This recipe is rampant on the cooking blogs. I went to the most original source I could uncover, Our Best Bites, and printed out this recipe from there. 

I made these for an office potluck. They are easy to make, easily portable, easily wrapped, and are crowd-pleasing. An excellent holiday time recipe when you want to make something yummy that does not take all day and appeals to many people. This recipe also adapts well – I used walnuts on top instead of pecans, but what you put on top of the Rolo is up to you. I also embellished with drizzled on white and dark chocolate on different batches. I found that the deep flavor of very dark chocolate really pulled all the flavors together best.

Easy Pretzel Turtles
Bag of small pretzels (traditional shape)
Rolo Candies, two bags
Walnuts, pecans, or whatever you like
dark chocolate for melting

Preheat oven to 350. Place pretzels on baking sheet. Unwrap Rolo candies. Place one unwrapped Rolo on each pretzel. Place pan in oven for 3 – 4 minutes, or until the Rolo is softened through. They should still have some shape to them but should also press down easily. Remove pan from oven and, using whatever you wish (I used walnuts) press the time down on top of the Rolo until it fills the interior space of the pretzel (but don’t press it so hard it overflows the pretzel). Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in your microwave for about 30 – 40 seconds or until just melted. Stir to make sure the melted chocolate is smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle the dark chocolate over each turtle. Let cool in place and enjoy!

And no, I don’t have pictures. Not only was I too busy, they left the house awfully fast. for pictures, go to one of the below posts.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/12/tis-season-for-goodies-and-it-seems.html
http://www.mommyskitchen.net/2009/12/rolo-pretzel-turtles-easy-turtle.html
http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2009/12/rolo-pretzel-turtles-super-easy-turtle.html

Eight days without cooking.

Our winter holiday in Cancun, Mexico begins tomorrow. We will hop on an airplane where temperatures hover around -20°C and hop off the airplane at +28°C. Sounds wonderful to me. I will gladly trade white snow for white sand – even at Christmas time.

With all the pre-Christmas baking, socializing and eating I have felt quite stuffed. Literally stuffed full of “Christmassy” food. I think I may have hit my saturation points with regard to fruitcake, cookies, gooey bars, and tarts. As a result I have been craving lighter fare. Perhaps too, with our warm weather holiday only a day away, I have been getting into “dietary sync” and craving the fresh lighter food of warm weather days.

Last night I pulled out one of my favorite cookbooks, Vefa’s Kitchen. EPC and I received this as a wedding present from an old roommate/friend of mine and his wife. If you are in the market, I highly recommend this book. It is a weighty tome and it chock full of recipes separated into the standard sections of salads, vegetables, poultry, seafood, desserts etc, and also includes a section on seasonal recipes and one containing recipes from famous chefs. Oh, did I mention it is a Greek cookbook?

We received Vefa’s Kitchen this past summer, so I have only just begun to try the recipes. Of course, it did keep me occupied many evenings before bed as I browsed through the myriad of traditional Greek recipes and made a mental checklist of the ones I wanted to try. This is the second time I have made this particular salad. Sadly, I did not use arugula either time (EPC is not a fan of spicy greens), but used a baby spinach spring mix instead. This substitutes nicely, as you still get a dark green leafy bunch to drop the cucumbers, carrots and chickpeas.

Arugula Salad with Chickpeas

330 g arugula
2 carrots, coarsely grated
1 small cucumber, julienned
1 cup of canned chickpeas, rinsed well

Dressing
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (I cheat and use Real Lemon)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 small clove of garlic, chopped finely
10 drops of Tabasco sauce (I use a generous sprinkle of cayenne)
salt and pepper to taste

• Cut arugula leaves into large pieces (Or you can use a spring baby greens mix) and place in serving dish
• Place the grated carrots, cucumber, and chickpeas on top.
• Put all the dressing ingredients into a jar with a screw top lid and shake well.
• Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving

Now that I’ve found out the farmer’s market carries escarole, I’ve been using it in dishes like this minestrone and this

braised escarole

salad.  It looks like a head of Bibb or Boston lettuce, but it’s a sturdier green and has a little bitterness to it.  I spotted this recipe for braised escarole a few weeks ago on Food & Wine and saved it thinking it would be a good side dish with this veggie loaf with checca sauce.  I modified it slightly by taking out the meat, but it still tasted nice and rich.  Serves 6 as a side dish.

