AmandaCakes

Potato Leek Soup with Smoked Turkey Sausages!

2012-01-03T23:55:00.000-05:00

I've never made potato leek soup before!!! Can you believe it? I was shocked myself!

I did a bit of research on different recipes for this one. I was looking at an America's Test Kitchen recipe, which was more rustic and had few ingredients. Then i was looking at an recipe which had creme fresh, and bouquets of spices and all these crazy steps. To me, Soup should be simple. Throw a few ingredients in a pot, add some stock, let simmer and SERVE! SO i kinda decided to make my own version using a little bit from both recipes. One recipe called for 2 strips of bacon, all I had on hand was smoked turkey sausages with cheddar! I think it worked well!! Bare with me, I didn't write down exact measurements!!!

What you need:

2-3 tbsp butter

3 leeks, roots and dark green cut off, white and light green parts you keep, cleaned and sliced on the thin side

1 smallish red onion, chopped small

3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

1/2 cup white wine

1 lb of potatoes, Peeled and medium diced (i don't really know how many potatoes make a pound so I used like 3 fairly large ones, 2 medium and 3 small potatoes.)

5 cups chicken stock

4-5 sprigs of thyme

2 bay leaves

10 whole peppercorns

5-6 Johnsonville turkey smoked sausages w cheddar, cubed

1 heaping tablespoon of creme fresh

I think that's everything!!!

So get a nice stock pot going with a medium heat and throw a few tbsp of butter and oil in the bottom, wait til it gets foamy, then add the red onion and leeks. let them get softened, about 10-15 minutes. Don't let them brown!

Next, add your garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Deglaze with white wine. Let the wine cook out for about 1-2 minutes.

Add in your potatoes, and stock, and herbs. Bring up to a boil, then reduce to low for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. I had the lid on, but not quite all the way. Take off the heat.

In a large sauté pan, cook up the turkey sausages until they are browned up and juicy! The reason I used the smoked turkey sausages with cheddar is because its what I had in my fridge!!!

Using an immersion blender, or a standard blender blend your soup until smooth.

once the soup is the consistency you like, add the turkey sausages right in. Cook about 5 mins, but if you have more time then give it a little more to allow all the flavors to meld together.

Right before serving I added the creme fresh.

I got a nice loaf of crusty french bread, and enjoyed this soup for dinner!

If you notice I didn't add any salt!!!! between the chicken stock and the sausages I didn't feel it was necessary, but to each their own!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2012!!

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

New years tradition for good luck and prosperity all year

In the Southern United States the peas are typically cooked with a pork product for flavoring (such as bacon, ham bones, fatback, or hog jowl), diced onion, and served with a hot chili sauce or a pepper-flavored vinegar.

The traditional meal also features collard, turnip, or mustard greens, and ham. The peas, since they swell when cooked, symbolize prosperity; the greens symbolize money; the pork, because pigs root forward when foraging, represents positive motion. Cornbread also often accompanies this meal.

Ingredients

1 pound dry black-eyed peas
2 cups chopped cooked ham
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch garlic powder
2 onions, diced
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes

Directions

Place black-eyed peas in 8 quart pot. Add enough water to fill pot 3/4 full. Stir in ham and diced onions, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place tomatoes in a blender or food processor, and blend until the tomatoes are liquefied. Add tomatoes to pot. Bring all ingredients to boil. Cover the pot, and simmer on low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the peas are tender.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!! I WISH YOU NOTHING BUT HEALTH AND HAPPINESS IN 2012!!

see ya 2011!

2011-12-31T15:49:00.003-05:00

To all my wonderful followers,

Thank you for all your support in 2011. I appreciate all your questions and comments you have sent me through out the year! I am planing to try quite a bunch of new things and I hope to have more tempting dishes to post for you in the coming year. Please post any questions, suggestions and comments any time! I am always open to try something new!

Have a great 2012!!!

Love,

AmandaCakes

Moroccan Chicken Soup

2011-11-13T22:45:00.001-05:00

Serves 4

This recipe is SOO GOOD! I was pleasantly surprised at how flavorful this was. I mean, I knew it would taste good because the America's Test kitchen hasn't let me down yet, but I didn't expect to be so happy with it as I am. This recipe is simple to make, easy to double, and can totally be made after work and on the table in 30 minutes! This recipe is from America's Test Kitchen; The Best Simple Recipes, a cookbook I am blogging my way through.

What you need:

1 TBSP vegetable oil (i used canola)

1 onion, chopped fine

1 TSP garam masala

5 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

2 (16 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (i used one can)

2 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup plain couscous

1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded (about 3 cups)

salt and pepper

What to do:

1. Heat oil in a dutch oven, or large pot, over medium heat. Cook onions until light browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garam masala and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in chickpeas, zucchini, and couscous and cook covered until couscous is tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

(I let the flavors blend together about 10 minutes more on low heat.)

Bug CAKE!!!

2011-09-17T13:46:00.001-04:00

This cake was fun to make!

Dylan is into creepy crawlies....things with lots of legs and eyes!!

This is a dark chocolate cake, with vanilla butter frosting. The filling is vanilla butter frosting with GUMMY WORMS!!! (chocolate cake = dirt + gummy worms!! get it??) The bugs and blades of grass are made with fondant and icing.

Happy Birthday Dylan!!!

Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts

2011-09-06T00:45:00.001-04:00

these are so simple to make, require little ingredients and very little time. If you're a brussels sprout hater, you won't be after trying these!

24 small brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top and gently rub each half with olive oil.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Don't overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning.

Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they're tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized.

Then, toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese.

found this recipe @101cookbooks.com

Ladybug Cake

2011-09-05T17:08:00.000-04:00

I made this cake for Donna's daughter who turned one years old!!!

Happy Birthday Norah!!

Golden vanilla cake with fresh sliced strawberries in the center, with a light vanilla butter icing.

Cannoli

2011-07-19T01:10:00.000-04:00

I had a request for a recipe for cannoli's
I've only made them once in my life, a long time ago. This was the recipe I used. I think I need to get back into making more baked goods....what do you think?

BTW: did you know you can order a cake from AmandaCakes anytime? I'd prefer 10 days notice minimum. You can contact me here or through my website www.amanda-cakes.com

what you need:

shells
2 1/2 cups ap flour
1 1/2 eggs plus 2 yolks
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup marsala
1 egg white, beaten
oil, for frying

filling
1 lb whole milk ricotta, drained
3 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar

optional flavors to add:1/4 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp orange rind, grated
mini chocolate chips

make the shells:

place the flour on a work surface and make a well in the center.
mix eggs, yolks, butter and marsala then add to the well.
Gradually incorporate the flour, little by little using a fork.
knead the dough until smooth, about 10 minutes.
let rest, covered with a damp cloth, about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

roll the dough very thin and cut into 4-inch circles. It's very important to have the dough THIN!!!

loosely wrap the dough circles around the cannoli tubes and seal the overlap with beaten egg white.
add oil to a pan and fry until golden brown.
remove from oil and carefully slide off the tubes.
cool on a wire rack.

for the filling:

drain the ricotta in a cheesecloth-lined colander in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
whip in the confectioner’s sugar with a fork.

just adding sugar keeps the ricotta flavor very pure, but for a more varied flavor, add the lemon juice, vanilla and orange rind. (i prefer it with just ricotta, sugar, and a little vanilla)

Using a pasty bag pipe the filling into the shells just before serving.

sprinkle with chocolate chips and dust with confectioner’s sugar.

blackened tilapia with shredded zucchini

2011-07-13T21:37:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite things to make. So quick, so simple and fresh. I had some Jamaican Jerk Seasoning in my pantry and added a few other spices to make it "blackened". It had some sweet, salty, garlicky, and some spice to it. I squeezed some fresh lemon juice over the fish right when it was done cooking to give it that extra kick of flavor. There is nothing better than flaky fish with the taste of lemon on it.

What you need:

1 lb tilapia

olive oil

1 large zucchini, shredded

1 lemon, zested and juiced

seasoning (see below)

The Jerk Seasoning had these spices in it:

allspice

garlic

black pepper

chilies

onion

I added

cumin

salt

onion flakes

red pepper flakes

I used about 3 tsp of the spice mixture for a pound of tilapia. I enjoy making up my own spice blends, just adding a little of this and a little of that until it tastes good to me!

Lay your tilapia fillets out and sprinkle half of the spice mixture on the, then flip over and season the other side with the remaining seasoning.

Shred your zucchini with one of these.

Heat a non-stick pan on medium high and add a few tbsp of olive oil. Add the tilapia and cook for about 3-4 mins, then flip over and cook again until cooked all the way through.

In the mean time, heat a small pan on med, drizzle a bit of olive oil in the pan, the saute one chopped clove of garlic. Add the shredded zucchini, some kosher salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and a bit of garlic powder. Saute for a few minutes stirring often. Once the zucchini is heated through add the lemon zest, lemon juice, a pat of butter and a bit more salt and pepper to taste.

Make a nice bed of the shredded zucchini in the middle of your plate, and place the tilapia on top.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Burritos

2011-07-12T21:18:00.000-04:00

this is what I am using in tonight's pantry clean out. I'm doing really well, you can actually move stuff around in my pantry for once!!! I am having fun creating dishes with only what I have on hand, but to be honest it's starting to get a bit hard now. I am happy that I am doing this because I am saving money, and not letting things go to waste.

Brown rice, black beans, garlic, salsa, cheddar cheese, jalapeno (from my garden)whole wheat tortillas, half an onion, zucchini, and yellow squash. Add whatever you want to these.

Since its super hot out I decided to use my rice cooker.

I added my rice and water along with some nice Mexican seasonings, like cumin, garlic, cilantro, chipotle in with the rice. It will just give it a nice flavor base I can add to later.

Cube the zucchini and squash and sprinkle with some kosher salt. Let it sit in a colander for a little while to remove some of the moisture.

In a saute pan, add some olive oil and your chopped up onion, saute til the onion becomes translucent and soft, add a few cloves of chopped garlic.

Next add your squash and zucchini and saute until the start to brown a little bit. You don't want to cook the squash for along time because you will end up with a pan of mush. Chop up your jalapeno and add to your mixture. Mix in your brown rice. Season with thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.

Lay out your tortilla and add some of the shredded cheddar , then some of the rice mixture, and top with salsa. Roll up burrito style and serve warm with some salsa and sour cream on top. ***I found a box of Jiffy Mix and made some corn muffins (which i forgot about in the oven so they were a bit well done)

ENJOY!!!!! :)

Grilled English Peas

2011-07-12T00:47:00.000-04:00

So the other day I went with my friend Dale to a farm stand outside the JCC in Stamford. It was Red Clover Farms from Seymour, CT. They grow organic produce year round, and you have the option to pre-pay per season for about 10 weeks worth of fresh produce and you pick it up weekly. Find out about this and their farm here

I decided to purchase a container of English Peas, and some yellow squash and zucchini. I've never cooked with English peas before. They said to steam them for a few minutes and season. I thought there must be another way to enjoy these fresh peas. I thought about how they are similar to edamame, where you eat the insides, not the outer shell...and I though how nice it would be to have the simplicity of cooking my entire dinner on the grill tonight. So I decided to experiment...hoping it would come out nice, if not I was going to be sad that I wasted these amazing peas.

What you need:

some english peas ( i don't really know how much they gave me, but it was enough for 2)

olive oil

kosher salt

red pepper flakes

Pre heat your grill to medium high.

Rinse the peas and then dry them on a towel.

Put them into a bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes.

Place them on the grill, making sure to have them in an even layer.

Let them cook a few minutes, then turn over and cook for a few more minutes.

You want them to have some nice charred grill marks.

The heat from the grill will steam the peas in their pods.

When they are done, throw them back into the same bowl you started with and toss with any remaining oil and seasonings. Season with a bit more salt and red pepper if needed.

Enjoy as you would edamame!

Simple and SOOOO TASTY!!

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

2011-07-06T14:34:00.001-04:00

I'm still in the process of using as many items in my pantry to try and save money at the grocery store. Why have all this food sitting in my pantry, unless I'm gonna eat it! I think we are all guilty of having too much in our pantries and never using most of it.

This worked out really well, I had a jar of roasted red peppers in olive oil and garlic, a container of pine nuts, some whole grain pasta, and a small can of tomato sauce.

What you need:

3 whole red peppers ( i used one jar)

2 TBSP pine nuts, toasted

2 TBSP olive oil

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic ( i used 3)

1/4 cup heavy cream (i used light cream)

3/4 cup tomato sauce

fresh basil, chopped

Parmesan cheese

1/2 lb cooked pasta ( i used whole grain)

grilled chicken(optional)

So you can either roast your own peppers, or use jarred ones like i did.

Place the peppers in a food processor or blender, puree the peppers until it is pretty smooth and uniformed, add half of the toasted pine nuts (click here for how to toast nuts) and blend again, add salt and pepper to taste, but remember that you still have a few more steps so don't go crazy with the seasoning.

