasn't really worked out, but I'm not giving up yet--especially when I have a recipe that is so fast, and so easy, and so good.

Slight detour: I wish you could see me right now. I'm sitting here, minding my own business, and my cat comes over and sits on my hands. My hands! He goes over the arms, hunkers down and traps me. Then he looks at me like, "oh, hello, I didn't see you there." This is my life.

And we're back.

This vegetable fried rice comes together in the time it takes to make rice, so about 25 minutes. It would be even faster if you made the rice ahead of time and you just had to throw it together in a pan. In fact, general wisdom is that fried rice is actually better with day-old rice because it's a little dried out. That takes some planning though, and I didn't think that far ahead.

The trick to this is not to start anything until the rice is all the way done. I mean it. Don't try to make this take longer than it needs to. Once the rice is done, you will stand in front of your stove for a maximum of 8 minutes. True story.

Once the rice is done, then and only then, heat a large non-stick skillet over high heat until it's screaming hot. Like, irresponsibly hot. Pour some canola oil in the pan then add the vegetables. For this I used baby corn...

...mushrooms and snow peas. You could use any combination of vegetables that your heart desires.

I tossed the veggies so that they all had a chance to touch the hot pan, then I left it alone for 1 minute so that they got nice and dark. Then I tossed them again and left for 1 more minute. Finally, I tossed them once more and cooked for 1 more minute. I just wanted them to be nice and caramelized on the outside but still retain some of their fresh-veggie-crunch.

After those three minutes, I added my "sauce." I threw on some soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice and quite a bit of Sriracha because it's my favorite ingredient, and tossed so that all the vegetables were covered in sauce.

Next, I added my cooked rice in an even layer over the vegetables.

I let that sit for no apparent culinary reason other than I liked the way it looked, kind of like a rice fritatta, then I mixed it all together.

The rice absorbed most of the sauce and the vegetables stayed nice and crisp.

So let's review. Rice cooks for 25 minutes. That means you bring water to a boil, add rice, reduce heat, walk away, watch Glee. That hardly counts as cooking time. Then, when the rice is finished, turn off the heat and let it sit while you prepare the vegetables in five minutes or less. Add rice, stir, serve. It really doesn't get much easier or quicker than this.

I sliced up an avocado because I had one on hand and served with additional lime wedges. See that baby corn all caramelized? That's good.

The veggies in this were simple and delicious and still retained some of their crunch, which was perfect. The rice soaked up the sauce, which had a little kick to it, and the lime juice was a nice subtle touch.

Not that this is a crucial step, but I love avocado on hot dishes. I think the contrast between steaming hot rice and cool, creamy avocado is fantastic. You should add avocado. Put it on pasta too! Do it.

So, if you like to cook, and you want to cook, but you don't think you have time, stop that right now. Turn on Glee, cook some rice, and eat a nice meal! You totally have time.

Here's the recipe:

Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice (made from 1 cup dry rice and 2 cups liquid, either water or stock)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 cup roughly chopped baby corn
1 1/2 cup snow peas
1 1/2 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Sesame oil
3 tablespoons Sriracha (less if you can't handle the spice)
lime juice from 1 lime
Avocado and additional lime wedges for serving

Method:

Cook rice according to package instructions. I typically bring 2 cups chicken broth to a boil, add 1 cup of rice, stir once, cover with a tight fitting lid and reduce heat to low. I let it simmer for 25 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed then I turn off the heat and let it sit until I'm ready for it.
Heat canola oil in a large skillet over high heat. Once oil is shimmering but not smoking, add baby corn, snow peas and mushrooms. Toss to combine and let sit for 1 minute. Toss again and let sit for 1 minute. Toss one more time and let sit for 1 more minute. Vegetables should be caramelized on the outside but not cooked so much that they are limp.
Add soy sauce, sesame oil, Sriracha and lime juice and toss to combine.
Add rice and mix. Let sit for about a minute so the rice can absorb the sauce.
Serve with avocado slices and lime wedges.

