May 31, 2007
What's For Dinner?
Four Cheese Veggie Lasagna and salad.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 5:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 30, 2007
Try It You'll Like It: Stash Tea Organic Jasmine Green Loose Leaf Tea
A friend of mine knows I LOVE tea (hot in the winter, iced in the summer), especially green teas, and recently she has converted from bagged teas to the loose leaf varieties. She has been telling me consistently since she switched that there is no comparison to the taste of loose leaf teas and I would love them, but I hadn't gotten around to actually trying any loose varieties.
Last week I finally ordered some Organic Jasmine Loose Leaf Green Tea from Stash Tea and I must say she's absolutely right! The flavor is superb! Plus an added bonus (that I always like) is the fact that it's more environmentally friendly than throwing away all those tea bags!
I brewed the Organic Jasmine Green Loose Leaf Tea as iced tea using a Giant Tea Ball. I also have a mesh tea ball that can be used for a single cup of tea, though I must admit although I've had for years I have never used. (I will now though!) This tea made an excellent iced tea. In fact I'm enjoying a glass now!
If you like tea, whether hot or cold, visit the Stash Tea online store and see what they have that you might like. (I myself prefer organic, but they've got a little bit of everything!)
Posted by Dianne at 3:05 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Fruit Smoothie
There is nothing better than a smoothie made with fresh, ripe fruit! The choice of the fruit is up to you...Banana strike your fancy? Then go for it! Strawberry? Absolutely! Papaya? That's always good? Blueberry? It'll be purple, but delicious! Mango? Surely! Well, you see where this is going. Anything you like, toss it in, you can't go wrong with a fresh, yummy smoothie!
What You'll Need:
1 large banana, sliced and/or frozen
3 large strawberries, sliced and/or frozen
1 small very ripe peach, sliced and or frozen
1 tablespoon of ground flax seed
1 cup of soymilk (Note: You can use any kind of milk you like, but I like to use soymilk in my smoothies, I think it tastes better.)
1 cup of ice (optional)
Place all ingredients in the jar of your blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
How's that for a fast, easy and not to mention a portable breakfast? And don't forget you can use different fruits or even just add more to this basic smoothie. There is no wrong answer. ;o)
Posted by Dianne at 9:20 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 29, 2007
Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake is another of those recipes that takes me back to childhood summers. There are so many different ways to make the recipe. Some people use Angel food cake for a base, while some like Pound Cake and my Mom even sometimes served it with pie crust that had been baked and crumbled! I've used all of the above at some point in time, but anyway you slice it (oh dear lord, did I just say that?) it's delicious none the less! Especially with fresh, just picked strawberries!
What You'll Need For The Strawberry "Filling":
Strawberries
Sugar
Note: There is no exact measurement for this, but a general rule of thumb is roughly 1/3 cup of sugar per 4 cups of strawberries. If you want it sweeter add more sugar, if you want it less so add less. Tweak it until it comes out the way you like it.
Wash berries and cap them. Cut into round slices or quarters. (I generally slice smaller berries in quarters and larger ones into round slices.) Pour sugar over and stir. Place in the fridge to let syrup form for 30 minutes to an hour at least. The longer they sit the better they get.
What You'll Need For The Shortcakes:
3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup of organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 cup of trans-fat free shortening
1 cup of buttermilk
1 stick of butter, melted
Organic cane sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder until incorporated. Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter or a fork until flour mixture becomes pea like. Stir in buttermilk until dough forms and roll out with a rolling pin. Cut into small rounds as you would for biscuits and place on a baking sheet that is lined with a Silpat or parchment paper. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar to coat. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool.
What You'll Need To Put The Shortcakes Together:
Cooled Shortcakes
Chilled strawberry and sugar mixture
Whipped Cream
Cut a shortcake in half and lay the bottom of the shortcake on a plate or bowl. Spoon on some of the strawberry sugar mixture on top of the bottom piece of the shortcake and then top with a dollop of freshly made whipped cream. Top with the remaining piece of shortcake and enjoy!
Posted by Dianne at 5:56 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
What's For Dinner?
Tonight we're having spaghetti, garlic bread and salad. It's one of Jamison's favorites...Minus the salad of course! Alexis is a big fan as well and it lets me play around with a fresh topping for myself.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 4:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Coming Soon!
I'm having a bumper crop of strawberries this year! It looks like I'm going to have enough to make some jam, freeze a few, eat some fresh, make some yummy things and then some! They are so delicious! There is nothing more gratifying or tasty than growing your own fruits and veggies! So be on the lookout for Strawberry Shortcake (most likely this evening) and a yummy Strawberry Smoothie (most likely in the morning!) Until then I hope you're having a fantastic day! ;o)
Posted by Dianne at 3:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 27, 2007
Frozen Pineapple Margaritas
I love margaritas and I always like to try new renditions. Watermelon? Check! Strawberry? Check! Peach? Oh yeah!