Ingredients:

3 T olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t red pepper flakes

2 large heads escarole, about 2-2 1/2 lbs, rinsed well and roughly chopped

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 T fresh minced oregano

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c panko or dried breadcrumbs

2 T grated Parmesan

Directions:

Heat 2 T olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is golden, being careful not to burn the garlic.  Add escarole in 3 batches, cooking 2 minutes each time until wilted, then adding the next batch.  Add the tomatoes and their juice, oregano, and season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Cook over low heat until the escarole is tender, about 15 minutes.

Five minutes before escarole is done, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add panko or breadcrumbs, and cook, stirring, until they are crispy and golden brown, about 1 minute.  Remove pan from heat and stir in Parmesan.  Using a slotted spoon, place esarole and tomatoes in a dish and sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture.  Serve immediatley.

I had a friend ask for one of my recipes this past weekend.  I figured what a better way to get started blogging than with a “real” recipe request.  Afterall, that is the purpose of Cookbook Cooks – sharing recipes!

She and her partner stayed with us for a couple of days while they were getting some work done on their place.  Since she is gluten-free, I rummaged around in my unorganized recipe binder (sigh – I really need to do something about that!) to find a hearty and substantial recipe that was different and delicious while meeting her dietary requirements. Not that cooking gluten-free is difficult or implies that we need to make sacrifices, but I wanted to make an effort and cook something that  I thought she would enjoy (and that would make enough so we could all take some in our lunch the next day!).

I came across a recipe for Vegetarian Black Bean Enchilada Bake that I had found on About.com.  I  made it once before when my husband’s brother (a non-vegetarian) was visiting. He and my husband both loved it and each ate two large helpings, so I figured I would make it again.  If it was a success once, I figured it would be safe bet this time too.

Vegetarian Black Bean Enchilada Bake is easy and quick to put together, but is by no means a gourmet or elegant meal.  It tastes great though, and isn’t that what really matters?

Vegetarian Black Bean Enchilada Bake

Preheat oven to 350°C

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup salsa ( I like to use Pace medium salsa)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper (I like to use McCormick’s)
• 2  540 ml cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 12  6-inch corn tortillas
• 3 cups Monterey Jack and Cheddar blend cheese shredded ( I like to use the Kraft Tex-Mex shredded cheese mix)

 Combine onion pepper, garlic, salsa, cumin and  black beans in large skillet and bring to simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring often for 3 minutes.

Arrange 6 tortillas in bottom of 9″ x 13″ baking dish overlapping them as necessary. Spread half of bean mixture over tortillas and sprinkle with half of cheese. Repeat layering process with remaining tortillas, bean mixture and cheese.

Cover dish with foil and bake 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

68 Days of Gourmet: Day 25

I love black bean soup. It’s easy, healthy and hearty. It’s been so cold here lately so I thought black bean soup and cheese quesadillas would be a great dinner. This was my first time making this recipe and overall I was very pleased with it. I was hoping for a little more kick spiciness-wise but otherwise it was perfect. The leftovers were even more tasty the next day. This will definitely be in my regular soup rotation!

Spicy Black Bean Soup
(Recipe adapted from Gourmet, December 2008)
Printable Recipe: Spicy Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 fresh jalapeño (2 inches), seeded and minced
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (19-ounces) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups water (I used half water/half chicken broth)
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf

Directions:

Heat oil in a 4-to 5-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Saute onion and jalapeno for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add black beans, water and bay leaf and simmer, covered. Stir occasionally until soup has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.

Transfer 2 cups of soup to a blender or food processor (I recommend a food processor – use caution when blending hot liquids!) and purée . Return to pot and heat, stirring frequently. Discard bay leaf. Season with salt and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

I had a really good story to go along with this little recipe, and I swear I cannot remember what it was.  No, seriously. I’ve been sitting here for five minutes trying to remember the story that came to mind while I was making these on Saturday and, thank god my life does not depend on it, because I’d have an easier time telling you the square root of 72 than I would remembering the story right now (and if you know me at all, you know that it would be impossible for me to tell you the square root of 72.  I don’t even know if 72 has a square root).  Yikes.  Mama needs to lay off the eggnog…

At any rate, suffice it to say that I love Oreos and adding a bit of milk chocolate and sprinkles (or crushed candy canes) takes them from happy to euphoric in about an hour (the time it takes to melt the chocolate, dip the cookies and let them set).  

These aren’t just for holidays, but come in handy when you need a quick dessert to take along to a party or have a sick friend or really just need some comfort food because you realize that you can’t remember as far back as two days ago. 

I’m going to let the pictures do the talking for me while I go looking for my sanity…

Chocolate Covered Oreos

• 1 bag Hershey’s milk chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
• Oreos

In a stainless steel bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water, combine chocolate chips and shortening (you don’t necessarily need the shortening, but I find it helps the chocolate to spread more easily).   Stir until melted; remove from heat.

