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PREP: Average to easy
TASTE: Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: Happened to have the ingredients on hand that were needed for this recipe. It wasn't very much to put together even though the ingredient list looks like it. It was good but not great. Something that made for an interesting twist and we'll probably try again, but not a favorite. Would try to get celery cooked slower and longer probably so they don't come out crunchyin the chili.
INGREDIENTS: ground chicken breast, carrot, onion, celery, garlic, smoked paprika, chicken stock, hot sauce, tomato sauce, blue cheese, parsely (optional for topping w/ chips which I don't use).
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Pasta w/ Arugula, Goat Chese and Sun Dried Tomato es - America's Test Kitchen/Cook'sIllustrated.com & January, 2004 (& oven fried potatoes)
PREP: Easy
TASTE: Very Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: POTATOES - We were grilling some steaks for dinner and needed something to go with it. I had only a few small potatoes from Christian's grandfather's garden and cut those into pieces. I precooked them a little in the microwave to soften them and cut them and put them on a baking sheet, drizzled with EVOO and then sprinkled a Sun Dried tomato based herb mixture from my "dipping spices" and broiled them for a few minutes. They came out PERFECT.
The herb choice above came about as a result of choosing a pasta dish from Cookillustrated.com to try. I used whole wheat egg noodles (instead of campanelli or fuselli because I didn't have either). They ended up being a fine choice. While boiling the water I rinsed and dried off the jar of Sun Dried Tomatoes and threw them in the food processor with 5 T EVOO, 1/4 cup of lighlty toasted walnuts, 1/2 cup of parmesan, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp of pepper. When the noodles were done, I saved 3/4 c water from the noodles and put in some of the mesculun mix (minus the frisee and radiccio) because I didn't have 10 oz of arugula. Because I wasn't sure how the other lettuces would wilt, I only put in a couple handfuls. Then, mix the reserved water with the pesto and stri into the pasta. YUM. Serve with a dollop, 1/2 oz piece of goat cheese. EVEN YUMMIER!
REPEAT NOTES: Try with the other type of pasta, but the egg noodles were great. Try with full amount of arugula. Great, easy dish.
TASTE: Very Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: POTATOES - We were grilling some steaks for dinner and needed something to go with it. I had only a few small potatoes from Christian's grandfather's garden and cut those into pieces. I precooked them a little in the microwave to soften them and cut them and put them on a baking sheet, drizzled with EVOO and then sprinkled a Sun Dried tomato based herb mixture from my "dipping spices" and broiled them for a few minutes. They came out PERFECT.
The herb choice above came about as a result of choosing a pasta dish from Cookillustrated.com to try. I used whole wheat egg noodles (instead of campanelli or fuselli because I didn't have either). They ended up being a fine choice. While boiling the water I rinsed and dried off the jar of Sun Dried Tomatoes and threw them in the food processor with 5 T EVOO, 1/4 cup of lighlty toasted walnuts, 1/2 cup of parmesan, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp of pepper. When the noodles were done, I saved 3/4 c water from the noodles and put in some of the mesculun mix (minus the frisee and radiccio) because I didn't have 10 oz of arugula. Because I wasn't sure how the other lettuces would wilt, I only put in a couple handfuls. Then, mix the reserved water with the pesto and stri into the pasta. YUM. Serve with a dollop, 1/2 oz piece of goat cheese. EVEN YUMMIER!
REPEAT NOTES: Try with the other type of pasta, but the egg noodles were great. Try with full amount of arugula. Great, easy dish.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Hot and Sour Soup - (America's Test Kitchen Test Kitchen Favorites, p 116-117)
PREP: Average
TASTE: VERY good
REPEAT: YES
NOTES: As per some of my previous posts, I've got to remember to NOT buy the pork chops that have the bone and fat in them. It is a pain to cut up and very time consuming. This soup could be quick and easy once I get the recipe down in my head so I know what steps to do when, and when I have a good cut of pork loin or boneless chop to cut up. Liana really liked the soup, Tyler and I enjoyed it. Tanner didn't want it. Also, the conversion for the black vinegar of 5 T recommened 1T balsamic vinegar and 1T redwine vinegar. I would at least double that portion because it needed more sour taste to it. Also, the chili oil I bought must not have been that hot. I used a little more than 1tsp (2 were recommended for the heat). The balance was good, but could have used the full 2tsp and been just fine.
