Caprese Stuffed Meatballs with Tomato Pesto Sauce

From Rachael Ray:

Caprese-Stuffed Meatballs With Tomato-Pesto Sauce

Ingredients

• 5-6 slices of bread, torn up
• 3/4 cup milk (eyeball it)
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1 pound ground veal
• 4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• A small handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2-3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 egg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cherry tomatoes, stems removed
• 4 bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls), look for ones that are about the size of a cherry tomato. If they are bigger, cut them in half.
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus additional for drizzling, divided
• 1 can San Marzano plum tomatoes (28 ounces)
• 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought basil pesto (eyeball it)
• Zest of 1 lemon, if using store-bought pesto
• A loaf of crusty bread

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 425ºF.

Place the torn bread in a small bowl with the milk (make sure all the bread is submerged) and reserve.

In a large bowl, combine the ground meats, garlic, parsley, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, allspice, egg, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Squeeze out the excess milk from the soaking bread (it should be loose and in small pieces) and add it to the meat mixture. Mix everything with your hands to combine.

Divide the meatball mixture in half and score each half into eight sections with the back of your hand. Take one of the portions of the meatball mix and slightly flatten it out in your hand. Place a cherry tomato in the center and evenly wrap the meat around the tomato, completely encasing it in the meat. Repeat the process again with another portion of meat and one of the bocconcini balls.

Transfer the stuffed meatballs to a baking sheet, using one half of the baking sheet for the tomato one and the other for the bocconcini one so you can keep track of which is stuffed with what. Repeat the processes until the rest of the tomatoes and bocconcini have all been rolled in a portion of the meatball mixture. Wash your hands after handling the raw meat.

Drizzle the stuffed meatballs with some EVOO, transfer them to the oven and roast for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch.

While the meatballs are cooking, place a saucepot over medium-high heat with two turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the canned tomatoes and break them up with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon. Add a little salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and simmer while the meatballs are cooking.

Once the meatballs are ready, remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the pesto. If you are using store-bought pesto, add in the lemon zest. Transfer all of the sauce into a serving dish and nestle all of the meatballs into the sauce, keeping the cherry tomato-stuffed ones on one side and the bocconcini-stuffed ones on the other. Serve with some sliced crusty bread alongside.

My notes:
I stuffed them all with cheese, and kept some separate from the tomato sauce for T. to eat (since he hates red sauce). I also served it with pasta, since the red sauce was soooo yummy! I was very impressed with how the lemon zest really made pre-made pesto and canned tomatoes taste so yummy! Oh, and I used 1/2 lb. gr. pork--not 1 lb. gr. veal!

Super sized sandwich

G. and I went to a (couples) baby shower a few weeks ago, and there were a TON of scrumptious goodies to snack on. One of the coolest things, however, was this giant, warm, gooey sandwich. The hostess kindly gave me the "recipe" and I've made them twice already!

You buy foccacia bread at your local bakery (ours is from Pick N Save--the foccacia is not thin like classic foccacia, but taller and just topped with cheese and other stuff) and cut it in half lengthwise. On the bottom, spread flavored cream cheese (I used onion and chive). Top that with your choice of lunchmeat (this time I used ham, salami and pepperoni; at the party some had just ham and some had just turkey), choice of veggies (I sauteed onions and peppers and then stirred in some picked sandwich peppers), and choice of cheese (I used mozzarella this time). Place in a warm oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cheeses are nice and melty. Cut into wedges and serve. Here's what the inside looks like:


It was such a hit the first time that I made two the second time. The best flavor foccacia at the party was a jalapeno cheddar one, but I couldn't find those either time at my store. This is a tomato and parmesan one.

I served it with assorted potato chips and grapes.

Curried Winter Vegetable Soup

Curried Winter Vegetable Soup
From Rachael Ray
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 medium eggplant, peel half of each one and chop into bite-size pieces (we don't care for eggplant, so subbed zucchini)
  
• 1 small head cauliflower, cored and cut into florets
• 2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced into about one-inch chunks
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped (we subbed green)
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 to 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock plus 1 cup, divided
• 2 rounded tablespoons mild curry paste, more if desired (we use Penzey's garam masala and hot curry powder)
  
• 1/2 cup mango chutney
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas
• 1 28-ounce fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 10-ounce bag spinach, thinly sliced
• 1 bag pita chips

Place a large pot over medium-high heat with 3 turns of the pan of vegetable oil, about 3 tablespoons. Add the eggplant and cook stirring for about 2 minutes.