Enjoy!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cherry Tomatoes

2011-10-18T23:59:00.000-04:00

I'm heading to the Berkshires tomorrow with my Fellowship for our annual Fall Retreat. It will be full of foliage, food, and a ropes course that involves my rarely-used knowledge of cheerleading stunts. It will be really nice to get away and relax, and I'm feeling pretty fortunate that I get to go.

Before I do though, I'm going to tell you about this simple, easy fall recipe that is not only delicious, it's, well, simple and easy. Sweet roasted sweet potatoes with some ripe cherry tomatoes means the perfect comforting fall meal.

I lined a baking sheet with foil then peeled and cubed two pretty good sized sweet potatoes. I drizzled a healthy amount of olive oil over the sweet potatoes then seasoned with plenty of salt, black pepper, and a touch of cinnamon. Then I tossed it all around so the potatoes were completely coated in the oil and seasonings.

I roasted these in the oven for 20 minutes, then tossed them around, and roasted them for 10 minutes more. Then I added the whole cherry tomatoes and roasted for 10 more minutes just until the tomatoes burst. This will sound like the tomatoes are screaming for their lives. Don't panic; that just means your oven is doing its job.

Now, that right there is a perfectly delicious side dish worthy of both a weeknight meal and a thanksgiving feast. The rich sweetness of the sweet potatoes pairs nicely with the bright sweetness of the tomatoes without being overwhelmingly sweet.

But I wasn't making a side dish. I was making dinner. And what says dinner more than starch on starch? Nothing--unless you don't eat carbs, in which case I must ask, what are you doing here? I cooked some rice while the potatoes were roasting, spooned some in a bowl, then topped with the sweet potatoes and tomatoes, an extra drizzle of olive oil for good measure, and because life isn't complete without it, some Parmesan cheese.

This was a perfectly hearty and comforting fall meal. The sweet potatoes with just a touch of cinnamon were just what I needed to ring in the first crisp days up here in New England.

The burst of tomato when I bit into one of those little gems was such a welcome surprise and really cut all the starchiness going on with the potatoes and rice.

This meal was just what I needed.

In other news: Voting is still going on for the first annual American Lamb Pro-Am and I'm currently in second place! You guys have been such a tremendous help in getting me this far, now let's finish strong! Voting goes until 5pm on Friday, October 21st and now is when your vote matters most! So head on over to the American Lamb Pro-Am Poll and cast your vote as much as your little heart desires.

Here's the recipe:

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.
Spread potato cubes over baking sheet and drizzle oil over them. Season with salt, pepper and cinnamon and toss to combine.
Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and toss. Place them in the oven again and roast for 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven once more and add the tomatoes. Roast tomatoes and potatoes for 10-15 minutes more, just until the tomatoes start to burst.
Serve as a side dish with Parmesan cheese on top or be like me and decide that potatoes aren't enough starch. Throw some rice in the mix!

Enjoy!

Roast Lamb Tacos with Spicy Slaw

2011-10-14T14:41:00.005-04:00

Some of you may not know this--well, all of you may not know this because I haven't said anything about it, but I did something in the Two Recipes triangle-kitchen that was huge. Like, 8-pounds-of-meat huge. It was thrilling and terrifying and satisfying, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Last week I got an email from Paul over at BostonChefs.com asking me if I would like to participate in the inaugural American Lamb Pro-Am. The Pro-Am is a competition held by the American Lamb Board in which 10 bloggers in Boston and Cambridge develop an original recipe, make that recipe, and then blog about that recipe (I'm obviously in step 3). Once all the links are live, they are posted on BostonChefs.com and you can vote for the best one!

I agreed to compete for a couple of reasons. They are as follows:

1. I've never been in a recipe competition and the lure of feeling like an Iron Chef was too much to pass up.

2. I like lamb. And sure, up until Tuesday I had never actually cooked it, but I like to eat it. That counts for something, right?

3. I'll jump on any opportunity to hang out with others in the Boston Food Blogger community, like my friend Richard who is also competing, is extremely talented, and has some serious thoughts about burgers.