This pineapple version is cool, fruity and oh so lovely. It's just perfect for a warm summer evening! If you like margaritas give this one a try...You won't be disappointed!
What You'll Need:
The juice of 12 limes
1 cup of pineapple juice
1 cup of simple syrup
1/2 cup of triple sec
1/2 cup of tequila
Ice
Dump all ingredients in the ingredients into the jar of your blender (add enough ice to fill the jar) and blend on high until smooth. Serve with a salted rim or even a sugar rim. Drink and enjoy.
Simple, easy and delicious!
Posted by Dianne at 12:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 26, 2007
What's For Dinner?
Tonight we're having Chicken Burritos and Frozen Pineapple Margaritas for the adults! ;o)
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 5:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Goat Cheese Pizza with Zucchini and Cherry Tomatoes
If you've been reading Dianne's Dishes for a while you've probably figured out I love goat cheese. You've also probably figured out I love tomatoes and rosemary...Put them all together and you've got one heck of a pizza! Throw in some zucchini and garlic and it's heaven!
What You'll Need For the Crust:
2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
3/4 cup of warm water
1 tablespoon of honey
4 teaspoons of yeast
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
In the bowl of your food processor pulse flour and salt until mixed (roughly 4-6 pulses). In a glass measuring cup add honey and yeast to warm water and let sit for 3-5 minutes until foamy. Add olive oil to the food processor and turn the machine on. Slowly add water/yeast mixture until ball of dough forms. (Note: Depending on humidity and such you may need a little more or a little less water. Eyeball it as you go. Once the ball forms you'll know to stop. It's hard to mess this recipe up. It's very forgiving. If you go too far wit the water add more flour a tablespoon at a time until ball forms. It's all about the dough ball! ;o))
Once the dough ball forms you need to let it rise. This make roughly one large pizza or 4-6 personal sized pizzas depending on how big you like them. I like to make personal sized pizzas so that way everyone can have their own favorite toppings. If you're making one big pizza simply place the dough on a baking sheet in your oven with your oven light on (the oven light puts out just enough heat to rise to dough) or if you want to make personal sized pizzas divide the dough into 4 to 6 small balls and place on a baking sheet and follow the same procedure as for the large ball. Let the dough balls rise for at least one hour. Then roll or push out the dough and top with your favorite pizza toppings to bake.
What You'll Need For The Pizza Topping:
1 zucchini, chopped
2 cups of cherry tomatoes, chopped
1/2 an onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic chopped
2 sprigs of rosemary, stripped
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 450 F. (Note: I like to do this in a toaster oven, but you can do it in a regular oven as well.)
Place tomatoes, onion and zucchini on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with minced garlic, a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Top with rosemary leaves that have been stripped right off the stem (there's no need to chop them!) and place in the oven for 8-10 minutes until zucchini is slightly tender.
What You'll Need To Complete The Pizza:
Extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Cooked veggie mixture
Sliced black olives
1/2 of a 5 ounce log of goat cheese crumbled
1/3 cup of fresh Mozzarella, grated
Preheat oven to 425 F.
While the veggies are roasting, spread out pizza crust(s) and brush it with a little extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 5-7 minutes until crust is done, but not browned and remove from oven.
Top baked crust with veggies mixture and black olives. Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese and mozzarella. Place back in the oven for 5-8 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is browned. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Even though it looks in depth it's really quite easy. Once you start making your own pizzas you'll love them a lot more than carry out or order in anyday! ;o)
Posted by Dianne at 8:58 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 25, 2007
What's For Dinner?
Maybe I'll have Goat Cheese Pizza with Zucchini and Cherry Tomatoes and a little Rosemary...
Or maybe I'll have a Cucumber Dill Salad with Chives...
Or maybe sushi again...
As you can see I'm having one of those can't make up my mind days. We'll see what little Miss G thinks when she wakes up from her nap.
What are you having?
Update: 6:54 PM: We're going with the pizza!
Posted by Dianne at 2:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Orange Cream Coffee Cake
When my mom was visiting we tried a free sample of Starbuck's Reduced-Fat Orange Crème Coffee Cake and it was delicious! I told her I was going to have to come up with something similar and this morning Alexis and I did just that!
So my version is NOT low-fat, in fact it's anything but, but it's delicious and orangey none the less and in my opinion that's a good thing. As far as flavor goes, it sort of reminds you of a Creamsicle meets Orange Julius...Or maybe a creamy orange pie, but if you like orange flavored goodies you'll LOVE this!
What You'll Need For The Cake:
3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 cup of organic cane sugar
1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice (I used Minneolas, which are actually tangelos. I juiced two of them and used the juice for this and the filling below. It came out to exactly 1 cup from the two oranges.)