Add the cauliflower and potatoes, turn the heat down to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the heat back up to medium-high and add the red bell pepper, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, adding a little more oil if necessary the mixture seems dry. Continue to cook for 5 more minutes, stirring every now and then. Add stock and bring up to a simmer.

While the stoup is coming up to a simmer, combine 1 cup of the stock with the curry paste and the mango chutney in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add the curry mixture to the pot along with the chickpeas and tomatoes. Season with some salt and pepper, bring the mixture up to a bubble and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes and veggies are nice and tender and the flavors have melded together. Fold spinach in at the end.

To serve, ladle up a good amount of the stoup into a serving bowls and top with some pita chips.

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Naan from Trader Joe's

Christmas Cookies!

I thought it would be fun to post all the Christmas cookies that we made this year, along with recipes.

Gingersnaps (from Penzey's)
I make two changes/additions to the recipe. First of all, I chop up some candied ginger and toss it in, too. Secondly, I take the cookies out of the oven after 3 minutes and press the spheres of dough down with the bottom of a glass. It makes them more thin, even, and better looking, I think (you get the nice cracked look)

2 cups flour 2 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 3/4 Cup vegetable shortening 1 Cup sugar 1 large egg 1/4 Cup molasses - either regular or unsulphured 1 tsp. GINGER, powdered 1 tsp. CINNAMON, powdered 1/2 tsp. CLOVES, powdered 1/3 Cup granulated white sugar (to roll dough in)

Sift flour, baking soda and salt together, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening and sugar until well blended. Beat in egg, molasses, GINGER, CINNAMON, and CLOVES. Add the flour mixture in two parts, blending well. Shape the dough into a ball, cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°. Shape dough into 11/2" balls for large cookies - smaller are fine too. Roll the balls thoroughly in sugar, place on ungreased cookie trays. The cookies spread out during baking, so don't crowd them. Bake 15 minutes. Cool for a minute, then remove from cookie sheets. Store in an airtight container for crispy cookies, or in a regular cookie jar for chewy cookies.

Yield: 40-60 cookies
Prep. time: 10 minutes plus chilling
Baking time: 30 minutes total (2 sheets at a time for 15 minutes each)

Chocolate Chip Cookies made with mini Hershey bars and/or Cadbury Milk Chocolates with a Crisp Sugar Shell



No matter how many fancy cookies I make, classic chocolate chip cookies are always the first gone.

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• chocolate chips or M&M's or whatever

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips or other additions. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.


Andes Candies Surprise Cookies

Andes Mint Surprise Cookies
Recipe from: 101 More Things to Do With a Cake Mix
by Stephanie Dircks Ashcraft

1 white or yellow cake mix*
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
30 to 36 individual Andes mints, unwrapped (we took one package and broke them in half)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.




2. With a spoon, mix cake mix, eggs, and oil together in a bowl. Flatten a ball of dough around a chocolate mint. Make sure candy is completely covered with dough.




3. Bake 8-12 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Remove cookies and place on nonstick rack to cool.




4. *Chocolate cake mix can be used, but increase vegetable oil from 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup.

Pizzelles
(you need a pizzelle iron for these)

I've tried many recipes, but this is my favorite! Cook on a preheated pizzelle iron until steam is no longer escaping from the sides and the pizzelles are nice and golden.

6 eggs
1 c. butter
2 t. anise extract
4 c. all-purpose flour
3 t. baking powder
2 c. sugar

Beat eggs until smooth. Melt the butter and allow it to cool briefly while you blend and mix the sugar and anise extract into the eggs. Add the melted butter into the mix, sift the flour and baking powder in, and blend vigorously to insure uniformity. Bake according to pizzelle iron directions.


Better than Reese's Peanut Butter Bars

Classic Spritz cookies
Rugelach Pinwheels

From the Sweet On You Bakery via The Martha Stewart Show
(I found via Smitten Kitchen)

Makes about 50 cookies

Dough
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups sifted bleached all-purpose flour

Filling
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup golden raisins, chopped (I used a mix of raisins and craisins)
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup apricots preserves, heated and cooled slightly

Topping
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Place cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and continue processing until fully incorporated. Add flour and pulse just until dough comes together. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, make filling. In a medium bowl, mix together granulated and brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and walnuts; set aside.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 piece of dough into a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Spread a thin layer of preserves over dough; sprinkle with filling mixture. Roll dough into a log beginning with one of the long sides; wrap in plastic wrap. Transfer dough log baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining piece of dough. Place dough logs in refrigerator; let chill at least 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar for the topping; set aside.

5. Slice chilled dough logs crosswise, about 1/4 inch thick. Toss each cookie in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place cookies 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 18 to 20 minutes. Lift parchment paper from baking sheets and transfer to a wire cooling rack; let cool.

