January 31, 2008

Death By Chocolate

Yesterday I found out that one of you dear readers (and I don't know who did it, but thank you!) nominated me to participate in Culinate's Death by Chocolate event! After a lot of consideration I decided to enter my take on my Mom's classic Hot Fudge Cake because after all that is the epitome of ooey gooey chocolate heaven!

Realistically I know that I have no chance of winning the grand prize, but it's fun to be in the mix none the less! I've never participated in anything like this so that in and of itself is more than fun! The voting occurs February 4th-8th. (I'll remind you again! ;o) There's also a button on the sidebar!) But for now go on over and and see the other amazing entries!

Chocolate...What's not to like? ;o)

Vote for me in the Death by Chocolate contest

Posted by Dianne at 12:03 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Balsamic Steak with Feta and Thyme Sweet Potato Medallions

Balsamic vinegar and feta go very well together, but who is going to eat feta simply with a little balsamic vinegar? By marinating a steak in some balsamic vinegar and topping it with feta, you've got a wonderful taste combination. Pair the steak with some Thyme Sweet Potato Medallions (which go together well in flavor too!) along with some baked or steamed asparagus and you've got a healthy, filling meal in no time!

What You'll Need for the Thyme Sweet Potato Medallions Per Person:
Extra virgin olive oil
1 medium to large sweet potato, cut into rounds
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Add a little extra virgin olive oil to the bottom of a baking dish and spread around to coat. (Note: you only need a few teaspoons to a tablespoon max. Use a basting brush to spread it around on the surface of the dish.) Layer sweet potatoes into the dish and sprinkle with thyme. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.

Notes: Depending on how many potatoes you are cooking this may take more or less time. Keep an eye on them. You could leave off the thyme if you aren't a fan and simply top them with a little sea salt and black pepper OR you could even just sprinkle with a little nutmeg and/or cinnamon. It you go with the nutmeg and/or cinnamon route don't think you need to add any sugar. Contrary to popular belief though sweet potatoes really don't need any sugar added, they are naturally sweet all on their own!

What You'll Need for the Balsamic Steak with Feta Per Person:
1 single serving type steak of your choice (Note: An appropriate sized serving of meat is roughly the size of a deck of cards or your palm.)
1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt
1 ounce of feta cheese (Note: I used fat free feta, but you can use whatever type you like.)

In a bowl cover the steak with the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, turning the steak occasionally in order to coat evenly.

When you are ready to cook the steak the cooking method is up to you. You can remove it from the marinating solution and pan sear or "fry" it until it's done to your likeness, you can grill it or you can even bake it. I chose the pan searing method and I prefer my steaks medium so it took about 3-5 minutes in a very warm skillet.

Once the steak is cooked top with feta while the steak is still hot and serve immediately.

Notes: You could use goat cheese instead of feta if you wanted, because what's not better with a little goat cheese! ;o) Also the balsamic vinegar caramelizes as you cook it so it gives the outside of the steak a beautiful dark chocolate color.

Posted by Dianne at 8:05 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

January 30, 2008

Happy One Year Blogaversary To Me!

One year ago today I decided to jump fully into the food blogging world with my recipe for Sushi Veggie Rolls. I had been posting recipes on my other blog for a long time, but I wanted to have a blog that was solely centered on food and food related topics and thus Dianne's Dishes was born. Now some 18,000+ visitors later I'm still having a ball doing exactly what I love to do...Coming up with new recipes using fresh ingredients, real ingredients, whole ingredients, all while sharing my kitchen with my increasingly helpful little sous chef (aka Alexis).

Some of you have been with me since the beginning, while some of you have joined me along the way, but all of you have played an important part in making Dianne's Dishes the foodiverse that it is today. For this I am thankful and I'm so happy that you're here!

One of the most enjoyable things that has come from the blog that amazes me to no end, other than having fun in the kitchen of course, is that you dear readers hail from all corners of the globe. I've got regular readers from Brazil, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, of course many states here in the United States, other countries and even Ireland, which warms my heart to no end given I feel an affinity with the Emerald Isle I can't even begin to explain to you!

But I digress....Where was I again? Oh yes...There are other readers too and I don't mean to forget any of you, those are just the ones I remember off the top of my head and you all are important! Some of my readers I know in the real world either as a friend or family or both, several more I know simply through this wide world we call the Internet, which is charming in and of itself (remind me sometime to tell you the story of how Jamison and I met more than ten years ago right here in the lovely land of webdom!), while even more I do not know, but each of you has a special place in my heart! I am thankful that you have made Dianne's Dishes one of your daily blog reads. If you're out there lurking and have never commented before, feel free to chime in this next year, the more the merrier!

So sit back, relax and I hope you'll keep coming back for more. Here's to you and many more years to come!

Posted by Dianne at 7:18 AM | Comments (15) | TrackBack

January 29, 2008

Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies with a Twist

One day last week my little sous chef asked if we could make chocolate chip cookies. She so rarely asks to make anything specific as she is just is happy to help me cook whatever I have on plan that I immediately said "Sure!" I might have spoken a bit too soon, given we were out of eggs and most chocolate chip recipes call for just that and we weren't heading to the store, but whatever.

Since Alexis had her heart set on chocolate chip cookies I started thinking. I remembered a recipe I had made in the past that used no eggs and graham cracker crumbs instead of white flour and decided we'd make that, but the only thing was I couldn't find the actual recipe. This is what evolved from what I remembered from the recipe and they turned out great. Even Jamison liked them. Alexis being Alexis had one cookie and that was the end of that as she'd rather have a banana or an orange and isn't much of a cookie eater, so the rest made their way with Jamison to work for another treat.

What You'll Need:
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (Note: Regular or fat free will work fine.)
2 sleeves of graham crackers, crushed
2 cups of unsweetened coconut
1 package of chocolate chips (Note: I used milk chocolate chips.)

In a mixing bowl cream together butter and sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Stir in crushed graham crackers and stir or mix until completely incorporated. Add coconut and stir until mixed. Stir in chocolate chips and let dough chill for at least 1 hour in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Scoot out tablespoons of dough onto a baking sheet that has been lined with a Silpat or parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet.

Store in an airtight container.