TASTE: VERY good
REPEAT: YES
NOTES: As per some of my previous posts, I've got to remember to NOT buy the pork chops that have the bone and fat in them. It is a pain to cut up and very time consuming. This soup could be quick and easy once I get the recipe down in my head so I know what steps to do when, and when I have a good cut of pork loin or boneless chop to cut up. Liana really liked the soup, Tyler and I enjoyed it. Tanner didn't want it. Also, the conversion for the black vinegar of 5 T recommened 1T balsamic vinegar and 1T redwine vinegar. I would at least double that portion because it needed more sour taste to it. Also, the chili oil I bought must not have been that hot. I used a little more than 1tsp (2 were recommended for the heat). The balance was good, but could have used the full 2tsp and been just fine.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Curry Chickpeas (RachaelRayShow.com)
PREP: VERY easy
TASTE: not so good
REPEAT: no
VERY easy and quick but just didn't have a good taste. Maybe I needed to cook the chickpeas slower, but didn't care for the combo of curry and cinnamon.
TASTE: not so good
REPEAT: no
VERY easy and quick but just didn't have a good taste. Maybe I needed to cook the chickpeas slower, but didn't care for the combo of curry and cinnamon.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Stuffed Chicken Cutlets (Everyday Food #35, September 2006, p42)
PREP: Easy
TASTE: VERY good
REPEAT: YES, definitely
NOTES: Daimeian REALLY liked this one. Easy to put together. I used chicken breasts and pounded them flat instead of using chicken cutlets. Had leftover tomato sauce to pour over top. Added some spaghetti (Italian) seasoning to the sauce and heated it up together to put over the chicken.
KEY INGREDIENTS: feta cheese, jarred roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, scallions (green onions), oregano (even forgot to put this in!)
TASTE: VERY good
REPEAT: YES, definitely
NOTES: Daimeian REALLY liked this one. Easy to put together. I used chicken breasts and pounded them flat instead of using chicken cutlets. Had leftover tomato sauce to pour over top. Added some spaghetti (Italian) seasoning to the sauce and heated it up together to put over the chicken.
KEY INGREDIENTS: feta cheese, jarred roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, scallions (green onions), oregano (even forgot to put this in!)
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Spinach-Artichoke Cheesy Torellini (Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals, p48-49)
PREP: Easy to Average
TASTE: Very Good
REPEAT: Yes, definitely
NOTES: Used whole wheat cheese filled ravioli and a 16 ounce bag of cut spinach. Both substitutes worked just fine. The dish was very tasty and Daimeian and I both really enjoyed it.
KEY INGREDIENTS: frozen spinach, chicken stock, heavy cream, artichoke hearts, parmesan-reggiano, cheesy tortellini or ravioli
TASTE: Very Good
REPEAT: Yes, definitely
NOTES: Used whole wheat cheese filled ravioli and a 16 ounce bag of cut spinach. Both substitutes worked just fine. The dish was very tasty and Daimeian and I both really enjoyed it.
KEY INGREDIENTS: frozen spinach, chicken stock, heavy cream, artichoke hearts, parmesan-reggiano, cheesy tortellini or ravioli
Cowboy Spaghetti (Rachael Ray, Express Lane Meals, p60-61)
PREP: Easy
TASTE: Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: Again, I used whole wheat spaghetti. Daimeian and I would both prefer more sauce so next time I would double the sauce portion, and only up the spaghetti portion by half more. OR, reduce the spaghetti portion to 3/4 pound for one sauce portion. Overall good and a nice twist on spaghetti.
