Hilarious! (but not cooking related)

I don't even remember where I first saw this picture, but it absolutely cracks me up every.single.time. Hope it brings you some giggles!

Follow me?

If you are reading this in Google Reader, please click the link at the top of your screen so you are on the actual blog.

Go ahead. I'll give you a sec.

Okay, you there? You're on the blog itself? You see the morbid black background and the picture of me on your right grinning like a moron?

Awesome.

Okay, scroll down a bit. Over on the left, see the little box that says "Followers"?

You really should click on the link that says "Follow This Blog."

I'll be honest - I have no idea what it means to "follow" a blog.

But I assure you - it will make me feel pretty damn special if you did so. ;)

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

I've had Giada's Italian Baked Chicken and Pasta bookmarked for months now and finally am getting around to making it. I thought it'd be good, but didn't expect it to be awesome; it's really just a simple dish.

It was, however, far better than I expected. My son, who currently will not eat anything that isn't a Cheerio, ate a ton of this! That alone makes this dinner a winner, no?


Next time, I must double it. It made just enough for the three of us; there aren't any leftovers. More is better!

Confession: I was totally channeling my inner child while at the store; I went for the little alphabets rather than pastina. I felt so... childlike? while eating them.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Stuffed Pizza Pie

One of the things I love best about Picky Palate (and several other blogs) is that the dishes are "tested" by other little boys. So when I see a successful recipe, I am more confident when I give them to Ryan.


This Stuffed Pizza Pie was no exception. Ryan ate almost an entire slice by himself! Later, he kept coming up to me when I was trying to actually eat dinner myself, begging for more.

I'd like to pretend that the fact that I let him "dunk" into some Ranch Dressing had nothing to do with it...

But this was absolutely delicious, and the fact that it was so simple is just a bonus. I'd love to play around with this and make different variations. The possibilities are endless...!

Ingredients:

• 16 oz whole wheat or white pizza dough
• 1 Cup ricotta cheese
• ¼ Cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic (dried or fresh)
• 2 Cups fresh broccoli florets, steamed until fork tender, about 3 minutes in boiling water
• Pinch of salt
• ½ Cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 ½ Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Spread and press one piece of dough into the bottom and sides of a 9-9 ½ inch round baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta and parmesan cheese until well combined. Spread into pressed pizza dough.


2. Place olive oil into a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute spinach until wilted down, about 3 minutes. Place evenly over ricotta cheese layer, and sprinkle garlic on top. Place steamed broccoli florets over spinach and season with a pinch or two of kosher salt. Layer roasted red peppers, then mozzarella cheese over top. Press out remaining piece of dough and place over filling, tucking edges inside of pan. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian Seasoning. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cooked through.

3. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan or cutting into wedges.

Apple Pumpkin Chili

Pumpkin-Fest '08 continues in my kitchen, and this time the Big Orange entered the crockpot!

When this was posted on Proceed with Caution, I printed it immediately to be used on my next crockpot Wednesday.


It smelled so amazing in the crockpot, and it was so simple to prepare. I actually threw it together the night before and stashed the insert in the fridge. That morning, all I had to do was pop into the pot and push the buttons. Awesome.

The taste was fabulous, too! Nice and warm and fall-ish... and not too spicy! I LOVE not-too-spicy chili!



For all of you moms, I also figured out that the key to getting my kid to eat dinner is to let him wander underfoot as I'm trying to take pics for the blog. It doesn't matter at ALL how much (or how little) he's eaten - once he sees me fiddling with the dishes and the camera on the window seat or table, he's all over it. I have been catching so many shots lately with little hands fingers sneaking in.

I just might start feeding him at the window seat...!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey or chicken, browned in a skillet
• 2 cans (15 oz each) white beans
• 1.5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, cleaned, and sliced
• one medium shallot, diced
• 1 granny smith apple, diced
• 1/2 can pumpkin puree
• 2.5 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon dried sage
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• grated cheddar cheese, for topping

Combine all except thickener and cheese in a crockpot. Stir to mix ingredients. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6. Add thickener (equal parts broth and cornstarch) if desired and heat on high for a few minutes to thicken sauce. Serve, topping with grated cheese.