Makes roughly 4 dozen cookies.

Notes: You could add in a cup of nuts if you like. I'd recommend cashews or Macadamia nuts. You could also use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.

Posted by Dianne at 7:41 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

January 28, 2008

Daring Bakers Challenge January 2008: Lemon Meringue Pie

I have to admit when I saw that January's challenge was Lemon Meringue pie I was not all that thrilled. I've never cared for Lemon Meringue pie, but having missed December's challenge due to oven issues I didn't want to sit this one out! My sister happens to loves Lemon Meringue, so my first thought was that my sister was about to get herself a pie! (Or several as the case may be since I wanted to do the tarts and use my baby tart pans my best friend Darlene gave me for my birthday!) But I must say I was very pleasantly surprised by this version of Lemon Meringue Pie!! This pie was good! No scratch that it wasn't just good...It was in fact beyond good...It was delicious! I would even go as far as to say I'd make this pie again for myself! I ended up sending all but one of the tartlettes home with Katherine when I made them a few weeks ago anyway since she's a big fan of lemon meringue and it was a bit of a temptation to have them sitting around, but I was most definitely pleasantly surprised!

January challenge was hosted by Jen at The Canadian Baker. The challenge was for making a lemon meringue pie or free form tartlettes. I somehow missed the "free-form" tidbit and ended up making small tarts with pans! But regardless they turned out great! The dough and filling made enough for 8 tartlettes, with a little dough left over. The recipe is from Wanda's Pie In The Sky by Wanda Beaver.

I loved the crust. I tasted slightly like sugar cookies. The filling was also extremely delicious! It was creamy and oh so lemony! I think my issue with lemon meringue pies in the past has been that they didn't really have much lemon to them. They tasted more artificial and sort of bland, instead of lemony and zingy. This pie however is most definitely a lemon lover's dream!

From reading the Daring Baker blog several of the other participants had issues with runny filling, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it set up just perfectly! My sister also told me it didn't get too runny with the ones I sent home with her, other than the normal softness that happens when you store a pie. The filling was thick and creamy and oh so lemony! I really loved it!

What You'll Need for the Crust:
3/4 cup (180 mL) cold butter; cut into ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces
2 cups (475 mL) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt
1/3 cup (80 mL) ice water

Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt.Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of 1/8 inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about 1/2 inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

What You'll Need for the Filling:
2 cups (475 mL) water
1 cup (240 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 mL) cornstarch
5 egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter
3/4 cup (180 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated. Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup (240 mL) of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.

What You'll Need for the Meringue:
5 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) cream of tartar
1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla extract
3/4 cup (180 mL) granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden.

Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.

Note: I somehow forgot to add the butter to the filling until after I had the tartlettes completely done, but they turned out great anyway without the butter! I also don't recall adding the vanilla to the meringue, but it's been a few weeks so that little detail may have just slipped with the passing of time.

To Make Free-Form Tarts:

To roll out tartlet dough, slice the dough into 6 pieces. On lightly floured surface, roll each circle of dough into a 5 inch disk. Stack the disks, separated by pieces of plastic wrap, on a plate, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

To bake the dough, position rack in oven to the centre of oven and preheat to 350ºF (180ºC). Place the disks of dough, evenly spaced, on a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely.

To finish tartlets, first place oven rack in the upper third of the oven and increase heat to 425ºF. Divide the lemon filling equally among the disks, mounding it in the centre and leaving a 1-inch border all the way around. Spoon the meringue decoratively over each tartlet, right to the edges, in dramatic swirling peaks.

Return tartlets to oven and bake for about 5 minutes, until the meringue is golden brown.

Notes: I think this would be great as Key Lime Tartlettes or even Chocolate Meringue Tartlettes as well!

I decided to top my tartlettes with candied lemon peel. I had never made this before, but I liked the end result and ended up using the technique to make candied lime peel for my Key Lime Cheesecake later in the month as you regular readers have already seen!

What You'll Need for the Candied Lemon Peel:
1 cup of water
Lemon peels
1 cup of sugar

Bring water to a boil.

While water is heating cut pieces or scrape lemon peels into curls making sure to remove as much of the white pith as possible. Add lemon peels to boiling water and cook until tender. Remove lemon peels and sit aside. Add sugar to the water and allow to dissolve. Put lemon peels back in the water and bring back to a boil. Cook until lemon peels are translucent.

Notes: You can use the left over sugar water as a lemon simple syrup or you can cook it to hard crack stage for lemon candy.

So that's my second completed Daring Bakers Challenge! Don't forget to check out the other Daring Bakers and see how their Lemon Meringue turned out! ;o) And thanks to Jen for a wonderful challenge!

Posted by Dianne at 7:03 AM | Comments (32) | TrackBack

January 25, 2008

Sushi Revisited: Shrimp Rolls

Can you take a healthy dish like sushi and make it even more so? Sure you can! Anything is possible with a little creativity. How do you do it you ask? You can use brown sushi rice instead of white! The result is delicious and what's better than something less processed? ;o)

This go around in the sushi making adventure I even added in some shrimp. This is the first time I've actually made a roll that had fish in it, albeit cooked, but there's a first time for everything! ;o)

This time I made one shrimp roll and two veggie rolls. I've done veggie rolls before, so the instructions below are for the shrimp rolls. You can see some of my other sushi here and here.

If you like sushi and you've never tried to make it before just try! It really isn't as hard as some lead you to believe! :o)

What You'll Need:
Brown sushi rice, cooked according to package directions (Note: You need about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of cooked rice per roll. I usually go with the lesser amount when it's a packed roll such as this one.)
1 tablespoon of sushi vinegar per cup of cooked rice (Note: A lot of the commercial varieties of sushi vinegar have high fructose corn syrup in them. The one I linked does not. Read the label carefully to make sure it's made with real sugar or something other than HFCS!)
Nori sheets
4 small steamed shrimp per roll, cut in half lengthwise
3 or 4 cucumber matchsticks
3 or 4 carrot matchsticks
2 slices of avacado
Wasabi powder, prepared according to the label directions (Note: You can buy prepared wasabi if you want to, but again be careful because a lot of brands have high fructose corn syrup in them too for some odd reason! Wasabi isn't supposed to be sweet!)
Low sodium soy sauce

While the rice is cooking (it takes about 50 minutes) cook your shrimp. You can do this by steaming them, microwaving them quickly until pink or whatever method your prefer. Remember shrimp only take a few minutes to cook. As soon as they turn pink they are done! Don't over cook or you'll just end up with rubber! Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on them if desired. Set aside to cool.