KEY INGREDIENTS: bacon, ground sirloin (beef), worchestershire, hot sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, scallions, cheddar cheese
TASTE: Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: Again, I used whole wheat spaghetti. Daimeian and I would both prefer more sauce so next time I would double the sauce portion, and only up the spaghetti portion by half more. OR, reduce the spaghetti portion to 3/4 pound for one sauce portion. Overall good and a nice twist on spaghetti.
KEY INGREDIENTS: bacon, ground sirloin (beef), worchestershire, hot sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, scallions, cheddar cheese
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Chipotle Pork Tacos w/ Pineapple Salsa (Cooking Light, May 2007, p127)
PREP: Medium to Long (depending on cut of pork)
TASTE: Excellent
REPEAT: Yes, definitely
NOTES: This pork taco filling was just so, so good. The pineapple salsa was good as well, but much better with the pork recipe than with something else.
KEY INGREDIENTS: pineapple, apple, shallots, lime juice, onion, pork, chicken broth, cider vinegar, oregano, cherry tomatoes, chipotle chiles
TASTE: Excellent
REPEAT: Yes, definitely
NOTES: This pork taco filling was just so, so good. The pineapple salsa was good as well, but much better with the pork recipe than with something else.
KEY INGREDIENTS: pineapple, apple, shallots, lime juice, onion, pork, chicken broth, cider vinegar, oregano, cherry tomatoes, chipotle chiles
Stir Fry Pork ("Pork, asparagus and baby corn stir-fry, Bowl Food, p276)
PREP: Medium (Easy if pork is easy to cut)
TASTE: Very Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: Recipe called for asparagus and baby corn. Didn't have these so I modified and made with green beans and carrots. Also used canned muchrooms. Was a little salty. Ran out of oyster sauce and used bean sauce instead. The pork I had was time consuming to cut; fatty and on the bone since it was a cheaper cut.
KEY INGREDIENTS:
TASTE: Very Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: Recipe called for asparagus and baby corn. Didn't have these so I modified and made with green beans and carrots. Also used canned muchrooms. Was a little salty. Ran out of oyster sauce and used bean sauce instead. The pork I had was time consuming to cut; fatty and on the bone since it was a cheaper cut.
KEY INGREDIENTS:
Flourless Peanut-Chocolate Chip Cookies (Everyday Food, March 2005, p150)
PREP: Super Easy
TASTE: Very Good
REPEAT: Yes, definitely
NOTES: Tried this super easy recipe with a little bit of peanuts leftover from McDonalds or somewhere and have made it many times without any nuts. Tastes just fine without the peanuts. It's good to have them, but I wouldn't run out to get them unless you just love peanuts. Super easy, super tasty. YUM!
KEY INGREDIENTS: peanut butter, chocolate chips, eggs, sugar, salt, baking soda
TASTE: Very Good
REPEAT: Yes, definitely
NOTES: Tried this super easy recipe with a little bit of peanuts leftover from McDonalds or somewhere and have made it many times without any nuts. Tastes just fine without the peanuts. It's good to have them, but I wouldn't run out to get them unless you just love peanuts. Super easy, super tasty. YUM!
KEY INGREDIENTS: peanut butter, chocolate chips, eggs, sugar, salt, baking soda
Chicken w/ Tomatoes & Mushrooms (Everyday Food, October 2005, p87)
PREP: Easy
TASTE: Good to Very Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: Had chicken quarters (halves?) that I needed to use so I used them in this dish. They had skin and bones and I wouldn't do that again. The recipe is a version of chicken cacciatore, which typically is full pieces of chicken, but I don't care to fish out the skin and bones when I don't need to. When I started the recipe I thought I had twice as much chicken as the recipe called for so I planned to do a double batch. I ended up with too much tomatoes to break down properly like they were supposed to. I THINK they would do what they are supposed to do better if I followed the recipe better. Could do 2 separate pots or dutch ovens if I wanted to double.