In a skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, then add the diced onions and cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Add the chopped garlic, and sauté for a few more minutes.

Pour in the red pepper puree, and the tomato sauce, stir together, at this point you can season again with salt.

Add the cream, stir to combine, then add your cooked pasta, stir until well coated.

Place pasta in a bowl, top with grilled chicken strips, basil and Parmesan.

This was a simple and really tasty dish. Next time I think i may add some red pepper flakes to turn up the heat.

this recipe was adapted from the pioneer woman

Pantry baked beans

2011-06-23T17:53:00.000-04:00

So i've decided I need to start using all the items I have in my pantry. I have loads of beans, pastas, different kinds of rice, etc
So i though I would make whatever I can with the items I have. Substitute some items in a recipe but still get great dishes.
My first one is baked beans. I had a craving for a hot dog, and to me what goes better with a hot dog then baked beans. Well the only beans I had were kidney or white beans. I figured that the kidney beans are similar in texture, they have that same meatiness as pinto beans and a similar taste.
What you need:
1 onion, chopped small

1 can kidney beans

1/2 cup stock (i used vegetable)

1/4 cup bbq sauce

3 tbsp ketchup

1 1/2 tbsp dry mustard

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tbsp red pepper flakes

few shakes of your favorite bbq dry rub

salt and pepper

Sautee the onion in a medium sized pot until soft, then add all the ingredients and bring up to a boil, then reduce heat to low and stir occasionally until thickened about 20-30 minutes.

Making beans is so simple and worth it! You can add more spice or more sweet to your tastes. Even add some bacon chunks if you like.

Roasted spaghetti squash...basic recipe

2011-01-26T18:21:00.000-05:00

Oh Spaghetti squash where have you been all my life? I have found you recently and have become slightly addicted to your sweet flesh, and amazingly low calories. I have roasted you, then sauteed you, covered you with tomato sauce, sometimes even goat cheese, i have served you as a side dish that is full of flavor, i have even made you a bit spicy and loved every bite.

So can you tell how much I love spaghetti squash?

Here's a basic recipe to get you started, and as you read above there are many things you can do with SS and plenty to add to make it taste fantastic.

What you need:

1 large or 2 smaller spaghetti squash, halved seeds removed
Olive oil

Yup, that's it.

preheat your oven to 375° line a baking sheet with foil and add about 2 TBSP of oil to the sheet. Spread it around. Place the halved spaghetti squash cut side down.Move it around on the pan a little to get the oil on the squash (or use a brush and brush some oil on the cut sides)

Roast for anywhere between 35-55 minutes depending on how big your squash is. You want the cut sides to start to brown a bit, and it becomes soft...when you squeeze the squash it gives a bit.

Once your squash is cooked, take it out of the oven and flip the squash over, let cool until you can handle it.
Then with a fork, scrape the insides, the long way to make long strands, into a bowl.

you can season with salt and pepper and be done with it or you can continue on and add some great stuff to it and make a meal out of it!

One of my favorites is to saute it with some aromatics...

you will need a few cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 shallots, minced
olive oil
salt + pepper

Saute the garlic and shallot in some olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the shredded spaghetti squash and saute for a few minutes, add salt + pepper and ENJOY!!!

Sometimes I'll make some whole grain pasta and top it off with some squash and sauce. It gives your plain old spaghetti new taste and texture.

Best thing its low fat!!!

Eggs over Sweet Potato Hash

2011-01-23T22:06:00.000-05:00

So I'm in the process of cleaning out my fridge, freezer and pantry, using up all the things that need to be used up! I wasn't in the mood for a BIG crazy meal with all the dishes to wash afterward so I went with a brunch kind of dinner.

You need:

a sweet potato or 2...I used a big one but I recently was on this blog and learned that smaller sweet potatoes actually are SWEETER! so get a few small ones...figure one per portion/person.
some Olive Oil...enough to saute the sweet potatoes and to caramelize your onion
1 large red onion,diced
salt + pepper
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
3-4 eggs...depending on how many you want to eat per portion, i had one my husband had 2

First you must caramelize your onion because it takes about an hour...

Once your onions are caramelized, set them aside and in the same pan (don't clean out all the goodness that's left behind!!) add a bit of olive oil, then the sweet potatoes and saute them until they are starting to brown.

At this point push the potatoes to the sides of the pan and add the sweet chili sauce, then mix the potatoes in with it. This gives the sauce a second to warm up and thin out which coats the potatoes easier.
Add the caramelized onion and mix to incorporate, set aside.

Then put these great potatoes aside and fry up your eggs. I recommend making them over medium...so you have some yummy yolk to pop over your potatoes...YUM!

Pile the potato onion mixture on your plates then top with the eggs. I added some bacon strips on the side.
This is an amazingly flavorful recipe, and something just a bit different. You could always add some hot sauce, red pepper flakes or even chipotle powder to spice it up!

Hope you like it!!

Recipes i'm working on....

2011-01-22T15:21:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone...

I thought I'd let you know what I'm working on, and will soon be making and posting.

A friend of mine was telling me about this great bread she makes...daily...she mixes the dough...and puts it in the refrigerator and everyday whenever she feels like having some warm delicious FRESH bread she pulls off whatever amount she wants and pops it in the oven...a little while later amazing bread is ready to be buttered!
I can't WAIT to make this...and share with you guys!

Another thing i am working on is more crock pot/slow cooker meals. I think the crock pot is an amazing tool and can be used for more than just soups and stews.

I am also working on having a vegetarian/vegan/gluten free section posted weekly...with healthy alternatives for those who prefer to NOT eat meat or use gluten products.

And finally a Q+A section...is there a recipe you would like me to make? is there something you would like to know more information about? How to make a specific food,entree,dessert,technique etc?

I also will be starting to take cake orders again soon!!! you can see my cake site HERE

Please don't hesitate to ask me!! That's what I'm here for. I'm always looking to try a recipe or a new food.

Thank you to all my readers for following me, pass my link along to everyone you know!!

Don't forget to follow me on TWITTER! (click on my link below)

<3 AmandaCakes

Basic Cooking Terms...part 1 basics

2011-01-19T22:51:00.000-05:00

Basic Cooking Terms
Here are some basic cooking terms and their descriptions.

I found a few great links that have all the terms one should know when learning to cook, or improving skills.

I hope you learn something new!

Bake -To cook in an oven

Beat -To mix ingredients together using a fast, circular movement with a spoon, fork, whisk or
mixer
Blend -To mix ingredients together gently with a spoon, fork, or until combined
Boil -To heat a food so that the liquid gets hot enough for bubbles to rise and break the
surface
Broil -To cook under direct heat
Brown -To cook over medium or high heat until surface of food browns or darkens
Chop -To cut into small pieces
Dice -To cut into small cubes
Drain -To remove all the liquid using a colander, strainer, or by pressing a plate against the
food while tilting the container
Grate or Shred -To scrape food against the holes of a grater making thin pieces
Grease -To lightly coat with oil, butter, margarine, or non-stick spray so food does not stick
when cooking or baking
Knead -To press, fold and stretch dough until it is smooth and uniform, usually done by
pressing with the heels of the hands
Marinate -To soak food in a liquid to tenderize or add flavor to it (the liquid is called a
“marinade”)
Mash -To squash food with a fork, spoon, or masher
Mince -To cut into very small pieces, smaller than chopped or diced pieces
Mix -To stir ingredients together with a spoon, fork, or electric mixer until well combined
Preheat -To turn oven on ahead of time so that it is at the desired temperature when needed
(usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes)
Sauté -To cook quickly in a little oil, butter, or margarine
Simmer -To cook in liquid over low heat (low boil) so that bubbles just begin to break the
surface
Steam -To cook food over steam without putting the food directly in water (usually done with a
steamer)
Stir Fry -To quickly cook small pieces of food over high heat while constantly stirring the food
until it is crisply tender (usually done with a wok)

more cooking terms to come...part 2 will have intermediate and professional terms.

if you have any questions, recipes you are interested in learning about just let me know!

Poaching Chicken

2011-01-08T13:05:00.001-05:00

Poached chicken breasts are moist and tender, making them a great alternative to store-bought rotisserie chicken, which can sometimes be dry and high in salt. Use poached chicken in your favorite soup recipes, in salads, burritos or as a salad filling. It is low in calories (about 121)and super low in fat (about 1.4g)

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
1 1/2 – 2 cups fat free, low sodium chicken broth, or water
2 tsp dried mixed herbs of your choice
1 bay leaf

Preparation:

Place chicken breasts in bottom of a small pot. They should fit in a single layer but fit quite snugly. Cover chicken with broth or water. Add herbs and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then quickly reduce heat to low so that the water is barely at a simmer. Partly cover and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat completely, and allow chicken to remain in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
Slice or shred chicken.
Serves 3-4 people

You can also poach a bunch of chicken at once, shred it up and put it into freezer bags for future meals. It will defrost quickly and you can have a healthy meal in no time.

Another great tip: save the poaching liquid and use it to flavor meals where ever water is needed...like making rice, risotto, a quick pan sauce etc.

Simple Beef + Kidney Bean Chili

2011-01-05T16:57:00.002-05:00

Serves 8-10

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped ( i used 1 large red onion)

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2" chunks

6 cloves garlic, minced ( i used 10!)

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper ( i used chipotle powder)

2 pounds ground beef

2 {15 ounce} cans red kidney beans, drained + rinsed

1 {28 ounce} can fire roasted tomatoes

1 {28 ounce} can pureed tomatoes

kosher salt + freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, oregano + cayenne pepper. Saute until the vegetables begin to soften + brown {about 10 minutes}. Add in the ground beef + cook until it is no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks {about 5 minutes}.

Transfer the beef mixture to a slow cooker. Add in the kidney beans, diced tomatoes + pureed tomatoes. Stir + cook for 4 hours on high. I made mine in a Le Creuset and left it on the stove for about 2 1/2 hours

Season with kosher salt + pepper, if needed + serve with sour cream and shredded Mexican blend cheese The chili is best made a day ahead + can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen up to 1 month.

this recipe was adapted from CTBITES.COM

basic Scone recipe

2010-12-04T12:21:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut
into pieces
3/4 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 450°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with solid vegetable shortening or use a silpat or parchment paper.

In a food processor, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, sugar and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and use on-off pulses until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a bowl.

Alternatively, in a bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Then, using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the milk. Using a fork, mix together until a soft elastic dough forms.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead 5 or 6 times until the dough is smooth. Roll out about 3/4 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter 3 inches in diameter, cut out rounds. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the scones until they rise and are golden brown on top, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 8 to 10 scones.

you can stir in 1/2 cup of your favorite mix-ins like dried apricots, whole raisins, chopped crystallized ginger or semisweet chocolate morsels to the dough just before kneading!

First slow cooker meal of the season>>>Mexican Shredded Beef

2010-10-12T00:40:00.000-04:00

this recipe I found @allrecipes.com is simple and very easy to add your own flavor, as I did.

I made this to use in burritos, but you can use it for many different dishes...sorry there aren't any pictures..I forgot and ate it all instead! but i have leftovers...post tomorrow!!! :P

Ingredients

1 (3.5 pound) chuck roast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups diced green chile pepper (i used a small can 4.25oz)
1 teaspoon chili powder (i used regular and chipotle chili powder)
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 (5 ounce) bottle hot pepper sauce (i used a bit less, but it was Xtra hot)
1 teaspoon garlic powder (yeah right i used way more cuz I HEART garlic!)

I also used a few cloves of garlic, smashed. a teaspoon chocolate chili powder, some apple cider vinegar, and cumin, about a tbsp or so

Directions

Trim the roast of any excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place meat in hot skillet, and brown meat quickly on all sides.

Transfer the roast to a slow cooker, and sprinkle onion over meat. I then added the chopped onion and sauteed it for a few minutes, added the fresh smashed garlic, then 1 cup of beef bullion and deglazed the pan, then poured this all over the meat which was in the slow cooker

Season with chile peppers, chili powder, cayenne pepper, hot pepper sauce, and garlic powder. Add enough water to cover 1/3 of the roast.

Cover, and cook on High for 6 hours, checking to make sure there is always at least a small amount of liquid in the bottom. Reduce heat to Low, and continue cooking for 2 to 4 hours, or until meat is totally tender and falls apart. (I did it on high for 6 hours, shredded it then put the meat back in the remaining juices...until i was ready to eat! I made a black bean burrito with the meat and it was amazing!)

on vacation

2010-08-09T18:02:00.000-04:00

Hello all,

I am currently on vacation visiting friends and family. I am eating great foods and getting inspired for new recipes!!

Blog soon,

AmandaCakes

Sara's Eggplant Parm

2010-08-04T15:35:00.000-04:00

This is a simple no fry recipe for eggplant parm.