20 minutes before the rice is done start cutting your vegetables and have them ready to go. Cut the cucumbers and carrots into matchstick pieces. Slice the avocado into slices. Set aside.

Once rice is cooked add 1 tablespoon to 1 cup of cooked rice. Let cool slightly until cool enough to touch. This usually takes about 4 minutes

Lay a sheet of nori out on a clean towel or a bamboo sushi mat. Using a wooden spoon that has been dipped in water so the rice won't stick, spread rice out leaving an inch at the top with no rice. Layer vegetables at the opposite end of the roll away from the free inch left over.

Using the sushi mat or towel carefully and tightly roll up the roll. Normally it will seal itself with the moisture from the rice, but if it appears not to be sealing then dip your fingers into water and run it along the edge of the nori to help it seal. Roll it as tight as possible. The tighter the roll the easier to cut. (Note: I could have rolled this roll a bit tighter. It still cut ok, but it wasn't as tight and neat as I would have liked. The carrot/cucumber roll I made was rolled perfectly.)

Using a serrated knife cut the roll into slices. Serve with wasabi and low sodium soy sauce.

Notes: With sushi the ingredients you use are up to you! Experiment and have fun! I've even thrown in sprouts a few times. If you like it, try it! ;o)

Posted by Dianne at 7:50 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

January 24, 2008

Whole Wheat Chicken and Vegetable Pasta

Eating healthy is usually associated with eating boringly, but that's anything but the case! Whole Wheat Chicken and Vegetable Pasta is a hearty, satisfying, yet healthy alternative to other pasta dishes. The vegetables bulk up the dish without bulking up the calories, while the whole wheat pasta gives you a whole grain kick that is better for you than plain old ordinary pasta. This dish is just perfect for one, or even to share! Pasta...What's not to like?

What You'll Need Per Person:
2 ounces of the dry whole wheat pasta of your choice, cooked according to package directions
1/2 a boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked until done
Extra virgin olive oil
1/4 a small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
3-4 mushrooms, sliced
A pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut lengthwise
1 cup of California Style frozen vegetables (Note: The version I used had broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and zucchini.)

Cook pasta, drain and set aside.

Cut chicken into chunks and cook in a skillet with a little non-stick spray, sea salt and black pepper until done through. Set aside.

In the same skillet you cooked the chicken sauté onions, garlic, mushrooms and tomatoes in a little extra virgin olive oil with sea salt, black pepper and oregano until tender. Add frozen vegetables and cook for a few minutes until veggies are thawed. Add cooked pasta and chicken then stir to coat. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes to let flavors meld. Serve warm.

Notes: You can add in other herbs if you like. Basil might be a good addition or thyme. You could also top with cheese if you wanted, but remember that cheese can rapidly add up calorie wise. You could also use shrimp instead of chicken, or you could leave out the meat entirely and add more mushrooms for a meatless option.

Posted by Dianne at 12:33 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack

January 23, 2008

Try It You'll Like It: Garden Planning

Every year around this time I start perusing online garden sites and start deciding what I want to grow in my garden. In the next few weeks I'll start buying seeds and the planing will go into full swing! This year is even more exciting as I have a lot more room to plan! What to grow? What to grow? The possibilities are endless!

I must admit I love starting plants from seed. There is just something very satisfying about planting a seed, watching it grow and then enjoying the end result. It's also fun in terms of getting Alexis involved and letting her see where her favorite vegetables/fruits come from. We've had a garden every summer of her four years and in the last couple of years she really has understood what was going on in terms of planting the seeds, watching them grow and then eating the fruits of our labor. This year will be even more fun because she's all the more inquisitive!

For weeks now Alexis has been asking me when we could begin planting things. I usually start planting some seedlings indoors in early March so they'll be ready to go straight into the ground so we look at the calender and keep discussing what month it is now and when we'll start planting. Her main desires are strawberries, tomatoes, spinach, peas (both pods and snow peas), cucumbers and peppers. What's not to like about that list? This year I'd also like to plant some watermelon and pumpkins since we'll be gardening on a larger scale. I also want to plant on a scale that allows Alexis to munch, us to eat out of the garden during the summer and be able to preserve food as well. We'll see how it goes.

Another passion of mine is herbs. I plant them in the garden as companion plants for pest control and such, but I also keep them growing in planters nearby the house so I can go and snip what I need as I cook, so herbs will definitely be in the mix. We'll also plant some eggplant, various lettuce type plants, okra, maybe some corn, cantaloupe, green beans and carrots. It should be fun!

I order most of my seeds from Seeds of Change, but I also get a few from Gurney's and Park's Seeds. I buy organic whenever possible and I also like heirloom seeds as well. This year I plan to save some seeds as well, which is something I haven't done in the past. I also buy products from Gardens Alive, which focuses on earth friendly, organic solutions to garden issues at reasonable prices. (If you haven't figured it out yet I'm all about organic! ;o))

So I'm planning and dreaming. How many of you out there have gardens of your own? What do you grow? Do you preserve? Do you save seeds? Speak up and let me know what you're thinking in terms of your garden. Let's talk a little gardening! Later in the summer we'll talk a little eating of said gardens! ;o)

Posted by Dianne at 1:16 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

January 22, 2008

Key Lime Cheesecake

I'm a big fan of key lime. I like key lime yogurt, pie, ice cream, pound cake, muffins and of course key lime cheesecake! The key lime flavor is so versatile and fresh. It's fun to play around with new ideas and see what you can come up with. This treat was another creation for Jamison to share with his coworkers.

Key Lime Cheesecake is creamy and cool with just the right hint of key lime. Top it with some candied lime peel and/or whipped cream and you've got a fantastic dessert!