1 egg
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated. Add butter, orange juice and eggs (the orange juice will make the baking powder fizz a bit, so don't be surprised) and mix until a sticky dough forms. Spread dough into a 9 inch round cake pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray or spread with butter. Make a well around the cake in a circle about an inch from the edge of the pan. Set pan aside and proceed to the "filling".
What You'll Need For The "Filling":
1 - 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup of organic cane sugar
Cream together cream cheese, orange juice and sugar until smooth. Place the "filling" in the well that you made around the dough in your pan. Set aside and proceed to the topping.
What You'll Need For The Topping:
1/2 stick of butter, softened
1/2 cup of sugar
The zest of two oranges
Mix ingredients in a food processor or with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle over the entire top of the cake, filling, batter and all. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. You can also let it cool completely before serving if desired, it's good either way.
Enjoy!
Posted by Dianne at 2:07 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 23, 2007
Peach and Blueberry Cobbler
Cobblers instantly remind me of childhood. My mom made them a lot during the summer to serve along with ice cream. Normally she would make peach (which I adored) or blackberry (which I didn't adore so much, but we'll get into that some other time! ;o)).
As I've gotten older I like to make peach or strawberry or blueberry or apple or some mix of two or three! This is a very easy recipe to play around with. Add the fruit you like, mix them up...That's the fun of cooking!
What You'll Need:
3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 cup of organic cane sugar
2 cups of buttermilk
2 eggs
2 - 15 ounce cans of sliced peaches in light syrup or 6 cups of chopped peaches with 1 cup of organic cane sugar that have sat until a peachy syrup forms (About 1-2 hours)
1 cup of blueberries, washed and any debris or stems removed
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Sift or whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add in sugar and stir to mix. Add milk and eggs and stir until completely incorporated. Pour batter into a 13 X9 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Pour peaches over the batter and then add blueberries carefully making sure they spread out across the entire cobbler. Do NOT stir the peaches and blueberries into the batter. They will sink as the cobbler bakes and the fruit juices are what make the "crust" turn golden and sugary.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or until "crust" is completely browned and fruit is bubbly. Serve plain or with a little ice cream or whipped cream.
Makes 8-12 servings.
Posted by Dianne at 8:15 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
What's For Dinner?
Tonight I'm having sushi for dinner and Peach Blueberry Cobbler for dessert.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 4:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 21, 2007
Breakfast For Dinner: Buttermilk Pancakes and Fruit
My family has always liked to do breakfast for dinner from time to time and it's a tradition I have carried on with my own family (i.e. Jamison and Alexis). Since my parents are visiting I thought it would be fun to do breakfast for dinner this evening while we were together, so we had Buttermilk Pancakes with maple syrup and fruit. Sometimes it's fun to pretend it's morning even when it's not! ;o)
What You'll Need:
2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup of organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of sea salt
2 eggs
1 1/2-2 cups of buttermilk
Oil or non-stick spray
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.
Mix dry ingredients thoroughly. Add eggs and buttermilk and stir until incorporated. (Depending on the humidity, etc. you may need more or less buttermilk. You're looking for a batter that is thin, but not overly runny. It still needs to have a bit of stick to it.) Using a ladle ladle batter into circles in the hot pan that has been brushed with oil or sprayed with non-stick spray. Cook until browned on each side.
Serve pancakes with some warmed maple syrup, butter and/or fresh fruit, (In this case watermelon, strawberries and blueberries, but whatever you like works!) and sit back and enjoy!
Breakfast for dinner is yummy, but these Buttermilk Pancakes are good anytime of the day! ;o)
Posted by Dianne at 7:52 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
May 20, 2007
What's For Dinner?
We're having spaghetti, garlic bread and a spinach salad.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 4:57 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Swedish Meatballs
My parents are visiting us from Tennessee and my dad requested that I make dinner. Things have been a bit busy with us flitting here and there, so I hadn't cooked dinner since their arrival as we had been out and about. Last night however we slowed down long enough to actually be at home and I got to cook a home cooked meal, which as you know I adore and prefer to eating out any day.
As a child this was another of my Mom's special occasion meals. Serve the meatballs and rice along with a few vegetables and/or a salad and you've got a great meal! The next time I make them I'm going to try to make them with Gimme Lean Ground Beef Style meat substitute and make them meatless, but that's a little "daring" for my Dad! For last night's dinner we just stuck to the basics. That's the way he likes things! ;o)
What You'll Need:
1 small onion, shredded
1 large or 3 small carrots, shredded
1 medium to large potato, shredded
2 pounds of ground beef
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cans of cream of mushrooms soup or 4-6 cups of Creamy Potato Leek And Mushroom Soup
2 cups of uncooked brown rice, cooked according to package directions
Preheat a large skillet.