What you need:

3 eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
6 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes on each side.
In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Lasagna

2010-07-29T23:56:00.000-04:00

so today is NATIONAL LASAGNA DAY!!! in the middle of July...who would think of such a thing?!! Having to have your oven on at 375 degrees for about an hour in 90 degree heat makes no sense what so ever!! HOWEVER...eating ooey, gooey, melty cheesy lasagna....amazing and totally worth it! There are tons of lasagna recipes out there, and to be honest this recipe i kinda just threw together, and is not my typical lasagna that i make. I always read multiple recipes and then make my own idea of what something should taste like.(unless of course I'm blogging my way through a cookbook, then i am pretty precise!)

I thought I'd try something simpler, not the complex homemade meat sauce with a fontina bechamel sauce, layer upon layer of meaty juicy cheesy extra cheesy lasagna.

nope.

I decided to make a different kind of lasagna, no meat, no bechamel, and with zucchini!

Simple flavors.

I can give you my sauce recipe, but everyone has their own idea of what should go in a sauce. I'll tell you this though, when i made my sauce this time, I decided to make it chunky, cut the onions bit bigger, sauteed them a little less. Just to give it a nice garden taste and texture.

What you need (all measurements are approximate!!)

2-2 1/2 cups of your mamas sauce
1/2 lb zucchini, sliced thin
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup shredded pecorino cheese
2 cups part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
1 box lasagna noodles( i used no boil this time)
salt pepper
olive oil
italian seasoning

Preheat your oven to 375. In a medium pan saute the zucchini slices in olive oil a few minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels and season with some of the italian seasoning. You want to do this because zucchini has a lot of moisture in it, and if you don't saute them, then your lasagna will be watery. YUCK!

in a separate bowl add the ricotta, pecorino and gruyere cheeses and mix them together. season with pepper.
you are now ready to layer!!!

Next get your lasagna pan and spray it with non-stick spray. add some sauce to the bottom of the pan add a few lasagna noodles, the top with the ricotta cheese mixture, followed by a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese, then layer some zucchini. Repeat this 2-3 times, finish off with a layer of sauce then top with a good amount of mozzarella cheese.

Next get a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to cover the pan and spray once side with non-stick spray. Cover lasagna and bake for 50 minutes, then uncover and cook another 5 minutes or until cheese on top is melted and browned ( i like to stick it under the broiler to help brown it)

Take it out of the oven and let it stand for about 10 minutes. Cut and serve with your favorite garlic bread!

Chicken Marsala

2010-07-27T12:35:00.000-04:00

My father got me into making chicken marsala. He really enjoys this dish, however he likes it over angel hair pasta. I used what I had in my pantry when i made it this time. I'm not a big fan of mushrooms, but i can appreciate the flavors they add when you use them in dishes. I had a nice glass of white wine during this dinner, it was a nice addition of flavor.

What you need:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour for coating
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded 1/4 inch thick
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup Marsala wine
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

What to do:

In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper and oregano. Coat chicken pieces in flour mixture.
In a large skillet, melt butter in oil over medium heat. Place chicken in the pan, and lightly brown. Turn over chicken pieces, and add mushrooms. Pour in Marsala wine. Cover skillet; simmer chicken 10 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink and juices run clear.
Add the spinach and let it begin to wilt.
Boil some water and cook your pasta of choice, I used egg noodles.
Place your noodles on a plate, add your chicken and cover with remaining sauce.

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

2010-07-19T21:14:00.000-04:00

This is the fourth write up from America's Test Kitchen-The Best Simple Recipes

This was super yummy....the sherry gave it a deeper more complex flavor and because the sauce was made with a roux it was super creamy and smooth. I added some orzo pasta to round out the meal and make it a bit more hearty. I mixed it all together and popped it under the broiler for a few minutes until it was nice and browned and bubbly.

What you need:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 lbs)
salt + pepper
4 TBSP unsalted butter
1 onion, chopper fine
1/4 cup flour
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream (i used half+half)
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 1/2 lbs broccoli florets chopped
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese( i also added a little bit of Comte cheese)

What to do:

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 TBSP butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Add remaining butter and onion to the empty skillet and cook over medium heat until onion is beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in broth, cream and sherry and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes ( I added the broth and sherry first and scraped up all the browned bits on the pan, then added the cream) Return chicken to skillet, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.Transfer chicken to a broiler safe baking dish.

Meanwhile, microwave broccoli, covered in a bowl until slightly softened, 2-4 minutes. Add broccoli and 1 cup cheese to skillet. (at this point I added about 2 cups cooked orzo pasta) Season with salt and pepper and pour broccoli mixture over chicken. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and broil until browned, 2-4 minutes. Enjoy!

I think this recipe is really good! Next time you can try it with chicken pieces, and maybe make it with rice instead of orzo. You also can play around with the cheeses and change it up a bit with the flavors.

What do you think of this recipe? Have you made it? Do you have questions or comments? Please leave me some comments below!!!

Cilantro Lime Shrimp (or chicken)Kebabs

2010-07-12T17:08:00.002-04:00

Cilantro Lime Shrimp (or chicken)Kebabs

What you need:
- 3 tablespoons canola oil or toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 raw shrimp (8-12 per pound), peeled and de-veined
or some chicken breasts cut in cubes
- 3 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and quartered lengthwise
- 2 plums, pitted and cut into sixths

What to do:

1.Whisk oil, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and salt in a large bowl. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the mixture in a small bowl to use as dressing. Add shrimp, jalapenos and plums to the remaining marinade; toss to coat.

2.Preheat grill to medium-high.

3 Make 4 kebabs, alternating shrimp, jalapenos and plums evenly among four 10-inch skewers. (Discard the marinade.) Grill the kebabs, turning once, until the shrimp are cooked through, about 8 minutes total. Drizzle with the reserved dressing.

what's great about this, its that its just a little different because of the plums...its gives a unique taste, complements all the other ingredients....kinda like a sweet/savory combo!

Let me know what you think!!

Grilled Watermelon Salad

2010-07-12T17:03:00.001-04:00

This recipe was interesting. I've read a lot recently about grilling watermelon and in theory it sounds good. I tried this the first time on my outdoor grill. I cleaned it the night before to be sure no old burger residue got onto my watermelon slices. When we tried it, the first thing that came to mind was warm watery burger...not soo good.

The second time I tried it on my indoor Griddler and it came out AMAZING! This was so refreshing and light, and to be honest you could even NOT grill the watermelon and have a great salad. I actually think i prefer the watermelon cold.

what you need:
4 square slices of watermelon about 1/2 inch thick, rind removed
2 cups mixed greens, i prefer something with arugula in it
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
about 4 TBSP crumbled goat cheese
olive oil salt and pepper

What to do:
lightly brush the olive oil on the watermelon slices. Preheat your grill to HOT HOT HOT! What you want it for it to sear the outside quickly, and NOT cook the watermelon. Place the watermelon on the grill and sear it for about 1-2 minutes per side. transfer to you serving plates.

Top each watermelon slice with about 1 TBSP crumbled goat cheese, 1/2 cup of the mixed greens then drizzle with the balsamic and lightly season with salt and pepper. serves 4

Grilled Spicy Lime Chicken w/ Black Bean Salad

2010-07-12T15:37:00.000-04:00

This is the third write up from America's Test Kitchen-The Best Simple Recipes

We went to a BBQ at the Jones house yesterday. There is something about their house that is so comfortable and you really feel at home. We chatted in their backyard under a gazebo for a while munching on a veggie platter and shrimp cocktail while sipping on beer,wine and iced water. It was a perfect Sunday afternoon.

Their kids just got a kitten so they were inside playing with him. We had some amazing music on. Mr. Jones has multiple record players and loves music (I think in the same way that I love food.) At one point we had the Gypsy Kings blasting it made the whole BBQ a bit more lively and smiles came across everyone face as the music got faster and louder. I decided right then I'm going to buy their CD asap! It did take Mr. Jones almost an hour to get the grill up and running, partly because the final game of the World Cup was on, and I think partly because we had good beer! Finally the coals were white and ready to cook. The chicken was marinated for about 2 hours in a plastic zip top baggie. It sizzled as it hit the grill, and gave off such an aroma of fresh herbs, garlic, and cilantro. This is by far one of my favorite recipes in the book!

What you need:
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup lime juice from 3 limes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 TBSP minced canned chipotle in adobo
1 TBSP honey
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
salt + fresh ground pepper
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs or 4 boneless skinless breasts (1 1/2 lbs)
2 (16 oz) cans black beans, drained + rinsed
3 scallions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1 ripe avocado, pitted skinned, and cut into chunks

**i used chicken breasts and 2 avocados**

what to do:

whisk cilantro, lime juice, oil, chipotle, honey garlic, cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper together in a bowl.
Toss chicken with 1/4 cup of the lime juice mixture in a plastic zip top bag. Season with salt and pepper. Marinate for 15 minutes minimum, but NOT longer than 2 hours or the acid from the lime juice will start to cook the chicken!!
Meanwhile, toss beans, scallions, red pepper, and avocado with additional 1/4 cup lime juice mixture in a serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Grill chicken over hot fire until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. transfer chicken to a platter and drizzle with remaining lime juice mixture. Serve with black bean and avocado salad.

Something that America's Test Kitchen suggests for your leftover chipotle in adobo is to puree the chilies and quick freeze teaspoonfuls on a plastic wrap covered plate. Once the "chipotle chips" are hard, peel them off the plastic and transfer them to a zip top freezer bag. Then thaw what you need before each recipe. They can be stored up to 2 months in the freezer. The chipotles will also last about 2 weeks in the fridge.

London Broil with Steakhouse Beans

2010-07-06T22:15:00.001-04:00

This is the second write up from America's Test Kitchen-The Best Simple Recipes

mmm this was amazing! The recipe calls for you to cook your steak in a skillet, then take it out and add your beans and cook them in the browned bits that are left over. Now if it were winter I'd be all about that, however since its summertime, I decided to grill my steak outside. I also added a small mixed green salad just to round out the dish .This serves 4

What you need:

1 London broil (about 1 1/2 lbs)
salt and pepper ( i also used garlic powder)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 (16 oz) can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
3 TBSP A.1. Steak sauce
2 TBSP molasses
1 TBSP Dijon mustard

Pat dry the steak and season it with salt and pepper (and garlic powder if you are me!) Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Cook steak until well browned 5-7 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil.

Add beans, broth, BBQ sauce, A.1.steak sauce, molasses, and mustard to empty skillet, scraping up the browned bits. Bring bean mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until it is thickened , about 10 minutes. Slice steak against the grain, serve with beans.

I cooked my steak on the grill as I mentioned. When I made the beans i made them in a pot, instead of the skillet. It took longer than 10 minutes to thicken, this is because when they cook in the skillet they are spread out thinner and will cook faster.

The beans were really good. They had a nice texture and great flavor. It went really well with the steak, it kinda became a sauce for the steak and tasted amazing when you had a mouthful of both.

Asian Salmon Patties w/ Sesame Mayo +Chinese Noodles w/ Sesame Dressing

2010-07-06T21:33:00.000-04:00

This recipe is so fast to make! I prepared it this afternoon, and when i was hungry it only took about 15 minutes to cook and put together. I found this recipe in the Everyday Food-Fresh Flavor Fast cookbook. It serves 4 and takes a total of 45 minutes to make.

What you need for the salmon patties:

1 1/2 lbs skinless salmon fillet, finely chopped
2 shallots, minced
2 TBSP fresh ginger, finely grated
1 lg egg, slightly beaten
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
coarse salt and fresh pepper
lime wedges for serving
Sesame mayo (see recipe below)
Chinese noodles w sesame dressing (see recipe below)

What to do:
in a large bowl combine all ingredients except lime. Mix by hand and form into 8 equal patties, about 1 inch thick, packing each firmly; transfer to a plate. freeze until just firm, about 20 minutes.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook salmon patties (working in batches if needed)until browned on both sides and just opaque throughout, 4-6 minutes per side. Serve with lime wedges, sesame mayo and Chinese noodles with sesame dressing.
click here for martha's site

What you need for sesame mayo:
1/3 cup mayo
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 TBSP fresh lime juice
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, scallions, lime juice, and sesame oil. Cover and chill until ready to use or store for up to 3 days

serves 4

What you need for Chinese noodles with sesame dressing:

8 oz thin chinese noodles (i used thin spaghetti)
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from about 2-3 limes)
2 TBSP soy sauce ( i used low sodium)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp light brown sugar
1/8 tsp crushed red peeper flakes
3 TBSP corsely chopped cilantro
coarse salt + pepper

In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain; rinse under cold water until completely cool. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, red pepper, and cilantro. Add noodles; toss to combine. Season with salt and ground pepper, and serve.
see full recipe here

Meatballs

2010-06-30T18:24:00.001-04:00

This was a request for my friend Jim. Meatballs are wonderful little packages of flavor and meat. Everyone claims to have the BEST recipe...I'm not claiming that...but this recipe is very good. Soaking the bread in the buttermilk help to keep the meatballs nice and moist.

What you need:
2 slices of white sandwich bread, crusts removed and torn into small pieces
1/2 cup buttermilk or 6 tbsp plain yogurt thinned with 2 tbsp whole milk
1 pound ground meat, I like 3/4 lb ground chuck with 1/4 lb ground pork
1/4 cup ground Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 large egg yolk
1 garlic clove (or 2o or 3 if you love garlic) minced
3/4 tsp salt
fresh pepper
1-1 1/2 cups vegetable oil for frying

YES, I said frying. Somethings just need to be fried in order to get the great color + crispness you are looking for.

what to do:

Combine bread and buttermilk in a small bowl and let sit for about 10 minutes, mashing until a smooth paste forms.
Next, add the meat, cheese, parsley, egg yolk, garlic salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the bread mixture and use your hands to combine until evenly mixed. Shape your meatballs with about 3 tablespoons of the mixture into about a 1 1/2 inch ball. Don't make them too tight, have a light touch or they will be very dense. You should yield about 14 meatballs.
Pour the vegetable oil into a saute pan and put your heat to medium-high. After a few minutes test your oil to be sure its hot enough by putting one meatball in...if it sizzles, get frying! Add the meatballs in a single layer and fry turning a few times, until they are nice and evenly browned. (about 10 minutes or so) Transfer the meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil.

Personally I like to add my meatballs to some homemade sauce that should be already cooking on my stove. It gives great flavor. Another thing you can do is discard your oil from making the meatballs but leave all the browned bits in the bottom and start to make you sauce in there. You will pick up all the flavors left behind from the meat, and it makes your sauce just a little bit more flavorful. As I said earlier, there are so many recipes for meatballs, and honestly just add the ingredients that you enjoy to make them your own...I'm all about that!!

Let me know what you like in your meatballs! Have you tried this recipe? How was it? All comments are welcome!

Grilled Pork Cutlets with Lemon-Garlic Sauce

2010-06-29T20:38:00.001-04:00

This is the first write up from America's Test Kitchen-The Best Simple Recipes

This was such a simple and fast recipe! I was very happy with the results. The pork was moist and tender, the lemon juice and parsley gave it a fresh flavor. They suggest avoiding hot paprika, as it will overwhelm the cutlets.

What you need:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper
8 thin cut boneless pork cutlets (about 1 1/2 lbs)

What to do:

Combine oil, paprika, sugar, red pepper flakes, and garlic in a bowl and microwave until bubbling about 1 minute. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil, then whisk lemon juice and parsley into remaining oil mixture and season with salt and pepper.
Pat cutlets dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Rub cutlets all over with reserved garlic oil. Grill pork over hot fire (medium heat) until lightly charred on first side, about 2 minutes. Flip cutlets and grill until just cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a platter, tent with foil, and let rest for about 5 minutes. Drizzle with sauce. Serve.

I decided to make grilled zucchini with this dish. It was a great accompaniment, with the pork, because the zucchini was nice and juicy and i added lemon zest so it highlighted the lemon in the sauce.

I am happy with the results. This was very inexpensive and very quick to make, about 10 minutes prep time and about 10 minutes cooking, that including the zucchini.

Did you try this recipe? If so please tell me what you think!!

I have chosen the cookbook

2010-06-28T15:18:00.009-04:00

I am still inspired! As you read in my previous post, I watched the movie Julie+Julia and it changed my cooking world! I decided I am going to blog my way through a cookbook. I thought about this, what kind of cook book should I cook through? Should I do a huge one with every kind of recipe imaginable? What about my readers...what would they be interested in reading? So I went to a book store and looked through a bunch of cook books. I narrowed it down to 2, then sat down with a glass of water and looked over every recipe in each book.

The book I chose is "America's Test Kitchen-The Best Simple Recipes....more than 200 flavorful, foolproof recipes that cook in 30 minutes or less" Sounds good to me!!

I figured with how everyone is these days, no one has the time to cook big meals with tons of ingredients and all these techniques and steps that are involved. I thought my readers would enjoy some good cooking that is quick and easy but most of all tastes good!

The recipes in this book are all that. They sound amazing! The good thing about all of America's Test Kitchen's books and magazines are that they test everything so you don't have to! They try all the different sauces and seasoning, utensils, and tell you the name and show you pictures of the ones that out did all the rest. For example in this cookbook they have a recipe for London Broil with Steakhouse Beans that calls for molasses. They have a note at the bottom of the page that gives you an overview of what molasses is, how its made, and what the opinions were of the tastings, with a picture of Grandma's Molasses.

I've had America's Test Kitchen's magazine subscriptions and i also received a few of their larger cookbooks as a wedding present and I really appreciate their hard work and I trust them.

I'm not sure how I will cook all these great recipes...I will most likely do a few recipes a week. I will always note on here when i am doing a recipe from here and will have it tagged so you can click and see all the recipes in one area.

Do you like this idea?
Does America's Test Kitchen sound like a good start?

I'm excited about this. :)

images are from amazon google and America's test kitchen

Julie + Julia has changed my way of cooking....

2010-06-26T23:59:00.002-04:00

wow. all that I can say right now.

well actually no, considering i am blogging about my thoughts on that movie. It has inspired me in so many ways!! I need to find out more about Julia Child for one!!!

How do I not own a book of hers??

Watching that movie was kinda like watching myself when it comes to cooking and food, and enjoying every bite...flavor...aroma WOW! I really like the idea of cooking through a cook book. I know its not an original idea, but I think i really want to do it. I know i'll learn a lot.

Currently I cook food that i want to try or if I fancy an ingredient i find a recipe that has it in it. But to just cook whatever is on the next page...that's crazy....but so exciting. I think I'd need to have friends and family over for dinner to try the final dishes...savor every bite, food brings people together, what better way than this.

I have a lot of thinking reading and blogging to do.

I am so excited right now....

leave your thoughts or maybe even a cook book suggestion??

Stuffed Poblanos

2010-06-23T01:11:00.015-04:00

This recipe is in my "Everyday Food-Fresh Flavors Fast" cook book. Since it's just the 2 of us I halved the recipe. I've never made nor eaten anything like this so it was a new experience entirely!

You will need:

16 oz can whole peeled tomatoes in juice
1 jalapeno, minced (ribs and seeds removed, for less heat if desired)
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 small garlic cloves (peeled) 1 crushed, 1 minced
coarse salt and pepper
half a can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup pepper jack cheese shredded
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup water
2 large poblano chiles, halved lengthwise (stems intact) ribs and seeds removed

**remember i halved this recipe!!**

Preheat oven to 425. In a blender, combine tomatoes in puree, jalapeno, half the onions, and 2 whole garlic cloves; puree. Season with salt. Pour sauce into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine beans, cornmeal, 1/2 cup cheese, remaining onions, minced garlic, cumin, and 3/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper.
Dividing evenly, stuff poblano halves with bean mixture; place on top of sauce in baking dish. Sprinkle poblanos with remaining 1/2 cup cheese; cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake until poblanos are tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover, and continue to cook until sauce is thickened slightly and cheese is browned, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes.

I served this with yellow rice. It was a great vegetarian meal that is relatively healthy. My only substitution was that I added some frozen corn to the bean mixture. This was a really simple meal! I was very impressed at how easy this was. You could make the sauce ahead of time, as well as stuff the peppers, then when you are ready to cook, just put it all in a in your baking dish and bake away!!!

GOETTAFEST UPDATE!

2010-06-20T23:23:00.000-04:00

We walked around the barely 2 block "fest" in Covington, Kentucky. Half of it was people selling crafts, jewelery, candles etc the other half was food! There was your typical fair food...hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, funnel cakes, ice cream. But then there was a bunch of vendors selling Goetta in all different forms. Goetta Burrito, Goetta Burger, Goetta grilled cheese, Goetta balls, Goetta omelets, etc.

We walked around a few times deciding which to try.We tried Goetta 2 different ways. One was a Goetta grilled cheese. It was chopped up Goetta with a healthy serving of american cheese melted between some nice crispy white bread. It was good. Not crazy impressed to be honest...the cheese was a bit over powering, so not much Goetta taste.

Next we tried "Goetta Balls" My husband got the girl behind the counter to laugh out loud when he asked for some "ghetto balls"...it was pretty funny.
The balls were deep fried had a crispy coating over it. MUCH more flavor! You can really feel and see the texture of the Goetta. The taste was a bit greasy, but meaty and had a tiny kick of spiciness to it. Not bad definitely better than the grilled cheese.

My husband and I agreed that it would be best in a breakfast sandwich. Like a Goetta, egg and cheese on a hard roll. Might have to try that sometime!

Over all it was a great experience to try Goetta, interesting what some people refer to as "caviar" like its exquisite food, when there's not much to it. Sometimes simple is the best kind of food.

"Cincinnati Caviar"

2010-06-19T14:12:00.001-04:00

We are going to take a drive over the river to Covington, Kentucky today and visit the Goetta Fest; "Chosen again in 2010, for the eighth consecutive year, as one of the Summer’s Top Ten Festivals and Events by the Kentucky Tourism Council, MainStrasse Village “Original” Goettafest invites you to join in the excitement."

What is Goetta you ask...well I asked the same thing!!

I looked it up on wikipedia, and this is what they had:

"Goetta is a peasant food of German origin that is popular in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky metropolitan area. It is primarily composed of ground meat and oats. Pronounced gétt-aa ged-da or get-uh
this dish originated with German settlers from the northwestern regions of Oldenburg Hannover and Westphalia who emigrated to the Cincinnati area in the 19th century. The word "Goetta" comes from the Low German word götte. Goetta was originally a peasant dish, meant to stretch out servings of meat over several meals to conserve money.

While goetta comes in a variety of forms, all goetta is based around ground meat combined with pin head or steel cut oats. Usually goetta is made from pork shoulder or "Cali", but occasionally contains equal parts pork and beef. Goetta is typically flavored with bay leaf, rosemary, edible salt, black pepper and thyme. It contains onions and sometimes other vegetables.

While similar to Scrapple in that it contains a grain product and meat for the purpose of stretching out the meat over several days, goetta looks very different. Scrapple is made with meal while goetta uses steel-cut or chopped oats. The oats in goetta are much coarser than the fine powder used in scrapple, and add texture to the dish.

I found a recipe on abouteating.com

Goetta Recipe
2-3 pounds pork shoulder
8 cups water
3-4 cups chopped onion
2 large bay leaves
2 ribs celery, chopped with leaves
1 tablespoon salt, or more to taste
1 tablespoon pepper, or more to taste
Poultry seasoning to taste
3 cups pinhead oats
Cut meat into big pieces and put in pot with water, onions, bay, celery, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and lower to simmer.
Cook, uncovered, and stirring occasionally, for 2 hours. Meat should be real tender and fall off bone if that’s what you’re using. Strain and chop meat finely. Set meat and veggies aside. Pour liquid back into pan and add pinhead oats. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.

Cook, uncovered, stirring often, for another 2 hours. Mixture will be thick. Add meat,veggies, and seasonings. Simmer another 1 -2 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Line 3-4 loaf pans with aluminum foil and spray each one.
Pour goetta into pans, packing down firmly. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. For a creamy, softer goetta, cover pans. Uncovered, you get a crisper crust.
Keeps for a couple weeks in fridge, or several months in freezer.
To serve, slice goetta and fry with pieces of bacon.

I"ll let you know what my thoughts are about this...doesn't sound very appetizing to me...but hey there are people in this world who eat worse things like haggis or brain masala (EWWW!!) so who knows maybe it will be ok...considering they have a whole festival for it!!

enjoy your day!
-AmandaCakes

Grilled Chicken

2010-06-17T17:54:00.001-04:00

I marinated chicken pieces last night with a bunch of herbs from my garden; lemon balm, chives, + basil with white vinegar, salt pepper and garlic.
I grilled them up for tonight's dinner: chicken rogan josh. Its a curry sauce with onions, tomato, red peppers, cumin, coriander, paprika, ginger, cinnamon etc.
I am not making the sauce, I bought it. But I made the chicken, and the jasmine rice! Ill be serving it with naan bread and mango chutney!
Pics of the complete meal to follow...

Hummus

2010-06-15T17:16:00.002-04:00

This was the hummus I made the other day! Yummy!
you can get the recipe HERE

why do i blog?

2010-06-15T17:10:00.003-04:00

I am originally from Stamford, CT, 45 minutes from NYC.I had a small at home cake business there. I have worked in restaurants for 12 plus years.I have experience in cooking, managing, waitressing, I've even been a pizza maker! I am currently in Cincinnati, Ohio.

I LOVE FOOD; and there is something magical in a restaurant, being able to serve people food that puts a smile on their face. Food brings people together. I really enjoy being a part of that.

I try new recipes, give my opinion and how I think it can be better, add a little of this or that to make the recipe my own. I Twitter and Facebook my updates. (click HERE to follow me)

Food is creativity. The way you plate a dish, you can have such a fantastic experience tasting, touching + smelling food, but most of all i appreciate the work and love that goes into a dish.

Every day I wake up in the morning thinking of what I'm going to make for dinner. My brain is constantly planning meals and thinking about experimenting with ingredients. I love to buy foods that are in season and local.I am always researching different foods and ingredients, how to cook them, and then try it out.

The most important thing here is to experiment with tastes and flavors all the time. When I am trying to pick the the perfect recipe, i read 20 before I decide how I'm going to make something. I"ll take some information from one recipe and some information from another and just make it my own. I'm not afraid to experiment, hey if it comes out gross there's always take out, or Cocoa Krispies!

I hope to be able to answer any food questions you may have...comment on my posts good or bad, let me know how I'm doing! Is there something you are interested in learning more about? Ask me! I'll do the research for you! Looking for an easy but impressive dinner to serve your boyfriends parents?I'll find it for you! Do you want to know what I make my husband for dinner? I"ll tell you! Do you want more pictures? I"ll post them!

Would you be interested in short "how to" videos?? How to cut open an avocado? how to make dressing? how to chop an onion? ASK AWAY!!

I'm here for you to have a better food experience!

<3 AmandaCakes

Vanilla Bean Fruit Salad

2010-06-15T12:30:00.001-04:00

This recipe is really simple, and yummy! You will make a nice easy vanilla bean syrup to add to your mixed berries, for a surprising treat. Vanilla bean should be in your grocery store's spice isle, if not you can always buy it here

you will need:

1/2 vanilla bean
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 pint (2 cups) fresh raspberries
1 pint (2 cups) fresh blueberries
1 pint (2 cups) fresh blackberries
1/2 pint (1 cup) fresh strawberries

Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise with a sharp paring knife and scrape out the seeds with the back of the knife.

Put the seeds in a small saucepan, along with the sugar and water.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for 7 minutes to let the vanilla infuse.
Strain through a fine sieve to remove any large pieces of vanilla pod or clumps of seeds.
Let cool and refrigerate until completely chilled.

Rinse the raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries and spread them in a single layer on a towel to dry.
Hull the strawberries and cut them into quarters.

Just before serving, combine all the berries in a large serving bowl and pour on just enough of the vanilla syrup to lightly coat them, about 3 Tbsp. Toss gently.

Bring this to a BBQ and people will go nuts for it!!!!

tell them you got it from amandacakes!

finecooking.com

tandoori tofu

2010-06-13T11:23:00.000-04:00

This recipe is for my vegetarian friends, of course if you do eat meat, you can substitute chicken for the tofu.
You can make your own tandoori sauce, but if you are limited with time, most stores carry a jarred sauce that will be just as good.

you will need:

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 14-ounce packages extra-firm or firm water-packed tofu, drained
2/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt
6 tablespoons sliced scallions or chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Prep:

Preheat grill to medium-high.
Combine paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cumin, coriander and turmeric in a small bowl. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, lime juice and the spice mixture; cook, stirring, until sizzling and fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
Slice each tofu block crosswise into 6 slices; pat dry. Use about 3 tablespoons of the spiced oil to brush both sides of the tofu slices; sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. (Reserve the remaining spiced oil.)
Oil the grill rack . Grill the tofu until it has grill marks and is heated through, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Combine yogurt with the reserved spiced oil in a small bowl. Serve the grilled tofu with the yogurt sauce, garnished with scallions (or cilantro), if desired.

you can serve this with grilled eggplant and cherry tomato skewers and brown basmati rice.

I try to have at least 2 meatless meals a week, this is a good way to get a bit healthier with your eating habits.

www.eatingwell.com

loaded vodka sauce pizza

2010-06-11T12:33:00.000-04:00

so this one I made up myself with leftovers. We were so hungry i completely forgot to take a picture until it was all gone! HA HA!!

What you need:
1 pre-baked pizza crust
1 cup of vodka sauce
1 piece of grilled chicken cut into chunks
1/4 cup caramelized red onion
4-5 cloves of roasted garlic
2 slices crispy bacon, crumbled
2 slices asiago cheese (they do sell it sliced!!)
1/2 cup shredded cheese ( i used Mexican blend)
fresh basil leaves

pre heat your oven to 400 degrees

take your pizza crust and brush it with olive oil, salt and garlic powder
add your sauce, being sure to get it to the edges
then start layering all your other ingredients ending with the cheeses (not using the basil til its cooked though!)

pop in the oven on the rack for about 12 minutes, or until the crust is crispy

Add the basil leaves and serve it up!

Slice it up and enjoy!!

***the idea behind this is to use all leftovers, that's what makes it quick and easy, you can grill the chicken, caramelize the onion etc, but then you'll be spending like an hour of time prepping!! i had sauce left over from pasta night, and I always make some chicken for the week. I hope you enjoy this great pizza!!***

Simple Fish Tacos

2010-06-10T10:09:00.000-04:00

I made some pretty tasty fish tacos the other night, and once the prep was done, its was super quick and easy to grill!

You will need:

1 lb tilapia cut into 1 inch strips
corn tortillas
olive oil
salt + pepper
lime juice + zest from 1 lime
and one lime cut in segments for garnish
1 avocado cubed
1/2 cup (low fat) sour cream
pinch of cayenne pepper
fresh cilantro chopped
shredded red cabbage

preheat your grill to medium heat (or you can broil the fish)
prepare your tilapia on heavy duty foil...or just double up the regular stuff
lay the tilapia on the foil, add some olive oil, salt and pepper
set a side

in a small bowl combine sour cream, cayenne pepper, salt, cilantro and juice and zest of half the lime
set aside

in another bowl add the shredded red cabbage, olive oil, the remaining lime juice toss to coat

put the fish and foil on the grill and cook until white and flaky...maybe 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish.
when you have about a minute left, put the corn tortillas on the grill and flip over every 30 seconds until they are warmed up and have grill marks on them.

get all your ingredients and start making your tacos!!

lay the cor tortilla on a plate, add a few pieces of fish, then the cabbage, then the avocado cubes, top with the sour cream mixture. squeeze some fresh lime juice on top, sprinkle some cilantro, fold like a taco and EAT UP!!

you can serve this with a simple side salad, or rice.
It's a very filling dish!

serves 2 as is
serves 4 with side dishes

Creamy Roasted Garlic Hummus

2010-06-09T17:45:00.001-04:00

I love hummus...its a healthy snack, and there are so may varieties you can't get bored with it!

you can buy hummus from your local grocery store, or if you live in Stamford, CT you could go to Tabouli Grill, but sometimes its fun to make your own! Then you can really play with all the ingredients and make it how you like!

you will need:

1-15 oz can of chickpeas, drained
juice of 1 lemon (or 2)
1/4-1/3 cup tahini
about 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil
a few tablespoons of water
roasted garlic cloves (between 2-5 depending on how garlicky you want it!)
salt and pepper

so first off do you know how to roast garlic?
get some foil, preheat your oven to 400 degrees
peel off all loose skin from the garlic, then cut off the top of the garlic head
place it in the middle of some heavy duty foil
drizzle with olive oil
twist the foil over the garlic so its closed, ad pop in the oven for about 20 minutes or until soft
let cool slightly so you can handle the garlic and squeeze out the goodness...you can also use this for spreading on bread or adding to sauces or as my husband likes to do..eat it straight out of the foil!! mm mm garlic breath!!!! ha ha

so there is a trick to making good creamy hummus...you don't just throw it all in a blender and blend!
first things to do is combine the tahini and lemon juice blend until smooth
then add the garlic and salt, blend again
next add the chick peas 1/3 at a time, blending after each addition,
finally add the olive oil and water, and blend til it is the right consistency, taste and add more salt or lemon juice to taste.

you can get pita chips, carrots, and dip away, or add it to your sandwich instead of mayo or mustard!
Play with ingredients, add some jalapenos, or roasted red peppers, or even some pine nuts!

ENJOY + comments are always welcome!

update

2010-06-09T12:21:00.001-04:00

Hello to all my readers

Its been a busy few months for me out here in Cincinnati, Ohio. I have many new recipes to share with you along with pictures of what I've made!!!

I'm currently editing it all and will have quite a few posts for you by this weekend!!

Stay tuned for some exciting summer recipes! I have started a wonderful garden with lots of tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, lemon cucumber, jalapenos, red peppers, green peppers, brussel sprouts and plenty of herbs!

I am also exploring vegetarian recipes and even gluten free!!

As always I try to cook healthy with low fat/no fat and lots of veggies and fresh items

If you are looking for a specific recipe to cook/bake let me know and i'll post it on here!

See ya soon!!

-AmandaCakes

Lemon Artichoke sauce over egg noodles with baked chicken pieces

2010-03-04T20:37:00.002-05:00

2 TBSP olive oil
3 gloves garlic minced
1 can quartered artichoke hearts (drained)
1 lemon zested and juiced
fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh basil chopped
3/4 cup pasta water
s+p to taste

2 cups egg noodles cooked and drained

1 package of chicken pieces (breasts thighs legs combo on the bone)

ok so preheat your oven to 400 degrees
season chicken with salt pepper olive oil and garlic powder
place in a baking dish skin side up and roast for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 for another 20-30 minutes until cooked through.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the egg noodles bring back to a boil and cook for 10-12 mins stirring every now and then. Drain and keep to the side (don't forget to reserve some of the water for the artichoke sauce!)

while this is going on....get a nice sized pan preheat it then add the olive oil and garlic and saute for a few mins...add the chopped artichokes and lemon zest and lemon juice, then add the chopped basil and Parmesan cheese...take some of the water from the egg noodles and add it to the artichokes to make a nice saucy sauce.let it cook for a few minutes...season with salt and pepper. add the cooked egg noodles and toss lightly.

when the chicken is cooked you can add it to the sauce and noodle and present in the pan!
Serves 4

the sauce is super quick to put together so you can chop and prepare all your ingredients while your chicken cooks...then when you have like 15 minutes left...you put it all together!!

Leave me comments and let me know what you think!

peanut butter cookies

2009-12-20T17:03:00.001-05:00

* 1 cup unsalted butter
* 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions

1. Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in eggs.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour.
3. Roll into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. I sprinkle a little bit of sugar on top before baking. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake.

sugar cookies

2009-12-20T17:02:00.001-05:00

this is a really easy and good recipe for sugar cookies...

Ingredients

* 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

if you want to add colored sugar on top do this before you bake...press the cookies down a little bit or you can roll the balls into colored sugar then they will bake into the cookies...

English "Choffee" Drizzle cookies

2009-12-17T16:12:00.002-05:00

So I found a recipe for Heath Brickle Drop cookies on the back of the package...I decided to make them but also make them my own.

what you need:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter-softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar (i used dark)
1 TSP vanilla extract
1/2 TSP salt
3 eggs
3 1/2 cups AP flour
2 TSP baking powder
1 package of HEATH bit o' brickle toffee bits

image from cookiemadness.net

in a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt.

add eggs, and beat well.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and gradually add to the butter mixture. Beating until blended
add the toffee bits and mix well.

I put sil-pats on my baking sheets, (if not grease lightly) and used a small ice cream scoop to get a uniformed size, I got 42 cookies out of this batch.

bake @ 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Put on cooling rack and cool.

THEN (this is the part I decided to make myself)

get some semi-sweet chocolate and melt it in the microwave...the drizzle over the cooled cookies, and wait for them to dry.

AMAZING!! Pictures to follow!!!

Lemon Turkey Soup with Fresh Spinach

2009-11-30T22:02:00.001-05:00

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onion, chopped (divided)
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped (divided)
4 carrots, diced (divided)
8 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
2 cups dried farfalle (bow-tie) pasta( or rice or noodles) see my note below!

2 cups diced cooked turkey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 package baby spinach leaves
Grated Parmesan cheese

I made this from my leftover turkey.

I added water and chicken stock to a pot with the turkey bones a roughly chopped onion, a few cloves of garlic and some baby carrots....brought it to a boil, then let it simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. (use half of your onions, garlic and carrots you chopped up and divided)

Then I strained this and discarded all the veggies and carcas.

To the pot I added olive oil and sauteed onion shreaded carrots, garlic until it was soft. I seasoned with salt pepper garlic powder onion powder and a chicken bullion. (use the other half of the carrots, garlic and onions)

I then added back the stock I just made.

Then add about 2 cups of diced turkey and the zest of one lemon and the juice as well.
Add in a few cups of fresh baby spinach leaves and season to taste!

My dad gave me a great idea, don't add noodles to it, instead whenever you are going to have your soup you make the noodles or rice fresh, that way you dont have to eat the same soup for days!

Pop some in a freezer bag, and when you feel like having some turkey soup defrost and add your startch (noodles, pasta, or rice)

sooo good!! and a bit different with the lemon!!

YUM!!

idea from epicurious.com

super dooper easy fudge

2009-11-15T18:23:00.003-05:00

I made some fudge today...it was quick and easy. I am going to try new flavor combinations in the upcoming weeks! It's an easy and inexpensive gift idea for teachers or co-workers for the holidays!

1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 bag of semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
chopped walnuts (optional)

pour the bag of chocolate chips ad the can of condensed milk in a bowl

microwave on high for 1 minute
stir until smooth, you may need to put it back in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time
DO NOT OVER HEAT!!

stir in vanilla
fold in the walnuts

pour into a lightly greased foil lined pan

refrigerate for at least 2 hours

remove, peel off foil and cut into squares!

enjoy!!

soo easy and sooo good!! :)

Crunchy salad

2009-11-10T13:19:00.001-05:00

I made a great salad for lunch today.
It's not like you need directions on how to throw a bunch of stuff into a bowl...but I thought I'd share!

What I used:

Mixed greens (about 2 cups)
1 piece of chicken chopped up (i sprinkled garlic powder on it)
red pepper chopped
carrots, chopped
red onion, chopped
crumbled Blue Cheese
handful of dried cranberries
handful of walnuts
champagne vinaigrette

throw it all in a big bowl an toss with the dressing!!

I just think it was a great salad, because it has sweet form the red pepper and cranberries and salty from the cheese and chicken.
The warm chicken wilted some of the greens which was nice too!!

Yay easy healthy FILLING lunch!!

Chipotle Tilapia with Avocado Salad

2009-11-08T21:41:00.000-05:00

WHOA MAMA!! My mouth is still burning from this one!!
I added a bit too much chipotle peppers...but it was a GOOD PAIN!!

you need:

1 lb tilapia
1 bunch of cilantro chopped fine
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt + pepper
1 clove garlic chopped fine

set your oven to broil
cover a pan with foil
spray with a bit of non stick stuff
lay the tilapia out on the tray in one layer

in a bowl combine all ingredients (except the tilapia duh!)
mix well with a fork

spread evenly over all the tilapia

broil 3"-4" away for about 6-8 minutes

serve with avocado salad...or whatever you'd like!

Avocado salad:

you need:

juice form half a lemon
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt + pepper

bed of tender greens
1 ripe avocado cut in cubes
1/2 red pepper cut into small pieces
handful of walnut pieces
whatever other stuff you want in your salad...you could add cheese, croutons, etc

combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl, whisk til creamy

arrange salad stuff on your plates, drizzle dressing over it.
Serve Tilapia next to it and ENJOY!!

ideas from epicurious.com

HELLO OUT THERE!!!

2009-11-05T21:57:00.000-05:00

Hello to all my fellow readers.

I have been a very very bad baker!
I haven't posted in so long!
I can't believe its been as long as it has!!

Well, I'm back,and badder than before!

I am going to be posting more recipes I've tried as well as pictures and fun stuff!

I'm really gonna try and get this moving and make it bigger and better!!

I hope you will pass me link on to your friends and family to help out!

I vow to be a great blogger, committed to you, my reader!!

Stay tuned this week, great stuff coming your way!!

-AmandaCakes

4th of July Twisted Guacamole

2009-07-02T21:42:00.002-04:00

Feel free to add a chopped tomato if you like, a bit of cilantro might be tasty as well. Many stores now sell reheat-able naan bread - Whole Foods, Stop N Shop etc. Totally fine for this recipe. Or, even better, stop into your favorite local Indian restaurant and pick up a stack to use for dipping.

1 small white onion
1 clove garlic, minced
4 avocados
1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
a few big pinches of cumin powder
a few big pinches of Indian curry powder
Garlic or plain naan bread, cut into wedges

Heat oven to 350 and bake the naan wedges for 10 minutes or so - just enough for them to crisp up a bit.
In a small bowl combine the onion, garlic, and avocado flesh. Take the lime and give a generous squeeze or two. Add the salt, cumin and curry powder. Give everything a good stir, but don't overdo it. Taste. Now start adjusting. Do you need a bit more lime? A bit more salt? Want a stronger curry flavor? Go for it.
Serve in a bowl with a big pile of the naan wedges on the side and a sprinkling of curry powder on top (a bit of chopped cilantro would look nice as well).
Makes one party platter.
101cookbooks

4th of July Roasted Tomato Salsa

2009-07-02T21:37:00.003-04:00

Two chipotles can be very spicy, consider yourself warned. Start with one, or even one-half a chipotle if you or your family are heat-sensitive, and work up from there.If you have a tomato garden, this would do great, picking all the fresh tomatoes right in your own back yard! (if you have that many plants ready!)

2 pounds Roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1 medium white onion, cut into six wedges
1 large garlic clove, halved
a couple pinches of finely ground sea salt
2-3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 -2 chipotles in adobo sauce (canned)
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Heat oven to 400F degrees. Now gently tossed the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and salt with the olive oil in a large bowl. After they are nicely coated arrange in a single layer, tomatoes cut-side facing up, across a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the tomatoes start to collapse and the onions begin to caramelize a bit. Remove from the oven.
Puree the chipotles with the roasted garlic and two roasted tomato halves. Chop the remaining tomatoes by hand (once they've cooled a bit). Chop and add the onions as well. Season with salt and stir in the cilantro.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

101cookbooks

AMAZING LOW FAT Caramelized Onion Dip

2009-05-26T00:08:00.003-04:00

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions (about 1 1/2 pounds), finely chopped
3/4 cup sour cream (low-fat is fine if you like)
3/4 cup Greek yogurt (low-fat is fine if you like)
3 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large thick-bottomed skillet over medium heat saute the chopped onions in the olive oil along with a couple pinches of salt. Stir occasionally with a wood or metal spatula and cook until the onions are deeply golden, brown, and caramelized - roughly 40 or 50 minutes (see photo). Set aside and let cool.
In the meantime, whisk together the sour cream, yogurt, onion powder, and salt. The important thing is to add whatever onion powder you are using to taste. Add a bit at a time until it tastes really good. Set aside until the caramelized onions have cooled to room temperature. Stir in 2/3 of the caramelized onions, scoop into a serving bowl, and top with the remaining onions. I think this dip is best at room temperature.
Makes about 2 cups.

this tastes EXACTLY...no EVEN BETTER than any dip you buy, or package you rip open and add to sour cream...its so fresh, and the flavors are so intense and just super good!! Make it the night before you are going to use it to really up the flavors...gives them time to really marry! 101cookboooks.com

Asparagus Salad

2009-05-26T00:05:00.002-04:00

12 spears of thick asparagus, sliced into 1/4-inch thick coins
5 - 6 broccolini (or broccoli) florets, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
big pinch of salt
1 small shallot, chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted, and coarsely chopped

7 tiny radishes, washed trimmed and very thinly sliced
zest of one lemon
a bit of shaved parmesan

Wash the asparagus and broccolini well and set aside. Make the dressing by whisking together the lemon juice, salt, shallot and olive oil. Stir in the pine nuts. Set aside.

To cook the asparagus, place a splash of olive oil along with a couple pinches of salt in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add the asparagus and broccolini. Toss well and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook for one minute. Stir again, taste a piece, and cover again for another minute - but only if needed. You don't want to overcook the vegetables here, they should be bright and with a bit of bite to them. When the vegetables are cooked, remove them from the heat and stir in the radishes and lemon zest. Taste, add a bit of salt if needed. Toss with 1/3 of the pine nut dressing, adding more as needed - as I mention up above, you might have a bit extra.

Turn everything out onto a platter and finish with some shaved Parmesan.

Serves 2 - 3.

this was SO easy to make, and was really good! its pretty healthy and so simple! This is a great side dish with any fish, or grilled chicken, even steak!!! Perfect for a summer BBQ with a few close friends!
101cookbooks

TILE AMERICA Home Design Show

2009-04-23T09:37:00.003-04:00

Join us
Saturday, May 2, 2009
10am – 3pm
63 Harbor View Ave.
Stamford, CT

Schedule of Events
10:30 Garden with Color – Inside and Out
Roberts Landscapes and Gardening
11:00 Color Me Casual – Great Color Advice
Rita Troshynski
11:30 New Tile and Stone Trends –
Modern and Traditional
TileAmerica
12:00 Cooking Demonstration and Tasting –
Fun Summer Ideas
AmandaCakes
1:00 One-of-a-Kind Home Design
and Building
Frani Taylor, Cygnet Development
1:45 Sculptural Pool and Spa Design
Jamie Scott, Group Works
2:15 Cooking Demonstration and Tasting
AmandaCakes
2:40 Great Advice on Choosing Rugs
Alix Unlimited

Smart Resources for Stylish Homes
Alix Unlimited – Ravishing Rugs
AmandaCakes – Fun Summer Desserts
& Company – Designer Bed and Bath
Art Touch Collections – Contemporary Asian Art
Connecticut Natural Soap Works – Natural Soap Products
Custom Clay – Wall Finishes
DTE Photoworks – Creative Photography
Frani Taylor, Cygnet Development – Unique Homes
Group Works – Ultimate Pool Design
Rita Troshynski – Creative Color Consultation and Design
Roberts Landscapes – Personal Garden Design
Silvermine Guild Gallery – Fine Art and Advice
TileAmerica – Premium Quality Tile and Stone

Drawings all day for:
Smart Resources for Stylish Homes Gift Certificates,
In Home Consultations, and Unique Gifts.

Home Design Show
It’s all under one roof—lots of big ideas, little tricks
and great style advice to help you learn how to
Design in this New Economy.

63 Harbor View Ave. • Stamford, CT
203-323-5922
www.TileAmerica.com

blog

2009-04-23T09:26:00.005-04:00

Hey guys, www.amanda-cakes.com was mentioned in a blog!

come check it out here:

http://www.thesmithreviews.com/2009/03/trying-to-make-dough-from-baking.html

The Smith Reviews is mainly a blog of a young soon-to-be-married couple who critique movies. It's well written, and to the point.

Leslie is the main blogger on it, and also just so happens to have designed my web page! She's available to make your site the best in the biz...no matter what that business is! you can click on her link on the bottom of my web page if you are interested in her services.

woo hoo!!! I hope more people mention me in their blogs!

There's nothing like promoting others...it really is a great thing.

decorating demo

2009-04-22T15:37:00.002-04:00

Hey guys it's been quite a while!
I got laid off about a month ago, and I have been searching for a job.
NO LUCK thus far!!!

I just wanted everyone to know I have a very exciting thing coming up next weekend!
I will be at Tile America in Stamford, CT doing a few decorating demos.
Tile America is having a sorta open house...and they asked me to do some yummy demos of my cakes and stuff.
I think i'm going to do a cupcake demo and a wedding cake assembly demo.
I might show how to decorate cookies...not sure yet. I'm doing research and writing down ideas.
My fiancee is going to help me out my video taping my practice time at home, to get me comfortable with instruction. I'm super excited about it!!

Once I get the flier, I will post it on here.
come by for a sample of my sweets, show support, pass this on to people.
Check out Tile America too!

~@

Upside Down Chicken

2009-04-12T12:01:00.003-04:00

oh yes this came out really good, juicy and moist.
I used a dry herb rub that has lavender, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, and lot of other great spices in it. BUt like a moron, I put the chicken in UPSIDE DOWN!!! ahha

the skin was crispy on top ,and the chicken breasts were very moist!

I cut up some hearty vegetables added some chopped garlic, and put it all together in a cast iron skillet, in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours @ 350* degree oven.

sooo goood!!!

easter

2009-04-10T12:19:00.000-04:00

HOPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Braided Easter Bread

2009-04-06T16:22:00.002-04:00

This is a very well known style of making Easter Bread. It's pretty simple, and fun. Also makes a great centerpiece.

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
5 whole eggs, dyed if desired
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast; stir well. Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan; heat until milk is warm and butter is softened but not melted.
Gradually add the milk and butter to the flour mixture; stirring constantly. Add two eggs and 1/2 cup flour; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal size rounds; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each round into a long roll about 36 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick. Using the two long pieces of dough, form a loosely braided ring, leaving spaces for the five colored eggs. Seal the ends of the ring together and use your fingers to slide the eggs between the braids of dough.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place loaf on a buttered baking sheet and cover loosely with a damp towel. Place loaf in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Brush risen loaf with melted butter.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until golden.allrecipes.com

colcannon

2009-03-17T12:20:00.001-04:00

Ingredients
· 3 pounds potatoes, scrubbed
· 2 sticks butter
· 1 1/4 cups hot milk
· Freshly ground black pepper
· 1 head cabbage, cored and finely shredded
· 1 (1-pound) piece ham or bacon, cooked the day before
· 4 scallions, finely chopped
· Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
Directions
Steam the potatoes in their skins for 30 minutes. Peel them.
Chop with a knife before mashing.
Mash thoroughly to remove all the lumps.
Add 1 stick of butter in pieces.
Gradually add hot milk, stirring all the time.
Season with a few grinds of black pepper.

Boil the cabbage in unsalted water until it turns a darker color.
Add 2 tablespoons butter to tenderize it.
Cover with lid for 2 minutes.
Drain thoroughly before returning it to the pan.
Chop into small pieces.

Put the ham in a large saucepan and cover with water.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes until tender.
Drain. Remove any fat and chop into small pieces.

Add cabbage, scallions, and ham to mashed potatoes, stirring them in gently.
Serve in individual soup plates.
Make an indentation on the top by swirling a wooden spoon.
Put 1 tablespoon of butter into each indentation.
Sprinkle with parsley.

this is a pretty common dish served in Ireland. There are different versions that originate from Scotland.
Enjoy food.com

pepper onion quiche

2009-03-12T09:18:00.002-04:00

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 green pepper, cut in strips
1 sweet red pepper, cut in strips
1 sweet yellow pepper cut in strips
1 small red onion sliced thin
4 eggs or 1 cup low-cholesterol egg substitute
1/2 cup light cream
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 cup cheddar or swiss cheese
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 9-inch pie shell, unbaked

Directions:
In a large skillet, sauté pepper strips and onion in margarine/butter until soft but not limp.
In a bowl, combine eggs or egg substitute, cream, water, basil and cayenne.
Bake the pie shell for about 7-10 minutes just to get it started.
as soon as you take the pie shell out add the egg mixture immediately.
Spoon peppers into par-baked pie shell.
Pour egg mixture over peppers.
Bake at 375° F for 50-55 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Parmesan Cheese Spread

2009-03-12T09:16:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
1 3-oz package creamcheese
4 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons gratedParmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1 tablespoon minced parsley
Dash of thyme
Dash of marjoram

Directions:Mix all ingredients until well blended. Chill for at least 4 hours. Serve with melba toast, unsalted crackers or as a stuffing for celery.

Banana + Honey Cupcakes

2009-03-06T13:50:00.000-05:00

1 ¾ cup mashed banana (about 4 bananas)
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup honey
4 tbsp margarine, melted
2 cup self-rising flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
¾ cup roughly chopped walnuts

Preheat over to 350*. Place 18 paper baking cups in muffin pans.

In a large bowl, combine bananas, sugar, honey and margarine.
Beat with an electric mixer until well blended.
Slowly add the flour, baking powder, and salt, mix well.
Fold in the chopped walnuts.

Scoop the batter into the cups (I use an ice cream scoop)
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove pans from oven and cool for 5 minutes.
Remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Fruit and Oat Pancakes

2009-03-04T10:15:00.002-05:00

Serves 4
2 Pancakes Per Serving

Ingredients:1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup flour
1 8-oz can fruit cocktail, undrained
1/2 cup liquid non-dairy creamer
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg or 1/4 cup liquid egg substitute
1 tablespoon margarine

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except margarine in a bowl.
Melt margarine in a large skillet.
Drop batter into skillet (about 1/4 cup per pancake) and cook over medium heat until pancakes are bubbly and dry around edges.
Flip with a spatula and fry until pancakes are golden brown on the bottom.

Analysis:
Calories 262
Carbohydrates 41
Protein 7
Fat 8
Sodium 152
Potassium 198
Phosphorus 186

march is Kidney awareness month.
This is a great recipe that is healthy and good for kidney patients as well as everyone else.
it has the right combination of pritines and fats for a well fed kidney!
kidney.org

questions and answers

2009-03-03T19:14:00.002-05:00

I recently received an email asking me a question about scrambled eggs.
The question was simply how do I make fluffy scrambled eggs?

here are my thoughts:

Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk in the milk. Season the eggs with salt and beat the mixture with a fork or whisk until combined. Over-beating makes the eggs thin. As the eggs cook, the milk turns into steam, puffing up the eggs as they firm. The larger the curds, the more steam is trapped. Water will dilute the flavor and they will not be as soft and fluffy. Don't add more than a few teaspoons of milk per egg, because the eggs can't absorb all that milk.

Cook the eggs in a nonstick pan or a well greased pan to prevent the eggs from sticking. Don't use too large a pan either, or the liquidy egg mixture will spread out and cook too quickly. An eight-inch pan works well for two eggs, a 10-inch pan for four eggs. Preheating the pan over a medium heat also keeps the eggs from sticking.

Add butter or oil — about a teaspoon per egg — and heat it. I prefer butter, but be careful if you season the egg mixture with salt and then use salted butter could end up making your eggs way too salty. Chose unsalted butter and season at the end if you so desire.

Add the eggs and let them begin to set; then, with a heatproof rubber spatula, push the curds to one side and let the uncooked eggs spread over the surface of the pan. Repeat this action until the eggs are cooked to the desired degree of doneness — eggs taste best when slightly moist.

then if you're me you'll add cheeeeeeese!! mmmmm

Friday night Lent "Easy Bake Salmon"

2009-02-27T15:04:00.002-05:00

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 (6 ounce) salmon steaks
1/2 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
In a small bowl, mix honey, mustard, and lemon juice.
Spread the mixture over the salmon steaks.
Season with pepper.
Arrange in a medium baking dish.
Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until fish easily flakes with a fork.

this is a simple recipe that you can enjoy for Lent, or any night of the week. Pair it with some couscous and steamed veggies and you have yourself a very a healthy meal!
allreapices.com

Cakes I've made

2009-02-26T23:12:00.007-05:00

I thought you might want to see what AmandaCakes is really all about!

CAKES!

Lisa's Martini

2009-02-26T16:00:00.001-05:00

INGREDIENTS
1 fluid ounce Southern Comfort liqueur
1 fluid ounce pineapple juice
1 fluid ounce raspberry wine

DIRECTIONS
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake the Southern Comfort liqueur, pineapple juice, and raspberry wine until well blended. Strain into a martini glass, and garnish with a slice of fruit.

ahhh what a way to end the day!
shake this up with a few of your girlfriends, and laugh the night away.

Gluten-free macadamia nut + raisin muffins

2009-02-26T09:50:00.000-05:00

1 cup soya bran
1 cup finely ground, roasted macadamia nuts
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
2 lightly beaten eggs
4 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
¾ cup milk
½ cup raisins
4 tbsp roughly chopped macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 375* (190*C) grease a 12-cup muffin pan

In a medium bowl, mix the bran, nuts, sugar, and baking powder.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, oil, butter, and milk.
Add the flour, mixing until nearly combined. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ones.
Fold in the raisins and macadamia nuts.

Spoon mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake about 20 minutes.
Remove pan from oven and cool for 5 minutes.
Then remove the muffins and cool on a rack.

Store in air tight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

You can also add ½ cup of dried cranberries instead of raisins
Or even substitute the macadamia nuts for almonds
(1 cup ground almonds for the for the ground macadamia nuts. Replace the 4 tbsp chopped macadamia nuts with 4 tbsp chopped blanched almonds)
500 cupcakes

chicken salad sliders

2009-02-24T18:44:00.001-05:00

FAST

Ingredients

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 1/2 cups finely diced cooked chicken
1 cup finely diced celery
1/3 cup slivered almonds
12 mini slider rolls

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, mayonnaise and salt.

Toss with the chicken, celery, and almonds in a medium bowl.

Serve on mini slider rolls.

super easy, and super delicious! great for watching the game!
foodnetwork.com

spicy chili

2009-02-24T18:35:00.002-05:00

Spicy Chili:

1 pound lean ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can niblet corn, drained
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown ground chuck, until beef is crumbly. Stir in onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

Stir in tomato sauce, corn, diced tomatoes, and green chiles. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally. Garnish with shredded Cheddar, sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

i've heard amazing things about this chili, mainly that it's nice and spicy.

you can add 2 cans of beans if you'd like, to add more texture and flavor.

food.com

Chili w/ corn cakes

2009-02-24T18:24:00.002-05:00

ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
2 poblano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 pounds ground sirloin(any kind of ground meat could substitute)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons grill seasoning, a couple of palm fulls
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
2 chipotles in adobo, chopped, plus 1 tablespoon of the sauce
1/2 cup steak sauce (recommended: Peter Luger or A1)
1 cup beer (1/2 a bottle)
1 cup beef stock
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
1 package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy, made to package directions for corn pancakes, listed on the side of the box)
Softened butter, for greasing a griddle
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, half a palm full
2 scallions, chopped

Directions

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium high to high heat.

When oil smokes, add the sliced poblanos and char them a couple of minutes and push them off to the side of the pan and add meat.

Break up beef and brown it a couple of minutes then add the onions and garlic.

Season the meat with grill seasoning, Worcestershire and chipotles in adobo.

Cook until onions are tender, 5 to 6 minutes more, then stir in steak sauce and beer.

Cook beer off for 1 minute then add stock and tomatoes and reduce heat to low.

Heat a nonstick griddle pan over medium heat.

Butter the griddle then pour in batter to make 3 3/4-inch corn pancakes.

Season beans with cumin.

Top each poured corn cake with a couple tablespoons of black beans and a little chopped scallion.

Flip cakes when bottoms are deeply golden and cook another 1 to 2 minutes on the opposite side. You should be able to make 6 cakes in 2 batches.

Top bowlfuls of the chili with corn cakes and serve

this is my best recipe of chili that you eat as a meal

! it's healthy, and filling, the corn cakes adds a little sweet, which changes up the flavor combos.

foodnetwork.com

Simple Baked Lemon Chicken

2009-02-23T23:43:00.002-05:00

there is nothing like the smell of a chicken baking away in the oven on a Sunday afternoon. pop this baby in the oven late afternoon, and you'll have an amazingly simple but tasty dinner in no time!

serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

1 (4 pound) whole chicken
2 tablespoons salt
1 lemon, halved
1 tablespoon paprika
1 cup water

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Rub chicken with salt inside and out. Squeeze lemon juice from lemon halves over outside of chicken, then rub paprika over all. Place squeeze lemon halves inside chicken cavity, then place chicken in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour a little water over chicken to prevent drying.
Bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours, basting with water as needed.allrecipes.com

Steamed Lobster with Lemon Risotto and Grilled Asparagus

2009-02-19T13:17:00.005-05:00

Hey Jimmy, to answer your question i've come up with the following menu for your lobster dinner this weekend. Yes, you could always do the norm of corn on the cob and baked potato, but I thought we could make it a bit more upscale, really impress your family + friends!

Steamed Lobster with Lemon Risotto and Grilled Asparagus

Steaming lobsters normally take about 10 minutes (give or take on size)
Be sure your timing is perfect with this!

Lemon Risotto

Ingredients
2 shallots
1 rib celery
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/3 cups risotto rice, preferably Arborio or Vialone Nano
Approximately 1 quart vegetable stock
1/2 unwaxed lemon, zested and juiced
Needles from 2 small sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 egg yolk
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more, for garnish
4 tablespoons heavy cream
black pepper,
sea salt, to taste

Directions
Put the shallots and celery into a mini food processor and blitz until they are finely chopped. Heat half the butter, the oil and the shallot and celery mixture in a wide saucepan, and cook to soften the mixture for about 5 minutes, making sure it doesn't stick.
Mix in the rice, stirring to give it a good coating of oil and butter.
Meanwhile, heat the stock in another saucepan and keep it at the simmering point.
Put a ladleful of the stock into the rice and keep stirring until the stock is absorbed.
Then add another ladleful and stir again.
Continue doing this until the rice is al dente.
You may not need all of the stock, equally, you may need to add hot water from the kettle.
Mix the lemon zest and the rosemary into the risotto, and in a small bowl beat the egg yolk, lemon juice, Parmesan, cream and pepper.
When the risotto is ready - when the rice is no longer chalky, but still has some bite - take it off the heat and add the bowl of eggy, lemony mixture, and the remaining butter and salt, to taste. Serve with more Parmesan if you wish, check the seasoning and dive in.

Grilled Asparagus

Ingredients
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
Set up grill for direct cooking over medium heat and oil the grates.
Place the trimmed asparagus on a baking sheet. Add the chopped garlic and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and toss to coat.
Place on the grill directly or in a grill basket. Grill until just tender and lightly charred, about 5 minutes.

you can also do the asparagus in a grill pan or sautee them in a frying pan, if a grill in not available
LET ME KNOW HOW IT COMES OUT!

from the kidney kitchen

2009-02-19T12:48:00.002-05:00

For those of you that don't know I support organ donation. I thought i'd post a dessert that is "kidney friendly" today.