Using two spoons, dip Oreos (a couple at a time, depending on the size of your bowl) in the melted chocolate and coat both sides.  Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.  Decorate top of cookie with sprinkles or crushed candy canes. 

Let set in refrigerate for about 45 minutes to an hour.

We hosted a Channukah Potluck on the last night of Channukah. It was so nice to be with everyone and share great food! I love having my friends over the house and cooking for them. I have been really into the pot-luck idea lately as you aren’t exhausted when your friends come over after spending the week cooking in the kitchen.  We were really excited to celebrate and so happy that we managed to fit 9 people into out apartment! The joys of city living

Judith is an amazing cook and makes such great and gorgeous food! This time she made an Insalata Caprese for our first course. I always love that kind of salad, but she made it even more special with the addition of roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and deelish balsamic drizzle. Yum!! Check out her Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta from our last pot-luck.

Uploading these pics now is making my mouth water!! Seriously how gorgeous is this dish?!?!?!
Insalata Caprese

• Assorted Heirloom or Garden Tomatoes (about one large tomato per person)
• Large bunch fresh basil
• Fresh Mozzarella. It will be packed in water. About ~3 oz per person
• Balsamic Glaze (or Balsamic Vinegar)
• Jar of roasted peppers
• Bag of sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

1. Slice tomatoes (tip: put them in the fridge for an hour to make slicing easier) and mozzarella into pieces of equal thickness. Place in a plastic container or cover and let come up to room temperature before eating.
2. Drizzle balsamic on the bottom of a plate.
3. Arrange slices of tomatoes, basil leaves, peppers, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella.
4. OPTIONAL – For a more filling salad, toss mesclun mixed greens with a small amount of vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.
5. OPTIONAL TIP #2 – In a blender, combine 2-4 tbsp olive oil with the remaining basil leaves to make an herb oil. Use this to drizzle over the TMB.

Stay tuned for the entrée course tomorrow

This is a recipe I cobbled together from a few different ones. It takes a good while to set up, and it remains moist instead of crumbly-dry like some fudge. It also does not have confectioner’s sugar in it, which often makes fudge tooth-achingly sweet to me. And since you boil this, there is no granular texture at all. Smooth, deep chocolate flavor, and very good texture!

Basic and very good chocolate fudge

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
3 cups mini-marshmallows
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 bag (11.5 or 12 ounces) dark chocolate chips. I used Ghiradelli 60% cacao chips. Don’t use semi-sweet!
Additions if you want – walnuts etc.

Very lightly grease an 8×8 glass or Pyrex dish with a small amount of butter.

Put all remaining butter, marshmallows, sugar, cream, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Turn on low and let butter melt. Turn the heat up to high – medium high and stir continually until the marshmallows are melted and the mixture has come to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and add vanilla extract and chocolate. Stir well until chocolate is completely incorporated.  Add in other additive ingredients such as nuts if desired. Pour into prepared pan and let cool completely. If left at room temperature this will take at least 2 hours to completely set. You may put it in the refrigerator (covered with plastic wrap). When set, cut into small squares and enjoy!

Note: I live in a low-humidity area. If you live in a high humidity area, or your fudge is really too moist, cut back on the butter. Some recipies call for as little as 1/2 stick or 1/4 cup. For me though, this fudge was just right, especially the next day – when it went from good to nearly perfect.

I love cauliflower. Most of the time I end of making it the mashed way but this is going to be a wonderful alternative. Between Michael and me we ate the entire recipe in one sitting! YUM! This would make a great snack, side dish, or even a meal if you like it as much as I did

Amazing Roasted Cauliflower

1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 head of cauliflower, trimmed into small florets
extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
sprinkle of crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cauliflower with a few tablespoons of olive oil and salt, until well coated. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and put in the oven for 15 minutes. While the cauliflower is in the oven, use the same bowl you mixed the cauliflower and oil and add a little more oil, the breadcrumbs, garlic and crushed red pepper and mix. Take the cauliflower out of the over after 15 minutes and rotate the pieces and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top. Return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes. Serve and devour  immediately.

Today was another easy cookie recipe, akin to the brownie thins I made yesterday. Remember how I said the brownie thins were like lace cookies? Well, today I made lace cookies. I guess they’re similar in the fact that they are both easy to make, expand A LOT when baked, utilize mostly butter, require dropping onto a baking sheet, and are very, very thin, but lace cookies have the brownie thins beat in their delicateness … and butteriness. When I took the cookies off of the baking sheet, Jay was like, “wow, you put a lot of oil on that sheet,” after which I informed him that what looked like oil was all residue from the cookies themselves.