KEY INGREDIENTS: chicken breasts, mushrooms, garlic, stewed tomatoes, dried oregano
TASTE: Good to Very Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: Had chicken quarters (halves?) that I needed to use so I used them in this dish. They had skin and bones and I wouldn't do that again. The recipe is a version of chicken cacciatore, which typically is full pieces of chicken, but I don't care to fish out the skin and bones when I don't need to. When I started the recipe I thought I had twice as much chicken as the recipe called for so I planned to do a double batch. I ended up with too much tomatoes to break down properly like they were supposed to. I THINK they would do what they are supposed to do better if I followed the recipe better. Could do 2 separate pots or dutch ovens if I wanted to double.
KEY INGREDIENTS: chicken breasts, mushrooms, garlic, stewed tomatoes, dried oregano
African Ground Nut Stew w/ Sr. Cream-Chive Topping (Cooking Light, May 2007, p
PREP: Easy (15 minutes)
TASTE: OK, kind of blah
REPEAT: No
NOTES: Added meat to this meal to add flavor and protein which helped. The kids didn't like it. I had made it due to having ingredients on hand but not worth doing again.
TASTE: OK, kind of blah
REPEAT: No
NOTES: Added meat to this meal to add flavor and protein which helped. The kids didn't like it. I had made it due to having ingredients on hand but not worth doing again.
Easy Fluffy White Frosting (King Arthur Whole Grain Baking, p435)
PREP: Quick and Easy (5-10 min)
TASTE: Very Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: My second attempt at frosting. This one turned out MUCH better. Sweeter, less greasy and when dried some cystallized on the outer edge like what I'm used to in store bought cakes. My wonderfully talented hubby decorated this cake. He spent several hours doing it and only practiced on a practice cake the night before. This was his first cake to decorate and I think he did a fabulous job!
KEY INGREDIENTS: powdered (confectioner's) sugar,
TASTE: Very Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: My second attempt at frosting. This one turned out MUCH better. Sweeter, less greasy and when dried some cystallized on the outer edge like what I'm used to in store bought cakes. My wonderfully talented hubby decorated this cake. He spent several hours doing it and only practiced on a practice cake the night before. This was his first cake to decorate and I think he did a fabulous job!
KEY INGREDIENTS: powdered (confectioner's) sugar,
Buttercream Frosting (King Arthur Whole Grain Baking, p430)
PREP: Somewhat intensive
TASTE: Gross
REPEAT: NO, possible the taste had to do with how I made it, but don't thinks it's worth trying again.
NOTES: This was the first frosting I've tried by scratch and made it for Riley's train. I found that when you make frosting with vegetable shortening, DO NOT use BUTTER flavored. It colors the frosting and when you try to add coloring, like black, you get something different, like purple! Had to make this candy mixture at just the right temp and watch it go in slowly etc. Too intensive for me and definitely not worth the work for the nasty oily taste.
TASTE: Gross
REPEAT: NO, possible the taste had to do with how I made it, but don't thinks it's worth trying again.
NOTES: This was the first frosting I've tried by scratch and made it for Riley's train. I found that when you make frosting with vegetable shortening, DO NOT use BUTTER flavored. It colors the frosting and when you try to add coloring, like black, you get something different, like purple! Had to make this candy mixture at just the right temp and watch it go in slowly etc. Too intensive for me and definitely not worth the work for the nasty oily taste.
Classic Butter Cake (King Arthur Whole Grain Baking, P368)
PREP: Quick (10-15 minutes)
TASTE: VERY good fresh, a bit heavy a day or so later
REPEAT: YES definitely
NOTES: Tried this cake for our son Riley's 4 year birthday party. It was his turn to have a big party and the theme was Thomas the Tank engine, of course! The cake came out VERY moist and perfectly rich and yummy. By the second day, after getting frosted and decorated, it started to dry out and feel very heavy. The kids didn't like it as much as store bought at this point. It's quick to make and cooks quickly too so it might be a great desert cake with whipped topping and fresh fuit. Nice whole grain cake recipe.