What You'll Need for the Crust:
1 sleeve of graham crackers (Note: Any type will work, even the chocolate version. Sometimes I use regular, sometimes I use the chocolate. The chocolate really makes the key lime flavor pop, though the regular graham crackers have their own charm as well.)
1/2 stick of butter, melted
1/4 cup of organic cane sugar

Spray a 9 inch springform pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

Crush graham crackers (the food processor is a very good way to do this), add in butter and sugar and mix or process until sticky crumbs form. Press into the bottom of the prepared spring form pan. Use the sides and bottom of a glass or measuring cup to ensure that the crust is really presses into the corners and the bottom. Set aside.

What You'll Need for the Cheesecake:
4 - 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup of ricotta cheese (Note: Whole milk, part skim or fat free will work. I used part skim.)
1 cup of organic cane sugar
4 eggs
1/2-1 cup of key lime juice (Note: Use more if you want a really limey taste. Use less if you just want a hint. If you use the full cup increase flour by 1/4 a cup.)
1 cup of unbleached all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325 F. (Note: This is very important in making cheesecakes. You MUST preheat your oven!)

In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese until creamy and smooth. Add ricotta, sugar and eggs and beat until smooth. Add lime juice and mix until incorporated. Slowly add flour until just mixed. Pour batter into the prepared shell and wrap the bottom of the springform pan securely with aluminum foil.

Place cheesecake with foil into a large baking dish and pour hot water into the dish until it reaches 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the pan. Be careful not to get any water into the cheesecake itself. Bake for 60 minutes. Turn off oven and place the oven door in the broil position and let the cheesecake sit for an additional 60 minutes in the oven after it has been turned off without moving the cake. Once it has cooled store in the fridge for at least 3 or 4 hours before serving.

To Make Mini Cheesecakes:

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Mix batter as you would for the big cheesecake. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners and place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each cup. Add enough batter to fill the cup 3/4 of the way. Bake for 15-30 minutes until cheesecakes have set.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

To Make Candied Citrus Peel:

Remove strips of citrus peel (orange, lemon, lime, etc.) from the fruit with as little pith as possible. Boil the strips until tender in 1-2 cups of water. Remove from water. Add in sugar. (Use equal amounts sugar and water. If you started out with one cup of water, then use one cup of sugar.) Let sugar dissolve and then add peels back into the pot. Bring to a slow boil and cook until peels are transparent. Drain in a single layer with peels not touching. Once dried use as a garnish.

Notes: If you leave out the key lime juice you have a basic cheesecake. You could substitute lemon juice for the key lime juice if key lime isn't your thing. If you want a green key lime you can add in a few drops of green food color, but key lime juice doesn't really turn anything green and most likely the best key lime you've had in the past was not colored. Also even when using a water bath cracks sometimes happen in making a cheesecake. If they do don't sweat it...The cheesecake still tastes delicious and that's what whipped cream is there for...To cover up those cracks! ;o)

Posted by Dianne at 9:17 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

January 21, 2008

Blueberry Muffins

Yesterday morning at church they had a breakfast gathering so Jamison and I decided Blueberry Muffins would be the thing to take. These muffins are delicious, tender and the blueberries give them just the right pop and zing. They are delicious warm or cold and keep for several days. You can even freeze them for use later. They are just perfect for a breakfast treat!

What You'll Need:
3 cups of unbleached flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 cup of organic cane sugar
3 - 6 ounce cups of fat free vanilla yogurt
1 1/4 cups of butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/3 cup of buttermilk
The zest of 1 lemon
2 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until completely incorporated. Add lemon zest yogurt, buttermilk and butter and mix until flour mixture is completely wet and mixed throughout. Fold in blueberries carefully by hand and pour into pre-greased or lined muffin pans. Batter will be very thick.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tops are golden.

Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before removing.

Makes roughly 2 1/2 dozen muffins.

Notes: Make sure you have blueberries throughout your dough. If you get to the bottom of the dish and it's scarce on blueberries add a few to the remaining muffins once they are in the pan so that each muffin has blueberries throughout. Also make sure that you use firm blueberries, as those that overly mushy won't work as well. You can use plain yogurt and add in a teaspoon of vanilla, but I had some vanilla yogurt that needed to be used so I chose that route instead.

Posted by Dianne at 7:54 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

January 18, 2008

Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake

Tomorrow (I got a day ahead of myself!) Sunday we're having some friends and their son over for lunch and a play date. They are bringing some fruit with them so I thought it would be nice to have something to go along with that. I thought about making an angel food cake, but then decided pound cake was more wintery. I'm not sure why I think that, but I do.

This pound cake is lemony and tender. The sour cream gives it just the right moistness, while the cake flour makes it light and airy, yet still substantial. Top it with some fruit and whipped cream and you've got the perfect dessert! This makes two pound cakes so one will be for tomorrow and the other will go in the freezer for another time.

What You'll Need:
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 1/2 cups of organic cane sugar
The zest of one lemon
The juice of one lemon
4 eggs
1 cup of sour cream
3 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cream together butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add lemon zest and lemon juice to butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined well combined. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Next add sour cream and mix until combined. Add flour, salt and baking powder and mix until creamy. Pour batter into two loaf pans that have been buttered and floured or sprayed with non-stick spray.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until loaves stick done. Make sure not to over bake. Let cakes cool in pans for 5 minutes and then turn out and let cool the rest of the way on a wire wrack.

Notes: You can add in poppy seeds for a lemon poppy seed variation. You can leave out the lemon and add in vanilla for a Vanilla Pound Cake. Another variation would be substituting 1/2 cup of cocoa powder for 1/2 cup of cake flour for a Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake.

Posted by Dianne at 12:36 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

January 17, 2008

Double Mushroom Soup

It started snowing about an hour ago and we're supposed to get 3-5 inches of accumulation. When it started snowing I decided to make some soup for lunch, because snow automatically makes me think of soup. I thought about making some Maryland Crab Soup, but decided to save that for another day. Instead I thought it might be good to make some Double Mushroom soup instead.

Double Mushroom soup is very versatile and it's just perfect for when you want something beefy, but don't necessarily want beef. You can mix and match ingredients and broths, but the mushrooms come together perfectly to create a healthy alternative to French Onion soups, which can have a lot of fat in them. The mushrooms and broth definitely give the soup a "beefy" kick that hits the spot on a cold winter day!

Oh and on a side note...Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! ;o)

What You'll Need:
Extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, cut into strips
A pinch of sea salt (Note: The broth I made the other day didn't have salt in it. If the broth you are using is salted you can omit the pinch of salt.)
Freshly ground black pepper
1-3 tablespoons of fresh rosemary removed from the stem
2 large portobella mushroom caps, sliced
6-8 button mushrooms, sliced
1 quart of mushroom broth

In a medium sized pot sauté onions until slightly caramelized with rosemary, sea salt and black pepper.

After the onions are tender add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes until mushrooms are slightly tender, but not falling apart.

Add mushroom broth and bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes to an hour. (Note: The longer the soup cooks the more the mushrooms add to the flavor of the soup making it more "beefy".) Serve warm.

Notes: You can use thyme instead of rosemary, but I forgot to grab some when I was at the store. You can also make mushroom broth by boiling mushrooms in water with a little sea salt and black pepper. If you don't want to use mushroom broth or don't want to make it, you can use beef or chicken broth instead. If you want you can top this soup as you would top French Onion soup with cheese and croûtons, but it's perfectly delicious and much healthier as is. Also if you make the soup as I did above it's vegan in case you need a vegan dish for a mushroom lover. :o)

Posted by Dianne at 11:08 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

January 16, 2008

Sprouted Lentil and Chicken "Fried" Rice

After our adventure today I wanted something filling, yet packed with healthy goodness. This stir fry came about from that. Katherine and Nelson decided to stay for dinner since Ben had to work late. I knew I wanted to utilized the sprouted lentils I had sprouted earlier this week as well, along with some veggies and brown rice to round out the dish. This mix up packs just the right punch of veggies, whole grain from the rice and protein from the egg/chicken and with a serving size of just over a cup you'll be more than satisfied too!

What You'll Need:
Non-stick spray
Sesame oil
2 eggs
1/2 an onion, chopped
2 button mushrooms, chopped
2 carrots, shredded
1 1/2 cups of sprouted lentils (Note: You can buy sprouted lentils, as well as other grains, beans and seeds, in many stores now. If you can't find them they are simple to grow yourself, which is what I did with these lentils.)
1 - 6 ounce package of fresh snow peas
2 cups of cooked chicken, chopped into small pieces
Black pepper
1/4 cup of low sodium soy sauce (Note: Regular soy sauce would work too, I just prefer the lower sodium variation.)
1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt
2 cups of cooked brown rice

In a large skillet, wok or stock pot scramble eggs with a little non-stick spray and sesame oil and break the egg up into very small pieces as it cooks. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Respray pan with non-stick spray and add some more sesame oil. Sauté onions with carrots, sprouted lentils, snow peas and mushroom until onions are tender.

Add chicken and stir to mix. Next add soy sauce, black pepper and garlic salt and stir to incorporate. Cook for 5 minutes or so until the soy sauce absorbs into the veggies. Add the scrambled egg back to the pan and stir to mix. Heat for 1-2 minutes to reheat eggs. Add rice and stir again to mix. Heat for another 1-2 minutes to ensure rice is warm and then serve immediately.

Notes: You could use any vegetables you like. You could substitute shrimp or beef for the chicken or leave out the meat entirely. You could also substitute olive oil for the sesame oil.

Posted by Dianne at 7:24 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

January 15, 2008

And The Winner Is...

Asthmagirl from asthmagirl.com!

Congrats! Your chocolate will be on its way soon! Hope you enjoy! :o)

Thanks everyone for entering! Check back soon for the next Dianne's Dishes contest sometime in early February! :o)

My sister and I are off with Alexis and Nelson for a little adventure, so no recipe today. Have a wonderful day everyone! I know we will! ;o)

Posted by Dianne at 9:28 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

January 14, 2008

Creamy Tomato Vegetable Soup

It's a cloudy cool day here in Maryland today and I immediately thought of soup for lunch! What's better on a cold, cloudy day than a nice, hot pot of soup!

This soup is thick, warm, creamy, filling and also healthy if you stick to low-fat or fat-free sour cream. The rosemary and oregano give it a nice flavor, while the garlic and onion give it a bit of a kick. The sour cream comes in at the end to make things nice and creamy, while giving the soup a mellow undertone throughout. Your end product is just perfect for a cold winter day!

What You'll Need:
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 1/2 cups of greens beans, chopped
1 leek, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 sprig of rosemary, chopped
1-2 tablespoons of oregano, chopped
6 button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup of frozen corn
1 cup of broth (Note: Any type of broth you like will work. I used some homemade chicken broth that I made the other day.)
1 - 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes with basil (Note: If you can't find them with basil you can add 1 teaspoon of dried basil to the soup.)
1/3 cup of sour cream (Note: Any type will work. I used fat-free.)

In a medium sized stock pot sauté onions, celery, carrot, green beans, leek and garlic until onion is tender. Add rosemary and oregano and stir to mix. Next add mushrooms and corn, along with the broth and tomatoes. Stir to incorporate and bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 1 hour. Add sour cream and stir to mix throughout the soup. Cook for an additional ten minutes to heat the sour cream and then serve warm.

Notes: I had originally wanted to use thyme in this soup instead of rosemary and oregano, but I realized I was out of dried thyme and I didn't grow any this winter to keep indoors so I went with fresh rosemary and oregano, which I do have growing. You could leave the basil out of the soup entirely if you wanted. You could also eat the soup without adding in the sour cream.

Oh and don't forget! If you like chocolate and haven't entered yet be sure and enter Dianne's Dishes first ever contest for four bars of Green and Black's organic chocolate!! You have until Today, January 14, 2008 at 5:00 PM EST to enter. So take this link and register if you haven't already. Oh and tell your friends! Comments will be closed after five and I'll contact the person who has won to get their address so I can send their chocolate their way. Tomorrow morning I'll announce who has won so good luck!

Free chocolate...What's not to like? ;o)

Posted by Dianne at 11:20 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

January 11, 2008

Don't Forget!! Enter Now!!

If you like chocolate and haven't entered yet be sure and enter Dianne's Dishes first ever contest for four bars of Green and Black's organic chocolate!! You have until Monday, January 14, 2008 at 5:00 PM EST to enter. So take the link above and register if you haven't already. Oh and tell your friends!

Free chocolate...What's not to like? ;o)

Posted by Dianne at 12:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Spread

Since the my first batch of ricotta was a wash yesterday I thought I'd come up with a recipe that utilized the goat cheese that I made that came out so beautifully! I'll get back to the ricotta next week sometime, but for now something with goat cheese is always good! ;o)

This spread (or dip...you could use it either way) is a good replacement for Tapenade if you're not a fan of anchovies. It's creamy and has just the right combination of flavors. You can use it as an addition to a sandwich, or as a spread on toast bits or even just dip into with some cut up vegetables. Versatility is always good!

What You'll Need:
1 bulb of garlic
1 - 12 ounce package of button mushrooms
1/2 cup of black olives (Note: You want the type of olives that are stored in brine. You can normally find these in the salad area of your grocery store. And do yourself a favor and get the ones that are already pitted, unlike me who wasn't paying attention to them when she purchased them and had to cut out all those little pits!! ;o))
1/3 cup of goat cheese
3 tablespoons of mushroom broth
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F. Wrap an entire bulb of garlic in aluminum foil and roast garlic until tender. (Note: Approximately 25-30 minutes usually does the trick. Just stick it with a fork if you're unsure and if it's not soft keep baking!) Let garlic cool until it's cool enough to touch and handle.

While garlic is cooking and/or cooling place mushrooms in a stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until mushrooms are tender. (Note: This process makes a basic mushroom broth. You'll need a few tablespoons of this broth for this recipe. Reserve the rest of the liquid, add a pinch of sea salt and some black pepper and you can use it as you would any broth. You can even use it as a substitute for beef broth in a French Onion type soup. The broth can be stored in the fridge for two weeks or frozen for months before use.) Once mushrooms are tender drain and reserve broth.

Once the garlic is cool enough to handle cut the top of the bulb off and squeeze the roasted garlic into your food processor. Add mushrooms, olives, goat cheese. mushroom broth and black pepper to the garlic and process until smooth (or you can do chunky either one...It's completely up to you and what you like). Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Notes: You can serve this warm or cold. It's delicious either way. Thyme and/or rosemary would be a good addition. You could also add in some caramelized onions. You do not need to add salt to this recipe as the olives are salty enough to season the entire spread. If you can find them, olives in sea salt are always better than the those brined in table salt.

Posted by Dianne at 10:47 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

January 10, 2008

Homemade Goat Cheese

If you've been a reader of Dianne's Dishes for a while you know I am more than obsessed with goat cheese. I love the stuff! There is just something so scrumptious about it's tangy, creamy goodness! So when I decided to try my hand at cheese making goat cheese was sure to follow.

The goat cheese took longer than 30 minutes, but still not long in the grand scheme of things. The goat's milk that I bought at My Organic Market was already pasteurized as sales of raw milk here in Maryland are illegal so I skipped the pasteurization step. I simply had to heat my gallon of milk to 86 F and add the Chevre starter. I did this Tuesday night and let it sit overnight to thicken.

Yesterday morning around 8:30 am I started the next step of the process, which is the draining process. You ladle the solids out and place it into cheesecloth in a colander and let it sit for several hours. The longer you let it sit the more firm it becomes.

I decided to go for a creamier cheese and ended up with a slightly firm finished product that is somewhat spreadable. I also didn't add any salt to the finished product, though that's always an option. The cheese was just the right combination of tangy and creamy and I felt that salt wasn't needed, but you can add that in if you want. You can also add in herbs and such if you like. It's all a matter of personal taste. You can even freeze the cheese pre-salting!

I'm still amazed at how easy the whole process of making cheese is! Alexis and I are having a lot of fun making cheeses. I think we've found a new hobby!

Up tomorrow ricotta! Update: 4:46 PM We had a complete and utter ricotta failure! We'll have to try again. We'll have something else for tomorrow's recipe. I just don't know what yet! ;o)

Oh and don't forget to enter the chocolate contest I have going on. I'm accepting entries through Monday, January 14, 2008 at 5:00 PM EST. Go ahead and enter if you haven't...Oh and tell your friends! ;o)

Posted by Dianne at 7:42 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

January 9, 2008

Dianne's Dishes First Ever Contest!

I've mentioned it before I'm a huge fan of Green and Black's chocolate. I love their dark chocolate and their caramel bar is to die for! So why not share that love with you?

As you can see above there are four bars of organic chocolate from Green and Black's: Caramel, Milk, Dark 70% and Mint. You can click on the links and get more information about each bar if you're interested, but let's get down to the good stuff...How to enter! ;o)

To enter leave a comment on this entry with a valid e-mail address by Monday, January 14, 2008 at 5:00 PM EST. I'll take all the names and put them in a pot and my little sous chef (aka Alexis) will do the honors and draw one name out of that pot. I will e-mail that person for their mailing address and then I'll send the chocolately goodness their way!

Anyone can enter, no matter where you reside on planet earth. You can enter if I know you personally, or know you through a blog, or don't know you at all! You can enter if you're a regular commenter or you can enter if you're a first time visitor or even if you visit often but never comment! If there is a lot of interest in the this contest we'll do another one again soon so tell your friends!

So what are you waiting for? Free chocolate...What's not to like? This little red bag of yummy chocolateness could be on it's way to you next week! Comment away! ;o)

Update: 2:17 PM: I've gotten a few emails about this so I'll address those concerns here...I'm the only one who will see your e-mail address as it won't be posted directly on this site so don't worry about spammers and such harvesting them.

Posted by Dianne at 8:34 AM | Comments (22) | TrackBack

January 8, 2008

Butter

It would appear we're having an unofficial dairy week here at Dianne's Dishes with mozzarella yesterday, butter today and goat cheese coming up either tomorrow or Thursday! ;o) After making the mozzarella cheese yesterday Alexis became curious about what else was made with milk and I'm all about encouraging curiosity! We make yogurt so she knows that that has milk, but her inquiring mind wanted to know what else was milk based so I started naming off products and when we landed on butter she asked "How do you make that?" I happened to have a pint of heavy cream left over from Christmas baking from South Mountain Creamery that was going to expire soon so I decided to let her make some so she could see how it works. This is really sort of ironic given she doesn't eat butter, but hey it can be frozen and used later or I happen to know a certain sister who adores butter as much as I adore goat cheese so maybe we'll share with her! ;o)

What You'll Need:
1 pint of heavy cream
1/4-1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (optional)

In the bowl of your mixer add cream and salt. (Note: For unsalted butter omit salt.) Beat on high speed for 3-6 minutes until cream thickens to butter consistency.

The process itself is extremely easy. You dump the cream and the salt, turn on your mixer and sit back and watch. First it will make whipped cream, but you need to go past that point to where it thickens a bit. The consistency should be of spreadable, softened butter. Store in an airtight container and use as you would butter you buy at the store. You can even freeze to use later. The most important aspect of this is again you control what goes into it, including salt levels and that's always a good thing.

Notes: If you can find it use actual heavy cream instead of heavy whipping cream, though either will work. This makes roughly 3 cups. The container that is pictured above holds 3.2 cups and the butter filled most of the space.

Posted by Dianne at 8:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 7, 2008

Homemade Mozzarella Cheese

Cheese is one of those things that most people like, and many including myself adore. As children most of us were exposed to the basic cheeses (or more aptly in some cases cheese “food” whatever that means!) like American sliced cheese, cheddar, mozzarella and maybe something like Swiss. Then as we grow older we become acquainted with more “diverse” cheeses like the family of blue cheeses, goat cheeses, feta, among others, but no matter what as you read this you can probably think or your favorite or favorites right off the bat! My personal favorites are buttermilk blue, Chevre, Colby, buttermilk cheese and Monterrey Jack.

Cheese has been around for a very long time. Ricki’s book discusses how shepherds who had milk stored in sheep stomachs (I know kind of gross!) found that the rennet present in the stomach caused the milk to curdle and make cheese. From there cheese making was born and oh the cheeses that have been developed over the years!

Lately I’ve become very interested in the process of making cheese. Basically you are looking at a biological/chemical process involving bacteria. What’s better than learning a little science while you’re making food? In my process of researching the art of cheese making I came across the book by Ricki Carroll entitled Home Cheese Making, Recipes For 75 Homemade Cheeses and I’ve meant to buy it for about a year. Jamison finally bought the book for me for Christmas among other kitchen goodies that we’ll talk about in the future.

After reading the book I discovered that Ricki has her own cheese making supply company as well as an Internet store called the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company. While the process of cheese making might seem a bit daunting I was definitely interested in making some of my own. I purchased a few of the starter kits and some cheese wax from Ricki’s online store and decided to give mozzarella a try first since it looked the least daunting. Ricki has a thirty minute mozzarella and ricotta cheese kit (and I’ll be making the ricotta soon…I’ll let you know how it turns out!) and I decided that would be just perfect to get started with.

To make mozzarella you need some basic ingredients. Obviously milk is the main ingredient because we’re talking cheese here. It’s also possible to make cheese with soy or rice milks, but for my experimentation initially I’m going to use dairy. After I get the hang of the process I want to try making rice cheese for Jamison, but that’s neither here nor there at the moment. Anyway, back to the subject at hand, you’ll also need water that is not chlorinated, citric acid, powdered or liquid rennet and cheese salt, which is actually optional. The process of making mozzarella involves using a stainless steel pot, heating milk, adding rennet, dealing with curds, using your microwave, draining whey (you know curds and whey! ;o)), kneading, more microwaving, more kneading, ultimately working the cheese into a ball, and ice bath and voila you’ve got mozzarella cheese in thirty minutes!

The process is really easy and I ended up using skim milk from South Mountain Creamery instead of the full fat variety because I got the milk before I got the kit and it turned out great! The taste is amazing and it was really very easy to make. I was very impressed with the whole process and can't wait to try it again! The cheese came together so wonderfully and it was a lot of fun playing with it during the kneading process. Next time I make it I think I'm going to add in some herbs.

If you're interested in making your own cheeses I highly recommend Ricki's book and her online store. Who knew making cheese was that easy and you know exactly what is in it because you made it! What's better than that? Nothing! You can use the mozzarella to make pizza, lasagna, pasta, calzones or anything else you would normally use store bought mozzarella in.

Up next goat cheese and then on to ricotta and cheddar!

Posted by Dianne at 5:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 4, 2008

Coconut Cake With Coconut Frosting

Someone that Jamison works with requested that I make a coconut cake and now that our oven is finally back in working order I did just that! There are several ways you can go with a coconut cake...You can make a white cake with coconut frosting or a coconut cake with cream cheese frosting or my preferred method a coconut cake with coconut frosting. If you're a coconut lover (which I am!) then add coconut to both the cake and the frosting! But no matter how you make it you're in for a treat!

What You'll Need for the Cake:
3 cups of cake flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 1/2 cups of organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 tablespoons of coconut extract
1/3 cup of safflower oil (Note: Any clear vegetable oil will work, I just prefer safflower oil.)
4 eggs
1 cup of light sour cream (Note: Any type of sour cream will work...light, fat free, regular.)
1/2 cup of buttermilk
2 cups of unsulphured coconut
(Note: I used a little of the batter to make a small round cake for Alexis and I since I was sending the big cake to work with Jamison and thus the two cakes in the picture above, but the recipe is written for one sheet or double layer cake.)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Sift or mix together dry ingredients (flour through sugar). Add vanilla, coconut extract, safflower oil, eggs, sour cream and buttermilk to the flour mixture and stir until smooth. Stir in coconut and mix until just incorporated. Pour batter into a 13 X 9 inch baking dish or two 8 inch baking pans that have been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 30 minutes or until cake sticks clean with a toothpick.

Let cool completely and then frost with frosting recipe below.

What You'll Need for the Frosting:
2 - 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened (Note: You can use low-fat, fat free or regular. They all work.)
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 tablespoon of coconut extract
1 - 18 ounce package of powdered sugar
2 cups of unsulphered coconut

Cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and coconut extract and mix until blended. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Stir in coconut until incorporated and use frosting to frost coconut cake.