Even despite all this butter, these lace cookies are so thin that I am shocked they do not crumble in my fingers when I pick them up. They’re surprisingly sturdy and pack a satisfying crunch around the edges, with a nice chewiness in the center. As for the flavor, the orange zest adds a nice citrus acidity that tempers the luscious heaviness of the butter.

These took just about as much time to make as the brownie thins, even though no microwave was involved. Spooning out the batter onto baking sheets can be a bit messy, so I suggest using a spatula to catch the drops.

I suppose these would make good gifts, packed snuggly in a decorative tin, but it’s hard not to crave the buttery crunch of these cookies all for yourself.

Orange-Almond Lace Cookies
(original recipe Bon Appetit December 1999)

Ingredients
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups finely chopped almonds
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, beaten to blend

Preparation
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir 3/4 cup butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in nuts, sugar, flour, orange peel and salt; then stir in egg. Drop some batter by generous tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart (cookies will spread).

Bake cookies until lacy and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Gently slide parchment paper with cookies onto rack; cool completely. Transfer cookies to paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter, lining cooled baking sheet with clean parchment for each batch. (Can be made ahead. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.)

If you LOVE flavor and aren’t afraid to go a little International this is a great dish that is UNDER 400 calories per plate. AMAZING dish.  The recipe includes chicken sauteed with onions, cooked in a curry paste with diced tomatoes over rice. You can also go vegetarian and use Tofu instead which will instantly soak up the flavors of the curry paste.

These ingredients are enough for a two person dinner -

Ingredients:

2tbsp of Curry Paste (I use mild red curry paste)               1/2 onion chopped

2tbsp of Olive Oil                                                                               3/4 cup of water 

1 1/2 cups of chopped boneless skinless chicken or firm tofu                 

1 bag of 90 second rice (I use Uncle Ben’s Wild Brown Rice)

1 cup of diced canned tomatoes (I used the ones with garlic, oregano and basil)

Directions:

- Sautee onion in oil for two minutes, throw in chicken and brown/ or tofu and warm through

- Add the curry paste and cook for two minutes, stir frequently if using chicken. Stir gently if using tofu for one minute. (using a flipper or spatula works better with tofu so it doesn’t fall apart)

- Add tomatoes and water, turn to a simmer and cook for 15 min or until chicken is cooked through. IF using tofu simmer till all ingredients are piping hot and serve.

- Cook Rice, place in bowl and pour chicken curry over rice (make sure to let the liquid in the bowl as well so the rice will have great flavor)

VOILA!

Prep Time: 10 min. (chopping time)

Cook Time: 20 min.

Calories: 400 per serving (one dish)

Tis the season for gift-giving which means a flurry of wrapping presents. Whether you hate to wrap gifts, love to wrap gifts or fall somewhere in between, you can make the process simpler by following a few basic steps.

1. Have a dedicated gift-wrapping area that you can leave and not worry about cleaning up the mess every time you wrap a gift. It makes is so much simpler and you can wrap a gift here and a gift there instead of having one marathon evening of gift-wrapping. Set up a card-table in a corner of your home office or an unused bedroom.

2. Stock up on the basics before you start wrapping. Have plenty of tape, wrapping paper, tissue paper,  gift tags, ribbon, and boxes. Also make sure there is a garbage can, sharp scissors and a pen to write names on the gift tags. If you are shipping packages, make sure you also have bubble wrap or styrofoam “popcorn” to pack in the box.

3. When you are stocking up on wrapping paper – get the good stuff!  Anyone who knows me well, knows I am a complete wrapping paper snob. The reason is simple: quality paper holds up better, is easier to work with and makes wrapping so much faster. Have you ever purchased a cheap roll of gift wrap only to have the gift you are wrapping poke through the paper at the corners? Trying to pull a piece of cheap wrapping paper nice and tight before you tape it is nearly impossible without ripping the paper. Save yourself some frustration and invest in some quality paper. Two of my favorites are Hallmark (which comes with wonderful cutting lines on the backside so you know the edge is even!) and Costco’s house brand. They are both heavy, fabulous papers that are so nice to use. You don’t have to spend a fortune on wrapping paper. You can find good sales now (like Hallmark’s buy one get one for 99 cents promotion) and think about stocking up on paper after the holidays when it is really inexpensive.

4. Use good tape. My preferred tape of choice is a satin tape that you can’t see once you put it on the package. Or if you want to get really “fancy” you can use double-sided sticky tape sandwiched between your top and bottom layers of paper so there is no visible tape line at all.