Mix shredded veggies, ground beef, salt, pepper and eggs until completely incorporated. (Tip: Much like meatloaf it's easier if you just dig in with your hands and mix it that way.) Once the meat/veggie mixture is mixed form into meatballs about the size of a cherry tomato.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Add a thin layer (about 1/8 of an inch) of olive oil to your preheated skillet and brown meatballs on each side and place into a 13 X9 inch baking dish. Cover browned meatballs with cream of mushrooms soup or Creamy Potato Leek And Mushroom Soup. Bake for 40-50 minutes until meatballs are done through. (Note: I tend to like beef when I eat it to be between medium well to well done. If you prefer a different amount of doneness then adjust cooking times accordingly.)
Serve meatballs over rice.
Posted by Dianne at 10:07 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 18, 2007
Waiter, There's Something In My...Mediterranean Stuffed Tomatoes And Peppers
This month's "Waiter There's Something In My..." challenge is that of stuffed fruit/vegetables. I had many yummy ideas run through my head...Strawberries stuffed with a cheesecake filling (which truth be told I think I'm going to make soon anyway!), cucumbers stuffed with crab dip (again it will probably be a future recipe) and sweet potatoes stuffed with raisins and pecans, just to name a few. I finally decided to go with a Mediterranean inspired stuffed tomato/pepper combo, because after all two for the price of one is always a good thing!
Stuffed tomatoes have always intrigued me. Truth be told I've tried various baked varieties and have never found one that I quite liked...That is until I decided to throw in some goat cheese and spinach! I decided the mixture would also be delicious in a pepper too so I tried both! The result was delicious!
These lovely little morsels would make perfect appetizers or you could even use larger tomatoes and peppers and easily make them into a main course. No matter how you eat these Mediterranean Stuffed Tomatoes And Peppers, do try them, they are scrumptious!
What You'll Need:
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 - 6 ounce bag of baby spinach, washed and drained
1 - 14 ounce can of small artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
8 ounces of goat cheese, crumbled
18-24 small tomatoes (about the size of a golf ball), tops and seeds removed
4-6 long sweet peppers, tops, seeds and ribs removed
1/3 cup of bread unseasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Sea Salt
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 375 F.
In a medium pan sauté onions and garlic with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper over medium heat in butter and olive oil until just tender. Add spinach and cook until wilted down. Add artichokes and stir in goat cheese until just melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Scoop out seeds from tomatoes and seeds and ribs from the peppers and place in a 13 X 9 baking dish. (Note: I like to save the insides of the tomatoes and freeze them to use in chili or soup later.) Using a spoon stuff each tomato and pepper with the slightly cooled goat cheese/spinach mixture.
After the veggies are stuffed sprinkle the tops of each with bread crumbs, then Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of sea salt. Drizzle to tops with olive oil and bake for 30-30 minutes until lightly browned and the peppers are tender.
Serve immediately.
Notes: You could used bigger tomatoes and/or bell peppers to easily make this dish a main course, though they would most likely need a bit more baking time. Mushrooms would also be a nice addition, either cooked with the filling or stuffed with the filling. Either way would be delicious! The stuffing also would make an excellent dip.
Posted by Dianne at 10:13 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 17, 2007
Mushroom Stroganoff
As a child my Mom used to make Beef Stroganoff from time to time and it was one of our childhood favorites. She used ground beef instead of thin steak, but it was delicious none the less and as I've mentioned many times as I've gotten older red meat normally makes my stomach hurt so I've adapted a lot of my old beef recipes to substitute mushrooms instead. Trust me you'll never know the difference!
You can use whatever type of mushrooms you want with this recipes. Portabellas are particularly good in this dish, though I usually use button mushrooms because even though they are simple they are my favorite. In this case I used the left over mushrooms from the Mushroom Broth, but you can use fresh mushrooms or if you're a meat eater then you can add thin steak or ground beef. It's just a matter of taste and there is no wrong answer.
What You'll Need:
Mushrooms left over from Mushroom Broth or 1 1/2 pounds mushroom caps of your choice, sliced
1 envelope onion soup mix
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup of tomato paste
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup of sour cream
6 cups egg noodles, cooked according to package directions
If using fresh mushrooms in a large skillet over medium heat sauté mushrooms in non-stick cooking spray until almost tender. If using the already cooked mushrooms from the Mushroom broth then proceed to the soup mix. Stir in onion soup mix, flour and tomato paste. Add water and sour cream stir until well mixed. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. Serve immediately over cooked egg noodles.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Posted by Dianne at 9:47 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 16, 2007
Where's Dianne?
I thought I'd have so much more free time when my semester ended, but boy was I wrong! I seem like I'm even more busy! I'm hoping to post the Mushroom Stroganoff recipe later this evening, if not I'll try to get to it in the morning! Until then enjoy past recipes or visit one of the links on my blog roll...They are always cooking up something yummy! ;o)
Have a great afternoon everyone! :O)
Posted by Dianne at 4:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 14, 2007
What's For Dinner?
Alexis and I are having Mexican Stuffed Peppers.
What are you having?
Update: 4:49 pm: I forgot Jamison has a meeting tonight so we're going to do Chinese instead.