Sauteed shredded zucchini; roasted mushrooms

This is actually a meal I made several weeks ago (but I'm so behind on blogging).

In addition to the recipes I'm sharing, there's steamed broccoli, plain noodles (for M.) and simple BBQ pork chops.

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Sauteed shredded zucchini

In the weeks before making this recipe, I read (in several places) about shredding and then sauteing zucchini, and serving it over pasta. A friend had given me a rather large zucchini, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Shred zucchini and squeeze out as much moisture as possible (I used a clean dishtowel for this). chop a small onion. Boil water for pasta of your choice. In the meantime, heat olive oil, butter and onion in a fry pan. When onion is tender, add drained zucchini and a clove of garlic, crushed. Saute only a matter of minutes, and then toss in cooked, drained pasta and lots of fresh ground pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl, layering with lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

My notes: I wasn't wowed by this recipe. Essentially, the zucchini added very little. Then again, it didn't take away from what was essentially garlicy, cheesy pasta, so that's something, too. :)

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Roasted mushrooms

This is a phenomenal, simple recipe that an IRL friend passed along. It sounded too simple to be good, but OMG, is it yummy!

Clean mushrooms (I used plain white button mushrooms) and remove the stems. Distribute mushrooms (cap down) in a baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast in an oven with whatever else you're baking (I did about 25 minutes at 350, but my friend says it's very flexible WRT temps and just watch the time until they look done).

Vacation, Day Two (August 10)

I had promised the girls (C and M1) that I'd take them shopping, as M1 needed a knitting needle to finish her project and besides, is there anything more fun for 12 YO girls than shopping? :)

We headed into town and visited my mom's coworkers (it's so fun to show off the kids and how much they've grown since the last visit). Then we went out to lunch (see how visits up North are all about the food?) at one of G's favorite places: Don and GG's.

C, M1 and I took all of about 2 hours to hit EVERY store in Ironwood, MI and Hurley, WI! The girls found postcards and C. found a cute pair of gauchos.

Mom made a yummy supper of burgers on the grill (from a local butcher--O'Dovero's) (Boca for the vegetarians in the group) and grilled veggies from the recipe I'd posted here.

Due to the rain, Uncle S. (a firefighter) had the weekend off, so he brought his ATV over to give the kids rides. I even got to drive it! Here's some pictures from that:

Mexican Gumbo

Our family's favorite meal is a take-off of Qdoba's burritos (and naked burritos). I've posted the general recipe here in the past. (I just realized that I never put my recipes for the three salsas I make with it! I'll have to add those, too)

But C. has found a new favorite meal at Qdoba and I tried to mimic that one as well. I think I did a pretty good job!

I put out, for people to pick and choose from:

cooked rice
grilled chicken
pinto beans
cheese
grilled veggies

Then you top that with:
tortilla soup

and sprinkle:
sour cream
salsas (corn, pico de gallo, verde)
crushed tortilla chips

over the top. YUM!

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Tortilla soup
(made by reading a ton of recipes on the web and combining them into this)
1/4 bunch cilantro
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
1 can tomatoes with green chilies (I use Red Gold brand)
6 c. chicken stock (I use 3 Knorr chicken boullion cubes and 6 c. water)
1 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
1 pkg. (10) corn tortillas, chopped finely

Heat stock. While stock is heating, puree cilantro, garlic, onion, and tomatoes in food processor. Add pureed mixture, seasonings, and tortillas into stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about an hour.

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Corn Salsa
1 can corn (NOT creamed) or a few handfuls of frozen or fresh, cooked
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 jalapenos, chopped
1/2 purple onion, chopped
cilantro, minced
1 avocado, diced

season with salt, cumin, chili powder, and fresh lime juice to taste

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Salsa verde
4 medium to large tomatillos, papery coating removed
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno, stem removed, but seeds and membrane intact
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2-1 lime, juiced
salt to taste

Boil tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapeno in water for about 7 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then process in food processor. Add cilantro, and lime juice and salt to taste.

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Pico de gallo

amounts depend on size and flavorfulness of produce

fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
purple onion, finely chopped
jalapeno, finely chopped
cilantro, finely chopped
lemon or lime juice to taste
salt to taste

Cold Brewed Coffee

I'm not really a coffee snob, but I'm not a coffee purist, either. In college, I started my addiction to General Foods Internationals French Vanilla Cafe, and I still drink a cup of it a day... But earlier this year, a friend of mine became a Direct Sales Associate with a company called Inspired Aroma (her number is 0356 if you order ;)). I went to a home party (ala Tupperware) and was fascinated by all that I learned about coffee and tea. I booked a party of my own, and earned (or earned credit toward) a coffee grinder, a milk frother, an espresso pot, and some other items. My goal was to save money (who wants to pay $4 at Starbucks when it should cost mere pennies at home?), and to be able to enjoy yummy coffee drinks more often.

Well, I have to say that I haven't used my stuff as much as I'd hoped. I do use the grinder, and I've used the espresso pot, but the milk frother was used only once. And my drinks didn't taste like Starbucks'!

When the weather warmed up, I wanted to try to make iced coffee drinks. I watched, after ordering one at a coffee shop, and found that they were simply made with a shot of espresso, some flavored syrup, and a lot of milk, then poured over ice. Easy enough!

But my espresso didn't taste all that great. It was okay, but not something I wanted to spend the time to make.

At the Inspired Aroma party, Nikki had talked about a product called a toddy maker. Toddy makers "brew" coffee without boiling the water. It results in a less acidic, bitter tasting coffee, and even people who can no longer stomach coffee are usually able to drink coffee made in a toddy maker. But that was another $40 and I'd already invested too much money "saving" money on coffee shops! Still, I was reading more and more online about how good cold-brewed coffee was.

I found a link that showed how to make your own toddy maker out of two fast food supersize plastic cups. I considered trying it, but then I'd have to go to a fast food place and order two supersize beverages! But last week I stumbled upon an article raving again about cold-brewed coffee and I found (somewhere!) the "magical" formula of 1/3 cup coffee grounds to 1 cup water, and so I ground up some coffee, put it in a glass jar with filtered water, and let it sit overnight.

The next morning I rubber-banded a coffee filter over another jar, and poured the mixture (slowly) through it. I then stored this concentrate in the fridge (covered).

Today I finally decided to give it a try.

I used a shot of french vanilla syrup (I've found that Torani really seems to be the best brand!) and some of my concentrate, then put in ice cubes and filled the glass with milk.

oh...my...gawd... I tasted the best iced coffee ever!

It just might be worth investing in a toddy maker for convenience, but I really strongly suggest that you try the cold brewing at least once. Supposedly you can mix the concentrate with boiling water for a warm cup (I'll try that some other time), but this was a wonderful iced drink!

Balsamic Grilled Vegetables

OMG, these were SO amazing--and SO easy!

I got the recipe from Food Network (of course) at this link:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/

and made a few adjustments in the veggies I used.

Recipe, from the link:

1 medium yellow squash, sliced on bias
1 medium zucchini, sliced on bias
1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch thick circles
1 red onion, sliced in 1/2-inch thick circles
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and quartered
1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and quartered
2 portobello mushroom caps, gilled and peeled
3 green onions
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Preheat grill to high.

Prepare all vegetables. Place vegetables in a roasting pan with the mushroom caps and green onions. Season vegetables generously with salt and pepper, and toss with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Place vegetables, cut side down, on the hot grill and cook for a couple minutes on each side, or until tender and nicely marked by the grill.

Remove from grill and toss with an additional 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

(me again)

I don't care for eggplant, so skipped that
We don't have NICE, garden-fresh tomatoes yet, so I skipped that, too. I used:
asparagus
fennel bulb
zucchini
purple onion in thick slices
green onions, whole
portobello mushroom caps
red bell pepper
cubanelle pepper

For the peppers, I roasted them whole over the grill, then wrapped them in a bowl covered with saran wrap until the skin slid off. Next time I'll do that early and then cut them and return them to the grill, but this time I didn't. They had less grilled flavor that the other things, but were still yummy.

Roast Chicken, Buttered Noodles, Sugar Snap peas

Here's a recipe I found somewhere online, and then adapted.

Beer can in the butt chicken (minus the beer)

We're not beer fans, so I took an empty soda can, and put into it:
chicken broth
white wine
fresh herbs

Then I put the soda can into a whole chicken's uh...large opening...and put that contraption on a disposable pie pan. I rubbed the chicken with a BBQ rub, and then grilled it over indirect heat for an hour.

The chicken was wonderfully moist and tender. We ate lots, and then used the remainder (bones and meat) to make chicken broth for soup the next day.

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When we go to Noodles & Company (which is one of M's favorite restaurants) she always gets either mac and cheese or buttered noodles. This last time we went, we had a "buy one, get one free" coupon, and while M. said she wanted buttered noodles, we talked her into getting the mac and cheese (buttered noodles are cheaper, and if you're going to get it free anyway...), but promised to make buttered noodles at home soon.

So these are just egg noodles, cooked and then sauteed in lots of butter and topped with lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese
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Sauteed sugar snap peas--delicious because we'd picked them that morning!

Buffalo Chicken Chili; scallion corn pancakes; celery succotash salad

All of these are taken directly, or adapted from, Rachael Ray.

Quick Buffalo Chicken Chili

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound ground chicken
1 garlic clove, minced
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
6 ounces beer (I subbed white wine and chicken stock)
2 T. cayenne pepper hot sauce
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce

1. Heat a medium Dutch oven or large skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil and the butter and melt together. Add the chicken and cook, breaking up the meat, for 6 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, onion, carrot and jalapeño. Season with salt, pepper, cumin and coriander, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beer and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Concentrate the flavor of the beer by reducing the mixture over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the hot sauce and the tomato sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the chili for 15 minutes.

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Scallion Corn pancakes

Mix a package of corn muffins with 1/3 c. milk and one egg. Stir in 3 scallions, chopped, and a handful of cheddar cheese (Rachael called for blue cheese, but we're not big blue cheese fans).
Heat a nonstick griddle pan or large skillet over medium heat. Nest a small piece of butter in a paper towel and rub over the pan. Drop rounded tablespoons of the batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes until bubbles form at the edges, then flip them and cook until golden all over, about 2 minutes per side.

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Celery Succotash Salad

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey, a healthy drizzle
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, eyeball it
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
Salt and pepper
1 whole celery heart, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 (10-ounce box) frozen corn kernels
1 (15-ounce) can chick peas, drained
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (I only had green)
1/2 small to medium red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves (I didn't have any, so skipped this)

In a medium bowl, combine the mustard, honey, lemon juice, and vinegar then whisk in extra-virgin olive oil and season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add the celery, carrots, corn, chick peas, peppers, onions, and thyme. Toss to combine the salad and adjust salt and pepper, to taste.

Jambalaya; Corn Bread

I got this recipe at Ala Carte a few years ago. It came from the chef of a great Cajun restaurant in the area--Crawdaddy's.

Crawdaddy's World Famous Jambalaya
(somewhat adapted by me)

Makes approx. 1 gallon

2 T. olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 green pepper, coarsely chopped
1 red pepper, coarsely chopped
3 ribs of celery, coarsely chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I use salad shrimp)
3 bay leaves
1 t. dried leaf thyme
1 t. hungarian half-sharp paprika
3 big cans stewed tomatoes
1 c. chicken stock
2 T. Frank's Red Hot sauce
1 T. worcestershire sauce
1 lb. andouille sausage, cut into half moons
1 lb. grilled chicken breast, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 lb. smoked ham, cut into 1/2 " cubes
1/2 can tomato paste
2 pinches kosher salt
1 t. creole meat seasoning
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin

Heat the olive oil in an uncovered heavy-bottom pot. Add the vegetables and garlic and saute, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the shrimp, bay leaves and thyme and continue to cook over medium heat until the shrimp are pink (10-15 minutes). Add the paprika, stewed tomatoes, stock, hot sauce and worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Add the andouille, chicken and ham, and stir well. Add tomato paste, salt, seasoning and cook over moderate heat until the liquid returns to a boil. Stir in green onions. Serve over rice. Extra can be frozen (without rice) and reheated easily.
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cornbread, baked in cast iron corn mold

Cajun Shrimp with Lemon Linguine

These recipes are from a dear online (but blogless) friend. I've made this several times, with chicken and tofu as well as shrimp, but this was the first time I used raw shrimp (pre-cooked is so much cheaper). It really made a difference!

CAJUN SHRIMP

1/2 c. olive oil
1 clove garlic, whole but crushed
2 T. cajun seasoning
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. minced parsley
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. soy sauce (I use tamari)
16 XL shrimp

Combine first seven ingredients in a 9x13 baking dish. Shell and devein the shrimp, pat dry, and toss in marinade to coat. Refrigerate 1-12 hours. Preheat oven to 450. Remove garlic clove. Bake for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be sure not to overcook. You can also grill them on skewers.

LEMON LINGUINE

1 lb. linguini
1/2 c. olive oil
zest from one lemon
juice from 2 lemons
1/2 c. chopped green onion
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
lots of parmesan cheese

Cook linguini in boiling salted water until done; drain well. Combine next 5 ingredients in a large serving bowl. Add pasta and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper--toss in parmesan cheese to taste. Serve, or toss with additional ingredients of your choice.

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sauteed Haricot Vert

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grapes

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza; Salad

This is a great Pampered Chef recipe that I haven't made for a long time. In searching my old recipes to find vegetarian (or vegetarian-adaptable) recipes, I re-found it! It's a keeper!

Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza

filling:
4 oz. fresh muchrooms, sliced
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 t. dried oregano leaves
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed in a towel to remove water
1 1/2 c. pizza sauce, divided
1 can (14 1/2 oz) Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes, drained
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 oz. fresh Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 c.)

crust:
1/3 c. plus 1 T. cornmeal, divided
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 pkg. (1/4 oz) quick-rising dry yeast
1 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
2/3 c. very warm (125 degrees) water
1/4 c. olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

For filling, cook mushrooms, onion, garlic and oregano over medium heat until onion is tender; stir in spinach and 1/2 c. of the pizza sauce. Remove pan from heat. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1 c. of pizza sauce with drained tomatoes and set aside.

Lightly grease bottom of a deep-dish baker or spring-form pan and then sprinkle with 1 T. of the cornmeal. Combine (in large bowl) flour, remaining 1/3 cup cornmeal, yeast, sugar and salt. Add water and 1/4 c. oil; stir until mixture forms a ball. Place dough on lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 3 minuts. Flatten dough to fit in bottom of baker or spring-form pan. Pat evenly on bottom and about an inch up the sides. Sprinkle 1 c. of the mozarella over the crust; top with the spinach mixture, remaining cup of mozzarella, and then the tomato mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown. Grate parmesan cheese over the top of the hot pizza, and then serve.

(if you're not vegetarian, they suggest subbing 8 oz. Italian sausage, cooked, for the mushrooms)

And because I thought it looked impressive, here's a picture of the pizza before it was cut:

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Salad with spicy vinagrette

I put about 2 T. of Italian Giardinera (spicy marinated veggies) in the food processor, and then added 1 T. red wine vinegar, 1 T. water, and 3 T. olive oil. It made a yummy, spicy vinagrette for the salad.

Sweet and Sour Chicken; Fried Rice; Asian sides

Harvey Moy's Sweet and Sour Chicken
I found this recipe through the Journal-Sentinel. We love Harvey Moy's Chinese food!

Harvey Moy's Sweet and Sour Chicken

1 1/2 C. flour
1 1/2 C. cornstarch (divided)
3/4 t. baking powder
1 egg
6 C. water (about) (divided)
2 C. sugar
1 C. vinegar
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained
2 green bell peppers, cored and cut into small triangle sections
2 tomatoes, cut into small triangle sections
Corn or peanut oil for frying
2 to 2 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into pieces 2-inches long and 1/2-inch thick)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 C. sesame seeds (browned in a dry pan over medium heat for 30 seconds)
Hot cooked rice (optional)
Make breading and sweet sour sauce first.

To make breading:
In medium bowl, combine flour, 1 cup cornstarch and baking powder. Add egg and 13/4 cups water. Mix until smooth using electric mixer. Consistency should be very thick and just slowly drip from beater.

To make sweet sour sauce:
In large saucepan, boil 4 cups water. Reduce heat to medium and add sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Add vinegar and stir in. Increase heat to high.

In small bowl, mix together remaining 1/2 cup cornstarch and 1/4 cup water. Pour cornstarch mixture slowly into sugar/vinegar mixture and cook over high heat stir until sauce starts to boil, then thicken to medium gravy. Add pineapple, peppers and tomatoes and cook 30 seconds. Set aside and keep warm.

Pour oil into large wok to depth of 3 to 5 inches. Heat oil to 350° F.

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper if desired. Place in breading mixture, making sure all pieces are lightly coated. Once oil is reaches 350° F., individually place coated chicken strips in hot oil. Cook only 1/4 to 1/2 of the chicken at a time. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until pieces are golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and let drain on paper toweling. Keep warm. When oil again reaches 350° F. finish remaining chicken strips.

To serve:
Set chicken pieces atop rice, if using, top with sweet sour sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Makes 4 servings.
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Fried Rice
I thought I'd posted this before, but cannot find it, so maybe not!

Saute in oil:
sliced green onion
garlic
freshly chopped ginger
other meats or veggies of your choosing (ham, chicken, leftover cooked veggies, etc.)

Scoot that over to the sides of the pan, pour in more oil, and dump in:
cooked and cooled rice (white or brown)

Saute until it is warm throughout and starting to get crispy. Pour rice wine and soy sauce (to taste--and until it's lightly brown) over the rice.

Beat 1 or more eggs (depends on the amount of rice you have and how eggy you like it) and pour the egg over the warm rice mixture. Stir quickly to avoid getting big chunks of egg.

Stir in additional veggies (I do peas and/or sugar snap peas and carrots) and heat through.
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Pagoda Cafe crab rangoons and cream cheese wontons

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Dole Asian Crunch salad mix
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Sauteed Stir Fry vegetables

Chicken Parm Meatball Subs; Shredded Veggie salad

Yet another Rachael Ray recipe!

Chicken Parm Meatball Subs
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
1 large egg
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
Handful of chopped parsley leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling plus, plus 3 tablespoons, 3 turns of the pan
2 large cloves garlic, cracked from skin and split
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, a healthy couple of pinches
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, (recommended: San Marzano)
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper
8 to 10 leaves fresh basil, torn or shredded
4 (6 to 8-inch) crusty sub rolls
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place chicken in a bowl and season with grill seasoning. Add egg, half of the grated cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, and a serious drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to the bowl. Mix the meat and form 12 large meatballs. Squish the balls to flatten them a bit like mini oval meatloaves. Be careful not to form the balls wider than your bread. The flattened balls will stay put on your sub, no roll-aways! Bake the meatballs 15 minutes until golden and firm. Switch the broiler on.

While the meatballs bake, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and garlic and cook 5 minutes then remove the cloves. Add crushed red pepper flakes then tomatoes and stir in the chicken stock. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and simmer 10 minutes, adjust seasonings and stir in the basil. Reserve a extra sauce for dipping on dinner table.

Remove the meat from oven and loosen with a thin spatula. Turn meat balls in sauce.

Cut sub rolls making the bottom a little deeper than the top. Hollow out a little bread and lightly toast the sub rolls under broiler. Fill the bottoms of the breads with flattened balls and sauce. Combine the provolone and remaining Parmigiano. Cover the subs with cheese and return to broiler to melt the cheese until golden.

Shredded Veggie Salad
(tastes like the veggies on a Subway sub!)

2 hearts romaine or 1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 medium beefsteak tomato, halved then very thinly sliced
1 small green bell pepper, very thinly sliced
1/2 medium onion, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup hot pepper rings or pepperoncini, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, eyeball it
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
Salt and pepper

Mix salad and dress with vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper.

Cornish Pasties and Salad with Parmesan Peppercorn dressing

I grew up in Iron County, WI, where mining made the area. "Legend" has it that Cornish miners invented pasties (pronounced PAST-ees, not PASTE-ees) as an easy-to-eat-in-the-mines lunch. Here's the recipe I compiled from some native Iron-County-ers:

Cornish Pasties
Makes 6

Crust:
(from my mom's friend Linda)
4 c. flour
2 t. salt
1 3/4 cups lard, just under a pound (yeah, you could use Crisco, but it's really not as good)
1 T. white vinegar
1 lg. egg
1/2 cup very cold water

Mix the dry ingredients, then cut in the lard with a pastry cutter. Mix in the last 3 ingredients. Refrigerate at least half an hour before using. (I actually used the KitchenAid this last time and it worked great)

Filling:
3/4 lb. round steak, finely diced
1/4 lb. lean pork, finely diced
3 c. potatoes, finely diced
1 c. onion, finely diced
finely diced turnips and/or carrots, optional
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

Cut the pastry into 6 equal pieces. Using your hands and a rolling pin (and extra flour if needed), roll into a roughly round shape, about 1/4 inch thick. Place 1/6 of the filling on half of the circle, top with a generous pat of butter, then fold the dough over to enclose the filling. Crimp the edges. Repeat with remaining dough and filling portions.

Place on a greased baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for about an hour, or until crust is nicely browned and potatoes are tender.

Traditionally served with ketchup to dip, but I really dislike ketchup, so I eat mine plain.
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Salad with Parmesan Peppercorn dressing
adapted from Rachael Ray

I find the recipe from Rachael Ray too lemony, and I like tomatoes in my salad

Top
1 large head chopped romaine lettuce
Half a pint of grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 green onions, sliced
with:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon coarse pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Fajita Burger; Nachos; Mexi-ranch salad

Another burger recipe from Rachel Ray. It's posted here, on the Food Network site. I've made the chicken ones before, but this time did the beef. I was also gearing up for my juice cleanse, so made tiny burgers for smaller servings.

Beef and Chicken Fajita Burgers; Have one of each!

Beef Fajita Burgers:
1 1/3 pounds ground sirloin
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 tablespoons chili powder, a palm full
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, half a palm full
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh picked thyme leaves, several sprigs
Several drops hot sauce
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Chicken Fajita Burgers:
1 1/3 pounds ground chicken
1 tablespoons ground chipotle (smoky flavor) chili powder, a palm full
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Several drops hot sauce
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Seared Peppers and Onions:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 red or green bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 medium yellow skinned onion, thinly sliced lengthwise, reserve 1/4 of a piece, uncut
1 jalapeno or serrano, seeded and chopped
2 cups tomatillo, green chili salsa or chipotle-tomato salsa, your choice

8 crusty rolls, split
Bacon and Black Bean Smash, recipe follows

Heat a grill pan or large skillet over medium high heat.

For Beef Fajita Burgers:
Combine sirloin, Worcestershire, spices, thyme, hot sauce and grill seasoning. Mark meat into 4 sections and make 4 patties, 1-inch thick. Using the reserved 1/4 onion piece, grate half of it on the burgers. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil on the patties. Cook patties 4 minutes on each side for medium or, until desired doneness.

For Chicken Fajita Burgers:
Combine chicken, chipotle powder, cilantro, hot sauce and grill seasoning. Score and divide meat into 4 sections and form big patties, 1-inch thick. Using the rest of the 1/4 reserved onion piece, grate the other half of it on the burgers. Drizzle patties with extra-virgin olive oil and cook 6 minutes on each side or until meat is firm and cooked through.
Heat a medium skillet over high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and peppers and onions. Stir-fry the veggies tossing them with tongs to sear them at edges. Add the jalapeno or serrano pepper. Toss and turn the mixture about 3 minutes, then add salsa of choice and toss a minute longer. Place burgers on each bun bottom and top with 1/4 of the pepper and onion mixture and bun top.

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Nachos

Sprinkle tortilla chips on a cookie sheet. Top with pickled jalapenos, and tons of shredded co-jack cheese. Heat in a warm oven until cheese melts

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Mexi-ranch salad dressing

Blend equal parts of ranch dressing and tomato salsa or picante. Dress salad.

Hoppin' Jack and cornbread

My mom, as an Air Force brat, lived all over the US (indeed, out of the US, too) and from her time in the South, kept the tradition of eating black eyed peas on New Year's Day for good luck.

Hoppin' Jack

1/2 lb. dried black eyed peas
1 meaty ham bone or ham hock
1 Knorr chicken boullion cube
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
pepper (we like Penzey's Red and Black blend)

Cooked rice

Rinse and pick through dried black eyed peas. Place in large pot or dutch oven with ham bone/hock, boullion cube, and enough cold water to just cover the ham bone. Bring to a boil.

While beans and ham are simmering, chop veggies. Add them as you chop them, and add some pepper, too.

After about two hours, the beans will be tender and the flavor extracted from the ham. Fish out the ham bone and allow to cool before you pull off the pieces of ham and chop them. Stir in the ham pieces and taste for seasoning.

Serve over cooked rice and with cornbread on the side (I just follow the directions on the back of the cornmeal package).

TJ's Masala/Paneer sauce

Since both Susie and Stefaneener highly recommended Trader Joe's Masala and Korma Simmer Sauces, I couldn't wait to try them. Unfortunately, my cold prevented me from being able to taste for so long that I wasn't able to try them right away. I was pretty happy with this meal, though.

Masala/Paneer Sauce

1 jar Trader Joe's Masala Simmer Sauce
1 cup water
1 package Paneer (Indian cheese)
1 T olive oil
1 onion
1 cup frozen peas
cooked rice

Cut paneer into small squares and saute in olive oil until lightly brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. Add chopped onion to remaining olive oil and cook until tender. Add jar of sauce and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer and heat for about 10 minutes. Add in the paneer and frozen peas and heat through. Serve over rice and with pita, heated in a frying pan.
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Homemade Paneer

I looked all over for paneer, which you can supposedly buy pre-made, but had no success. I found a recipe online and made it with the free milk I got at the grocery store this week, thinking no harm in trying. It turned out really good!

Ingredients:
2 litres of milk
juice of two lemons
cumin powder
salt

Equipment:
big pot
cheesecloth or non-fuzzy dish towel
2 cutting boards
heavy weight (bricks or pot filled with water)

Instructions:
Bring the milk, 1 t. salt and 1 t. cumin to a slow simmer. Simmer for five minutes, stirring constantly and making sure it doesn't burn or boil over.

Remove the boiled milk from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice at a time, until the milk curdles and becomes very chunky. Drain off the whey (non chunky stuff) and wrap the curds (chunky stuff) in the cheese cloth or clean dish towel. You can taste it and see if it needs more salt or cumin, or if you want to add any other seasonings. Squeeze out any remaining whey and then shape it into a flattened rectangle of cheese. Place on one cutting board, then top with a second, and weigh it down (you might want to do this over a sink). Keep the weight on for 1-2 hours, then unwrap the paneer, rinse it, and store it in the fridge until you need it.