TASTE: VERY good fresh, a bit heavy a day or so later
REPEAT: YES definitely
NOTES: Tried this cake for our son Riley's 4 year birthday party. It was his turn to have a big party and the theme was Thomas the Tank engine, of course! The cake came out VERY moist and perfectly rich and yummy. By the second day, after getting frosted and decorated, it started to dry out and feel very heavy. The kids didn't like it as much as store bought at this point. It's quick to make and cooks quickly too so it might be a great desert cake with whipped topping and fresh fuit. Nice whole grain cake recipe.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Spicy Bloody Mary Burger (RachaelRayShow.com)
PREP: Easy to Average
TASTE: Very Good
REPEAT: Probably
NOTES: Definitely spicy, this burger is BIG and pretty darn good. The bloody mary tasting ketchup was a bit too chunky for me...definitely need to FINEly chop the celery and onion. Mine were only chopped, and thick, which made the sauce a bit too chunky. The burger were VERY Big. Too big for my kiddos and even myself. Next time I would make 6-8 servings out of 4. One serving is 1/4 lb of beef. I had to replace horseradish with Brat Mustard (made with horseradish) because I didn't have the horseradish itself.
KEY INGREDIENTS: gr. beef (sirloin), celery, onion, horseradish, tomato sauce, hot sauce, celery salt, worcerstershire, grill seasoning, parsley
TASTE: Very Good
REPEAT: Probably
NOTES: Definitely spicy, this burger is BIG and pretty darn good. The bloody mary tasting ketchup was a bit too chunky for me...definitely need to FINEly chop the celery and onion. Mine were only chopped, and thick, which made the sauce a bit too chunky. The burger were VERY Big. Too big for my kiddos and even myself. Next time I would make 6-8 servings out of 4. One serving is 1/4 lb of beef. I had to replace horseradish with Brat Mustard (made with horseradish) because I didn't have the horseradish itself.
KEY INGREDIENTS: gr. beef (sirloin), celery, onion, horseradish, tomato sauce, hot sauce, celery salt, worcerstershire, grill seasoning, parsley
Grilled Chicken and Tampenade Sandwiches (Cooking Light, June 2007, p 204)
PREP: Easy
TASTE: Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: Easy to grill chicken and mix together the tampenade. Next time I may actually measure the balsamic vinegar so I don't get too much. :) I used Whole Wheat rolls of some other kind which worked fine. I hollowed out much of the bread in my sandwich and put the extra bread into my mini cuisinart for bread crumbs. We ate with spinach in the sandwich and on the side and, well, I added just a bit of my favorite dressing from HEB, the Chipotle Thousand Island. Not so good for the fat and calories end, but OH SO GOOD in flavor!
KEY INGREDIENTS: kalamata olives, basil, parsley, balsamic vinegar, oregano (OOPS, I think I forgot this!), feta cheese
TASTE: Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: Easy to grill chicken and mix together the tampenade. Next time I may actually measure the balsamic vinegar so I don't get too much. :) I used Whole Wheat rolls of some other kind which worked fine. I hollowed out much of the bread in my sandwich and put the extra bread into my mini cuisinart for bread crumbs. We ate with spinach in the sandwich and on the side and, well, I added just a bit of my favorite dressing from HEB, the Chipotle Thousand Island. Not so good for the fat and calories end, but OH SO GOOD in flavor!