Posted by Dianne at 1:05 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Mushroom Broth
I started using mushroom broth about a year ago. A lot of the commercially prepared options have way too much salt in them though! I did a little research and most broths are made from dried mushrooms. I purchased some dried varieties and I put them in the cupboard meaning to make broth. Months passed and I still hadn't done just that!
Every spring I like to clean out the cupboards and freezer, It's part of my spring cleaning routine. When I came across the dried mushrooms I decided it was high time to make some broth! This is the first time I've made homemade mushroom broth, but it turned out to be delicious! Plus it's super simple and that's always a plus.
Mushroom broth can be used in place of any broth. It is especially good at replacing beef broth because many mushrooms have a beefy flavor, especially portabella mushrooms, though there are no portabellas in this rendition. Mushroom broth also makes a very good soup similar to French Onion soup as well.
What You'll Need:
1 1/2 ounces of dried wild porcini mushrooms
1/2 ounce dried crimini mushrooms
1/2 ounce of dried oyster mushrooms
Water
Sea salt
Black Pepper
Place mushrooms in a medium sized stock pot and add enough water to just cover the mushrooms. Add a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Remove mushroom broth from stove and strain. Keep mushrooms for another recipe. (Mushroom soup is a good choice or Mushroom Stroganoff is what I used them for. The recipe for that will come tomorrow.) Store broth covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or you can freeze it for up to 6 months.
Note: The broth is very strong, so you will need to dilute it with a little water when you actually use it for cooking. You can also use whatever type of dried mushrooms you like or can find. It's completely up to you.
Posted by Dianne at 10:09 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 13, 2007
Happy Mother's Day!
Posted by Dianne at 12:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 12, 2007
Totally Cheating Pumpkin Walnut Muffins
I usually do not use mixes that much at all, but by reading the ingredients on the box I quickly discovered that there isn't anything in it, but natural REAL ingredients and decided to give it a whirl. I ended up using it make Pumpkin Walnuts Muffins and they turned out great! Alexis loved them too. These are a great addition to any breakfast or the perfect snack!
1 package of Canterbury Naturals Pumpkin Cake Mix
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 - 15 ounce can of pumpkin (Note: Plain pumpkin NOT Pumpkin Pie Mix)
2 eggs
1 cup of raisins
1 cup of chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix ingredients and add into a prepared muffin pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until muffins stick clean with a toothpick.
Makes roughly 15 muffins.
See simple, easy and delicious! They are just perfect for a laid back weekend breakfast! ;o)
Posted by Dianne at 9:44 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 11, 2007
What's For Dinner?
We're doing a simple sandwich night tonight.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 12:32 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Toaster Oven S'Mores
The thought of S'Mores instantly takes me back to childhood. Whether at Girl Scout camp, or summers spent camping (very rustically I might add) at the lake with family and friends, there were usually S'Mores involved. Regardless of the occasion there was the inevitable marshmallow roasting over the fire, the ones that caught on fire (whether intentional or not), laughter and fun. I remember it as if it were yesterday.
The other day at the grocery store I saw a display set up with the ingredients for S'Mores and decided to make them and let Alexis try one of my childhood favorites. Her response when seeing them was, "No thank you. Can I have some spinach?" Spinach over chocolate and marshmallow goodness? But hey that's ok too. :O) Jamison just shakes his head when she says things like that, but she eventually came around though and she loved them too.
As a child we used various forms of chocolate. Sometimes (and this is my favorite to be honest) we used milk chocolate Hershey bars. Other times we used chocolate frosting, which is good too, but I really prefer a good chocolate bar over frosting any day.
When we purchased the ingredients for this adventure I immediately grabbed the chocolate bars. I didn't realize until I had gotten home that I had gotten Hershey Special Dark bars, instead of the milk chocolate variety, but given we usually eat Dagoba milk chocolate, which has a higher cocoa content in it than the Hershey's Dark variety, you can't really tell the difference.
There is no wrong answer when it comes to S'Mores. Just go with what you like. I think they would even be good dipped IN chocolate! But any way you make them what's not to like about chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers?
What You'll Need:
4 graham crackers, broken in half
1 chocolate candy bar (This is entirely up to you. Most of the time milk chocolate is used for S'Mores, but you can use dark or whatever floats your boat.)
4 marshmallows
Place 4 graham cracker squares on a toaster oven baking sheet. Top each cracker with 1/4 of your candy bar and 1 marshmallow. Place in your toaster oven on the highest heat setting for 5-8 minutes or until the marshmallow is slightly browned. Remove from heat and top with remaining four cracker squares and press down. Enjoy immediately or you can even let them cool and eat them that way. They are more cookie like when they chocolate and marshmallow harden, but they are good no matter when you choose to take your first bite!
Posted by Dianne at 12:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 10, 2007
What's For Dinner?