Cheeseburger Risotto

Well, folks, it has happened - I have created my own recipe. This is something I've thought up and considered for a month or two now, and finally felt somewhat ready to bring it to life.


I absolutely adore risotto, and I've experimented with a few different flavor combinations. Somewhere, somehow, the idea of making a cheeseburger version popped into my head, and I was unable to shake it out.

I used Bridget's absolutely fabulous risotto as a base, and just kind of threw the rest together!

The taste was pretty good - nice and comfort-food-ish. I did think it lacked something, but I cannot put my finger on it. Any suggestions?




Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 lb ground turkey or beef
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced fine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• chopped tomatoes for garnish

1. Brown the turkey in the olive oil and set aside. Bring the broth and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover; turn the burner off but keep the pot on the burner.

2. Heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the foaming subsides. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring until the rice nearly completely absorbs all the liquid, about 1 minute.

3. Add 2 cups of the hot stock and stir occasionally until it’s mostly absorbed (the spoon will leave a trail on the bottom of the pan), about 6 minutes. Continue to add stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently, until each addition is absorbed. Cook until rice is creamy but still somewhat firm in center (add more water in 1/2 cup increments if broth/water mixture runs out), 10 to 12 minutes longer.

4. Stir in cheese and reserved ground turkey. Add the mustard, and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve with tomatoes or garnish of choice.

Mom's Vodka Sauce

This is a nice sentimental blog post for me.

First of all, it is one that reminds me of my childhood. My mom used to make this frequently, and whenever I taste it, I am teleported back to my hometown, sitting in the kitchen of the house I grew up in, eating with my parents and brothers. Though it tastes pretty good when I make it, it's nothing like hers.

This is also one of the very first things my mom taught me to make. I never, EVER cooked before I was married, and it was a huge joke that my husband would have to learn how to love Kraft Mac and Cheese. I honestly could not cook more than that when we got married just over five years ago. My mom very patiently would stand with me in the kitchen every couple of weeks, teaching me a new staple. Those moments are without a doubt what fueled my own, albeit newfound, love of cooking.

This sauce also happens to be the source of one of my biggest almost-mistakes. After having learned how to make this, I was super excited to "entertain" for the first time - my cousin Cheryl and her husband John, also newlyweds. I had my already-splattered recipe on the counter, written in my mom's perfect handwriting, and I had gone shopping for the necessary ingredients earlier that day. I was SO thrilled to be doing this on my own!

However, as I was peeling and chopping garlic, I realized that the process was taking forever. I really didn't remember peeling and chopping for THIS long! I checked out the recipe and it said, sure enough, that I needed 4-6 cloves of garlic. Well, if I counted correctly, how did I end up with a counter FULL of peeled garlic?

Well, I will tell you. This garlic overabundance occurred because yours truly did not know the difference between a CLOVE of garlic and a HEAD. Thank goodness I made a couple of emergency calls before actually cooking all of that!

Anyway, I should stop rambling and get to the food... but before I do: Thank you, Mom. For this, and so much more. I love you!

Okay. The sauce. This time I used half-and-half rather than cream, and that gave it a thin and grainy consistency. But really, the appearance was all that was affected, and that's worth a few saved calories, don't you think?

I doubled this recipe the other night, and ended up with ten two-cup servings which are now hanging out in my freezer!

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter
• 2/3 cup vodka
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2-2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 quart light cream
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese

Melt butter in sauce pan. Add vodka and cook until alcohol evaporates.

Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent, and then add seasoning and pepper flakes.

Add both cans of tomatoes and simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Slowly add the cream while stirring, and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the cheese and stir well.

Serve over penne; freeze any leftover sauce.

Squash-Tastic Shepherd's Pie

Once I got past the fact that Hungry Girl likes her Fiber One cereal a tad too much, I found that I really enjoy her cookbook.

This meal by far surpassed my expectations. I expected kind of bland-ish, nothing-to-write-home-about dinner, but was absolutely blown away.


The pictures don't really capture its yumminess, but I assure you, this is one fabulous meal! As soon as my husband took a bite, he made a little yummy noise and said, "Wow, this is really good!" Not to pat myself on the back, but I had to agree. ;)

I usually buy pre-chopped squash, but the store didn't have any, so I bought a whole one. If you don't have to contend with one of those babies, this would definitely be a weeknight meal.

The only changes I made were to sprinkle a bit of all-spice into the squash, and then to top the dish with a bit of shredded cheddar. DE-LISH!

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1 lb raw extra-lean ground turkey
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• dash of garlic powder
• dash of onion powder
• dash of black pepper
• 3/4 cup fat-free gravy
• 1 1/2 cup frozen mixed veggies
• 1 tbsp light whipped butter or light buttery spread
• 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the squash in a large microwave-safe dish with 1/2 cup of water. Cover bowl and cook squash in the microwave for 12 to 14 minutes, until squash is soft. (I steamed mine on the stove.)

Meanwhile, in a medium pan over medium heat, cook onions until slightly browned (2 to 3 minutes).

Add the turkey, minced garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper to the pan. Stir well. Cook until meat is browned.

Drain any excess liquid from the pan. Place meat/onion mixture in a casserole dish. (I used a 9x13 and everything seemed really spread thin. This probably should have gone in my 9x9.) Pour gravy evenly over the mixture. Spread the mixed veggies on top and then set dish aside.

Once squash is cooked, drain excess water and mash well. Add butter and salt to the squash and then mix thoroughly. Layer the mashed squash on top of the veggie layer. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes (until crust looks slightly crispy).

S'more Brownies

My brother Chris (hi, Chris!!) is a very no-sweets kind of person. Never has dessert, always eats the "healthy" cereals, etc. Weirdo! ;)

But you can imagine my surprise when he emailed me the link to this recipe with a note that said, "Randomly came across this and thought it would be something you’d like to try."


My first thought was, naturally, "How did YOU end up with THIS?"

It was a fleeting thought, however, because I was then way too preoccupied with actually making them, and it didn't take more than a couple of days before I actually did.


These were really good! The brownie part was almost cakish, but not in a bad way. My only complaint was that the marshmallows were a bit... chewy. But that may have been because I stuck the brownies back in the oven for a few more minutes so that the marshmallows would sort of melt into each other. Next time I'll just make a denser layer.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch fine salt

Brownie:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 4 large cold eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  

Topping:

• 4 cups large marshmallows

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.

For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the brownie. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted. Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Brownies

I was so excited when Nana told me that Aunt Mill and Uncle Morris were here from Florida this week! We obviously don't get to see them more than once or twice a year, so we really treasure their visits.

I quickly volunteered to bring some dessert, and knew that this would be perfect. These Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Brownies from Cara's Cravings have been circling my blog circle and keep popping up on my reader. I had to give them a chance!


I suppose it's better late than never, but I only JUST NOW LEARNED that you are supposed to bake brownies for a good 10 minutes longer if you use a glass pan. Do you have ANY idea how many batches of brownies I've eaten with a spoon? Do you know how many times I've used muffin tins just to avoid the embarassment of brownie mush? Have you any clue how many times I've skipped out on the brownie idea altogether out of fear?

Well, live and learn. Unfortunately, that lesson came AFTER I made these guys. ;)

Gooeyness aside, these tasted very yummy! I brought some leftovers to Denise and George when we stopped by today to visit little baby Abby.

Ingredients:

Brownie Batter

• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Cheesecake Batter

• 6 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp each ground ginger and ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8" square metal baking pan.

Beat together melted butter, sugar, and vanilla, then beat in eggs one at a time. Combine dry ingredients and then gradually stir into butter mixture with a wooden spoon. In separate bowl, beat together cheesecake batter ingredients.

Spread about 2/3 of chocolate batter into prepared pan, and spoon cheesecake batter over. Dollop remaining brownie batter over cheesecake batter. Swirl the batters together by running a butter knife back and forth through the pan.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until center is set. Cool completely on wire rack and chill before cutting and serving.