KEY INGREDIENTS: kalamata olives, basil, parsley, balsamic vinegar, oregano (OOPS, I think I forgot this!), feta cheese
Barley Roasted Vegetable & Feta Salad (Cooking Light, June 2007, p 222)
PREP: Average
TASTE: Fair
REPEAT: No
NOTES: Again, I planned unnecessarily for a double batch because of our family size, without considering the fact that it was a new recipe. Got to stop doing that! Also, I need to remember that if I am making a dish without meat, I need to prepare some meat on the side to go with it. Guess it's easy to tell that we are NOT vegetarians. It should be noted, however, that the dish was pretty filling without the meat for those who are vegetarians. Personally, I didn't care for the combination of the red wine vinegar with the dill. At least, I think that's the combo of flavors that kind of put me off. The kids wouldn't touch it so now I have this HUGE double batch of the stuff and I will, of course, try to eat what I can of it so it doesn't go to waste and more importantly, my grocery money doesn't go to waste.
BARLEY NOTES: Not sure if it was due to the double batch size of barley being cooked, but the level of water to barley and the cooking time were way off. I doubled the barley (Hulled Barley and it called for Pearl, maybe another reason for the difference?) to 2 cups and I'm not sure if I doubled the 4 cups of water or not. In any case, the Barley took 2 hours to finish, and even then the water wasn't all used. I had to pour out quite a bit of water at the end just to eat it, but the barley itself was fine. I think.
KEY INGREDIENTS: eggplant, red pepper, pearl barley, zucchini, yellow squash, parsley, mint, dill, orange rind, feta cheese
TASTE: Fair
REPEAT: No
NOTES: Again, I planned unnecessarily for a double batch because of our family size, without considering the fact that it was a new recipe. Got to stop doing that! Also, I need to remember that if I am making a dish without meat, I need to prepare some meat on the side to go with it. Guess it's easy to tell that we are NOT vegetarians. It should be noted, however, that the dish was pretty filling without the meat for those who are vegetarians. Personally, I didn't care for the combination of the red wine vinegar with the dill. At least, I think that's the combo of flavors that kind of put me off. The kids wouldn't touch it so now I have this HUGE double batch of the stuff and I will, of course, try to eat what I can of it so it doesn't go to waste and more importantly, my grocery money doesn't go to waste.
BARLEY NOTES: Not sure if it was due to the double batch size of barley being cooked, but the level of water to barley and the cooking time were way off. I doubled the barley (Hulled Barley and it called for Pearl, maybe another reason for the difference?) to 2 cups and I'm not sure if I doubled the 4 cups of water or not. In any case, the Barley took 2 hours to finish, and even then the water wasn't all used. I had to pour out quite a bit of water at the end just to eat it, but the barley itself was fine. I think.
KEY INGREDIENTS: eggplant, red pepper, pearl barley, zucchini, yellow squash, parsley, mint, dill, orange rind, feta cheese
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Lemon Cheesecake Bars (Everyday Food, MarthaStewart.com)
PREP: Quick
Taste: Good to Very Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: Kids really liked it. I prefer a thicker cheese cake filling. Small bars may be nice for bringing a desert to a potluck or something.
KEY INGREDIENTS: Cream Cheese, lemons, graham crackers, sugar
Taste: Good to Very Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: Kids really liked it. I prefer a thicker cheese cake filling. Small bars may be nice for bringing a desert to a potluck or something.
KEY INGREDIENTS: Cream Cheese, lemons, graham crackers, sugar
Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup (Rachael Ray, FoodNetwork.com)
PREP: Super Easy
TASTE: VERY Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: Very quick to put together. Includes cumin and curry and tastes like a pumpkin curry. Good with a little more salt and especially with some cooked canadian bacon cut into the soup.
KEY INGREDIENTS: canned pumpkin, curry, cumin, chicken broth, heavy cream
TASTE: VERY Good
REPEAT: Yes
NOTES: Very quick to put together. Includes cumin and curry and tastes like a pumpkin curry. Good with a little more salt and especially with some cooked canadian bacon cut into the soup.
KEY INGREDIENTS: canned pumpkin, curry, cumin, chicken broth, heavy cream
Smoky BBQ Chili (Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2007, p208)
PREP: Medium to average
TASTE: Good to OK
REPEAT: Maybe
NOTES: Tasted a bit ketchup. Meat prices, but an interesting change. Prefer my standard chili.