We have an appointment this evening so I'm making something simple: Baked Rosemary Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Carrots.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 1:05 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Meringues
I love Meringues, but I always just bought them from Miss Meringue. The thought of actually making them myself was a bit intimidating, but I decided it couldn't be that hard and I'm always up for a cooking challenge.
The first batch I made I added vanilla and cream of tartar, but I didn't like the flavor. It was a bit tangy. Meringues are supposed to be sweet, not tangy. It had to be the cream of tartar that did the trick as vanilla has a more smooth flavor. Whatever it was I just didn't like the flavor, so I went back to the drawing board.
With the next batch I decided to try and make Mint Chocolate, but I couldn't get the whites to become stiff so that batch was scratched. I think the peppermint oil might have been the issue. I was going to make some mint brownies with the spoils of that battle, but I put the egg mixture in the fridge and promptly forgot all about it until today when I found it had soured. That's a story for another time. I'll be trying the chocolate version again soon. I refuse to be defeated! ;o)
Finally I settled on simple and straight forward and this is the result. Not only are they completely delicious, sweet, light and crisp, just like they should be, they also have roughly 20 calories per meringue! Now there's a dessert you can get behind, or perhaps more aptly put it won't show up ON your behind! ;o)
What You'll Need:
3 egg whites
2/3 cup of sugar
Preheat oven to 225 F.
Beat egg whites and sugar on high speed until stiff peaks form (roughly 8 minutes). Place stiffened whites into a pastry bag with a very large flower tip and pipe onto a baking sheet that is lined with a Silpat or parchment paper. (Note: If you don't have a large star tip you can just pipe out blobs without a tip. They will still be pretty and it won't affect the taste! ;o)) Bake for 50 minutes to one hour until meringue are stiff and not spongy. (I like to cook them for 30 minutes and then check them every 10 minutes after that to make sure they don't go too far, but I'm a bit OCD! ;o))
Let cool for 30 minutes and then store in an airtight container.
Makes roughly 24-30 meringues depending on how big you pipe them.
Posted by Dianne at 12:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 9, 2007
What's For Dinner?
We're doing a breakfast for dinner thing tonight and having Buttermilk Waffles with Maple Syrup.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 3:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Stuffed Mushroom and Irish Cheddar Burger with Cajun Oven Fries
I rarely eat red meat. I rarely eat meat at all for that matter, but for the past several years red meat has made my stomach hurt. Sure I enjoy the taste, but I usually regret the consequences. Last night when I discovered that I was out of Boca Burgers I decided to try my hand at a stuffed burger. The burger turned out great and for once it didn't bother my stomach either! This burger is deliciously tangy, with a "surprise" in the middle! If you like burgers, you'll LOVE this one...Try it!
What You'll Need for the Stuffed Mushroom and Irish Cheddar Burger:
2 pounds of lean ground beef
1 packet of onion soup mix
1/2 cup of A1 Steak Sauce
4 ounces of Kerrygold Aged Cheddar, cut into small slices (Or any cheddar will do, I just particularly like the Kerrygold variety!)
8 small button mushrooms, sliced
Mix beef, soup mix and steak sauce until fully incorporated and form into 4 patties and then follow the directions below.
First, make each patty into a "nest":
Next line your "nest" with cheddar:
Now add a layer of mushrooms over the cheese:
Form patty over the center ingredients to seal in the cheese and mushrooms:
Cook the burgers over medium heat to your specifications. I like mine medium well to well done. (Or about 10 minutes for that level of doneness.)
And inside you have a yummy "surprise"!
Top burger with condiments of your choice and enjoy!
Makes 4 burgers.
What You'll Need for the Cajun Oven Fries:
2 large russet potatoes, cut into strips
Extra virgin olive oil
Cajun seasoning
Sea salt (Note: The Cajun seasoning I use does NOT have added salt. If you are using a brand that does, then omit the salt)
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Toss potatoes with a little olive oil and sprinkle Cajun seasoning over them and a little sea salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes until done through and slightly crispy.
Makes 4 servings.
Posted by Dianne at 10:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 8, 2007
What's For Dinner?
Tonight we're going to do a simple meal. I'm having a Boca Burger and a side salad. I'll make Jamison a regular burger along with homemade oven fries for us all. Alexis doesn't eat hamburgers, Boca or real, she's just never been interested, so she'll most likely have some left over chicken and some salad.
What are you having?
Update: 8:08 PM: In my grand spring cleaning of the fridge and pantry I didn't realize that I was out of Boca Burgers so I actually ate a REAL burger for the first time in a while. (So far my stomach hasn't rebelled...fingers crossed!) I ended up making a Stuffed Mushroom and Cheddar Burger with Cajun Oven Fries that was delicious! The recipe will come tomorrow.
Posted by Dianne at 12:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Guinness Risotto With Goat Cheese And Thyme
What do you do with left over Guinness from Saint Patrick's Day? Why get creative of course! Throw in a little goat cheese and a few veggies and you've got a risotto that is to die for!
What You'll Need:
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small package of button mushrooms, sliced
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 - 15 ounce package of Arborio rice
1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups of frozen green peas
1 - 11.2 ounce bottle of Guinness
Water (4-6 cups)
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
1 - 5 ounce package of goat cheese, crumbled
Note: If you've never cooked risotto before, don't be intimidated by this dish! It has an aura about it, but it's really quite easy to make. Basically you just keep adding liquid. The liquid is almost absorbed and you keep adding more 1 or 2 cups at a time until the risotto is tender and ready to serve.
In a large pan sauté onion and mushroom with sea salt, black pepper and thyme until veggies are tender. Add Arborio rice and let cook 1-2 minutes to slightly toast the grains. Stir in mixed veggies, peas and the bottle of Guinness. Cook until liquid mostly evaporates and then add 1-2 cups of water to cover grains. Cook again until liquid evaporates and keep repeating this step until risotto is fully cooked and tender. Once the risotto is fully cooked remove from heat and stir in Parmesan and goat cheese until smooth and melted. Serve immediately.
Posted by Dianne at 12:36 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 7, 2007
Rhubarb Strawberry Bars
As I menioned a while back I had never tried rhubarb, but I was always curious. I couldn't find a rhubarb recipe that appealed to me, so I just came up with my own! Rhubarb is supposed to be very good for you, but all of the recipes I cam across including rhubarb (and the one I ended up writing) seem to be decadent desserts. I'm not sure the health properties of the rhubarb actually count in this dish, but who eats dessert for its health properties? ;o)
What You'll Need For The Crust:
1 sleeve of graham crackers, crushed
1 stick of butter melted
2 tablespoons of sugar
Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar and press into the bottom of a 13 X 9 inch pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake crust for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
What You'll Need For The Filling:
2 1/2 cups of rhubarb, chopped
2 1/2 cups of strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of water
3 tablespoons of corn starch, sifted
In a medium sized pot add rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and water. Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until rhubarb and strawberries are soft stirring occasionally to prevent scortching. Stir in corn starch and cook for 1-2 minutes until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and spread rhubarb/strawberry mixture over prepared crust.
What You'll Need For The Topping:
7 egg whites
1/4 cup of sugar
Beat egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks form. Put meringue into a pastry bag and pipe on top of the spread out fruit mix in the 13 X 9 inch dish.
Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Cool and serve.
Posted by Dianne at 12:09 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 4, 2007
My Haremail Arrives!
My Haremail package had to hop an extra long way from Australia, but it was well worth the wait! It arrived today and I immediately opened up the bunny goodness!
Now if I can just keep Alexis from taking off with my bunnies! ;o)
Posted by Dianne at 6:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
What's For Dinner?
In continuing with my spring cleaning of the pantry and fridge theme I am making some mushroom broth to use up my dried gourmet mushroom stash and make a little bit more room in the cupboard. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the broth yet, but I'm going to use the mushrooms this evening and make Cream of Mushroom and Leek Soup for dinner.
What are you having?
Update: 4:20 PM: I decided to use the mushrooms and make Mushroom Stroganoff instead.
Posted by Dianne at 12:20 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes
I love goat cheese! In fact I more than love it...I adore it in ways that can't be explained in simple language. Goat cheese is extremely versatile and it's creamy, slightly tangy flavor, compliments so many dishes! I'm always trying to come up with a new way to incorporate goat's cheese!
A few nights ago I was making mashed potatoes, which are one of Jamison's favorites and I thought, "I bet goat cheese would be fantastic in this!" So I whipped up Jamison's batch (he's a plain Jane sort of eater) and then took the rest of the potatoes and added goat cheese to the finished product. The result was not only deliciously decadent, but also ultra simple!
What You'll Need:
6 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 tablespoon of butter
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup of crumbled goat cheese
Boil potatoes until fork tender and drain.
When potatoes are almost done, in a small pot melt butter and heavy cream until warm.
In a large bowl add cream, butter, sea salt, black pepper and mash until smooth. Stir in goat cheese until melted and serve immediately.
Posted by Dianne at 9:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 3, 2007
Vanilla Pound Cake With Blueberry Sauce
Pound cake! Just the mention of it makes me think of spring! Not only is this a very simple dessert to put together, with this lovely Vanilla Pound Cake with Blueberry Sauce springtime dessert just got a whole lot more fun!
What You'll Need For The Cake:
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 1/2 cups organic cane sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup of heavy cream
3 teaspoons of vanilla
3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of sea salt
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cream together butter sugar and eggs until smooth. Add heavy cream and vanilla to the butter mixture and stir until mixed. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture until just incorporated. Pour batter into two buttered loaf pans and bake for 40-50 minutes until toothpick sticks clean. Remove cakes from the oven and let cool for 20-30 minutes before turning them out of their pans.