For people with chronic kidney disease at any stage, understanding how nutrition can affect their health is critical. Kidney health care professionals can help by providing important support and education about dietary requirements and modifications that could potentially slow the progression of kidney disease and improve overall health outcomes.
Most people with kidney disease must modify their intake of certain nutrients such as protein, potassium, sodium, phosphorus and fluid.

SUPPORT ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS http://www.kidney.org/

Chocolate-Lover’s Mousse
Serves two 1/2 Cup

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate minichips
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped

Directions:
Combine sugar and gelatin in a small saucepan; stir in milk.
Allow gelatin mixture to soften a few minutes.
Place over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture just begins to boil.
Remove from heat; immediately add chocolate chips, stirring until melted.
Blend in vanilla; cool to room temperature.
Beat heavy cream until stiff; gradually add chocolate mixture to cream, folding gently just until combined.
Chill completely; garnish with dessert topping before serving, if desired.

Calories 487
Carbohydrates 40
Protein 5.5
Fat 38
Sodium 46
Potassium 242
Phosphorus 111

Bean Burritos

2009-02-18T09:06:00.001-05:00

FAST

INGREDIENTS

1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 cup salsa
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS

1.Rinse beans in cold water, drain well.
2.Combine beans, salsa, cumin and chili powder in large pan. Cook over medium-high heat for about ten minutes, mashing beans slightly with back of wooden spoon. Stir occasionally, adding a little water if mixture looks too dry.
3.Spoon bean mixture into tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold each tortilla into an envelope shape, ensuring both ends are tucked in. Eat warm or wrap in plastic to take for lunch.

This is a healthy alternative to having meat. The beans have lots of protein and fiber, which keeps you full for longer. Sometimes I also cook up some red onions just before adding the black beans for a flavor enhancer.
allrecipes.com

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

2009-02-18T09:05:00.000-05:00

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Tilapia is a great “introduction” fish. It’s a mild fish that takes on the flavors of whatever you cook it in. Tilapia is a great fish to cook up in the summer, as it is light and tasty.
allrecipes.com

Marinated Flank Steak

2009-02-18T09:03:00.000-05:00

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds flank steak

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, mix the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, and ground black pepper. Place meat in a shallow glass dish. Pour marinade over the steak, turning meat to coat thoroughly. Cover, and refrigerate for 6 hours.
2. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
3. Oil the grill grate. Place steaks on the grill, and discard the marinade. Grill meat for 5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.

Something I learned from a chef, ANY time you are cooking up a steak, you must be sure you use some sort of acid. For example lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, fresh pomegranates, lime juice, orange juice, red wine vinegar etc. The reason this is so important is that the acidity breaks down the tough parts of the meat and makes it nice and tender and super juicy. Marinate over night but be careful, over marinating can cause the acids to “cook” the meat, which in turn will break the meat down to mush! You don’t want that!
allrecipes.com

Funky Quesadilla

2009-02-17T11:30:00.003-05:00

FAST
This is a great idea for an afternoon snack add some black beans or rice for a fun dinner
You can even make it ahead and reheat it in a skillet or in the microwave!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more to cook quesadillas
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 Serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 can of chipotle pepper in adobo sauce PLUS2 teaspoons adobe sauce
3 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
8 large (7- or 8-inch size) flour tortillas
2 cups grated Monterey Jack, queso blanco, or crumbled goat cheese

***Accompaniments***
sliced avocado or Guacamole
sour cream
salsa
black beans or yellow rice

Directions:
Place oil in a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat.
Add onion and Serrano chile; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Transfer to a medium bowl and wipe skillet clean with a paper towel.
Chop chipotle chile; place in a small bowl with adobo sauce and mash with fork.
Add to onion mixture in bowl; add chicken and toss.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place a tortilla on a cutting board and spread with 1 cup chicken mixture.
Top with 1/2 cup cheese and another tortilla.
Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 4 total.
With paper towel, lightly oil skillet and place over medium-high heat until it is very hot but not smoking.
Cook quesadillas one at a time, turning over once, until cheese is melted, 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer with a spatula to a cutting board; cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
Repeat with remaining quesadillas, adding more oil if necessary.
Cut into quarters and serve with accompaniments.

Everyone knows how quick quesadillas are to make and you can have the fun of creating your ownwith any ingredients you'd like, but this version has great flavor from the chopotle peppers and the shredded chicken.

EBkitchens

Shrimp + Basil over Angel Hair Pasta

2009-02-16T20:37:00.002-05:00

FAST

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 pound large shrimp - peeled and deveined
2 (28 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add 1 tablespoon oil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente about 7 minutes. Place pasta in a colander, and give it a quick rinse with water.
Heat remaining olive oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring constantly, until the garlic is tender, about 1 minute. Do not let the garlic burn.

Add shrimp, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove shrimp from the skillet, and set aside.
Stir tomatoes, wine, parsley, and basil into the skillet. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half, 8 to 12 minutes.
Add shrimp, and continue cooking until the shrimp are heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the shrimp mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

this is a great recipe for a nice evening at home. It's fast and tasty, you can also substitute the shrimp for grilled chicken!
allrecipes.com

Valentine's Day Truffles <3

2009-02-10T15:26:00.000-05:00

Ingredients
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup (4 ounces) semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup (4 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
1 stick butter, cut into small pieces
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 cup chocolate sprinkles, for rolling
3/4 teaspoon coarse (but somewhat small size) sea salt

Directions
In a small skillet, simmer the honey until it becomes medium brown in color and has a light, caramel scent. Remove from heat and keep warm.
In a medium bowl, combine the 2 types of chocolate and butter. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and melt the chocolate, making sure to stir often. Once the chocolate has completely melted remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the caramelized honey, rum and powdered sugar. Transfer mixture to a cool bowl and allow it to "set" a little, about 5 minutes.
Combine the sprinkles and salt in a bowl. Using your hands roll the chocolate mixture into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Roll them in the chocolate sprinkle/salt mixture until they are generously coated. Place on serving tray or store them in an airtight container.

foodnetwork.com

"LC" salad (light + crunchy)

2009-02-05T16:31:00.004-05:00

This accompanies any pasta dish, but with the addition of the grilled chicken it can also be a light and healthy meal.

You will need the following:

1 bag of mixed greens
Fresh mozzarella balls (bite sized)
1 avocado (sliced or cubed)
Fresh basil leaves (torn into pieces)
4 pieces grilled chicken (cut into slices)
1 ½ TBSP Olive oil
2 TBSP Balsamic vinegar
Fresh ground pepper
1 clove of garlic
TBSP honey
A squirt of mayo
Pinch of salt (if needed)

Salad:
Put the lettuce into a large serving bowl.
Scatter the mozzarella avocado and fresh basil on top of the lettuce.
Place the grilled chicken pieces on top of the salad.

Dressing:
In a small bowl add the minced garlic, honey, olive oil and balsamic whisk until combined, and then add the squirt of mayo, whisk again.
Add fresh ground pepper and salt to taste.
Pour over salad and gently toss.
Serve immediately

pappardelle w/caramelized onions + parmesan

2009-02-03T16:03:00.008-05:00

FAST!
serves 4
total time:40 minutes

1 TBSP olive oil
2 medium onions halved and thinly sliced
½ tsp dried thyme
1 package (8.8 oz) pappardelle pasts (or use fettuccine)
2 TBSP butter
2 oz parmesan (shaved with a veggie peeler)
Coarse salt + pepper

in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add onions + thyme, season w/ salt+pepper.
Cover, and cook WITH OUT stirring, until onions have
released their liquid (about 5 minutes)
Uncover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown(25-30 minutes more)

When bottom of skillet darkens, add a few tablespoons water, and scrape up the brown bits with a
wooden spoon. (you might need to do this 2 or 3 times)

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

When onions have about 10 minutes left to cook, add pasta to water, and cook until al dente (about 7 minutes)
Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot.

Add onions and butter to pasta in the pot, season with salt+pepper, and toss to combine.
Gradually add enough pasta water to make a thin sauce that coats the pasta.

Serve pasta topped with Parmesan ribbons.

I also would add some grilled chicken, to give this meal some protein!
Pappardelle noodles are an egg based noodle and are super wide, one of my faves.
the secret to this dish, is cooking the onions until they are a deep golden brown, stir occasionally to keep them intact.

dec 08 martha stewart FOOD

Jalapeno Popper Spread

2009-02-03T11:38:00.002-05:00

INGREDIENTS
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
2 ounces canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chiles and jalapeno peppers. Pour mixture into a microwave safe serving dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
2. Microwave on High until hot, about 3 minutes.
Baked Variation
If you would like to brown the cheese, bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Serve with sliced sourdough baguettes, tortilla chips or crackers. This will definitely be the biggest hit at the party! This is such an easy appetizer to make and it tastes just like jalapeno poppers!

allrecipes.com

Baked Beefatonia

2009-02-02T12:05:00.004-05:00

Baked Beefatonia

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Total time needed: 1 hour serves 8-10 people

1 lb mini Rigatoni (cooked al dente)
1 ½ lbs ground beef (or any meat)
3-4 cups of your favorite marinara sauce (bottled or home made!)
1 egg
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp red pepper flake
1 tsp onion powder
1½ tbsp parsley
1½ cups ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 tbsp fresh Basil leaves chopped fine
salt + pepper
olive oil

Bring water to a boil for pasta, add pasta and cook until al dente (about 7 minutes)
**you want the pasta to be al dente because you will be baking it later**
in a bowl combine the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, red pepper flake, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, basil and salt + pepper.
Mix until combined.
Add small amount of olive oil to a non-stick frying pan and cook the meat until it is no longer pink.
Drain meat, add back to pan and add most of the marinara sauce to the meat.
It should be a very thick meat sauce. (I am giving you an estimate of how much sauce to use)

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and put it back into the pot. Add about ½ cup of the marinara sauce to it and mix until all is coated.

Get a nice big baking dish (I used a lasagna dish) spray it with non-stick cooking spray (helps with the clean up!)
Add a bit of the sauce to the bottom, then half the pasta.
Add the meat sauce and half of the ricotta cheese, top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese.
Layer the remaining pasta, meat sauce ricotta cheese and top it all off with the rest of the mozzarella cheese.

Cover with foil (spray with non-stick)
Bake @ 450 degrees for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and put the oven on broil and bake the cheese til it’s a light brown.

enjoy!!

This is SUCH a great dinner. you can prepare it all the day before up to the baking part, and pop it in the oven the next day for a no-stress dinner!

tvb productions

brownies!!!

2009-01-28T11:38:00.002-05:00

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate (good quality)
1/3 cup butter (unsalted)
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

Place the chocolate and butter in the top part of a double boiler set over barely simmering water.
Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the ingredients have melted.
Blend thoroughly.
Remove the top part of the double boiler from the heat.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs and sugar and beat them with an electric mixer set at moderate speed for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is as thick and pale.
Stir in the flour, salt, vanilla extract and nuts, if used.
Add the chocolate mixture and blend thoroughly.
Spoon batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs clinging.
Cool the brownies in the pan.
Cut into 16 squares.

I think one thing that really makes a good browine is chocoalte! it is worth it to spend a little more money on better quality chocoalte. the difference in taste is wonderful!

stamfordadvocate.com

easy smothered pork chops

2009-01-26T20:43:00.000-05:00

This is an amazing recipe! I have never made pork chops in my life until this, and it is unbelieveable!!!
A good "impress your date" kind of recipe!

Easy Smothered Pork Chops
1 Tablespoon Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups broth, beef, chicken or a combination of the two (used 1 beef bullion cube + 2 cups warm water)
4 bone in pork chops, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
2 medium yellow onions, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced (2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaved, minced (i used 1/2 tsp dried)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced (oops I forgot this part!)
salt and black pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the pork chops with pepper.
Brown the pork chops in the oil, turn and brown the second size. When brown, transfer to a platter and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter and onions and a little salt. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are softened and browned.
Add the flour and cook, stirring until the flour is lightly browned.
Stir in the minced garlic and thyme and cook for a few seconds until fragrant.
Increase the heat to medium high. Add the broth slowly, whisking until well mixed. Add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to loosen any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
Return the chops to the skillet and cover them with the onion gravy.
Reduce the heat again to low and simmer until the pork is tender and done, about 30 minutes.
Remove the chops to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Increase the heat to medium high and cook the gravy rapidly until the sauce is reduced to a gravy thickness. Remove the bay leaves. Add the parsley. Adjust seasonings if needed with salt and pepper.
Pour the gravy over the chops and serve.

let me know what you think!!!

30th birthday cake

2009-01-26T20:30:00.000-05:00

this is a cake i made over the weekend for a girls 30th birthday party. She really likes purple.

It is a 3 layered dark chocolate cake with pure madagascar vanilla swiss meringue buttercream.

It turned out really well. I have received many compliments on it's flavor!

first

2008-10-16T13:20:00.000-04:00

hey just seeing how this works! new stuff coming soon!

xo ~@cakes