Key Ingredients: pasilla chiles, dried red chiles, chipotle chiles, chicken broth, pork loin, top round, honey mustard, pinto beans, molasses
TASTE: Good to OK
REPEAT: Maybe
NOTES: Tasted a bit ketchup. Meat prices, but an interesting change. Prefer my standard chili.
Key Ingredients: pasilla chiles, dried red chiles, chipotle chiles, chicken broth, pork loin, top round, honey mustard, pinto beans, molasses
Vegetable Lo Mein w/ Edamame & Mustard Greens (Cooking Light, March 2007)
PREP: Time consuming and somewhat to difficult to manage timing
TASTE : OK
REPEAT: No
NOTE: Not worth the work and lacked flavor. Overall kind of bland. Did use whole wheat Lo Mein noodles, but still just kind of blah. Can probably do a variation with more flavor.
TASTE : OK
REPEAT: No
NOTE: Not worth the work and lacked flavor. Overall kind of bland. Did use whole wheat Lo Mein noodles, but still just kind of blah. Can probably do a variation with more flavor.
Chai Latte Brownies (Cooking Light, March 2007, p260) )
Prep: Easy
Taste: VERY dry
Repeat: No
NOTES: Maybe try the chai seasonings in a different recipe. Way too dry on this one. Made with whole wheat pastry flour. Maybe I'd try again with more milk and chocolate.
KEY INGREDIENTS: whole cloves, cardamom pods, whole allspice, cinnamon stick, choc chips
Taste: VERY dry
Repeat: No
NOTES: Maybe try the chai seasonings in a different recipe. Way too dry on this one. Made with whole wheat pastry flour. Maybe I'd try again with more milk and chocolate.
KEY INGREDIENTS: whole cloves, cardamom pods, whole allspice, cinnamon stick, choc chips
Mozzarrella Sticks (Giada DeLaurentis, FoodNetwork.com)
PREP: Easy
TASTE: Very Good
REPEAT: Yes, definitely
NOTES: Tried this recipe for our "Teen Fellowship" night. Easy enough I thought, and I was right. I bought a huge block of mozzarella from Sam's and found that that was too much. I used 1/3 of it and filled 1 and a half baking sheets. The baking sheets are the 2 for packs sold at Sam's Club for around $11. GREAT deal.
Anyway, I had some whole wheat bread crumbs already processed and bagged in the freezer. I just dumped them into a bowl, added Italian Seasoning and some parmesan that I had previously gotten from Sam's and finely grated in my Bosch slicer/shredder. I didn't really measure, I just guessed.
Had some difficulty keeping the sticks well coated, even with the egg mixture. Found that it got worse as I got to parts of the bread mixture that had gotten moist from already touching the egg mixture.
Served with jarred marinara. Maybe I'll try my own soon. Fried in Smart Balance shortening melted in 5 quart cast iron dutch oven.
Be ready to turn over and remove sticks within seconds. Burns quickly. Once bread mixture is mixed up, use only a small amount in the bowl for rolling the sticks at a time. Reserve the rest to pour in as needed so it doesn't get moistened which makes it hard to stick to the cheese.
KEY INGREDIENTS: mozzarella, bread crumbs, eggs, parmesan
TASTE: Very Good
REPEAT: Yes, definitely
NOTES: Tried this recipe for our "Teen Fellowship" night. Easy enough I thought, and I was right. I bought a huge block of mozzarella from Sam's and found that that was too much. I used 1/3 of it and filled 1 and a half baking sheets. The baking sheets are the 2 for packs sold at Sam's Club for around $11. GREAT deal.
Anyway, I had some whole wheat bread crumbs already processed and bagged in the freezer. I just dumped them into a bowl, added Italian Seasoning and some parmesan that I had previously gotten from Sam's and finely grated in my Bosch slicer/shredder. I didn't really measure, I just guessed.