5. Make sure you are stocked up on boxes. I usually save boxes for a month or two before the holidays. Then I know I have plenty of sizes and shapes to choose from. This is an important step in your gift-wrapping success! No one likes to receive an odd-shaped bundle wrapped in a garbage bag sealed with duct tape! Find a box, for goodness sake! Remember to recycle the cardboard from boxes after the holidays.

6.Ribbons can make or break the look of your package. Star bows and curling ribbon are great for the beginning wrapper to use. For the seasoned veterans, step it up a notch and find some fun ways to dress up your packages. Inexpensive rolls of ribbon are easy to find this time of year. Purchase one or two in colors that match your gift-wrap. Think outside the box for unique items you could use to tie up your gift like organza, fabric you may already have on hand, twine, raffia, bandanas, etc.

7. The finishing touches. If you really want to make your gifts look professional, think about the finishing touches. If you are planning to add these, you may want to add a hot glue gun or all-purpose glue to your basic supply list. When you anchor a cluster of mini-pinecones or a dried rosebud, or sprigs of greens to the top of you package, it really makes the present look finished. Think of fun little elements you can add like a button, a tiny glass ball, a jingle bell, a mini bird nest,  a sparkling snowflake or a silk flower. You can also tie on a tree ornament that becomes part of the gift. I watch for 50 or 60 percent off sales and stock up on generic pieces like snowflakes, shiny tear drop shapes, bells, etc.

8. Gift bags work just fine. If you don’t have time to invest in making “picture perfect” packages, pick up some gift bags, tissue and ribbon. Use plenty of tissue so the bags don’t look like you threw them together at the last second (even if you do!). First, line the bag with white tissue, wrap your item in tissue, place it in the bag then fill the top with tissue. Mix white with a sheet or two of colored tissue paper to get the most bang for your buck. When filling the top, hold out a sheet of tissue paper, pinch it in the center and then, while still holding the center, give it a gentle shake. It should be full at the top and remain pinched at the bottom. Stuff it on the bag, full side up and see how beautiful your bag looks!

9. Trade out services. If you can’t stand to wrap gifts and can’t afford to pay to have them wrapped, think about trading services with someone who loves to wrap. Maybe you could perform a holiday chore for them they dislike like hanging their lights, shoveling their sidewalks, watching their kids for one evening or afternoon, running a few errands, or some other household task. I would gladly wrap gifts for someone who was willing to trade services for … (insert any number of household chores here like ironing, cleaning, dusting, etc.!)

Happy Entertaining and Happy Holidays!

What a great weekend. It was my wife’s birthday so we had a little party. She had had enough of my food so she wanted her mom to make Persian food for the guests. I was allowed to make a pizza for the appetizer. It was actually kind of nice being responsible for just one dish.

I went mystery basket style and opened the refrigerator. I had a pizza dough starter that had been working for about five days. I take yeast, water and about a third of the total flour needed and make a slurry. Each day I add a ½ C of flour and another touch of water. The flavor of the yeast develops more each day. The smell after five days is like a combination of the best bread you have ever had and a glass of great champagne.

I added the rest of the flour, some salt and a TB of olive oil and worked it to maximum elasticity in the mixer. I let it rise for a few hours punching it down once in the afternoon.

I had some beet greens leftover from some beets I used to color some eggs for another project. Lemons, feta cheese and walnut oil. I could taste in my mind the deep vegetal flavor of the beet greens wilted into balance over high heat with chile flakes. I could taste the cream like mouth feel of a drizzle of walnut oil over the top being perfectly offset by the sharp saltiness of the feta. I had some left over tomato sauce that I woke up with some toasted fennel seeds. It all came together as expected. I would not normally think of pizza as a liaison to Persian food but it worked. The vegetal characteristics of the beet greens with the Middle-Eastern cheese prepared the palate well for the lentil based stews that were to come. My mother-in-law’s Persian food was awesome as always. My wife was smiling all night and we had a blast. Tis the season for sure! Enjoy.

Key Flavor Factors:
1. Use a pizza stone in your oven and let it pre-heat at 550 for at least one hour so the stone gets hot all the way through.
2. Make sure the pizza dough rises fully (double in size) punch it down, divide it into the desired size balls and then let it rest again (covered in plastic to avoid drying) until flexible enough to stretch out into a pizza shape.
3. Use a well floured pizza board or lightweight cutting board to top the pizza and slide the pizza into the oven. Spread the pizza dough with a touch of olive oil before topping it to create a moisture barrier between the sauce and the dough.
4. Leave the edges of the pizza a little thicker and oil it to get a nice crust.
5. Wilt beet greens over high heat with a touch of oil. As they collapse and soften the flavor mellows and the texture is firm but tender.