What You'll Need For The Blueberry Sauce:
2 cups of blueberries
2 tablespoons of organic cane sugar
2 tablespoons of water
While the cake is baking place the above ingredients into a sauce pan and cook until blueberries turn jelly like (approximately 20-25 minutes) stirring occasionally. Pour into an airtight container and chill for at least an hour.
To serve place a slice of cake on a plate, top with some blueberry sauce and homemade whipped cream.
Makes about 16 servings.
Posted by Dianne at 8:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 2, 2007
What's For Dinner?
I'm sort of leaning toward some sort of Mexican food, but I haven't quite landed on which one yet.
What are you having?
Update: 6:27 PM: I ended up whipping up a quesadilla.
Posted by Dianne at 3:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Whole Grain Granola Bars
When you think Granola Bars, you automatically think healthy, but a lot of the commercially produced bars are anything but. This recipe adapted from Mother Earth Living is not only whole grain, but there are not nasty preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, refined sugars or trans fats! These delightful bars will fast become a favorite and the crumbs make a fabulous granola topping for yogurt or even ice cream! ;o)
What You'll Need:
1 1/2 cups of extra thick rolled oats
1 cup of unsulphered coconut
1/2 cup of raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of pepitas
1/4 cup hempseed
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup of raw cashews
4 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup dark brown molasses sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup (You can also use honey or molasses instead)
1 cup raisins or milk chocolate chips (I used chocolate chips because we are out of raisins, which we usually have on hand, but we're eating out of the fridge and pantry trying to clean things out in a grand spring cleaning expedition! ;o))
2 teaspoons of vanilla
Mix together oats through cashews on a very large baking sheet and put into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes while the oven is preheating to 350 F.
While the oat mixture is heating in a pot melt butter, maple syrup and brown molasses sugar. Once melted bring to a quick boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
Remove oat mixture from the oven and leave the oven on. Pour the melted sugar/syrup mixture over. Make sure all of the oat mixture is coated with the sugar mixture. Be careful not to burn yourself as both the oat mixture and the syrup mixture are very hot! Use a silicone spatula to do the mixing.
Using your silicone spatula press the mixture firmly into a 13 X 9 inch pan that has been sprayed with non-stick oven. Put back into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut into bars.
Notes: You could add any seed or nut you wanted in addition to or in place of the ones I chose. I think dried cherries would be really good and almonds or walnuts too. Dried apple bits would also be good. Mix it up and make it your own!
Posted by Dianne at 10:08 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 1, 2007
What's For Dinner?
Tonight is a veggie night! Alexis and I are having green beans, new potatoes, corn on the cob and okra.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 11:02 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and Dumplings is one of those quintessential dishes that exemplifies the idea of Southern cooking and every family that likes them has their own twist on this classic. Some like to add onions, others add potatoes, but in my mind Chicken and Dumplings should be more straight forward and ultimately more simple.
I grew up in Tennessee and in my family my mom and I were the ones that loved Chicken and Dumplings (and still do!) My father isn't much of a chicken person and I'm not sure what my sister's opinion of the dish is, but it wasn't strong either way or I think I would remember. (Sisterpooh if you're reading you can add your two sense worth in the comments! ;o)) This simple dish is my take on the Southern Classic. It's simple, quick and delicious!
What You'll Need:
2 large chicken breasts, bone in and skin on
Water (Enough to cover the chicken...Usually about 4-6 cups)
A pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 cup of buttermilk (Note: Depending on humidity you may need a little more or a little less. You want a very, very sticky dough.)
3 tablespoons of unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup of dairy (Your choice heavy cream, light cream, half and half, milk)
In a large pot over medium heat place both chicken breasts in the bottom of the pot and cover with water. Add a pinch of sea salt and some black pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cooked covered until chicken is done. (Usually 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
While the chicken is cooking mix 2 cups of flour, sea salt, baking soda, baking powder and buttermilk until a very sticky dough forms. Set aside.
When the chicken breasts are cooked remove from pot and put the cover back on to the pot. Take the skin off of the chicken breasts and discard. Remove the meat from the bone. Chop or tear meat into bite sized pieces with caution as the meat is still very hot. Add chicken back to the pot.
Mix your dairy and 3 tablespoons of flour until smooth with no lumps and pour into the pot with the chicken and stir to mix. Drop spoonfuls of dough into the pot until dough is gone to make dumplings. Put the lid back on the pot and cook for 20-30 minutes until mixture has thickened. Serve warm.
Notes: As I mentioned in the intro you can add onions if you like, or potatoes or I've even seen mushrooms added to the mix! You can also top it with chopped parsley if you want, which I do sometimes, but ultimately I think the simpler the better is best for this dish. Also if you have some left over chicken you can use that instead and substitute chicken broth for the water, heat it to simmering and then skip on to the dairy step.
Posted by Dianne at 9:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack