Sweetnicks

Feed Readers

2008-03-03T14:44:00.002-05:00

Update your RSS readers - this is the new URL that you need to subscribe to in order to receive Sweetnicks' updates > http://feeds.feedburner.com/Sweetnickscom. Or you can come visit me at www.sweetnicks.com.

Heads Up Feed Readers

2008-02-13T21:23:00.002-05:00

Don't get left behind! Although Sweetnicks has been a .com for over two years now, I think a lot of visitors are still subscribed to the Blogspot address in their feedburner. Update it to www.sweetnicks.com and come on over and check out the exciting news you might have missed. See you there!

Celebrating Chinese New Year - The Year of the Rat

2008-02-07T20:41:00.000-05:00

It wasn't until our first Chinese New Year party last year that I learned really how much the holiday is truly steeped in tradition. We certainly have some of our own traditions when it comes to our New Year's Day celebration, but not to this extent.

The red lanterns, the long list of things to do to avoid bad luck, what you should do to encourage good luck, which foods will bring what type of luck and good fortune your way, and even the amount of money that you put in the traditional money envelopes is very important. I find it all fascinating.

Just like last year, I used Chinese newspapers to line the dining room table, and we all had fun trying to use the chopsticks. Nicholas, although hesitant to try them at first, actually ended up using them throughout the entire meal and had a blast.

Steamed dumplings, Shrimp and Lobster Fried Rice, Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, Almond Cookies, Fried Scallops, Scallion Pancakes, Shrimp Toast, Cold Sesame Noodles, Fried Chicken Wings, Wonton Soup ... quite the feast. The restaurant added some sort of glazed chicken wings too, as a nice surprise, and they must have been good, 'cause they're all gone. The Husband and chicken wings = dangerous combination.

I always ask for extra sauce packets when we order (if you don't, there's never enough hot mustard!), and this time, they included packets of ketchup with the stash. The first time I've ever seen ketchup at a Chinese restaraunt - what the heck are people putting it on?

If you didn't celebrate today, don't worry, there's still plenty of time. The celebration begins on the first day of the first Lunar month (today), and ends on the 15th day, so you have two weeks to get your party on. Below are some fun little details for your own celebration:

"Red envelopes always contain money, usually varying from a couple of dollars to several hundred. The amount of money in the red packets should be of even numbers, as odd numbers are associated with cash given during funerals (帛金 : Bai Jin). Since the number 4 is considered bad luck, because the word for four is a homophone for death, money in the red envelopes never adds up to $4. However, the number 8 is considered lucky (for its homophone for "wealth"), and $8 is commonly found in the red envelopes. Sometimes chocolate coins are found in the red packets. Odd and even numbers are determined by the first digit, rather than the last. Thirty and fifty, for example, are odd numbers, and are thus appropriate as funeral cash gifts. However, it is common and quite acceptable to have cash gifts in a red packet using a single bank note — with ten or fifty yuan bills used frequently."

"Clothing mainly featuring the colour red is commonly worn throughout the Chinese New Year because it is believed that red will scare away evil spirits and bad fortune. In addition, people typically wear new clothes from head to toe to symbolize a new beginning in the new year."

"During these 15 days of the Chinese New Year one will see superstitious or traditional cultural beliefs with meanings which can be puzzling in the eyes of those who do not celebrate this occasion. There is a customary reason that explains why everything, not just limited to decorations, are centered on the colour red. At times, gold is the accompanying colour for reasons that are already obvious. One best and common example is the red diamond-shaped posters with the character 福 (pinyin: fú), or "auspiciousness" which are displayed around the house and on doors. This sign is usually seen hanging upside down, since the Chinese word 倒 (pinyin: dǎo), or "upside down", sounds similar as 到 (pinyin: dào), or "arrive". Therefore, it symbolizes the arrival of luck, happiness, and prosperity."

"Good luck:
- Opening windows and/or doors is considered to bring in the good luck of the new year.
- Switching on the lights for the night is considered good luck to 'scare away' ghosts and spirits of misfortune that may compromise the luck and fortune of the new year.
- Sweets are eaten to ensure the consumer a "sweet" year.
- It is important to have the house completely clean from top to bottom before New Year's Day for good luck in the coming year. (however, as explained below, cleaning the house after New Year's Day is frowned upon)
- Some believe that what happens on the first day of the new year reflects the rest of the year to come. Asians will often gamble at the beginning of the year, hoping to get luck and prosperity.
- Wearing a new pair of slippers that is bought before the new year, because it means to step on the people who gossip about you.
- The night before the new year, bathe yourself in pomelo leaves and some say that you will be healthy for the rest of the new year."

That should keep you busy for awhile, but if you want more details on the holiday, tradition and how to celebrate, Google is your friend, and this is a good link to start with. Have fun!

Folks, I'll be taking the next week or so off, but when I come back, I hope to have a very special surprise for you, so keep on checking in.

While I'm gone, the Sweetnicks site will also be undergoing a redesign, so when you're checking in, there may be a very brief period of downtime as well, but rest assured, I'm not going anywhere; just worked out to be good timing for a few days off. :).

P.S. Keep cooking those ARF/5-A-Day goodies, the round-up will resume as soon as I come back.

* All quoted facts come from Wikipedia.

Parmesan Steak Fries

2008-02-06T20:03:00.000-05:00

After making these oven-baked fries, you just might not want to eat fries another way again. Now I realize that's a rather bold statement to make, but how can you not when the end result is a healthy, full-flavor thick steak fry that's easy to make and uses ingredients you likely have on hand?

Around the Sweetnicks kitchen, it seems the potatoes sprout and go soft faster than I can use them, which drives me this side of crazy. I had a few to use up the other day, and when I spied this recipe for Parmesan Steak Fries on the Cooking Light Bulletin Board, I knew I had the answer. Nicholas and I love the thicker-cut steak fries, as opposed to the skinnier ones, and even better when they're crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

I told him the plan and he grabbed his Home Depot apron, jumped on the stepstool, and asked me to roll up his sleeves. He scrubbed the potatoes for me, I chopped them, and then he mixed the egg whites. Within just a few minutes, the potato spears were baking peacefully away in the oven and we killed time coloring in the kitchen.

When they came out of the oven, we just knew they would be good. You could tell they were going to be nice and crispy, and it was all we could do to wait for them to cool off. We got a small plate of ketchup for dipping, and dug in. Big grins filled our faces as we went back for more.

"Mama, these are so good, we could open up our own restaurant."

A kid after my own heart.

The next day, he was still talking about the french fries ... and the restaurant.

"We could open up the restaurant in our house and have people come over and cook for them."

"Honey, I wish we could, but in New Jersey, that's against the rules. You have to have it in a real restaurant."

"But why?"

"Because they have to come out and inspect the kitchen and make sure it's clean and everything."

"But our kitchen is clean!"

"I know, honey, it's just one of those rules."

"OK then, we'll just open up a regular restaurant instead."

Maybe one of these days, it won't be such a big dream, but in the meantime, we're going to enjoy these so-good-we-should-open-up-a-restaurant Parmesan Steak Fries and you can too.

Parmesan Steak Fries
Recipe courtesy of Everyday Food via CLBB

3 large egg whites
1 tsp coarse salt
3 baking potatoes
1 1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk egg whites with salt until frothy. Cut each potato into 6 long spears. Add to egg whites and turn to coat.

Lift spears out of egg whites, shaking off excess. Sprinkle with cheese until coated. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake without turning until potatoes are fork-tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Season to taste.

ARF/5-A-Day #106

2008-02-05T20:47:00.000-05:00

The other day when I was on Cooking Light's website looking up a recipe, I spied a picture for their Monte Cristo Sandwich. Would you believe I've managed to go nearly 38 years and have never had a Monte Cristo Sandwich? I know, shocking.

It really is a strange mix of things that just happen to work. Who would have thought of putting together ham, Swiss cheese, eggs, raspberry preserves and confectioners' sugar, only to call it dinner? Mmmm, so good and totally hit the spot. And with the addition of the raspberry preserves, this one manages to just squeak in for my own ARF/5-A-Day contribution this week.

Before I forget, ARF/5-A-Day will be taking a break and skipping next week (more on that on Thursday), but will be back the following week, so keep on making your Antioxidant Rich Foods, fruits and vegetables. Now onto what everyone else cooked up...

P.S. Last night's post was Number 1000 - how cool is that? Hard to believe we're fast approaching three years on Sweetnicks! Thanks for joining me for the ride so far.

Cooking Is Medicine has a surprise guest chef this week. Check out her site to see who made this Sunday Roast with Vegetables - perfect Winter comfort food:

Table for Two shares her perfect for ARF/5-A-Day contribution, Veg-tastic Spaghetti:

Newcomer A Scientist in the Kitchen serves up Tuna Sandwiches with Black Sesame Seeds for a unique twist:

Cooking the Books is back this week with her hearty Baked Lima Beans Parmigiana. A Mark Bittman recipe, with the addition of red wine, she's got MY mouth watering!

Diet, Dessert and Dogs goes vegan with her Molten Chocolate Cakes that not only contain spinach, but zucchini too!

Newcomer Culinary Bazaar plates up the very colorful Vegetarian Paella:

The Greedy Gourmet goes to Lancashire for inspiration this week, coming back with her Lamb and Leek Hotpot:

Sarah from What Smells So Good celebrates healthy hearts with her adorable Sweet Red Roasties:

Need something to wash down all these fab ARF/5-A-Day entries? The Pomegranate Lemonade from Sarah's Cucina Bella is just the ticket:

Yup, The Chocolate Lady has done it again. Never heard of bell fruit before. It is seriously hard to believe that she lives only an hour away from me - I've got to get out more!

If I didn't know better, I would have thought this entry from Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska was dessert, but instead it's a gorgeous Roasted Beet and Garlic Tart:

And lastly, another newcomer, Lost in the Kitchen shares her Date, Banana and Rum Loaf. Go on and check out her site for all the details, and welcome a very new food blogger to our happy little community.

Monte Cristo Sandwiches
Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

3 tablespoons honey mustard
8 (1-ounce) slices white bread
4 (1-ounce) slices Swiss cheese
1/4 pound thinly sliced smoked ham
1/3 cup fat-free milk
2 large egg whites (I used one whole egg)
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

Spread about 1 teaspoon mustard over each bread slice. Place 1 cheese slice on each of 4 bread slices. Divide ham evenly over cheese. Cover with the remaining 4 bread slices, mustard sides down. Combine milk and egg whites in a shallow dish. Dip both sides of each sandwich into milk mixture. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Cook sandwiches for 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Sprinkle each sandwich with 1/2 teaspoon sugar; top each with 1 tablespoon jam.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 387(27% from fat); FAT 11.5g (sat 6g,mono 3.7g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 20.7g; CHOLESTEROL 40mg; CALCIUM 366mg; SODIUM 840mg; FIBER 1.6g; IRON 2.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 49.1g

Superbowl Fun

2008-02-04T20:52:00.000-05:00

Superbowl planning and food traditionally belongs to The Neighbors, and yesterday was no exception - I can't hog all the holidays and fun, can I? We were aiming at keeping the food along the lines of the grazing type, perfect choices to hold us over for a few hours during the game.

I must have changed my mind ten times if I changed it once, while trying to decide what to bring. I ended up going with those sinfully delicious Bacon Cheese Appetizers we made awhile back (and they're still just as good, producing happy moans all around), Shrimp Cocktail and Onion Fritattas (more on those later in the week). She made fresh guacamole and pigs in a blanket, and a sandwich platter and wings from Costco rounded out the feast. Perfect food to watch the game.

And the game! Anyone who knows me knows that I just don't have much interest in football. Show me the halftime entertainment, some good commercials and a lot of fun food, and I'm there, but I won't be paying much attention to the actual game. Last night though, I actually watched the game, and even learned quite a bit. I was definitely the only one rooting 100% for the Giants (hello? hometown team?), and was glad that they won. The throw that Eli Manning managed to get off while untangling himself from the sack was a showstopper, only met by the fact that it was caught so well. How did David (thanks, Val!) manage to hang onto it with one hand on his helmet, while falling?

The commercials? Eh, I thought they were disappointing this year, with the Clydesdales and the dalmations being the only memorable exception. And the halftime show? Another snooze. We decided, so far, that Aerosmith from a few years ago was the best one. Until tomorrow...

Roasted Sausage and Peppers

2008-01-31T22:47:00.000-05:00

Tonight we celebrated The Neighbor Wife's birthday. I had a few packages of sausages in the fridge so had already wrapped my mind around making Sausages and Peppers, which I haven't made in ages. One of my co-workers has a fantastic recipe for it that I've made several times, but after spending 30 minutes trying to locate the recipe, I gave up. One of these days, when I get a little bit of free time, I am going to seriously organized my tried-and-true recipe file. But until then...

So after asking for suggestions from members of the Cooking Light message board, I had 17 different ones to choose from. I had an appointment that ran late this afternoon, so ended up going for the easiest of the bunch, and it was a perfect choice. Nicholas and I walked in the front door and headed straight for the kitchen. He's becoming a great sous chef for me lately, and tonight he dragged the stool over to the sink and began washing the peppers and potatoes for me. I chopped. He tossed. In 15 minutes, dinner was in the oven. The recipe could not be easier. Chop a bunch of stuff, throw it in a roasting pan with some balsamic vinegar, and an hour later, dinner is ready. Made for a deliciously healthy version of Sausage and Peppers, which was perfect served in hot, crusty sandwich rolls and a little bit of melted cheese. Another one to add to my mess of a tried-and-true file. Now to try the other 16 versions.

ROASTED SAUSAGE & ONIONS

1 to 1-1/4 lbs. sweet Italian sausage
3 onions, cut in one inch chunks
2 green peppers and 1 red, cut into bite size pieces
3-4 potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite size pieces
2/3 cup plus one tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 425. In a 9 x 13 pan combine sausage, cut into one inch chunks, with onions, peppers, potatoes, balsamic vinegar and ground black pepper. Roast in oven until sausages are completely browned, onions nicely carmelized and liquid is almost completely evaporated, about forty-five minutes. Stir occasionally, and add water in 1/4 cups if pan seems to be drying out.

Remove from oven, add an additional tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and one tablespoon water. Let stand for three minutes, then stir, scraping up brown bits and sauce. Pour into serving dish, or directly in hot, crusty rolls. Serves four.

Cate's Notes: The original recipe did not call for peppers or potatoes, so because I added those, I doubled the amount of balsamic vinegar to 2/3 and used a larger pan than 9x13.

Texas Home Fries

2008-01-30T20:26:00.000-05:00

I love diners. More to the point, I love home fries at diners. Slightly wet, full of flavor and oh so delicious, it's one of my favorite ways to eat potatoes. That being said, it's not exactly always the healthiest way to eat potatoes, but all things in moderation. As long as we're not making a regular habit out of it, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it, and neither should you.

So when I spied the picture and accompanying recipe for Texas Home Fries in a recent issue of the Taste of the South magazine, it should come as no surprise that it landed on our dinner menu. With only two tablespoons of butter (although I needed a smidge more) in the whole recipe, this is a fairly healthy version that is very reminiscent of the ones you enjoy at your local diner. Soft red bell pepper bits, caramelized onions, potatoes and gently spiced, you make quick work of the recipe by boiling the diced potatoes first. Although I added a little more butter than the recipe called for (mostly to keep the potatoes from sticking and get up those great browned bits on the bottom of the pan), I doubled the amount of red pepper and onion, so doubt it subtracted any healthy aspects of the finished dish. A little dollop of ketchup on the side, these Texas Home Fries are perfect for sitting alongside your eggs in the morning or accompanying a main course at the dinner table. More importantly, a thumbs up all around the Sweetnicks table, even from the I-only-like-roasted-potatoes-and-french-fries Husband.

Texas Home Fries
Recipe courtesy of Taste of the South magazine

Yield: 4 servings
Preparation: 15-20 minutes
Cook: approximately 30 minutes

6 large red potatoes (such as Texas Red Bliss), diced, but not peeled
1/2 yellow onion, diced (I used a whole small/medium onion)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced (I used a whole pepper)
2 tablespoons butter (I used about 4)
1 tablespoon paprika
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large pot of boiling salted water, boil potatoes for approximately 4 minutes, or until barely cooked. Drain well in a colander. In a large well-seasoned cast-iron skillet (I used a regular skillet), saute onion and bell pepper in butter. When they are tender, add potatoes and cook until golden brown. (Potatoes will brown faster if you don't move them around too much.) Add paprika, season with salt and black pepper, and serve hot.

ARF/5-A-Day #105

2008-01-29T22:56:00.000-05:00

Today was a day. Running from one thing to another, I feel like I barely took a breath all day. I've had a bad cold and sore throat since Thursday, so dragged myself to the doctor this afternoon just to rule out strep (luckily, negative), but Nicholas and I got home at about 5:30 and he had to be back at school by 7, so figuring out what to make for dinner with stuff I had on hand was my first task when I walked in the door.

After rummaging around in the fridge, I came up with a Tomato, Sausage and Ham Pizza, with a little bit of a twist thrown in for good measure. After I cooked the sausage, I add a little bit of an egg and cream mixture to give the pizza a slightly different consistency. It certainly still looks like pizza, so Nicholas had no complaints, and after he picked out all the onions, he was pretty satisfied with it. Hey, it saved me a trip to the grocery store, used up a few things in the kitchen, and now I have lunch for tomorrow. Sounds like a win-win all around, and with the tomatoes, it (phew!) counts for tonight's roundup. Onto what everyone else served up -- the roundups are getting bigger week by week ... must be all those New Years' resolutions!

The Chocolate Lady is back this week, and only stumped me on one of her two contributions. Kaffir limes I've heard of, limequats, however, is another story. Go on and check out her site to see what she did with them.

The doc is in, and this time with one of my favorite vegetables. Serving up a delicious recipe of Chicken and Asparagus with Melted Gruyere, getting inspiration from her Adopt-A-Blogger, it looks simply divine.

Sarah's Cucina Bella goes pesto with a twist. This sun-dried tomato version sounds perfect for a tasty sandwich:

More Bread and Cheese, Please goes Moroccan with her simple carrot salad:

Aprovechar is back this week with her Soy-Free & Gluten-Free Sorta Thai Pineapple, Cashew, & Veggie Fried Rice. Taking cues from the importance of mise en place, it looks like she came up with a winner:

Veggie Love takes a walk on the sweet side with her Orange Pound Cake. Hey, with oranges included, and particularly the marionberry preserves, it's got to be healthy, right?

Table for Two is back this week with her very hearty version of Ribollita, perfect for this still-chilly weather we're all having.

Newcomer The Cook Mobile is off to a great start with her contribution - check out the Eggplant, Roasted Peppers and Gouda Sandwich:

Sarah from What Smells So Good bakes up the very unusual Rainbow Maple-Ginger Mini Loaf:

Diet, Dessert and Dogs goes with the very unique combination of turnips and pears for her soup this week. I wouldn't have thought to put those two ingredients together, but it looks like she came up with a winner:

I've never made risotto, but definitely love the stuff, so one of these days... Patsy's Pancetta and Spinach Risotto looks like a great place to start:

Up a Creek Without a PatL returns to a bit of food blogging this week with her Roasted Garbanzos with Garlic and Chard:

Newcomer Green Gourmet Giraffe goes the juice route for her first contribution with her Deep Purple Juice, and it couldn't be more ARF/5-A-Day-friendly if it tried:

I honestly don't think it could get fresher than this Gravlax recipe from Laurie at Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska:

Miss the fun and want to join in next week's ARF/5-A-Day roundup? We'd love to have you, and you can get all the details right here.

Tomato Sausage and Ham Pizza
Recipe courtesy of Cate

1 (9 inch) refrigerated pizza crust
1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage
1/4-1/2 pound sliced ham
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
1/2 cup light cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 small package grape/cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano, or to taste
1 teaspoon dried basil, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Press the pizza crust into the bottom and up the sides of a small pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the sausage in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally until sausage is browned, and onions are translucent. Add ham and cook 2-3 minutes until warmed through. Drain and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the egg and cream until blended. Stir into the sausage mixture. Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese over the bottom of the crust. Place the sausage mixture over the cheese. Arrange tomatoes over the sausage layer, then top with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle dried basil and oregano over the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes until heated through and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Ragu Bolognese

2008-01-28T21:18:00.000-05:00

I think Trevor might very well be my oldest friend. We met in the second grade at school in England, when both of our families were transferred there. The other day I came across a class picture of us ... me with the bad haircut and a scowl. Him? A cocky grin bordering on smirk. Between the scowl and the smirk, it's any wonder we became friends. Now some, ahem, 30 (!) years later, he lives in Texas with his wife and energetic two-year-old son, and we trade recipes back and forth. He's been much better at trying out some of my recipes, but this weekend I finally got around to trying one of his ... Ragu Bolognese.

After reading the list of ingredients and getting the recipe started, I had to fight the urge to add some more herbs or spices. Although thyme was included, there was no oregano or basil. No oregano in an Italian pasta sauce? Great restraint was needed here. When I make a recipe for the first time, I try to stay true to as its written, and he was right. It didn't need it. A rich, deep sauce, no doubt due to the wine and long simmer time, it was hearty, but perfectly balanced; delicious without being too heavy. I served it over plain spaghetti and ended up freezing half the sauce to make my life easier on another crazy night. If you have a lazy afternoon, and want a just-right Bolognese sauce, give this one a whirl. You won't be disappointed. Even Nicholas ate it up, and that's high praise considering he could "see the vegetables."

Ragu Bolognese
Recipe courtesy of Trevor

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced (I used 3)
1 clove garlic, sliced
½ pound ground sirloin
½ pound ground pork
6 oz. pancetta (I used 8 oz)
1 tube of tomato paste (I used one small can)
1 1/2 cup milk
2 cups dry white wine (sauvignion or fume blanc)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Fresh thyme
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, garlic and carrots and sweat over medium heat until the vegetables are translucent and soft but not browned (10-15 minutes). Add the beef, pork and pancetta and stir into the vegetables. Add it over high heat, stirring to keep the meat from sticking together until browned. Add the tomato paste, milk, and wine and simmer over medium-low heat for 1-1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. Season with thyme, salt and pepper to taste.

Happy Birthday to The Neighbor Wife

2008-01-27T19:45:00.000-05:00

Many happy returns for a wonderfully fun-filled birthday!

P.S. And hey, Neighbor Wife, just say it, "Cate, you were right."

Ode to Bacon

2008-01-26T18:57:00.000-05:00

I agree with The BBQ Grail - this is too funny not to post, and was enough to get me out of my usual self-imposed weekend writing hibernation. Everything is better with bacon.

Sicilian Spaghetti

2008-01-24T20:01:00.001-05:00

An old and dear friend of mine, Trevor, started reading Sweetnicks some months back and has made a bunch of my recipes since then. He has also developed his own love of cooking, and has sent me a few of his own recipes to try out. I hadn't tried any of them yet, and I promised him I was making one of them tonight. So with The Husband home for dinner tonight, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to try Trevor's Ragu Bolognese. It sure sounded like a good plan, until I printed out the recipe and started skimming the directions, jumping to the bottom where it says something about 1-1/2 hours ... and it was 5:45 pm. Ooops. This weekend, Trevor, I promise!

But now what? I jumped on AllRecipes site and started skimming their Top 20 Recipes section and spied a recipe for Sicilian Spaghetti. I had all the ingredients on hand, and it was quick to put together. Plan B.

The Neighbors had an appointment tonight, so The Girlfriend was joining us for dinner. Mid-recipe, she comes into the kitchen and says, "Miss Cate, when you make me my sandwich, can you make sure to put mayo on it? Because I like mayo." To which I responded, "That's good to know, but we're having spaghetti tonight. Is that ok?" Luckily she smiled, quickly nodded and ran away to go back to playing with Nicholas. Bullet successfully dodged... little kid meltdowns at dinner time are never fun.

Flashforward to the dinner table and both kids are inhaling their pasta. Not only are they unknowingly eating anchovies, they're also eating whole wheat pasta (love Barilla's!). The only change I made was to drizzle a little bit of extra virgin olive oil over the pasta at the end, and I'd do that next time too, perhaps even a little bit more. Without it, the pasta would have been way too dry. If you're looking for a pasta with a sauce, this is not the pasta to choose.

Dinner crisis averted, kids happy and well-fed with a healthy dinner, and I managed to save an unneeded trip to the grocery store. My work here is done.

Sicilian Spaghetti
Recipe courtesy of Simon, AllRecipes
8 servings

1 pound spaghetti
4 tablespoons olive oil (I used more at the end to make the pasta a little less dry)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (2 ounce) can anchovy fillets, chopped (I promise you won't be able to taste these in the finished dish)
1 cup fine bread crumbs
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
ground black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add garlic and anchovies to cook for about 2 minutes; stir constantly. Stir in breadcrumbs and turn off heat. Add parsley and black ground pepper; mix together. Toss anchovy sauce with hot pasta and sprinkle with cheese; serve.

Egg Cups

2008-01-23T22:24:00.000-05:00

Although breakfast is undoubtedly the most important meal of the day, I always struggle with it. I don't skip it, but in the morning after dropping Nicholas off at school, I am concentrating on getting straight to work and usually just grab something simple like a yogurt, fresh fruit or a toasted English Muffin or bagel. On the weekends, it's not easier. I usually have a to-do list longer than available time and stop for a bagel, or just have an early lunch. If The Husband is home, he'll usually make me breakfast on Sundays, but he's been working crazylong hours lately and we're just two ships passing in the night ... until the end of next week anyway.

That being said, when I spied these Egg Muffins on Kalyn's site recently, I went out and bought a silicone muffin pan (although a regular would certainly do) and made them that night. They could not be any simpler to make and ensure that I get a more filling breakfast without wasting time. I'm calling these Egg Cups though, because when I hear muffins, I think bread, and there ain't none of that here. No matter, just deliciousness and pure flexibility as you can add whatever mix-ins you want. Although she mentions that she freezes hers, I don't think I'd do that again in the future. After nuking a frozen one, for some reason it seemed to hold extra water (perhaps from the ice forming, and this was only a couple days later) and the eggs weren't as tender. Still a great, healthy breakfast on the go, and what else could we want in the morning?

Egg Muffins
(Makes 12 muffins, recipe created by Kalyn with inspiration from The South Beach Diet Book).

15 eggs (for silicone muffin pan, use 12 eggs for metal muffin tins. You can use less egg yolks and more egg white if you prefer.)
1-2 tsp. Spike Seasoning
1-2 cups grated low fat cheese
Optional, but highly recommended, 3 green onions diced small
Optional: chopped veggies such as blanched broccoli, red pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, etc. (Using veggies will reduce the fat content)
Optional: diced Canadian bacon, lean ham, or crumbled cooked turkey sausage

Preheat oven to 375F. Use regular or silicone muffin pan, 12 muffin size. If using silicone pan, spray with nonstick spray. If using regular muffin pan, put two paper liners into each slot, then spray liner with nonstick spray.

In the bottom of the muffin cups layer diced meat, if using, vegetables, if using, cheese and green onions. You want the muffin cups to be about 2/3 full, with just enough room to pour a little egg around the other ingredients. Break eggs into large measuring bowl with pour spout, add Spike, and beat well. (I used to add a bit of half and half or milk, but lately I like the way they turn out without it.) Pour egg into each muffin cup until it is 3/4 full. I like to stir slightly with a fork. Bake 25-35 minutes until muffins have risen and are slightly browned and set.

Muffins will keep at least a week in the refrigerator without freezing. Egg muffins can be frozen and reheated. For best results, thaw in refrigerator before reheating. Microwave on high about 2 minutes to reheat.

P.S. All notes in the above recipe are directly from Kalyn.

ARF/5-A-Day #104

2008-01-22T20:57:00.000-05:00

I love Jamie Oliver, and my mom and I have been fortunate enough to meet him twice, but I have a bone to pick with him. In case you haven't watched it yet, he has a new show on Food Network called Jamie at Home, which has a large part of its focus on vegetables, and more to the point, vegetables that people might be growing at home. Not people like me, of course, but I'm hoping this Spring...

This past weekend, I caught a "pastry" episode and he made Apple Pie, a quiche and a fabulous, mouth-watering Steak, Guinness and Cheddar Pie. Sounds good, right? Until you go to Food Network to find the recipe for said Steak Pie. Not there, although two of the other recipes are. Harumph. I remembered a lot of it, and luckily the recipe itself is fairly simple, but still ... people need recipes! Rumor has it that it's not appearing on Food Network's site because it's going to be in a new cookbook. Fair enough, then they should hold the episode until the recipe will be available, no?

So anyway, that's what I ended up making last night for today's ARF/5-A-Round-Up contribution. After all, with hearty mushrooms, carrots and celery, it surely is the perfect contender. Since I was making the recipe largely from memory, which is otherwise known as "winging it," the jury might still be out on the final verdict, and I look forward to getting a copy of his newest cookbook, Jamie at Home (not readily available stateside yet). As he puts it, the new cookbook is about "cooking stuff and growing stuff, and if I can do it, you can do it."

The temperatures here have been in the low 20s and unbearably cold, so it was the perfect tummy-warming food to take the chill off, and honestly, quite simple to make. The meat was a little tougher than I would have liked, but that's more due to the cut I suspect, rather than the recipe's process. I used diced meat that you would use for stew, but after checking out a discussion on this recipe on Jamie's own site, it seems brisket was the way to go. In deference to Jamie not wanting to put the recipe out there yet, I'm not going to post what I did, but as soon as the book is in my hot little hands, I'll make it and share. Promise. If you can't wait, there are a couple of versions on that discussion thread. As an aside, I thought it pretty funny that on a "pastry" episode, he used (and readily advocated) store-bought pastry. He mentioned that it's just too fiddly to make a proper savory crust and it's better to buy it. That's something I can definitely live with.

Alright, enough about me ... onto what everyone else made for the round-up.

Sarah from Sarah's Cucina Bella converts her husband over to the wonderful world of sweet potatoes with her Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries:

Bonus points if you can identify this fruit without going to The Chocolate Lady's site first ... and finally something I do recognize right away, although have yet to try.

Newcomer Sally from Aprovechar joins us for the first time this week with her Avocado-based mayonnaise substitute for a scrumptious-looking Tuna Melt sandwich:

Sweet potato fries make their second appearance this week, this time courtesy of Diet, Dessert and Dogs, complete with a Miso Gravy:

Another newcomer, Mansi from Fun and Food, is serving up the very Spring-like Green Pea and Mint Soup:

Laurie from Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska is back this week with the very unusual Red Cabbage with Mushrooms and Blueberries:

Cooking the Books gets inspired from Jack Bishop this week with her Soft Tacos with Garlicky Greens, served with a Mexican Citrus Salad:

Sarah from What Smells So Good goes Asian with her Japanese Tea Cakies:

Our third newcomer this week comes by way of Tracy from Rah Cha Chow with her Butternut Squash Soup with Cinnamon Croutons. Does that sound heavenly or what?

Nicholas and I have been on a muffin kick lately - methinks this batch of Cinnamon Muffins from Claire's Cooking Is Medicine site just may be next on our list:

Inquiring Minds Want to Know... Tongue Kissing?!

2008-01-21T20:20:00.000-05:00

Nicholas is quite prone to asking difficult question that go way beyond the usual incessant peppering of "Why?"

With my sister and brother-in-law's new baby, Sophie, babies have been an ongoing topic of numerous questions. How do babies get in your belly? I told him God puts them there. But "HOW?" Magic. How do they get out?

* * * *

About a year ago, Nicholas and I were in a store and the cashier had only one arm. Watching Nicholas, who was intently concentrating on the cashier, I knew what was coming, and was just hoping the questions would come out of the cashier's earshot, since you never know how they're going to be worded. As I got my change, I breathed a sigh of relief and we headed towards the door. Just as I put my hand on the handle, "Mama, why does he have only one arm? Where is his other one?" I turned around and the cashier had heard. He was laughing and said, "Don't worry, I get it all the time." He was kind enough to explain to Nicholas what happened, and Nicholas was in total and complete awe.

* * * *

Recently, on our way to do some errands, we passed by a small forest.

"Mama, are there bears in there?"

"I suppose it's possible."

"What if they fall down?"

"Well, they would probably get right back up."

"No, I mean, what if they're walking towards the street and they fall down?"

"Well, I guess it would depend on how hurt they were."

"Did you know bears have souls?"

"They do?"

"Yes. I have a soul too. It's that thing inside me with a little voice that says 'Uh uh, you shouldn't do that.' Bears have a soul like that too."

* * * *

This morning, not quite ready to get up and get dressed yet, he was lying on our bedroom floor, petting Eli.

"I love Eli so much. How old is he?"

"He's five, just like you."

"Really? That's so cool. What does he want to be when he grows up?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like an artist ... a fireman ... a teacher... what does Eli want to be when he grows up?"

"Honey, he's always going to be a dog, even when he grows up."

"Really? That's so sad. But it's ok, I'll still love him just as much."

* * * *

Now as for the tongue kissing...?

Last night, we were watching an episode of Rachael Ray's talk show and she had Tim Daly (of Private Practice) on as a guest. Tim was talking about a scene he had with Kate Walsh, and his lines were, "I'm going to kiss you. There is going to be tongue involved."

Nicholas turns to me and exclaims, "They kiss with their tongues? How do they do it?"

"Well, they kiss with their lips and then open their mouths and their tongues touch."

"How long do their tongues touch for?"

"As long as they want."

"Do they just go in and out?"

"Sometimes."

"Ewwwwwww!"

* * * *

He seriously cracks me up. I never thought I'd have to explain tongue kissing to a 5-1/2 year-old, and thankfully, the line of questioning didn't continue past him being grossed out.

For some reason, I am the only one that gets the hard questions. I'm certain it's because I've told him that "Moms know everything, and what they don't know, they make up." This has certainly backfired on me more than once.

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2008-01-20T21:27:00.000-05:00

Say THAT three times fast! Nicholas and I now have a standing date to bake something at least once a week. He loves to help out in the kitchen, and with the recent holidays and other general craziness, we haven't been doing it as much lately. The other day I spied a recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins on the Cooking Light Bulletin Board, and since Nicholas was asking for Banana Muffins just yesterday, I knew this would be perfect.

When I told him the plan, he raced me to the kitchen and grabbed the stepstool, pulling it to the counter. I grabbed a big bowl and started adding all the ingredients into it and handed him his very own spatula (it's a kids' size one I picked up at Williams-Sonoma awhile back, and he loves the fact that it is his, and his alone). He set to work on mixing up all the ingredients and then after I sprayed the muffin tins, he loaded them all up. He loves doing all the parts I find more tedious, so we make a great team.

Coming back to the kitchen to check if the muffins were ready nearly every five minutes, he could hardly wait to try them. Once they were done and cooled, though barely, we both grabbed one and sunk our teeth into it. Still warm from the oven, the chocolate was nice and melty and the subtle peanut butter flavor was definitely there. Two thumbs up from the Sweetnicks kitchen. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 to 3 ripe large bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cups or so)
1 cup milk
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 cup milk chocolate chips

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl combine mashed bananas, milk, peanut butter, oil, vanilla and egg. Add to flour mixture, stirring until just combined. (We just combine everything in one big bowl - we live on the edge like that). Stir in chocolate chips or chunks.

Pour batter into muffin tins OR mini muffin tins OR 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350F for approx. 25-35 minutes (for regular size muffins), or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Makes 2 loaves or 18-24 muffins or 4 dozen mini muffins

Chicken Scarpiella

2008-01-17T22:20:00.000-05:00

Between an early morning appointment at the doctor and meetings lasting the rest of the day, I was very tempted to call in for take-out or put on a pot of plain spaghetti on for dinner and call it a day. But this is actually the first night all week that we have all been able to sit down and have dinner together, and I thought I should do better than take-out.

Luckily, knowing how the day was going to go, I had a plan ahead of time and usually that really is half the battle. In the February issue of Family Circle magazine, there was a recipe for Chicken Scarpiella. The only time consuming part of the recipe was chopping all the vegetables and, really, who can't handle that? Nicholas did his homework in the kitchen to keep me company while I set to work.

After two platefuls, The Husband finally came up for air and said how much he liked the dinner, proclaiming these potatoes the best ones to date. He's pretty picky about potatoes ... french fries or roast potatoes, and that's pretty much it. What's more, he thought the vegetables were so good, he ate all the green peppers too, where usually he would pick around them. They were moist and flavorful, and they certainly smelled amazing while baking, conjuring up memories of sausage and peppers, which, I think, is going to have to be on tap for the weekend now.

As written, each serving has 403 calories, 12 grams of fat and 5 grams of fiber. The only change I made was to double the amount of chicken, but I kept all the other ingredients the same, so our nutritional stats might even be a slight improvement on theirs.

Easy to make, nice hearty food, and a thumbs up all around ... go on and dig in. A keeper for sure.

A year ago today... a sweet ending.
Two years ago today... The Husband cooks.

Chicken Scarpiella
Recipe courtesy of Family Circle magazine, February 2008
Makes: 4 servings Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: at 400 degree F for 50 minutes

4 fully cooked Italian- or sun-dried-tomato-flavor chicken sausage (such as Al Fresco), about 12 ounces, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large sweet onion, peeled, halved and cut into 1/2-inch rings
2 green bell peppers, about 1 pound, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound small red-skinned potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
4 hot cherry peppers, trimmed, seeds removed and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 skinless chicken breast halves, bone in, cut in half crosswise, about 1-1/2 pounds total (I doubled)
1/2 cup chicken broth
Steamed broccoli (optional)

1. Heat oven to 400 degree F. In a large roasting pan, combine sausage, onion, green pepper, potatoes, cherry peppers and garlic. Add olive oil and toss together. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Place on lower rack of oven. Bake at 400 degree F for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken in dish and season with remaining 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Pour broth into bottom of dish. Once sausage mixture has baked 10 minutes, add chicken to oven on top rack. Bake both dishes at 400 degree F for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of chicken reads 160 degree F on an instant-read thermometer and potatoes are fork tender. Stir vegetables twice during baking.

3. Add chicken to vegetables; cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken registers 170 degree F.

4. Transfer chicken and vegetables to a large platter and serve.

Best Recipes of 2007

2008-01-16T20:42:00.000-05:00

As a follow-up to my recent piece highlighting Food Network's Top 100 Recipes of 2007, I'd like to highlight Food and Wine's very own list. Last year, the magazine published a whopping 650 recipes, and they have chosen 90 as their very best to highlight the year. As much as I like and watch Food Network television, I think Food & Wine's list is much more on target with the types of recipes I would gravitate towards.

While a lot of the recipes call to the "foodie" in us and are not necessarily everyday fare (like the Pepper-Crusted Prime Rib Roast with Mushroom Armagnac Sauce, Strawberry Shortcakes with Meyer Lemon Cream and the Thai Chicken Stew with Potato Chive Dumplings, for example), the list is filled out nicely with simpler and familiar recipes as well, like their Perfect Pizza Margherita, All-American Hamburgers with Red Onion Compote, and their take on Key Lime Pie with Bruleed Key Lime Tarts.

Lest you think this is a "stuffy" list, you may be surprised to know that three different burger recipes made the cut. And those looking for good old fashioned macaroni and cheese need not be disappointed. You're all taken care of with F&W's Three Cheese Mini Macs. How cute are they?

You can check out the complete list right here. Coincidentally, I had recently ripped out the recipe for Sicilian-Style Meatballs, planning to make them this weekend, and that made their cut for one of the best recipes. Looking forward to giving them a whirl.

P.S. And Supercrispy Pan-Fried Chicken? I am SO there.

Photo from Food & Wine magazine.

ARF/5-A-Day #103

2008-01-15T21:25:00.000-05:00

We had a meeting to go to tonight, so my goal for tonight's dinner was to keep it simple. I had cleaned out the refrigerator earlier and discovered a forgotten package of Bratwurst, so my plan was to use that up and save myself a trip to the grocery store. After a quick search on AllRecipes, I found a recipe that looked perfect -- Sausage Stroganoff from the folks at Bob Evans. While I was browning the sausage, Nicholas wandered into the kitchen, peered into the pan and asked what was for dinner. I said pasta with sausage. "Yum, Mama. No, not just yum, but yum-o!" He cracks me up.

Was this new recipe a WOW? No. Would I make it again? Probably not. But it was good nonetheless and served its purpose. Better still, with the addition of mushrooms, it fulfilled my obligation or tonight's ARF/5-A-Day roundup. Now onto what everyone else served up.

Claire from Cooking is Medicine is up first tonight with her Spaghetti Squash and Eggplant Parmesan. And as soon as I figure out what Nature's Seasoning is, I'm trying out her version of Eggplant Parmesan. Although The Husband won't eat it, I haven't had it in ages and am long overdue.

Erika from Tummy Treasure was also thinking squash, and shares her take of Mark Bittman's Squash Pancakes:

Newcomer Patsy from Family, Friends and Food goes Cajun with her Texas Crab Grass:

More Bread and Cheese, Please is up next with a delicious bowl of tummy-warming soup, perfect for this chilly weather we're having. Check out her Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup:

Tart Reform is back and she takes on peppers too this week with her Stuffed Peppers with Turkey:

Newcomer Michelle from Cooking the Books tackles one of the few green vegetables that just don't do it for me. Her Brussels Sprouts sure do sound tempting though ... it just may be time to give them a second taste:

Diet, Dessert and Dogs is back this week with the very unusual combination of spinach and blueberries with her Mystery Smoothie:

Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska is all about comfort food this week with her Braised Chicken, Peppers and Greens:

Sarah from What Smells So Good celebrates Apricot Day with her Gluten-Free Fruit 'n Nut Bars:

In the eleventh hour, The Chocolate Lady sneaks in with her find of the week ... White Pomegranates:

Sausage Stroganoff
Recipe courtesy of Bob Evans® via AllRecipes
"This easy classic is based on the usual beef stroganoff, but is made more flavorful using sausage."

PREP TIME 5 Min
COOK TIME 15 Min
READY IN 20 Min
Yields: 4 servings

1 pound Bob Evans® Original Recipe Sausage Roll (I used a pound of Bratwurst)
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup beef broth (I used a half-cup)
1 (2.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup sour cream (I used 1/3 cup)
8 ounces noodles, prepared according to package directions (I used full package of egg noodles)

In large skillet over medium heat, crumble and cook sausage until browned. Stir in soup, broth, mushrooms and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in sour cream. Serve over hot noodles.

Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon-Peppercorn Pan Sauce

2008-01-15T07:58:00.000-05:00

Turn on your printer and fire it up, because I promise you that if you eat fish, you're going to want to print this recipe and make it. Soon. Like tonight.

If you would have told me last year that I'd be eating tilapia, I probably would have laughed. I've always avoided fish, sticking with only cod and shellfish. Give me a raw oyster any day over a more "fishy fish." Over the past year though, I've been branching out a bit and now love salmon (certain ways), haddock, flounder and tilapia.

We went to a holiday party this weekend at a restaurant and one of their offerings was a tilapia with a Buerre-Blanc sauce. The dish was out of this world, and after seeing tilapia on sale this week for $3.99/lb, I set off to find a good recipe for it. Cooking Light bulletin board members came to my rescue and one of the suggestions was this recipe for Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon-Peppercorn Pan Sauce. OMG, this is a must-make recipe and we will definitely be enjoying this one for years to come, earning its rightful place of honor in the OMG recipe section.

The Husband worked super-late last night and missed dinner, and it was all I could do to save him his portion, because it.was.that.good. What's more, it was incredibly simple to make, and ready to eat in about 20 minutes. When you can make food this good, this quickly, and this healthy, there is no reason to eat out. When I woke up this morning, The Husband asked, "What did you put on that fish?" I braced myself and told him a few of the ingredients and said he was lucky I saved him some. He could see why, and loved it.

The only major change I made to the recipe was to nix the peppercorns and use capers instead. I thought the salt of the capers would work well with the lemon juice and other ingredients and I was right. I also used a pound of tilapia (doubling the amount called for), but kept the rest of the ingredients at the same measurements, so that ends up cutting the fat and calories in the nutritional content at the bottom in half for each serving. Even better!

Go make this fish.

A year ago today ... delicious Nacho Bread Pizza.
Two years ago today ... coincidentally, one of my favorite ways to eat salmon.

Sautéed Tilapia with Lemon-Peppercorn Pan Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Pam Anderson, Cooking Light, MARCH 2004

This piquant sauce is perfect over plain white fish. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the brightest flavor. Serve with white rice.

3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons drained brine-packed green peppercorns, lightly crushed (I used capers instead)
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon vegetable oil (I skipped)
2 (6-ounce) tilapia or sole fillets (I used a lb of fish, four fillets)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons butter
Lemon wedges (optional)

Combine first 3 ingredients. Melt 1 teaspoon of butter with oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. While butter melts, sprinkle fish fillets with salt and black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge fillets in flour; shake off excess flour.

Increase heat to medium-high; heat 2 minutes or until butter turns golden brown. Add fillets to pan; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fillets from pan. Add broth mixture to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in two teaspoons of butter with a whisk. Serve sauce over fillets. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and 2 tablespoons sauce)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 282(26% from fat); FAT 8.3g (sat 3.2g,mono 2g,poly 2.1g); PROTEIN 35g; CHOLESTEROL 92mg; CALCIUM 43mg; SODIUM 739mg; FIBER 0.8g; IRON 1.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.3g

Food Network's Top 100 Recipes of 2007

2008-01-14T10:26:00.000-05:00

The folks at Food Network recently released their Top 100 Recipes of 2007. After a quick glance, I'd love to know what factors determined the list, but I'm guessing it was the most downloaded recipes from their site visitors.

Interestingly enough, macaroni and cheese appears twice in the Top 10, and four times overall. And interesting still is what this list tells us about the eating habits of Americans ... are we all just looking for comfort in food? Looking to recreate recipes that we grew up eating at our parents' dining room table? Just looking for fast and easy fare to throw down? Overall, with a surprisingly limited amount of ethnic choices on the list and a preponderance of chicken recipes making the cut, where does that leave our generation of "foodies?" Out in the cold, or just not watching Food Network?

Kate from Accidental Hedonist recently spoke on this very topic, and you can read her piece and the lively comments that followed right here.

It would be an interesting challenge to cook your way through the 100 recipes ... oh to have the time! In the meantime, you can take a gander yourself right here.

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

2008-01-10T20:41:00.000-05:00

When pulling together our recent Feast of the Seven Fishes for Christmas Eve, I cracked open a cookbook I haven't used before ... Grazing by Julie Van Rosendaal. Julie is also the author of One Smart Cookie, which you may also be familiar with.

I love grazing, finger food, the perfect vehicle for a night of relaxation and catching up on movies. The cookbook has everything from simple nibbles to more substantial items, with colorful pictures splattered throughout. The recipes are straight-forward, easy to follow, span many different cultures and work well for both novice and expert cooks.

The Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs were a nice diversion from the more traditional choice, producing a slightly less creamier version that was delicious. And better still, my sister made them. Enjoy!

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs
Recipe courtesy of Grazing cookbook

1 small russet potato, peeled and diced
6 large eggs
1/2 cup smoked or BBQ salmon tip, crumbled
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
1 green onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook potato in a pot of boiling salted water until very tender. Drain and cool. Meanwhile, place eggs in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool. Peel and slice in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and set 3 aside for another use, or feed them to your dog.

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining yolks, potato, salmon, mayonnaise, lemon juice and mustard. Mash with fork until well blended. Stir in the green onion, salt and pepper.

Stuff egg white halves with filling and chill until ready to serve.

Makes 12.

Nutritional Info per piece: 65 calories, 2.8 g fat, 5.8 g protein.

Sophie Gets Baptized

2008-01-09T21:59:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that Baby Sophie (my niece) is nearly three months old already! This past weekend, we celebrated her baptism, and when I say "we," it was pretty much everyone else who celebrated without her. Sophie slept through not only the whole church service, but the luncheon that followed it. She's following in very familiar family footsteps ... Nicholas did the same thing, sleeping through not only the service, but the party afterwards. In fact, one of my favorite baby pictures of Nicholas (which you can see here), is him fast asleep on my parents' kitchen table, resplendent in his baptismal gown and "party pants."

ARF/5-A-Day #102

2008-01-08T23:14:00.000-05:00

We had last-minute company for dinner tonight, and when my friend asked what I was planning on making, I drew a blank. It was noon and I just hadn't thought that far ahead, so you KNOW I was going to keep it simple.

She asked about the Penne with Vodka Sauce that I had made once before for them, and that was perfect. A plan quickly came together and all was right with the world. Well, my world.

The dish served many purposes ... I knew the kids would like it (and can I tell you how FAST they inhaled their platefuls?!), it was a perfect weeknight meal, and better still, it served as my ARF/5-A-Day contribution for tonight's roundup. If you haven't tried it yet, do! It's the only way we make penne with vodka sauce and seriously could not be easier. Quick enough for a harried weeknight, yet fancy enough that it still works for having guests over, without keeping you slaving over the hot stove all day. That's my kind of recipe!

A year ago today... a Nicholas-approved salad.
Two years ago today... an OMG starter.

Even though ARF/5-A-Day went on a brief holiday hiatus, that didn't stop food bloggers from participating, so we have a little catch-up to do. Let's get going.

Sarah from What Smells So Good is taking care of her sweet tooth (and ours!) with her Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles. Need we remind you that chocolate is GOOD for you?

And then on New Years' Day, Sarah gave broccoli a twist with her Pomodoro rendition:

Claire from Cooking Is Medicine is also thinking green for the new year and gives us Green Bean Bundles. Hello bacon!

And then Claire followed up the beans with roasted potatoes, one of the few ways that The Husband will eat potatoes. And I completely agree with Claire - don't peel the potatoes, that's where all the good vitamins are!

The Chocolate Lady is up to her old tricks, contributing something I've heard of, but never tasted or cooked. This time, it's all about mangosteens.

Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska is serving up the very delicious looking Fig Tapenade, Garlicky Goat Cheese Spread, and Garlic Croutons. Sounds incredible!

Newcomer Diet, Dessert and Dogs goes the baked route for her first contribution ... Pear and Ginger Mini Loaves:

Another newcomer for our roundup is A Suitable Spice with the very divine Cracked Potatoes. I am SO making these:

More Bread and Cheese, Please is back, this time with Brussels Sprouts. I'm glad she loves them, because she can have my share. I think it might be the ONE green vegetable I just don't like ... but I gotta say, hers look downright yummy!

This is a great week for newcomers -- welcome The Cook Mobile to our round-up with her Berry Crumble. A perfect cold weather dessert that you can feel good about.

Blog Appetit gives a bar favorite a healthier twist with her Buffaloed Chicken ... those picky eaters just might not mind the spinach:

The Modern Apron is back, with the perfect, healthy starter for your next dinner party, White Bean Spread with Sage:

Sarah from Sarah's Cucina Bella continues her quest to get 2008 off to a healthy start with her Strawberry Kiwi Fool:

Phew ... all done until next week! Want to join in the fun for our next weekly ARF/5-A-Day roundup? You can find the details right here.

Potato and Lentil Stew

2008-01-07T21:08:00.000-05:00

For the past few years, I've been making Jane Brody's Potato and Lentil Stew. I first discovered the recipe from a post on the Cooking Light bulletin board and it's a nice, hearty comfort food stew that is ideal for taking off winter's chill. Our old neighbors are vegetarian, and this was one of the first meals I made for them. Topping the stew off with a dollop of sour cream and mango chutney, and serving it with a side of hot, crusty buttered bread, it makes for a nice simple, no-fuss meal.

At the time, knowing The Husband doesn't like lentils (or thinks he doesn't), I probably either referred to it as Potato Stew or nothing at all. The other day, I asked The Husband to stop off at the grocery store and pick up a few things for me, lentils being one of them. At dinner time, I noticed he was barely eating the stew.

"What's the matter? Not hungry?" I asked.
To which he replied very carefully, "Thank you for making dinner."
"You don't like it?"
"I don't eat lentils."

Ugh. He doesn't believe me that I've made this before, nor that he's eaten it. Our new neighbors ended up with a hearty lunch for the next day. As much as I like this stew, I definitely can't finish off the rest of the batch by myself. Trust me, it's still a good one and worth serving up... as long as you a) like lentils or b) don't know that they're in there. I won't tell.

Potato and Lentil Stew
Recipe courtesy of Jane Brody's Good Food Gourmet

1 cup lentils
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 - 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne or to taste
Salt to taste (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups canned chopped or crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon honey
Water, if necessary

In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, water, salt (if desired) and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to med-low, and simmer the lentils until they are just soft, about 30 minutes. Do not drain the lentils! Discard the bay leaf, then set the lentils aside.

In a large dutch oven or saucepan with a nonstick surface, heat the butter or margarine and oil briefly, and add the potatoes. Sprinkle them with the turmeric, cayenne, salt (if desired), and pepper. Cook the potatoes, tossing them, over medium heat, for about five minutes.

Add the tomatoes, the reserved lentils and their cooking liquid, the garam masala and the sugar or honey to the potatoes.

Cook the stew over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring the mixture from time to time and adding water if the stew seems to be too dry.

Cates' Notes: I usually serve this over rice with a dollop of sour cream and mango chutney on top, and hot, crusty bread on the side. Originally made and reviewed here.

Welcome Katherine Lee!

2008-01-06T19:19:00.001-05:00

Introducing the newest foodie on the block. The Newlywed Neighbors (who, now that they've been married nearly 3 years are no longer newlyweds)
welcomed their first baby yesterday afternoon.

Katherine Lee
7 lbs 11 oz, 20-1/2 inches long

Congratulations!

Magnolia Bakery Adventures

2008-01-03T20:57:00.000-05:00

Last week, our overly observant 5-year-old noticed that Mommy hadn't made dessert in like forever. Kudos to him for even paying attention to such things, and since he cares, you know I had to rectify that asap. Luckily I had already planned to make homemade cupcakes for our New Years' Eve festivities, so he didn't have to wait long.

Recently I have become, ahem, obsessed with cupcakes from Billy's Bakery in New York City. I had them for the first time at my sister's baby shower back in September and have been dying to have them ever since. Truth be told, the bakery is probably less than an hour away from me, and we could certainly make the trip to get more, but in the grand scheme of things, it's probably much better that they're not around the corner.

I got a second fill of the cupcakes on Christmas Eve, when my sister and brother-in-law brought over another batch as part of our fourteen desserts tradition. Now what does this all have to do with the famed Magnolia Bakery in NYC? Magnolia is very well-known for their cupcakes as well, and Billy used to work there. A lot of the employees that left Magnolia went on to open up their own shops, and my theory was that they probably used a lot of the recipes they came to learn and love while at Magnolia. So since I have the Magnolia cookbooks (More from Magnolia), I figured it was worth a shot to try their recipe for the homemade frosting in the hopes that it was close to Billy's.

Because he was so interested in baking, Nicholas and I went out and I let him choose cupcake liners and the sprinkles as well, giving him complete rein from start to finish. He mixed the batter by himself, filled all the cupcake liners up and frosted and sprinkled them when they were cool enough to handle. Polishing off quite a few over the course of the next few days, he was a pretty happy camper.

The frosting is very, very good, and while it may be closer to Billy's than, say, a store-bought can or that of another bakery, it's not quite there. It seems a trip into the city is in our near future, but in the meantime, these will suffice nicely.

As an aside, rumor has it that Billy has left the bakery and New York City and returned home to Ohio, but thankfully the recipes remain.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Recipe courtesy of More from Magnolia

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6-8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Makes enough for 24 cupcakes.

End of Year Wrap-Up

2008-01-02T21:41:00.000-05:00

I had every intention of posting last night but quite honestly, I am e-x-h-a-u-s-t-e-d. The last of the celebrations for 2007 are now behind us, and a brand spankin' new year full of promise and excitement lies ahead. Knowing some of what's in store, I, for one, am excited at the prospect of a new year, clean slate and all that cliched goodness that goes along with it. So, what have we been up to lately? Let's see...

On New Years' Eve, we did our annual seafood feast, with The Neighbors joining us for the third year in a row. The Husband and I started this tradition on our own some 10+ years ago and it has stuck and been a favorite ever since. We happened to be down for the count one New Years' Eve many moons ago after having battled the flu and just didn't feel up to going out. We had a massive seafood feast at home and a tradition was born. Over the years, different friends and family have joined us, but it's remained a tradition that we very much look forward to.

The goal of our seafood feast is although there is a lot of food, we keep the actual food selections simple and more along the lines of grazing. Hey, it's the only way we can justify having such a spread. When I pulled up the list of what we made for 2006 and 2005, it seemed only right that I include Salt and Pepper Shrimp. One of my favorites, and The Neighbor Husband's, it's earned its rightful spot.

When we first had this recipe for Coconut Fried Shrimp earlier last year, The Neighbor Wife immediately said it had to go on our New Years' Eve menu, so, of course, it did. Super simple to make and almost a hint of a creamy taste, you can't beat these. I'm in the midst of reorganizing all my spices and although I could swear I have curry powder somewhere, I couldn't find it, so subbed cumin and it worked fine. Just as delicious as the last time we had them.

Shrimp Cocktail made the cut for its ease alone, as did another favorite, Smoked Salmon Dip. Deviled Eggs and these Crab Cakes from Weight Watchers and Scallop Casserole. Wings for the guys. Mac and cheese and fresh fruit for the kids. Cupcakes with sinfully rich frosting. The Neighbor Husband bought lobster tails which we steamed and served with melted butter, and I think that about covers it.

Yesterday was our traditional New Years Day dinner with my family, with mom taking over the hosting duties. We had Black-Eyed Peas for our regular dose of good luck, along with an antipasto platter, ravioli, meatballs, salad and dessert. When we came home, The Neighbors came over for a quick bite to eat. We got to polish off the leftovers from the night before and cook up a batch of OMG Mussels. I had bought the mussels for our New Years' Eve feast, but we just didn't get around to cooking them. The Neighbor Husband brought the makings for Bleu Cheese Chips, thus completing our mostly leftover feast.

Whew! Now with schools reopened and the holidays behind us, life can resume normalcy a bit, or as close as its going to get.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

P.S. ARF/5-A-Day will resume next week.

Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Scallop Casserole

Smoked Salmon Dip

Coconut Fried Shrimp

Nicholas' Baking Adventures (details tomorrow)

Cut to the Bone

2007-12-30T16:52:00.000-05:00

Last night, Nicholas was helping me put some things away in the kitchen after dinner and wanted a run-down of what his choices were for dessert. After I went through the list, he turned to me and said, "Mommy, do you ever make dessert anymore?"

Ouch.

I'll give him that I haven't baked in about a month or so (which seems like ages for me!), and for the first time in 10 years, I didn't go all out putting together containers of baked goods, but ouch!

I reassured him that we would be baking tomorrow for our New Years' Eve festivities.

A Portuguese Inspired Meal

2007-12-27T18:49:00.000-05:00

Tonight I get a night off as The Sister-In-Law takes over with her very first post here on Sweetnicks. We went to dinner at her house this past weekend, and after a delicious meal, it was only fitting that she tell you all about it.

With the holidays around the corner, I figured what better time to have my brother, Cate and the kids over for a Pre-Christmas Dinner. They had not seen my new townhouse yet and I was eager to show off the new pad and my new Christmas tree. Unlike Cate, I didn't round up my cookbooks to find the perfect recipe. I'm more of the spur-of-the-moment kinda gal.

I was thinking fish and I remember my grandmother made this wonderful baked cod. It's a delicious dish featuring mild fish infused with wine, capers and olive oil. It's not a Cuban dish (go figure), it's actually Portuguese, but not a total surprise considering we grew up in a Portuguese neighborhood.

So on to my menu, Grandma's Baked Cod, Rice Pilaf (okay I cheated on this one... Near East) and Roasted Tomatoes using a recipe from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. For starters I had a platter of cheese, salamis and olives (for the boys) and Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus (for the girls).

I am pleased to say dinner was a success ... so much so that I was asked to write my first post here. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have. The cod recipe is below - enjoy!

The Sister-In-Law

Portuguese Baked Cod

1 1/2 lbs Fresh Cod
2 Baking Potatoes - sliced
1 Large Spanish Onion
2 Red Pepper
1/2 Lemon
1/4 Cup White Wine
1/4 Olive Oil
1 tbsp Capers
1/3 tsp Paprika
Sea Salt & Garlic Powder to taste

Season fish with sea salt, garlic power and lemon juice. I like to season the fish an hour before baking for added flavor. Slice the potatoes as if for chips and coat with olive oil. Leave remaining oil for fish.

Line a baking dish with the potatoes and place the fish on top. Cover fish with the onions, peppers and capers. Pour the olive oil over the vegetables and add the wine. Sprinkle with paprika for coloring. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes or until the fish flakes with a fork.

Christmas Eve and Day in Review

2007-12-26T21:31:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve:

Although I mostly stuck to tried-and-true recipes, this one was a new one and a disappointment. With an expensive ingredient like lobster, you want it to wow you, and this Lobster Salad just didn't cut it.

A new recipe that my sister brought, these Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs were less creamy than traditional deviled eggs, but no less delicious.

I put a bunch of snowman comics around the table for entertainment. Love Calvin and Hobbes.

Greek Salad Bites

Christmas Day:

Baby Sophie's First Christmas

Nicholas' request for the holiday feast was ham sandwiches. Simple and perfect.

Brownie Trifle

Day After:

Sometimes it's incredibly hard to take them seriously.

Christmas Eve Menu

2007-12-23T17:40:00.000-05:00

Finally sat down to organize the Christmas Eve menu and make my grocery list. Yup, haven't gone yet. Planning to go tonight after dinner when everyone (hopefully!) is heading home from a full day of shopping. The list isn't too terrible, and I'm feeling pretty darn organized, so hopefully all will go smoothly tomorrow.

For the Feast of the Seven Fishes, I had a hard time nailing down which recipes and fish I wanted to go with, indecisiveness rearing its ugly head every time I committed to something. Nicholas isn't a big fan of most fish either, so I needed to make sure I had enough for him to eat as well. A tall order! Here goes:

Pre-Dinner Munchies:
Clam Dip (fish #1) with chips
Greek Salad Bites
Crudite platter

Appetizers:
Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs (fish #2)
Shrimp Cocktail (fish #3)
Antipasto platter
Italian Relish Tray
Spumo di Tonno with bread/crackers (fish #4)
Chopped BLT Salad (I think, jury is still out)

Main Course:
Penne with Vodka Cream Sauce (Nicholas' favorite!)
Scallop Casserole (fish #5)

Sides:
Eggplant and Bucatini Timbale (fish #6)
Lobster with Herb Mayo (fish #7)
Bread Basket

Dessert:
Cupcakes from Billy's Bakery
Buche de Noel
assorted mini pastries

Regular readers know that for New Years' Eve, we do a massive Seafood Feast, so whatever didn't make tomorrow night's menu might make an appearance then, as well as a few of the awesome suggestions from this post. Indecisiveness to rear its ugly head again...

Cocktail Franks on a Baguette with Onion-Tomato Relish

2007-12-21T20:15:00.000-05:00

There are certain phrases that just don't seem synonymous with the doyenne of domesticity, Martha Stewart, and "yellow mustard" and "cocktail franks" are two that come to mind. But believe it or not, in a recent issue of her Martha Stewart Living magazine, she had a recipe that included both and it was pretty darn tasty to boot. Although it won't be making our holiday table, Cocktail Franks On a Baguette with Onion-Tomato Relish is definitely different enough for company and presents nicely. It was one of the starters I served at our recent holiday dinner with The Neighbors.

Aside from heating up the cocktail franks and making the onion-tomato relish, the recipe has very little active time and comes together quite quickly. I loved the relish and the tang that the yellow mustard added, and let's face it, they were pretty darn cute to boot. An empty plate at the end of the course signaled a hearty thumbs up all around, and this one is definitely a keeper for us.

When reading through the recipe, I was planning on toasting the baguette so it had a little bit of crunch, but when I was in the midst of getting dinner ready, I was totally in the weeds and didn't have time, so I made it as written; it was probably better that way anyway. Martha knows her stuff, what can I say? Only thing I changed in the recipe was to double the amount of tomatoes to give the relish a more even balance between the tomatoes and onions, and would definitely go that route the next time. And yup, there will be a next time. Enjoy!

Cocktail Franks On a Baguette with Onion-Tomato Relish
Serves 6
Ficelles are thin baguettes, named after the French word for string. If you can't find one, use a baguette.

1 tablespoon canola oil (I skipped and used Pam spray instead)
12 cocktail franks, separated if needed (I used 15)
1 ficelle or other thin baguette, split open lengthwise
Onion-Tomato Relish (recipe follows)
Yellow mustard, for serving

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add franks and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and heated through, 6-8 minutes.

2. Spread cut sides of bread with relish. Place franks on top of relish. Serve with yellow mustard.

Onion-Tomato Relish
Makes about 1 cup

2 tablespoons canola oil
3 medium yellow onions (about 1-1/2 lbs total), finely chopped (about 2-1/2 cups)
1/3 cup canned diced plum tomatoes, with juice (I doubled)
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons coarse salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add tomatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

2. Stir in sugar, vinegar, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring occassionally, until onions are soft and mixture is shiny, about 20 minutes (if the onions begin to brown, reduce heat to medium-low). Serve warm or at room temperature. Relish can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Spuma di Tonno

2007-12-20T19:09:00.000-05:00

My menu for Christmas Eve has gone through more incarnations than I care to admit. Still centered around the Feast of Seven Fishes, of course, but I've been incredibly indecisive about which fish recipes to use. So many recipes, so little time ... you know how it goes. One thing that has remained solid is that Spuma di Tonno is a part of the menu, taking care of one of the seven fish dishes needed with its tuna ingredient. I've been making this one for at least the past two or three Christmas holidays, so it is slowly becoming part of our tradition, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

A recipe from Food Network's Napa Valley resident chef Michael Chiarello, who is host of Easy Entertaining, although it features an odd mix of ingredients (soy sauce with heavy cream and balsamic vinegar anyone?), I assure you that the end result is worth forging ahead. Taking just minutes to whir together in your mini food processor, it's the perfect little spread to serve alongside your favorite crackers. Better still, you can make it ahead of time and cross one thing off your list with ease. Bon Appetite!

Spuma di Tonno (Tuna Mousse)
Recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 3/4 cup

1 can (7 ounces or 200 grams) imported olive oil-packed tuna, drained
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Sea salt, preferably gray salt, and freshly ground black pepper

Put the tuna in a food processor and pulse to break up the fish. With the machine running, add the butter, cream, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce and blend until smooth. Then stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the processor bowl. Add the lemon juice and pulse again. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and blend again. Check the seasoning. Serve at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. If refrigerated, return the spuma to room temperature before serving.

How to Be a Cool Kid 101, Part 2

2007-12-19T20:28:00.001-05:00

Nicholas' school has a hot lunch program and a month in advance, we sit down together and circle the days that have the food that he likes and sign up. Interestingly enough, every month, more and more days get circled.

On the days that we don't sign up for their hot lunch, The Husband packs Nicholas' lunch the night before, but on the days when he HAS the hot lunch, The Husband still packs the lunchbox, but fills it with more snacks (for example, yogurt, carrot sticks, applesauce, cheese and crackers and the like) in case a) the hot lunch didn't fill him up enough or b) he changed his mind when it came time to eat it. You know how fickle kids can be with their appetite, especially when we're deciding it a month ahead of time!

For the past nearly four months now, more often than not, the lunchbox comes back completely untouched and he usually munches on the stuff in the car on the way home. (And a side note, after vacuuming up weeks-old chicken nuggets and Chex Mix from the floor of my car today, I threatened a no-food-in-the-car rule). I always ask him why he doesn't eat the stuff at lunchtime and usually get the typical non-answer ... until the other day.

"Mom, it's just not cool to walk into the lunchroom carrying a lunchbox. Me, Nathan, Jack - nobody carries a lunchbox in. I leave it in the classroom."

Of course now it all makes sense, but it took him nearly four months to tell me?! As soon as he said, "it's just not cool to walk into the lunchroom carrying a lunchbox," I instantly got a vision of pint-sized tough guys a la The Outsiders, with full-on swagger, hands deeply thrust in their pockets, sneering at the losers who brought in their lunchboxes.

So needless to say, no more packed lunchboxes on hot lunch days. Got it. Another lesson in how to be a cool kid ... I figure we're all better for it....

P.S. You want to instantly feel old? For those that remember The Outsiders, can you believe it is from 1983?! I know ... I was shocked too.

ARF/5-A-Day #101

2007-12-18T20:45:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that Christmas is a week away - where does the time go? On one hand, I feel completely ready, but on the other, I feel wholly unprepared - ack! As food bloggers are busy in their own kitchens getting ready for the holidays, we have a small ARF/5-A-Day roundup tonight, and in light of everyone's crazy busy schedule, we're going to skip the round-up next week. We'll bring it back the first week in the new year.

Catching up on my celebrity gossip the other day (hello? a girl's gotta have an outlet!) led me right to my ARF/5-A-Day contribution for tonight, believe it or not. OK! magazine did an article on Kimberley Locke (former American Idol contestant) and her new restaurant, Croton Creek. Having gone from a size 14 to a size 6, no surprise that her focus is on healthy food. In the article she shared a restaurant recipe for Tomato Salad. Surprisingly I had nearly all the ingredients on hand (sometimes we get lucky) and it quickly became a starter for tonight's meal. Now onto what others cooked up for our roundup...

Laurie from Tastes Like Home is up first, reliving some fond memories of her first encounter with pomegranate juice, with her to Chicken with Pomegranate Wine Sauce:

Sarah from Cucina Bella unveiled a brand spanking new website design this week and now the yummy-sounding Asian Inspired Portobella Mushrooms:

This week, instead of The Chocolate Lady throwing me for a loop, it's Michelle from The Greedy Gourmet. Heard of borlotti beans? Phew ... me neither. They sure make a gorgeous looking Tomato, Borlotti Bean and Garlic Soup though, don't they?

Siri's Corner takes care of our sweet tooth nicely this week with her Chocolate Sformato with Amaretto Whip Cream:

Cooking is Medicine tries out a ligher version of a favorite Chinese restaurant menu item with her Lighter Sesame Chicken:

Sarah from What Smells So Good finishes off our roundup nicely with her Warm Grecian Salad:

Tomato Salad
Courtesy of Kimberley Locke and her Croton Creek restaurant

3 vine-ripened tomatoes
1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 lemon, freshly squeezed
2 T extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 T chives, chopped
endive leaves, optional garnish
micro-greens/sprouts, optional garnish

Cut tomatoes into bite-size chunks and toss in mixing bowl with the remaining ingredients. Serve in a shallow soup bowl and garnish with endive leaves around and micro-greens or sprouts on top.

Cate's Notes: I didn't have the endive or sprouts, so skipped that part. Had plum tomatoes on hand, so used that instead. Recipe indicates it serves 1, but with a 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese, 2 is more like it (and we had a little bit left over at that).

Cheddar Chicken

2007-12-17T20:50:00.000-05:00

Last night, we officially kicked off the holiday season with our Christmas dinner with The Neighbors. The kids haven't seen each other in a few weeks and couldn't wait to get together. Between that and exchanging presents, it was all they could do to contain their excitement.

With a to-do list far longer than time available, my menu for dinner changed frequently, with items getting added and subtracted. I eventually settled on revisiting some tried-and-trues, aiming to keep things simple.

Although I haven't mentioned it before on Sweetnicks, and it's yet to make it into the recipe archives (soon!), Cheddar Chicken is a recipe that I've been making for a good four or five years now. It literally takes just minutes to pull together, and after a little bit of time in the oven, you're rewarded with moist chicken that has a nice, cheesy crust on top of each piece. In a word, yum. Because of its simple preparation, it works well for a weeknight meal, but is different enough that it can be used for entertaining as well. Course the fact that it's dredged in a little bit 'o melted butter first means it's definitely not an everyday meal, but good to have in the files nonetheless.

I originally found the recipe on All Recipes. The only change I have made is that instead of the crushed cornflakes, I always use crushed Cheez-It crackers. If you're going to go for it, you might as well go all the way, right?

Cheddar Chicken
Recipe courtesy of All Recipes.

1 cup crushed cornflakes cereal (I substitute 1 cup crushed Cheez-It crackers)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup butter, melted
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix the cornflake crumbs, Parmesan cheese and Cheddar cheese. Dip the chicken breasts in the melted butter, and roll them in the cornflake crumb mixture. Place chicken in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Yield: 8 servings

How to Be a Cool Kid 101

2007-12-13T20:54:00.000-05:00

Last week, Nicholas was getting ready for school and as I put his stuff in his backpack, he exclaimed, "Mama, not THAT backpack. I'm not using THAT backpack anymore."

"No? Why not?"

"'Cause that's not the kind that cool kids use," said with full eye roll, thankyouverymuch. "Cool kids use the kind like my other backpack," as he raced upstairs to find it.

For thems not in the know, the "other" backpack, which has now been deemed cooler than cool, has wheels and a pull-up handle. 'Tis NOT the kind that you just sling on your back. Who knew?

We pulled up in front of the school and he jumped out of the car and handed me his backpack.

"You can't carry it?"

"No, Mama, it's too heavy. You can."

Now far be it from me to argue with a "cool kid," but exactly how cool is it when your mother is behind you dragging your backpack?

Make My Dinner

2007-12-12T22:55:00.000-05:00

Many moons age, there was a show on the Food Network called Ready, Set, Cook, hosted by Sissy Biggers. It was one of the first cooking shows I really got hooked on after Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals. Two contestants would receive various ingredients and in a timed competition, had to make dishes on the fly with the ingredients. Years later, the show moved to the wee hours of the morning and eventually was dropped. 'Tis a shame. It was then replaced by another show and I can't for the life of me remember the name. Male host this time, same general premise and after revealing the ingredients, he would say "Make my dinner." Anyone remember that one? It's not still on, is it?

So now in our own little version on Sweetnicks... the ingredients include any type of fish, shellfish or otherwise, and you're making appetizers. What would you make?

Regular readers know that we do the Feast of Seven Fishes, an Italian tradition, on Christmas Eve. Usually I make a Cioppino (seafood stew), because it's easy and can quickly bang out 4-5 of the fish in one fell swoop. The only problem with that is that there ends up being very little on the table and it doesn't seem very feast-like or like Christmas Eve.

When my mom did Christmas Eve, she would have seven separate fish dishes. While I don't think my energy level nor my mid-kitchen renovation can handle that, I'd like to find a happy medium. I am closerthanthis to making a Standing Rib Roast as a main course, and she suggested then doing the 7 fish as appetizers, which seems like a happy medium ... very feast like and special for the holidays, and managing to get all the fish in.

So that's where we are ... I have already decided on Shrimp Cocktail, Smoked Salmon Dip and Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs, Scallop Casserole, Spuma di Tonno and I think Roasted Oysters. So that takes care of 5 fish, leaving 2 more to go. Whatcha got? Your best fish/seafood appetizer, spill it.

ARF/5-A-Day #100

2007-12-11T20:20:00.000-05:00

So da boys are out tonight at my stepdaughter's Christmas concert, and I am attempting to catch up on work. Somewhere, buried in one of my I-need-to-make-this-soon piles, is a recipe for eggplant. Can't remember what magazine I tore the page from, nor the method, but it was recent enough that I bought the eggplant over the weekend. Knowing The Husband and Nicholas are going to protest eggplant at the dinner table, I figured it would be a perfect, healthy little bite for me to nibble on tonight whilst catching up on a few things in their absence. But if only I could find where I put the darn clipping ... sigh. So barring sharing a new and fabulous (I'm sure it would be!) eggplant recipe, I rummaged around in the fridge and made a Grilled Havarti, Ham and Tomato sandwich, thus fulfilling my ARF/5-A-Day requirement, although not nearly as exciting as the eggplant could have been. Another day. In the meantime, on to what other food bloggers served up for our 100th roundup of ARF/5-A-Day inspiration.

Sarah from What Smells So Good is up to bat first tonight, with what I think is our first contribution for sushi and gari (pickled ginger):

More Bread and Cheese, Please set to work with phyllo sheets - better her than me! When you see the plate of Spanakopita she turned out, you'll know it was worth it in the end. Looks like perfect party food for holiday festivities.

Newcomer Slightly Cheaper Than Therapy shares the very cute Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes:

Tastes Like Home is back, this time sharing some antioxidant-friendly Greek treasures from a recent trip ... Fennel-Scented Black Eyed Peas and Wild Greens:

Valli's Kitchen celebrates the end of a semester with her unusual dessert offering, Tomato Coconut Halwa:

With pecans as an ingredient, the Mexican Wedding Cookies from Siri's Corner are perfect for tonight's round-up:

Even though her weather isn't exactly cooperating yet, Claire from Cooking Is Medicine gets into soup season with her Shrimp Florentine-sh Soup, packed full of hearty goodness:

A Few Favorite Christmas Things

2007-12-10T20:21:00.000-05:00

Hello, I'm back! 'Tis the season no matter what religion you are or whether you celebrate Christmas or not. You can't help but hear holiday music on the radio - I can't believe they start playing Christmas music on the the day after Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong - I love Christmas and Christmas music, but not every other song on the radio; it's not good driving music. You know?

Today I was sitting at work and a co-worker brought me back my favorite Starbucks drink (Shaken Iced Tea/black/sweet) and she also bought me a bonus treat - a Chocolate Covered Graham Cracker. OMG!!! I had to email Cate right away. Subject: My New Favorite Thing. After I sent the email, I couldn't get that Christmas song out of my head (you know, "These are a few of my favorite things..."). I immediately thought of all of you. What are a few of your favorite things?????

Santa Claus - Real Versus Fake

2007-12-09T20:03:00.000-05:00

Nicholas is like a forty-year-old man trapped in a five-year-old's body. He uses words like "apparently" and "unacceptable" freely in conversation, and in the correct way. He never ceases to amaze me by the things he says and thinks about and not a week goes by that he doesn't ask me a question where I really need to stop and think about the answer. But then there are days where he will burst into tears for seemingly no reason, and I am reminded that he is only five years old.

During the holidays last year, every time we saw Santa, he would ask me if that was the "real" Santa or the "fake" one. I don't know where it came from, but it has continued into this year too. Why would a four (and now five) year old even think that Santa wasn't real? I have no idea.

Last week, after a quick run to Wal-Mart, he spied Santa coming out of the back room.

"That's the fake Santa, Mommy."
"How do you know?"
"I just do. That's not the real one."

Given his costume, I'd have to agree. The Wal-Mart Santa is definitely not the real thing. I explained that Santa can't possibly be everywhere, visiting all the kids in the world, so sometimes he uses helpers during the holidays.

Last week, Nicholas got his annual call from Santa, and was awestruck, barely managing to answer Santa's questions. During the conversation, Santa asked Nicholas if he knew what kind of cookies he liked, and Nicholas said no, he didn't. "The round ones," which gave way to a big, deep ho-ho-ho from the merriment-filled man himself and Nicholas ... well, he knew it was the real Santa.

Yesterday after putting up with being carted on numerous errands with me, I ended the day with a visit to Santa's house, which Nicholas wasn't expecting. As we waited for our turn, all the items that Nicholas had carefully written out on his Wish List left his mind and he couldn't remember a thing. When he encounters what he thinks is the "real" Santa, it's about all he can do to answer Santa's questions with a polite "yes" and "no." It really is just adorable to watch. The Santa that Nicholas visited with yesterday has a nearly identical voice to the one that called him last week, so Nicholas knows it's the real Santa.

At five years old, thankfully, we still believe, even through the myriad of fake Santas out there masquerading as the real thing.

P.S. Since this is the same Santa we visit every year, out of curiosity to see how much Nicholas has (or hasn't changed) in the past year, I dug up last years' picture, which you can check out right here. And this one was in 2005, when he was just 3-1/2 years old, and The Girlfriend was two-and-a-half - definite big changes from then to now. Hard to see the changes when we see him every day, but my little baby isn't so little anymore.

Bonne Femme Scallops - OMG

2007-12-08T22:20:00.000-05:00

Over the past ten years, I have tried a lot of Rachael Ray recipes, a ton. I vividly remember the first "recipe" I ever tried of hers. It was way back when she had just started her 30 Minute Meals on the Food Network and was a simple spinach salad dressed with nothing more than lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. Delicious, and it certainly doesn't get simpler than that.

Over the years, I've found that her recipes tend to range from OK (perfect for weeknight, nothing to rave about) to good to very good. There have been a few OMG recipes over the years (her Chimichurri Chicken Bites comes to mind, though doesn't quite reach this status), but the majority fall in the "good" category. And then there was tonight...

Catching up on Tivo'd episodes of 30 Minute Meals, I caught a recent one she did on scallops. She made Scallops Bonne Femme (Scallops Good Woman), which was a French-influenced dish inspired by her icon, Julia Child. During the episode, she waxed rhapsodic on how she grew up watching Julia, and loved how she made food seem so accessible. This was, true-to-form, a recipe that came together in under 30 minutes, and with heavy cream and white wine, I'm not sure how you could go wrong.

As the sauce was simmering away on the stove, I snuck a spoon in it for a quick taste and nearly swooned. I swear to you, it is THAT good. The wine gives it that extra flavor level of something special that would make this a perfect dish for entertaining or when you want to treat yourself (because, well, it's not like scallops, wine, cream and prosciutto [for the accompanying side dish] are budget choices; especially when one, ahem, chars the first batch of prosciutto). If you made the sauce and skipped the bread crumbs/bake-in-oven portion of this recipe, this would be fantastic over angel hair pasta, but for tonight, we were content to dip the hot, crusty, buttered garlic bread in it, making sure to catch every last drop.

If you only try one of Rachael Ray's recipes, this one is it, for the sauce alone. Seriously. OMG.

P.S. With the addition of nutmeg in the recipe, this is perfect for Kalyn's Weekend Herb Blogging round-up, which is being hosted by Briciole this week.

Scallops Bonne Femme and Spinach with Crispy Prosciutto
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large shallot, finely chopped
12 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup cream
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 or 2 dashes hot sauce
8 slices prosciutto
1 clove garlic, grated
2 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves chopped
3 to 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 baguette, split and halved
20 large sea scallops, trimmed of any connective tissue and patted dry
1 cup plain bread crumbs
Handful parsley leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, cracked from skin
1 pound triple washed spinach, stems removed

Place oven rack at center of oven and preheat broiler. Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a small pot over medium heat and add the shallots and mushrooms, cook 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons butter and flour to softened shallots and mushrooms and cook 1 minute then whisk in wine, reduce 30 seconds, add stock and bring to a bubble. Stir in cream and heat through. Season sauce with nutmeg, salt and pepper and a couple dashes hot sauce, then reduce heat to low.

While the sauce is working, cover cookie sheet with foil and place prosciutto on the sheet and crisp up 2 minutes on each side under the broiler. It will continue to crisp as it cools.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 6 tablespoons butter, garlic, thyme and basil. Spread over baguette and place under broiler until toasty. Switch oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a skillet or cast iron pan over high heat. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and dress with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Sear the scallops to caramelize 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side then cover them with sauce, bread crumbs and parsley and finish in oven about 6 to 7 minutes until brown and bubbly.

While scallops cook, heat remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat with crushed garlic, cook 1 minute and remove. Add spinach and wilt into skillet. Season greens with salt and pepper.

Serve scallops with wilted spinach alongside and top with broken pieces of crispy prosciutto and toasted bread.

ARF/5-A-Day #99 - A Day Late, But Still Just As Yummy

2007-12-05T19:34:00.000-05:00

Although the ARF/5-A-Day roundup is a day late, trust me, it was worth the wait. I was in search of something different as a side dish tonight, and spied a little cookbook my mom got me on a trip to Colorado a few years ago. Aptly titled Colorado Cook Book, while it may be devoid of any pictures, it is packed with super simple, flavorful recipes (well, except that Green Cheese Rice recipe I also tried tonight that ended up in the trash, but that's another story).

While flipping through the pages of the cookbook this afternoon, the recipe for Cowboy Baked Beans caught my eye. While I may like baked beans, I don't make them too often. Too many recipes, too little time, I suppose. But this recipe ... mix a bunch of things together and let it bake for an hour ... that's my kind of recipe.

It produced, hands down, an OMG recipe for Baked Beans that will definitely make more appearances in the Sweetnicks' kitchen. Warm, packed with layers of flavor and a wee bit 'o kick, it's a keeper that I hope you'll try, and the perfect contribution for tonight's roundup. Now onto what everyone else brought to the table.

Claire from Cooking Is Medicine tried out a new recipe for the roundup too, with her Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins:

Veggie Love is back this week, with beans and bacon on her mind as well, bringing us Bean Soup, Girl Style:

Siri's Corner gets creative with her original Egg Biryani:

Sarah from What Smells So Good creates the very unusual Loaf 'o Veggies that is perfect for the round-up:

Newcomer Laurie from Tastes Like Home joins us with her Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Sweet Potatoes. And if that isn't enough for you, be sure to check out what she did for dessert.

Cowboy Baked Beans
Recipe courtesy of Colorado Cook Book

At the Prospector Restaurant in Leadville, beans are served from a large black kettle kept warm over an open flame next to the fireplace. This recipe is one of the most requested.

Pork and beans, 2 (18 oz) cans
Ketchup, 1 cup
Brown sugar, 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Worcestershire, 2 tablespoons
Mustard, 1 tablespoon
Onion, 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Jalapeno pepper, 1 teaspoon, pickled, finely chopped (I skipped)
Bacon, 2 strips raw (I halved the recipe, but used the full amount of bacon)

Mix all ingredients together except for the bacon. Pour into a two-quart casserole. Top with bacon. Bake at 350 for approximately one hour. Remove bacon and stir before serving. Serves 6-8.

Cate's Notes: When done cooking, I chopped up the bacon and stirred it in with the beans. The recipe halves with no problem.

ARF/5-A-Day #99

2007-12-04T19:56:00.001-05:00

The round-up will be up tomorrow ... sorry for the delay.

Greatest Hits - No Peek Casserole

2007-12-03T20:18:00.001-05:00

We seem to be accidentally starting a theme of Greatest Hits recipes this week ... tonight with The Husband working late, Nicholas and I were left to our own devices. Usually that means I reach for tortellini, but I decided to go a different route today.

Even though it snowed yesterday, today the temps settled around the mid-40s, which would have been fine if not for the blustery, whipping wind that made it feel much, much colder. Perfect weather for comfort food, if you ask me.

I bought one of those big packages of ground beef at Costco over the weekend and still had about 2/3 of the package to go. I used some of it last night for the Manly Manny's Chili, so tonight I pulled another recipe from my tried-and-true file and went with No Peek Casserole.

I first found this recipe a few years ago on a coupon message board, of all places, posted by a caterer. Normally I tend to shy away from recipes that are a can of this and a package of that, but this is one of those exceptions. If you can spend ten minutes browning the ground beef, and wait patiently while the oven does its thing for a little over two hours, you will be justly rewarded. The end result? Deliciously smooth and creamy meat to pour over big, fat egg noodles. Something about those ingredients blending happily in the oven makes this meat sauce concoction that is swoon-worthy. So, so good. You may be tempted to cut down on the time in the oven, but I wouldn't. Although it's just fine after the one-hour mark, it's oh so much better after the full amount of time. Nicholas and I killed the time by decorating the Christmas tree for his bedroom, perfect.

Nicholas tends to be a little picky about meat ... some days he can outeat me when The Husband makes steak. Other days, it's met with a very swift "yuck." When he saw dinner tonight, he said "eww," but knew the rules and tried it. A few minutes later, he came up for air after polishing off nearly his entire plate. He didn't ask what it was, and I didn't offer, allowing him to be more caught up in the pasta portion of the dish to notice the "brown stuff." And neither him nor The Husband say boo about the mushrooms in the dish, so bonus points for that.

No Peek Casserole

1-1/2 lbs ground beef, cut into bite size pieces
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 can mushrooms
2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 300F. Brown meat over high heat. Lower heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Pour into lightly greased covered casserole dish and bake for 2-1/2 hours. No peeking! Remove from oven and serve over hot noodles or buttered rice.

Greatest Hits: Manly Manny's Chili

2007-12-02T20:17:00.000-05:00

This morning I woke Nicholas up by whispering in his ear, "You're going to be happy when you look outside." Finally, we have had our first dose of "real" snow. Not the kind that disappears as soon as it hits the ground. Not the kind that turns to rain or sleet and makes a giant, dirty, slushy mess. But the kind that snow angels and snowmen are made of. Now unfortunately, there were only a few inches in total accumulation (maybe 4-5 or so), so perhaps not enough to make snowmen, but enough to make our little five-year-old positively beam as he scampered over to the window, nodding his head slowly as he saw it. A great way to start the day. Of course, his day continued by him and The Girlfriend jetting off to a 9:15 am birthday party, so he has no complaining to do.

And what better way to end it than with a bowl of some tummy-warming food? Trying to decide between soup or chili, I went for the latter, thinking The Husband would prefer it after working all weekend. We first had this Rachael Ray recipe back in March 2004 (yup, I'm a geek like that, recording when we have things and how the recipe fared against the critics) and it probably hits our table a good two or three times a year. It's from one of her earlier cookbooks, 30-Minute Meals. It's definitely doable in the 30 minutes she calls for and is achingly simple to make.

Delivering a warm bowl of smoky goodness at the end of a blustery 26 degree day, it was the perfect thing.

Manly Manny's Chili
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray, 30-Minute Meals
Makes 2 quarts, up to 6 bowlfuls

2 tablespoons corn or vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 lbs ground sirloin
Montreal Steak Seasoning or coarse salt and black pepper, to taste
1/2 bottle beer (6 oz)
1 can (14 oz) beef broth
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1-1/2 tablespoons dark chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 oz smoky BBQ sauce
2 oz Frank’s Red Hot or other cayenne pepper sauce (about 3 tablespoons)
6 oz shredded smoked cheddar cheese for topping (optional)
chopped raw onions, for garnish (optional)
Corn tortilla chips, for dipping

Heat oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, till onions are soft. Add ground beef and brown, another 3-5 minutes. Season meat and onions lightly with Montreal seasoning or salt and pepper. Add beer and let it reduce by half. Stir in broth, paste, chili powder, cumin, smoky BBQ sauce and cayenne pepper sauce. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes. Serve with shredded smoked cheddar cheese and chopped raw onions and corn chips.

Cate's Notes: I top mine with a dollop of sour cream and a handful of shredded Cheddar.

Italian Cheddar Beer Bread

2007-11-28T19:42:00.000-05:00

Susan, this bud's for you. Or more specifically, this Peg Leg Ale is for you. The other day I was catching up on a few of the regular food blogs I read, Susan's Farmgirl Fare being one of them. Truth be told, I don't get to visit as many as I'd like to regularly, but the lure of the impossibly cute animals on Susan's farm is nearly too much to bear.

While I was catching up on what she's been up to, I spied her recipe for beer bread. Seriously, folks, how can you not whip up a batch of this stuff? I'd wager a bet that you have all the ingredients on hand, and it is, no lie, in your oven happily making its way to pure homebaked goodness in under 10 minutes. Once you have those facts under your belt, why would you steer towards another course? Grocery store breads be darned!

Seeing she had quite a few variations with the recipe, I had a hunch that the recipe would be forgivable with a little 'o this and a little 'o that thrown in for good measure. I mixed and matched and yes, I know cheddar isn't Italian, but it's my bread, so there. A dash of oregano, a sprinkling of basil, two minced garlic cloves and more than a smattering of shredded sharp white cheddar... delish. One other tweak I added is when I was putting the batter into the loaf pan (and she's right, it is thick, don't be scared), I put half of it in, added more cheddar (uh huh!) and then the rest of the batter on top ... producing a nice cheesy, rippling river right through the center of the loaf. Oh baby. Go crazy. I betcha sun-dried tomatoes would taste fab in this.

Forty-five oven baked minutes later and I was rewarded for my efforts (ha! what effort?!) with fresh-baked bread. You cannot go wrong with this one; do give it a whirl. It would make a perfect holiday gift for your neighbors, and they'll think you slaved all day. Thanks, Susan!

P.S. Heard the news? The kick-off of the 2007 Food Blog Awards is nearly here; if you're a food blogger, please help spread the word.

Farmgirl Susan's Beyond Easy Dill & Cheddar Beer Bread Recipe
Makes One Loaf

The optional egg glaze gives the top a beautiful, dark golden color. As always, I encourage you to use locally produced and/or organic ingredients whenever possible.

Basic Beer Bread Mix:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder (make sure it's fresh!)

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
12 ounces beer

Optional glaze: 1 egg & 2 teaspoons water, beaten

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, dill, and cheddar in a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in beer and mix just until combined. Batter will be thick. Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan (Susan loves these Chicago Metallic Commercial Loaf Pans--they're great for yeast breads, too), brush with egg glaze if desired, and bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool 10 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Flavor Variations:

Garlic & Herb: Add 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 2 minced garlic cloves (or 1 teaspoon garlic flakes) to the basic mix. For fresh herbs, use 1 chopped Tablespoon of each.

Dill & Chive: Add 2 Tablespoons fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dried dill) and 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives to the basic mix.

Italian: Add 1 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano (or 1 Tablespoon each chopped fresh basil and oregano), 2 minced cloves of garlic, and 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan or romano cheese to the basic mix.

Other Additions: Any dried or fresh herbs; 1/2 cup freshly grated asiago (or other hard cheese); 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped scallions; 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour or 1/2 cup oats in place of 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour. Or practically anything else you can think of--use your imagination.

ARF/5-A-Day #98

2007-11-27T22:57:00.001-05:00

OK guys, you're going to have to excuse the brief write-up tonight, but I am seriously beyond exhausted and want nothing more than to curl up with my pillow and catch some zzz's. Just one of those days. Our ARF/5-A-Day roundup tonight and I'm off.

Claire from Cooking Is Medicine is up first with a party for your mouth ... Fiesta Green Beans:

Sarah from What Smells So Good shares her sweet offering, Ginger-Orange Stuffed Pears:

The Chocolate Lady is back, not only combining three languages in one post, but also introducing me to tatsoi:

Table for Two gets creative for a birthday celebration with her twist on Croque Monsieur.

Valli's Kitchen joins us with the very refreshing and cool Fruit Salad with Mango, Raspberry, Mint and Basil:

Newcomer Siri's Corner joins us with a twist on Thanksgiving with her Baked Broccoli Rice Supreme and Stuffed Bell Peppers:

And Michelle from The Greedy Gourmet finishes us off this week with her Butternut, Green Beans, Red Onions and Tofu with Maple Syrup Glaze. I don't think you can go wrong with maple syrup!

I sat this one out, but will be back with a contribution next week - promise.

2007 Food Blog Awards

2007-11-26T22:16:00.000-05:00

'Tis the time of year for holiday fun and frivolity ... and the annual Food Blog Awards. In this pre-award week, we kicked things off with a brief announcement on The Well Fed Network. Check it out, and if you're a food blogger, please help spread the word. Let the games begin!

Tired of Turkey? Try Thanksgiving Stromboli

2007-11-25T20:19:00.000-05:00

Even though we all seem to only over-indulge in turkey during this time of year, by the third or fourth day, most of us don't want to see it again, so we're left to getting creative.

On a recent episode of Rachael Ray's talk-show, she turned Thanksgiving Day leftovers into a Thanksgiving Stromboli. Of course with our recent feast, I had everything on hand and set to work. They seriously do not take more than 10 minutes to put together, if that, and soon enough, you're enjoying Thanksgiving Version 2.0.

Are they a "wow, I can't wait to make this again?" No. But are they a perfect way to reinvigorate the leftovers from your feast? Absolutely. And hey, surprisingly enough, The Husband even ate the whole thing, cranberry conserve and stuffing to boot (which he wouldn't touch on their own). Total extra points for that!

Thanksgiving Stromboli
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 tube refrigerated pizza dough, recommended brand Pillsbury
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or cornmeal
1 cup leftover cranberry sauce
3 cups leftover turkey, shredded
2 cups leftover stuffing
2 cups aged white cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 cups leftover gravy

Yields: 4 servings

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Break open the tube of dough and remove it from container. Dust your hands and lightly cover your work surface with flour or cornmeal. Roll or stretch the dough out slightly then cut it lengthwise and across to make four sections.

Spread a spoonful of cranberry sauce across one section on a diagonal. Layer the turkey and stuffing down the middle of the dough going from one corner to the opposite corner in a diagonal line. Cover the turkey and stuffing with the cheddar. (Be careful not to overstuff the stromboli or they won't wrap up!)

Tuck the two corner edges over the filling -- you should have turkey mixture running down the middle with some filling exposed at each end.

Brush with EVOO then sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and pat them into the dough. Place onto a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until evenly golden. Serve with leftover hot gravy alongside.

Confessions...

2007-11-24T20:41:00.003-05:00

Is it wrong to eat pumpkin pie at 11 o'clock at night? Nah, I didn't think so either.

Black Friday Deals at Amazon

2007-11-23T16:53:00.000-05:00

Can you believe some stores opened at 4 am to kick off the holiday shopping season today? Seriously. Crazy! I skipped braving any "door buster" retail locations today and enjoyed the ghost-towns the likes of Shop Rite, Costco and Blockbuster. Even if you stay home today, there are plenty of deals online that you can take advantage of, and Amazon is just one of the many choices.

If you need a mixer for your kitchen, now is as good a time as any, as Amazon is running many specials on Kitchen-Aid mixers, with free shipping to boot. You can check out the entire selection of Kitchen-Aid mixers right here, and you are bound to find one to suit your budget and needs.

One of particular note is this Factory-Reconditioned Artisan Series 5 Quart, a steal at nearly half the price. The deal is best on the white color, and you can't go wrong with a classic.

If you happen to be a Costco member, don't forget this weekend is when they give away their free Costco cookbook to members as they exit the warehouse. I got my copy this morning, and if the cover picture is any indication, it looks like we're in for another good one. If you've missed the previous years' editions, you can download and print them out right here (scroll down, they're on the bottom left side of the page). You can thank me later. :)

Thanksgiving Pictures in Review

2007-11-22T19:11:00.000-05:00

ARF/5-A-Day #97

2007-11-20T21:25:00.000-05:00

Even though Thanksgiving is only two days away, that didn't stop food bloggers from thinking of wonderful ARF/5-A-Day contributions. Let's get to them.

More Bread and Cheese, Please gets us started off this week with her homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, perfect for the chilly weather we've been having lately:

Cooking Is Medicine serves up a hearty, cheesy broccoli casserole - the buttery Ritz topping looks delicious!

Even though her Thanksgiving is long over, Sarah from What Smells So Good shares a Vegan Thanksgiving Smoothie for the rest of us:

Newcomer My Mother's Recipe File, an offshoot of The Modern Apron, joins us with her take on Brussels sprouts with Penne with Chicken and Brussels Sprouts. Looks like the perfect weeknight meal when time is short.

The Greedy Gourmet is back this week with a deliciously simple offering, Avocado, Pear and Bacon Salad. Beautiful plating!

Even though she just had a baby on Monday, that didn't stop Sarah from Cucina Bella from participating this week. Her Green Beans with Brown Butter would make a nice and easy side dish for your Thanksgiving table:

And as for me? During a short run to the grocery store today, I snagged a bunch of fresh asparagus. After a quick search on AllRecipes, I decided to go with Sauteed Garlic Asparagus. I usually roast them, but this way was uber-easy and just as tasty. Finishing them off with a little smattering of sea salt, and I was happily munching away in no time.

Won't be posting tomorrow ... The Husband is working late, Nicholas has a half-day at school and we have a very full evening planned with Thanksgiving preparations, so in the meantime, from the Sweetnicks kitchen to yours ... Happy Thanksgiving!

Sauteed Garlic Asparagus
Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes

Yield: 4 servings

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 bunch fresh asparagus
3 cloves garlic, chopped

Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and asparagus spears; cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until asparagus is tender. If you like your asparagus well done, reduce heat and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Pre-Thanksgiving Feast: Bacon and Herb Roasted Turkey

2007-11-19T22:11:00.000-05:00

On the Martha Stewart episode that I mentioned I watched yesterday, Emeril Lagasse also made an Herb Roasted Turkey, a recipe I decided to make tonight. A paste with softened butter, crispy bacon and chopped, fresh herbs goes under the skin and the turkey breast bakes for a little over an hour, basted a bit with bacon grease, thankyouverymuch. Once it came out of the oven, the skin was golden brown and deliciously crispy, and the meat was juicy, juicy, juicy. Another keeper, which shouldn't be a surprise. I mean, really, how can you go wrong with butter, bacon and fresh herbs?

Along with the stuffing recipe I made last night, I also made one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes, Cranberry Conserve. If you were ever looking for a cranberry recipe, this one is it. I never liked cranberry sauce until this recipe and I swear it's eyes-roll-back-in-your-head good. I'm going to make it again for Thanksgiving - this batch is just for me to feast on until then, and by the looks of things, it's not going to last until then; but in my defense, I shared the batch with two neighbors!

And now for the menu for Thanksgiving. Last weekend, I finally down for a few minutes to hammer it out. I'm big on tradition and wanted to focus on keeping the core of our menu the same from year to year, with a few additions along the way. This way, what hits the table are truly items that we love and look forward to. This will be the third year for many of the dishes.

Appetizers:
Brown Sugar Baked Brie
Sausage Cheese Puffs
Spinach Squares

Main:
The Husband's Low and Slow Overnight Turkey
Cranberry Conserve
Stuffing
Cranberry Broccoli Salad
Roasted Asparagus
Green Beans with Crispy Shallots
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Bread Basket

Dessert:
Pumpkin Pie
Peanut Pie (I'm looking forward to this one. The recipe comes from a restaurant we visited eons ago on a family vacation growing up.)

I feel like we need one or two more things to add to the appetizer round, but not sure yet. Suggestions?

OK, so that's the plan for us. I'd love to hear what is hitting YOUR Thanksgiving table.

Bacon and Herb Roasted Turkey
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Serves 6 to 8

3 strips thick-cut bacon (ok, I might have used more)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons coarse salt (directions refer to teaspoons, and after tasting it, I think teaspoons makes more sense)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 whole turkey breast (5 1/2 to 6 pounds), rinsed and patted dry

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a shallow roasting pan or baking dish with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil. Place bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat; cook until bacon is crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat. Let bacon cool.

Finely chop bacon and transfer to a small bowl, along with garlic, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a small spoon, mix until a paste is formed.

Using your fingertips, gently loosen the skin on both sides of the turkey breast so that it is separated from the flesh. Divide herb paste in half and gently spread half of the paste between each half of the breast. Season turkey with remaining teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Brush skin with reserved bacon fat.

Place turkey in prepared pan and roast, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the breast reaches 165 degrees, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove turkey from oven and let rest 20 minutes before carving. Serve with any pan drippings.

Baked Oyster Dressing

2007-11-18T20:35:00.000-05:00

OMG, I had the best homemade stuffing e-v-e-r today. But first, I'll backtrack. I was catching up on some of my backlogged Tivo shows this morning, and caught an episode of Martha Stewart where Food Network chef Emeril Lagasse was the guest. He prepared a complete New Orleans-style Thanksgiving dinner, and by the end of the episode, I decided we'd have a pre-Thanksgiving feast for dinner tonight. After all, why should all our favorite dishes from Thanksgiving be relegated to just one day a year? Somebody has to put a stop to this.

After all these years of making countless stuffing recipes, I have yet to find the one that makes me stop searching ... until today. And given I've never had a bad Emeril recipe, it should only stand to reason that it was his recipe that stopped the search. The recipe comes from Emeril's Real and Rustic cookbook, which made its debut over 11 years ago.

While making the recipe, Emeril mentioned the fact that a lot of people in the food industry believe that you shouldn't mix fish with cheese (as he does in this recipe, with the oysters and Parmesan), and both and he Martha scoffed at the idea. They also mentioned the recent trend of some restaurants refusing to include salt or pepper on the diners' table, with the assertion that their food has been expertly prepared and didn't need dining room guests ruining it by adding additional salt and pepper. Both Martha and Emeril didn't agree with that latest trend either, which I was glad to hear. I understand the chefs' point, but still ... know matter how expertly they may prepare their offerings, everyone's tastebuds are different.

The stuffing was incredibly simple to make, and with just the right amount of seasoning, it produced incredibly moist stuffing that will hit our table for many Thanksgivings to come. Because I don't think I can get the oysters past everyone in the family, I'll exclude them when I make it on Thursday, but I promise it will still be just as good. If you're looking for a traditional stuffing recipe for your Thanksgiving menu this week, do give this one a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

What's your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

Baked Oyster Dressing
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse's Real and Rustic

Serves 4 to 6

2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 cups shucked oysters, including their liquor
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon Emeril's Original Essence (see recipe below)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon very finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped scallions
4 cups 1-inch cubes French bread
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-by-11-inch baking dish and set aside. Drain oysters, reserving liquor; set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, Emeril's Essence, and cayenne; cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add bay leaves, garlic, and parsley; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 1 cup water and cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, combine vegetable mixture with oysters and their liquor, scallions, bread, and cheese. Stir until well combined. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and bake until golden brown and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Emeril's Essence

Makes 2/3 cup

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons coarse salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; stir until well combined. Transfer mixture to an airtight container and store in a cool, dark place.

Rigatoni Alla Isabella

2007-11-15T19:15:00.001-05:00

I'm actually pretty proud of myself for tonight's dinner offering. A brand new recipe, from a cookbook I haven't used before, using ingredients I already had on hand ... all decided at the last minute. Barring all that, it produced a keeper. My kind of evening!

At 5:40 pm, I decided it was time to stop work and decide on what to make for dinner. I had no idea what to make, and had nothing planned, but was leaning towards a pasta dish of sorts, having to make do with what I had on hand. Besides the fact that it was a disgustingly chilly, wet and windy day today that demotivated any trip to the grocery store, it was too late to be running out to buy ingredients for a dish I hadn't even thought of yet. Just one of those days where time escaped me.

Near my desk is a bookshelf filled with some of my cookbooks. Knowing I had pasta on the mind, I scanned the shelves for an Italian one, landing on The Arthur Avenue Cookbook. Although I have yet to use this cookbook (I know, sad, isn't it?), I love looking at the pictures ... shot around New York's Little Italy, they feature butcher shops, fresh loaves of bread, salty prosciutto, bakers, butchers, Italian guys sitting around shooting the breeze and more. Love it.

A quick scan through the index led me to their recipe for Rigatoni Alla Isabella. As you can see, I ended up using spaghetti (whole wheat, thank you very much), because Nicholas nixed the idea of "fat pasta." I'm a very new convert to whole wheat pastas, and love it ... I challenge anyone to tell the difference between that and traditional pasta.

With its very short list of ingredients, I was happy to discover I had nearly everything on hand already. The only thing I was missing was the zucchini, but I happened to have a fresh bunch of asparagus in the fridge, which made a perfect substitute. Of course, it's not like the boys would touch the green vegetables anyway, so a substitute didn't especially matter, but the pasta was definitely a big hit with all. Light on seasonings, it made for a delicately flavored, just right dish that can be on your dinner table in under 30 minutes. Rachael Ray would be proud. Bon Appetit!

A year ago today... Thanksgiving preparations begin.
Two years ago today... hard to believe we were arriving in Bermuda two years ago today!

Rigatoni Alla Isabella
Recipe courtesy of The Arthur Avenue Cookbook

1 pound rigatoni
4 chicken breasts (I used chicken tenderloins for faster cooking)
1 tablespoon diced garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 zucchini, trimmed and sliced thinly, lengthwise (I used roasted asparagus)
2 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (I used six)

Preheat the oven to 350. Heat the grill or a grill pan on the stove top over medium-high heat. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook to al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Drain the pasta. Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the chicken, garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, and salt and pepper. Toss to coat the chicken well. Grill the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the grill, place on a sheet pan, and bake it in oven for 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the zucchini slices in 1 tablespoon olive oil, add salt and pepper and place them on the grill, about 1 minute each side, until well marked. Remove the chicken from the oven, allow it to cool, and cut it into 1-inch-long strips. Cut the zucchini crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the cream. Summer until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Add the pasta, chicken and zucchini, and stir until heated through. Add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Cate's Note: I changed up the method a little bit to make it easier. First, I cooked the chicken completely in the grill pan, skipping the baking in the oven part. When the chicken was half-way done, that's when I put the pasta water on. I roasted asparagus in the oven, skipping all the zucchini steps, and just added it in at the end.

Oven Baked Beef Stew

2007-11-14T20:50:00.000-05:00

Last Friday, I'm in the kitchen getting dinner ready, and The Neighbor Husband comes in and asks what's on the menu. "Stew. You like?" "No, not really." Alrighty then. Luckily he is the adventurous sort, vowing to try it first and two full bowls later, I think it's safe to say that while he may not embrace ALL stew, this one got two thumbs up. Phew!

I first found this recipe some three years ago on the Cooking Light Bulletin Board, and have tweaked it a bit along the way, adding and subtracting until it was just right. I love its simplicity. After quickly browning the meat and chopping the vegetables, the oven does the rest of the work for you, sending a delicious scent wafting through the house in no time. In my opinion, the red wine totally makes it, giving the end result a little something special, and that extra flavor level that you won't find in other stews. Oh so tender meat and perfectly cooked vegetables, it's stew done right. Serve with warm, golden biscuits and you have Fall flavors in a bowl. Enjoy!

Oven Baked Beef Stew

1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
2 lbs. stew meat, cut in 1-1/2" cubes
1/3 cup flour plus 1 tablespoon, or 1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons marjoram
12 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
15 oz. beef broth (a can and a half)
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cups cubed potatoes (don't peel, lest you miss out on extra vitamins!)
4 medium carrots, sliced
3 small onions, quartered
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 325F. Heat oil in 4 quart Dutch oven over medium. Brown beef cubes in oil. Add flour, salt, garlic powder, marjoram and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, broth and wine; mix well. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Cover; bake for 2 hours or until meat is tender, stirring twice during baking.

ARF/5-A-Day #96

2007-11-13T20:34:00.000-05:00

So The Sister-in-Law has really given me a challenge in the past week. She asked for a recipe that I made for her some 8+ years ago. Apparently she liked it, and has been making it since but had lost the recipe. All I had to go on was "vegetable casserole," which was soon followed by "it has sour cream in it." I don't even remember making the recipe, but I save all my tried-and-trues, so I set to work trying to find it.

If you've seen my tried-and-true recipe file, you'll know what a challenge this is, and one day (hopefully sooner rather than later!), I'm going to get them organized once and for all. They're in this massively huge stack, no sorting, all mixed together. Most of the time, when I'm looking for something specific, I can remember if the recipe is a magazine clipping vs. a computer printout, etc., so it's not horrible, but it definitely needs help. In the meantime, in its current state, going through all the pieces of paper is like a trip down memory lane.

Anyway, while looking for the recipe, which after three false alarms, I did eventually find, I came across a tried-and-true recipe for Tex-Mex Pie. This one, a magazine clipping from Ladies Home Journal, is another one I haven't made in ages ... back to the days of our first apartment, so three houses later, that would put it at over 8 years. It wasn't until I looked up the recipe online did I find out I really clipped the recipe 10 years ago.

I happened to have all the ingredients on hand, and it quickly became dinner tonight. As soon as The Husband saw it, he mentioned that I hadn't made it in awhile; I was surprised he remembered it. I was hoping I could get Nicholas to like it, but no such luck as after the requisite you-have-to-try-at-least-one-bite, he made off contentedly with salad and leftovers.

The recipe is very flexible, and you could easily add corn, other cooked vegetables or even green chiles to it before baking, but with the standard addition of salsa, it makes the perfect contribution to tonight's ARF/5-A-Day roundup, all due to The Sister-In-Law! Now onto what everyone else whipped up.

At 10:30 this morning, my GoogleTalk window pops up and Sarah from Cucina Bella is telling me about this amazing sandwich she's eating ... with prosciutto and sweet onions ... in the am! I'm not sure about having it quite so early in the day, but later on, it definitely sounds like a keeper and we just may have to dig out our panini maker this weekend.

The Chocolate Lady is at it again, uncovering something else I've never encountered, Musquee de Provence Pumpkins. If you think they're pretty on the outside, do check out her site to see the gorgeous color of the inside of the pumpkin.

Newcomer Siri's Corner joins us with her vegetarian contribution of Soya Eggplant Moussaka:

Sarah from What Smells So Good serves up the gorgeously colored and antioxidant booster Deep Dish Potato and Pumpkin Pie:

Blog Appetit is back, this time with the figure-friendly Vietnamese Steamed Fish:

Our second newcomer of the night is the Greedy Goose with her restaurant ready Pork Fillet and Prunes with a Creamy Sauce:

Claire from Cooking Is Medicine celebrates Fall with Sara Foster and her hearty Pumpkin Muffins:

Tex-Mex Pie
Recipe courtesy of Ladies Home Journal magazine

1 pounds ground beef
1 cup thick and chunky salsa
15 ounce refrigerated piecrusts (package of 2)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat a large nonstick skillet 1 minute over medium-high heat. Brown beef, breaking up large pieces with a spoon, until pan juices evaporate. Drain fat from skillet. Add salsa; cook just until excess liquid evaporates. Cool. Heat oven to 400°F. Roll each crust from piecrusts into a 12-inch circle. Place one circle on a cookie sheet. Spoon beef mixture evenly on circle, leaving 3/4-inch border. Sprinkle beef with cheese. Moisten edge of circle with water. Fold second crust in half; cut two 1-inch diagonal slashes in center. Unfold over filling. Press edge of pie to seal. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until lightly browned.

Tickling the Funny Bone

2007-11-12T23:05:00.001-05:00

When I was organizing my linens the other day, the packaging on these napkins caught my eye and cracked me up. Prego Napkins? Could they not have come up with something a little better? (and yes, I know it's really spelled Preggo, but work with me here)

Soup's On! New England Clam Chowder

2007-11-11T22:08:00.000-05:00

I think it's safe to say that Fall has definitely arrived here in the Northeast, and I'm loving it. The weather is cool and crisp, but not chilly enough that you're rushing indoors to get warm. Perfect weather for soup - I love Soup Season, and this time, we're celebrating it with a New England Clam Chowder. I like this version as I think it has a nice balance between thin, but not too thin, and thick, but not so much so. It's hearty enough to make a meal of it, but without leaving you feeling overstuffed. I topped it with crumbled, crispy bacon and a bit of freshly grated cheese. Yum - good to the last spoonful.

New England Clam Chowder
Recipe courtesy of Cate O'Malley

4 (6 1/2-ounce) cans chopped clams, undrained
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
6 bacon slices
extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3-1/2 cups cubed red potato, skins on (that's where all the vitamins are!)
3-4 medium carrots, diced in small pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (don't worry, dried works fine too)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup milk
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste

Drain clams through a colander into a bowl, reserving liquid and clams. Combine clam liquid and clam juice. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil and saute onion, carrot and garlic in pan for 7-8 minutes or until tender. Add clam juice mixture, potato, and ingredients through bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender.

Combine milk, heavy cream and flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth; add to pan. Stir in clams and bacon, reserving a little bit for topping. Cook 5 minutes to heat clams through. Discard bay leaf. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with bacon.

Yield:n 8 servings

Indian Snack Attack

2007-11-08T21:26:00.000-05:00

If it wasn't for our old neighbors, who introduced us to the wonderful world of Indian food and fostered our love for it, I wouldn't be feeling it. With a brand new cuisine, you really need someone to take you by the hand, show you their favorite foods and allow you to gently wade into the water, lest you get scared off by a big wave of something you just don't like. I find that if you ask someone if they like Indian food, if they're not already familiar with it, you usually get a response of "I don't like curry." Indian food is not just curry. That's akin to saying Italian food is all about marinara, ignoring deliciously salty Prosciutto, creamy homemade mozzarella and freshly made cannolis, you know?

Earlier this week, I went down and visited with our old neighbors for a little bit, and we got to talking about food because I asked if they had a good recipe for Aloo Jeera. They didn't, and when I mentioned that there are so many different recipes out there for it (like the version I made versus the restaurant's version), he explained that different regions have different recipes for it. Much like asking ten Italians for their homemade gravy (sauce) recipe ... they're all going to be different. Bert mentioned a new, quick wrap he's been throwing together recently, eating it for a snack or a light lunch, and as he described it, my mouth was watering. The power of suggestion and all that, after I left, I made a quick detour for a nearby Indian grocery store to pick up a few ingredients.

Since Nicholas was off for an evening with my parents, I took advantage of the kid-free dinner table and made the wraps. OMG, so good. I can't put my finger on what made it exactly OMG good for me ... the simplicity, the forgiveness, the flexibility, the healthiness ... I don't know, but it was incredibly satisfying and will be a frequent go-to from now on. I took a few liberties with the wrap along the way and as I mentioned forgiveness and flexibility, this is certainly one you can tweak to your own liking, adding and subtracting at will. Bert's version didn't have an onion in it, and he mentioned putting it in a tortilla. When I was at the grocery store and passed by the rotis, I wondered if that's what he meant instead. No matter. I bought. I used. And oh so good.

A year ago today... The Neighbor Husband's call for help.
Two years ago today... celebrating a new sink.

P.S. Since vegetables qualify for Weekend Herb Blogging, these delicious wraps make a perfect contribution to this weekend's roundup, hosted by The Expatriate's Kitchen.

Indian Cucumber Wraps
Recipe courtesy of Bert and Cate

1 Kirby cucumber, diced in small pieces
1 onion, peeled and sliced thin
olive oil
chick pea flour (Besan)
1 Roti
To taste: salt, pepper, sugar, Garam Masala

In a medium sauce pan, heat up a little bit of olive oil and add the cucumber and onion. Saute until they soften and add approximately a teaspoon of Besan, stir. Season with pinches of salt, pepper, sugar and Garam Masala to taste. Saute for another minute or two to give flavors a chance to marry. (As you can see from the picture, I let the onions get to the caramelized stage) In the meantime, put one Roti on paper towel in microwave for 15 seconds just to warm up and soften. When done, fill Roti with cucumber and onion mixture, roll up and devour.

I dipped in a mixture of part sour cream, part chutney, but it is just as good on its own.

Yield: 1 wrap

Greek Chicken Tenders and Roasted Asparagus

2007-11-07T21:43:00.000-05:00

Good, clean food. That's what my body craved tonight. Simple, clean, unfussy flavors. I also wanted something that I could easily double so I could bring dinner to my sister and brother-in-law's house when I visit baby Sophie this week. I turned to a tried-and-true recipe for Greek Chicken Tenders. I discovered this recipe two years ago in a local newspaper, and it served up exactly what I was looking for ... good, clean food.

Although Nicholas requested rice and black beans as his side dish, as opposed to my yearn for Roasted Asparagus, surprisingly he gobbled up the chicken and went back for seconds. The Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan recipe is another tried-and-true, this one from Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast cookbook.

On the table in under 20 minutes, a light, healthy dinner fitting the bill. Enjoy!

Greek Chicken Tenders

2-1/2 pounds chicken tenders
2 lemons
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Spread chicken tenders on a dinner plate or other wide dish. Grate lemon rind (yellow part only) over the chicken, then cut the lemons in quarters and squeeze juice over all. Sprinkle with dried oregano, salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add tenders and juice and cook, turning over, about 8-10 minutes or until tenders are cooked through. Serve with buttered orzo on the side. Serves 4.

Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan
Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast

2 bunches (1-1/2 pounds) asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450F. Trim the tough ends from the asparagus. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the asparagus with the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Roast until the asparagus is tender and the cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Serves immediately. Serves 4.

ARF/5-A-Day #95

2007-11-06T21:20:00.000-05:00

Another week, another ARF/5-A-Day roundup. Can you believe we're quickly approaching the 100th week?! Time really does fly. OK, let's get started with tonight's bounty of fruit and veggie goodness.

Claire from Cooking is Medicine gets matrimonial by marrying unlikely pairs together with her Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples:

The Chocolate Lady brings hemp seeds to our roundup with her Hemp Seed Tabouli. I do believe this is the first time hemp seed has made an appearance here.

Newcomer Slightly Cheaper Than Therapy serves up an interesting twist on Quesadillas with her Mexican version:

More Bread and Cheese, Please celebrates Halloween the adult way (sniff, sniff) with her Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Pilaf:

Sarah from Cucina Bella gets the Kid Seal of Approval for her Garlic Tomato Spaghetti Squash:

Sara from Cupcake Muffin not only breaks in a new cookbook, but a new food processor too, with her Farfalle with Arugula Gremolata:

Sarah from What Smells So Good celebrates Halloween with her True Halloween Candy:

Sara from I Like to Cook finishes us off this week featuring the almighty potato in her Spanish Frittata:

As for me? I kept it simple and went with a tried-and-true, Garlic-Crumbed Tomatoes. I don't make these often enough, but do love them.

A year ago today... more food shows for your viewing pleasure.
Two years ago today... Cuban cooking at The Sister-in-Law's.

Kid-Approved - Homemade Chicken Nuggets

2007-11-05T23:23:00.000-05:00

These days, with a fast food joint located down practically every street, it's hard to convince kids sometimes that life exists beyond McDonald's chicken nuggets. Not only that, but that homemade chicken nuggets were, gasp!, actually better! How could they be better when they don't come as part of a Happy Meal, right?

Nicholas was no exception. Although he tends to be a little picky about fast food, he does have it on occasion, and when I mentioned that I was going to make him chicken nuggets at home, he didn't want to hear any of it. It wasn't until the third time that I made them could I actually convince him to try enough of it to really give it a chance. And then? He succumbed and admitted, that yup, homemade chicken nuggets really ARE better than what you can get at McDonald's, happy meal toy notwithstanding. I'd also hazard a guess that these are a tad bit healthier to boot.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets
2 lbs skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, mixed with the milk

Dip chicken in egg and milk mixture, then toss with bread crumbs, coating well. Brown in a little oil until golden. Serve.

Garlic Bread Fantastique

2007-11-04T23:14:00.000-05:00

Betcha all thought I had disappeared, huh? Between Halloween festivities, a sneak preview of the new Bee Movie the following night, company over this weekend, and The Husband and The Neighbor Husband working on kitchen renovations today, things have been a little busy lately, and by the end of the night, I have been exhausted with a capital E. But still here.

Last week when I went to go visit my sister and baby Sophie, I wanted to bring along dinner so she'd have an easy night of it. I made a pan of lasagna, which we've since found out is Nicholas' new favorite dish, and homemade garlic bread. It's been ages since I made lasagna and definitely long overdue.

Garlic bread - there's no rocket science about it and short of burning it while broiling it, it's pretty darn hard to screw up. A few years ago, I found a recipe for Garlic Bread Fantastique on AllRecipes. While you don't really need a recipe for Garlic Bread, this one is worth having in your repertoire. Between the unusual addition of a little bit 'o mayo and the topping of Parmesan cheese right before broiling, it makes for a delicious Garlic Bread rendition that breaks from the pack.

Garlic Bread Fantastique
Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes.
"A zippy change to the usual garlic bread that will surely be your favorite ever!"

PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 5 Min
READY IN 15 Min
Original recipe yield: 6 servings

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon sage
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 French baguette, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Preheat oven to broil. In a medium bowl combine butter, mayonnaise, sage, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Spread mixture evenly on bread and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place bread under broil for 5 minutes, or until lightly toasted.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T20:34:00.000-05:00

Twenty-eight eyeball cupcakes for school.

My superhero.

My parents dog, Beauregard, dressed up for the occasion.

Nicholas' Treat Bag, recording his costumes over the years.

Twenty-five goodie bags ready to go to school.

Our 4-1/2 week old Sweet Pea of a neighbor.

My niece, Sophie, three weeks old tomorrow.

Getting tired.

Another year, another Princess.

The cute couple.

"Mom, we can't see! The sun!"

ARF/5-A-Day #94

2007-10-30T21:41:00.000-05:00

I'm up to my eyeballs in ... well ... eyeballs, so I'm sitting out this week's ARF/5-A-Day, but luckily fellow food bloggers came to my rescue with their own delicious contributions. Whew!

Claire from Cooking Is Medicine uses technology for her yummy Cauliflower Dish:

The Chocolate Lady is back and keeping it simple with her acorn squash:

More Bread and Cheese, Please celebrates Soup Season with her Vegetable Barley Soup:

Newcomer Cupcake Muffin continues our soup celebration with her Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup - sounds like a delicious combination.

Table for Two serves up the very hearty Mr. Wonderful's Comfort Stew:

What Smells So Good picks up the stew trend with her Ham 'n Tater Stew:

Next up is Stoneview with her tummy-warming Pumpkin and Sausage Soup:

Newcomer Passionate About Baking takes on dessert for us this week with her Fall-inspired Apple Crumble:

Halloween Tricks and Treats

2007-10-29T20:06:00.000-05:00

We love Halloween here in the Sweetnicks household. One of our Top 3 holidays for us easily. Next year, we're going to have a Halloween party. This year, I just couldn't get my act together, between moving and various other shenanigans, it just wasn't going to happen. But 2008? Easy, and I have a whole year to plan it.

In the meantime, I'm focusing on what treats to make for Nicholas to bring into school. Two years ago, I made stuffed Halloween hands and a Haunted House cake. The Halloween hands were cute, but a) it took some doing to find gloves that weren't coated with that powder inside and b) they were fairly time consuming to make 30 of them. They were very cute, but I want to make something different every year. Last year? I have no idea what I did and it must not have been that memorable because, gasp!, I didn't blog about it.

This year, I want to keep it simple, but still something that the Kindergarten set will get a kick out of. I narrowed it down to four or five items and let Nicholas choose his favorite. He's decided on the Eyeball Cupcakes. How cute are they? In a sick, eww, way, of course.

So, what tricks and treats do you have up your sleeve to celebrate Halloween? Sending something in for the kiddos? Having a party? Share!

Photo from Kraft Foods, 'cause I haven't made mine yet! :)

P.S. If you're looking for more Halloween ideas yourself, the gang at All Recipes has a free printable cookbook that you can grab right here.

P.P.S. Happy, happy birthday to our dear friend, Chris - hope it was a wonderful one!

Soup's On! Two Cheese Chicken Chowder

2007-10-28T21:59:00.000-05:00

This Fall, my goal is to have Sunday nights be Soup Night. Since I know The Husband isn't going to go for just soup for dinner, given his voracious appetite, I'll include salad or a sandwich, but Sunday Soup Night is a perfect way to celebrate the start of the cool, crisp weather and finally the onset of Fall.

There are very few soups that I can get Nicholas to eat, no matter how much he might like the ingredients separately. Campbell's Dora-themed Chicken Noodle Soup? He is so there. But homemade soup gets met with "This? Yuck." We did manage to get him to down five spoonfuls of tonight's soup without making too many faces, but it wasn't easy.

I like thick, creamy soups. Don't get me wrong, I love a thin French Onion Soup too, but given the choice, particularly when we're making a meal out of it, I'll choose a thicker, creamier one any day. Tonight's soup, Two Cheese Chicken Chowder is a Sweetnicks original and good to the last spoonful. Ladle up and enjoy!

Two Cheese Chicken Chowder
Recipe courtesy of Cate at Sweetnicks

6 bacon slices, cooked crisp and broken into small pieces
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Half a rotisserie chicken cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
2-1/2 cups diced red potatoes (leave the peels on, extra vitamins!)
2-1/2 cups corn
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss
salt
pepper

Put extra virgin olive oil in a deep pot on medium heat and add onion and garlic. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, until onions begin to soften. Add broth and potatoes, raise heat and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Add corn and chicken; stir well. In a small bowl, mix flour, milk and heavy cream until completely blended; add to soup. Cook over medium heat 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add bacon. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yields: 6 servings

Think Pink, Part 3

2007-10-25T20:44:00.000-05:00

October is swiftly coming to a close, but there is still plenty of time to stock up on pink purchases in the name of breast cancer research.

KitchenAid has a bevy of pink products for your kitchen, and they'd also work well as a gift for those on your list this holiday season. Their Ultra Power blender is on sale for $89, and with that purchase, they're throwing in a $30 pink Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. Ten dollars of every one of these blenders purchased goes towards the Susan G. Komen Foundation. If the blender is not your thing, they have plenty of other items as well.

The Ford Motor Company is back with their Warriors in Pink line, with 100% of the profits benefiting Susan G. Komen. I bought a few of the shirts last year for Christmas gifts, and they're a really nice quality. With each specific item, they tell you exactly how much of the purchase price the foundation is getting, which I like. Love the black thermal shirts for guys, a repeat from last years' collection.

The Breast Cancer Site has a ridiculous amount of pink stuff available, everything you could possibly want. Love the socks, and they'd make a perfect stocking stuffer.

Target has gotten in on the act with a few selections where 5% of the profits benefit breast cancer research. A very cute pink tote bag - check it out. One can never have too many of those, right?

The Susan G. Komen Foundation themselves has assembled a nice collection of items - everything from sticky notes and t-shirts to pajamas and hot mugs (and more must-have socks!).

OK, that should keep you busy for now. If you missed Part 1 and Part 2, go check them out, especially those cool Lean Cuisine insulated tote bags!

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

2007-10-24T20:54:00.000-05:00

The other night, The Husband asked, "What's for dinner?" "Soup" was my response. His? "That's it?" Well, yes. Besides the fact that I can very easily make a complete meal out of a good soup, we had a fridge full of leftovers that I just couldn't bring myself to add to. Of course, knowing how much he loves leftovers (not!) and being the good wife that I am, I made something else in addition to the soup... Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.

Rachael Ray made this one on her talk show earlier in the week and it certainly was simple enough to make. Since the meatballs are baked and are ground chicken, it's pretty darn healthy too. I usually bypass buffalo wings and the like and things made with lots of hot sauce, but I couldn't resist trying one of these before I dished it up. Four later, I had to back away from the meatballs. The Husband never dips his buffalo chicken in the bleu cheese dipping sauce that ordinarily accompanies it, but since I love bleu cheese sauce, of course I did. Very good stuff, and perfect for the upcoming tailgating season. Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 pound ground white meat chicken
1/2 small onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s)
3 scallions, green and white parts thinly sliced
Store-bought, good quality bleu cheese dressing for dipping
A couple of handfuls celery sticks
A couple of handfuls carrot sticks

Yields: 4 snack-size servings

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken with the onion, garlic and parsley, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Flatten out the meat in the bowl and score it into four portions using the side of your hand. Shape each portion into four balls – you should have sixteen meatballs in total.

Arrange the meatballs on a nonstick sheet pan and drizzle them with EVOO. Place in the oven and bake until the meatballs are cooked through and golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.

While the meatballs are baking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the hot sauce and whisk to combine. Toss the baked meatballs in the hot sauce to coat.

Transfer the meatballs to a serving platter and spike each one with a toothpick or serving fork. Place the bleu cheese dressing in a small serving bowl and garnish with scallions. Serve the meatballs with the bleu cheese dressing, celery and carrot sticks alongside.

ARF/5-A-Day #93

2007-10-23T20:16:00.000-05:00

Last night, I had to spend a ridiculous amount of time making soup (more on that later in the week). To kill the simmer, cool, simmer time, I cleaned out the freezer. I was pretty proud of myself when I was done. I cleared out enough stuff that I can actually see the light in there now and the thing positively sparkles.

While sorting through everything, I found two bags of cranberries, leftover from purchases last year, and a lightbulb went off for my ARF/5-A-Day contribution this week... Cranberry Broccoli Salad.

I love this recipe and make it a few times a year, but usually around Thanksgiving. For our recent Progressive Dinner, I had a big platter of crudites, and there was a lot of broccoli leftover, so besides using up my freezer stash, the recipe would make good use of the broccoli as well. I just needed to buy the coleslaw mix - I had the rest of the ingredients on hand. If you don't have cranberries on hand, or they're out of season, you can certainly skip them or add extra raisins. You can't go wrong either way, and it's the perfect contribution for tonight's ARF/5-A-Day roundup. Now onto what everyone else served up...

The Genesis of a Cook joins us for the first time tonight with her Fall-inspired Pumpkin Scones:

Cooking is Medicine serves up the uber-delicious Couscous Stuffed Peppers:

The Cookbook Junkie is back with a recipe that just might have me making a special trip to the grocery store tomorrow ... Potatoes Lyonnaise:

What Smells So Good delivers a nice tribute to Deborah Kerr, and Siamese Enemy Curry:

Cranberry Broccoli Salad

1-1/4 cups fresh cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
4 cups broccoli florets
4 cups coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage with carrots)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
6 slices of bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled (I double the amount of bacon)

Dressing:
1 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

In a small bowl, combine the fresh cranberries and sugar; cover and chill in fridge until serving time (berries will juice out). In a large bowl, combine broccoli, shredded cabbage, walnuts, raisins and onion. To make dressing, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the salad and mix. Chill covered at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Just before serving, gently fold in bacon and cranberry mixture.

Progressive Dinner Recap

2007-10-22T19:38:00.000-05:00

Saturday night, we had our first Progressive Dinner. Since we had three kids in attendance, we started the evening out early at 5:30 pm. The first stop was The Neighbors house and they kicked it off with cocktails and appetizers. Pina Coladas, Cuban Toasties and a meat, cheese and cracker platter. A great way to kick-off the night.

Next up was The Newlywed Neighbors' house for salad ... a platter with prosciutto and melon and another with tomatoes, mozzarella and balsamic vinegar. The Newlywed Husband thrilled the kids when he made grilled peanut butter and honey sandwiches - not a speck was left on the plate, with the adults scooping in for the last bits. Since they don't have kids yet (but have one on the way!), the first question out of the kids' mouth as soon as they walked in the door was "Where are all the toys?" Luckily, there are two very energetic cats in residence, and they were all involved in a spirited game of tag in no time, with the cats in full participation, believe it or not.

Third stop was our house. I wanted to keep it simple, yet still go with crowd-pleasers that would work for the adults and kids alike. I went with Nicholas' new favorite pasta, Penne with Vodka Sauce, with a platter of Baked Caprese Salad on the side. The night before, I spied a new recipe for Monster Eyes, which I thought would be fun for the kids. The olives popped out during baking, so Monster Eyes they were not, but with a mustard dipping sauce, I think they were ok.

Last stop was a friend across the water, and she took care of dessert. Fresh pumpkin ice cream from a local dairy, smooshed between sugar cookies, it was the perfect ice cream sandwich to end the evening.

Surprisingly enough, with four stops and food at each one, it was just the right amount of food. No one was overly stuffed, yet I think everyone was contentedly full. We finally drew the evening to a close at 11 pm, and Nicholas fell asleep merely seconds after his head hit the pillow, as I'm sure it was the same with the other kids too. And now we have ourselves a new quarterly tradition.

Miss Sophie - Eight Days Old

2007-10-19T20:32:00.000-05:00

Usually I don't update Sweetnicks on Fridays and Saturdays, opting to take some time off, but today I went down to visit my niece and thought I'd share a few updated photos. I was lucky enough to arrive when she was wide awake, but she was fast asleep in no time at all. Hard to believe it's been a week already! So far, she seems to have some coloring from my brother-in-law's side of the family (definitely no redheads on our side!), but she also reminds me a lot of Nicholas when he was this age too.

Progressive Dinner

2007-10-19T06:23:00.000-05:00

This weekend, we're having our first Progressive Dinner. I'm looking forward to it, and it will be a good way to fill the spot of my old Supper Club, until I can start a new one.

A Progressive Dinner is when you visit different houses for each course of the meal. Tomorrow, we have four houses (including The Neighbors and The Newlywed Neighbors) joining in the fun, and we're the stop for the Main Course. I'm going with a pasta dish, a favorite one of Nicholas' (though if the way he gobbled up last night's Spaghetti Carbonara is any indication, there might be neck-and-neck tie for the top spot). I'm also going to make the Baked Salad Caprese that he liked; I think it makes a perfect side item to the pasta (and you know I can't just serve pasta by itself!).

Have you ever participated in a Progressive Dinner? What did you make? How many houses? Do tell!

Aloo Zeera or Aloo Jeera

2007-10-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, when we ordered take-out from a local Indian restaurant, I decided to tread outside my usual comfort zone and order something I hadn't tried before. I ended up with Aloo Jeera and loved it. A potato dish with an assortment of Indian spices, it was simple, but packed a flavorful punch.

Tonight, I didn't have much of an appetite and the leftovers in the fridge needed to be attacked one last time. I heated up leftovers for The Husband and Nicholas and set about to find a recipe for Aloo Jeera that I could make at home, using ingredients I already had on hand. Some websites referred to it as Aloo Jeera, as the restaurant did, and some called it Aloo Zeera. To make it even more confusing, the version I ended up going with was called Zeera Aloo. Go figure.

The guys weren't interested in it; no matter, more for me. Delicious, and a definite make again ... and a heck of a lot cheaper than ordering it in the restaurant, although I'm going to order it one more time just to compare the two. I think their version was a little wetter, so I want to see if they added onions or something else I might be missing so I have it perfect. I topped it with a little bit of sour cream. I didn't have chutney on hand, but that would have been perfect atop the sour cream. Enjoy!

Zeera Aloo (New Potatoes with Cumin)
Recipe couresy of Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking
Serving Size : 4

2 lbs new potatoes, cleaned, cooked until tender -- then peel
salt
2 1/2 tbsps vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds (I used ground cumin)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp chili powder
3 tbsps coriander leaves -- chopped (I used seeds instead)

Put oil in large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in cumin seeds. Let seeds sizzle for a few seconds. Now put in potatoes. Turn heat down to medium. Brown potatoes lightly on all sides. Turn heat to low and ad 3/4 teaspoon salt and ground cumin, garam masala and chili powder. Cook, stirring for a minute. Add coriander leaves and mix before serving.

ARF/5-A-Day #92

2007-10-16T19:57:00.000-05:00

Every once in awhile, Nicholas surprises me when it comes to food that he likes, and this time it was the Baked Caprese Salad I made. He likes all the components separately, but I didn't think he'd care for it all once it was put together ... and after plowing through three pieces, and requesting it again the next day, I knew we were onto something.

A recipe from Food Networkcelebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, it comes together lickety-split and makes a perfect starter for a pasta meal, just because, or to apparently get tomatoes into your kids little bellies. Barring all that, it made for the ideal contribution for tonight's ARF/5-A-Day roundup. Now onto what everyone else made ...

Claire from Cooking Is Medicine is up first tonight with the antioxidant-rich Blueberry Crumb Top Muffins:

The Chocolate Lady is back, this time with fresh pistachios:

Sarah from Cucina Bella gets through a tough morning to enjoy good-for-you Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake, or kick-ass coffee cake as Madeline refers to it:

Teczcape serves up delicious looking Seafood Cabbage Rolls:

Sarah from What Smells So Good throws together a pot of garden goodness with her Healthy Winer's Sauce:

Baked Caprese Salad
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

1 loaf baguette, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices (about 30 to 36 slices)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 1/4 pounds fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, stemmed

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Arrange the sliced baguette bread on a baking sheet. Brush with some of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake until the bread is pale golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Top each slice of bread with a slice of tomato and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each slice of tomato with a slice of mozzarella and sprinkle with salt. Return the baking sheet to the oven until the cheese and tomato are warmed, about 5 minutes.

Arrange the toasts on a serving platter. Top each toast with a basil leaf. Using the brush, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the basil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.

Sophisto Joes

2007-10-15T21:37:00.000-05:00

Growing up, I remember an assortment of entree meals that my mom had in a semi-regular rotation ... Jambalaya, this really good creamy Salmon and Rice dish (which was the only way, back then, that I would eat salmon; maybe one day she'll fork over the recipe), Spaghetti Arrlechino (I'm sure I've butchered the spelling, but it's a recipe she brought back from a cooking class she took when we lived in Italy) and Sloppy Joes. The Sloppy Joes (the warm, meaty kind, not the sandwich kind) recipe came from a friend of the family and made for a great, no-thought-needed weeknight meal that you could throw together in merely minutes.

When I moved out, I made a copy of that recipe, but over the years, it's evolved into something I just wing. A little of this, a little of that, and you have a hearty, crowd-pleasing, casual supper on the table. The other day, while waiting for Nicholas at school, I read through the October issue of Gourmet magazine and spied their recipe for Sophisto Joes. Intrigued by the addition of red wine, it became dinner. Hearty and tummy warming, I'd definitely make it again, but I'd drain the ground beef next time - they didn't and it made for a little more oil than I'd like. Eat up!

Sophisto Joes
Recipe courtesy of Gourmet magazine

These are the Jay Gatsbys of sloppy joes—suave, debonair. But we'd be remiss if we let the black-tie frippery of these cosmopolitan joes belie their true nature: Just as with Fitzgerald's famous hero, there's substance underneath all that class. These civilized sandwiches are hearty, delicious, and perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 35 min

Servings: Makes 4 servings

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained (I used crushed tomatoes to save the first step of the directions)
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 1/2 lb ground beef chuck
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
4 kaiser rolls, split Preparation

Purée tomatoes in a blender. Cook onion and garlic in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add carrot, celery, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add beef and brown, stirring to break up lumps, 5 to 6 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add puréed tomatoes, wine, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar and boil, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and sandwich inside rolls.

Cate's Notes: Drain ground beef.