So on Monday night I went to the Russel House Tavern in Harvard Square for the American Lamb Pro-Am Pick Up party, asked the hostess where I could find the lamb I was supposed to pick up, which was by far the weirdest thing I've ever said to a hostess, and left with the biggest piece of meat I've ever worked with. Let the Pro-Am begin!

I decided to roast my boneless leg of lamb using a Mexican inspired marinade and turn that roast into tacos. The marinade came first. In a blender, I added some Mexican style tomato sauce that had been flavored with onion, garlic and cilantro...

...lime zest and lime juice...

...Chipotle chilies, the adobo sauce that the chipotles sit in, 1 jalapeno, some chicken stock, and a whole bunch of cilantro. I blended it until it was smooth then took a big whiff. Don't do this. It's pretty spicy and it will make you cough and your eyes water. Trust me here. When I recovered, I tasted for seasonings then added some salt and pepper.

I set the marinade aside and set my sights on the leg of lamb. Take a look at this thing!

I untied the lamb and patted it dry with a paper towel. Then I poured about 1/2 cup of the marinate over the lamb and rolled it around so that it was completely covered.

I let that marinate for about 45 minutes while I preheated my oven. When it was finished, I took a sharp knife and scored the fat cap of the lamb, because when fat meets high heat, it shrinks. Think bacon.

After scoring the meat, I took a sharp paring knife and cut some slits into the meat. I inserted whole garlic cloves into the slits and pushed them down as far as possible so that lovely garlic flavor would infuse the meat while it was cooking.

Infuse. Listen to me. I sound Iron Chefy already. Ahem...

"So please allow me to introduce a veritable pantheon of culinary giants: your very own Iron Chefs, America. Iron Chef HATSIE HALEY!"

I wish, Alton Brown. I wish.

Anyway!

I prepared a roasting pan by lining it with foil and placing the roasting rack on top of the foil.

Then I did the most genius thing I think I've ever done in the kitchen. I cut an onion into thick slices and put them on the roasting pan for the lamb to rest on. This is not genius in the sense that I made this technique up, only in the sense that I hadn't planned on doing this, then genius struck, and I did it. The idea was that as the lamb roasted, the fat would drip down onto the onions and they would become caramelized and wonderful.

I placed the marinated lamb on top of the onions and put it in a very hot oven for 30 minutes to sear the outside skin.

I let the lamb roast for 30 minutes on high heat, then I took it out and basted it with some of the remaining marinade.

Look at that little garlic clove trying to make a break for it. Cute.

I lowered the heat to 350 degrees and roasted it for an hour and half more, basting it with more marinade every hour or so, then finished it for 30 minutes at 400 degrees until a meat thermometer read 145 degrees for a medium rare. I removed the lamb from the oven and let it rest for 30 more minutes before carving.

While the lamb was roasting, and smelling delicious I might add, I mixed up the spicy slaw to top the tacos.

I chopped up some cilantro and added it to a bowl.

Yum. Then I added some cabbage, lime zest, and lime juice.

And then some jalapenos and sour cream.

I mixed that all up, then seasoned with salt and pepper.

I tasted for seasonings and decided it needed a little something, so I added some paprika and a few dashes of my favorite hot sauce, Cholula.

I love the color of paprika.

The final step for the tacos, before assembly of course, was to toast the corn tortillas. I sprayed some non-stick spray in a pan set over medium high heat and added the corn tortillas to toast on each side for about 30 seconds.

I just wanted them to cook until they looked like this:

Finally, I assembled the tacos! And this is when the onions come into play. The fat in the lamb did exactly what I wanted it to do and the onions became super onions and I wanted to eat them by themselves. I'm telling you. Genius.

Oh, those onions.

So on the tortilla I layered some of those caramelized onions and a few pieces of carved roast lamb.

Then I topped the tacos with the spicy slaw.

And finally I topped the tacos with some crumbled feta cheese because I couldn't find cojita cheese in my grocery store. I folded them up and served with a couple of lime wedges on the side for a little extra zing.

And there you have it. Lamb tacos.