Eat well, Enjoy life, Be happy

I’m very, very happy to report that these cookies weren’t just good, not just great. They were glorious.

Do you like brownies? Do you like the edges of brownies? Do you like the crusty stuff that sticks to the pan when you remove the brownies?

If so, this recipe is for you.

Do you like one-bowl baking? Do you like easy baking? Do you like using your microwave when baking?

If so, this recipe is for you.

Do you like making desserts quickly, under 30 minutes? Do you like recipes you can throw together at the last minute? Do you like baking gifts for your friends, but not wasting your entire day?

If so, this recipe is for you.

I even royally screwed up this recipe by reading “1 cup sugar” instead of the actual “1/2 cup sugar” and adding a whole extra half cup to the recipe, and it still turned out great. This must be one of those recipes that you can’t screw up unless you really try, one of those non-bakers baking recipes. Furthermore, you do all of your butter- and chocolate-melting and mixing in one bowl, mixing only briefly.

The cookies are almost like lace cookies in chocolate form, chewy in the middle yet firm and crispy around the edges. The pisachios add a nice little crunch and difference of texture, while the unsweetened chocolate keep the cookies from becoming too sweet, even if you were to add extra sugar.

Brownie Thins
(original recipe Bon Appetit December 2007)

Ingredients
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch of coarse kosher salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Preparation
Position rack in lowest third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Butter 2 baking sheets. Place butter and chocolate in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium-high power until almost completely melted, about 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Add sugar and egg; whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Add flour, both extracts, and salt; stir just to blend. Let batter stand 10 minutes.

Scoop rounded teaspoonfuls batter onto prepared baking sheets, spacing apart (12 per sheet). Spray sheet of plastic wrap lightly with nonstick spray. Place, sprayed side down, over cookies. Using fingers, press each mound into 2 1/2- to 2 3/4-inch round. Remove plastic wrap. Sprinkle pistachios over rounds. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until slightly darker at edges and firm in center, about 7 minutes. Cool on sheet 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack; cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

68 Days of Gourmet: Day 22

I didn’t plan on making this pork tenderloin recipe. It happened out of desperation. I originally planned on making this Fennel Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Fennel Wedges. I bought all the ingredients for it and everything. Then I found out that my husband hates fennel – how did I never know that? I said “too bad, I’m making it anyway” but then the recipe would not load on Epicurious and it’s not in The Gourmet Cookbook. I looked everywhere online for it with no luck. It was 8:30 and I had to start something for dinner. I was hungry and cranky. I begged Brandon just to take it out and grill it but he refused…it was freezing out. I sulked off to The Gourmet Cookbook and began browsing through the pork tenderloin recipes. I was pleased to find Island Pork Tenderloin. It sounded like something we would love.

I will honestly say that I’m happy our original recipe didn’t happen because this Island Pork Tenderloin was wonderful. The spice rub is a great combination of warm flavors and the glaze is such a nice finish with brown sugar, hot sauce and garlic. Sounds strange but it totally worked. Also, I love recipes where I can start meat in a skillet and finish it in the oven. It frees me up to prepare the side items. I served this with roasted potatoes, salad and rolls.

Island Pork Tenderloin
(Recipe source The Gourmet Cookbook)
Printable Recipe: Island Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

FOR PORK
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pork tenderloins (a little over 1 pound)
1 tablespoons olive oil

FOR GLAZE
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon hot sauce (Tabasco)

Directions:

FOR THE PORK
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (I had my oven at 375 because of the potatoes. Just watched the internal temperature closely)

Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and cinnamon and coat pork with spice rub.

Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over medium high heat until just beginning to smoke. Brown pork on all sides, about 4 minutes total. Remove from heat.

FOR THE GLAZE AND TO ROAST THE PORK
While the pork is browning, stir together brown sugar, garlic and hot sauce. Once you remove pork from heat, spread glaze onto top of each tenderloin. Roast in oven until thermometer inserted in center of  tenderloin registers 140 degrees, about 20 minutes. Tent with foil and let pork stand in skillet at room temperature 10 minutes. (Temperature will rise to about 150-155 while standing.) Slice and serve.

Yield: 2 servings

mmmmm!! We  have been eating Banana Ice Cream for so long and I have never posted it! I am sorry not to have shared this beloved ’secret’ recipe with everyone before!! It couldn’t be simpler (to make and ingredients) and is so delicious! For us it is super easy because we always keep a bunch of frozen bananas in the freezer to make smoothies and ice cream, so there is no planning for this fabulous dessert, ever! Since this recipe is really just bananas, you can enjoy it anytime; even for breakfast!! How great is that, Ice Cream for Breakfast! There are so many twists and additions you can make with this recipe, so have fun with it! Let me know anything else you try and love!

Banana Ice Cream

1-2 frozen bananas per person serving
any toppings or additions you want to add

So Simple! Just take the bananas and blend away in your Vita-mix, Blend-tec, blender or food processor until smooth. ENJOY

Suggested Topping or Add-Ins

• The pictures in this post, we used our beloved Agave Pecan Butter, basically making an amazing frozen version of  Chocolate-Covered Katie’s Banana Butter
• Sometimes we add in Cocoa Nibs and we get amazing Chocolate Chip Ice cream
• ChocAgave –yummy raw chocolate sauce, or just use regular chocolate syrup
• Goji berries for a great chewy taste
• add other berries in the mixture to change up the taste, or as a topping
• add cocoa powder to make chocolate ice cream
• maca, mesquite, lucuma , protein powders
• have fun, this is such a great treat to play with

Do you have counter space? You don’t need much! Crockpots come in all shapes and sizes, and depending on the number of roadies on the bus will determine the size you need.  Crockpots can be stabilized in your sink while you are traveling to keep things safe as you hit bumps.  You can enjoy a healthy meal while traveling!  Lunch is a great time to fuel up for the evening show! 

Beef Stew (Super Simple)

Ingredients:

• 6 lbs beef round roast (1 lb per person)
• 1 pkg Beef Stew packet (McCormick)
• 2 Onions, quartered
• 1 lb Baby Carrots
• 12 New Potatoes
• 1 cup Red Wine (doesn’t have to be an expensive bottle, but something you would drink!)
• Water

Directions:

Cube meat and toss with Beef Stew Packet.  Place on bottom of CrockPot. Layer with onions, potatoes and carrots.  Pour wine over top and fill with water.  Add remaining Beef Stew Packet.  Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-10 hours.  Serve with crusty bread for a complete meal!

I know you had all heard me profess my new-found love for breakfast but I haven’t posted one in a while. For the last couple of weeks I have been making Crock-Pot Oatmeal. As you know I am always cooking up a storm in my kitchen, so to have this one be super easy really takes the pressure of breakfast off me What I do is throw all the ingredients in the crock pot on sunday, let it do its thing and then refrigerate them in perfect portions for the week. Love it! This really couldn’t be easier and there are so many versions to play with! The one below is this week’s breakfast but I will list addition as well.

Crock-Pot Oatmeal

1 cup of steel-cut oats
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 brown rice
5 cups water
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 – 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup agave

In a crock-pot, combine the oats, quinoa, rice, water, raisins and salt. Turn on high for 2.5 hours or slow for 6 hours. About 1.5 hours in, stir and recover. Once the oatmeal is finished cooking add the sweeteners of your choice. Enjoy

Additions or substitutions

• apples, chopped (before cooking for baked apples or after for crisp apples)
• dried fruits (goji berries, cranberries, chopped figs, etc. )
• berries (after cooking)
• other grains (wheat berries, barley, buckwheat, cornmeal, etc)
• sweeteners (honey, stevia, date sugar, etc.)

68 Days of Gourmet: Day 21

I have to admit that I had a mini-meltdown during menu planning this week. I was all over the place and couldn’t make a decision. Sometimes menu planning is so simple for me – it all just comes together. Other times – not so much.  I was just really overthinking it for some reason. While we were unpacking groceries, I was rambling off the menu selections for the week. Brandon seemed pretty pleased with his options so I guess I pulled it off.

We decided to keep it simple tonight with salad and a baked potato. But not just any salad…Frisee Salad with Lardons and Poached Eggs. I flagged this one in The Gourmet Cookbook because a) Brandon loves bacon and b) he thinks pretty much any food is even more delicious topped with an egg. One of his recent favorites has been a fried egg on hamburgers. Extra protein?

I actually made several changes to this recipe but it still turned out fabulously. First, we don’t love frisee – we usually pick it out of the salad mix or its left uneaten on the plate. You can’t even buy it on its own at the grocery store we shop at and I was not going to make  a special trip for it. I had some baby arugula mix in the fridge so decided to go with that. Second, I realized I was out of red wine vinegar so I used a splash of white wine vinegar and a splash of balsamic instead. And last, I opted to use my egg poacher rather than use the written method for poaching eggs.

I will definitely be making this salad again. How can you not love this combination? And the warm bacon dressing is amazing…although I had to put it in the back of my head that it was essentially bacon grease and vinegar. This is a great easy weeknight dinner paired with soup or a baked potato. It would also be an impressive first course for a dinner party.

Frisee Salad with Lardons and Poached Eggs
(Recipe adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook, printed in Gourmet February 1999)
Printable Recipe: Frisee Salad with Lardons and Poached Eggs

Ingredients:

1/2 pound frisée (French curly endive)
6 ounces slab bacon or thick-cut bacon slices (about 6 slices)
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons shallot, chopped
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Directions:

Tear frisee into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. If using slab bacon, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices. Then cut bacon slices crosswise into 1/4 inch thick strips (these are your lardons).

In a heavy skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat when bacon is golden and beginning to crisp. Set skillet aside.

In another skillet, place 1 inch of warm water and set aside. Fill up a 4-quart saucepan halfway with water and stir in white vinegar. Bring liquid to a simmer. Break each egg into a teacup one at a time and slide into simmering liquid. Immediately push white around yolk with a slotted spoon, working gently. Egg should be oval in shape and yolk should be completely covered by white. Using the same method, add the remaining 3 eggs. Simmer eggs for about 1 1/2 minutes for runny yolks up to about 3 minutes for firmer yolks. Immediately transfer eggs to skillet of warm water.

Reheat bacon in its skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook for about 1 minute, stirring often. Add red wine vinegar and boil 5 seconds. Immediately pour hot dressing over frisée and toss with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide salad among 4 plates and top with drained poached eggs. Season eggs with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

There is something so appealing about bite size pieces of chicken threaded onto a skewer and grilled . Skewered meat is found in most clutures some with their own names for them . The Thais have satays and the Greeks have souvlakis . Traditionally made with lamb , but  equally delicious with chicken .

Saveur magazine

Serves 4

3 lbs  boneless , skinless chicken breasts , cut into bite sized pieces.

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbs , chopped fresh oregano

salt to taste

To serve , Pitas , chopped tomatoes , chopped cucumber and chopped onions

Thread chicken on 8  12 inch skewers  . In a shallow pan , large enough for skewers , mix lemon juice  , olive oil and oregano . Season with salt then add skewers , cover , and refrigerate for 2 hours .

On a  very hot grill  ( or a cast iron pan over medium – high heat ) , cook chicken , basting frequently , and turning occasionally , for 7 to 10 minutes . Sprinkle with salt .

Serve in pita with chopped tomatoes , cucumbers and onions .

This is a super easy one to throw together. My husband loved it! I am sure this would be great for kids as well if you use chicken tenders instead of breasts, such a better version than the fried chicken fingers out there! This would be great with a sauce or on its own. You could always play with the mixture and add spices as well. I love that I mixed the mayo with mustard to cut the fat in half. Michael does not like the taste of mustard, but he said he couldn’t taste it at all, which is perfect! It adds all the moisture you need while cutting the fat.

As usual I doubled the recipe so I could freeze these in individual portions, but I wrote it out for more functional use But feel free to do what I did, they froze perfectly!

I always make my own breadcrumbs but to keep this extra simple just buy a good store brand. But I find making them is just as simple What I do is toast about 4 slices of multi-grain bread (we keep it in the house, so it is really convenient). I then let the slices cool a bit before cutting the edges off and tossing the pieces into the food processor. A couple of pulses and I have bread crumbs.

Multi-grain Crusted Chicken

• Olive oil for brushing
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 cups multi-grain bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Pat the chicken breasts dry and season with the salt and pepper.
2. Blend together the mustard and mayonnaise and coat the chicken with the mixture.
3. Pour the breadcrumbs onto a dinner plate, or equivalent and roll the chicken around on it to cover them.
4. Place the chicken on the baking sheet and cook until cooked through 14-25 minutes (depending on how thick your chicken is)

I love roasted veggies! Of course, my beloved brussel sprouts found their way into this one I could eat a dish like this all year-round but it just feels right in the fall/winter. Super simple, yet all the goodness and nutrition of the veggies. Pearl onions are one of my favorites too. I used fresh ones for this recipe, but to keep it simple and easy just buy a frozen box of them and toss it in.

As usual, I encourage you to play around with the recipe and substitute your favorites!

Roasted Veggies

1 pound baby carrots
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1 1/2 cups pearl onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine all the veggies with the olive oil in a large baking pan. (9×13 is the best for this)
2. Place in the oven and stir half way through.  Roast are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes total.
3. Season with salt and pepper and Enjoy!