Had some difficulty keeping the sticks well coated, even with the egg mixture. Found that it got worse as I got to parts of the bread mixture that had gotten moist from already touching the egg mixture.
Served with jarred marinara. Maybe I'll try my own soon. Fried in Smart Balance shortening melted in 5 quart cast iron dutch oven.
Be ready to turn over and remove sticks within seconds. Burns quickly. Once bread mixture is mixed up, use only a small amount in the bowl for rolling the sticks at a time. Reserve the rest to pour in as needed so it doesn't get moistened which makes it hard to stick to the cheese.
KEY INGREDIENTS: mozzarella, bread crumbs, eggs, parmesan
Pasta in a Creamy Artichoke & Saffron Sauce (Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals, p70)
TASTE: OK
PREP: Fairly easy
REPEAT: MAYBE (single batch, less pasta or more flavor and cream and add chicken)
NOTES: Made a double batch thinking that we needed it since it serves 4 and there are 6 of us. Of course, I was thinking 7 at the time forgetting that Christian wasn't here. In any case, I'm not sure if it was the recipe or the whole wheat pasta, but it really wasn't so creamy, at least not in the sense that I expected. Flavor was OK to Good, but not a hit with anyone else in the family. Maybe would have been better with chicken seasoned, grilled and chopped up into the dish. I ended up eating it with alfredo sauce to make it a creamier dish. Could try using less pasta in case it was the whole wheat that made it less creamy.
KEY INGREDIENTS: saffron, artichoke hearts quartered, heavy cream, white wine, parmesan, parsley
PREP: Fairly easy
REPEAT: MAYBE (single batch, less pasta or more flavor and cream and add chicken)
NOTES: Made a double batch thinking that we needed it since it serves 4 and there are 6 of us. Of course, I was thinking 7 at the time forgetting that Christian wasn't here. In any case, I'm not sure if it was the recipe or the whole wheat pasta, but it really wasn't so creamy, at least not in the sense that I expected. Flavor was OK to Good, but not a hit with anyone else in the family. Maybe would have been better with chicken seasoned, grilled and chopped up into the dish. I ended up eating it with alfredo sauce to make it a creamier dish. Could try using less pasta in case it was the whole wheat that made it less creamy.
KEY INGREDIENTS: saffron, artichoke hearts quartered, heavy cream, white wine, parmesan, parsley
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
It shouldn't be so hard to figure out...Right?
So people like Rachael Ray, Martha Stewart, Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay and so on and so on, make it seem like such a cinch to whip up a fun, tempting and appetizing recipe. Magazines show beautiful pictures and use delectable words to whet the appetite and stir up some inner drive to get cooking in the kitchen. For me, I want to get cookin' so I can get eatin'! I hate paying the high costs of foods prepared at a restaurant, but I do enjoy being served and the great food I've gotten at some places. Well, as a mom who's wanting to help our family stay out of debt and plan for our future, I'll take the trade off; I'll work in the kitchen and learn how to make great food while saving money on how much it costs to eat it.
Goals:
Improve techniques in the kitchen. Cutting, cleaning as you go, knowing how much to prepare etc. and speed in preparation.
Prepare a variety of food that offers healthy options and keeps costs down. Not all rice and beans recipes, but certainly better than pre-pared foods at a restaurant or even in the grocers freezer.
Blog recipes tried and tips that work, or don't, to keep a record of things I am learning. Maybe someone else can learn from my mistakes and victories as well. :)
Goals:
Improve techniques in the kitchen. Cutting, cleaning as you go, knowing how much to prepare etc. and speed in preparation.
Prepare a variety of food that offers healthy options and keeps costs down. Not all rice and beans recipes, but certainly better than pre-pared foods at a restaurant or even in the grocers freezer.
Blog recipes tried and tips that work, or don't, to keep a record of things I am learning. Maybe someone else can learn from my mistakes and victories as well. :)
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