The tacos were the perfect combination of flavors. The lamb was nicely flavored with the spicy Mexican marinade and garlic cloves, and paired really nicely with the spicy, zingy coleslaw.

This meal was delicious and exciting for many reasons, one being that I developed a recipe that was actually pretty good. I cooked something that was completely new to me, and the fact that it turned out not only palatable but worthy of seconds is a testament to lamb's versatility and ease.

I'm definitely a fan of lamb and you should be too!

I'm so honored to be a part of the inaugural American Lamb Pro-Am and had such a good time participating. If you like this recipe, please go to BostonChefs.Com on Monday and vote for Two Recipes! But even if you don't vote, go cook some lamb! It's delicious!

But please vote. On Monday. Voting goes live on Monday.

Vote now!

Here's the recipe:

Roast Lamb Tacos with Spicy Slaw

For the Lamb:

Ingredients:

1 8 oz can of Mexican tomato sauce (I used Goya Onion Garlic and cilantro)
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 chipotle peppers
4 tablespoons of the adobo sauce that the chipotles are packed in
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 onion, cut into thick slices
1 boneless leg of lamb
4 garlic cloves, cut in half
salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a roasting pan with foil and place the roasting rack on top. Lay the onion slices on the roasting rack.
In a blender, combine first 7 ingredients and blend until well combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add the lamb and remove the ties. Pat well with a paper towel to dry. Pour 1/2 cup of the marinade over the lamb and turn so that it is completely covered in the marinade. Let sit, covered at room temperature, for 45 minutes.
When the lamb has finished marinated, take a sharp knife and score the fat cap by cutting diagonal lines going both ways. Then take a sharp paring knife and cut 8 holes in the lamb. Insert garlic as far as possible into the meat.
Lay the leg of lamb over the onions on the roasting rack and put it in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, baste with more marinade, reduce the heat to 350 degrees, and cook for an hour and a half more, basting with more marinade every hour or so. After an hour and a half, increase the heat to 400 degrees and roast for 30 more minutes. When inserted to the thickest part of the lamb, a meat thermometer should read 140 degrees for medium rare. If rare is your thing, skip the last 30 minutes and just continue cooking at 350 degrees until the thermometer reads 130 degrees.
Remove the leg of lamb from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes. When it is done resting, slice it into thin slices against the grain.

For the Slaw:

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Zest and juice of one lime
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 jalapenos, seeds and veins mostly removed, minced
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
a couple of dashes of your favorite hot sauce

Method:

In a medium bowl, combine cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, cabbage, minced jalapenos, sour cream and salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
Add paprika and hot sauce and mix again. Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.
Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors can meld.

To Assemble the Tacos:

Ingredients:

Corn tortillas
Roast Lamb
Caramelized onions
Spicy Slaw
Crumbled feta cheese (or cojita cheese if you can find it!)
lime wedges

Method:

In a large skillet sprayed with non-stick spray and set over medium high heat, toast the corn tortillas for 30-40 seconds on each side, just until slightly crispy and brown spots start to show. Set aside.
Take a corn tortilla and layer with a couple of slices of the caramelized onion, then the lamb, then the spicy slaw and then some crumbled feta or cojita cheese.
Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Enjoy! And vote for me!

Barbecue Chicken Legs

2011-10-11T09:23:00.000-04:00

I grew up in Texas. But you knew that. Did you know that I grew up in Texas and am not a huge fan of barbecue? Because I'm not. I love pulled pork, and sausage, because I can use a fork, but the rest is all so messy and saucy. I'm not a huge fan of having my hands covered in sauce. That is, until I could make my own.

Cooking from scratch changes everything, doesn't it?

I started by making the sauce. In a medium bowl I combined ketchup and brown sugar...

...then Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper...

...and whisked it up.

Barbecue sauce! Done! This sauce was of the sweet and sticky variety, rather than the vinegary variety, but I loved it. I think it could have used some spice, as well, so if you wanted to add some cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce, I wouldn't object.

For the chicken, I put the drum sticks in a plastic bag and added about a cup of the sauce. I moved it around until all the chicken was covered in sauce and stuck in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

When the chicken was finished marinating, I lined a baking sheet with foil and put it in a 450 degree oven. I baked them for 20 minutes, then took them out, flipped them over, and basted them with more sauce. Then I put them back in the oven for 20 more minutes, until opaque throughout. When they were finished, I let them rest on a plate until we were ready to eat.

I served this barbeque chicken with Haley Family Mac and Cheese and corn on the cob that I had roasted in the oven for 30 minutes or so.

The chicken was tender and juicy and the barbecue sauce was sticky, sweet, and delicious. My hands were a mess, but it was a mess of my making, which was strangely satisfying.

If you're craving barbecue, these baked chicken legs were easy and flavorful. And I had tons of leftover sauce, which you can use for whatever!

Here's the recipe:

Barbecue Chicken Legs (from MarthaStewart.com)

Ingredients:

2 cups ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
6 drumsticks

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. Whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. If you'd like, add some 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or a couple of dashes of your favorite hot sauce. Whisk together and taste for seasonings, adjusting if necessary.
In a large sealed bag, add the drumsticks. Pour over 1 cup of barbecue sauce and seal the bag. Move the chicken around, ensuring that all the drumsticks are coated in barbecue sauce. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
When the chicken is finished marinating, line a baking sheet with foil and add the chicken. Cook for 20 minutes, then remove from oven, flip, baste with more sauce, and return to oven. Cook for 20 more minutes, or until the chicken is opaque throughout.
Serve with mac and cheese or any other comfort food staple. Barbecue requires it!

Enjoy!

Buffalo Shrimp with Blue Cheese Dip

2011-10-10T19:58:00.000-04:00

Do you ever think of recipes just so you can use irresponsible amounts of blue cheese?

Me neither. That's totally not what this recipe was about. This recipe of roasted buffalo style shrimp was totally about wanting an easy appetizer for Sunday night football that went beyond chips and dip. The fact that the blue cheese dip I made called for an entire cup of blue cheese in it is neither here nor there.

It didn't hurt though. Blue cheese never hurts.

This recipe is so simple. It has 3 steps. Total.

Step 1: Thaw shrimp and add to zippered bag. Pour 1/2 cup Buffalo style hot sauce over shrimp. I used Frank's Red Hot.

Step 2: Let shrimp marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Step 3: Pour contents of the bag onto a baking sheet and put it in a hot oven for 10 minutes until shrimp are cooked.

Done. You have buffalo shrimp now. But what's the point of buffalo style anything if there isn't blue cheese dressing accompanying it? There isn't one.

So I made blue cheese dip.

In a large bowl I added about a cup (8 ounces) of crumbled blue cheese.

Then I added some sour cream...

...and some mayo...

...and some seasoning. Salt, pepper and onion powder to be exact.

I mixed it all up and let it refrigerate for about an hour before serving so the flavors could get friendly.

I brought this easy appetizer to K's house for football Sunday, which proved to be a disappointment on the football end, but a triumph on the appetizer front.

Add some raw veggies on the side and you have yourself a nice little meal.

This is quick, easy, and delicious. And if you happen to be looking for a vehicle to get your daily allowance of blue cheese in, this is it. Not that I would know or anything.

Here's the recipe:

Buffalo Style Roasted Shrimp with Blue Cheese Dip

For the Shrimp:

Ingredients:

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp with the tails on
1/2 cup Buffalo style hot sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot Original)

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large zippered bag, add shrimp and hot sauce. Toss until shrimp is coated in sauce. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with foil and add marinated shrimp with any excess sauce. Cook for 10 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and opaque.

For the Dip:

Ingredients:

1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (blue cheese is mighty salty already)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Method:

In a large bowl, combine blue cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and seasonings. Stir well to combine. Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.

*If you'd like to make this dip more of a dressing, add buttermilk at the very last step, in small increments, until you've reached the desired consistency.

Enjoy!

Spiced Brown Sugar Cookies

2011-10-05T13:23:00.000-04:00

I have officially found my new favorite cookie. Here's why:

1 They are reminiscent of my favorite season. Ginger and cinnamon = Fall. Period.

2. They remind me of when I was a kid and my favorite part of baking cookies was the dough without the chocolate chips. These are like chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips. Score.

3. They are a little spicy in that they remind me of ginger snaps which are delicious.

I want 50 of them.

Anyway. To make these little darlings, I started by combining butter and brown sugar in a large bowl...

...and mixing it until well combined.

Then, in a separate bowl, I whisked together flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger.

To the flour and sugar, I added an egg, an egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mixed until smooth.

Time to combine. I added the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients 1/2 cup at a time until all the dry ingredients were mixed in and the dough was smooth.

I let the dough chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes and then baked them in batches for 12 minutes on 350 degrees.

These cookies are chewy like chocolate chip cookies and have just a touch of spice, like a gingersnap. They are the best of both worlds.

And super easy to make. They're perfect for fall, if you're lucky enough to get a Fall season. If not, they're perfect for a 90 degree October that should be Fall but feels more like Summer. Whatever.

Here's the recipe:

Spiced Brown Sugar Cookies (Adapted from Joy the Baker)

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk

Method:

In a large bowl, combine butter and brown sugar. Mix for 4-5 minutes until well combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger.
Add vanilla, egg and egg yolk to the flour and butter and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients little by little, about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly until all the dry ingredients have been combined with wet ingredients.
Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.
Spoon dough onto baking sheet in tablespoon portions and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat until all dough is baked.

Enjoy with a large glass of cold milk or a not so large glass of hot coffee. These are good either way!

Rigatoni with Sausage, Kale and Pine Nuts

2011-10-02T11:35:00.000-04:00

I've been wanting to jump on the Kale bandwagon for a while now. Everyone seems to be cooking with it lately but I can't seem to get it out of my head that it was the green thing on the side of my chicken strips that my mom always said not to eat when I was a kid. But apparently kale is having, or has been having, quite the revival as of late, and I figured I'd better check it out. Pasta, clearly, was the answer. And sausage. And pine nuts. And cheese.

I started this pasta dish by boiling a large pot of salted water and cooking the rigatoni until al dente. Then I diced up an onion and sauteed it over medium high heat for a couple of minutes, until soft.

Then I added a pound of ground spicy Italian sausage.

When the sausage was browned, I added some chopped kale and covered it until wilted. I did this in batches because kale is large and bunchy and it cooks down a lot. So once the first batch was wilted down, I added some more.

First batch:

After a couple of minutes:

After the kale had cooked down, I seasoned it with salt and pepper and reduced the heat to low.

Meanwhile, I toasted some pine nuts in a dry pan until golden brown. Disclaimer: I let mine go a little too long, which is a cautionary tale. That is, pine nuts are fine one minute, and burnt the next.

But they were still good. I love how heat brings out the goodness in nuts.

I reserved some pasta water before draining, then combined the pasta and the sausage and kale mixture and tossed together. I added a splash of the pasta water and some olive oil and tossed until a light sauce was formed.

I topped the whole thing with the toasted pine nuts and, of course, grated Parmesan cheese.

This pasta was flavorful and hearty. It wasn't too heavy because the sauce was light and the crunch and nuttiness of the pine nuts really added extra depth.

And here are my thoughts on kale: I liked it! The texture took some getting used to, it was much tougher than say spinach or arugula, an the flavor was stronger, but it held up nicely to the spicy sausage and pine nuts.

All in all, kale in this dish was good. I think it needs some strong flavors to balance it out, in my opinion, but I'm glad I found a new green that I like. It's super healthy too. Next up: kale chips. Except I have no idea how one makes those. Crispy, crunchy greens? I'm in.

Here's the recipe:

Rigatoni with Sausage, Kale and Pine Nuts (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 pound rigatoni
1 onion, diced
1 lb spicy ground Italian sausage (or sausage links with the casings removed)
1 bunch of kale, washed, with the tough stems removed, and then chopped
salt and pepper
1.75 ounce jar of pine nuts (I used Alessi)
Grated Parmesan cheese
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to package instructions, to al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water then drain.
Meanwhile, add two tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook for 4 minutes, until soft but not brown.
Add sausage and cook until browned, about 7-8 minutes.
Add chopped kale to skillet and cover until wilted. You may have to do this in batches so you don't have a kale overflow situation. Season with salt and pepper and reduce heat to low.
While that is cooking, toast pine nuts in a dry pan until golden brown. Watch the pine nuts. They will burn. Believe me.
When the pasta is finished, drain and return to the pot. Add the sausage and kale mixture and toss to combine. Add the remaining olive oil and a splash of the pasta water and toss constantly for at least 1 minute, until a light sauce is formed. Top with toasted pine nuts and toss to combine.
Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of extra olive oil if needed. (I thought it was needed, but that's just me)

Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Mexican Pizzas

2011-09-29T12:16:00.000-04:00

One of the most common things I hear from people who read my blog is that they'd love to cook but that they don't have time. After a long day of work or school or both, standing in front of your refrigerator wondering what you are going to cook sounds exhausting when there is perfectly good cereal in your pantry. Believe me, I get it. And if you don't like to cook, cereal is delicious and healthy and wonderful. But if you do like to cook, like I do, you should cook!

Oh, and thanks for reading! The fact that you all are here and talking to me about your cooking really blows my mind.

I'm thinking about starting a series on here for meals that are super fast and super delicious so that if you want to cook and you're short on time, you have some ideas. These Mexican Pizzas are the first! The Pilot Post if you will.

I took some pita bread and spread some refried beans all over them.

Next, some chopped onion...

...then some chopped fresh tomato...

...and then the cheese!

Once the pizzas were assembled, I put them in the oven for about 12 minutes until the cheese was melty and bubbly and the pita bread was toasted.

Once the pizzas were out of the oven, I added some chopped ripe avocado and fresh cilantro.

Cut into slices and serve with some Cholula hot sauce!

This pizza is easy, delicious, and came together in less than 20 minutes, prep and cook time included. Using pita bread for the "dough" and refried beans made this easy but the fresh avocado, tomatoes and cilantro kept it from tasting too much like the chain fast food place down the street.

Fresh, delicious, and easy. What a fantastic combination.

This is perfect for a weeknight dinner, especially if it's a late one. Just because we don't have time doesn't mean we don't get to eat well. Let's cook!

Here's the recipe:

Quick and Easy Mexican Pizzas (serves 2)

Ingredients

2 pieces of Pita bread
1 can refried beans (you won't use it all)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 cup shredded Mexican Blend cheese
1 avocado, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Hot sauce for serving (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.
Spread some refried beans on the pita bread. Then add the onions and tomatoes. Top with cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cheese is bubbly and the pita is toasted.
When the pizzas are out of the oven, top with chopped avocado and cilantro.
Serve with hot sauce if you want!

Enjoy! No slaving over a hot stove for you. You're time efficient!

One-Pot Jambalaya

2011-09-27T13:33:00.001-04:00

My favorite recipes are the ones that use the least amount of dishes as possible. Meals that come together in one pot with one spoon and are served in one bowl means that my sink isn't overloaded and my mood is markedly happier. If they're comforting and delicious, even better. This jambalaya is one of those meals.

This jambalaya starts as many Cajun dishes do, with onion, bell pepper, and celery.

I cooked them together with some olive oil for a couple of minutes just until soft.

Next, I added some sliced kielbasa sausage. Because I don't live in the South anymore, I couldn't find any Andouille sausage at my local Stop and Shop, but kielbasa worked just fine.

I cooked the sausage with the veggies for about 4 minutes, then I added some garlic and cooked for 1 minute more. When that was all done, I added some chicken stock and canned whole tomatoes with their juice.

I also added about 1/2 cup water, salt, pepper, some Old Bay seasoning, and just a teensy bit of cayenne pepper. I mixed it all together and brought it to a boil.

When the mixture is boiling, I added some rice, stirred to combine, and reduced the heat to simmer. I let that all cook for about 5 minutes. Then I covered the pot, removed it from the heat, and let it sit for 35-40 minutes until most of the liquid was absorbed.

Yum. You don't know this, but this smells amazing. And, it tastes just as good as it smells.

I loved the different textures in this dish. The rice was nice and tender and the vegetables retained some of their crunch which was surprising considering how long it cooked. The sausage imparted a lovely meatiness to the whole thing.

If I had more time and wanted to use more dishes I would have cooked some shrimp, set them aside, and added them at the end. That would have been wonderful, but it was pretty wonderful just like this.

This is perfect for the upcoming fall months. It's hearty, warm, and comforting--everything a one-pot dinner should be!

Here's the recipe!

One-Pot Jambalaya (adapted from MarthaStewart.com)

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper for seasoning
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (I used orange because they looked the best, but any bell pepper would work)
1 lb kielbasa sausage, sliced (or andouille, if you're lucky enough to find it!)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 can whole tomatoes
1/2 cup water
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup rice

Method

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot. Add vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the sausage and cook for 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in stock, tomatoes, water, Old Bay seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Cover the pot with a tightly fitting lid and remove from heat. Let sit for 35-40 minutes, until rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Serve in a bowl, preferably with some crusty bread or nice green salad. Me? I just ate this and I was a happy camper.

Enjoy!

Haley Family Macaroni and Cheese

2011-09-25T11:12:00.000-04:00

I can't tell you how many times I've had this very basic but very delicious Macaroni and Cheese. Every holiday, birthday, or random weekend together spent with anyone on my dad's side of the family has this Macaroni and Cheese in attendance. If it's missing, people notice. Not that it's ever happened before.

When I wanted to make this, I called my Aunt Joan to get the recipe, only to discover that there isn't one. Everyone in the family just kind of eye-balls it and surprisingly, it all turns out mostly the same. She gave me the approximate ingredients and their amounts and I gave it a shot. It worked, and I've been making it like this every since. Until now...

(I hope you read that in the movie trailer voice-over voice).

This recipe starts with butter, like most good things do.

When the butter was melted, I added some flour and whisked it together with the butter. That's a roux!

The butter and flour became thick and a little dark, then I added some milk and whisked it all together so that there were no clumps.

I seasoned with salt and pepper and a little bit of cayenne for heat and let this cook until it was thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. When it was thick, I added the cheese and whisked until it was melted.

Meanwhile, I boiled some bowtie pasta until about 2 minutes to being al dente. I drained the pasta, returned it to the pot, and poured the cheese sauce over the pasta. I mixed it until the pasta was coated with the sauce then transferred the pasta to a baking pan.

I topped it more grated cheddar, naturally, covered it in foil, then baked it for about 20 minutes until the cheese was bubbly and the edges of the macaroni and cheese were a little golden brown. That's the good stuff.

I served this along side some BBQ chicken legs (recipe coming soon!) and corn on the cob and it was amazing.

This is cheesy, comforting, and so delicious. I liked the flatter bowtie pasta because every piece got a little crunchy, which is my favorite part of a baked pasta dish.

The best part about this? I wrote down what I did! I now have a recipe! Although I think I'll probably still just eyeball it, because that's the Haley way!

Here's the recipe (AJ, feel free to correct anything!):

Haley Family Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk (I used skim, but if it's true Haley Family mac and cheese, it's whole milk all the way)
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 block cheddar cheese, grated and divided
1 lb short pasta (elbow, penne, fusilli, bowtie.... whatever!)

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta. Cook until about 1 minute from al dente. Drain and return to the pot.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet. Add flour to the butter, whisking constantly until fully incorporated. Add milk, again, whisking constantly until the roux is fully combined with the milk. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. When it's thick, add half of the grated cheese and stir until melted and combined.
Add cheese sauce to the pasta and stir to combine. Transfer to a baking dish and cover with remaining grated cheese. Cover baking dish with foil and cook for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the edges of the mac and cheese are golden brown.
Serve with BBQ chicken, turkey and dressing, pork chops, ANYTHING! It's delicious and delicious comfort foods go with anything.

Enjoy!