Notes: If you wanted to make just a basic white cake you could leave out the coconut extract and coconut. This is true for a basic cream cheese icing as well. Just subtract the coconut extract and coconut and you're set.

Posted by Dianne at 12:18 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

January 3, 2008

Tomato Rosemary Soup

Who says healthy has to taste bad or be difficult to make? Unfortunately all to often that is the perception, though it's very far off base. This soup is warm, hearty, all while being good for you too and that's what a lot of us are looking for! It's just delightful for when the weather outside is oh so frightful! ;o)

What You'll Need:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 a large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
6 button mushrooms, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1-1/2 cups of cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
1-2 springs of rosemary, chopped
A pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 - 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 - 15 ounce can of tomato sauce

In a medium sized stock pot sauté onion through rosemary with a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper until onions are tender. Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and cook for 20-30 minutes. Serve immediately. (Note: You could also just dump the ingredients into your slow cooker and cook for 4-6 hours on low.)

Notes: You could add in any vegetable that you like. You could also add in other herbs if you wanted to, though I think the rosemary is perfect by itself. If you want the soup to be a bit thinner you could add in a couple of cups of any type of broth, but again that is a matter of personal taste. I think it is wonderful thick and chunky.

Posted by Dianne at 8:47 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

January 2, 2008

2007 Recap: My Favorite Recipes Round Up

I thought it would be fun to round out 2007 and list one recipe for each month of 2007 that was my "favorite". Boy was it hard just picking one some months, but the links below list my favorites and why.

January: Sushi : I decided in January that I wanted to move my recipes to a dedicated food blog and Dianne's Dishes was born. Since I started the blog toward the end of the month there weren't many recipes to choose from, though Sushi would have been my favorite anyway. I was pleasantly surprised to find that making sushi at home was a breeze! I haven't made any with fish, but I've become a pro at the vegetable rolls! Seriously if you like sushi it's very simple to make. Don't let it intimidate you!

February: Calzones: For years I had wanted to try to make Calzones, but I had never done it. Really it's simple...You just fill a circle of pizza dough with toppings, fold it over, crimp the edges, top with olive oil, herbs and a little cheese, then bake until golden brown and serve. This is another one of those dishes people assume is difficult, but it's not. You can add veggies, meat, cheeses or whatever you like...Calzones are easy to mix and match!

March: Vegetarian Red Beans and Wild Rice: In March I was still trying to cut out all meat but fish (I've done this many time over the years and I never make it more than a month or two because I crave meat!), but regardless I eat a lot of vegetarian dishes most of the time anyway. Red Beans and Rice was always a favorite of mine, but I'm not a big fan of the sausage they add in. I decided to try and make it without sausage and with wild rice instead of white rice, which is healthier for you and the result was delicious! I even got a few e-mails from people reading the blog who said this could be considered a Weight Watchers Core recipe, so if any of you out there do the WW Core plan that's good to know! ;o)

April: Whole Wheat Pasta Taco Salad: I love pasta salads and I love tacos. Why not combine the two? This takes the best of both worlds and brings them together! This is a bit healthier than your standard pasta salad being made with whole wheat pasta, which is always a good thing, but as they say everything in moderation! ;o)

May: Whole Grain Granola Bars: This recipe was adapted from one I came across in Mother Earth Living. Sometimes reading the ingredient lists of products you are buying is just down right scary! This version of granola is whole grain and naturally sweetened. There are no trans-fats, there is no high fructose corn syrup, there are no weird preservatives either! There is nothing that isn't natural. My sister ended up liking this a lot and Nelson and Alexis did too! It's a simple, delicious way to have your granola and eat it too! ;o)

June: Cucumber Salad: Several years ago I was going to a ladies picnic with our church and we were all supposed to bring a couple of dishes. I wanted to bring something cool and refreshing, but not something that was the normal old pot luck fair. I came up with this Cucumber Salad and it was an instant hit. I've been making it ever since!

July: Summer Pie: I started making this recipe years ago. It's a fresh, delicious way to use vegetables right out of the garden! If you're a pasta fan then this is the recipe for you!

August: Blueberry Ice Cream: I love blueberries! I have often wondered why Blueberry Ice Cream wasn't a more prevalent flavor. Finally this summer I got around to making some instead of hunting fruitlessly for a commercial version. My parents were visiting and my Dad is a big ice cream eater so I thought this would be a fun alternative. Alexis loved it too! Blueberry Ice Cream will most definitely be making a return at our house come summer 2008! ;o)

September: Fresh Tomato and Thyme Risotto: If you've been a reader of Dianne's Dishes for a while then you know I love risotto! This version utilizes fresh tomatoes and herbs, which are plentiful in September, and brings them together to create a wonderful taste combination. Risotto is a great mix and match dish and this version mixes and matches together perfectly!

October: Tortilla Soup: I'm also a big fan of soup. Before Alexis was born I didn't eat a lot of soup because I don't like the stuff that comes out of a can and Jamison is the pickiest eater I've ever known! Luckily Alexis is more daring and much like me she loves her soup! Tortilla Soup is the perfect mix of creamy and zing. It's just perfect for those cool October nights!

November: Maple Pumpkin Bread: What's autumn without a little pumpkin? I love when the local sugar pumpkins come in and you can make everything from soup, to pie, to cheesecake, to muffins, to bread, oh my! Maple Pumpkin Bread is just the thing for breakfast or even makes a wonderful snack! No matter how you slice it (yes I went there! ;o)) it's wonderful all around!

December: White Chocolate Blueberry Fudge: For December it was really hard for me to choose just one favorite! I mean with Turtle Cake, Hot Chocolate Mix and Chocolate Marshmallows, not to mention many other yummy treats, how do you choose just one? Ultimately I had to go with the White Chocolate Blueberry Fudge. The white chocolate and the dried blueberries melded together perfectly. Who can argue with that?

So that's my round up of my favorites for 2007. I'll be back tomorrow with new recipes! Happy New Year once again!!

Posted by Dianne at 7:17 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 1, 2008

Happy New Year!

I hope that 2008 is a wonderful year for you all!

Here's to you! Thanks for making Dianne's Dishes a part of your blog reads! Happy New Year! *<:o)

Posted by Dianne at 10:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack